Insurgency: Spartika (The Sleeping Legion Book 4)

by JR Handley

  “You were a master chief yesterday, and you’ll be a Spacer tomorrow if you don’t get your crew together. We have manuals for a reason! If you don’t know how to do something, use the gods-damned thing.”

  Pissed off at the lack of pride the engineers seemed to take in their work, Tizer left the engine compartment. He headed to the secondary bridge, the last stop on his certification of the first revitalized Spirit II Class ship. He knew the bridge systems were redundant, mirroring what was in the Combat Information Center, or CIC. With time of the essence, Tizer decided to check the more important of the two. He’d have to trust the ship’s commander to do the rest when the vessels were accepted into the Human Legion Navy. That’s what shakedown cruises are for, he mused. Glancing down beside him at Master Chief Teon, his silent shadow on the inspection tour, he spoke, “When we get to the CIC, we’ll run a communications test. If it passes, we’ll certify this vessel. This would be a shite-ton easier if they’d go ahead and name them already. When the remaining four ships are inspected and certified, we can officially assign commanders to these vessels.”

  Growling, Teon answered, “Yes, sir. Just remember that I’m going with you to fight the New Order. And helping you establish the Human Legion helps my people. My pack will be staying behind, and they aren’t safe as long as that perversion Tawfiq is out there.”

  “I gave my word, didn’t I?”

  The conversation naturally ended when they got to the guards at the CIC. After he returned their salute, Tizer entered the hardened battle station, Teon following on his heels. Scanning the room, he saw the Spacers trying their hardest to look busy. He wasn’t fooled. He knew all the work that needed to be done, had been. If the work wasn’t ready, he wouldn’t have been brought onboard to conduct the inspection. Still, he intentionally kept them waiting as he walked around the room, stopping randomly to look over their shoulders. What was the point of being an officer if he couldn’t have a little bit of fun every now and then?

  Eventually, Tizer walked to the center of the room, sat down at the captain’s station, and linked his AI into the ship’s mainframe. When he certified the vessels, an AI would be formatted and assigned to the vessel. That couldn’t happen until the ship had a name, which by tradition the AI would use, too. If they called the ship the HLS Frakk Face, he knew the ship’s AI would be known as Frakk Face.

  While Tizer let his mind wander, his AI connected to the computer and began a system-by-system review. When ten minutes had passed, the AI spoke.

  Magnetizer, all systems are a go. However, I’ve detected a significant anomaly in the Kuiper Belt. Upon closer examination, with the enhanced sensors we integrated into the old White Knight ships of the line, I have found the source of the external communications blackout. How do you wish to proceed?

  He was shocked. They’d been looking for the source of the disruption to their communication network since they’d discovered it a year ago. To finally have answers was significant! The technology they’d recently developed, or acquired, was finally paying off. He immediately sent a report to Field Marshal Nhlappo and made his first tactical decision as an officer of the Human Legion Navy.

  “Arrange to have Spacers go out and seed the disruptors with bombs,” he told his AI. “We can detonate them when we’re ready to leave the system. I want those technicians to be guarded by our most competent Marines. We don’t know what was left to guard those stations, and we can’t afford for any guards to sound the alarm. The instant they’re set, turn command of the operation over to Field Marshal Nhlappo. Do not destroy those devices without the field marshal’s explicit order. Tizer, out.”

  — CHAPTER 84 —

  2613 AD

  Makoni Ship Building Factory, Baylshore

  Commander, R&D Marine Engineering Corps, Human Legion

  Colonel Basil Terloar stood, proudly surveying the rows of supplies being prepared for orbit. Lines of neat crates were vacuum-sealed, labeled, and accounted for, waiting on his final authorization. Once he signed off on them, they would be loaded onto the newly extended maglev line to the orbital platform. The temporary storage space in the factory was once again full, as another shipment was prepared for the Spacers waiting in orbit. He hadn’t been in orbit in a month, but he knew many ships were nearing completion. Some had already finished their shakedown cruises and were loaded. The finished ships were patrolling the system and training all the Spacers who’d be needed to crew their navy.

