“What about Dorogon? There was a fleet there. With two giant dreadnaughts. I’ll bet those are them two.”
“You’re right, Mandy. They could be coming from there, too. After we’re done here, we’ll jump over there and grab a look-see”
“Why don’t we give that to Heimdallr?”
“She’s back under the Federacy thumb. And, I’ll bet, Scotty is chomping at the bit to get out from under it.”
“Yeah. They seemed like good people,” Mandy remarked.
“If you can put up with Brooksy’s lecherous looks and remarks,” Jesse answered.
“Nah. It’s all in fun. He’s cool.”
“I’d bet a month’s salary that Christian wouldn’t think so.”
“Jealous much?”
“Not a bit. I like my freedom.”
“That’s enough, you two. Jesse, get me Hawk. We need to report in.”
“Preceptor Igaklay, would you please link us to Commander Marston?” Jesse asked into the air.
“Certainly, Sergeant Brown.”
“Marston here.”
“Bad news, Hawk,” Jean responded. “The Mortek are building up their fleet in Bridgelen. They’ve got more ships.”
“We knew that they would make a push. It looks like they’re getting ready to.”
“There’s more. We see two super dreadnaughts.”
“Plop! We need to get Weiskoff in on this. Hold a moment. Igaklay, are you hearing this?”
“Yes, Commander. I’ve linked Vice-Admiral Weiskoff’s wrist quant-com in.”
“Vice-Admiral?”
“Marston? What?”
“The Mortek are building up their fleet in Bridgelen.”
“We know that. What have they got? What is their rate of increase?”
“Gazelle is currently running recon. She’ll get you the current numbers. It will take some doing to measure the increase rate.”
“Where are they getting the extra ships? I thought you cleaned out Cencore.”
“We captured the ships. We’re currently taking back the shipyards. So, nothing’s coming out of there.”
“It must be that damned fleet in Dorogon. The one that killed my ships and ran off Odin.”
“That was our guess, Vice-Admiral,” Gazelle’s Captain interrupted.
“You, get me the current count. And the formation. I’ll send Heimdallr to Dorogon. Get a sit-rep.”
“Roger that, Sir. We were just planning our jump sequence as we contacted Commander Marston.”
“Get that to me ASAP. Out.”
“I have broken the link, Commander.”
“Thank you, Igaklay. Hornet, do your runs. Send Weiskoff your intel. Keep him happy. Copy me.”
“Will do, Hawk. Out”
“Man, I’m glad that we aren’t part of Federacy Fleet, anymore. Now that Number Three thinks of himself as Number One, he’s more of a stick than he was before.”
“True, Sergeant. How are you doing on the run?”
“Give me an hour. I want to make sure it’s perfect. With that many front-line ships, one mistake and we’re space dust.”
“Take your time.”
An hour later, Jesse looked up from her console.
“I think I got it, Captain.”
She pushed the jump pattern up onto the main screen. It appeared as a corkscrew winding down an elongated sphere.
“You’re jump points look good, Jesse. But, a good A.I. will be able to suss out the pattern. The Mortek could anticipate our next jump point and flood the area. Keep the jump points. But, we need to put them in a random order.”
“If the Mortek have a central control A.I., it will be able to extrapolate our random number generator on our puny one in no time.”
“Preceptor Igaklay, I have a request.”
“You need a high-powered random generation,” the three Gazelle crewmates heard back.
“Yup.”
“I’ve checked your jump points. Since you have thirty-one jumps, I will use the pulsar waves multiple times as my seed number. The Mortek A.I. will never be able to keep up with me!”
“That works.”
“I just received the sequence, Captain.”
“Good, Sergeant. All sensors running?”
“Including video and the full light spectrum, Captain.”
“Mandy, on my mark.”
Jean held her hand less than a half an inch over the panic button. Taking a long, slow breath, she counted.
“Three two, one, mark!”
Eight seconds and thirty-two jumps later, Gazelle floated in her starting position.
“I’m firing off the intel. We’ll check it out later,” Gazelle’s Captain stated.
