by D. J. Holmes
“That’s not very encouraging news you bring,” James said as he turned back to Scott. As he worked through what she had said, he tried to put the best face on it possible. “Though just because they have put a lot of effort into building up this depot system, it doesn’t mean they are on an advanced schedule for attacking us. No doubt they expended a lot of resources building up their forward bases along their border with the Alliance space. It may be that once their construction ships were finished there, the most logical step was to divert them to our border. They may be making preparations now for an attack in the future. One that may now not come given that their invasion of Alliance space has been turned back. What ships might have been tasked with attacking us have probably been diverted towards Alliance space.”
“The problem with that,” Jil’lal responded, “is that we encountered more than three hundred Karacknid ships just in the handful of systems we passed through. Even if there was a second fleet of Karacknid warships similar in size to the one that attacked us here being put together, which has now been diverted to Alliance space, the Karacknid still have enough ships in the vicinity of your space to deliver a crippling blow. Even if they just gathered up the ships we encountered and formed them into a fleet, they could conquer half of your colonies. And those ships are no more than two months away from here.”
James brought a hand up to his jaw as he thought. “You’re right, and even if those ships had purely been tasked with defending their border, after your incursion, whatever Karacknid commander is in charge may come to think of attack as the best form of defense.”
“What we need to do is send a second scouting squadron back to the Karacknid depot,” Scott suggested. “We can see what further work they have accomplished in the weeks since we left. Plus, if they start to build up warships, that will indicate what they are planning.”
“Yes, that is a necessity,” James agreed. “We can dispatch a small force back to the depot system as quickly as possible,” James added as he turned to Koroylov and nodded. The Russian Admiral tapped on his datapad to make a note of the order. Before Scott could volunteer for the mission, James continued, “I believe Commodore Farnsworth would be the best commander for that mission. However, that alone is not going to protect us. Before Home Fleet’s return we knew we were in a precarious position. Now it turns out the threat of a second attack is even greater than we feared. What’s more, the threat is never going to go away. Not as long as the Karacknids have the freedom to build forward supply depots and reach into the heart of our territory. That is why I believe this news means we need to develop a more aggressive strategy. It may be months before we have the ships to accomplish anything, yet we need to start thinking about reaching out beyond our territory. We need to deny the Karacknids any systems they might use as a forward base. If we can take their supply depot system and hold it, they’d be forced to curtail whatever invasion plan they are trying to put into motion.”
“Go on the offensive?” Christine asked as her eyebrows rose. “We barely have enough ships to defend Earth, never mind the rest of our colonies.”
Koroylov nodded. “We do not, and yet, given the report Home Fleet has brought back, I concur with Admiral Somerville’s instincts. As long as we remain on the defensive, we will have too many systems to protect and too few ships to accomplish it with. On the other hand, if we push forward and take the supply depot, and any others they may be preparing, then the Karacknid fleet will have to concentrate against our ships and dislodge us before they can push on to our territory. At worst, if we could take the supply depot it would buy us time. At best, we could turn it into a fortified world like the Alliance has done with several systems along its outer border.”
“Well…” Christine said slowly. “I’m not going to disagree with my Admirals, but is our fleet anywhere near being capable of pulling off such a mission?”
Though most people turned to James, James turned to Andréa, “I believe that’s a question only the fleet’s logistics department can answer.”
Andréa let out a long breath. “We barely have enough ships to call the Imperial Fleet a fleet,” she responded. “Once the promised Alliance ships get here, we may be closer to such a description. But even then, our build-up of new ships is progressing very slowly. If and when more colonies join the Empire, that build up should speed up exponentially. But we are not there yet. How many ships do you think you would need to take the supply depot?”
James shrugged. “If they have a hundred ships there now like they did, then we’d need to match their numbers at least. If they have reinforcements, then we obviously need more. I’d imagine we need to have at least two hundred warships before I’d feel confident of moving out against the system.”
“Two hundred,” Andréa repeated slowly as she pulled out a datapad and scanned through it. “There’s no chance we could have that many ships within the next two months. Perhaps in four or five, but a lot of things have to go to schedule for that to be a possibility.”
“Let’s make it four,” Christine responded. “If we’re going to try and hit them, I don’t want to give them a day longer to prepare their defenses than we absolutely have to. In the meantime, I would like our fleet to carry out a raid against their depot. We can use our fleet carriers to launch a strike from the edge of the system. That should delay their preparations long enough for our main fleet to be assembled. Admiral Somerville, I’m putting you in charge of organizing both missions. You’re still needed on the campaign trail, but it’s time your skills were put to use in other ways now that the Empire is starting to expand.”
James couldn’t help but smile, “Thank you my Empress,” he responded with a nod. “We will have some preliminary mission parameters put together by the time we meet again.” Though he had straightened his lips after his initial smile, on the inside, James was beaming. He was finally going to do something meaningful again! The Karacknid supply system was a real and present danger, but at least it meant he would get to command a fleet in battle. It would be the first time he got a chance to face the Karacknids since they nuked Earth.
