The Recruitment: Rise of the Free Fleet

by Michael Chatfield

  “Don’t listen to him; he’s always a sour puss.” Cheerleader said sticking her tongue out at me as she sat on one of my armrests.

  “Where is your wife Rick?”

  “She’s onboard the Resilient meeting and greeting and setting up a training schedule for tactical, and gunnery co-ordination.”

  “Sounds like a great time.” I said dryly.

  “She’s enjoying it from what I can tell. While you’ve been out we’ve been affecting repairs as best as possible and trying to get the station sorted out. It was hectic without you in the driver’s seat.”

  “I’m sure you had it under control.” I saw more than a few backs stiffen with pride as I continued.

  “Is there anything else?”

  “Yes commander, Eddie, Felix, Min Hae and Shrift are waiting you in the ready room with plans.”

  “Why me.” I grumbled as the egg heads had obviously come up with something. I just didn’t think it would be this fast.

  “Also there is a message for you from a man called Bregend.” I pulled up the message.

  “Why not throw Bregend in with the other prisoners?” Rick asked as I finished reading the message.

  “Bregend’s not my enemy he was just doing what he could to keep his own people safe. The reason he fought me was because he didn’t know what kind of person I was. He didn’t know if I’d use kill switches or pain treatment on his people. He figured it was better for him to find out afterwards than make his people suffer through it.” I shut down my station and stood.

  “Can you see about connecting the Sarenmenti’s and the newly arrived humans to the forum? Watch the traffic and make sure it’s not connected to any systems but it would be good for them if they were able to connect with one another. Who knows some of them might find people they used to know.” I said as I walked to the conference room.

  “Woo! More announcements!” Rick said as he worked on his view screen.

  I opened the conference room door to a cacophony of noise.

  “James!”

  “Commander!”

  “Sir!”

  “Wait, one at a time.” I said waving my hands down as all four of them where jumping with excitement. “Eddie you first.”

  “We’ve found an extractor and a processing system that will work as well as the first asteroid to use it on.”

  “At the same time I’ve fixed the problem we had with the lack of a full dock.” Shrift added both of the Kuruvians practically jumping out of their seats.

  “How will you make a dock and also get the materials at the same time.”

  “We don’t make it, we hollow out an asteroid in the shape of the dock that we need, add in reinforcement and then add more parts from more broken down asteroids as we need it.”

  An Array of holograms came from the centre table of a sped up simulation of an asteroid being eaten creating a massive structure of scaffolding. Another identical structure appeared, connecting to the first like Lego bricks.

  “Is this really possible?”

  “Yes.” Felix said in complete seriousness.

  “Okay, what about the extractor and refiner?”

  “They will be paired units. One refiner can be linked to multiple extractors and pump out the materials to waiting transports that can also be automated. Felix told us about automated systems and Min Hae showed us how they worked, so we combined our information together. Everything can be automated with a handful of people overseeing. Which with our current manpower issues is needed.”

  “Well it looks like you’ve got everything covered.” I said appreciatively.

  “You have my approval. You may begin work immediately. We need these systems up.” I said to their shocked faces that told me they weren’t expecting to have it cleared so quickly. “Felix you will be in charge of this project, you have the most expertise with turning information and ideas into reality. With this use what we know and have, we need something reliable, at first, and then make something more complicated.”

  “Sir wouldn’t Eddie be better suited for this or Shrift?” Felix said looking uncomfortable; the kid was only seventeen I granted.

  “As they are both good in their own areas of engineering they haven’t dealt with something on this scale before.’

  “Neither have I!”

  “You are better acquainted with factory production and haven’t been working on just Mechas or ships.” I turned to Eddie and Shrift who looked a little down trodden.

  “While you are both amazing in these fields it also limits your thinking. With Felix he hasn’t focused on one thing so he’s open to new ideas. I expect he’ll make a few mistakes but he’ll have all of you and his team to fall back on if he needs help.” I turned back to Felix and Min Hae.

  “Plus I’m going to need Eddie and Shrift to put back my ships and mechas while we’re out in the black. Min Hae I want you to stay here and create an intelligence gathering service. We need to know as much as possible about this galaxy we’ve come out into and this looks as good of a base as any. You should think about making agents on every ship whose job it is, is to report to you and their captain gathering and passing on information as we have it.”

  “Yes sir I was thinking along the same lines. I also have people disseminating information we’ve pulled from the station, ships and prisoners.”

  “I like the initiative. Now you all have a lot to do.” They took this as their cue as they stood.

  “I need to talk to Felix for a moment.”

  “Certainly Salchar.” The others gave their two finger lazy salutes as they left. As the door sealed I put something on the hologram from my personal storage.

