Numb from the battle, Rachel was glad to see the pickets move to take a position closer to theirs as she called her group together so they could assess the damages and mourn the loss of their friends.
Faye Anne appeared to be the only one who was calm following the battle. She had divided her time between commanding what was left of her wing and gathering sensor data. Once everyone had caught their breaths she sent a text message to Rachel, Wendy and David. “There’s a lot of broken glass out there. I wonder who builds warships out of glass. Perhaps this can help us find who is behind the attacks.”
ACADEMY - CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE SHIPS SUFFERED BATTLE DAMAGE, but all were operational and none of the hulls had been breached.
The picket mother ship moved closer to Rachel’s position. “L A D Leader, this is Picket Squadron 327, come in please.” Radio silence seemed irrelevant at this point.
Rachel replied, “This is L A D Leader.”
“Hey there, that was some fancy flying in those tubs. How bad are y’all damaged?”
“Not so badly we can’t stay on station,” Rachel replied.
“Do y’all have injured? If you do, we can dock and tend to them.”
“Thank you for the offer, but I think we’ll take a rain check on that, Rachel said.”
“Roger that. Where did you learn to fly like that? They damn sure didn’t teach you that at Federation flight school.”
“Homestead,” Rachel replied.
“Homestead! Are you one of Greg’s kids?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Hot dog! Tell the old scoundrel Peanut Butter sends his regards. If he laughs, tell him where he can find me. If he frowns, don’t!”
“Roger that,” Rachel said with a laugh.
“Are you sure you’re in condition to stay on post?”
“Affirmative. We’re bruised, but we’re still kicking,” Rachel affirmed.
“Roger that. We’ve got your six. Picket 327 off and clear.”
After an hour when no further activity could be detected in their sector, Rachel had her crews stand down and divide watch responsibilities. She stayed awake as she replayed the battle over in her mind again and again. She was angry with herself for the loss of the ships under her command. Even Wendy’s attempts to distract her failed. Faye Anne was quietly and intently analyzing the data from the sensors to glean from the scraps of evidence she had who was behind the attacks. She had become firmly convinced that the Swordsmen were not at fault, but who was driving the assault eluded her. Her suspicion of the Third Force did not feel right somehow.
Eight hours passed with no intruders. Battles continued to rage in other parts of the system, but their sector was quiet. Rachel eventually passed out from exhaustion and slept in her seat. Erika stood her watch for her.
David was the first to notice the faintest of sensor readings. “We have something incoming,” he said. “Take a look at sector 8.”
The sensors focused on the object still quite far away. It was moving on a ballistic trajectory that would take it a few thousand kilometers away from their current position. As it drew closer, its large size became evident.
“Is it a battleship?” David wondered out loud.
“If I were to guess, I would say so or it’s one of the new super freight haulers,” Wendy said.
“Certainly picked a bad time to be approaching the system if it’s a freighter,” Faye Anne said.
“When it gets closer, I’ll hail it and see what they have to say for themselves,” Rachel said. “If it’s a freight hauler, we’ll have them stand off until we get the all clear. If it’s something else, we’ll have to take it out. Folks, arm multiples. Arm all tubes. We’re not getting caught this time. Form up in standard wing formation.”
The ship approached slowly the way a heavily loaded freighter would approach the system being cautious to avoid collisions with other traffic.
“This is Light Attack Destroyer Squadron 4. Unknown vessel approaching in sector 8 please identify yourself.”
The fact that the ship’s transponders were not responding to the destroyers’ computerized hails was troubling. Rachel’s sensors detected the picket ships moving closer to take positions behind her. If this ship was a Trojan Horse, the picket ships would not stand a chance against what it might be. Of course their own ability to survive in a battle with a battleship was questionable. These little destroyers were great warships, but they lacked the maneuverability of the P I.
“This is Federation Space Force Light Attack Destroyer Squadron 4. Unknown vessel approaching in sector 8 please identify yourself.”
“Destroyer Squadron 4, this is the hospital ship Theresa. Request safe passage to medical facilities in Earth orbit.”
“Hospital ship Theresa, why are your automated transponders not responding to our ships’ hails?”
The silence was a lot longer than the time delay caused by the finite speed of light passing between the two vessels.
“We appear to have a malfunction in our transponder. Thank you for alerting us to this problem. We will have it repaired as soon as we dock.”
The ship continued on its trajectory. It did not change course to intercept either the destroyers or the pickets.
Faye Anne sent a text message to Rachel. “The hospital ship Theresa is supposed to be in System 408. I have no idea who these people are, but they are not the Sisters of Mercy.”
“Picket 327, LAC 4.”
“This is Picket 327, Go ahead LAC 4.”
“Have you monitored our transmissions?”
“Affirmative.”
“Do you recommend a course of action?”
“Standby.”
The suspect ship passed by Rachel’s squadron’s position. The destroyers pivoted in position to face it as it headed into the system. Two of the pickets approached the advancing capital ship for a closer look. “Trojan!” was all one of the pickets transmitted before missiles leaped out of the side of the ship to destroy them.