Chapter 11
Every Emperor and Empress has had their own warship commissioned. In most cases they become mobile command and control platforms our leaders can use to tour the Empire. That was not so with the first Imperial Flagship. She was built for war and that is how she was used.
-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.
Imperial Shipyard Edison, Earth orbit, 15th October 2482 AD (3 weeks later).
“…And so it is with great honor, and even greater expectations that I launch this ship, the first battleship of the Imperial Fleet. I name her IS Drake. She will be a reminder to us all of the sacrifice of the late Admiral Georgia Gupta and her sacrifice. I hope she will serve Grand Admiral Somerville as faithfully as did his first Drake.” Christine reached out and touched the large button that was the centerpiece of the podium she stood behind. As soon as she did, a large bottle of champagne was released on the other side of the glass viewport the crowd was gathered around. Without gravity to pull it towards the battleship’s outer hull, a small jet of air pushed the bottle so that it careened into the ship. As soon as it struck the bottle shattered sending champagne in all directions. At the same time, the final support structures fell away from Drake, disentangling her from the shipyard. A small spurt of power from her maneuvering thrusters backed the battleship out of her construction berth. The final flurry of activity was from the plastic banner that had been covering the ship’s name. It was pulled away to reveal ‘IS Drake’ stamped on the battleship’s hull.
As everyone watched the launch of the first battleship built since the Karacknid attack on Earth, James turned to Christine. The ship, his ship, was supposed to be named Constitution, in honor of the new Imperial constitution that the empire was founded upon. Somehow, without him knowing, Christine had changed it. As several emotions welled up within him, James nodded his thanks as he blinked back a tear. The survey frig
ate Drake had been his first command. Gupta had been her First Lieutenant. Now it would be impossible for him to forget the loss he had suffered with her death. Every time he heard his ship’s name, she would be remembered. He figured that had been Christine’s intention. He wouldn’t forget his loss, but he also wouldn’t forget why he was fighting. To avenge Gupta’s death and to stop the Karacknids taking others whom he loved away from him. Again he nodded to her, this time it was filled with determination. Christine’s lips twitched into a small smile. Then she nodded back, communicating the same determination before she turned to watch the battleship.
James did the same. As the warship slid out of its dock, he looked at her afresh. Drake, he repeated in his mind. He had fought a number of battles against all but impossible odds in his survey frigate and won. “Drake it is,” he said. There was no more fitting name. The battleship was a full twenty percent larger than Golden Hind, his last flagship. Though that was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to the differences. Filled with Varanni and Mindus technologies, Drake was as powerful as anything the Varanni had produced of the same size. For the first time, Humanity had a warship that could go toe to toe with a Karacknid battleship. In fact, James was confident that he could win any such engagement. With four Spitfire fighters, Scott’s mark IV missiles and a point defense system that was eighty percent more effective than Golden Hind’s had been, Drake was designed to devastate any Karacknid ships she came up against. And she won’t be alone, James thought as he glanced left and right at Edison’s other berths. There were two other battleships currently under construction and a handful of battlecruisers. None looked like they were ready to launch quite yet, but they were not too far away. Furthermore, even as James watched, engineers and construction drones swarmed around the berth Drake had just occupied, already getting ready to work on the next battleship.
“Now,” Christine said, drawing everyone’s attention, “we will leave Drake’s crew to get her ready for space. It is time for us to retire and enjoy some refreshments, I am eager to speak with all of you. If you would please follow me.” Stepping off the podium, Christine gestured for her audience to follow her out of the viewing gallery and into the large reception room that had been prepared for the occasion. Despite his instinct to hang back and let everyone else proceed him, James quickly moved to Christine’s side when she gestured for him. He knew that on a day like this he couldn’t simply fade into the background. No matter how much he might want to. “We will sample a few things first to break the ice, then everyone else will follow us,” she whispered as she guided him towards the tables of finger food.
James did as he was told. After trying a couple of Earth delicacies and being handed a glass of wine, he turned to see the others tentatively pick out some food as well. Slowly at first, but then with increasing quickness, the volume in the room rose as conversations broke out. “You see,” Christine said as she bumped his elbow. “It’s always the same, if you send them in first, they’ll all stare at each other waiting for someone to take the lead. Now, let’s move over to one side and see who is brave enough to come and speak with us.”
Again James did what he was told, though his instincts were telling him something else. Among the audience for Drake’s launch was the delegation from the Conclave species. They had arrived in system just three days ago. James hadn’t met them yet for Christine, Fairfax and a handful of other diplomats had taken the lead in dealing with them. Given what Emilie had shared about them, he was eager to meet them. Especially Xamon, the Gramrian representative, and Admiral Shraw who commanded the small squadron of ships that had escorted the Conclave delegation. Of the five Conclave species, it seemed from Emilie’s reports that the Gramrians held the most promise when it came to fighting the Karacknids. As if that wasn’t enough, there were other aliens who attracted James’ attention, for the reinforcements from Alliance space had arrived just hours before Drake had been scheduled to launch. Christine had invited Admiral Danlien, Commodore Maleck, and Rear Admiral Becket to join the reception.
