Ghost Fleet (The Pike Chronicles Book 4)

by G. P. Hudson

  “Drone has returned,” said Petrovic. “Receiving data feed… Analyzing data… Reading all clear, Sir.”

  “Take us through, Mr. Richards.”

  The fleet crossed the gate, entering the binary system on the other side. This was where it all began. Where he discovered the Reivers for the first time. Met Breeah and Anki. Fought the Kemmar. All here. In the distance the two binary stars continued to circle each other, locked in their deadly dance. The vampire star eternally feeding on the other’s energy, even when humanity, the Diakans, and the Juttari were long forgotten.

  “What is the status of our jump system?” said Jon.

  “Jump system is at sixty-three percent,” said Richards.

  “That’s good for two jumps. Then we recharge. Send word to the rest of the fleet, and ensure the Vanguard has the jump coordinates.” Pierce didn’t want to sync his jump system. Jon understood. The Vanguard was a Space Force ship. Jon had no power over it. But, he had to admit he didn’t mind having those big guns tagging along.

  “Fleet is reporting they are jump ready, and the Vanguard confirms receipt of coordinates.”

  “Initiate jump.”

  The fleet jumped, and immediately jumped again, for a total of one hundred light years. They were now one-hundred-and-fifty light years away from Sol. They would need to wait for the jump system to recharge before traveling the rest of the way home. Three more jumps to find the truth.

  Chapter 64

  “What is our jump status, Ensign Richards?” said Jon.

  “Jump system is at one hundred percent,” said Richards. We are jump ready.”

  Twenty-four hours had passed since they last jumped. Twenty-four hours for the jump systems to recharge. Twenty-four long, restless hours. Jon had tried to sleep, but got very little rest. Like the former Hermes crewmembers, he felt a foreboding that he couldn’t shake. It was something he was sure the crew of the Vanguard felt as well. But, the New Byzantium contingent were simply filled with awe that they would actually visit mythic Earth. A place many thought only existed in legends and fairy tales. To the Reivers, it was merely another world. They had no knowledge of Earth before the Hermes, so they had little emotional attachment to it.

  Then there were the Chaanisar. Every one of them born on Earth, forcibly taken at childhood. How many of them remembered their homes? Their families? Did they feel anything for their place of birth? Or was it beaten out of them by the Juttari? Were they feeling anxiety about returning to their rightful home? He knew they had too much control to let their emotions seep through, but he still wondered if it was possible.

  “Initiate jump,” said Jon, clenching his fists. It won’t be long now. He glanced over at Kevin who had been uncharacteristically quiet. Normally jovial, the big man looked exhausted.

  “Jump complete,” said Richards.

  “All ships accounted for?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Initiate the next jump.”

  The stars on the viewscreen shifted and the second jump was complete. They were only fifty light years away. One more jump to go. They would jump into the Sol System a safe distance from Earth. They would have plenty of time to size up the situation if they had to defend themselves.

  “This is it, people. Stay focused. Initiate jump, Mr. Richards.”

  “Jump complete,” said Richards.

  Jon looked up at the viewscreen to see the familiar Sol System, with its blazing yellow sun. They had landed on the edge of the system. Far enough away that they were safe from attack by Juttari, or Space Force.

  “Contacts,” said Petrovic. “Reading well over one hundred warships.” Petrovic looked up at Jon, his eyes wide with shock. “All Juttari.”

  “Damn it,” said Jon. “Okay, does it look like they’ve noticed us yet?”

  “None have adopted approach vectors yet.”

  “Admiral,” said AI through Jon’s comm. “The Juttari are broadcasting. They’re trying to access the Chaanisar brain chips.”

  Here it is. The moment of truth.

  “They’ve accepted my security response,” continued AI. “Handshake has been made. Initiating infiltration.”

  “Keep me updated,” said Jon.

  “Yes, Admiral.”

  Jon’s comm display came to life and Captain Pierce appeared. “Are you seeing this, Pike?” he said angrily.

  “I am.”

  “They’ve conquered Sol. The goddamn Juttari conquered us again.”

  “I know.”

  “Why are we still sitting here?”

  “What do you want us to do, Pierce? Go into battle against over one hundred Juttari warships?”

  “None of those ships have jump systems. We can use guerilla tactics. Hit them hard, and jump away before they can hit back.”

  “We have a better strategy, Captain.”

  “Your AI?”

  “Yes.”

  “So we just sit here and wait?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “I don’t like it, Pike. We need to hit them now, before they know what we’re up to.”

  “I understand how you feel, Captain. But if we attack we might destroy ten ships. On the other hand, if AI succeeds, all of those ships will be on our side.”

  “Why the hell would we want those bastards on our side?”

  “Admiral,” said Petrovic. “I’m reading high levels of radiation on Earth.”

  “What? Where on Earth?”

  “Everywhere, Sir. The Juttari have nuked the planet!”

  “And you want those monsters to be on our side!” said Pierce.

  Jon was speechless. Even during the worst years of the occupation, the Juttari had never done something like this. His display flickered off and Pierce’s face was gone.

  “Sir, the Vanguard has jumped away,” said Petrovic, before anyone had time to process the tragedy.

  “Where did they go? Are they still in system?”

  “I have them. They’ve landed near Earth, near a Juttari warship. Sir, the Vanguard has engaged the Juttari.”

  “Goddamnit. AI, are you making any progress?” said Jon.

  “Yes, Admiral. I am simultaneously accessing the brain chips on multiple vessels.”

  “How much longer?”