“The bastard’s mine!” Rachel hollered.
“All ships fire multiples!”
The last of their multiple warhead missiles thundered out of the tubes and drove relentlessly toward the ship. Dozens of smaller warships and missiles popped out of the sides of the phony hospital ship. Lasers attempted to intercept the multiple warhead missiles. The multiples were programmed to deploy their warheads if the nose of the missile was struck by a laser. Instead of having twelve individual missiles to deal with, the fraudulent space ship had eighty-four.
“All ships prepare to fire double volley of heat seekers!” The missile strikes from the multiples erupted all around the deceptive ship’s hull. It was damaged, but it was still fighting.
“Fire heat seekers!” Twenty-four heat seeking missiles charged forward to meet the larger ship. Many of them found their mark. Some were intercepted.
“All ships, prepare Disruptor missiles!”
“Fire Disruptor missiles!”
Twelve Disruptor missiles barreled for the target. Undeterred by the lasers that bounced off their glossy shells, they bored directly into the sides of the ship. The big ship fell silent. The destroyer crews breathed a sigh of relief and focused their attention on the smaller ships that had been launched from the big one.
The silence was short lived as back-up systems came on line. Rachel drove her squadron forward to position it directly astern of the big ship.
“Fire into the pipes until it explodes or we run out of missiles! Fire at will!”
In the barrage, one of the missiles penetrated the ship’s magazine and detonated the ship’s munitions. Unlike other ships they had attacked, this one did not die in a single cataclysmic blast from a reactor breach. A series of internal shocks rocked the ship until it lay still, a dead hulk coasting through space. Had it been a naval surface ship in an atmosphere, it would have been burning profusely while slowly sinking into the sea. Lifeboats would be popping over the sides as frantic crew attempted to escape.
With no atmosphere to support combustion, the relic glowed brightly from the heat of the explosions. With nowhere to go, the crew died with their ship.
The destroyers quickly exhausted the rest of their missiles in both forward and rear tubes on the small ships that had ejected from the big one. Finally, left with only their lasers, the destroyers and pickets finished off the last of the invaders.
Rachel regrouped her squadron close to the picket mother ship. Since the picket mother ship had a brig and Marines to guard it, Rachel transferred Denny to them along with a copy of the relevant ships’ logs so he could be prosecuted. The destroyers stayed in formation with the pickets for two more days. Sharing watch duties, they scanned the periphery of their sector searching for more invaders. At the end of the second day of no activity, Rachel resumed the patrol search pattern.
A month after arriving on station, the destroyer squadron was recalled. Exhausted from the tension, they were glad to be headed in. Rachel bid the commander of the picket squadron, Commodore Steve Reece, a fond farewell and headed for the relative safety of Nuclear Power School.
Suwanee waited at the end of the intersection of the docking ramps to greet the returning ships and their crews. One by one, the crew members made their way from the ships that had been their homes for the last several weeks to the orbiting fortress that was Nuclear Power School. Each ship had been greeted by a Space Force security officer who gave each crew member documentation about their debriefing schedules and keys to their rooms in the Visiting Officers’ Quarters. The enlisted quarters were at capacity and even the flight engineers, who held enlisted ranks, were billeted at the V O Q. Space Force engineers followed the security personnel on to the ships to asses the damage and determine if the ships could make the jump to the new shipyard for repair or if they would need emergency repairs on site before departure.
With engineers swarming over her ship and the rest of her crew long gone, Rachel was the last to leave. It had been her first real command, and she still felt the loss of the four ships and the sixteen good people who flew them in support of her and her squadron. Physically and emotionally tired, she dragged the bag containing her personal effects along the ramp. She carried her flight helmet under her arm as if she was carrying her own head after it had been handed to her by the board of inquiry. The thought of facing the inquisition of the debriefing team terrified her. Facing the enemy would be easier than facing her own superiors.
“Officer on Deck!” Suwanee shouted when Rachel appeared. She snapped to attention and saluted. Rachel, conditioned to return a salute in the manner in which it had been delivered smartly returned the salute.
Suwanee’s grinned. “The brass band was booked on another gig, so I’ll have to do.”
“What are you talking about?” They walked toward the V O Q. Suwanee picked up Rachel’s bag.
“If Commodore Reece’s reports are to be believed, your squadron stopped the invasion single handed.”
“With all due respect to Commodore Reece, he’s full of shit.” Rachel stared directly ahead, almost afraid to face her sparring partner.
“Rachel, we’re more than sparring partners. We’re friends, right?” Rachel smiled. “With any kind of luck for the rest of our lives, yes, why?”
“We can tell each other the truth, right, even when it hurts?”
“Yes.”
“You lost men in battle. That’s what happens. Get over it. If you are ever to command more than your own little P I ship, you need to understand that even when you win the war, you will lose some of your guys. That’s the way it is. Death is part of our lives.”
Rachel turned to Suwanee as they walked. “I know that. I know it in my mind. I accept it. I feel like I failed them. I can’t help it.”
“Will it change the way you fight?” Suwanee asked.