“It seems there are no takers,” James commented as he watched the group of Humans and aliens interact with one another. Even though there were nine different species, Xamon stood out like a sore thumb. Her large reptilian size and shape meant she out massed even Danlien, the only Varanni in the room. Yet where Danlien slid across the ground slowly, Xamon moved with grace and speed. It was obvious that her species were expert predators. It was also pretty clear that most of the other aliens were all too aware of that. Wherever Xamon went, a small bubble of space formed around her; no one was keen to get too close.
“I’m sure they’re just enjoying the food,” Christine replied quietly. She half turned and looked James up and down, “though perhaps there is another problem.” Before James could complain, she winked at him. “This is another easy problem to solve.” Turning back to face the crowd, Christine raised a finger no more than a few inches. When he followed her gaze, he saw she was looking at Fairfax.
Politely, her Chief of Staff extradited himself from the conversation he was involved in and approached them. “Congratulations on your new ship Grand Admiral,” Fairfax said loudly as he moved closer. James held out his forearm for Fairfax to grasp. It had only been two weeks since the surgeons had restored his ability to walk and he was still finding his feet. “She sure is a beauty.”
“On that we are agreed,” James replied equally as loudly, having figured out what Christine was doing. It seemed that on these kinds of formal occasions a lot of ice had to be broken. “I’m even more impressed with her weaponry. I’m eager to see what she can do against the Karacknids.”
“But not too soon I hope,” Christine said as she placed a hand on his elbow. “First and foremost you will always be an Admiral. I know that neither I nor anyone else can change that, but you are soon to be Emperor too. You have to be cautious when you take her into battle. I, for one, am glad Drake has so many point defenses.”
James had to fight back a sigh. This wasn’t the first time Christine had made her concerns clear since she had given him command of planning the attack on the Karacknid supply depot. “You don’t need to worry; I don’t intend to throw my life away. Besides, given the new deference everyone in the Imperial Fleet seems to have for me, I strongly suspect they will be throwing themselves in front of any missiles that come my way.” That was one thing he was struggling to get used to now that he was spending most of his time with the fleet again. Given his engagement to the Empress and the prospect that he would be becoming Emperor soon, everyone in the Imperial Fleet was bending over backwards for him. It didn’t help that most of the British officers still saw him as their King as well.
Christine gave him a sharp nod. “I’m glad to hear it. If our people are going to unite, they must believe in us, even if we are merely figureheads. They must be willing to fight and die for us. Not because we are important,” she said as she saw James’ eyebrows rise. “But because of what we represent. We are responsible for all of them.”
Fairfax clapped James on the back. “Which just means your job is all the more complicated I’m afraid Grand Admiral. You probably thought you were skipping the politics when Christine put you in charge of this mission I bet?” Fairfax chuckled. “Now that you’re Emperor in all but name, I’m afraid there’s no escaping politics, no matter where you go.”
James shook his head. He didn’t want to admit Fairfax was right, but he couldn’t deny it. When he saw General Johnston head in their direction though, he smiled at his friend and quickly changed the topic. “General, how are you enjoying the refreshments?”
Johnston raised a hand that was holding a half-eaten hors d’oeuvre, “As fine as any I’ve had. With the guest list, I’m sure a lot of work was put into this.”
“I have no doubt,” James said as he smiled. He continued a little more quietly. “I haven’t had a chance to ask you, how has our guest been since my visit?” Johnston glanced from James to Christine and Fairfax. “I�
�ve spoken to both of them about my encounter with the General,” James reassured him.
“Well, in any case, there is not much to tell,” Johnston said. “We’ve got a few more tidbits out of him here and there, mainly when we’ve been able to provoke his anger. But nothing of any serious significance.”
“A pity,” Christine said in the same quiet tone. “It would be useful to know a bit more detail about exactly what we are up against. We are all still largely in the dark. The Conclave species know nothing more than we do about their powerful neighbor.”
“A topic for another time,” Fairfax said as he nodded towards the first group of guests that had decided to come and speak to James and Christine. Like magic, Fairfax and Johnston disappeared and James found himself face-to-face with Rear Admiral Danlien.
“Rear Admiral,” James said as he bowed deeply to the Varanni, “You are very welcome to our homeworld. It is an honor to have you and your fleet here. I believe we both fought in the first Battle of Jaranna together, I’m sorry we have not met in person before today.”
Danlien returned James’ bow. “It is my pleasure to be here. The actions of your Home Fleet contributed greatly to our ability to push back the Karacknid invasion. We would not be here if it wasn’t for what your fleet accomplished. It is an honor for my ships and I to make up for the losses you have suffered.”