by Gary Caplan
Sheppard headed back to his office. Once there he found an alert addressed to him with the planetary or facility locations of the previous animal loss. It was Natarris’s list. A few of the planetary systems would be on the way to the Talcon colony. That would allow Sheppard to delegate some officers to visit and investigate the specimen losses. He thought about who he could send to some locations and remembered that the Rhyn, who were also affected, might have better scans of what happened, as they tended to monitor things more closely than the usual Alliance of Worlds members.
Sheppard looked out the view screen at the nearby area around the ship. The computer images and information icons showed that some of the Aharri led by Klein Harrolid were part of this expeditionary fleet. Not long after Sheppard had first assumed command of the Sixth Fleet, he had met the Aharri captain, and eventually the Aharri had attached as a liaison to the Sixth Fleet. Sheppard knew that Klein had been promoted to a rank similar to fleet captain. He would be an excellent choice to help with this side mission. After one of their many meetings, Klein had expressed an interest in meeting the Rhyn. He would be a good candidate to go to the new Rhyn colony to find out more of what happened to the Rhyn specimens and conduct his own investigation. Sheppard used his office interlink and asked Lieutenant JG Pelori to contact Captain Harrolid and transfer the commlink to his office.
A few moments later, Klein Harrolid’s face appeared in Sheppard’s desk holo imager. “Sir, is this official business or are you interested in visiting so we can continue the sparring training you started with me?”
Sheppard smiled, recalling that they both liked martial arts, and Harrolid was interested in Sheppard’s Star Knight martial training. Sheppard thought Klein might make a decent Star Knight. Not all the Star Knights had the higher psi level like Natarris or Garfield. The Aharri had been independent until they were attacked by the Accads over three years ago, and they were now interested in an exchange of information.
“Actually, I have a special task for you,” said Sheppard. “I would like you to help with a project I’m investigating for Prince Kyr.”
“The leader of the great Starcity asked you to help him?” said Harrolid.
“I’ll send you the information,” said Sheppard. “It seems several colonies in the Alliance of Worlds, and outside, have been invaded by some cloaked method, and various animal and plant specimens have been removed. Recently several animals were taken from the Starcity, and a few were part of Prince Kyr’s private collection.”
Harrolid’s eyes widened momentarily. “This…is interesting. Only a few days ago, one of my officers mentioned how one of his parents was being investigated for the unexplained loss of several zoo specimens from a preserve on our home world several weeks ago.”
Sheppard replied, “I didn’t know your world was part of this, but I’ll add it to the list.”
“What is the mission you want me to undertake?” said Harrolid.
“We need to piece together a more accurate time sequence. With enough information we can perhaps trace the culprits back to some starting point. I need some further data from the Rhyn, who were also affected. You can also provide information on the Aharri investigation and perhaps let your government know they’re not the only ones with missing animals.”
“So you want me to divert course to the new Rhyn home world to inquire about more details?” said Harrolid.
Sheppard noticed his comms icon flashing—he had a priority Alpha communication incoming. “I’m sorry to cut this chat short, but I have a priority communication. But yes, if you could divert to the new Rhyn world or the Rhyn ships involved and begin an investigation, that would be helpful. Aharri ships are somewhat faster than the average Alliance of Worlds ship in the expeditionary force we’re traveling with here, so perhaps if you limit the investigation to two or three days, you can catch up with the rest of the Sixth Fleet. This problem the Talcon got themselves into with the Ceyloom is not what we really needed at this time. The Betellians and the Hegemony ships have gone on ahead of us. Maybe they can obtain a peaceful solution.” As he was talking, Sheppard sent a coded message containing the list of planets from Natarris and the report of the crew’s investigation of the Starcity.
Harrolid indicated agreement and said, “Acknowledged. I’ll do what I can to gather some information about the situation.”
