Victory in the Stars (Marston Chronicles Book 6)

by D Patrick Wagner

  “So, First Cruiser is still in charge, no mutiny.”

  “Nope.”

  “Thanks for the head’s up. I’m going to talk him into getting his people down to Tolimar. Weiskoff’s crash site.”

  “Good luck with that.”

  “We’ll see. Hang out until I get back to you two. Out.”

  Igaklay disconnected the links

  “Igaklay, now the cruiser.”

  “I have opened a channel, Commander.”

  “Aren’t we all formal, Iggy.”

  “Since we are performing command tasks, I am assuming a command attitude, Mr. McCauley. I would recommend that you do the same.”

  “Now you’re just being pushy, Iggy.”

  “First Cruiser?”

  “Yes, Commander Marston.”

  “See?” Igaklay asked Mack.

  “Quiet, you two,” Keiko hissed.

  “First Cruiser, you previously stated that the Mortek prefer a planetary existence.”

  “That is correct, Commander Marston.”

  “Ambassador Suzume is in the process of finding you and your crew a home on the planet in this system. In Tolimar.”

  “Yes, that is what I was told that you soft skins have named this system.”

  “About that, First Cruiser. If we are to strengthen our diplomatic relations, the term ‘soft skins’ needs to be dropped. We consider that a derogatory term.”

  “I understand, Commander. We also find the term ‘bugs’ a derogatory term.”

  “We’ll work on that as well, First Cruiser. Here is my question. Would you and your crew be amiable to establishing a community on Tolimar? On the uninhabited continent?”

  “What would happen to Cruiser One?”

  “Out of respect, we will not use it as an instrument of war against the Mortek. We will place it in orbital storage over Tolimar.”

  “That is acceptable. Are we prisoners? Slaves?”

  “You are prisoners of war, First Cruiser. I cannot say anything differently. But, you will be treated with honor and respect.”

  “Are you guaranteeing the safety of me and my crew?”

  “Yes, I am, First Cruiser.”

  “I accept.”

  “What about your crew? Will there be any problems?”

  “I am the facilitator for Cruiser One. All underlings always obey.”

  “No one challenges your authority?”

  “That is impossible, Commander. As it was impossible for me to disobey my controller.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “When we are in the presence of a superior, we are controlled by their will.”

  “Commander, I think that we are talking about hive control.”

  “A moment, First Cruiser.” Krag nodded to Igaklay who broke the link.

  “What are you saying, Igaklay?”

  “Pheromones, Commander. Like an Earth beehive. Or, more accurately, an ant’s nest.”

  “That’s a new wrinkle, Cap.”

  “It changes everything, Krag.”

  “Not now. Let’s get them down to the planet. Then we can do some surreptitious research.”

  Again, Krag nodded to Igaklay. Again, Igaklay opened the channel.

  “I think that we understand, First Cruiser. Your commands are unbreakable. All your underlings must follow them.”

  “That is true, Commander Marston.”

  “I accept your word, First Cruiser. We are going to the rulers of Tolimar to negotiate your transfer.”

  “What about domes, food, fluids, supplies?”

  “That is part of the negotiations, First Cruiser. We will not leave you without taking care of your needs.”

  “I am at your command, Commander Marston.”

  “We will make contact after our meetings, First Cruiser. Signing off.”

  “See, Krag? First Cruiser is much more amiable when he works with a superior, not some egg-layer.”

  “Not a chance, Mz. Ambassador. That was my one and only time. The rest is all you.”

  “Tyrant.”

  “Well, this tyrant is ordering you to get us down to Tolimar.”

  “Aye, aye, Oh Commander.”

  Having the landing coordinates still in Griffin’s flight memory, Keiko didn’t need Sue for calculating the landing target. Tapping the icons, Keiko jumped Griffin down to the surface and floated her in for a soft landing.

  “Now the fun part,” Keiko commented.

  “All of you, don’t bring up the pheromone issue.”

  “Our lips are sealed, Cap.”

  “Keiko, you lead.”

  “Let’s change into something more formal. Power suits.”

