Contingency
Page 25
Chapter 26
Harka’yn motioned to the officer beside him to step closer. He took a casual step towards the captain and engaged him in conversation. Harka’yn outlined the array of ships that had formed a defensive barrier with the flagship. He asked that an Ameerian unit be placed on all the allied ships to facilitate the orchestration of the fleet in battle and to report on the ships’ status. The officer nodded and made the necessary adjustments to the battle plan.
Harka’yn leaned back from the display he was working on. He stretched his back and looked over the large three-dimensional projection of the small fleet that was arranged in the solar system. There were two lines of ships, one slightly below and in front of the other. They were arranged to form a small curve, with their focal point aimed in the direction from which the Imperium’s fleet would arrive. They were surrounded by asteroids of moderate size, which would disrupt both their weapons and those of their enemy, reducing the risk of burst damage. They reasoned that this would prevent the Imperium’s ships from causing any debilitating damage before the Ameerian-Rekked fleet would be able to take advantage of their superior numbers to wear down the attackers and destroy them.
Harka’yn and the crew of the Ameerian vessel were pleased with the turnout they had received. A great many allies had come to their aid. Among the ships present there was a majority of Ameerian renegades and a surprisingly significant number of Rekked reinforcements. Something seemed to be just a bit out of place, but their force was strong.
The group of ships would most likely be able to defeat their attackers. Enough ships had turned up to be able to pin down the attackers and ensure their defeat.
“Captain Zenaia, what is your status?” Harka’yn’s voice cut through the thin air aboard the Liberator.
“The Ameerian Liberation Fleet is ready. All stations have been secured, and weapons are ready for combat,” an impersonal voice responded.
“Free Brothers, what is your status?” Harka’yn sent the message to the assembly of Rekked vessels.
“This had better be what you said it was, as we will expect our payment in full.”
The captain of the Rekked Free Brothers pondered the events at hand. Harka’yn’s message was tenuous at best. He was being pursued by four Imperium attackers, and had lost his entire escort. He reported that the attackers had already lost one of their ships and the rest were severely weakened and burnt out. Their hulls were compromised, and their power supplies low.
However, the captain was skeptical of the encounter until several more ships had arrived at the system and their force had grown to a formidable size. His doubts had largely been put to rest; the only factor that could still turn the tide of the conflict was the verity of Harka’yn’s account of the attackers.
The Free Brothers ran a myriad of jobs, including mercenary, smuggler, cargo shipper, and even passenger transport. They were a small group that lived off the numerous systems in the Rekked space, and they dealt only in currency.
One by one, Harka’yn confirmed the presence of all his assembly. Some had come only as mercenaries, completing a simple job for a part of the spoils. The fleet was a crude patchwork of different peoples from different walks of life. A few of the Ameerians belonged to the Ameerian Liberation Fleet. They were a group of vigilante outlaws fighting for whatever they could, oftentimes producing no results. They were largely hidden, they had no established home or base of operations, and they moved like the wind. Their force was still far too small to cause any tangible disturbance or to incite a rebellion. They lingered on and collected members slowly, always moving when they became noticed. They lived secluded lives and almost never engaged in military action. They traded and gathered supplies and spent their time mostly on the very few neutral planets that existed along the borders of the various space empires. Their one ubiquitous defining aspect was their fierce loyalty to the Ameerian people. They believed that one day they would be able to rise up and bestow upon their civilization the greatest power and glory possible.
It was for this reason that they had answered. They had come on a mission of goodwill to aid a prominent Ameerian ally in time of need.
Their convoy had arrived first, one by one, and prepared themselves for the oncoming enemies. They were the first to greet Harka’yn upon his arrival. Their ships made up the front circle, with Harka’yn’s ship in the center.
Because they had stopped, the hyperspace ripples from the pursuing fleet had been able to catch up with them and herald them of their attackers’ presence. They calculated that the Imperium’s ships would arrive in over an hour.