Greg felt a sort of poetic balance in the trip. He had left Earth what seemed a lifetime ago with his cargo ship and two small ships attached to the airlock docking ports. At that time he was leaving a home he could never return to. Once again, with his cargo ship and two small ships, he was leaving a home he could never return to. The big difference was where before he had felt alone, this time he had four women with him whom he loved and who loved him and that was all the difference in the world.
HOMESTEAD - CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
ADMIRAL DAVIDSON WAS WAITING for the Solomon family when they arrived at New St. Louis. Ellie Mae and Elvira greeted them warmly and heartily. The Admiral gave each of the women a hug as he greeted them in turn. There was a special twinkle in his eye as he greeted Rose. He started to shake Greg’s hand but pulled him into a strong manly hug as well. They stood together for a long time.
Admiral Davidson broke the silence. “It is good to see you all alive. I have reviewed the reports submitted by Commodore Dankese as well as your testimony during your trip to the Swordsman base. Brilliant work, but then I would expect nothing less of you. Rachel, I was especially impressed with your skill in dispatching the Swordsman picket mother ship.”
“Thank you, sir,” Rachel said with a blush.
Admiral Davidson smiled. “One missile. That is incredible. How did you do it?”
“I programmed it for the cooler parts of the propulsion unit. I wanted to disable the ship, but I didn’t want to kill any more people. That seemed like the best way. The missile hit at the junction between the propulsion pods and the hull. The propulsion unit broke off intact,” Rachel explained.
“A tactical decision worthy of your parents. Nicely done.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“I heard Lt. Myrakova died valiantly,” Admiral Davidson said.
“Yes, she did.” Rachel said choking up a little, “I saw it happen.” The admiral took her hand. “The death of a friend whether in peace or in battle is always difficult. The pain will forever be with you, but do not let it stop you from doing what you need to do.”
“Yes, sir,” Rachel said, her eyes misting over.
“I have some good news. The search teams retrieved the escape pods from both shuttles. Their crews were alive. I understand there were injuries, but they are expected to recover.”
Greg’s eyes misted over.
“That is great news,” Avi said quietly.
“The Mother Superior for the Sisters of Mercy sent me a copy of the surveillance recordings of your meeting with the Reverend Stonebridge. Very impressive. I see you have taught the girls well. You know, ladies, that your teachers are two of the best in the business.”
“Thank you, sir,” Rachel reddened slightly as she answered.
“And I hear Grandmother is no slouch at defending herself either.”
“You flatter me sir,” Rose blushed.
“That was the intent, my dear lady. I have prepared a special dinner in your honor. I would like you to join me in my private dining room in two hours time. There are people who would like to see you and I could think of no better way than with a formal dinner in your honor.”
“As you wish sir. I guess that means we have to go buy dinner clothes,” Avi quipped.
“The dress code is formal military dress whites. Greg, Avi, you will be needing these.” He handed each of them a set of Captain’s insignia. “As retired Space Force officers with the rank of Captain, you are entitled to wear them. Please keep them as a token of my gratitude for what you have done.”
He turned to the girls. “Rachel and Wendy, the Space Force has had a Reserve Officer Training Program for high school and college students since its inception. These insignia designate you as Captains in the student reserve. I have the authority to appoint you to that rank and am so doing. As such, you are entitled to wear the same uniform as your parents. Rose, the Space Force recognizes that civilians often rise to the calling and deserve to be included as if they were members of the Force. As such I am pleased to present you the Force’s combat medal. The ribbon is intended to be worn against a white or pastel blue gown. I am sure that with my ex-wives’ assistance, you will have no trouble finding suitable outfits for tonight’s festivities.”
Commodore Dankese and the Admiral’s aide were the first to greet the family as they arrived at the dinner. The two were definitely an item and stayed together the whole evening. While Admiral Davidson monopolized Avi’s attention, several of the senior officers sought Greg out and engaged him in a conversation about some of the more arcane aspects of the games he had written. Two stunningly handsome young Lieutenants quickly separated themselves from the group where they had been chatting and escorted the young ladies to the side of the room where the younger officers had congregated. The group was evenly divided between male and female and its conversation was loud and animated. Based on the vigorous body language and broad hand movements, Greg was happy to see that the girls were telling war stories. Acceptance by a group like this would help them deal with the trauma they had recently experienced. Ellie Mae and Elvira monopolized Rose. It was as if they were recruiting her to their cause. Rose did not need convincing.
Commodore Dankese and Admiral Davidson found time to speak privately with Greg and Avi. “You know,” the Admiral said, “the Swordsmen are not the only force with warlike intentions.”
Commodore Dankese added, “We are seeing more and more challenges to the Federation’s authority. We will need good officers soon. I would like your support in recruiting from among those people you trained at Homestead.”
Avi spoke first, “I cannot speak for them. They will have to make up their own minds. I understand we can never return to Homestead. I am not sure what help we can give you.”