The communication with Harrolid ended, and Sheppard opened the other message: a full holo-image of his old friend Commodore Brandon Avery, now chief of security under the minister of defense, sitting in the chair next to his desk. Brandon still looked fit, though he was getting some more white in his auburn-colored hair. His green eyes had a cautious look as if he was under some stress.
Avery said, “The colony Treeton Three is under attack from Varlon long-range torpedoes. The first volley has three torpedoes through.”
Sheppard said, “Do we have any ships there?” He thought he recognized the name as another planet from Natarris’s list.
Avery replied, “There is a task force present, and a recent report indicated that some of the long-range stealth torpedoes targeted ships.”
Sheppard said, “The Varlon usually have the torpedoes go for the colony, not the protecting ships.’
“And when they target ships, they’re usually bringing an occupation fleet. In any case the Defense Ministry believes Treeton Three is probably going to be the Varlon’s next occupation target,” replied Avery.
Sheppard said, “This could be Quellius Borealis Seven all over again. Did you ask Grand Admiral Pendragon for starship allocations?”
“Yes, and you and some others were on the list. News about the most recent developments with the Talcon and Ceyloom issues got to us at here at Star One just after Sixth Fleet’s aid was approved by Headquarters for Treeton Three,” said Avery.
Sheppard said, “Admiral Pendragon is making decisions here near the rim. I guess he did not deem it necessary to check with central command before deciding to commit aid to the Talcon. And in space it’s normally not instantaneous communication to Star One out this far from the Alpha Quadrant to the far end of Beta Quadrant.”
Avery said, “I had to pull some strings to get this channel to you. At least now we have a hyperspace COMNET facility providing us this communication. Only the slightest delay is noticeable”
Sheppard replied, “All right. If headquarters has approved I’ll commit to arranging support for Treeton Three. We don’t want the Varlon to get a foothold in a sector closer to the central part of our worlds and colonies, although Peregrine is now in command of the Sixth Fleet with the last merger.”
Avery relaxed some. “I tried to get in touch with him, but I am not yet on his usual access list. Thank you, Robert; the other fleets are stretched thin.”
Sheppard nodded and said, “Incidentally, I have a mission from the Talcon. Prince Kyr wants us to locate some missing animal specimens, and it’s not just the Talcon. Fleet Captain Natarris has been on an investigation for the Star Knights. He brought some key information to my attention. It seems several worlds have had some animal and plant loss. The planet you want me to aid is also one of the ones that Natarris had on his list.”
Avery said, “Well, that’s just about as unbelievable as that immense entity I heard the Hegemony and others have chased to the Archaeus sector.”
Sheppard said, “That sector has an off-limits world, I think.”
Avery said, “Yes, that’s right, how long has this animal specimen problem been going on?”
Sheppard said, “As far as I can tell, for several months now.”
Avery said, “I think defense and security section should look into this. I’ll let the commodore who has my old job know we have an investigation under way and perhaps he can look into this list as well—especially if it’s an Accad plot to discover some weakness in food supply chains on some of our colony worlds.”
Sheppard said, “My research group does not think the Accads are the primary ones involved. It�
�s one of the other elder races. After ruling out the Betellians and the Cynz and the Hegemony members, Lord Garfield thinks it’s maybe the Myroid, the Calyx, or the Thurians as they are the only ones with the possible capability of getting past the Talcon defense system with some kind of cloaking system.”
Avery said, “I think I heard a report that at least one of the ships involved in chasing that entity is a Thurian starcraft.”
“Oh really?” said Sheppard.
Avery said, “Here is a short visual scan from my request of information the Estrians sent. It must be news for them too as they shared it with more ease than usual.” A link appeared, and Sheppard opened the icon on his screen. The image showed several seconds of a few starships headed toward or following a dark, glowing, planet-like object.
Sheppard said, “I see, and the thing we can only see part of must be the Nahalion. A few years ago, Garfield told me what we call the Archaeus sector was once actively controlled by the Thurians. Brandon, let me talk with Peregrine, and you can send the appropriate headquarters notifications to Pendragon. I’ll need to divert some ships, preferably the faster ones here to help at Treeton Three.”
