by Don Viecelli
Jason and Doug saluted back and boarded the shuttle. Commander Drake was flying alone so Doug asked if he could sit in the co-pilot seat to help out. “I hope you don’t mind. It’s been awhile since I’ve flown one of these.”
“Not at all, sir. You’ll notice some improvements on these models. I’ll be happy to point them out during the flight.”
Admiral Weston found his seat behind the pilot seats and strapped in. Drake closed the shuttle door, took his seat and prepared for departure. Flight Control Tower cleared the shuttle for takeoff. The shuttle lifted off the Flight Deck and flew out through the open hangar bay doors.
Drake entered space coordinates for the Bakutu. He received acknowledgement to approach. “We’re cleared to land on the Bakutu. It will take a few minutes to get there. The warship is orbiting Jupiter.”
“I see this shuttle is armed with KEMs,” Doug commented looking at the control panel.
“Correct, sir. We carry two Kinetic Energy Missiles for offensive purposes as well as nuclear missiles and laser guns. The lasers are also used for anti-missile defensive purposes. The shuttle has the new QVT Quantum Vacuum Thrusters or Q-Thrusters and FTL hyperdrive system. We can go anywhere the warships go now, sir.”
“What about control systems?” Doug asked.
“The AIC system has been upgraded to take control of the shuttle if anything happens to the crew, sir. It’s fully automatic now. That’s why we only need one pilot to fly this thing.”
“I suppose that’s a good thing since we don’t have enough pilots for our space fighters yet. We could operate all our fighters and shuttles as drones if necessary,” Doug said with some reservation.
Admiral Weston spoke up in back. “We don’t want to let everything be controlled by AIC, just those functions that humans can’t react fast enough to handle in battle. That said, we all know we can’t win this war without AIC helping us.”
The shuttle finally reached Jupiter. It locked onto the Bakutu AIC autopilot signal and Drake let it guide the shuttle inside the hangar bay and land. A few seconds later, they all exited the shuttle. Drake stayed behind to wait for their return. Jason and Doug followed the Holtu officer sent to take them to Vice Leader Di.
Di, First Leader Miata and First Chair Cleota were waiting for them in Di’s stateroom located on the same deck as the Command Center. The officers saluted each other as soon as Jason and Doug entered the room. Di said, “Welcome aboard the Bakutu, Admiral Weston; Captain Martin. You know First Chair Cleota and my XO, First Leader Miata. Please, take a seat at the table.”
Jason said, “It’s nice to see you again Vice Leader; First Leader; First Chair Cleota. Captain Martin and I are surprised by your unexpected visit to Mars. May I ask, what brings you here?”
Di nodded his head towards Cleota. “I will let First Chair Cleota explain the reason for our visit.”
Cleota addressed the group. “I am on my way back to Qum. It is time for me to help reestablish our government and help the people on my planet. I asked Vice Leader Di for a ride to Qum. Di has been tasked to find our starship, the Solruku, and our scientist, Tumil. We are concerned what the Yoyka may have learned from the capture of the Solruku.”
“Has there been any word or message from the Solruku since the Battle For Holtu?” Doug asked.
“Nothing since the last message from the AI, Shonya. It is likely Tumil is dead or being tortured for his knowledge of Onutu technology. We have to assume the Yoyka now possess the details for the FTL hyperdrive. It is only a matter of time before the Yoyka return to attack our planets.”
“We agree, First Chair Cleota,” Jason said. “Our government and military leaders all agree now is the time to take the war on the offensive and start attacking Yoyka military bases. We should not wait for them to attack us again.”
Di spoke up. “A small fleet of nine warships will meet me at Qum. From there I will plan our first mission into Yoyka space. You are welcome to join me, Admiral Weston, if you wish. My first priority is to locate the Solruku; free it or destroy it so the Yoyka cannot use it against us. Hopefully, we can also find and return Tumil. Another mission is to locate any rebel forces fighting against the Yoyka and see if they will join us. Together, we will find a way to end the tyranny of the Yoykan Empire.”
