The capture of mine #122 went off without a hitch. Nine Milgari troops were eliminated and 1,566 Teldaki miners were freed. The bigger story was the 55,000 Teldaki ground assault troops that had been deployed at other sites. They had performed flawlessly, not losing a single man. Eight thousand Milgari were annihilated as more than 160,000 Teldaki miners were freed. The complete capture of Mortel had taken only 22 hours.
I looked on at a crowd of Teldaki miners who were in the initial stages of celebration. Their recovery would be a struggle. They hadn���t known freedom for ten years. I still worried for that freedom as the Dakar would be taking over their welfare. I wondered just how benevolent the Dakar would be. The Emerald wealth of the Teldakis would not be their own.
The war in the heavens above Mortel lasted for two days. The overwhelming force of the Dakar fleet struggled against the Milgari and their newly superior weapons. Nearly 100 Dakari Expansion combat craft had been lost to the 23 Milgari ships. Our new allies were weak, but they made up for it in numbers.
Frig and I boarded the Swift and exited from the cargo hold of the Helix. We were soon landing in the docking bay of the Paswari for a meeting with Feta Lunge. Frig stayed in the Swift as I joined Feta on his bridge. “Welcome back Mr. Grange. It seems our venture here may lead to better things. I have been given the authority to offer cooperation on another project. If that too goes well there will be talks of expanding the relationship.”
I sat in my custom made chair and spoke, “If we accept this next project I would hope that we again keep our forces separate. Until such time as a high level of trust has been built up between our peoples I think it best that we minimize any chance of the scourge that is friendly fire.”
“As I am sure your leaders are aware, friendly fire is a consequence of any war. Even amongst long term alliances it can be a difficult reality when the forces of one ally mistakenly kill those of another. If the proposed plan includes this continued separation we would likely be aboard for another project.”
Feta replied, “This concept of friendly fire as you call it is interesting. I have always wondered how many of our own we kill when in battle. It is never spoken of and our leaders just assume it to be a consequence of war. It is certainly not desired, but at the same time, nothing is done to prevent it. You Humans have some interesting concepts when it comes to the individual. I wonder if those are a benefit or a burden.”
I shook my head, “You are an individual Feta, you are not your mother or your father, you are not your cousin or your friend or some stranger from another planet; you are you. You are unique to this galaxy and as such you should want to be treated as unique. You can do things that many others can do, but only you can do them here and now.”
Feta leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin, “Curious. From birth we are committed to the Dakar people. We are pushed to do what we can for the betterment of all. What happens in practice is often something different. A politician is afforded great respect and allowed to accumulate great wealth while the commoner is not. It is a way that has always been. Your lot in life is given as a reward for your duty to others.”
“I struggle to comprehend how your people can accomplish so much when you value the individual over everything else. We are taught from a young age to be selfless and to accept that which is given to us by our community leaders. If I were to decide that being on the Paswari was not what I wanted to do then who would be on the Paswari? Who would be out here defending our people?”
I sat staring at Feta for several seconds, “In an ideal world that selfless behavior would be looked upon as something to aspire to. To be in the service of others, there is no finer profession. But in the real world there are always those who take advantage.”
“You mentioned your politicians and their wealth. I would guess that your politicians are made up of families that came from politicians. I would guess that commoners do not rise to become politicians and that politicians live a life a luxury beyond what many of your commoners could even dream of. We call these people dictators or a ruling class.”
“The decisions they make are meant to preserve their standing, power and wealth, not to better the lives of their people. If the lives of the commoner are maintained at an acceptable level these ruling parties will continue to enrich themselves without threat of overthrow.”
“If I were you Feta, I would open my eyes to how the Dakari Expansion is being run. You may find that with the wealth of the empire that all Dakari could benefit incrementally. In Humans, most have some level of selfless behavior, but not all. It is a characteristic that is thought highly of by most.”
“There are many such traits that define you as an individual, some of them not so admirable. But those traits are worth nothing to us if not made by our own choice. Our freedoms are what drive us to cooperate with one another, to better our circumstance by choice. Without freedom, any benefit is usually only had by those in control.”
Feta thought for several seconds and replied, “Again, this has been an interesting conversation. I will have to think on the points that you made. I believe our system to be superior, but we are not here to discuss our preference for governance today. I have the plans for our next cooperative engagement. I shall transfer them to your ship for your review. Our Generals are expecting a reply in the next few hours. Please make haste so that I may send a response.”
The next target for an assault was into a system with a planet that had two moons, they were laden with Magnesium. Prior to the Torrian takeover, the moons had provided the Expansion with two-thirds of its Magnesium needs. With its loss and its inclusion in many metal alloys, construction and manufacturing across the Expansion had been brought to a slow grind. Other sources had been found since the loss, but critical shortages remained.
The planet Hoon and its moons, Paor and Muor, were part of a star system that contained 12 planets and 19 moons. Hoon was habitable, but the cold temperatures had kept all but the hardiest of colonists from laying claim to property. The handful of pilgrims on the planet���s surface had been left alone by the Milgari. The open pit mines on the moons were their focus along with the Bollite slaves they had imported to run them.