  “You got it. Buster, go fleshy. I don’t want everyone staring at you.”

  “Should I wait on Griffin, Commander?”

  “Nope. People need to get used to the new you. Mack, Sue, well, you’ve got your nanite suits. You’re good. You’re good, too, Gopai.”

  “I wish to wear the same Griffin flight suits as everyone else, Commander.”

  “Aren’t you comfortable in your Elonian tunic, Igaklay?”

  “Since Legate Morris has switched to a flight suit, I wish to do the same. Also, this new appearance will more firmly establish my being a member of Den Griffin.”

  “Good point, Igaklay. Go ahead.”

  “Thank you, Commander.”

  Everyone looked on in surprise as Igaklay’s tunic swarmed into a single-piece Griffin flight suit, complete with patch. His tool belt remained buckled to his small waist.

  “Has your tunic always been able to do that, Iggy?”

  “Yes, Mack. It just wasn’t needed before.”

  “Right swank, Iggy.”

  Let’s meet in the bay in thirty minutes.”

  Everyone scattered and did things for thirty minutes. After the allotted time, the five crewmates met in Griffin’s cargo bay. Keiko wore her dark blue power suit. Krag wore his formal uniform, without medals or head covering. Buster, Igaklay, Mack and Sue still looked sharp in their nanite ship suits. Gopai wore a clean tunic with a ceremonial dagger in his belt.

  “New patches, I see, Tribune, Sergeant.”

  For the first time, Griffin’s crew saw the circular patch over the heart. It displayed a snow leopard on a boulder of ice, one hand clawing the air while baring a toothy snarl.

  “What’s that?” Mack asked, while pointing under the ice rock. He pointed at a white, furry ball with eyes.

  “A furball, Sir Mack.”

  “You got a brown bird. Mud duck, I’m betting, Sarge.”

  “Good bet.”

  “Tribune, Sergeant, take some R and R.”

  “We would rather train with the locals, if that is not a problem, Commander.”

  “Not at all, Tribune. Find whoever’s in charge. He should be able to round up some bodies for you to abuse.”

  “Do you mind if I train with them, Commander?”

  ‘Not at all, Gopai.”

  ‘Ay, Guppy. Ya been sitting too much. Getting all soft like.”

  “Care to wrestle, Wrenchy?”

  “Nah. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

  After everyone left Griffin, Krag keyed in his security code and his ship locked down. Once done, everyone headed towards Trotzig. The Leopards pealed off to find some opponents worth bludgeoning while the remaining six headed to Shar’s.

  Once they entered, all eyes turned and locked onto the seven-foot man.

  Krag, seeing this, stepped forward.

  “Everyone, meet Buster Morris.”

  Buster waved a hand.

  “Isn’t ‘Buster’ the name of your android, Captain?”

  “Yes, it is, Feldmarshal. Buster, would you give a quick demo?”

  Everyone watched as Buster’s skin flowed from flesh to silver. Then they watched as it flowed back to flesh.

  “Buster got damaged supporting the retaking of Cencore’s shipyard. Preceptor Igaklay offered to build a replacement. Here he is.”

 
; “More alien tech.”

  “Ballisonian technology, Governor.”

  Everyone heard the bite in Krag’s voice.

  “Sit your bones. Get some libations. Then tell us why you wanted us all here.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Roth.”

  Five crewmates found places and sat. Igaklay spotted his highchair, climbed in, pulled his communication pyramid from a pouch on his tool belt and placed it on the table. Shar hustled over and took drink orders. Once settled in, Krag cleared his throat and held up a hand.

  “I’ll start with military requirements. We have a lot. We’re taking back Cencore. We’ve shut down the Mortek fleet that was being built there. Now, we’re shuttling it up to Ballison to upgrade it to Ballison standards. We’ve got fifty-nine ships with crews for three. Weiskoff needs crews and captains.”

  “That’s a big ask,” Richelle Brandt commented.

  “Weiskoff is putting the Federacy Space Fleet back together, using Mortek ships. Anyone wanting back in is welcome.”

  “I don’t think that you’re going to get a lot of takers.”

