by Saxon Andrew
The room cleared, and RJ turned to Angel, “What do you think?”
“You’ve certainly made an impression.”
“Good or bad?”
Angel shrugged, “Doesn’t matter. They can now accept your ordering them around without questioning your reasons. That’s all you really needed out of this meeting.”
RJ tilted his head, “Let’s get back to the ship.” Angel stood up and followed him out.
• • •
RJ left the Troke that afternoon and went home. He told Abby and Rory that he was leaving in two days and he wanted to say goodbye. “Son, be careful!”
“I will, Dad.”
“I think Candy is leaving with her ships tomorrow,” Abby said absently as she fixed RJ a plate.”
“What are you talking about, Mom?”
“I thought you knew.”
Knew what?”
“Candy has been given command of three-hundred warships to go and find the slave planets in Fagan territory.”
“Say what?!” RJ responded.
“She’s leading an effort to attempt to save them when the Britannia Aliens attack the Fagan.” RJ stared at Abby and she added, “She developed a plan to make it happen, son.”
“I don’t know if she’s ready to pull that off, Mom.”
“Talk to Grady. The senior Admirals agreed to the plan and she’s implementing it immediately. She’s been promoted to Jr. Admiral and she’s leaving with the first three-hundred ships tomorrow.” Abby saw RJ’s expression and asked, “You don’t believe she can do it?”
RJ stared at Abby and said, “I’m taking my plate to my room, Mom.”
“Are you going to contact her, RJ?”
“I believe I am.”
“Let me know what you find out.”
RJ nodded and went to his room. He took a few bites of his dinner and then lifted his communicator. He paused and then punched Candy’s number. Candy appeared on the small display and said, “You must have just found out about my mission.” RJ nodded. “And you’re contacting me to offer advice, right?”
“I’m concerned about this, Candy.”
“Well, why don’t you listen to how I intend to pull this off and then offer whatever advice on anything you see I’m missing?”
“Go ahead,” RJ replied. Candy began speaking and RJ interrupted her to ask questions on anything he didn’t understand. It took more than two hours to cover everything and at the end, Candy asked, “Do you see anything I’ve missed?”
“Candy, you’ve come up with an excellent plan. I’m really impressed.”
Candy smiled broadly, “Thank you, RJ. Have I missed anything?”
“The only thing I see is that you’re recalling the ships after they find the slave planet’s locations.”
“I don’t want to leave them there and run the risk of them being detected by the Fagan, RJ.”
“I understand why you’re doing it but there are two critical pieces of information you need to collect to make this happen.”
Candy said, “Go on.”
“First, you have to find those planets. You appear to be prepared to make that happen. Second, you’ve got to find the frequency being used on those planets that control the slave collars. If you wait to uncover that bit of information later, you’ll have to send another ship to those planets increasing the risk of detection. Order the ships that find a slave planet to remain at the planet until they determine the frequency being used to control the collars. Once that’s done, you can have them recalled.”
Candy nodded, “You’re absolutely right; I should have seen that. Thank you.”
“Candy, be safe.”
Candy smiled, “I will, RJ; you won’t be there to defend me. You do the same.” RJ nodded, and Candy said, “I’ll see you after we return from our missions. Love you, RJ.” The call ended leaving RJ shocked. Was she telling him she loved him or was she telling him she loved him like a brother? He struggled not to scream, and he finally decided that there was no way to find out. So, he put it aside. This was something he could do nothing about. He finished his meal and went to the kitchen. Abby looked at him and RJ shrugged, “She has a good plan, Mom. She impressed me.”
Abby smiled, “She’s always done that, hasn’t she.”
“I suppose. Let’s talk about something else, OK?”
“Well, I think it’s time I told you that in about five months you’re going to have a little brother or sister.”
“WHAT?!”
Abby smiled, “I’m expecting, RJ.”
RJ jumped up, rushed over, and hugged his mother, “That’s wonderful news!!”