“Never is a long time,” Admiral Davidson offered. “What I would like to do is give you a list of the survivors and tell me which you feel we should try to recruit.”
“I can do that,” Avi said.
“Is that a smart thing to do?” Greg asked. “These people have been through a living hell. What makes you think they will want to do it again?”
“Many of them have already approached us. We wanted to know which we should take and which we should leave to defend their homes.”
“I am surprised. As many of them died or lost loved ones, I would have thought they would not want to go through it again. I will help,” Greg said.
“Very good.” The Admiral spotted the chef standing at the door and announced, “Ladies and Gentlemen, dinner is served.”
After dinner, the Admiral stood and asked for attention. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I have several announcements. Let me present the first five battle ribbons for service to the Federation at the Battle of Homestead. You are authorized to wear these any time you are wearing a Space Force uniform. Avi and Greg, I see you were able to find most of your previous battle ribbons at the uniform shop. I will have the rest sent to you. Rachel and Wendy, I expect that these ribbons are only the first of many such ribbons you will earn. At the conclusion of this evening’s festivities we will bid our honored guests adieu. First thing in the morning they are embarking on a new adventure of which they are as of yet unaware. I would like to ask all four of the Captains Solomon and Rose to please stand. It has been my honor to serve with you. You may not be aware that reserve officers like yourselves can be recalled to active duty at any time by order of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. That includes junior reserve officers in training. By order of the Joint Chiefs of Staff all four of the Captains Solomon have been called to active duty.”
The Admiral handed out five sets of orders. “Rose you are hereby requested to assist in your civilian capacity. Your orders give you all the details of your new assignments, but I can hit the highlights. My technicians have refueled and refitted your ship. We have debriefed your computer and uploaded to it as many of the recent advances in technology as we can. There is a limit as to what we can do on such a remote outpost as this. Your st
ores have been filled with the supplies you will need for your long journey.”
“Where are we going?” Rachel asked.
“As I am sure you are aware, all of the settlements that had been established up to about five years ago were in this arm of the galaxy. About five years ago several groups jumped over to the next arm. Among these were four large Jewish groups that migrated to a single planet about mid way out on the arm. Their attitudes are reminiscent of the Kibbutz movement of the 1950’s. I think you will be happy there.”
“Thank you,” they said as one.
“Don’t thank me yet. The Swordsmen know about these settlements. They had planned to go there immediately after they defeated you. You have dealt them a serious blow, but they will recover and when they do, these people will need to be defended. You know how to do that. You have done it once and will need to do it again.”
“Out of the fat and into the fire.” Greg commented.
“Perhaps. It will be a long time before the Swordsmen can reassemble such a fleet. To assist your planning, I have included full specifications of every ship under development in the data we have loaded on your ship.” Admiral Davidson stopped as a thought occurred to him. “Greg, I am not sure you realize the significance of what you, all of you, have done. You have shown how a smaller force can defend itself against a larger one. You have given hope to small settlements around the Galaxy that they can live in peace. Do you not understand how important that is?”
“It wasn’t like we intended to save civilization. We were saving our lives and those of our loved ones. We almost failed,” Greg challenged.
Admiral Davidson lost his temper. “You didn’t fail! You didn’t almost fail! You succeeded beyond everyone’s wildest hopes. Don’t you get it? You’re heroes! You and every one of you that stayed behind. You decimated the second largest military force in the known galaxy with a handful of people! What don’t you understand?”
“Okay, so we’re heroes and you want us to do this again?” Avi asked sarcastically.
“Yes. Many years ago there was a meat company whose slogan said that they answered to a higher power. You answer to that same power. You don’t answer to me or the Federation as much as I would wish that it were otherwise. You know what you need to do as much as it might pain you to do it. I appeal to you because you are who you are, and you have the skills needed to do what needs to be done. Please recognize your gifts, and use them wisely for all our sakes.”
The silence was oppressive once the Admiral sat after his impassioned oration. This was not the admiral they knew, who was calm and rational to a fault. This was someone new, perhaps someone better. Only time would tell.
“Back to the matter at hand,” Greg said softly. “Our computer is obsolete. Will it be able to read the new data?”
Admiral Davidson blinked, totally unprepared for the sudden shift in the conversation.
“The reason your computer is obsolete is because of the technology being developed in these four settlements where you will soon be resident. They will install the latest updates without losing the heart of your electronic friend. You need to get a move on. There are many dashing young men in those settlements, Jewish young men, even better looking than these fine specimens of masculinity, who will be excited to meet you two special and talented young ladies. Greg, they know about you and view you as something of a folk hero. You are all heroes as far as I am concerned. Avi, you will be welcomed as a long lost sister. Rose, I think you will find many people who will be happy to see you.”
The Admiral stopped as something occurred to him. “Do you always carry the clear throwing knives?”
They nodded.
“Could I see them?”
There was a stunned silence as the four pulled their knives from the sheaths hidden behind their necks. Rose slid one from her long flowing sleeve. They silently stood with their weapons before them.