Jason looked at Doug, then Di and answered, “It will be our great pleasure to join you in this mission, Vice leader Di. I will send for approval from our UN Space Strike Force commander, General William Bradstone, as soon as I return to my warship.”
“Then this meeting is over. First Chair Cleota is anxious to return to Qum as soon as possible.” They all stood up at the table and shook hands before leaving.
Cleota had the final word. “Please tell President Anderson I am sorry I could not stay long enough to visit, but I know we will meet again soon.”
Jason and Doug bid them all goodbye and headed back to their shuttle. They had preparations to make for joining Di on his mission. It felt good to go on the offensive for the first time in the war. Training time was over.
Chapter 15
Return To Qum
The trip to Qum lasted ten hours at FTL speed. Doug was glad to see Qum from his viewing screen once again when the USS Illinois dropped out of hyperspace. The last time he was here was when the Yoyka sent the nanomachine kill code and killed nine billion Qumru citizens in the blink of an eye. It was the most horrendous mass genocide anyone had ever witnessed, including the Holtu androids. It brought back terrible memories.
“We’re approaching Qum, Admiral,” Doug said on the Bridge.
“Let them know we’re coming. I have the Bakutu on my radar scan. Vice Leader Di is already in orbit around Qum. I’ll send him a message to see what he plans to do,” Jason said in response.
A moment later, Di sent a message back. Jason read the message. “Di is preparing to take a shuttle down to the surface with First Chair Cleota. He wants us to meet him in Ollala.”
Doug made a call to the Flight Control Tower and requested a shuttle be ready to leave as soon as their ship parked in orbit around Qum.
“Should I request Commander Drake to pilot the shuttle?” Doug asked.
“Yes, and have Colonel Tills and a few of her Marines join us to inspect the troops on the ground.”
“Yes, Admiral.” Doug made the call to Colonel Tills and instructed her to meet them on Flight Deck Level 11 in fifteen minutes.
Doug finished up his XO duties on the Bridge, turned control of the ship over to the duty officer and followed Admiral Weston to the elevator. They made their way to the hangar bay on Level 11 and located the shuttle. Everyone was already inside waiting for them to arrive.
Doug sat next to Colonel Tills and said, “I’m glad you’re joining us on this visit. I hope things are better on Qum since the last time we were here.”
“Me too. It’s the worst thing I ever saw. The Yoyka need to pay for this.”
“I agree with you. We’ll get them, no matter what it takes.”
The shuttle was cleared for takeoff and left the hangar bay quickly. The ride down to the surface of Qum would only take a few minutes. They were headed for the Ollala Spaceport. Doug could see the city out the window as the shuttle descended through the clouds. It was a pretty sight, which helped improve his mood in spite of the bad memories he held from his last visit.
The shuttle landed safely and everyone got off. They made their way inside and found a Space Marine waiting to drive everyone to the Capitol Building where the meeting was to be held. The drive was short and they were dropped off at the front steps of the building. Admiral Weston led the way inside the building rotunda, which was twice as large and elaborate as the US Capital Building in Washington, DC. It was filled with portraits and statues of past First Chair leaders and other government leaders. First Chair Cleota’s portrait was hanging on one of the walls alongside four other leaders. Doug was told none of the other First Chairs survived Yoyka’s attack on Qum and were awaiting revival on Holt
u.
Doug followed the others inside a large conference room on the second floor overlooking the rotunda. Inside were several Qumru government leaders standing next to First Chair Cleota. Vice Leader Di and First Leader Miata were nearby waiting for Doug and Admiral Weston to approach.
“It’s good to see you again, Vice Leader Di,” Admiral Weston said in conversation.
“I am glad you were able to follow us to Qum,” Di said.
“General Bradstone thought it was a good idea to join you in this mission, Vice Leader. It’s time we learn more of our enemy’s strength before the next battle.”
“Spoken like a true warrior, Admiral. We will learn much from this mission, I am confident.”