The small Milgari fleet guarding the moons consisted of 36 warships. The Dakar generals, in their wisdom, decided that they would handle the ground assault as we took out the orbiting fleet. I sent word to the Colonel to outline his plans and prepare the necessary ships for battle. His pilots were eager to take on the challenge.
With our new cooperative assault in the works I took the Swift and headed back to the Suppressor. I now had a hierarchy of managers running the various aspects of our newly formed nation who were eager to get time with “the boss”. In my absence, an unofficial vote had been taken with my being elected President of the Nation of Defiant. It was an honor, but I was not sure I wanted the responsibility.
I had a keen interest in delegating authority to those that I knew could handle it. Within a few weeks I had developed a plan for my “Council of Governors”. George, the Colonel, Gy, Rita and others were selected for service on the CoG. Each would have full authority over their respective areas of skills and abilities with any disputes to be settled by me.
We were growing as a nation and as such it was becoming apparent that we needed laws, courts and representatives of the people to handle many of the daily tasks that accompanied the running of a government. I was extremely disinterested in almost every aspect of it. The consultants we had hired on the Grid delivered a government plan that I turned over to the CoG to implement.
I was standing in my office looking out the window at the planet below when George entered with news. “Don, we���ve had a breakthrough in our research of the Torrian drug! We now have an injection that we can apply that blocks the Torrian drug in the Milgari���s system. Unfortunately, the affect only lasts for a few hours.”
“I have assigned a team to work on the drug���s delivery. If it can be administe
red through an airborne fog it could be used to fill a ship before an assault. The result would be a docile crew that can easily be rounded up without firing a shot. The researchers are also looking at delivery through a water supply and again by use of a needle gun.”
“I realize that a couple of hours will only buy us just so much, but it is a big step in the right direction. Our ability to control the Milgari for only a short period poses a new problem. What do we do with those that we capture? We do not have facilities to house or to hold more than a handful of prisoners, especially when those prisoners become violently uncontrollable after a few short hours.”
“If you feel the need to make use of the drug as is, just let me know and I will make it available. In the meantime I would suggest continuing as we have been. With a bit of luck we may end up with that cure that we have been seeking. Taking out the Milgari fleets would be a wonderful thing for us all��� a wonderful thing.”
George���s news was a huge step towards our goal of stopping the Milgari. If they could be conquered through the use of chemicals the Torrian Empire would quickly collapse. If the Torrians lost their fleet they would not be able to put up much of a fight. I would have to mention to the Colonel that we should have plans in place for such an event.
The Torrians still had one wildcard to play. We had no knowledge of the capabilities of the massive ships that guarded Torrus. If the size of the ships were any indication of their power we might find it difficult to unseat them from their world. Until such time as the Torrians were completely defeated they would pose a threat, a threat we were all eager to be rid of.
Chapter 4
The Dakar raid on the Hoon moons was scheduled for three months out. I decided it was time for a trip to the Grid to catch up with Doris Jenkins. She would have data relevant to our commodities trading as well as information on Ashley Elizabeth. I was apprehensive to set foot on the great station not knowing whether or not SCore had information on Defiant and our war on the Milgari.
George had grown tired of my borrowing of his flyer, so a new ship had been constructed for my use. It contained all of our latest technologies neatly packaged to appear as conventional ship components. I was most impressed with the hidden ion cannon and the pure Aquamarine top-skin.
The new armor had the ability to absorb several full strikes by the newest Milgari battle cannon after which it would fracture and shed, revealing our standard armor underneath. My new flyer, the Wren, was Gy���s experimental craft. The top-skin had only been successfully applied on a small scale with the Wren being the first ship to receive it. He hoped to one day use it to cover our entire fleet.
I landed in Alpha Bay and made my way to the office, Doris was waiting, “Hey Sir, have I got news for you! It seems Ashley Elizabeth is a full blown SCore agent. I’m not sure why you wanted to know, but from past experience you are better off avoiding them. They like to pry into every detail of your life, regardless of whether or not you have done anything wrong. It���s all about who you are seen with.”
“I have compiled a report for you with all the information I could gather. She’s a busy one that one. Does more trips off-world than any Messenger pilot I know. She is also chummy with Michael Felix, especially since he won his seat in the chamber. He is already talking of moving up to the Senate in the next election. As power hungry as he is, I don’t see that as being a good thing.”
“Now your girl, Ms. Elizabeth, she has quite the record. She was in the Marines during the last war, saw a lot of combat. Her father and older brother passed in the prior war. Her mother tried to steer her away from duty, but she was gung-ho on revenge. From what the combat records say she got what she was looking for.”
“I managed to track down a couple of the soldiers she crewed with. They were thoroughly impressed. They said she was vicious when it came to fighting, including hand-to-hand. One said he personally saw her take down three Milgari with a blade after her blaster was knocked from her grasp. They also said she was about as smart as they came. And her legs, well, I’m afraid even I might blush if I repeat what they said about those.”