“Avi, could I see the knife, the one that killed Stonebridge?” Avi carefully held it out in both hands for the Admiral to pick up. He gingerly lifted it from her hands. He held it to the light. He admired the feel of it in his hand. He checked the edge.
“You girls have to promise me you won’t use these on your new boyfriends or their ex-girlfriends.”
They giggled and nodded, blushing.
“A clear, high impact, polymer throwing knife! This is an incredible piece of workmanship.” He continued. “Did the creator of these survive the assault?”
“Yes, he did,” Avi replied.
“Do you think he could make a ceremonial sword out of this material?”
“I think he would enjoy that.”
“Good, I will have Commodore Dankese seek him out and make a set of these for me.” He held it out for Avi to take. “Enjoy the rest of your evening. Get a good night’s rest for in the morning you need to depart on your next adventure. I wish you all the best of luck. You will need it. You have another planet to save.”
In the morning the family boarded their ship and jumped for a planet in need of their special talents.
ERETZ - CHAPTER ONE
TWO TEENAGED GIRLS SLOWLY DESCENDED the ramp to the spaceport’s flight apron on the way to their ship. Their parents, walking hand in hand, followed slowly. Their grandmother completed the troupe. Exhilarated and exhausted from the previous night’s party in honor of their victory fending off the fanatical Samurai Swordsmen’s attack on their home planet, they wended their way across the expansive flight operations building cluttered with small flight support vehicles. Someone with better intentions than sense had the victory march from the Star Wars movie playing on the port’s public address system.
The station’s workers applauded as the five flight-suited people walked by carrying their helmets under their arms. They had led a force of colonists and refugees in defense of their home planet to annihilate an experienced force many times their size. Of course, there were those who said they had brought the attack on themselves. Even the most militant among them recognized that had they not published the inflammatory factual history of the Swordsman Church, the Swordsmen might have left them alone. If they had not published pornographic videos and literature ridiculing the Swordsmen, they might have been ignored. Had they not harbored hundreds of women fleeing abusive Swordsmen husbands, they might have escaped notice. Had they not provided safe haven for activists opposed to the Swordsmen, they might have gotten away with it. However, had they not published a series of combat simulations deliberately designed to mislead their Swordsmen enemies, they would be dead.
The four women and one man doggedly crossing the flight apron to the departure gate did not look much like the heroes the media made them appear to be. The girls were among the youngest in the history of the Federation Space Force to participate in space combat operations. Their parents were seasoned veterans of the Federation’s Pirate Interdiction Campaigns. Even their pacifist grandmother had killed enemy soldiers. Unfortunately, that all conspired to mean that they could never go home again. Their secret planet was not a secret, and they could no longer safely live there.
Given the sensitivity of the family’s situation, the Federation Space Force, in its infinite bureaucratic wisdom, had recalled the entire family to active duty. Rather than allow them to find somewhere quiet and peaceful, it put them at the point of the sword. It had assigned them to the planet they expected the Swordsmen would attack next once they regrouped after the devastating losses they had suffered at the hands of a force a fraction of their size that these people had trained and led into battle. Their status as active duty military afforded them little protection, and it carried responsibilities they could not avoid.
In spite of what had been intended as a hero’s send off, the expressions on the faces of the five flight-suited space travelers were not those of conquering warriors. They put on the show expected of them because they understood its importance, but their eyes betrayed them. The expressions were of sadness at the tremendous cost of the victory. Their
eyes drooped and their shoulders hunched ever so slightly as they walked as steadily as they could toward an uncertain future. At best they would establish a defense system on a new planet against an attack that might never come. At worst, they would fight more battles like the one they had survived and many of their friends had not.
“Request permission to come aboard,” the older girl addressed their ship’s computer.
“Permission granted, Captain Rachel Solomon.”
“Request permission to come aboard,” the younger girl addressed the ship’s computer.
“Permission granted, Captain Wendy Solomon.”
“Request permission to come aboard,” the girls’ mother addressed the ship’s computer.”
“Permission granted, Captain Avelina Solomon.”
“Request permission to come aboard,” the girls’ father addressed the ship’s computer.
“Permission granted, Captain Greg Solomon.”
“Request permission to come aboard,” the girls’ grandmother addressed the ship’s computer.
“Permission granted, Rose Bardwell. Welcome back all of you.”
The ship was one of the few constants in their lives. Greg and this ship had been hijacked by the first group of refugees to settle the planet they had until recently called home. As a family, they had spent almost as much time on this ship as they had on land. In some ways it was more “home” than the one that had been destroyed on their home planet. The family owned this ship and the two warships attached to it. Greg was pleased to see that their personal effects had been properly transferred from the visiting officer’s quarters to their ship. Once having verified that his and his wife’s Pirate Interdiction P I warships had been properly secured to their travel cradles on the cargo ship, he took his seat in the command chair. Avi took the flight engineer seat. “Command mode,” Greg addressed the computer, “Status report, please.”
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