Imperial Command

Empire Rising Book 10

D. J. Holmes

https://www.facebook.com/Author.D.J.Holmes

d.j.holmess@hotmail.com

Comments welcome!

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales are entirely coincidental.

Copyright © D. J. Holmes 2020

Prologue

Freighter Dalliance, New Delhi system, Indian colonial space.

“Easy now,” Angela said softly as she eased back her freighter’s throttle to the point where its breaking thrusters kicked in. “Easy now.” Her eyes were fixed on the four Indian frigates. They were patrolling the approaches to the world that filled her viewscreen. Having spent the last eight hours crawling into the system, she didn’t want them to detect her now.

“Ah,” she said as she let out a deep breath. Her freighter had come to a stop relative to the colony and there hadn’t been so much as a twitch from any of the patrolling ships. Reaching for another control button, she sent out the prearranged signal. Then she sat back in her chair and gently patted her control terminal. “Now we wait.” Her contact had said the locals were crying out for her cargo. He had been so adamant that she had diverted from her original destination. She was much more accustomed to dodging Canadian customs officials, but just this once, she was happy to try her luck in Indian colonial space. With some help from the locals, and a bit of skill, Angela was confident that she was about to come into a nice sum of money. The group calling themselves the Imperial Loyalists seemed desperate for the small arms hidden within Dalliance’s cargo hold.

And if they want to play the fools, who am I to stop them? Angela asked herself. She had laughed out loud when she had first heard the name her prospective clients had given themselves. As far as she was concerned, the Empire was a joke. It was just something the survivors on Earth and the Alpha and Beta colonies had come up with. Sure, she understood their fear. After what had happened to them anyone would be scared. But the rest of the Human colonies? There was no way she could see them joining. Several referendums had been scheduled, including on her homeworld of Québec, but she was sure they would come to nothing. There’s not even going to be a referendum here, Angela thought. Of course, that was why she suspected the so-called Imperial Loyalists wanted her weapons. The intelligence she had gathered on New Delhi before coming to the system suggested the local government officials had basically taken complete control over the colony. With the Indian government having been all but wiped out by the Karacknid attack on Earth, a power vacuum had appeared. And nature abhors a vacuum. Angela thought. Which explained why one of the local elected officials had proclaimed himself Governor of the colony. Now that he has power, there is no way he’s going to just give it up to some Empress back on Earth. And he won’t look too kindly on anyone who thinks otherwise. That explained the tight security patrols in orbit. The new ruler of the colony was keeping a close eye on who came in and out of his system. Which was exactly why Angela had no intention of entering orbit. If the Imperial Loyalists wanted her merchandise, they’d have to come to her.

Just as her patience was wearing thin, a message arrived from the surface. It had taken four hours. “Finally,” Angela said as she sat forward. She opened the text message, unencrypted it, and began to read. “Ok, that’s doable,” she concluded. The Imperial Loyalists had a contact who captained one of the many intra system mining freighters. It was scheduled to break orbit and head out to one of the outer mining facilities to pick up a load of minerals. As it passed Dalliance, Angela was to match its course and speed to make the transfer. A glance at her cockpit’s chronometer told her she had just two hours until the rendezvous. Reaching for Dalliance’s controls, she ever so slowly reorientated the freighter and gently accelerated. An hour later the freighter’s passive sensors detected the massive freighter moving out of orbit. It out massed Dalliance by a factor of fifty. Of course, where Dalliance was built for speed and equipped for FTL travel, the mineral freighter was designed to do nothing more than haul minerals in from the outer system.

Despite its size, the ship’s acceleration rate surprised Angela. Then she remembered it was empty. On its return journey its mass would probably increase by over a thousand percent. It needs decent engines to be able to make the return journey in a reasonable time. It’s a good thing I started moving when I did. With the freighter’s acceleration, Dalliance would just about be able to match its speed when the two ships passed one another. If she had delayed, she might have had to risk increasing her own acceleration to a point where the gravimetric waves given off by Dalliance’s engines could be detected by the Indian patrols.

For another forty-five minutes she watched the freighter approach. When the two ships were close enough, a laser COM link flashed Dalliance’s antenna. She responded by sending the second confirmation code her contact had given her. Then a man’s face appeared in front of her, though he looked more like a boy than a man.

