The Price of Liberty (Empire Rising Book 4)

by D. J. Holmes

  The missiles themselves accelerated up to their top speed and then continued for twenty minutes towards the colony. As soon as they came into range of the point defenses, plasma bolts and AM missiles reached up from the colony to try and knock out as many missiles as possible. The almost two hundred missiles were reduced to less than a hundred within the first thirty seconds of entering range of the Indian point defenses. Then very quickly there was less than fifty left, then twenty. However, by then the remaining missiles had reached the orbital industries. Without any point defenses of their own, they were helpless. An hour ago Rear Admiral Rooke had sent a message to the people of the Magali colony warning them to evacuate their orbital industries. As a result, as each missile ploughed into an orbital station and exploded with megatons of thermonuclear force, no civilians were killed. On the other hand, all twenty industrial stations that were targeted by the missiles were destroyed. Two of the targets the missiles had hit had been large freighter docking stations and along with the station itself, six large freighters and their cargo were destroyed.

  From the safety of Endeavour’s bridge, James watched the wave of destruction that passed over the colony’s orbital infrastructure. With gritted teeth, he couldn’t help shaking his head slightly. The destruction was impressive, but it counted for less than a couple of percentage points of the total industrial capacity of the Magali colony. If Rooke had summoned the courage to press on towards the colony, they could have quickly dealt with the battlestations and laid waste to the entire orbital industry. It would have set the Indian colony back at least a decade and would have been a significant step towards winning the war with the Indians. Now it was just an opportunity missed. At least we will hit them hard when we get to Cachin, James consoled himself. After New Delhi and Magali, it was the most important Indian colony.

  *

  Endeavour, along with the rest of the British fleet, cruised through the Magali system towards the shift passages that led to Cachin and Cauvery. Rear Admiral Rooke had the British fleet flying directly towards the edge of the Magali system that was equally distant from both shift passages. James guessed he was hoping to bluff Admiral Khan into thinking the British fleet might jump to Cauvery. Cauvery itself was a small Indian colony with little real importance. Yet jumping to Cauvery would allow the British fleet to jump to Kharo and then back to New Delhi. In theory this would allow the British fleet to get back to New Delhi before the Indians. If the British fleet did manage to do that, then they would have at least a few hours free range over New Delhi to pound the orbital industries.

  It didn’t seem like Admiral Khan was falling for the bluff, for his fleet was heading straight for the shift passage to Cachin. At the current rates, if Rooke did change course towards Cachin, it would allow the Indian fleet to catch them by over an hour. It’s not working, James thought as he tried to put himself in Rear Admiral Rooke’s position. It’s time to go back to the original plan.

  When a new message came in from the flagship, he guessed Rooke had come to the same conclusion. “The Admiral has requested a conference,” James said to the bridge crew. “Becket, you have the bridge, I’m retiring to my office.” Before he stood he sent a message for First Lieutenant Mallory to join him for the conference.

  “I have the bridge,” Becket said as James rose to his feet.

  Nodding to her, James made his way to his adjoining office.

  “What do you think this is about?” Mallory asked as he walked into James’ office less than a minute later.

  “I’m not sure,” James said. “Hopefully Rooke has a plan or two that will allow us to hit Cachin a lot harder than Magali.”

  “Here’s hoping,” Mallory said. “But I’m sure you’ll not blame me if I don’t hold my breath.”

  James wanted to warn Mallory about being so blasé about showing disrespect for a senior officer. Yet he bit his tongue, he could hardly blame Mallory for following the example he had set on the bridge. Instead, he silently reprimanded himself as he waited for the holo conference to begin. It was one thing to have your own doubts about the senior officer, it was another thing to make them public. Despite everything that had happened with his court martial and how Rooke had been treating him, he knew he needed to act more professionally in front of his subordinates.

  As the holo display switched on and projected a large conference table, James saw each of the Captains from the British fleet projected around him. Almost all the faces were familiar to him, yet they belonged to strangers who he had heard about or read about but who he didn’t know personally. One or two of them nodded to him as he got there and he guessed they at least recognized him.

  “Welcome all,” Rear Admiral Rooke said as his face appeared at the holo conference table. “I want to discuss the next plan of action. Our setback at the New Delhi system, and the proficiency with which the Indian Admiral has pursued us, has forced me to re-evaluate our mission. New Delhi showed us that Hood and the rest of our fleet, despite the technical advantages we have over the Indians, are not invulnerable. Whilst raiding the Indian industrial systems is why we are here, we mustn’t forget our main goal, the liberation of Haven. If the fleet takes many losses, we may not have the capacity to get to Haven. What many of you don’t know and what I can finally reveal, is that we discovered a new way to get to Haven. One that doesn’t pass through the Indian systems. My orders are to retreat to British space as soon as we finished doing as much damage to the Indian colonies as we can. In fact, my orders specifically say we are to make it look like a retreat as we leave the Indian systems.

