by G. P. Hudson
Kevin sat behind the desk in his ready room, as his XO spoke. Teams had worked round the clock to get the battle group’s ships back to full health. “Thank you, Commander. How are repairs coming on the other battle group ships?”
“Repairs on the Reiver, and the two Chaanisar heavy cruisers have also been completed,” Hurley continued, his voice raspy. “Repairs to the Diakan battleships ongoing, but they say they are close. They should be ready within forty-eight hours.”
“I figured the Diakan ships might take a bit longer. Considering their size and the damage they took in the last battle, what they’ve accomplished so far is very impressive. How about the jump systems? How are the retrofits coming?”
“The jump system has been successfully installed in eight ships. During those installations, the New Byzantium Engineers were trained in the retrofit requirements. They are now capable of installing the jump systems without our assistance, so the pace should pick up significantly.”
“Let’s hope so. We’re going to need as many jump ships as possible if we’re going to pull this off. Are the crews up to speed on the use of the jump systems?”
“All bridge crews are being trained on the retrofitted ships. They should be good to go when their ships are ready. Ship engineers are actively involved in the retrofit process, and are gaining the knowledge they’ll need to operate the jump system on their ships.”
“It’ll have to do,” said Kevin. “Any new reports on the Kemmar’s activity?”
“Some are trickling through. We’re getting reports of humans for sale on the Kemmar slave market.”
Kevin cringed, remembering his experience on the Kemmar prison planet. Had they not escaped, he would be a slave right now, as would his men, and the Reivers.
“There are no reports of new activity otherwise,” continued Hurley. “Looks like they’re consolidating their gains before their next big push.”
“No specific news on Amboss Corporation? Nothing telling us what defenses the Kemmar are putting in place?”
“No, Sir,” said Hurly.
“We need some intelligence on Amboss. Jump system or not, we can’t just go in there blind. Someone’s got to go over there and get some scans.” He thought for a moment, considering his options. “You know what? It might as well be us. We’ve been sitting around for too long already. Advise the crew that we will be jumping in the next few hours, Commander.”
“Are we jumping into Amboss space, Sir?” said Hurley, a hint of concern in his voice.
“No. We’ll jump close enough to send a jump drone in to take scans. With any luck the Kemmar won’t even notice.”
“Yes, Sir. I’ll have Ensign Balian plot preliminary coordinates.”
“Thank you, Commander. Dismissed.”
Hurley saluted, turned on his heel, and walked out of the room.
As the door slid closed, a communication request flashed on his display from one of the Diakan battleships. Kevin was surprised to see Tallos appear, wearing a Diakan military uniform.
“Greetings Captain St. Clair,” said Tallos.
“Well, well, look at you wearing that shiny new uniform,” said Kevin. “Looks like Major Ilthos gave you your old job back.”
“Captain St. Clair, I am contacting you to express my desire to work together, and leave any conflict we have previously had in the past.”
“Really? You mean when you took me prisoner, and ordered Breeah’s murder? Did you know that her father is commanding the Reiver? The destroyer in our battle group. I think you should be more worried about him than little old me.”
“Captain, I assure you I did not order the Reiver woman’s murder. Security Adviser Kinos acted independently. You and the woman were taken prisoner only to force Captain Pike’s hand, so that he would not attack the Kemmar planet.”
“You’re forgetting Anki, Breeah’s daughter. She was also a hostage. You kidnapped a mother and daughter to make Admiral Pike bend to your will. That is still a despicable act, regardless of whether or not you ordered their murder.”
“Taking the woman hostage was unfortunate, but we had no other leverage over Captain Pike.”
“Admiral Pike.”
“Yes, I’ve heard. At the time he was still a Captain. Regardless, you know what happened when he attacked the planet. We were justified in our attempt to stop him.”
“No, you were not. He was the captain of the Hermes. You may not have agreed with his decision, but you had no right to try and takeover the ship.”