  “That may be true, Mr. Meier. I’m just throwing it on the table. I don’t expect much, but we’ll take all that we can get.”

  “Well, you aren’t going to get much.”

  Krag nodded in agreement.

  “Commander Kelly, I suspect that the Vice-Admiral is going to strip you down to the bone. Take your pilots and ground crew. Drop you back into the stew.”

  “The moment you brought him back, I knew that that was going to happen, Hawk.”

  “Sorry about that. Moving on. The other requirement is ground fighters. Feldmarshal, how did you do?”

  “We came up with almost a hundred-thousand fighters. How are you going to get them to Cencore?”

  “Jewel of the Stars. I told you about her. She’s one of the abandoned ships. A cruise liner, currently being refitted to become a troop carrier. She’s about six days out”

  “She’s part of Weiskoff’s fleet?”

  “No. She’s part of the Human, Elonian, Ballisonian Alliance.”

  “You’ve been busy, Commander,” Mr. Roth commented.

  “Ambassador Suzume’s been busy.”

  “A civilian ship,” Feldmarshal Rosser commented.

  “A member of the HEB Alliance Maritime Fleet. On loan during wartime.”

  “What you’re telling me is that my people will be acting independently from the Federacy.”

  “That’s correct, Corry.”

  “And that the ship transporting them is also civilian.”

  “That is also correct.”

  “Six days. We’ll be ready.”

  “Now, I turn the meeting over to Ambassador Suzume.”

  Krag sat. Keiko rose. Smoothing her skirt, straightening her spine in anticipation of the fight to come, she took a sip of her drink.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen. The surrendered Mortek cruiser is currently in Tolimar space. She is being escorted by two Stingers. She is no threat.”

  “Relax, Ambassador. We’re going to take those bugs in. But this is the way it’s going to be.”

  “Well, that made my day easier. Thank you, Mr. Roth. I do have one request. For the sake of diplomacy, please refrain from referring to them as ‘bugs’. They are ‘Mortek’. We have already pressed their need to stop referring to us as ‘soft skins’.”

  “I’ll give it a shot.”

  “Thank you. Now, tell us how it is going to be.”

  “We’ve picked out a spot over on the other continent that has water and good soil. We’ll set that place up to be two-thirds farmland and one-third cattle ranch. Now, for security, that’s your problem. How are you going to keep them there? We don’t want a whole bunch of people riding herd on those Mortek.”

  “Commander Marston?”

  “Preceptor, Igaklay, you track everyone which Is wearing a wrist quant-com. Correct?”

  “That is correct, Commander.”

  “Another question. Buster indicated that his new shell is constructed with something as strong as reidite. And flexible.”

  “Again, that is correct, Commander.”

  “Can you make collars of quant-coms out of this flexible reidite?”

  “Easily, Commander. The printer logic for the material is already designed.”

  “That’s the solution, Mr. Roth. We tag them. Just like you do while you’re rounding up the loose cattle here.”

  “That tells us where they are. What happens if they decide to wander off, make some mischief?”

  “That’s easy. Jump transports. A Mortek goes sideways, Preceptor Igaklay notifies you and you jump a squad over to wherever it’s needed.”

  “I like that. We get jump transports. How many and, can we use them for normal operations?”

  Buster, as Mr. Morris, raised his hand.

  “Yes, Buster,” Keiko acknowledged

  “I think that there are two parts to that question. Obviously, the HEB Alliance should supply the security transports. When they are not utilized for security purposes, the transport should be used as needed. For all transports not used for security, but for personal and business use only, those should be a purchased product.”

  “I get it, Buster. We should open up a HEB Alliance dealership her on Tolimar.”

  “Yes, Ambassador. I believe that Tolimar will be an excellent beginning point for HEB Alliance economic expansion.”

  “Well, if we are going to send our people to fight in the war, then I think that we should be compensated with personal and business jump transports.”

  “I absolutely agree, Mz. Brandt. Terms to be negotiated,” Keiko responded.

  “We still need a physical perimeter so that they know where they gotta stay. This is a prison, after all.”

