New Empires: Conglomerate Series Book 3

by William Frisbee

  “That green jarhead is good,” Musashi said grudgingly, “But you have to learn to trust others.”

  Luke nodded. Teleklos was new. Named after a Spartan king he was one of the most focused droids Luke had seen and his droid officers weren’t much different. The officers of his platoons took the moniker of Spartans seriously, focusing on nothing other than their brand of warfare.

  Turning his eyes back to the system display Luke tried to imagine what he was forgetting.

  Fantoet, according to Conglomerate star charts, was a multiple star system. A K8V star dancing with a dimmer MV star. Fantoet had a larger following of planets than Fantoet B and none of them appeared occupied according to passive scans and recon drone flybys. There were seven wormholes leading to different locations, three more than what Conglomerate star charts indicated. It was one of the new wormholes where the Vress battleship was waiting and the Frigates had reported the rest of the Vress fleet had fled.

  The Frigate squadron circled the lone Vress battleship like a pack of sharks, staying out of range and threatening it if it should drop its guard. A much smaller Vress scout had already been discovered and destroyed, but the point defenses of the battleship were still powerful enough to fend off the frigates. The gravity generators were fluctuating too much and while the ship could move Luke suspected if they tried to make a transition the ship would disrupt the wormhole enough to destroy itself and anything traveling with it.

  “Marines away,” Halsey reported. “On course.”

  “Now we wait,” Luke said staring at the screen like he would sit here for the next eighteen hours as the stealth shuttles slid closer to the battleship.

  It was a carefully choreographed game as the frigates made feints and random missile attacks against the battleship. Forcing the crippled vessel to focus their sensors on the frigates to insure an attack did not slip through. The defenders of the Vress ship had to be exhausted, between the frequent attacks and the attempts to repair their crippled vessel. As the Tigress approached the ship telescopes could pick out crew, without space suits, just oxygen tanks, on the hull performing repairs.

  The muted orange glow of Fantoet A was negligible this far out near the lonely heliosphere where the wormhole had formed, Fantoet B was all but invisible in the distance.

  “Are you going to sit here and wait?” Leonessa asked.

  Luke started, surprised by her voice, his mind had been so focused on the shuttles.

  “Um,” Luke said blinking, coming back to the here and now.

  Leonessa laughed, realizing he had been focused.

  “Nothing you can do,” she said. “Is there?”

  “No,” Luke said glancing at her.

  “Shall we go for a walk then?” Leonessa asked.

  “Sure,” Luke said, still distracted by the shuttles.

  Out in the corridor Leonessa took his hand as they walked down the corridor. Luke didn’t think there was a destination, but he would go anywhere with Leonessa holding his hand.

  The walls on either side of the corridor showed a jungle landscape under a gentle sun. Luke wasn’t sure if it was integration with his InnerBuddy or the walls were like big displays, but it was nice. He ignored the report from his InnerBuddy telling him which it was as he enjoyed the feel of Leonessa’s hand in his. It was a long corridor that likely looped around the ship. Large enough for a small transport, or repair vehicle, it was a main thoroughfare that seemed so quiet as to be almost haunted.

  His mind kept wandering to his warriors on approach to the Vress battle ship. Would he lose more friends?

  It was hard to take his mind off Leonessa and focus on the battle when they returned to the CIC after dinner and a six-hour nap.

  Telescopes showed the stealthed assault shuttles spewing out warbots and droids, at the same time the Tigress and Amazon accelerated to make sure the battleship didn’t run for it. Luke was sure if they were capable of panicking, that ship was full of of frightened Vress.

  Crew served weapons carried by the warbots were being directed at anything on the battleship that looked vulnerable while other teams wiped out the Vress work crews and breached the hull. Communication was not yet instant as the Tigress closed but Luke watched as the majority of the droids and warbots made it into the vessel, scanning for self-destruct mechanisms, enemy forces and anything of intelligence value.