She worked her console, sending the large number of data packets through Igaklay’s quantum entanglement network.
“Captain, I’m picking up eight missiles inbound. They’re coming in hot. Eight-tenths SOL. Arriving in seventeen seconds.”
“Mandy, Tolimar, please.”
Mandy’s fingers flew over her console, calling up the Tolimar jump sequence which would take Gazelle back to her current home base. She tapped an icon.
Eight Mortek missiles passed through the empty space once occupied by Gazelle then continued on, into the Deep Dark.
Aboard Vengeance – Ballison
Now with artificial gravity permeating the Mortek cruiser, Vice-Admiral Weiskoff sat in his luxury, high-backed chair, watching the jerky video of the now more massive Mortek fleet. After watching the full eight seconds, he restarted, freezing each of the thirty-one jumps and scrutinizing the image.
Speaking into his personal tablet, he described his observations, added comments and spoke his thoughts on attack. After multiple reviews, he stopped the recording and spoke to the air.
“Igaklay, contact the Griffin personnel. Tell them that we are leaving within two hours for maneuvers.”
“But, Vice-Admiral, Mr. McCauley, Legate Morris and Mz. Benton haven’t completed their systems tests.”
“Can’t be helped. Just do it.”
“Aye, aye, Vice-Admiral.” Following his Commander’s lead, Igaklay didn’t argue. He just obeyed.
“Captain Brewer, Mr. Clarke,” Weiskoff spoke into the ship’s com system. “My ready room in ten.”
In less than ten minutes, Vengeance’s Captain and Weiskoff’s Adjunct found themselves sitting around a smart table, staring at Gazelle’s intel on Bridgelen. With all sipping coffee and absorbing what they looked at, Lieutenant Clarke began the discussion.
“It looks like the Mortek are building up for a push. They’ve changed from a defensive sphere to a cylinder. The fleet configuration points at Cencore and Corrinar.”
“I think that you are right, Mr. Clarke. Also, based upon the intel we received on the Stinger attack in Cencore, this could be a mobile version of the defensive formation they organized there.”
“Could be. Its diameter is still too large to fit through a gate though.”
“They’re not ready to move, Captain. I suspect that they well collapse the formation as each wave enters the gate, whichever one they pick.”
“It could be a feint. Where they’ve setup, there’s room to maneuver the entire formation.”
“We’ll keep that in mind. Igaklay,” Weiskoff spoke to the air. “Get me Marston.”
“Commander Marston is on the link, Vice-Admiral.” Other than emphasizing Krag’s rank, Igaklay kept his tone very neutral.
“Marston, get your Stingers ready. We need a pre-emptive strike.”
“With what, Vice-Admiral? The Stingers have no chance of inflicting any harm on that fleet. That robot trick, sure as stars, won’t work again.”
“We’re doing a final test run on Vengeance within the next two hours. Pick up your people or they’re along for the ride.”
“Mr. McCauley already notified me. We’ll be there within the half-hour. I highly recommend that you hold off on your attack, Vice-Admiral. You may be sailing the toughest ship that
the Federacy has ever seen, but the Mortek have seven of them floating in Bridgelen. Plus two super dreadnaughts and ten destroyers. That’s not counting the fifty-five frigates and hundreds of attack ships.”
“I don’t plan on it, Marston. But I need to see what Vengeance is capable of. I’m going to be testing her heavily for the next week. Igaklay, I need those other two cruisers ready by then.”
“That is a week short of the projected completion date.”
“One week. That’s when the two crews will board. Three days of testing and joint flight tests. Ten days. I plan on attacking in ten days.”
“I have to object, Vice-Admiral.”
“Object all you want, Marston. The Mortek do not intersperse their ships. They layer them. First attackers, then frigates, then destroyers, then cruisers, finally the dreadnaughts. I’m going to cut the nose off that formation.”
“If it’s anything like we ran into in Cencore, you’re running a gauntlet.”
“Well, Igaklay’s magic shield had better be all he makes it out to be.”