Abby returned his hug and prayed RJ would make it back to see his sibling. She hid her fears and smiled with him as they discussed possible names. Both knew that happiness had to be found whenever possible.
• • •
The War Leader sat on his planet killer and looked out at the distant stars. It had been a very long time since he had gone to the Fagan Civilization to attack the White Ship Civilization. He remembered being ordered there and he didn’t expect to survive the contact. Neither did his superiors. But he did, and they decided he needed further punishment for the losses incurred when the Fagan attacked his defensive lines. They gave him back his command but ordered him to never go back to his home planet. He was exiled to his warship. Five years ago, his mate dissolved their union and mated with another. He hadn’t seen his children in more than a decade and they quit contacting him after his mate left him. He was alone now. He had his crew to socialize with, but they couldn’t make up for the loss of his family.
He wished another attack would be ordered on either the Fagan or Earth. That way he could end this existence, but the Senior Leaders decided not to attack again until the civilizations attacking the Empire on the other side of the core were handled.
He was angry with his mate initially at leaving him…but…after ten years, both of them knew he was never coming back; she shouldn’t be forced to suffer for his actions. He stared at the stars through the giant warship’s viewport and hoped that one of the enemies would launch an attack. But it appeared they were also backing off launching another attack. His punishment was a burden he’d have to learn to endure. But it was almost too much, and he prayed to die in combat.
• • •
Maranda and Andrew arrived on the New Galaxy Class Carrier and the crew came to attention, “As you were.” She went to her command chair and Captain Hubbard came over to her, “Sir, the fleet is gathering for war games as you ordered.”
“Let me know when they’re ready.”
“Yes Sir!”
Maranda saw a flashing light on her panel and she pressed it. A Fleet Captain appeared on her console’s display and asked, “Sir, do you want your ship to have the name used on your last carrier?”
“I do, Captain. Her name is Song Bird.”
“Yes Sir, I’ll enter it into the fleet’s registry.”
Maranda turned to Andrew, “I hate leaving the kids in boarding school.”
“They’re old enough now Maranda. Drew’s fifteen and Gloria is fourteen. Their education will be outstanding and will prepare them for the Academy; they’ll be fine. You can visit them during the evenings.”
“I know, but I just hate not having them with us; I’ve grown accustomed to having them around.” Maranda paused and asked, “What can you tell me about this ship?”
“It’s a beast, Maranda. It carries 3,000 Garrion Warships, which are solely used to defend it.”
“Why is that?”
“This ship and Admiral Tarangelo’s carrier will be commanding the two-hundred Attack Carriers. We can’t afford to lose either of them.”
“Can the Garrions stand up to the Alien Planet Killers?”
“They have one cutter emplacement along with ten normal blasters on their hulls. They can carry twenty heavy missiles, so they should be able to stand up to a Planet Killer or an Earth Defense Platform.” Andrew paused and add
ed, “Our carriers can be detected by the alien’s new mass detector, so we’re going to be forced to keep our distance. However, the Garrions aren’t large enough to be detected; they should remain invisible to the alien’s scanners.”
Are you sure about that, Andrew?”
Andrew shrugged, “RJ Dunhan is going out into alien territory to find out how our missiles work against their major warships. We’ll know shortly.” Maranda had a concerned expression and Andrew said, “But to continue, this ship has five-hundred Cutter Blasters along with more than ten-thousand heavy missiles.”
“How many missile launchers?” Maranda asked.
“The same as all the carriers, eight hundred.”
“What about the mini-missiles.”
“Fifty thousand.”
Maranda’s brow furrowed, “Why so many?”
“They’ve been reprogrammed to go after the new heavy missiles the Britannia Aliens are currently using.” Andrew answered.
“What can you tell me about Captain Hubbard, Andrew?”
“He’s on the short list for promotion to Admiral. He’s smart, talented, and knows this ship like the back of his hand. We won’t have to worry about him defending it.”