  The shuttles were busy conducting close range scans of the battleship and transmitting the information to the Tigress for analysis. Even if the battleship blew itself up the intelligence already gathered was a gold mine for the enemy analysis AI of the Tigress and Amazon.

  The hull had been quiet for a few minutes when heavy weapons fire drew Luke’s attention toward the rear of the battleship. That portion of the alien ship looked like a black bean pod. The warbots with crew served weapons were doing their best to shoot something speeding away from the crippled ship. Zigging and zagging the drone moved with unnatural speed that would have crushed any living thing aboard. The wormhole opened and Luke saw the communication drone escape.

  “Fudgesticks,” Leonessa said. “A comm drone escaped.”

  “They know we are coming now,” Luke said waiting for the battleship to detonate.

  “But the information we have captured is invaluable,” Pavlis said looking over the schematics. “We can even date their fusion drive core. If that is any sign, that ship is only fifteen years old.”

  “It doesn’t look like they are as advanced as the Conglomerate,” Morals said. “Still a lot more effective than the Caliphate, but no match for the Tigress.”

  Luke nodded. It was small consolation now that surprise and initiative had been lost.

  An hour later it still had not exploded, and the Tigress slid into range, joining the other frigates as Luke’s fleet circled their wounded prey at a safe distance.

  “The enemy vessel is now under our control,” Teleklos reported. “All resistance has been eliminated. They tried two self-destruct mechanisms but failed. Casualties are moderate and we have taken ninety prisoners. We have also captured six data cores intact and we are sending them back for decryption and analysis.”

  “Do we have a place to put the prisoners?” Luke asked Halsey.

  “Seriously?” Halsey asked. “You want to bring those things on my ship? Need I remind you how tough and dangerous they are?”

  “We need to keep moving,” Luke said as he watched the first Frigate squadron transition to the next system. “Waiting around here surrenders the initiative. With the data cores, detailed scans of the battleship, now we just need to pick clean the brains of those prisoners. We can do that while we are underway.”

  “I will make facilities available,” Halsey said, managing to sound unhappy despite being a droid. “I will need a day.”

  Luke nodded.

  “And keep in mind that the bad asses that took them prisoner will come back to keep them prisoner,” Luke said.

  “We are also running low on resources,” Halsey said. “There is a nearby asteroid we might use.”

  Luke scowled.

  “Okay, I’ll give you four days,” Luke said. “Then we need to push on. We will push hard, with that comm drone we have lost the element of surprise.”

  “Aye, aye Admiral,” Halsey said. “I will notify the Amazon.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Tricked

  “Why did you summon me,” Krasnal said as she entered the bridge. She was the most senior Vress in the fleet. She was not ‘summoned’ and someone would suffer for that rudeness.

  “We have received a communication drone from Talon Two,” First Officer said.

  “And?” Krasnal said impatiently. “You could have forwarded this information to my quarters.”

  “I was told to summon you to the bridge and tell you in person,” First Officer said.

  Krasnal’s eyes narrowed as her gaze fell on Snakan. The male did not look happy. In fact, he looked scared with his shoulders and head down. His eyes did
not meet hers.

  “Tell me what,” Krasnal said.

  First Officer ran her hand over the console and the main display lit up. Strange figures were pouring out of black, nearly invisible crafts on the screen. The voice of Krasnik, the acting battleship commander, was giving orders to repel boarders and scuttle the ship.

  The First Officer of Talon Two yelled in alarm and the view changed, showing a pair of the human battleships, surrounded by a host of frigates on an attack vector for Talon Two.

  “We have been trapped,” Krasnik said. “We cannot escape but will do our best to take them with us into death. Sing of our battle.”

  “They tricked us,” Krasnal said turning to Snakan. “How could they? How could they trick the Battle Singers?”

  “I am told they tricked you,” Snakan said, his eyes locking onto her, his snarl a challenge. Krasnal was stunned by his sudden bravery and lack of submission.

  Krasnal prepared to lunch at the insolent male and rip his heart out but the pair of soldiers aiming their weapons at her caused her to pause. The male was old. He should have died long ago but those soldiers pointing weapons at her were not expected.