  “The Admiralty wants the Indians to think they’ve beaten us and managed to drive us out of their colonies. They hope this will put the Indians into a false sense of security. So that when we do take Haven, it will shock them into coming to a quick peace. To that end, I plan to take the fleet to Cauvery, then Kharo and back to New Delhi. We can raid the minor systems without risking our fleet, and, if the opportunity arises, we can hit New Delhi before the Indian fleet catches us. In fact, if we go to Cauvery first, Admiral Khan might think we plan to double back towards Cachin. It may buy us some time and breathing space from his fleet. I’ve called you all here to let you know of my plans and to see what you think. You are all experienced Captains and I want to make an informed decision, any thoughts or suggestions you have are welcome.”

  Despite his concerns, James forced himself to keep quiet. Rear Admiral Rooke had made it clear that he didn’t like James. Rooke was hardly going to listen to him now. James had to hope that someone else would speak up.

  The senior Captains asked some questions about Rooke’s plans. To James’ frustration, their questions largely dealt with operational matters regarding the new course of action. Finally, someone asked the question James had been waiting for.

  “Our full orders certainly change our strategic options,” Captain Daniel Hargreaves said. James recognized him as the Captain of the heavy cruiser Behemoth. “But we shouldn’t rule out an attack on Cachin so quickly. This is likely to be the best chance we’re ever going to get to attack one of the most important Indian colonies. If we can strike at Cachin now, then in the long term, no matter what happens with Haven, the Indians will be much less of a threat to our Kingdom. We have already seen the number of warships Admiral Khan has managed to gather into his fleet. Whatever defenses they still have at Cachin, we should be able to handle them. Then after that, we can make it look like the Indians have driven us off.”

  “And yet look at the extra defenses the Indians managed to gather here in Magali,” Rear Admiral Rooke countered. “If they have similar defenses at Cachin, we could find ourselves trapped between heavy battlestations and Admiral Khan’s fleet. That’s a risk I won’t take.”

  James waited for Hargreaves or someone else to counter Rooke’s opinion. There were a number of different strategies and tactics they could try that would allow them to attack Cachin without risking the fleet unduly. Yet no one spoke up.

  James couldn�
��t help himself, as the silence lengthened he had to speak his mind. “I think Hargreaves is right,” he began. “We need to hit Cachin. We have missed a great opportunity to hit the Indians hard here in Magali. If we don’t take this chance to strike at Cachin, then this mission could end in failure. We’re here to hurt the Indians, that’s what all those who died in the New Delhi system died for. We can’t pass up such an opportunity just because we are afraid of what the Indians may or may not do. We have to take the initiative.”

  “Are you suggesting I am a coward?” Rear Admiral Rooke said far too calmly as he swiveled to rest his gaze on James.

  “No Sir,” James said, startled that the Rear Admiral would take his words personally. “I’m simply suggesting that there may be other tactical options open to us. We don’t necessarily need to run away from an attack on Cachin so quickly.”

  “Run away?” Rooke said, his voice rising.

  James regretted his choice of words but before he could say anything to remedy the situation Rooke continued. “That’s it Captain, I have had enough from you. You directly disobeyed an order in the New Delhi system. I ordered Endeavour to hold formation and you chose to ignore my order, leaving the flagship vulnerable. It’s your fault my ship took two missile hits. I was going to leave the situation until we got out of enemy territory for the sake of stability, but no more. Effective immediately I am relieving you of command Captain. Your First Officer will take over command of Endeavour and you will place yourself under arrest and be housed in the brig until we return to British space.”

  “But Rear Admiral,” James tried to say.

  Rooke didn’t let him complete his sentence. “I just gave you a direct order Captain. Are you about to disobey a senior flag officer?” He said calmly with a smile on his face.

  James knew he was stuck, there was nothing he could do now but obey. With the eyes of every Captain of the fleet on him, no matter how unjust Rooke’s sentence may be, if he disobeyed a direct order he would find himself facing another court martial. One his uncle or Prime Minister Fairfax couldn’t get him out of. For a moment, he considered telling the other Captains about the Gift and his uncle’s full plan. If they knew all that James knew, they might be more willing to try and persuade Rooke to take some more risks. Yet he knew he couldn’t, if one of them was captured by the Indians his country’s one strategic advantage could be lost.

  “I will inform my First Lieutenant,” James said. “And then I will report to the brig.” Without waiting for Rear Admiral Rooke to respond, James switched off the holo display.

  “He can’t do that,” Mallory almost shouted as soon his was sure Rooke and the other Captains wouldn’t be able to hear him. “You’re voicing serious concerns. You were right, we are here to destroy the Indians. We can’t just run back home.”

  “You’re wrong,” James said, surprised at how calmly he was able to speak. “Rear Admiral Rooke is in charge of the fleet, he can do anything that he commands us to do. I’m officially relieving myself of command and handing over to you First Lieutenant Mallory.”

  “I won’t accept,” Mallory said. “You are Endeavour’s captain.”

  “You will,” James replied. “If you don’t, you’ll find yourself in the brig with me. And I won’t have that. If I can’t command Endeavour, then you’re going to. Rooke may want to take the safe route home, but we are not out of danger yet. You need to be in command.”