“That’s good news. Let’s go and meet the Bridge Crew.” Andrew nodded as Maranda stood up and walked toward the weapon’s center.
• • •
RJ had his units formed up when Grady appeared on his console’s display, “RJ, an issue has just been brought to my attention by Admiral Connor.”
“What is that, Sir?”
“Our scientists are of the opinion that the new Garrions can’t be detected by the alien’s mass detectors. We need to find out if that’s true. The Prime Minister is sending twenty Garrions to join your wing. They will be under your command and your orders are expanded to determine if they in fact are undetectable.”
“Yes Sir.”
“I’d also like to see how they stand up to an alien Planet Killer,” Grady added. RJ’s head tilted slightly, and Grady raised his hands, “RJ, the aliens have several million warships and before I send in a million Garrions, I need to know if they can survive in combat.”
RJ nodded slightly and asked, “When will they arrive, Sir?”
“They’ll rendezvous with you on your way out. Captain Troastle will be commanding the unit and he’s going to contact you shortly.”
“Yes Sir.” Grady disappeared from the display and RJ looked up at Matt and said, “I’m expecting a Captain Troastle to contact me. Send it to my board when it comes in.”
“Yes Sir.”
RJ glanced at Angel and saw she had heard the conversation, “Is this a good idea?”
RJ shrugged, “We’ll see. Grady is right about finding out if the Garrions can survive.”
“And you’re going to allow them to attack a Planet Killer?”
“Better to do it now than later. I suspect, if the Stealth Civilization falls, I’ll launch an attack on the aliens with every warship I have before we leave. First thing is to determine if the aliens can detect the Garrions; that should be done easily enough. After that, we need to find a situation where one of them can attack a Planet Killer and a warship.” Angel nodded and turned back to her console.
An hour later, Angel turned to RJ, “The wing is formed up and they’ve completed their diagnostics, Sir.” RJ nodded, and Angel lifted her communicator, “All ships, we’ll be launching in two minutes. Hold formation on the Troke.” Angel looked at Mallory, “The ship is yours.” Mallory nodded and watched the countdown. It hit zero and the fifty King Hare Warships accelerated away from New Britannia. RJ had spoken with Captain Troastle and his unit was waiting for them fifteen light years ahead. RJ stared at the front monitor and thought, “Now it begins. Stay safe, Candy.”
• • •
Candy looked up from her monitor; she felt something but couldn’t tell what it was. She shook her head slightly and looked at her scanning officer, “Status, Lieutenant?”
“Sir, fifty of our warships have been assigned a Fagan Freighter to follow by the computer. They picked them up as they left the Production Planet’s star system. Thirty more are waiting for freighters to leave the planet.”
“Keep me posted.”
“Yes Sir.”
• • •
For what was supposed to be a dangerous mission, it was becoming quite boring. The stealth probe at the Production Planet detected the freighters leaving and sent an ID to the Defender’s computer. The computer would then assign a ship hiding in the outer reaches of the star system and it would follow it’s assigned vessel. She hoped she had enough warships. The number of arriving freighters was getting larger each day. She stared at the tactical monitor and decided to wait before calling in more ships.
Chapter Eleven
RJ sat in his command chair and pressed a button on the side of his helmet. Music began playing and he sat back. It was going to take a few days to arrive in alien territory and he usually played music he had been collecting over the years. The music would be interrupted if anyone came over his communication circuit. He sat in his chair and tapped his foot occasionally but then went to the song that was his favorite. He listened to it and felt sorrow, but he listened to the end and then picked an upbeat song. Some of the music in his collection was thousands of years old and came from ancient Earth before the nuclear war. The stars were flashing by the Troke at an unbelievable speed and he started to relax; there was nothing like open space to bring him peace. He belonged out here. The Garrions joined his wing and they formed up behind his larger warships. Destiny awaited them and they rushed toward it at an unbelievable speed.