  After putting his thumbprint onto the document, Basil stretched and thought about the hand-to-hand combat session he’d missed. The arse-chewing he’d receive from Nhlappo and Marchewka for not listening to the NCO they’d assigned to babysit him hadn’t been pleasant, either. He knew if he missed any more training, he’d be left dirtside when Lance and his other family in the 6907th left the Tranquility System. They’d continue the war against their former overlords, and he’d be stuck tinkering until he died of old age in Akoni City.

  “We’ll make up the training after chow,” he told the lance sergeant who’d become his shadow.

  Even after a decade, there were still White Knight loyalists who’d taken to the hills in a guerrilla campaign. When they’d managed to kill his XO, Field Marshal Marchewka ordered all key personnel to be guarded around the clock. Basil was still adapting to this shadow, but he knew he was no good to the Legion dead. When he authorized the work orders for the next day, he summoned the factory security and informed them that he was done for the day. He reminded the sergeant of the guard that he required an escort to his temporary quarters. Basil didn’t get through with his request when his holo-display popped up. Someone had used a command-level override, one that didn’t require his approval.

  “I’m calling to tell you that the three regional armies are now fully equipped, and there’s plenty of gear in reserve now, too,” said Field Marshal Gaarjar. “This includes all three regional armies: Akoni City, New Detroit City, and Kalino City. We still aren’t sure what we’ll need for the fleet leaving the system, but almost all of the ships are done. Those new commanders will give us orders of the loadout soon. Overall, this is a good day for–”

  “The loadouts have been determined,” Basil cut in excitedly. “We’ll be ready to leave on time. Unfortunately, we’ll leave the system unprepared for the inevitable invasion, but the Hardit Legionnaires are building intra-system defense stations and void-capable vessels on the other bases in this system. The only thing left is to check your Aimee. I literally just hit send, ma’am.”

  “Cut me off again, Basil, and I’ll make death seem like a crèche run,” Gaarjar said.

  There was a moment of awkward silence before Gaarjar continued.

  “We’re about to ship out to rejoin the war, and not all officers will be as friendly as I am. I recommend you practice your military bearing. I’d hate to lose you to some general’s pride.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Basil said with as much sincerity as he could muster.

  “See that it doesn’t happen again,” Gaarjar said. “I’m also aware that we’ve finished making the spare parts for our fleet. The Hardits should have a status report any day now on their progress on the defensive ships being left in Tranquility. Now, if I’m not mistaken, you have some training to do. I’ll order Sergeant Han to make it a thorough one. Field Marshal Gaarjar, out.”

  — CHAPTER 85 —

  2614 AD

  Ships under Construction, Tranquility Orbit

  Commander, Naval Construction Unit, Human Legion

  After he finished getting the Spirit II Squadron ready for its final shakedown cruise, Commander Tizer turned them over to their captains. With responsibility for those ships passed on, he was free to focus on the rest of his command, a fleet of warships and cryo-pod transport ships. They were destined to rejoin the war for the sovereignty of the Human Legion and humanity at large. He managed to get the ships built, a full interstellar fleet of advanced ships of the line. The rest of his fleet had the sleek off-white polycar
bonate ceramic of the Spirit II Squadron but were orders of magnitude larger.

  Once the Human Legion ship, the HLS Antilles Moon, was finalized and taken on its shakedown cruise, the other ships of the line would begin to be accepted by the navy. They were also ready, but Nhlappo had insisted that her flagship be the first ship of their new fleet. They’d learned from the slow process, and had built many more Tranquility Class ships. They’d learned, improved, and finally perfected their process. The speed of construction significantly increased with the added weight of their shipyard and the repurposed Makoni factories. Adding thousands of additional Spacers had also helped, giving them the hands to work on several ships at a time. When they built as many interstellar warships as they could, given the supplies on hand, Tizer ordered the construction of a local fleet of vessels. They wouldn’t be capable of interstellar travel, but they could make the enemy pay when they tried to recapture the system.

