Doris sat up in her chair, “It is right Sir, and there are about a half million people behind you that believe that. And if the population of this station knew what was going on they would overwhelmingly be behind you too. Just keep doing whatever it is that you are doing Sir, because you have a knack for always heading down the right path.”
“All through our history, and frankly the history of every species out there, there have been those great leaders who arose from seemingly nowhere to accomplish astounding things. If we are able to turn this war around Sir, you could be one of those great men.”
I had to hold up my hand and shake my head back and forth, “OK, OK, I get it. Please stop now before my head gets so big that I can’t get out of this office. But keep this in mind Doris, behind every one of those supposed great leaders were all the good people who were doing the heavy work. Just work to keep me pointed in the right direction Doris, that’s the most I can ask of anyone.”
I departed from the Grid. There was no meeting with Admiral Zimmerman. I had given Doris instructions to try to get the word to the Admiral’s people that the other force from the Prassi war was interested in meeting with him. Doris would have to tread carefully as there were those on the Grid who were aligned with the enemy.
As I taxied out of the bay I noticed a Delta runner taking up launch position two ships behind me. After lifting off I set an initial course towards Marcon. When the Delta runner set out they went in the opposite direction, I was in the clear. I then changed course taking my normal route home. I had a week to contemplate what our next moves would be.
Chapter 11
When I arrived back at home base the Colonel was preparing his crews for the deep run into the Delvin sector. I was itching to go along, but was soon dissuaded from taking part. I was needed at home in case the contact was made with the Admiral. I was not looking forward to all the paperwork and minor decision making that came with being President, but it was the task that had been thrust upon me and I always had room to delegate.
After trudging through the morning’s managerial duties I made my way to Frig’s lab. The left side of his face was in bandages from his first set of operations to repair the damage from the shattered glass. George had told him that the operation went well. The other side of his face was scheduled for the following week.
Frig had continued his attempts to isolate the inner workings of the Durian virus, “Sir, the genius behind this code makes it something to behold. There is layer upon layer of trap doors and hidden routines that seem to evolve as you test against them.”
“I know that it is not possible, but at times I wonder if this seemingly sentient app is going to sprout wings and fly to another console on its own. If you poke into one section it immediately rewrites that functionality somewhere else and it then tries to lure you further down into… what did you call it��� a rabbit hole?”
“I spent countless hours doing just that until I figured out what it was doing. I now have two routines of my own that will pin a function down until I have completely examined it. The code however, becomes extensively more complex the further I am able to get.”
I cocked my head slightly to the side as I looked around the lab, “Do you think you can crack it? And if so, what benefits might we see from your efforts?” Frig nodded, “Yes, there is a tiny light at the end of the tunnel Sir. As I had stated before, if we are able to take control of this code, we may be able to use it against the Durians.”
“Imagine their own scientist���s reactions when a Trojan of their own making infiltrates their network. That could mean anything from simply learning the location of their home-world to being able to take control of their fleet. What would the Torrians do if a Durain fleet was to suddenly attack them?”
“The possibilities of what this could do has already provided me with hours of entertaining thought. While on a lunch break the thought entered my mind of setting the self-destruct on their entire fleet all at once. It made for an enjoyable meal Sir, quite enjoyable.”
I then changed topics, “How about your experiments on the wormhole antenna stuff, has there been any progress there?” Frig again nodded, “I was able to reproduce the effect on a relatively microscopic scale. But it is all new territory for me Sir.”
“I have asked George if he could recruit any scientists who were proficient in radio frequency engineering and study. I am hopeful that with the right people we could also make a breakthrough on that front. I have to say Sir, these are exciting times. The war, all this new technology, everything we have accomplished since the day when I outed myself as a spy… it has all been more that most could dream of in their lifetime Sir.”
“My parents used to speak of a place called Garuth. It was where all good Gambits went after death. I sometimes wonder if I have not already died and gone to Garuth Sir. The only thing missing is my parents. If Garuth exists, they would be there.”
After leaving Frig’s lab I was confronted in the hallway by an aide, “Sir. We have a communique from Doris Jenkins with the location of Admiral Zimmerman. He will be expecting you when you arrive. He is not expecting you personally Sir, only a representative from whoever the force was that assisted with the Prassi.”
Finding the location of the Admiral was great news. I immediately packed for the journey and made my way to the Wren. She had been refueled, restocked and was ready to be launched. I was soon on my way to grid 941 and the Admiral’s new hideout.
It was a nineteen day journey from our side of the galaxy arm. The Admiral had selected a very remote location and as I approached my sensors told me that security was tight. I cruised in with the image projection program running and was not hailed until I began to decelerate. Three frigates from the Admiral’s fleet screamed out to meet the intruder.
I received a hail, “Unidentified ship. You have entered restricted space. Come to a complete halt where you are. Any attempt to flee or evade a complete search of your vessel will be met with deadly force! Do you comply?”