Avery replied, “Great, I’ll work with the minister of defense’s office and with Chief of Staff Orlond to get you the proper authorization for Grand Admiral Pendragon. Hopefully the Varlon can be discouraged from thinking about occupying Treeton Three.”
Sheppard nodded and smiled. “Talk to you later under better circumstances. Sheppard out.” He signed off the commlink and called Captain Wilder’s station.
“Captain, we need to plan a course change to Treeton Three. Commodore Avery contacted me via alpha channel with priority information about the Varlon. Security division believes it more than probable the Varlon may move against our colony there. I’ll confirm with Fleet Admiral Peregrine.
Wilder responded, “Yes, sir. We will plot a secure course and await final confirmation to start.”
Then Sheppard sent a commlink to his task force executive officer Fleet Captain Sherman. “I was informed by Commodore Avery that our colony at Treeton Three may be next on the Varlon occupation list. So I am thinking about some of our faster ships or those with more recent engine-system upgrades to form one large or two smaller task forces. As Treeton Three is on the list Natarris provided, Phoenix will be part of the task force sent there. I would like you to help me with starship task force selection suggestions, and to notify the Talcon and our nonmember allies about our plan.”
Sherman said, “Yes, sir. I will compose a list and have our allied commanders notified.”
Sheppard nodded and closed his commlink.
He looked at his chronometer and decided he needed some calming music as he thought. The request to speak with Fleet Admiral Peregrine wasn’t sent alpha priority, so he had a few minutes to compose his plan. Sheppard liked the old Earth music and selected one of Beethoven’s Symphonies, he began to relax somewhat while the Seventh Symphony began to play and he waited for Admiral Peregrine’s commlink to connect.
Chapter 7
Planet Treeton
There was a good deal of activity on the bridge of the Phoenix as the assembled task force was about to come out of hyperspace within the Treeton system. The interval travel time to the system had been five days, and traveling at emergency speed for several days in a row could take a toll on engines and use additional antimatter fuel. During transit another wave of torpedoes had arrived and severely damaged three patrol ships as well as an orbital defense base, with two getting to strike targets, one a surface military installation.
A hyperspace tunnel opened, and the Phoenix emerged with the first group of ships. Sheppard had been able to set up three task forces. The first group arrived a few hours before and was made up of some swift cruisers with upgraded drives. The Phoenix was in the second task group, and the third task group would arrive a few hours later. Last time Sheppard personally faced a Varlon fleet trying to occupy a planet, he barely had enough ships. This time he was better prepared. Once back in normal space, the hyperdrives were powered down and the sublight drives activated.
“Sensors on active scan report no new Varlon torpedoes in the vicinity, and no visible enemy starships sir,” said Ares. “At least those we can clearly detect without chameleon fields.” Ares did a security check of primary systems to verify operability. She knew the sections would do their own detailed systems checks after exiting hyperspace. After clearing the engines, she notified Captain Wilder through the commlink of normal activity. Then Wilder gave the order to plot course using sublight engines to full to get to orbital position more quickly.
Wilder said, “Stand down red alert and begin the course toward Treeton Three.”
Like many of the other races, the Alliance of Worlds space propulsion engine was a device that produced thrust using solar power to generate multiple microwaves that moved back and forth in an enclosed shielded chamber. It had taken a while to catch on back on Earth during the mid-twenty-first century when the first version was invented and tested. Some liked to call it “impulse drive” after a popular science-fiction television show. The sublight engines had been improved over time and by interaction with alien engine technology and could use little more than starlight for power. The ships would need every degree of maneuvering ability and power if the Varlon or one of the elder races were sending out their starships to the system.
The task force with the Phoenix had arrived in a different area than the first task force and began sensor-probe launches to extend its area of sensitivity.