  “You’ll have two months to make this.” I pushed a group of items into the hologram as Felix pulled them apart.

  “How long have you been thinking about this sir?”

  “For a while.” I want the Epsilon done first.” I threw more objects into the holographic field.

  “We can’t make this many.” He said holding one of the items in the hologram.” I grinned as I gave him an information chip from my Mecha.

  “This will help you.” He connected the chip to his data pad as information scrolled down.

  “Sir, these are generations ahead of anything we have.”

  “Yes and I want you to pull them apart see how they work and replicate them. We might not have the biggest Fleet but I want to be the one with the biggest punch. I’ve outlined some other projects I want you to look at on the chip.” He kept scanning through.

  “Sir, this is…”

  “A treasure chest I know, Felix I want you to be my special projects manager. You will pick your own people to pursue advancements to assist the Free Fleet. You will have complete control of everything that happens, and you will report to only me. I’m also going to give you a Platoon of Commandos that will be directly under your command for security reasons. Min Hae will update you with any new tech he finds or information on it.” Felix’s eyes were lighting up as if it was Christmas morning.

  “Sir I don’t know what to say.”

  “Well you sure as hell won’t be thanking me after a week. I’m going to push you and your division hard. We need to make everything we have count, and without quantity we have to make quality.”

  “I won’t let you down sir.”

  “I know you won’t.” I smiled as the door chimed telling me someone was outside.

  I looked at the view screen on the table seeing the feed from outside. “With that it’s time I get some food in my stomach make sure you make the others do to, and some sleep. I know you want to get started as soon as possible and finish as quickly as possible but it’s going to take a while to get all of this up and ready, pace yourself. We’ve got a long way to go. There is an autodestruct on the data pads information if anyone else views the information other than you. We cannot let this fall into the wrong hands.”

  “Understood sir.” I stood as he gave me a two finger salute, returning it as he continued t
o read his data pad and walked out of the door with me following shortly behind. He looked up as he walked through the door finding Cheerleader and Monk there. He nodded to them, hiding his data pad before he continued walking and scrolling through the information. Looks like I picked the right man. I thought as I felt a weight shift from my shoulders. This trusting other people is, good. I admitted as I walked out the door.

  “We found a cafeteria not too far from here.” Monk said.

  “They serve Kimchi! Or at least that’s what it said on the food section of the forum.” Cheerleader added grabbing my good hand and towing me along.

  Chapter Rebuilding and preparing

  We sat at the table as more and more people flowed in. Jeremiah and a collection of my protection detail flowed in grabbing places as Henry and two of his people guided Turek and Bregend in. I wished Rick was there but he was on watch still. Yasu had been mysteriously missing for the duration I’d been awake. I didn’t want to admit it but it hurt that she’d dropped me as quickly as she and the Sato sisters had found one another. I wondered what she was doing in the room when I woke up. Women were confusing as almighty hell.

  “Commander Salchar, why did you give us permission to leave our ships and meet with you?” Turek asked indicating himself and Bregend.

  “Well first of all to get a measure of you and see if I want to put you in charge of a ship.” I said as I bit into the strange Kimchi. The Commando that made the food had been stuck in their bed when they decided to play with the food replicators. Once he’d gotten a hang of them he’d started making food that someone could actually bite instead of slurp, then he went about changing the flavors.

  The texture still left something to be desired but he’d gotten the soju and beer tasting similar and the Kimchi and rice tasted heavenly compared to the goop we’d been having.

  Bregend looked at me with wide eyes.

  “First get some food and sit, I’m told they have something for Sarenmenti’s too.” They did so quickly returning and getting seats. As they sat down I began talking.

  “Yes I need people to be commanders that aren’t human and aren’t those that initially came with me, you two are the ones that I’ve had the most experience with and I know you have certain values you won’t overstep.”

  “Why don’t you think I won’t run at the first opportunity? Or that we have values which won’t make us overstep?” Bregend asked.

  “Three reasons, first if you run away then you’re putting the people of all three races in jeopardy, all we know for certain is that the people on our ships and in this station are the only ones of each race left alive until we can find more, or even a planet. You think that everyone’s going to support you running away? Even if you get away with a couple of ships, do you know where to get things such as fuel, supplies and the rest without turning into pirates, the very thing we’re fighting?”

  Bregend shook his head.

  “Didn’t think so, now the third and most important reason is because we have a very limited amount of people, it’s one of our biggest weaknesses. Ships, stations, marines they need manpower, and lots of it. We need to show that we can allow people other than those that are in our group to take command positions. It shows that if you have what it takes you will be rewarded accordingly. As for the values, With Turek I know that he is more aligned with the Special Forces than he is with the rest of the Sarenmenti forces, I’d even guess he’d been offered a position in the spec ops group.”