“We see things differently. But Captain, I am not here to debate past decisions. I want to put all of that behind us, so we can better work together.”
“Yeah, I don’t know how I feel about that. Admiral Pike has placed me in command of this battle group, and I don’t trust you.”
“Really, Captain. I pose no threat to you. I am a Diakan citizen on a Diakan vessel.”
“Is that right? Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you a Diakan General?”
“Yes, I am.”
“And doesn’t that mean you outrank everybody on those two Diakan battleships?”
“Yes, Captain. It does.”
“Then the commanders of those ships must obey your orders.”
“Not necessarily. Captain Koufyos and Captain Vorlos are the commanders of their respective ships. I cannot overrule their orders. Furthermore, they are assigned to your battle group, meaning they are under your command, and I certainly do not have any authority over you. So you see, Captain St. Clair, your position is quite secure.”
“Secure, or not, I don’t like you, and I sure as hell don’t trust you. I understand that you need a ride back home, and I will tolerate as much. But make no mistake, you try anything stupid and I’ll leave you off on an asteroid somewhere. That is, after I’ve let the Reivers have at you.”
“Captain, there is really no need for threats. I have no intention of disrupting your mission.”
“We’ll see, Tallos. We’ll see.”
***
Kevin strode onto the Vanguard’s bridge. “Jump status?” he said, as he stepped up to his command console.
“Coordinates have been plotted,” said Ensign Balian, the navigation officer. “Jump system is at one hundred percent. We are jump ready.”
“Have the rest of the battle group been advised of our actions?”
“Yes, Sir,” said Commander Hurley. “They have been given our jump coordinates.”
“Good. In that case, let’s get started. Helm, initiate jump.”
The Vanguard jumped into an empty region of space just outside Amboss territory.
“Report,” said Kevin.
“Reading all clear, Sir. No contacts,” said Ensign Michael, the tactical officer.
“We have landed at our designated coordinates,” said the navigation officer, Ensign Balian. “Amboss Prime is within range of our jump drone.”
“Prepare a drone for jump. Set coordinates for the periphery of the Amboss Prime system. Close enough to get detailed scans, but far enough away that it isn’t noticed. Program it to jump back to the Vanguard once it’s done scanning.”
“Coordinates set, Sir.”
“Launch drone.”
The tiny drone sped out of the Vanguard hull and promptly disappeared. Waiting for the drone’s return, Kevin’s thoughts turned to Earth and the fight against the Juttari. Admiral Pike would have attacked Meybaris by now, but Kevin had no way of knowing the outcome. While Admiral Pike had assembled a massive force for the attack, Kevin knew there were never any guarantees in war. He had to get the jump gate open. The Kemmar were dangerous, but just a side show compared to the Juttari.
“Jump drone has returned,” said Ensign Michael. “Receiving scans.”
“Route visual scans to my console,” said Kevin, gesturing to Hurley to join him. His tactical display transitioned to show the Amboss Prime system, and the Kemmar deployment, as Commander Hurley approached him.
“Looks like they have that system well d
efended,” said Hurley.
“Yeah, the scan counts one-hundred-and-thirty Kemmar warships,” said Kevin. He tapped the screen to modify the display to overlay the coordinates of the jump gate. “See that,” he said, pointing to the overlay. “The jump gate is a fair distance away from the Amboss Prime home world. The Kemmar have no idea the gate is there, so they are grouped mostly around the planet. There are only a handful of ships close to the coordinates.”
“They think we’re going to try and retake the planet,” said Hurley. “It’s a logical assumption.”
“They’ll move to intercept the moment we land, so we won’t have a lot of time to get the job done. They’ve got ships patrolling the system, which may be close enough to attack as well.”
“How long will it take to get the jump gate open?”
“The Diakans don’t know. They’re saying that they won’t know until they try to activate it.”
“That complicates things. Are they the only ones who can do this?”
“Yeah, they’ve brought the experts with them. We need them to make this happen. We’ll just have to make the best of it.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Well we’ve got what we came for. Let’s head back to New Byzantium. You have the Bridge Commander.”