I pressed the mic button on my console, “Yes, I comply. And if you would please tell the Admiral that the representative from the Prassi war is here to see him. I will await your response.” The frigate Gallant pulled up beside the now still Wren. The image projection program had been disabled placing the Wren in full view. A bay door on the side of the frigate opened sweeping the Wren inside.
As the frigate headed for a meeting with the Admiral, two soldier escorts were soon visible at the cargo door of the Wren. As the door opened I greeted the Marines who stood at the ready, “Gentlemen. Glad to get out and stretch my legs. If you could kindly point me to where I might find the Admiral it would be appreciated.”
A sergeant and private eyeballed me thoroughly as I stepped out onto the deck, “This way Sir. The Captain has requested that you join him for the ride to see the Admiral. Sorry for the armed escort Sir, it is standard protocol.” I replied, “Oh, you don’t have to explain anything to me Sergeant, we do the same when greeting those we do not know or trust.”
We crossed the deck and boarded an elevator to the bridge level. Captain Blake was standing at the door when it opened. He held out his hand, “You are the representative of the other force during the Prassi war? I would first like to offer a my gratitude. Most of this crew fought in that bloody engagement. We have wanted to contact you for quite some time.”
I replied, “Sorry we could not talk sooner Captain. Much like you, we are attempting to stay out of the limelight. We only stumbled upon the Milgari as they were about to attack the Prassi and thought it best to do what we could with our limited resources.”
The Captain looked surprised, “Limited resources? From our perspective you had the tougher job and came away shiny and bright! We lost a lot of good men and ships in that battle. Would have been a lot more without your assistance Mr….” I replied, “Bumbalee, Rex Bumbalee.”
I talked with the Captain for five hours before we entered the space around the Admiral’s base.
When the frigate slowed we turned and entered an immense station. More than a thousand ships were harbored outside while several hundred were docked on the station’s exterior.
The Captain placed his hand on my shoulder as we watched on the massive bridge view-screen. “Welcome to OpCon Mr. Bumbalee, the center of the resistance and of all that is good in this sector. OpCon station was commissioned a year ago and is now our base of operations. It lets us pack up and move to a new location if the need were to arise.”
“Personally, I think it’s a thing of beauty, can pack a punch as well.” I nodded as I responded, “It is extraordinary Captain. I have always been impressed with the Admiral’s handiwork.” The Captain nodded in return and gestured for me to move back towards the bridge elevator. The Admiral was waiting.
When I walked into the Admiral���s office he was busy signing papers with an aide. When the aide finished his duties he collected his papers and left the room. The Admiral stood and approached me with his hand out.” I stopped him with a hand gesture. “Admiral, please follow me back to my ship. It is the only place that I can be sure is secure.”
The Admiral hesitated at first and then nodded in agreement. We talked as we walked, “So, we finally get to meet someone from the mystery force. I���m not sure where you have been hiding out, we have been looking for you for quite some time. First, I���d like to personally thank you for your assistance. You saved a lot of my men with the Prassi that day.”
“Second, as I am sure you already know, I am Admiral Michael Zimmerman of the Grid Defense Force. Has anyone filled you in on the purpose of our operation here? It is quite complex, but necessary.”
I replied, “No explanation needed Admiral. I am fully aware of the purpose of your whole outfit. I go by Rex Bumbalee in most circles, but I believe you will remember me as Don Grange. After having a few political issues on the Grid I had to make a few changes.”
The Admiral stopped in his tracks and backed up, “Don Grange!” He looked at me intently, “I can see a little bit of you left in there, but the work is impressive. Wow, Don Grange is with the mystery force, I should have expected as much. Fill me in on what you can. This is shaping up to be one heck-uv-a day. Don Grange��� hmmm.” I replied, “I would rather wait until we are on-board Sir.”
After stepping up into the hold of the Wren I closed the door. The signal inhibitors were brought online. I asked the Admiral to be seated in the engineer���s chair. I sat with my elbows on my knees and my hands clasped together, “I���m not really sure where to begin Admiral, I guess that would be at the start.” I began to tell the tale of the transformation of Don Grange from a lowly Messenger pilot to the leader of a small but powerful and growing nation.
“Everything began to happen at a rapid pace after that. Most of the Tantric you have purchased the last few years has probably come from us. Virtually all of the ore the Prassi have used to rebuild was supplied by us.” The Admiral interjected, “Yes, the Prassi, you will have to watch out for them. They are aggressive expansionists and I have no doubt they would turn on us in an instant if they felt it helped their cause. This sector is full of tyrants and villains. Be careful who you ally with.”
“Of course we are not squeaky clean in this Don. We have been using the Prassi to distract the Milgari. So long as those two are warring they leave the Grid alone. Cortes, I���m sure you remember Cortes, he has been working closely with them, trying to keep their interests aligned with our goals. He has turned out to be one heck-uv-a salesman that one. Watch out if he tries to sell you something. He doesn���t give up.”