  “How large, Mr. Roth?” Igaklay asked

  “Ten thousand acres, Preceptor.”

  “If you send me the coordinates, I will construct notification posts. What spacing do you need?”

  “Say, one hundred feet. Are they going to be electronic?”

  “Yes. And quantum entangled. I will be constantly monitoring them.”

  “Solar?”

  “No. Dark matter. They will never need servicing unless they are intentionally damaged.”

  “Okay. We got that squared away.”

  “Mr. Roth?”

  “Ambassador?”

  ‘What about teaching them to farm and raise their food?”

  “That’s the problem for my boy, Randy and his wife-to-be, Harriet.”

  “Really?” Krag turned in his seat, looked around and saw the couple sitting at a table.

  “Congratulations. Lawrence and Gloria must be proud.”

  “I don’t know about that. The heir to Daddy’s empire turned into a cowgirl.”

  Krag and Keiko, knowing Harriet from before, being pleasantly stunned by Harriet’s current self-depreciating humor, laughed.

  Turning back, Krag took over the talk.

  “Protection. Preceptor Igaklay,”

  “Nanite armor and jump packs.”

  “Won’t that seem warlike?” Keiko asked.”

  “I could make the armor appear more like apparel. From the Human data files, I have located images of rough terrain clothing. Let me show you.”

  A three-dimensional image popped up from Igaklay’s portable pyramid. Everyone saw the rugged clothing. They leather jacket and pants accessorized with heavy work boots, cloves and a billed cap. The jump pack appeared attached to the jacket.

  “Would this work?”

  “Randy? Harriet?”

  Randy, being Randy, let Harriet take the lead.

  “How strong would it be?”

  “Strong enough to stop a physical attack. The Mortek claws wouldn’t be able to penetrate the clothing. Also, like Commander Marston’s mono-weave bodysuit, it will also disperse small arms laser and electro-magnetic discharges.”

  “Could you make the jump packs part of the jacket? Make them not so o
bvious?”

  “Like this?”

  The image transformed. Now, looking from the rear, the jacket appeared to have two vertical, cylindrical ridges approximately ten inches in diameter and two feet long.

  “A little hokey. But that looks like it would work. What do you think, Randy?”

  “Works for me. Don’t you want something more girlish though?”

  Before answering, Harriet lifted a single brow.

  “Preceptor Igaklay, is there a design which is more feminine?”

  The image changed. Now, Harriet appeared. The pants were more form fitting. The jacket emphasized her figure. Instead of black, the outfit’s color became a soft brown.

  “I’ll take it, Preceptor.”

  Keiko took back the meeting.

  “Then, we are all in agreement? Mr. Roth will be in charge of constructing a combination ranch and farm of ten thousand acres. The land has already been located. Randy Roth and Harriet Gregor will oversee educating and assimilating the Mortek into a ranch-farm community. Does that summarize Tolimar’s responsibilities?”

  “Sounds about right, Ambassador. You know that this is only for the short term. Things change. More need will show up.”

  “We’ll address those as they arise, Mr. Roth.”

  “We’ll do our part.”

  “Continuing, Preceptor Igaklay will supply armor and jump packs for, not only Randy and Harriet, but all personnel working with the Mortek. Preceptor Igaklay will also supply quant-com tracking collars for all Mortek and the associated parameter barrier.”

  “I have a question, Ambassador. Preceptor Igaklay, you are going to make this clothing out of those Ballisonian nanites. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, Mz. Brandt.”

  “So, I’m thinking, whatever you use to make and program those little machines, can that factory be here on Tolimar?”

  “That depends on the base materials, Mz. Brandt. Ballisonian technology utilizes large quantities of rare elements as well as the more traditional metals and materials. There would need to be a ready supply. Also, your engineers and production personnel are not sufficiently educated to operate the equipment.”

  “You are saying that it would be difficult but not impossible.”

  “That is an accurate assessment, Mz. Brandt.”

  “Ambassador, I think we should look into developing a new industry here on Tolimar. Textiles and clothing based upon Preceptor Igaklay’s nanite technology.”