Knights of the Chosen (Spirit of Empire, Book Two)

by Lawrence P White

  “Stu, you can’t hide all these ships on the ground,” Trexler said in exasperation.

  “Not right away, we can’t.” He looked to Buskin. “The mechanics of the situation demand these ships be somewhere within the inner system.”

  “Correct. It would be nice if we could station them a quick jump away through hyperspace, just keep a few observers in the system, but if we jump in after the Chessori, it would be a stern chase. We might never catch up.”

  “Not without fast ships, and even then we want to hold that secret in reserve until it’s needed. We have to hide out on or near Earth. I suppose Mars might work, but we want to be hidden from the Chessori as much as from the people on Earth.” He looked askance at Mike and waited for his reaction.

  Mike thought for a moment, then his eyebrows rose and a smile lit his face. He nodded his head, and Godfries continued. “We hide in the ocean.”

  Buskin straightened. “No way!”

  “It can’t be done?”

  Buskin turned away, a look of intense dismay on his face. “It can for the smaller ships. I’ll have to check to see if it would work for frigates and cruisers. That’s not the issue. These ships will be crewed by Empire crews as well as your own. Speaking just for myself, I’ve spent most of my career in the emptiness of space. The thought of all that water around me makes me ill.”

  “Do the crews have to know?”

  “They’ll know,” he said, nodding his head. “It would be a terrible test for them. I don’t know if I can hold them together under those circumstances.” He considered the idea, and his shoulders shuddered. “I’ll give it a try. I make no guarantees.”

  “We have some pretty sophisticated listening devices spread around our oceans, Stu,” Trexler said. “So do other nations. You’ll be discovered.”

  “Time, Ray. I’m just buying time until we no longer need to hide. And we really want to keep the element of surprise if we’re attacked. I’d love for any approaching Chessori fleets to think they’re approaching an undefended planet. How about you, sir?” he asked Buskin.

  “To have such an advantage would almost be worth living in the sea for a while.”

  “The ship modifications have to be done on the surface,” Jons stated. “The AI has to be completely deactivated, then a new one installed and exhaustively tested before it’s signed off as battle ready.”

  Godfries closed his eyes for a moment. “The small ships are not a problem, we can house them somewhere. Frigates and cruisers are a problem.”

  Mike spoke up. “I’m an engineer. I think you can hide them in natural formations like the Grand Canyon. Nets could be constructed that would stretch from one side of the canyon to the other, and the nets could incorporate whatever wiring is needed to fool satellites. It would cause a lot of inconvenience, but it could be done.”

  “Mountain passes might work, too,” Godfries added.

  “Most of them have major roads through them.”

  “Hmm. We might have to engineer a landslide or two.”

  “You’re talking major inconvenience to the populations,” Mike said.

  “Better inconvenienced than dead, Sire.”

  “Are you the one to make all this happen?” Mike asked.

  “I am if Admiral Buskin will have me.” Buskin nodded his head solemnly in acceptance, and Godfries turned to Trexler. “You’re our commander, sir. I’ll commit to you. Just know that this is just a plan, the broad outlines of a plan, and parts of it aren’t going to work out.”

  “The weakest link is politics. You’ll have to go to Earth with Mike. You two can get things started, but you’ll have to continue that battle without him, and it will be a battle that cannot be neglected. You can’t run roughshod over them, Stu.”

  “I won’t. I’ve carried the flag before, and I’ll continue to carry it.”

  “You’ll carry the flags of many nations on this one.”

  “Understood, sir.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Mike asked Serge Parsons for an informal meeting. He had some ideas to run by Serge, but he didn’t want the meeting to be official – his thoughts would likely bring ridicule. He never forgot that he was from an emerging world and essentially ignorant of the science and engineering possibilities of the Empire.

  The two of them met at a favorite spaceport pub of Serge’s. Mike had no money, but that didn’t bother Serge in the slightest. They sat at a booth in a back corner, far removed from the festivities surrounding the bar area, and Serge ordered drinks for both of them.

  Mike studied the clientele. “Pretty boisterous lot,” he commented.

  “Actually, with me here, they’ve toned it down a bit. I doubt if they know who you are.”

  “Just as well. I’m not even sure who I am any more. How much do you know about me?”

  Serge studied Mike for a time before answering. “Not much. Considering the fact that you’re First Knight, my lack of knowledge is surprising.”

  “That’s part of what this meeting is about, Serge. I’d like to run a couple of ideas by you, but they’re likely to make you laugh.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “You know that I come from an emerging world and that all this is pretty new to me. Your technology is light years ahead of mine, but I’d like to talk to you about technology in spite of that.”

  Serge sat back. “Ask away. You told me part of your story the first time we met, and I like your style. If you ever fall out of favor with the Queen, you should look me up.”

  “Be careful what you offer, Serge. It could happen a lot sooner than you think.”

  Serge smiled. “Not likely. I’ve seen how the Queen is around you. Let me tell you, she was not a happy person before your return. Now, it’s like she’s whole again. I don’t think you’re going anywhere soon. And quite frankly, I hope it works out for you two. You’re both remarkable, to say the least. It’s fun to see you together.”