  “The Battle Singers say you have become a spy for the enemy. You are a weak link and you have betrayed us,” Snakan said.

  “That is wrong!” Krasnal said, but it was true if the Battle Singers said so. They could not be questioned.

  “You have betrayed the Vress,” Snakan said, his hatred smothering Krasnal.

  “No!” Krasnal yelled back. “You have betrayed the Vress. I have obeyed you. I have obeyed the Battle Singers. It is you who have betrayed us!”

  Krasnal leapt at Snakan, her fangs ready to pierce his carapace. She slammed into the male as the rounds from the soldier’s weapons found her, piercing her body, but she did not die immediately. Her last act, before darkness claimed her, was to sink her fangs into Snakan’s throat and inject her venom. Snakan would die with her.

  She felt satisfaction as the bullets from the soldiers continued to slam into her body.

  Shum lurched forward, gasping for air as he fell onto his face. His body ached where the rounds from the Vress soldiers had sliced into his/her carapace, piercing organs.

  Taking a deep ragged breath Shum groaned as his body realized he had not been hurt, only his mind thought so.

  Krasnal was dead because she had been tricked.

  Pulling himself to his feet he smiled. The Tal would not stand a chance fighting the humans. The Battle Singers had been tricked and Luke had used Shum to trick them.

  Sitting down and composing himself Shum realized he should have seen the signs. Luke had asked him to observe Krasnal and kept him isolated so he did not reveal to the Battle Singers how the battle was going on Kakata, but now Shum knew they were far from that embattled planet. The few reports that had been shared with him must be fake. Luke had played Shum for a fool and Shum had fallen for it.

  Luke Kishi had not tasked Shum with spying on the Battle Singers and Krasnal, he had tasked Shum with being used by the Battle Singers.

  It had been a masterful deception.

  Shum released his guilt. He had been a tool of the Battle Singers but Luke had used that tool against them.

  Had Topa Suresh seen that? Did the Topa know Shum was a tool of the Battle Singers? Had he told Luke?

  Nodding Shum took another deep breath, and exhaled, releasing more tension, fear and guilt. His usefulness to the Battle Singers had ended. Would Luke kill him now that Shum’s usefulness had ended?

  Standing up and heading to the door, Shum realized his death at Luke’s hands was an acceptable outcome. He had helped orchestrate two stunning defeats to the Battle Singers. The ambush at Bronkaw Prime and the capture of a Vress battleship.

  The door to Luke’s office opened. All the screens were blanked as he expected. Luke and Leonessa looked up at him as he entered, their faces carefully neutral.

  Shum smiled.

  “Congratulations,” Shum said. “On your ambush of the Vress battleship and your pursuit of the Vress. Their home world is not far away.”

  Luke and Leonessa glanced at each other.

  “Your deception was masterful,” Shum said. “My soul link has been killed.”

  Shum nodded at the look of surprise on Luke’s face.

  “I’m sorry,” Luke said.

  “Do not be,” Shum said. “I am free and the Battle Singers can no longer use me as a tool. Twice they have been betrayed by using me. They could no longer take the chance of their Fleet Marshal, my soul link, betraying them again.”

  “So they cannot link to you?” Luke asked.

  “No,” Shum said. “I am free.”

  “No other soul links?” Luke asked.

  Shum shook his head, a gesture Luke would understand.

  “I would feel that link,” Shum said.

  “Good,” Luke said leaning back. “You are sure?”

  “Yes,” Shum said, a weight falling off his shoulders.

  Kneeling, Shum placed his hands on his knees. Luke was not known to be a cruel person.

  “I am ready,” Shum said. He felt at peace now. He had served his role, he had served the Pral, and if Topa Suresh did not know, Shum had redeemed himself. It was clear now, Topa Suresh was truly a master weaver.

  “For what?” Leonessa asked and glanced at Luke.