Chapter 37
“You can’t seem to get enough of this place, Sir,” said Security Chief Elvera Sanchez with a smile.
“Even the Captain has to stay in shape,” said Kevin, approaching Sanchez and the sparring mats. Just behind her two men were engaged in an intense match. “They’re impressive,” said Kevin, gesturing toward them.
“They’re badass,” said Sanchez, turning to watch.
“You have to be a badass to be a Seal,” said Kevin, suddenly feeling an urge to jump in.
“Weren’t you spec ops yourself?” said Sanchez.
“I was. Did a lot of orbital drops in the previous wars.”
“Orbital drops, eh? That’s badass too, Sir.”
“Yeah, nothing like watching yourself glow white hot as you enter an atmosphere without a ship.”
“Well I’m glad you never got yourself cooked,” said Sanchez, with an alluring smile.
Kevin had been growing increasingly attracted to Sanchez, and now wondered if she felt the same. Don’t be a damn fool, he thought. Even if she was attracted to him, there was no way anything could come of it. Not while he was her CO. He needed to be more disciplined. But as he looked at her, he knew that it would not be easy. There was an obvious chemistry between them, and the fact that she seemed to notice it made matters worse.
“Were the scans successful?” she asked, making Kevin thankful she had changed the subject.
“Yes. There’s a lot of Kemmar ships in the system, but mostly around the main planet. The jump gate is further out, and undefended, as the Kemmar don’t know it exists. There are a few ships on patrol, but nothing we can’t handle.”
“Sounds like a cakewalk.”
“We’ll see. It all depends on the Diakans.”
“I can’t say that I like the sound of that.”
“Me neither. Not much we can do about it, though.”
The match ended between the two Seals, giving Kevin an opportunity to rid himself of some tension. “How about letting your CO have a round?” said Kevin.
One Seal smiled. Kevin recognized him as Sergeant Jones. “Absolutely, Sir. As long as you don’t hold it against me.”
“There are no ranks on the mats. You know that, Sergeant.”
“I do. And I’m glad you feel that way, Sir.”
“I do,” said Kevin, stepping onto the mats approaching Jones. He had changed into a sparring suit before entering the training room. “Don’t take it easy on me, Sergeant.”
“Oh, I won’t, Sir. You’ve got my word on that.”
“Good man,” said Kevin, smirking. He looked back at Sanchez, “Call it Chief.”
“You got it, Sir. Take your corners.”
The two men backed up to opposite corners of the mat.
“Ready?”
Kevin and Jones nodded.
“Begin!”
Jones bolted from his corner, choosing to take the fight to Kevin, rather than play defense. Kevin sidestepped, but Jones stayed with him. Once in striking range, Jones launched a brutal front kick for Kevin’s abdomen. Slapping the leg away, Kevin stepped in, countering with a flurry of punches. Not one connected. Jones slipped, bobbed, and weaved, leaving only air for Kevin’s fists.
The two men circled each other, timing their next attack. Jones moved first again. He faked high, and shot for Kevin’s legs, trying to take the big man down. Kevin kicked his legs back in defense, and seized Jones’s head, trying to secure a choke. The Sergeant pulled free, and was back on his feet circling Kevin again. Kevin moved sideways, cutting off the ring and keeping Jones from getting behind him. The Sergeant’s skill was impressive. So much so that Kevin thought he might even give Henderson a run for his money.
Jones struck again with his feet. Kevin noted that the Sergeant liked to hit first. A good quality. Being aggressive often paid off. But you didn’t want to be predictable. Then again, if you had the Sergeant’s level of skill, and speed, you could probably get away with it. Jones kept coming, firing multiple kicks at Kevin, who took several steps back so he could deflect the attacks. Each kick had bone shattering power, leaving Kevin grateful for the protection the sparring suit provided.