I spoke, “Admiral, I have a question about Cortes and the Ranger, we saw them dealing directly with a Milgari fleet just before their raid on the Prassi. That encounter is a large part of the reason we have not contacted you before. I attempted to send you word of what we had seen. I hope it reached your hands.”
The Admiral smiled, “So, that was you. We were wondering who it was that had been spying on us. Cortes was working the Milgari, providing them information on the Prassi. We hoped the ensuing war would weaken the Milgari. We joined in to help, but the Milgari force that arrived was much larger than what we thought was coming.”
“That whole encounter did not go as planned. If you had not showed up with your ships that skirmish could have turned out quite differently. The Prassi were not prepared to pick up and leave during that first engagement. Had we lost, their population would have been slaughtered. Had we not sacrificed so many men and ships in that battle, they would have suspected our motives. Engaging with these species is a tricky business.”
I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms, “Tell me about it Admiral, we have been trying to do something similar with a species called the Dakar. We were just making progress with them when they changed direction. I can���t much blame them though as the Milgari and the Torrians have a fleet of over 17,000 ships now. I believe the Durians have been assisting them.”
The Admiral sat forward, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. You are going to have to slow it down there Don, the Torrians? Are you saying the Milgari have a direct ally?” I raised my hand and waved it in a “no” gesture. “Sorry Admiral, it is much different than that. The Torrians control the Milgari. It is the Torrians who have been bent on the Grid���s capture for the last thousand years.”
“The Torrians are a vile and greedy bunch. They enslaved the Milgari using a psychotic drug that makes them both fiercely loyal and at the same time maddeningly aggressive toward anyone else. I know we have taken Milgari prisoners over the years and we have never been able to get them to crack. They don���t seem to care and they are all of one mind. It���s the drug Admiral. It gets administered from birth. We are working on a cure, but it has so far proven elusive.”
We encountered the Dakar and were able to join them in a fight to take back one of the worlds the Milgari had overrun. The Teldaki on Mortel were liberated only a short time ago. The Milgari then attacked with a vengeance and wiped out the Teldaki we had trained as assault troops. When we returned to scout the sector we discovered the massing of Milgari ships.”
“Our pact with the Dakar was just in its initial phases. We had a second target in mind for another joint assault when the Milgari overran Mortel. Since that time the Dakar have nullified our pact and are in talks with the Milgari for a truce. I don���t believe they will receive a truce. I believe the Milgari will attack and devastate their fleet before imposing laws and rules on them that they are not prepared for. They may achieve peace, but it will come at a heavy price.”
The one area we have been most successful at is in raiding the Milgari supply lines. We devastated their Tantric ore production, selling much of that to you. And we have been able to confiscate any number of massive transports that were loaded with precious jewels and gemstones along with a variety of other goods. We are just now beginning to push some of that material through the Grid.”
The Admiral replied, “Ahh!, So you are behind Martool Mining. We have been trying to determine where these new supplies were coming from. It seems you run a tight ship Don. Information on your operations has been non-existent. We have had scouts out looking in almost every grid, but have come up empty.”
I nodded, “Well, you don���t have to look any further Admiral. I will give you the location. And that brings me to why I am here. I want to start coordinating attacks with you. I know you are still under command of the Grid, or at least some aspect of its government. We are not under any of those obligations. We are commanded by no one and beholden only to ourselves.”
“We only have a few hundred ships at the moment, but that number will explode when we convert our production over to a new, small but very capable fighter. We plan on having several thousand of these fighters within another six months. They are small, but they are every bit a match for a Milgari battleship. That is, unless the Durians have one-upped us again.”
The Admiral spoke, “The Dur
ians have been a big help to us in selling us some of their technology. We are barely keeping up with the Milgari advances. I have a regular Durian trader here on Opcon that I deal with personally.”
I leaned forward, let out a long sigh and replied, “The Durians have been playing us all for fools. They sell you tech and then they turn around and sell tech to the Milgari and the Torrians. The tech they are selling them makes what you bought obsolete or in need of other enhancements. The Durains have been selling to both sides since we arrived in this sector.”
“I thought we had the Torrians on the ropes with their supply issues when we took out most of their Tantric supply. That all changed when the Durians began selling it to them. I know that for a fact as we confiscated one of those ore ships that the Durians had only just delivered. They are playing a dirty game Admiral, a game that only they will win.”
“We are in the process of sending scouting teams out to the Delvin sector. If the Milgari are building ships it must be there. If we can find a location or locations where that is happening we will hit them hard. We don���t have the manpower or ships needed to attack and take possession of any significant amount of space, but we can make their lives there miserable.”
The Admiral was in deep thought. He then turned his gaze back towards me, “We have about 1,800 ships at our disposal. The Prassi have managed to scrape together about 5,000, but the Milgari ships are superior to theirs. I like the strategy of choking down their supply routes. We can make life in this sector difficult. My only issue is��� what if they decide to do the same to us? The Grid is largely self-sustaining, but the other worlds in this sector rely heavily on trade.”
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