  The Legion had also constructed a formalized docking station and naval outpost on the Antilles Moon. From there, the local spacers could take time off and grab shuttle flights to the Tranquility surface during their leave. Tizer knew there wouldn’t be much for them to do except overindulge in whatever alcohol the Marines were brewing, but it would be a break from the monotony. It wasn’t enough, but he knew the system had to become their home for the local fleet to thrive. If they didn’t feel connected to the system, they wouldn’t aggressively defend it.

  The logistical nightmare began when the construction stopped and was compounded when they had started thawing Spacers. They’d also resumed training classes for cadets, both Spacers and Marines. He knew the cadets were close to graduation and would add to their numbers. The process of reviewing personnel records and assembling crews was a tedious one, even with the abilities of their intelligent AIs. Just when he thought the digital paperwork would kill him, Field Marshal Nhlappo made it worse by promoting him to fleet admiral. He didn’t like it; he was perfectly content tinkering with his technology. But he hadn’t been consulted, and he knew he was the most experienced Spacer in the region.

  One of the most significant concerns among the various ships’ crews now was worry over whether these new vessels would be able to stand against the White Knight ships of the line. He was confident that their new tech would hold, but it didn’t have the same allure that the battle-tested fleets of the White Knights did. Tizer knew this was nonsense; he’d run thousands of simulations while training the new ship AIs. If utilized correctly, the merged technology of these vessels wasn’t invincible, but they would definitely punch above their weight class. He just wished the Spacers had more confidence in their command structure, and he prayed it would come in time. The learning curve would be steep, and blood would have to be shed in the classroom of war, but he was confident that they would manage.

  “Apophis, make a note for the crew,” Tizer ordered his AI. “Any officer relieved upon rejoining the main element of the Human Legion Navy won’t be demoted. Instead, they will be placed under the command of a more experienced officer who will teach them to do their job even better.”

  It is done, Apophis replied, and the requirement for the ship’s crew to run the combat scenarios on a daily basis was also initiated. We’ll be running this for the Spacers who were iced for transit, as well. They’ll be able to absorb this information while they’re sleeping. This should minimize any potential accidents from incompetence.

  Fleet memo completed, Tizer began assembling fleet rosters. The selection process for new ships’ captains and the rest of the officer corps began in earnest. As each vessel’s command interface came online, Tizer had the honor of initiating the personality formatting for the new AI. Once it was self-aware, Tizer assigned each new being a name, that of the vessel it was paired with. He made sure to initiate personalities which would be fiercely loyal to the Legion, instead of to the ship’s officers. He feared another mutiny and didn’t want that to happen. Thinking long and hard, he decided to give the new AI the ability to lock out all of the ships’ systems. He protected life support and any other component needed to sustain the crew, but everything else could be locked in the event of questionable crew behavior. Tizer then added a window to allow outside sources to verify that nothing improper was occurring.

  Tizer, please adjust the personality code based on what I’ve just sent you. Check your Aimee. You’ll be able to see what that code does. It basically builds in protections, so the anti-mutiny features do not initiate at an inopportune time. We wouldn’t want a ship to lock itself up in the middle of combat.

  “Make it happen, and update that code across the fleet. I want it in the Spirit II Squadron as well. Now that we have the ships ready, it’s time to start our fleet-wide shakedown cruises throughout the system. I’d rather know that everything is working when we head off into the void.”

  Might we also begin stocking the consumables? And are we ready to blow the signal-blocking devices, opening communications? Apophis inquired.

  “Yes, it’s time to stock the food. And we should also add plants to the hydroponics lab. Then add all other equipment to run the ship. When that is done, we need to coordinate with Field Marshal Nhlappo. Do not do anything about the signal jammers without proper approval. Once that’s all done, begin loading the Marines and their equipment.”