“Greetings Captain, you can call me D,” the man said. His juvenile tone of voice did nothing to reassure Angela he really knew what he was about. “I believe you have something for me?”

“I do, if you have something for me,” Angela replied.

“Of course, just as was agreed. Shall we dock and my men can come aboard?” D asked.

“Not a chance,” Angela said as she shook her head. “No one is boarding my ship. We’ll dock and you’ll hand over the payment. Then I’ll move the crates across. I don’t want to see a single one of you.”

“Not the trusting type?” D asked with a smile. “I guess it’s the times we’re in. But why do you think we’ll just hand over the payment first?”

“Because you need me far more than I need you,” Angela replied as she lifted her chin. “I already had a buyer for my merchandise lined up. I’m sure they’d be happy to hear I still have what they’re looking for. I might not get quite the same amount you’re paying. But I don’t take any risks. So we do it my way or not at all. Take it or leave it.”

D screwed up his lips for a brief moment, but then he broke into another smile. “Ok then, we’ll do it your way. You know why we want the weapons don’t you? We have no desire to cheat you. We want freedom for all.” Angela couldn’t help but snort. “What is it?” D frowned.

Angela rolled her eyes. “Nothing,” she responded. She wasn’t about to get into an argument about politics with someone who looked like he had still been a teenager just a couple of months ago. Not that you’re much older, a voice in the back of Angela’s mind told her. She dismissed it. Yes, she was only twenty-two, but she had been through a lot in her short life, and she had seen even more. She wasn’t a wide-eyed naïve newcomer like her client. If he wanted to play around with regime change on an authoritarian Indian colony, he was welcome to all the ‘fun’ that would come his way. Angela wanted nothing to do with it.

“Alright,” D said in a tone that suggested he wanted to press her but didn’t quite have the guts. “We’ll be alongside you in another five minutes, we’ll have the payment ready to transfer as soon as we dock.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Angela replied and cut the COM link.

Jumping up, she made her way through the freighter’s central corridor to the main cargo hold. The ship to ship docking hatch opened directly into the hold. Moving to the two auto turrets she had set up, she checked their settings. They wouldn’t turn on unless she sent them a command, but when they did, they would open fire on anything that moved. Next she woke up the nearest freight drone. She would use it to retrieve the platinum bars that were her payment. Then it could begin to move the crates of weapons she had hidden amongst her legitimate cargo.

A sudden clunk told her the freighter had made contact with her own. A few seconds later the docking hatch beeped and flashed to let her know another ship had created an air seal. Moving back, Angela took cover behind a crate, pulled out her plasma pistol, and sent the hatch an order to open. It did with a sharp hiss, but silence quickly returned to the cargo hold. Angela waited a couple of seconds before slowly moving out from her cover. As she began to move D shot his head in through the hatch. Instinctively she raised her pistol.

“We have your payment right here,” D said as he waved towards her with his hands. He froze however when he saw her weapon.

“I said no one was to come onto my ship,” Angela replied through clenched teeth.

D raised his hands above his head. He then looked down to his feet and nodded. “Technically I’m still on my ship. I just wanted to let you know we were here. I’ll get out of your way.”

“See that you do,” Angela snapped. She wasn’t afraid of D, but she didn’t know who else was on board the freighter. She was taking no chances. She had nearly lost Dalliance twice because she had been too trusting. That was not a mistake she intended to make again.

When she was content that he had moved away from the docking hatch, Angela sent the freight drone towards it. She watched through a visual feed it was sending to her datapad. When it identified the crate of platinum sitting just beyond the hatch, she gave it orders to retrieve it. Less than a minute later the crate was safely stowed on board Dalliance. As soon as it was, Angela moved over to it and inspected her pay. After sampling a few of the bars, she was happy she was getting what she had been promised. Pulling out her datapad again she sent new instructions to the freight drone. It quickly began to move the crates she had assigned to it across to the mineral freighter, she wanted to be out of the New Delhi system as fast as possible.

“So,” D said from the docking hatch, making Angela spin around, her plasma pistol in hand once again. She relaxed, albeit only slightly, when she saw he already had his arms raised.

