-
Amanda and Richard had gone to visit her parents at Krall Island on the planet of Aquaria. She wanted to reassure her parents that everything would be all right after the Hocklyn attack. Amanda had talked Richard into coming with her to go scuba diving as well as to meet her family.
The two were currently out on a small boat floating above the Heritage Reef, which was Amanda’s favorite place to dive. The ocean waves were almost non-existent, and numerous white and gray sea birds were circling looking for small fish.
“This place is incredible,” spoke Richard, looking toward the shore and the sandy pristine beach. The sand was almost white and stretched as far as the eye could see. “I certainly understand why your parents have a house here.”
“We’ve come here since I was a little girl,” Amanda replied with a pleased smile. “My best memories are of diving with Dad here at Heritage Reef. The marine life is unreal, and recently a large reef shark has taken up residence.”
“A reef shark?” Richard replied with interest, his eyes lighting up. “I’ve read about those. Do you think there is any chance that we will see it today?”
“Possibly,” replied Amanda, slipping on her scuba tank. “If not, I can have Dad bring us back out tonight for an evening dive. The reef is amazing after dark with all the fish that come in to feed.”
“I look forward to it,” responded Richard, leaning forward and helping Amanda position her tank.
Richard then started putting on his own scuba gear. It had been over a year since he had gone diving and he was really looking forward to it. He was glad he had agreed to come to Aquaria with Amanda. It was a relief to get away from his duties on the shipyard, even if it was for only a few days.
A few moments later, they were both in the warm ocean water and beginning their slow descent toward the reef, which was only twenty feet beneath them. Even from here, numerous species of multi-colored fish were visible. This was going to be a great day for a dive.
Reaching the reef, Amanda motioned for Richard to follow her. She slowly swam along the reef, pointing out the colorful fish and coral formations. Stopping before a deep indentation in the reef, Amanda pointed out a colorful Razor fish that almost blended in completely with the corral surrounding it. The fish was about the size of her hand and had the ability to change color to match its surroundings.
Amanda could tell that Richard was enjoying the dive. He was also a very good diver, which pleasantly surprised her. She would definitely have to talk her father into bringing them back out later this evening for a night dive. There was no sign of the reef shark, and Amanda wanted Richard to get to see it.
-
Later that afternoon, they were back at the house and Richard was down in the basement with Amanda’s father. Looking around, he was surprised at what Anson and his friend Avery Brennen had accomplished.
“Looks as if you have done a lot of work down here,” spoke Richard, looking over at Anson. The walls seemed sturdy, and the main room looked quite comfortable.
“There are two small bedrooms through those doors there,” Anson said pointing. “If we have to come down here to stay, it shouldn’t be too bad. I tried to make this basement as livable as possible.”
“You certainly have done that,” replied Richard, continuing to look around.
Anson was pleased that Amanda had finally brought a man home. He knew that his wife had been thrilled when she had found out that Amanda wasn’t coming alone. That was all she had talked about when Amanda had called them and said she and Richard were coming for a visit. It had also helped to take her mind off the recent Hocklyn attack.
“I’m glad you’re prepared,” commented Richard, looking back over at Anson. “It will make Amanda feel better. She worries about you and her mother quite often.”
“We should be okay,” responded Anson, nodding his head. He walked over and put his hand on a small portable com system that was setting on a shelf. “I can tune in to the civil defense stations with this in an emergency. If they sound the alarm, Avery Brennen and his wife will come running and the four of us will stay down here until they sound the all clear. We also have a small emergency generator if the power goes out. We were all four in here when the Hocklyns attacked.”
“That was a good decision. I understand you’re a pretty good hunter,” Richard continued. Looking around, he could tell that the basement was well stocked with supplies. Amanda had done a first-rate job making sure her parents would have what they needed in order to survive an attack.
“I do a lot of bird hunting in the fall and spring,” Anson replied with a smile. “I guess Amanda told you about the assault rifles she arranged to get for us. In my younger days, I spent several years in the marines here on Aquaria, so I can handle an assault rifle if necessary.”
“I just hope that it doesn’t become necessary,” Richard replied somberly.
“So do I,” Anson responded with a serious look upon his face. “If it ever comes to that, then something bad has happened to the Federation.”
Upstairs, Amanda’s mother was full of questions about Richard. “It’s about time you brought a man home,” she was saying.
“Mother!” responded Amanda, feeling a faint blush color her cheeks. “It’s nothing like that. Richard and I are just good friends.”
Her mother smiled knowingly. “I see how he looks at you. If you’re good friends now, he certainly wants more later. He sounds like a really good man. You don’t find too many of those, Amanda.”
Amanda was quiet for a moment. “Mom, I really like Richard, but right now with this war and everything it’s not the time for a serious relationship.”
Her mother gazed at Amanda for several long seconds. “No dear, now is the time for that type of relationship. But it’s what will help to get you through this.”
Looking at her mother, Amanda knew in her heart that she was speaking the truth. She just wasn’t sure yet if she was ready for that type of relationship. It was something she would have to think about, perhaps even talk over with Richard. Amanda let out a heavy sigh. Leave it to her mother to make her realize what was truly important.