Doug looked around the room. He noticed Killian and Jopar just arrived. He went over to great them. He turned on his translation device in his ear.
“I didn’t expect to see you both here, Killian, Jopar,” Doug said giving them the traditional bow.
“First Chair Cleota invited us. We are excited she has returned to help us rebuild our society,” Killian replied.
“We are hoping she will tell us what will happen to the Qumru we lost,” Jopar added.
“I’m sure she will. We’re all anxious to bring the people you lost back to Qum as soon as possible,” Doug said in return.
The lights darkened indicating for everyone to take a seat in the room. There was a table in the front for First Chair Cleota and a few other government leaders to sit. The rest found row seats in the sitting area.
First Chair Cleota stood up. “Greetings to all of you and thank you for attending. I am so glad to return to my people and my home. The past few months have been a very trying time for all of us. Our people have suffered greatly from the unprovoked attack by the Yoykan Empire. Thanks to the Holtu military and our new Military Alliance with the Humans of Earth and Mars, we have fought back and let the Yoyka know we will not stand for their treachery and tyrannical rule of other races in our galaxy.
“Everyone in this room knows this war is not over. The Yoyka will try to attack us again. We must be prepared and on guard against this. To that end, we will seek help from other races we know from our space travels. Now is the time to build up forces for good and stop the evil that has found its way to power.
“This is one of the reasons the Qumru created the Holtu androids to serve and protect us over the years. We never expected to need their help to keep our race from facing extinction from the Yoyka. The Qumru have been a peaceful race for centuries. We must now learn how to fight again, for our survival depends upon it.
“The other reason for my return is to help prepare the way for the return of the billions of Qumru we lost to the nanomachines. With the miracle of our Onutu technology, we will be able to bring most of them back to enjoy the lives they lost. The sheer magnitude of the lives to be recovered will take years to accomplish, but it will be done; this I promise you. However, we must wait until the war with the Yoyka is over. We simply do not have the resources to bring everyone back at this time.”
There was a groan from the crowd in the room when they heard the news. Most Qumru that survived the nanomachine attack hoped their loved ones would be returned to them soon. Now that believe was shaken.
“Please, do not despair. We will do everything we can to bring them back, but you need to understand if the Yoyka win the war they will seek us all out to exterminate us. With Onutu, our people can survive even if on another planet far, far away from here.”
The crowd quieted down and seemed willing to listen to Cleota. After all, she was their leader and they believed in her.
“Please pass this knowledge on to others. Tell them their loved ones are safe and their lives will not be lost. They will return to them one day, as soon as the Yoyka are defeated. That is all I have to say for now. I will send this same message to everyone on Qum today. We have much work to do, so let us begin.”
The meeting was over. First Chair Cleota walked over to Vice Admiral Di, Admiral Weston Doug, Killian and Jopar. Cleota spoke to Killian and Jopar first. “I hope you understand why we must wait before bringing our people back with Onutu.”
Killian bowed before speaking. “Jopar and I agree with your decision, First Chair Cleota. We have been dealing with the after affects of the Qumru we saved. Many of them are still in shock and suffer mental issues from the Yoyka attack and mind control. We are in desperate need of more medical personnel to help us here on Qum.”
“I will make the request from our people on Holtu. I am sure we can help you with these issues. We can discuss this in more detail in my office today.”
Cleota turned to Di and asked, “How long do you intend to stay with us Vice Leader?”
Di replied, “I was informing Admiral Weston we just received an urgent message from a Synoran warship Senior Commander named Koral. He requests we visit his planet Synor immediately. It seems the Yoyka have tested a new weapon on his people. From what he is telling us, this weapon is much worse than the nanomachines. It is not meant to control the local population. It is meant to kill and erase entire races on captive worlds for future Yoyka colonization.”
Cleota’s face hardened in anger as she thought about what she just heard. “Are you going to investigate this claim?”
“Yes, First Chair. We need to gather information and samples to see if we can counter the weapon. It will be dangerous if the Yoyka are still in the sector.”