“It is, Vice-Admiral! Your shields will last up to sixteen seconds! Griffin’s screens could last, at the most, four seconds. You will see!”
“The Vice-Admiral isn’t questioning your work, Preceptor Igaklay. He is just voicing concerns.”
“I know, Commander. I know that it is strange for an artificial intelligence to say, but, I am proud of the work that I have done on Vengeance.”
“I am too, Preceptor. I am very proud of you. With your new emotional matrix, it is not a strange thing to say, at all.”
“Thank you, Ambassador.”
“I can’t talk you out of this, Vice-Admiral? Postpone your attack for a month?”
“No, Marston. That fleet could be double in size by then. Once it moves, more systems will fall. No. we go in ten days. Igaklay, is that clear?”
“I understand, Vice-Admiral.”
“Get me Heimdallr.”
“Heimdallr Actual, Vice-Admiral.”
“Captain, change of plans. You are ordered to patrol Bridgelen for the next ten days, beginning immediately.”
“Aye, aye, Sir. Heimdallr is fully supplied and ready to sail.”
“Send a report every four hours. Every hour if the Mortek fleet begins to move.”
“Sir, yes, sir.”
“Dismissed.”
“Sir!”
“You too, Marston. You are dismissed.”
Ballison HEB Alliance HQ
The Griffin crew sat around the conference table in the meeting room of the Ballisonian Governmental Pyramid, now renamed HEB Alliance H.Q. almost all shook their heads at the just-ended conversation with Vice-Admiral Weiskoff. Igaklay reached out, grabbed his communicator pyramid and returned it to its pouch pocket. Keiko stood, walked over to the processor station and ordered hot tea. They others followed, with all finally returning to their seats. Throughout the activity, no one spoke.
“Ya know that he’s gonna get everyone killed, right, Cap?”
“There’s a good chance of that, Mack. Igaklay, could you get Jean?”
Igaklay returned the pyramid to the table and froze a second.
“Hawk? What do you need?”
“Weiskoff is going to attack Bridgelen ten days from now.”
“How many ships?”
“Three Mortek cruisers.”
“Having three of those under his command has gone to his head. He saw what we saw, right?”
“Yup.”
“The Stingers can’t help him, Hawk. We get anywhere close to that defensive formation and we’re moths in a flame.”
“I know. That’s not why I commed. We need to find out where the Mortek are getting their ships from.”
“We figure Dorogon.”
“I agree. You’re still in Bridgelen, right?”
“Nope. Back in Tolimar.”
“Why don’t you hop on over to Dorogon and see what you can see.”
“What about Bridgelen?”
“Weiskoff just ordered Heimdallr to Bridgelen for a ten-day recon.”
“I knew it. When they meet up again, Jesse is going to give Brooks all kinds of grief.”
“Is that okay with you? Scouting Dorogon?”
“No problem, Hawk. After we report in, we’ll jump back to Tolimar. Anchor there.”
“The Stingers. They’re there, already?”
“Yes. It seems to be our de facto home base, for now.”
“I don’t see any problem with that. Keep an eye on Cruiser One. Old Man Roth is setting up a prison settlement for the crew. Oh, and about three hundred more Mortek are coming in from the main Cencore shipyard. Stay in the loop.”
“Will do, Hawk. Anything else?”
“I’ve got a small freighter about ready to join your flight.”
“Who did you find to captain her?”
“Do you remember my telling you about the Sub-Captain on Wisdom Seeker?”
“The Elonian who betrayed her Captain?”
“Yup. Dame Desinal. She stepped up. Pled guilty. Accepted a five-year prison term and expulsion from Clan Kaporine.”
“Ouch.”
“In return, she and her family get a ship. A small freighter. After our war, she serves her time and gets back into space.”
“She went against orders once. Why won’t she do it again?”
“We’re treating her like the Mortek POWS. She wears a collar and Igaklay monitors twenty-four, seven. She steps out of line, we slag the jump-drive, pick her up and throw her in prison. Her family goes back to Elonia.”
“Harsh, Hawk. But I see it working.”