-
Hedon walked down the long hallway that led to Admiral Kinseth’s office. Reaching the office, one of the two marine guards opened the door and gestured for him to go right in. Once inside, Hedon paused upon seeing Admiral Kinseth and two senators from the Federation Council. Reaching Admiral Kinseth’s desk, he saluted. He wondered why the Federation Senators were here.
“At ease, Admiral,” spoke Kinseth, gesturing for Hedon to sit down in a chair next to the two Federation Senators.
Hedon sat down and then waited, staring questionably at Admiral Kinseth. He had been wondering for several days now exactly why he had been called away from New Providence to the home system. There was still much work that needed to be done getting First Fleet back up and fully operational. The shipyard at New Providence had been working around the clock with full crews on his warships.
“I hope you enjoyed your short leave, Admiral,” Kinseth spoke, his eyes shifting to some papers on his desk and then looking back up. “You did an outstanding job defending New Providence. Better than any of our other admirals in the other colony systems.”
“Thank you, sir,” Hedon replied. “But we still lost a lot of good men and women. I don’t feel good about that.”
“As any good commander should feel,” Admiral Kinseth replied evenly.
Hedon was silent for a moment, and then he asked the admiral, “Why have you called me back to Tellus? We still have a lot of work to do back at New Providence to get ready in case there is another attack.”
“We have called you here because we have a special mission that we need you to undertake,” Admiral Kinseth responded gravely.
“A special mission?” responded Hedon, feeling confused.
Surely they weren’t going to send him to attack the Hocklyns. They had no idea where any of the Hocklyn worlds were. The Fede
ration also didn’t have the ships currently to commit to such an action. If they did it might be the prudent thing to do, but after the Hocklyn attack, the fleet was in no shape to go on the offensive.
“We need to know what we’re up against, Admiral,” Senator Whittington from Tellus spoke with a serious look in his eyes. Whittington had been on the Federation Council for twelve years and was rumored to have the inside track to be the Federation’s next president.
“I don’t understand,” Hedon said, looking over at the senator. “How can we find that out? We don’t know where any of their worlds are. As far as I know, we haven’t recovered anything useful from their destroyed ships.”
“That’s why we want to send you on a special mission Admiral,” Senator Whittington answered. Then looking at Hedon with a serious look upon his face, the senator continued. “We want you to take First Fleet deep into what we suspect is Hocklyn territory and see just how big their empire is. Are we up against a few worlds, or an empire spanning a major part of the galaxy?”
Hedon was stunned at what the senator was suggesting. The Federation couldn’t afford to lose First Fleet or for it to leave Federation space. They just didn’t have the ships to spare right now. All three Federation shipyards were working around the clock trying to repair all the damage suffered by the fleet.
“We have thought about this long and hard, Admiral,” spoke Kinseth, leaning forward slightly. He placed his hands on his desk and then continued. “We won’t be sending all of First Fleet, just part of it. This will be a covert mission. Your success will depend on your fleet remaining undetected by the Hocklyns. Some of our space scientists have determined, based on the time it took the Hocklyns to attack us, the possible location of at least some of their worlds. We have a short window of opportunity between now and when we think they can be ready to launch another attack. That’s why we want to launch this mission now.”
“How long would we be gone?” Hedon asked evenly. He didn’t agree that it would be a good decision to take part of First Fleet and leave the Federation. What if they were wrong about the time needed before the Hocklyn’s next attack? “What if the Hocklyns attack while we’re gone?”
“The battle carrier Constellation will launch next week, as well as the battle cruiser Providence,” Admiral Kinseth replied. “Over the next two months we will be launching eight more light cruisers and twelve destroyers. We are also massively strengthening the defensive grids around all the planets. We’re not expecting another attack for at least four to six months. By then you will be back with First Fleet and we will have even more ships ready.”
“The area we’re sending you to search will take six to eight weeks to reach,” Senator Whittington commented. “You will have to move slowly and make sure you remain undetected as you advance deeper into what our scientists think is Hocklyn space.”
“The StarStrike, the battle carrier Victory, the light cruisers Avenger, Vindication, Hydra, and Brice, plus the destroyers Astral and Lance will be going with you,” Admiral Kinseth spoke. “In addition, we are transferring six long-range scout craft to the Victory. These scouts are covered with a new composite material that should make them undetectable to Hocklyn scanners and sensors.”
“We hope by using the scouts it will prevent your fleet from being detected,” the other Federation senator added. “The scouts can survey the targeted systems without running the risk of detection.”
Hedon recognized Senator Albright from Maken. Senator Albright had been one of those senators that had always opposed the fleet being so large. Hedon wondered why he was here.
Seeming to know what Hedon was thinking, Senator Albright spoke again. “Admiral Streth, you should know that I am not in favor of this mission. However, Senator Whittington and Admiral Kinseth have convinced the Federation President as well as the rest of the council of the importance of this mission. I don’t believe we should risk our valuable ships this way. I am concerned that the Hocklyns might attack before you return or even worse, that your fleet might be detected and never make it back.”