“What about the Solruku and Tumil?” Cleota asked.
“It is still my highest priority, First Chair. But this new weapon may have been developed to use on our worlds as well. We need to know what we may have to deal with sooner than we thought.”
“Then I will not take any more of your time, Vice Leader. Please keep me informed what you discover.”
“I will, First Chair. I will request more warships be sent to Qum to help protect your people just in case the Yoyka show up before I return. We will not let the Yoyka attack Qum again without a fight.”
“I will hold you to your word, Vice Leader Di. In the meantime, we will continue to rebuild our world as fast as we can. I will impress upon them the need to increase our military defenses and prepare for battle if the Yoyka do indeed return.”
“We will help you, First Chair,” Admiral Weston said. “Colonel Tills will stay here with her Space Marines and they will help as long as you need them.”
Cleota seemed pleased and she bowed to everyone before turning and walking out of the room. Di announced it was time to return to their warships and see just what was happening on Synor.
Chapter 16
Synor Visit
Vice Leader Di emerged from hyperspace near Synor with his fleet and immediately scanned the solar system.
“All clear, Vice Leader, except for one Synoran warship in orbit around Synor,” First Leader Miata announced.
“Take us to the planet. Send two warships to scan all the planets in this system for signs of the Yoyka.”
“Yes, Vice Leader.”
Di then contacted the Synoran warship and waited until Senior Commander Koral appeared on his vidcom display. “Commander Koral, I have arrived with my fleet to investigate your report of atrocities by the Yoyka.”
“It is good to meet you, Vice Leader Di. It has been a long time since I have met with a Holtu android. I notice another warship in your fleet with different colors and name. Do you have allies?”
“The USS Illinois is a Human warship, part of our Galactic Military Alliance against the Yoykan Empire. It is commanded by Admiral Jason Weston. I will conference him in on this call so you can meet the Humans of Earth who helped us defeat the Yoyka at the Battle For Holtu and in Earth’s own Solar System. The Humans are a strong ally and fight the Yoyka without fear.”
“What about the Qumru? Do they fight now?” Koral asked knowing the history of the Qumru people.
“They are learning fast, Commander Koral. All our warships and space fighters are now crewed with Humans
and Qumru people. I hope the Synorans will join us to defeat the Yoyka.”
Koral was silent for a moment before speaking. “The people on Synor have just been wiped out by the Yoyka; billions of my people without mercy! Those of us left will certainly join your alliance if permitted to do so.”
“We came to see for ourselves what occurred on Synor. We are concerned what type of new weapon the Yoyka have developed that could be used against us as well.”
“You may scan our planet, but you will not find any Synoran people alive on the surface. They are all dead. It may be possible some have survived in deep underground bunkers, but most were found when the Yoyka sent their nanomachines to enslave our people.
“It is too dangerous to visit the surface of Synor. If you come to my warship, I will show you what we have found. Perhaps your scientists can help us determine how to stop it.”
“I will come to your ship right away. I will invite Admiral Weston and Captain Martin from the USS Illinois to join us on your warship, Commander Koral.”
Di ended the call. He turned command of the Bakutu over to First Leader Miata and requested a shuttle to fly to Commander Koral’s warship.
The shuttle carrying Vice Leader Di landed on Koral’s ship a few minutes later. Right behind him the shuttle carrying Admiral Weston and Doug Martin arrived in the hangar. All three were escorted to the Command Center where Commander Koral met them on the Bridge.
Doug noticed the Synor warship was smaller than the Bakutu, but just as impressive in the amount of firepower it possessed. According to ship diagrams the Holtu had on file, Synoran warships were equivalent to US Navy destroyers with the firepower of bigger battleships. Holtu warships were more similar to Navy aircraft carriers with Zoltu space fighter wings, but also equipped with more powerful firepower due to all the weapon enhancements. One thing for sure, Doug thought to himself, Synoran warships would be a good addition to the military alliance if there were enough warships to make a difference.