  “Thanks, Serge. Once this rebellion gets settled, I’m going to find myself in a much more complex environment, but I’m not going to worry about that for the moment.”

  “It will be much, much more complex. Any idea what my position in it will be? Are you two going to put me out of business?”

  “I’m no lawyer, Serge, and I don’t doubt that there are lots of good laws on the books that demand we do put you out of business, but we’re not that way. I have a long memory, and so does Ellie. We won’t forget what you’ve done for us.”

  “You might not, but the next First Knight might not feel the same way. Or the next Queen for that matter.”

  “Hopefully, that’s a long way off. Besides, you said yourself that you don’t want or need legitimacy. Maybe that’s the perfect position for you. I don’t doubt for a minute that you’ll keep us on our toes, and we’ll keep you on yours. Isn’t that the true challenge you crave?”

  Serge smiled. “I guess it is.”

  Mike looked him hard in the eyes. “I suggest you look at this time that we’re together in the same way that Ellie looks at a Testing. She never tells what she learned. Never. When we part some day in the future, as friends I hope, whatever has gone on will stay between us, and only us. You’ll have a clean slate. What you do afterwards . . . well, be as careful as you’ve always been.”

  Serge relaxed into his seat. “I like you, First Knight, and I like your methods. I can live with that. It’s never quite so simple, but I can live with it. Now, what technology do you want to talk about?”

  Mike squirmed a little. “It’s probably ridiculous. I’ve been thinking about how we’re going to fight the Rebels. We’re far outnumbered at the moment, but squadron against squadron, which is what it’s going to come down to, we’re pretty evenly matched. Those are lousy odds. I’d like to improve on them.”

  “So would a lot of others, myself included. What did you have in mind?”

  “Several things. Your guys on Shipyard are pretty bright. Is it possible to engineer a computer virus that we
could send into their ships to disable them?”

  Serge shook his head. “I’ve been running from them all my life, and I already tried that. Didn’t work.”

  “Okay,” Mike said, a little disappointed. “I’ve also been thinking about shields. Our laser disintegrators can’t get through them until they’re weakened or destroyed, but we can talk over the communications systems when they open up a channel. Some kind of energy is getting through the shields.”

  “It is. The shields are tuned to the frequencies of the lasers.”

  “Well, what if we changed the frequency of the lasers?”

  Serge sat back in thought. This idea did not merit instant dismissal. After a time, he said, “I’m not a scientist, Mike, but I think the lasers are tuned to the best frequency to pack the biggest punch. I doubt if a different frequency would work as well.”

  “If we could get through the shields easier, we might be satisfied with less of a punch.”

  Serge just stared at him. “I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

  “Okay. Next: I don’t have a clue how shields work, but in my mind I imagine some sort of energy barrier that flows from one side of the shield to the other, sort of like the way magnets have a curved field around themselves. Is it possible to generate a beam of some kind that would disrupt the pattern? If we could make a hole in the shield, we’d be in.”

  Serge continued staring at him, but his thoughts were not on Mike. They were on the mechanics of shields and lasers. After a time, Mike realized that Serge’s gaze was on him again. “Where do you get these ideas?” he asked.

  Mike shrugged. “I’m just an outsider looking in, Serge. I’m probably seeing things from a fresh viewpoint, that’s all. Chances are good that these ideas have been researched by others, possibly many times.”

  “It’s also possible that they have not. Our armaments haven’t changed in generations. We’ve sort of assumed they’re the best they can be. My guys have made some improvements in range and power, but they tell me they’ve taken it as far as they can. Now you’ve got me wondering.”

  “And that’s all I’m doing – wondering,” Mike said. “I don’t have the means to pursue these ideas.”

  “You might not, but I do. And I will,” Serge answered. “They may come to naught, but I’m going to find out.”

  Mike grinned. “That’s more than I had hoped for.”

  “Got any more ideas?”

  “Not about lasers and shields. But I do have a proposition for you, and maybe a business deal.”

  “You know how I operate. What’s in it for me?”

  “You tell me. I don’t have access to funds right now, but eventually I will. Your guys on Shipyard design ships, right?”

  “Sometimes. We spend most of our efforts on modifications.”

  “Then hear me well, Serge. This is important.” He stared hard into Serge’s eyes, knowing that he was about to reveal an Imperial Secret to an individual most of the Empire considered a crook. “You understand that no one can stand against the scree?”

  “That’s the rumor.”

  “It’s true. Every single creature we know of that’s come under the influence of the scree has been instantly incapacitated, and I mean instantly. Here’s the key: the Chessori are supporting the Rebels at the moment, but If the Rebels win, what’s to prevent the Chessori from turning the scree on the Rebels themselves?”

  Serge’s gaze narrowed as he considered the implications, and Mike added a little more to the story. “We have a small group of Chessori traders that are working with us. They tell us that these Chessori we’re fighting are not representative of all Chessori. They believe we’re up against a group of rogue Chessori who are intent on taking over the Empire. With an unchecked scree, they might well succeed. How would you like to be their slave, Serge?”