  Luke returned Leonessa’s glance and then locked his eyes on Shum who closed his eyes.

  “For what?” Luke asked.

  “My death,” Shum said. “I will embrace it. There is no need to fear my resistance. Topa Suresh is the wisest of the Weave Masters. I see that now. It is time for my thread to rejoin the weave in another shade.”

  “You will die?” Luke asked.

  Luke’s tone of voice caught Shum by surprise and the Pral opened his eyes to look at Luke.

  “Topa Suresh said if I do not meet your needs or standards then kill me,” Shum said. Perhaps Luke had forgotten.

  “That day is not today,” Luke said. “I still have need of you. You have not failed me Shum.”

  “Now you are back on the team, you have a lot to catch up on,” Luke said, turning the holo fields back on.

  Leonessa smiled and Shum saw it was sincere.

  “Welcome back,” she said.

  Shum nodded. He didn’t have words as another revelation occurred to him. The Pral were not the only ones who knew mercy and Topa Suresh would know.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Jupiter Alliance

  “It is better this way,” James said.

  Lee nodded as they watched the big screen.

  Carl Lezano’s execution was to be public, along with his confession. James wasn’t sure who had released the fate of the Josaka expedition to the public, but when he did, they would pay. It could topple his regime. Too many people were asking hard, uncomfortable questions. Besides it being a major disgrace to the Jupiter Socialist Party, a lot of warships and crews had been lost. Lots of brothers, fathers, mothers, sisters and children.

  “I will miss him,” James said.

  Lee nodded again. “When do you think he will realize his execution will not be faked?”

  James sighed. “Not until it is too late. How goes the purge of the officer corps?”

  “It is going,” Lee said. “Lots of people pointing the finger at each other, as expected, but we have good psychological profiles and all the backstabbing and survival attempts lets us build an even better psyche profile of the officers. At this point terror will keep them in line if loyalty won’t.”

  “Fear is more effective,” James said with a nod.

  “It is a shame we couldn’t find more depravity in Carl’s personal life,” Lee said.

  “That is okay,” James said. “We don’t want him to be a complete villain, and he still reflects on us. People are too smart to believe he is that evil. Play up how he was a devoted husband and an overly fanatical socialist. Let’s play up on Carl’s desire to stamp everyone into the
same mold then we can come out and tell people how we value all the diversity crap. Then we ease up on a few things, let people screw it up, and then clamp down harder for the common good. Show that sadly Carl was right about some people. Standard feedback loop.”

  Lee nodded.

  “Now I have to go on live video and pretend how devastated I am that my right-hand man disobeyed me and forged that order to attack Athena and New Alamo,” James said.

  “I thought you had an AI for that?” Lee said.

  “This appearance will be a little more public,” James said. “I can’t have the AI stand in front of the General Assembly.”

  Lee nodded.

  “You need to watch for anyone not buying it,” James said. “Make sure we have a camera focused on every assembly member. Full psyche profile and watch their Social Net feeds. We have to make damn sure this doesn’t blow up in our face.”

  “That’s what I do best,” Lee said.

  James nodded.

  The social manipulation AI’s would be working overtime to align the people’s opinion through social net. Subtle modifications of words and the sentence structure could go a long way toward shaping people’s view.

  “People are used to believing it,” Sonya said.

  “They think Carl Lepanzo had the authority to send that fleet to attack Athena?” Harris said.

  “You never know,” Sonya said watching James Abbott wring his hands as he looked out at the Jupiter Alliance General Assembly.

  “He certainly looks sincere though,” Harris said and Sonya couldn’t argue.

  “He is saying the right things,” Sonya said. “Maybe the rot doesn’t reach all the way to the top?”

  “Yea,” Harris said. “It would be hard to believe.”

  “Any more word on those survivors?” Sonya asked.

  “Nothing,” Harris said. “Looks like they’ve been forgotten and there have been no transports leaving Gaia or that military station either. There have been two more cruisers that docked with the secret station though, brand new from the shipyard at Ganymede.”