“Be tough on her. But fair. Jump her if she doesn’t give you full effort. I think, except for some wrong-headedness, she’s good people. I think she’ll come through for you.”
“You’re the boss. When do I get her? What’s her ship’s name, by the way?”
“Reprieve. She’s got to pick up her family and get everyone trained up. A week?”
“Our first Elonian ship. It should be fun. Anything else?”
“No, not for now. Signing off.”
“Out, Hawk.”
“The link is dropped, Commander.”
“Thank you, Igaklay. Where do we stand with the HEB Alliance Merchant Fleet?”
“Captain Overman found two crewmates for Reprieve and Dame Desinal is currently evaluating their efficiency. If they are acceptable, I believe that she will wish to leave as soon as possible.”
“Have Dame Desinal report in when she is ready.”
“Will do, Commander.”
“What else?”
“As you know, Jewel of the Stars is finished. She is ready to begin shuttling troops to Cencore,” Igaklay responded.
“I’m sorry to have neglected you and this whole ship upgrade operation, but we’ve been swamped this last month.”
“I know, Commander. Having observed you and learning your and Ambassador Suzume’s way of thinking, I have been able to anticipate your requirements.”
“What have you accomplished with our fledgling fleet, Igaklay?”
“You will like, it, Ambassador! Knowing that you have ten small ships, your ‘Stingers’, I focused the repairs and upgrades on mid-sized and large ships.”
“The first large freighter has been upgraded with jump drives, shields and dark matter collectors. Under Master Engineer Varrini’s direction, the Elonians have installed and connected the gravity rocket launchers.”
“Are you saying that she is ready to fly?”
“Yes, Commander. The second ship of the HEB Alliance Merchant Fleet is ready to sail.”
“Nah, Iggy. She’s the third. Griffin is the first.”
“No one notified me that Griffin is part of the fleet, Mack.”
“That should have been intuitively obvious, Iggy.”
“A.I.’s do not have intuition, Wrenchy.”
“Maybe Sweet Sue could write you a module for that.”
“Don’t you go ma
king more work for me, Lug-Nut.”
“Never, Love. Just thinking.”
“And, Commander, we will have two more mid-sized freighters completed by the time Vice-Admiral Weiskoff attacks the Mortek fleet!”
“Does that include the android A.I.’s?”
“Yes! On all three ships!”
“Now, we need crews.”
“Um, Commander, sorry to interrupt.”
“No problem Gopai. What have you got to say?”
“I have been approached by some of my people.”
“And?”
“Well, many Elonians in the lower village wish to learn the space trade. Many see the opportunities brought about by the Ballisonian technology. They wish to crew ships.”
“Krag, this is a wonderful opportunity. You should have Gopai recruit these Elonians.”
“You read my mind, Keiko. Vassal Gopai, you are charged with the recruitment of as many Elonians which you can find who want to become space farers.”
“Both seed bringers and child bearers,” Keiko interjected.
“At your command, Commander. At your request, Ambassador. When would you like me to start?”
“Immediately. However, if Griffin is needed to sail, you must keep yourself available.”
“That is my first duty, Commander. With your leave?”
“Go ahead.”
Everyone watched Gopai hurry from the conference area and through the pyramid portal.
“Now, we need three captains and officer crews.”
“Perhaps we should contact Mistress Analyn,” Keiko offered.
“Good idea. Buster, please contact the Mistress and request her presence. If need be, we can come to her.”
The silver-skinned Buster, sitting in one of the chairs, froze then unfroze.
“Mistress Analyn was studying Ballisonian history. She can suspend her research and come immediately.”
“What are you thinking, Krag?”
“Wisdom Seeker. Currently, that is a dead-end job. Captain Kakkarna may have someone in mind who’s chomping at the bit for a promotion that is never going to happen.”
“It’s worth a try. What about the fighter pilots on Tolimar?”
“Nope. They’re Federacy. Weiskoff will snatch them up when he needs them.”
“Oy, Cap. Commander Kelly.”
“Again, Federacy.”
Victory in the Stars (Marston Chronicles Book 6) Page 29