  Serge’s whole world changed in that instant. His body shuddered as a chill ran down his spine. Mike stayed silent while Serge came to grips with this new reality. When he returned his focus to Mike, he breathed, “We have to do something about this. We have to get the word out to everyone.”

  “It’s too late, Serge. The Chessori have infiltrated the fleets, and they’ve infiltrated government at the highest levels. We can’t invite them to leave – we have to force them to leave.”

  “Is that possible?”

  “Maybe. Actually, absolutely yes, but resources are an issue.”

  “You have my attention, First Knight. Name your price. I will not be anyone’s slave, nor will my people.”

  “I’m immune to the scree, Serge.”

  “You’re joking, First Knight. You just said no one is immune.”

  “It’s one of our most closely held secrets. And I’m not the only one. Everyone from my planet is immune. We are the only known beings in the Empire that are immune. That makes us the only ones in the Empire who can fight the Chessori.”

  Serge stared at him. Mike gave him all the time he needed. When Serge next spoke, he said, “Do your people even have space travel?”

  “Not yet. Just a few rockets with chemical boosters that barely make it into space. Why do you think we’re doing all this training here?”

  “We’re training people from an emerging world?” Serge said in horror.

  “We are, and I’m told they’re giving their instructors a real run for their money. We’re a creative people, Serge, and we’re serious warriors. But my world is essentially defenseless right now. Worse, we’re pretty certain that the Chessori know about our immunity to their scree, and they know where we are.”

  Serge’s eyes narrowed, and this time he remained silent. He understood.

  “We need to defend ourselves, and the Empire can’t do it for us at the moment.”

  “Neither can I. Your best bet is probably to keep doing what you’ve been doing, restoring the Empire and keeping your heads down. Someday the Empire will have enough ships to protect your home world.”

  “You’re jumping to the same conclusion as everyone else here. We’re referred to as an emerging world, which basically means we’re treated as children, not yet developed enough to enter the Empire. Our world is not a resource to the Empire, even if our people are. There’s nothing we can do but hope to be saved by the Empire.”

  “Right. Just keep your heads down until the Queen gets her act together.”

  “We can’t keep our heads down if we’re fighting the Chessori, Serge, and we’ll be fighting them hard. It won’t take them long to figure out who they’re fighting, and when they do they’re going to retaliate.”

  “What can be done?”

  “Maybe nothing, and maybe a lot. My people are, if nothing else, survivors. I’m asking you to help us help ourselves.”

  “How?”

  “Front us some engineering and manufacturing costs. If you do, and if we survive, I might be able to repay you some day, either with Empire funds or with funds of our own.”

  “What do you want us to build?”

  “I want to build ship modification centers on Earth, and maybe do some basic manufacturing. We have a bunch of squadrons that you don’t know about. None of them are modified yet, and the process takes too long for them to wait in line here to get the work done. We’re sending them to Earth immediately in case the Chessori attack. I want to modify them there. While modifications are going on, we’ll be training local recruits, each of them immune to the scree. I want you to send people that can train my people to do the modifications, and as soon as you can, I want to expand that program to include basic manufacturing. We can do our part, Serge. We’re fast learners. We just need someone to show us how to do it.”

  “I can understand modifications plants, but what do you need basic manufacturing facilities for? You’re not going to build ships from scratch, and you won’t be able to build AI’s, not for quite a while. We’ll have to build them here and send them to you.”

  “Well, there’s more to it. I don’t want to build big ships – we have access to
a lot of them already. I want to build a new type of ship, Serge.”

  Serge sat back. “You mean you want to start with a clean sheet of paper and design something completely new? We’re in the middle of a war, First Knight.”

  “Trust me, I know,” Mike said drily. “I’m not talking about cruisers here, Serge. I want to build little space ships that are as small as you can make them, and I want a lot of them. They’d be all engine, shields, and guns, nothing more. Just room for a minimal crew, say three or four guys. And they wouldn’t need to stay in space for long periods of time, just a week or two. They could be carried in the bellies of larger ships if they have to go very far.”

  Serge pondered Mike’s idea. “They’d need to be fast ships.”

  “They would, but they don’t need to travel between the stars. In fact, it would be better if they couldn’t. The guys who fly them will be from my world, and some of them will be out for adventure. I don’t want them disappearing off on some personal jaunt across the galaxy.”

  “Fast ships can go anywhere.”

  “Not if they don’t have adequate life support.”

  “Hmm. I see what you mean. That could help keep them small, too.” Serge considered the idea, and his eyes lit up. “Being small, they’d be easy to build and hard to hit.”

  “Precisely. But they need to pack a heavy gun or two. I want them able to take on capital ships. I don’t want more fighters – they’re just designed to fight smaller ships. I want something that can take on a big ship. They’ll need guns equivalent to what we have on our cruisers. Keep everything as simple as you can – my people will be maintaining them, and if at all possible, building them. The first ships might have to come from Shipyard, but wherever they’re built, you’ll probably have to build a new plant. Why not just build it from scratch on my home planet? Someday we’ll pay you for each ship that you build, and we’ll pay you a royalty or something for each ship that we build with your plans.”

  “You know, we’ve never had to fight on this scale before. What you describe makes a lot of sense, especially if we have to take on the Chessori.”