  — CHAPTER 86 —

  2615 AD

  Tranquility Fleet, Tranquility System

  Commander, Tranquility Fleet, Human Legion

  The shakedown cruise of her flagship, the HLS Antilles Moon, had gone flawlessly, and Field Marshal Nhlappo was pleased. Standing on the bridge of her ship, supervising her domain, she felt pride. Everything sparkled with the loving attention her crew gave it, and Nhlappo was finally close to completing her mission. She was confident that the ship and crew would perform well in combat. She’d trusted Fleet Admiral Tizer’s to get “the Swoons” the best Spacers in the fleet. They’d managed to persuade Commander Chase Arbor to serve as their chief engineer, stealing him from the fighters he knew and loved. They were ready to go once every ship was loaded and the complement of Marines and Spacers they were bringing back to Arun were iced.

  Never one to forget the loyalty of her Marines, she’d promoted Sergeant Colchester to major and assigned him to her personal security detail. It would be his responsibility to see to Nhlappo’s secret project, as well. He’d proven his loyalty and courage under sabot fire. She respected how he’d managed to inspire those Marines under his command and couldn’t think of anyone else she wanted to lead the Incubation Project. He would report directly to her and her new XO, General Taran Anderson. Convincing him to accept an officership had been a hard sell, but she’d finally promoted him.

  She and Field Marshal Marchewka started the Incubation Project to replenish the flagging numbers of the Human Legion. The battle to secure the system had been brutal, and they needed numbers to hold it. They had to leave Tranquility secured while they sent the fleets out into the cosmos. She’d used the DNA of the Sangurians and Jotuns to breed hundreds of full regiments. The two races were fierce warriors, and she wanted their capabilities without having to wait for biology to naturally replenish their ranks. Because the Sangurians were so unpredictable, they’d kept that part of the project on a need-to-know basis, fearing another Sangurian riot. There weren’t that many of them left, but they’d proven to be decidedly hard to kill. Luckily the furry creatures had been killed when they’d heedlessly charged into a trap during the opening battle for Cardamine.

  An added bonus to keeping the test-tube Sangurians away from Folta and his ilk was that they’d get the naturally aggressive species without their cultural baggage. Instead, these warriors would be loyal to her and to the Human Legion. The Jotuns were already bred from dependable stock, and would merely repopulate the personnel sacrificed when they secured the Tranquility System. That part of the project was common knowledge and used as cover to screen the massive numbers of Sangurians being sent to Nhlappo’s fl
eet. She’d also left some of them behind, along with the two Incubation Stations, to experiment with civilizing the furry Sangurian frakkers. If it could be done, the training sergeants of Tranquility would make it happen.

  Knowing she couldn’t strip the Tranquility System of all its assets, Nhlappo had arranged to leave multiple Jotun regiments on Tranquility-4 to bolster the human warriors. Still mentally recovering from the wounds sustained when the outpost she was clearing was hit by a Tac Nuke, Field Marshal Gaarjar would be left to hold the Tranquility System. Her experience as an engineer would serve the system well. GG was methodical and detail oriented. On her suggestion, Nhlappo had decided not to break the communications blackout. GG had hoped the confusion over their status would buy them more time to prepare for the inevitable battle with the White Knights. Nhlappo knew it wasn’t a matter of if they returned, but when.

  Upon accepting the wisdom in GG’s suggestion, Nhlappo had decided to take the entire fleet to the Rakasa System. Grimgerde had made contact with them and suggested that there were Jotuns in high places with loyalty oaths that might allow them to be persuaded to join their cause. If they could seize the White Knight fleet that was still there, they’d be able to fulfill Scipio’s ludicrous promise to the Sangurians, and maybe build some goodwill with them for the Legion. It was definitely a long-game strategy, but since it didn’t hurt them, she thought it was worth the extra effort. When Tizer determined that the system was en route to Khallini, the decision almost made itself.

  All we have to do is capture one enemy fleet. How hard can it be? she asked herself. When she began laughing, the officers on the bridge turned to stare at her. A quick glare was all it took to get them to resume their duties. Now, if I could only figure out how the new senior officer ranks will fit into the overall Human Legion. I guess McEwan will have to decide when we reestablish contact. Rakasa should have chbits comms with the rest of the old imperial network. If it does, then I’ll finally learn what happened to Romulus and Remus. Whatever their fate, I know they will have made me proud.