  A look of surprise, which quickly turned to calculation ran across the Sarenmenti’s face, I’d learnt how to read them as well as I could read humans again I praised my celebrity trainers.

  “Bregend you won’t have to fight anyone to get you respect, you will get it from your crew what you do from now on will be based upon your actions. I know you’re smart I looked at what you’d been doing with your data pad.

  You are going to have confrontations with other humans over taking positions that they are not getting because you are so new. You will have to deal with this, you too Turek. You need to deal with this, and at the same time I want you training in all of the free time you have. From now on you’re going to be trained up as Commandos on speed courses, run by Commando Commanders on your ships, while at the same time you will be going over ship operations and different systems. Wake Up is going to be your new best friend gentlemen.”

  Neither of them responded, still shocked as I continued.

  “You two are going to be my golden boys, the ones that will show the others that they can get a position if they work hard enough and prove themselves. Do not think that you’re getting a free pass. Your second in command will have orders to take over if necessary. Do not make them have to use those orders.” I looked at them with imploring eyes before taking a bite of Kimchi.

  “ I want you to prove that the FreeFleet is home to anyone that wants it. There’s going to be a lot of people annoyed wit you getting command over them. You’re going to need to show them that you are ship commander material. I’m betting on you two in a big way.” Bregend’s eyes lit up as did Tureks as they looked around the room at the grins and then to me.

  “Could I pick one? I want the Vandershlot class Battle cruiser in berth fourteen the engines on that thing is revolutionary they have reverse plasmid-ion couplers!” Bregend said as everyone stopped looking at me and looked to him in surprise. He noticed the stares as he looked to the food that had arrived in front of him and played with it.

  “I was reading.” He said gruffly waiting for the insults. Reminding me of the child that he was under his enhanced musculature and size. Hell on paper he was twelve years old and would be captain of a ship with enough power to destroy the Moon.

  “Well you certainly seem like the man for the job.” I said with a laugh as the others broke into grins.

  “Couldn’t agree with you more Commanders. If you ever want to learn about anything engineering I’d be happy to help!” Eddie said happily from the entrance into the small resturant.

  “Could I really?” Bregend stopped playing with his food a look of interest on his face as he looked at the Chief engineer.

  “Certainly, I’m always happy to help someone that isn’t a slacker, know more about engineering as long as they’re willing to put in some work in return.”

  “Certainly Chief!”

  “I’d rather like to have the Esvelt class Battle cruiser under construction in berth fifty nine. I know that she’s a wreck right now but she’s a battle horse. She’s slower than the Vandershlot with more armour, she has less weapons though they’re twice or three times the power; matching the medium mounts on the Resilient.”

  “We’ll look at that.” I smiled happily; you certainly shouldn’t judge a book by the cover I thought.

  I turned to monk and Cheerleader. “Monk I will place you in charge of the station as I leave. Cheerleader you will take a fleet of fifteen ships with your own commanders in charge of your ships.” I held up my hand to forestall complaints.

  “Until we can get back to Earth this will be our home. We need patrols to clear the surrounding area and make it safe for other races to once again take to space. If we can get trade running again without fear of piracy then we can have goods coming through the system to keep our projects going and keep our fleet in space. It will bring us together if in nothing more than mutual interest in trade. That is the basis for alliances. We will need as many people supporting us as possible for us to win against the syndicate.”

  “What will you do commander?”

  “I’m going to get Iron Bok Soo back and the people we left on Chaleel. As well as free the people of that planet.” I grabbed some more Kimchi eating it over the bowl of rice before scooping that into my mouth too. Others nodded before beginning to eat the food in front of them and talk in their groups. I looked over them grinning, my families gotten a little bigger.

  “Strange to think that we’re possibly some of the first humans to ever eat Kimchi in space. Wel
l synthesized as hell Kimchi.” I said afterwards.

  “You never think in a straight line do you sir?” Henry said as he dug into his steak. I happily joined in eating as we all sat just talking about our experiences and our military stories. I had forgotten a life when I had talked about anything else.

  We were able to talk, eat, walk and think freely,instead of worry about officers, or . Not thinking about the unpredictable galaxy outside of our station.

  “Commander!” A woman yeleld, her battle suit declaring her a medic, obviously not pleased as she stomped in the room, everyone looking to her.

  “I have been looking everywhere on this station to find you and tell you that your hand is ready for re-attachment.” She said, obviously flustered from what had been kilometres of searching.