• • •
The ships arrived high above the core of the galaxy and RJ pressed his communicator, “Connie, this is where you leave with your ships. Good luck and stay out of trouble.”
“Yes Sir. I’ll feed you everything that we find.”
Five Hare Warships moved away from the formation and headed down toward the core of the galaxy on New Britannia’s side. RJ stared at the giant black hole far below and marveled at the power it represented. He turned to Angel, “Do Captains Reyes and Daniels have their coordinates?”
“Yes Sir.”
“Dispatch them as soon as we go over the top of the black hole.”
“Yes Sir.”
• • •
RJ gave the three units three weeks to get accustomed to avoiding any Britannia Aliens that detected them with their mass detectors. They were also instructed to passively scan the alien civilizations’ warships that were attacking the New Britannia Aliens. After the three weeks had passed, RJ contacted Captain Troastle, “Captain, I want you to take three of your Garrions in close to the New Britannia defensive positions and determine if they’re detected. If they are, get them out immediately!”
“Do you want me to send three ships from each unit, Sir?”
“No. Send three from my unit and if they aren’t detected, I’ll consider sending all of your ships in to do some scouting on their warships later. However, that’s not going to happen if your initial three ships are detected.”
“Yes Sir.”
“I suggest using your optical scanners initially, Captain.”
“Yes Sir.”
“One more thing, Captain. No weapons are permitted except for escape.” Troastle nodded on the monitor and disappeared.
Three Garrion Warships accelerated away from McAllister’s unit and headed down toward the core. RJ blew out a breath and started the tactical monitor as they approached the core on the opposite side of the galaxy from New Britannia. This would be over quickly or the Garrions were not detectable. RJ turned and said to Matt, “Contact Captain Horton and tell her that we’re going to be sending her all the recordings of interactions between our units with the various civilizations out here. Tell her to immediately forward them to Fleet Intelligence as soon as they come in.”
Angel looked up from her console, “Are you worried that all of
our ships might be destroyed?”
“Any commander worth a damn would worry about that, Captain. Do I expect it? No, I do not. But I don’t intend to run the risk of our data not getting back to Fleet.”
Joe looked over from his weapons console, “That’s the real reason you have Connie positioned high above the core, isn’t it, Sir.”
RJ smiled slightly, “Ya caught me. I did figure that if I put her there, we should at least take a look at the Britannia Alien’s positions on that side of the core while we’re here. She’s perfect for the job.” RJ turned back to the tactical monitor and watched as the three Garrion Warships spread out and flew toward the Alien’s defense positions.
• • •
Captain Troastle pressed his communicator and prayed the aliens weren’t capable of detecting his transmission. So far, using the robots had proven to be undetectable but he was transmitting from just outside their forces. “Your mission is to move inside the defensive line of alien warships without being detected. If you see any movement out of them, get out immediately! If we make it through their lines, we will all exit together and move within a hundred yards of one of their Planet Killers as we leave. Go in keeping at least twenty miles distance between your vessels and their ships!” He watched the two Garrions move away from his ship in opposite directions and waited for them to turn toward the enemy formations.
Mike looked at his tactical monitor and asked, “Computer, how many enemy warships are in detection range?”
“More than half-a-million, Commander.”
Mike nodded and looked at Edward, “Lay in a course between two of their ships.” He saw the course appear on his console’s display and he turned his ship to follow it. One would think that with that many enemy warships there wouldn’t be much room between them, but that wasn’t at all true. The space they were defending covered a vast distance and the alien ships were scattered with more than 160 miles between them. If any of them detected a ship, the surrounding ships would flash in to the ship that made the detection. He stared at the tactical for one of the two ships he was passing to power up their thrusters…but…nothing happened as he flew between them. He knew those alien ships had their new mass detectors on board, but it appeared the scientists were right; the mass detectors did not detect the small Garrion Warships