“Deploy two starfighter squadrons. Once we get closer to the planet, deploy the more rested squadron and rotate them so that for now we have at least half the starfighters on duty. I will consider full deployment of the remaining squadrons for a later time,” said Wilder.
“Reduce to yellow alert, sir,” said first officer York.
“Yes, sir; deploying starfighter squadrons one and two,” said Sterling.
Wilder forwarded some patrol coordinates from the captain’s station to the navigation station. “Commander Zachary, use the coordinates I sent to navigation to plot some patrols for this task group; coordinate with Fleet Captain Sherman’s staff.”
“Aye, sir” replied Zachary, who was originally from Earth’s Centauri colony. He had dark-brown hair peppered with white. He looked over at Commander Darani and said, “You won’t have to fidget much longer, Lyra. As soon as we get coordination, you can accelerate along the plotted course.”
Lyra Darani smiled. “I’m fine, but I’m not sure I want to cross the course of any Nahalion. I heard stories in my youth of a planet that was attacked. It came from a report from perhaps a century ago, a survivor who escaped the devastation.”
With no attack imminent, the bridge crew continued their duties, and they waited for an orbital approach from PSTC, the Treeton planetary space traffic control. The other ships of the task force were moving to patrol positions. While the situation was stable, Wilder ordered they obtain a standard orbit and patrol from there. Then Ares, Taylor, and Andor began discussing some research about the missing specimens.
Ares said, “What is so unusual to me, Andor, is that the research seems to show similar events from the planets on Natarris’s list. The specimens are just vanishing as if they were scooped up.”
Taylor said, “Or perhaps just appear to be teleported from the accounts in the documents Captain Natarris provided.”
Andor said, “So you ascertained prior to our meeting which of the elder civilizations would have likely been responsible?”
Ares said, “Well, in a way I was curious, so before the meeting I also came up with four, besides the Hegemony, that from my research could possibly have had the technology to do that.”
Andor said, “In your research did you consider the Saldron or the Tenoid?”
Ares said, “I could not find a connection to previous reported actions for either, and the Tenoid are more mechanical and were supposedly created b
y the Myroid. So the only plausible races that could be involved would be the Betellians, Thurians, the Myroid, and the Calyx.”
Andor said, “Unless an unknown elder civilization is involved.”
Taylor added, “I hope not, although we don’t know much about the Ceyloom. But we have information from the Hegemony that indicated they tend to keep to themselves and even have facilities in hyperspace and subspace like the Estrians.”
Ares continued, “With a race as advanced as the Talcon, any Hegemony technological interference would be eventually detected by the Talcon. And as the Betellians have used their teleporters during Admiral Wiesse’s visit to the Starcity, those residual energy signatures would be discovered by the Talcon or their security AI after an investigation.”
Taylor said, “But that wasn’t the case with the Betellians as both our investigation and the Talcon’s did not find any Betellian activity in the vicinity of the specimen loss. So that leaves the other three with the types and levels of technology to accomplish this almost undetected feat.”
Commander York said, “We have finally received course for orbit from traffic control.”
Captain Wilder said, “Set course to confirm the orbital trajectory.”
Darani said, “Course laid in, sir.”
The Phoenix moved into stable orbit over the planet Treeton III.
As he exited his office and walked to the adjacent fleet command alcove, Commodore Sheppard began thinking about the Varlon and contemplated several issues. The Varlon had a strong edge as their starships had more durable hulls and shields and more powerful weapons than those constructed by the Alliance of Worlds. The Varlon threat was one of the reasons for the formation of the Alliance of Worlds as there was mutual protection in numbers as well as technological exchange. Now there were two hundred and fifty civilizations in the Alliance of Worlds with systems scattered across the Milky Way galaxy, although most of the allied members were located in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The Varlon were one of the more ancient and technologically advanced but xenophobic spacefaring civilizations, an expansionist Arthropod Coelenterate–like species. Recently they had resolved an internal political situation and were back in their expansion mode. They had been deadly on their own but relatively recently also gained an ally, the Accad.