Hedon was silent; he didn’t know what to make of this. He understood Senator Albright’s concerns; it worried him also. This mission would be extremely dangerous, and who knew what they might discover or run into. They would also be cut off from Federation space and any hope of support from the fleet if they were discovered by the Hocklyns.
“We will leave you and Admiral Kinseth alone now,” spoke Senator Whittington, standing up. “He will finish explaining what we expect out of this mission, and he also has another matter that he needs to discuss with you. Good luck with your mission, Admiral.”
Hedon watched as the two senators left the room, leaving him alone with Admiral Kinseth. “What’s going on?” asked Hedon, turning his attention back to the admiral. He had a feeling that he had not been told everything.
Admiral Kinseth rose and walked over to a large safe behind his desk. He spent several moments opening it and then returned with a folder and several computer flash drives. Sitting back down, he slid them across the desk toward Hedon.
“We don’t know how large the Hocklyn Empire is,” Admiral Kinseth began. “There is a possibility, based on the technology we have observed in their warships, that they might indeed control a large number of worlds. If that is the case, we may be fighting a war we can’t win. Also, due to what happened to the colonies of New Eden and Aldon it is prudent that we make sure the human race survives. That folder and those flash drives contain the plans that the Federation Council and I have come up with to ensure that happens. Put those in your safe on board the StarStrike. They contain instructions of what you are to do if we lose this war.”
Hedon picked up the folder and the flash drives. He hoped he would never have to find out what they contained. If he did, then disaster had come to the Human Federation of Worlds.
-
One week later, Hedon was in the Command Center of the StarStrike. Looking at the main viewscreen, the battle carrier Victory was prominently displayed. The fleet was preparing to leave the New Providence system and head out into the unknown. Lieutenant Ashton from the Victory was currently at Navigation helping to plot the jumps. She had spent the last several days talking to various space scientists as to where in their search area the Hocklyns might be located. From talking to her earlier, he knew that the space scientists had pinpointed two probable locations to search.
The first location was over five hundred light years from the Federation. At the speed they would be traveling, it would take them nearly six weeks to reach the first set of coordinates to begin their search. The second area was nearly three hundred light years farther. If they had to go on to the second set of coordinates, it would substantially increase their mission time.
“The other ships are forming up into their support positions and are reporting ready to depart,” Colonel Sheen reported. She looked across the Command Center, checking on the crew. Everyone was busy and going about their jobs as if this was a normal mission.
Amanda let out a deep breath and gazed longingly at the shipyard visible on one of the viewscreens. Richard was on the station and it would be months before she saw him again. At least they had discussed their relationship after returning from Aquaria. Amanda’s mother had made her realize that her life was missing something important. Richard and she had agreed to explore their relationship further when she returned. Both had admitted that they had very deep feelings for the other and would like to see where that would take them.
When she had left the shipyard earlier today, they had shared their first real kiss. Her heart had fluttered and her pulse quickened as Richard leaned forward and their lips had met. It was almost like a fairy tale. The kiss had held hints of promises and hopes for a future when she returned. Looking back over at the admiral, she knew her personal life would have to wait until the StarStrike returned to New Providence in a few months.
“Move the fleet out at one quarter sublight,” Admiral Streth orde
red. He was standing behind the central command console with his hands clasped behind his back.
Hedon watched as his orders were carried out and the fleet fell into formation. The two destroyers Astral and Lance took up a screening position in front of the fleet. The four light cruisers Avenger, Vindication, Hydra, and Brice formed a defensive screen around the battle carrier and the flagship. There was no CAP currently deployed since they would be jumping shortly after they cleared the outer markers.
Recalling his meeting with Admiral Kinseth, Hedon wondered what his brother and Lendle were being sent off to do. He had talked briefly with Taylor after his meeting with the admiral and Taylor still seemed confused about their new orders. All he could tell Hedon was that Lendle and he were to board a destroyer the next day and depart for points unknown. Hedon wondered if it had anything to do with the special orders he had locked up in his personal safe. The mysterious orders that Admiral Kinseth had given him and then instructed him not to open unless the Federation lost the war.
Just the fact that Admiral Kinseth had even mentioned the possibility of losing the war had startled Hedon. But the Fleet Admiral was supposed to take all possibilities into account. It made Hendon realize just how important this mission was. It also worried him about what the Federation would do if it was discovered that the Hocklyns did control an empire much bigger than the Human Federation of Worlds. Surrender was not an option, and the Hocklyns didn’t seem to be a merciful race.
The fleet continued to move away from New Providence and was soon nearing the outer markers. The first jump had already been programmed into the fleet’s navigation computers. Every ship in the fleet had been topped off with fuel, ammunitions, and supplies. While the StarStrike and the Victory did have some manufacturing capability, there were a number of items that if they ran short could not be replaced. For this mission, even the light cruisers had been armed with nuclear warheads on their missiles.
“Passing the outer markers,” reported Lieutenant Stalls, watching his scanners and sensors.
The Slaver Wars: Alien Contact Page 19