That was a reality few appreciated. A guy like Jones didn’t care if you blocked his kicks, because whatever his leg hit usually broke. The sparring suit hid that reality, protecting the wearer from injury. But in real combat, if a guy like Jones landed a kick, you were done. Even Kevin’s powerful, conditioned arms might not be able to withstand the force. Kevin didn’t want to find out. He also didn’t like bad habits, so he chose to deflect a strike, rather than block it. For Kevin, in hand to hand combat blocking was a last resort.
The sparring suits could be configured to mimic injury under certain pre-configured levels of force. The sparring suit in such a case might immobilize your arm, if there was enough force in the kick you blocked. These settings hadn’t been set for Kevin and Jones, allowing for more freedom in the match. Both men knew that if either of them connected in real combat, that the fight would be over. This was just training, after all.
Jones tried for another takedown, grappling with Kevin and trying to kick out his legs. Kevin felt the Sergeant’s energy, and countered fluidly, his body sensing what his opponent was going to do. They stayed in close, pushing and pulling, fighting for just a slight advantage. Kevin was in the zone. He kept time with the rhythm of the match, countered each move, kept his balance while Jones tried to take it. They seemed evenly matched, until Jones went all in.
Going for yet another takedown, Jones committed too much energy to his attack, and Kevin didn’t miss the opportunity. With a twist of his body, and a tug of Jones’s arm, Kevin threw the Sergeant onto the mat. Jones tried to roll out of the fall, but Kevin still had his arm, preventing the Sergeant’s escape. Kevin dropped into an arm bar, going for the tap out. Jones tried to get out of the hold, but Kevin’s grip was a vice. Jones tried to stand, using sheer strength against perfect technique. Kevin applied more pressure, pushing about as hard as he could against the elbow joint, expecting to hear the sound of breaking bone and cartilage any second.
The suit helped prevent the tap out, however, and against the odds, Jones made it to his feet. Now Kevin faced the unpleasant reality of Jones’s free fist crashing down from above. As Jones leaned forward to connect, Kevin kicked his legs up with as much force as he could, sending Jones reeling head first toward the floor.
Kevin rolled backward, staying with the Sergeant, and landed on top of the man’s chest. Now it was Kevin’s turn, and his heavy fists crashed down relentlessly. To his credit, Jones stopped many of the strikes, but his position was too vulnerable and Kevin’s fists inevitably landed. After repeated strikes, and several u
nsuccessful attempts by the Sergeant to escape, the match was over.
The two men stood up and shook hands. “Good match, Sergeant. You’re a damn good fighter,” said Kevin.
“Thanks, Captain, but I do want a rematch,” said Jones.
Kevin smiled. “Absolutely.”
Chapter 38
“What can I do for you, Captain St. Clair,” said the grizzled General Calledonius, through Kevin’s comm display.
“I wanted to speak to you about the jump system retrofits, General. I was hoping we would have more ships online by now,” said Kevin, seated at his desk in his ready room.
“We are running into compatibility issues with some of our ships,” said Calledonius with a frown.
“Really? We didn’t have these problems when we retrofitted the Freedom and the Reiver.”
“Those ships were a different design, Captain. They were more modern than the rest of our fleet. As were the first batch we just finished retrofitting. The rest of our fleet is older, less flexible.”
“Are you saying you can’t get the jump systems installed?”
“No, we can. But they require extensive modifications which in return requires much more time.”
“General, we are in the middle of an interstellar war. We need to get that gate open as soon as possible.”
“And I’ve got a Kemmar invasion force breathing down my neck. If I could make it happen faster, I would.”
“I guess we’ll just have to make do with what we have. How soon can your jump ships be ready to get underway?”
“Yes, about that, Captain. I can’t let you take all our jump ships.”
“What are you talking about, General?” Kevin didn’t like where this conversation was going. What kind of game was Calledonius playing?
“What if the Kemmar launch an invasion while you are in the Amboss system?” said Calledonius. “How will we defend New Byzantium?”
“With your fleet. How else?”