  Without giving Mallory a chance to say anything, James jumped to his feet and made his way back out onto the bridge. Mallory jumped up and followed him, not sure what he was about to do.

  Before either of them could say anything, Malik made an announcement. “I just received new orders from the flagship,” he said. “It’s a new course, I’m sending it to Sub Lieutenant Jennings now.”

  Jennings looked from the navigation console to James and Mallory. When James didn’t say anything Mallory spoke up. “Take us on the new course as soon as the flagship begins the maneuver,” he ordered.

  “Aye Sir,” Jennings responded.

  James waited for the fleet to complete its maneuver before he made his announcement. The British fleet turned towards the shift passage to Cauvery and the Indian fleet rapidly changed direction. Admiral Khan’s decision to go straight for the shift passage to Cachin had cost him. The British fleet had gained a slight advantage. Hopefully Rooke will use that to achieve something, James thought.

  Taking a deep breath, he pushed ahead with what he had come to do. “Listen up everyone, I have something to say.” As his bridge crew stopped what they were doing and turned to him, James tried to keep his face devoid of any emotion. “I have been relieved of command by Rear Admiral Rooke. He feels my order to take evasive action during the battle over New Delhi directly led to the damage Hood sustained. He has relieved me of command and placed First Lieutenant Mallory in charge. You will look to him now as your Captain, treat him with the respect and obedience that he deserves. It has been a pleasure serving with each of you, and I hope that once this is cleared up, I will be your Captain again. For now, I am confident you are safe in Mallory’s hands.”

  Not willing or able to face the questions his crew had, James turned and walked out of the bridge. “Hold on Captain,” Mallory called, he caught up with James and grabbed his arm to turn him round. “I’m not going to let you go to the brig. My first act as Acting Captain is to confine you to your quarters. That’s the least I can do for you.”

  “You can’t do that,” James said. “If Rooke finds out, he will only direct his anger at you.”

  “He can’t,” Mallory replied. “He was the one who made me Acting Captain, he can’t overrule my first command. If he does, then he will have to relieve me of command as well. How is that going to look to the fleet?”

  “I won’t let you do it,” James said. “You’re not getting into trouble on my behalf. I’m going to the brig.”

  “No you’re not,” Mallory responded, putting a hint of severity into his command. “I am now the Acting Captain of the ship, unless you want me to write you up for disobeying a direct order you will confine yourself to your quarters. Or do you want the crew to think I don’t have any authority?”

  “Fine,” James said, exasperated. “You win, but don’t blame me if this comes back to bite you.” In a much friendlier note he continued as he placed his hand on Mallory’s shoulder, “I appreciate what you’re doing, but it’s not going to help the fact I just lost my command.”

  “I know James,” Mallory said. “But it’s the least I can do, we are friends after all. Besides, if you are confined to your quarters you can monitor everything that is happening on the bridge. If I need a second opinion you will be no more than ten steps away. I fully expect to be making regular visits to your office, so make sure you have lots of advice for me.”

  “Thank you,” James said. “Now get back to the ship.”

  As Mallory turned back to the bridge, James stepped through the sliding doors into his office. Alone, the full weight of what just happened hit him like a maglev train. What was he, if not the Captain of a warship? I’m a fool, James said to himself. Why couldn’t I just keep my mouth shut?

  Chapter 12 – On the Run

  The Royal Space Navy was to experience its fair share of disastrous campaigns before the formation of the Empire.

  -Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

  19th July 2467AD, HMS Endeavour, Cauvery System

  Acting Captain Seamus Mallory sat on the Captain’s chair of HMS Endeavour, shocked at what he was witnessing. After traveling down the Cauvery shift passage, the British fleet had exited shift space and charged straight for the colony. The three Indian frigates protecting the colony had fled as soon as they saw the British warships approaching. After ordering the workers to abandon the orbital stations, Rear Admiral Rooke had fired a small salvo of missiles, destroying everything in orbit above Cauvery.

  Yet, no tungsten spears or plasma bolts were launched at the mining operation o
n the planet. Nor were shuttles of marines sent down to the planet with demolition charges to destroy vital infrastructure nodes. Cauvery was a mining colony, specifically, it had two strategically important valstronium mines. They were critical targets that should have been attacked. And yet, instead of slowing down to make sure of their destruction, Rooke had the British fleet charging past the colony at their maximum speed. Sure, the destruction of the colony’s orbital infrastructure would hamper any short-term efforts to make use of the valstronium the colony mined. However, in the long term, the Indians would hardly feel the impact of the British attack.

  The source of Rooke’s haste was plain. Somehow, Admiral Khan had closed with the British fleet by an hour during the five days both fleets had spent travelling to Cauvery. That fact alone didn’t excuse Rooke’s actions in Mallory’s mind. Khan’s fleet was still more than four hours behind the British. They could have altered course slightly to pass close enough to Cauvery to use their ground attack weapons. At worst the detour would have cost the fleet an hour. That left plenty of distance to the Indian fleet.