  “If I move faster I may be detected. That would compromise the entire mission.”

  “Understood. Do what you can.”

  “Vanguard has jumped again, Sir,” said Petrovic. “They have landed alongside a second Juttari warship and are firing on it.”

  “What happened to the first ship?”

  “The Vanguard destroyed it, Sir.”

  Jon tapped his comm screen and Pierce appeared again. “This is how you fight a war, Pike,” said Pierce. “How long are you going to sit there and watch?”

  “Pierce, stand down. The AI has almost freed the Chaanisar.”

  “Listen to yourself, Pike. Free the Chaanisar? Did you see what they did to our home? Did you!?”

  “I did.”

  “And you can still talk of freeing the Chaanisar?”

  “It’s the only way. The real enemy is the Juttari, not their human slaves.”

  “To hell with you, Pike. Go back to your colonies and leave the fighting to us,” said Pierce, his face blinking off the screen.

  “Shit,” said Jon.

  “Sir, the Vanguard has jumped again,” said Petrovic.

  “Where did it go now?”

  “It’s landed alongside us, Sir?”

  “What the hell is Pierce doing now?”

  Jon’s comm screen came to life again, only this time it was the Diakan, Major Ilthos, who appeared.

  “Ilthos. What is going on over there?”

  “Captain Pierce has been relieved of command. I have assumed command of the Vanguard.”

  “I’m sorry it had to come to that,” Jon said sincerely, remembering his own experience on the Hermes when Tallos tried to take the ship from him. He liked Captain Pierce, and he understood him better than
Pierce knew.

  “Admiral,” said AI. “I have gained control of the brain chips. The Chaanisar have been liberated.”

  “What about the Juttari?” said Jon.

  “The Chaanisar are hunting them now. They don’t have long.”

  “I see. Do the Chaanisar understand what has happened?”

  “Yes, Admiral. They understand everything.”

  “And will they join us?”

  “Yes, Admiral. The Chaanisar have agreed to join your fleet.”

  “Congratulations, Admiral Pike,” said Ilthos. “It appears your fleet has grown considerably.”

  “But at what cost?”

  Chapter 65

  Jon sat in the briefing room with Kevin and Commander Konos. He stared at the wall screen in disbelief. On the screen more than one hundred faces looked back at him. The commanders of every Chaanisar ship that had occupied the Sol System.

  The ranks of his fleet had now swelled to one-hundred-and-twenty-eight ships, consisting mostly of Chaanisar. These men, who had been enslaved their whole lives, now pledged their loyalty to him. And they did so freely. They would willingly follow Jon into battle, and Jon would see to it that the galaxy was purged of the Juttari Empire.

  “There are over one hundred warships occupying the system on the other side of the Sol jump gate,” said one of the Chaanisar commanders.

  “And you’re certain that the Juttari were not able to send a warning through the gate?” said Jon.

  “Yes, Admiral. But we need to move fast, for soon they will cross through to find out why they have not received any communications from us.”

  “Agreed,” said Jon. “AI, do you exist on all the Chaanisar ships?”

  “Yes, Admiral,” said the AI.

  “If we send one of the Chaanisar ships through the gate, would you be able to infiltrate the ships on the other side?”

  “Yes, Admiral. I will access each ship, and each brain chip, in the same fashion as before. The Juttari would not suspect a Chaanisar vessel crossing through the gate. It would give me the time I need to successfully liberate the Chaanisar.”

  “You say there are over one hundred ships in that system?”

  “Yes, Admiral,” said the Chaanisar on the wall screen.

  “That would double our numbers,” said Jon.

  “And we liberate two star systems,” said Bast

  “The question is how many can we liberate before the Juttari figure out what we’re doing. We need to move fast. Two hundred ships is a good start, but not near enough to take on the Juttari Empire. As Colonel Steeg said, we need to conquer them from within.”

  “Once I have gained access to the Chaanisar brain chips in the neighboring system, I advise dispatching multiple ships to different systems simultaneously,” said AI. “That would be the most effective approach.”

  “Agreed,” said Jon. “The Juttari will eventually figure out what we’re doing and take measures to block the tactic. We need to gain as much ground as possible before that happens.”

  “With all due respect, Sir. The crew needs closure. They need to find their families. We need to let them go down to the surface. They need time.”

  “We don’t have time. We need to act, or we’ll lose our advantage.”

  “But, Admiral, they need answers. We all do.”

  “Fine. What are we doing to help the survivors?”

  Kevin seemed to regain his composure. “It seems the Juttari targeted many of the major cities, but some were spared, as were the more rural communities,” said Kevin. “But radiation levels are high across the planet. It will take time to clean it all up. Major Ilthos said Diakus will help with the cleanup once they are able to reach the Sol System. As for the population, Doctor Ellerbeck is preparing to fly down to the surface and distribute biobots that can combat radiation poisoning. Chaanisar medical teams are also heading down to assist with distribution.”

  “Very well. Those who want to go down to the surface can do so, but we won’t wait for them.”

  “Understood,” said Kevin.

  “Earth will have to rebuild again,” said Jon.

  “Admiral,” said one of the Chaanisar on the wall screen. “I want to repeat that we are all united in our regret over the bombing of Earth. Many of us remember our childhood, and are horrified at what the Juttari have done. If we had the means to resist their control, we never would have allowed this atrocity to take place.”

  Jon looked at all the faces on the screen. All of them former enemies. Every one of them now loyal to him. “I do not blame any of you. Only the Juttari. They will pay for their crimes. This I promise you. The Juttari will know our wrath.”

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