“Now, since she left the service her record goes cold. As I’m sure you know you can’t get any information on anyone who has served with or is employed by SCore. Those records are vaulted. So, all I have is my suspicions of what I have gathered over the last few months.”
She has done a lot of snooping around Malcon. Someone is running a butt-load of Tantric through there, including some of ours. I have attempted to follow her out when she follows the ore deliveries, but her ship is too fast for my bucket. Say, you wouldn’t want to line me up with something with a little more pop to it would you? If the company can afford it, that is. Not saying I have to have it, but it would make all this running around more tolerable.”
I replied, “Well Doris, your work has been nothing but stellar. When we leave here, I’m going to see about ordering you a new flyer. And I can assure you that it will be one that you are not disappointed in. In fact, I think you have earned your stripes with what you have done here. It’s time you were brought fully into the company and what we are all about.”
Doris turned her head slightly to the side, “I’m not sure what you are getting at Sir, but it sounds like you have been holding back on something. Doris doesn’t like secrets. Doris likes to know so she can plan accordingly. And from that smile on your face I would say you have been keeping back something big!”
I took Doris down to the Alpha landing bay and onto the Wren. As she stepped through the outer door she mentioned the exterior. “What kind of coating is that you have on there? I don’t recall seeing anything like it before. Most of the ships have that dull green Tantric color on all the leading edges with half worn off paint on the rest. This looks sleek and shiny, kind of a deep shine too. I bet you get a lot of questions about it.”
I had Doris sit in the captain’s chair as I spoke. “The coating is something special our company makes. This is actually the first ship that it has been applied to. It has Tantric underneath. I could tell you a little more about it, but I will save that for later. I think for now I will just take you for a ride.”
With that I gestured towards the co-pilot’s seat and Doris quickly made the move. I then filed a flight plan with Alpha Bay for a “pleasure ride”. We would be gone for three hours. As I powered up my console Doris’ eyes lit up.
“Wow. That display is a thing of beauty! Now I know how all the rich folks live. That looks like an integrated nav and systems console.” She took in a deep breath, “And the air in here smells about as fresh as an uninhabited planet. Almost has a hint of flora in it. And I do love this chair. I could get used to one of these.
Doris rocked in the chair and smiled as we lifted off. Her eyes were glued to my console as she took in every reading from the ships systems. I pushed the throttle forward and the Wren was soon traveling at 140 SOL. We would ride at that speed until out of range of the Grid’s sensors.
“I have to tell you Sir, I am impressed with your ride. I can’t say that I have been in anything quite like it. Cruising along at 140 SOL… that is just sweet candy.” I stood and gestured towards the back. “The quarters come with a generous bed, for the taller guys like me, and a shower, which again fits a tall guy.”
We have a small study over here and then storage back here and here. There is also a small cargo space that is available through the floor below us. The ship’s computer is one of the newest available cores with three of them networked into a redundant configuration. If you follow me back to the console I will show you what this ship is really about.”
We sat down and I looked and smiled at Doris as a green symbol popped up on the console screen. We were out of range of the Grid. I then pressed several buttons on the console and the throttle lever moved back to just under half throw. Doris looked at it curiously.
“Mmmm, what is the meaning of that Don?” I replied, “Why don’t you push that forward for me and see.”
Doris looked at the lever and then reached to it with a shrug. As she pushed it forward the velocity reading on the console began to climb. When she reached the full throw of the throttle she released it and sat back in her chair to watch.
She sat silent, staring at the reading for nearly a minute. “Sir, that says 322 SOL. That cannot possibly be right. We are not traveling at 322 SOL. Nothing short of the Grid’s gravity drive can do that.” She again sat silent for nearly a minute. “If you can make a ship that will go 320… you could almost own this galaxy Sir. That is��� that is… wow!”
I pulled up the nav screen and set a waypoint to the nearest uninhabited moon. Seven minutes later it came into view on our sensors. “If you think 320 SOL is impressive then let me show you something else.” I pressed several buttons and the nav screen reconfigured. The console now offered an integrated view of the nav and weapons displays.
I targeted the small moon and brought the ion cannon online. I then looked back at Doris, her jaw was hanging open. “You want to press the button? I set it to auto-fire so all you have to do is wait for the red symbol to go green and then press it once.”
Doris reached up, placing her finger over the glowing red button. The color soon turned to yellow and then a bright green. She pushed her finger down, engaging the ion cannon, it fired with a low rumble. I magnified the target area and Doris watched in amazement as a deep trench was cut into the moon���s surface.
“Sir, I don’t know weapons, but I have seen enough video of them to know that was something different. Ion cannons on a ship this size will dig up a small pit. But that trench, that trench was a kilometer deep! And what are you doing with an ion cannon on a commercial vessel? I thought that was against Grid rules. Only diplomatic vessels can have that and they only dock at Gamma bay.”
I continued to smile for several seconds at Doris’ shock. “It is more powerful than a Milgari battle cannon. And the Wren’s sleek, shiny black hull, it can take a full shot from one of those Milgari cannons without taking damage.” I then pulled the throttle back to zero. It was time to let Doris in on all the secrets.
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