“I won’t know until I do I again. That’s what scares me. Will I make a mistake by trying to keep from making mistakes? Will I hesitate when I should be acting? I don’t know,” Rachel said.
“Well there’s a bunch of folks waiting to ask you that question and you better tell them you learned from it, but you ain’t gonna let it get to you. Got it.”
“You sound like my mother,” Rachel sighed.
“I should. That’s who told me what to tell you,”Suwanee said brightly.
“You spent time with my mother?”
“Yeah. You have a great mother!”
“Where did you meet her?”
“Here. About six months ago. We’ve been working on this thing for a long time. You only came in on the tail end.”
“So what else did my mother tell you?”
Suwanee took a deep breath. “Well, I guess you know about Reuben and me.”
“I guessed something was up.”
“Reuben was in the detail of engineers I was guarding. We spent a lot of time together.”
“And?”
“I love him.”
“No surprise there.”
“Really?”
“Nope. Come on. The lip lock you had on him at the airport when we left Boston said it all.”
“He is the nicest, gentlest, kindest man I ever met in his geeky sort of way.”
Rachel chuckled. “That’s our Reuben.”
“I thought I would have to fight you for him until the night of party. I didn’t think I stood a chance against you. At the party I saw you don’t love him. I don’t get it. He’s so nice. He’s a real catch.”
“Reuben is a dear friend, but no, I don’t love him. He needs more protecting than I have patience for. He’s a sweetie, but not for me. I really am happy for you. He deserves more than I could ever offer him.” Rachel faced Suwanee for the first time since the initial salute. “So what does this have to do with my mother.”
“She saw us together and figured it out. We talked for a long time.”
“What did she say? My mother is very practical. I’m almost afraid to hear.”
“She said I had three challenges. The first was I am not an officer. In the Eretz Defense Force, that would not be a problem, because they have no rule against fraternization. The Federation does.”
“So how did she propose to solve the problem?”
“I have been accepted to Officer Candidate school. I start in January.”
Rachel’s face lit up. “All Right! That’s great news! Way to go!”
“That takes care of problem number one,” Suwanee continued, “Problem number two is that I am not Jewish.”
“That is not an insurmountable problem,” Rachel assured her.
“I started taking classes to convert. I have another year to go,” Suwanee said.
Rachel’s excitement lightened her step and she straightened from the slump she had been in since leaving the ship. “This is wonderful.”
“Problem number three. I’m black.”
“I noticed, so what? If it’s not a problem for him and it doesn’t appear to be, who else matters?”
“His parents.”
“Ah.”
“His father knows. He’s here.”
“And?”
“Did you know he has a completely warped sense of humor?”
“Only that I don’t get half his jokes,” Rachel admitted.
“He explains his jokes to me.”
“He must really like you.”
“I think so.”
“What about his mother?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t met her yet.”
“Has she been told?”
“I don’t know. I’m afraid to ask.”
“Understandable. So now what?”
“Reuben and I love each other. For now, that’s all we know.”
“And for now that’s enough. We’ll figure something out. We’ll help make it work.”
“I hoped you’d feel that way. That’s what your mother said, too.”
“My mother has a way of making things happen. We’ll drag Wendy and Faye Anne in and we’ll work on it together.”
“Thank you. You know, when I joined the Marines, I had no friends, and my family was dead. Now, I feel like I have both friends and family.”
“Welcome aboard!”
The walked together in silence for a few more minutes until they reached the lobby of the V O Q. Instead of taking Rachel directly to her room, Suwanee steered her into the bar. Reuben was waiting for them. He put his arm around Suwanee. “Did she tell you?”
“Yes! I am so happy for you.”
“I told you that would cheer her up,” Wendy said.
“What?” Rachel asked.
Suwanee explained, “I was afraid to tell you because you were so down. We all knew how you felt. Wendy said I needed to tell you about us because it would make you happy again.”
Rachel drew her hand back to swat her sister for being so meddlesome when a strong masculine hand caught her arm and spun her around enveloping her in both his arms. “Dad!”
“Hug for luck,” he said.
“Oh Dad!” Tears welled up in Rachel’s eyes.
“Those better be happy tears,” Avi said.
“Mom!”
“Welcome home. As my father used to say, you done good kid.”
Oblivious to the crowd gawking at them, the emotions that had remained bottled up inside Rachel for weeks welled to the surface. She wrapped her arms around both her parents and cried.
ACADEMY - CHAPTER TWELVE
EMERSON WINTHROP THE THIRD, the Reverend and his family watched the news reports covering the Saturn Industries relocation with interest. Saturn provided most of the warships in both the Federation and Swordsman fleets. Having the shipyard moved into the heart of Federation space did not bode well for the Swordsmen ability to maintain their military strength. In spite of assurances to the contrary from Saturn’s board of directors, the Swordsman hierarchy believed that the move was directed against them and resented the extent of Federation military involvement.
The news services obtained photos and video clips of many of the people in command of the various sections of the project. Among the clips was a short sequence that had been shot at the Space Flight Academy which showed Rachel, Wendy and their friends in formation in their dress uniforms on the first day of classes.
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