“What do you want?” she asked with a sigh.

“I just wanted to see if you plan to come back this way anytime soon? We might be interested in a few more items if you could provide them.”

Angela glanced at the bars of platinum. They would provide more than enough funds for her to go legitimate for at least six months. With the massive demand coming from the Sol system for supplies and raw materials, every independent freighter operator was flocking to the system. As much as Angela liked to keep herself out of the spotlight and operate in less populated systems, she couldn’t resist the money the so-called Empire was splashing around. And working in the Sol system still beats skulking past Indian patrol ships. She was happy to take a risk for a good deal, but when the money for legitimate work was decent, why take the risk?

“Sorry,” she said with a shake of her head. “I don’t think I’ll be out this way again any time soon.”

“Not even if we double the price?” D asked.

That pricked Angela’s interest. At least enough to ask, “Just what kind of merchandise are you looking for?”

“Thermal grenades, explosives, something large enough to take out a building or two, or a tank,” D answered.

Angela had to fight to keep her face straight. That kind of stuff was hard to come by, even for her. But that wasn’t what set her off. Getting your hands on a few hundred plasma pistols was one thing; at worst they could be used to ambush whatever New Delhi had for a civilian guard. Explosives were another entirely; someone who wanted them was likely prepared to use them, and civilian causalities were all but inevitable. “Sorry, I’m not interested,” she said as she shook her head again. “I don’t deal in that kind of hardware.”

“Really?” D asked. “I would think that someone with your skills would know where to pick it up.”

“Moving explosives is above my pay grade,” Angela replied.

“Well maybe we can make it worth your while. I said we’d double your payment. How about triple?”

Again Angela shook her head. She knew she wouldn’t sleep well if she gave over the kind of weaponry D wanted. She wouldn’t exactly call her conscience clean, but she liked it as it was.

D frowned and lowered his hands. Angela’s plasma pistol twitched in her hands. “You do know what we are fighting for?” D asked. “This isn’t a game. We all have to take some risks. If the Governor won’t let us join the Empire diplomatically, then we need to force the issue; before the Karacknids come back.”

Angela was tempted to argue with him. To point out the folly of trying to overthrow an entrenched government. To point out the inevitable bloodshed that would flow. Or how insignificant New Delhi was in the grand scheme of things. But she could see in his eyes that there would be no talking to him. Zeal rather than reason was dictating his thinking. Instead she tried another technique. “What do you think I’m doing now? Enjoying a walk by the beach? I’m taking plenty of risks already. Do you think New Delhi is the only planet that needs help? I am doing my work for the cause. Once I am done here, I have other places I’m needed.” Technically it was true, the Empire did need all the freighters it could get bringing supplies to the Sol system. “The cause is not just about lining your pockets, nor mine. I am needed elsewhere. No amount of platinum will change that.”

Thankfully, the look on D’s face softened. “You have other deliveries to make?”

“Yes, that’s what I do,” Angela responded. “Deliveries your platinum will help pay for. So if you don’t mind getting out of my face. I have work to do.”

D looked like he was about to protest again, then he thought better of it. “One second,” he said instead as he held up a finger. He disappeared. Moments later he returned holding another platinum bar. “You may not be able to get us what we need, but I bet you know someone who could. Will you pass on our requests for us?” As he finished D waved the bar in the air.

Angela sighed. She could do that, for what he was offering. It wasn’t hard to speak to her contact the next time she was back on Quebec. “Fine,” she said as she nodded.

With a grin D tossed the bar into her cargo hold. It hit the deck with a thud and didn’t bounce. “I’ll let you get back to your work Captain,” he said in a tone that made it sound like she had been the one waylaying him. “Good luck.”

“And to you too,” Angela said as he turned his back to her, though she wasn’t sure she meant it. Good luck for D could mean a lot of bad luck for someone else.

With the Imperial Loyalist gone, she focused on getting the last few crates of plasma pistols transferred across from Dalliance. When the third from last was on its way over to the mining freighter, a series of beeps from her datapad whipped her head around. The sensor feed from the cockpit had been automatically sent to her. She swore. An Indian patrol frigate had altered course. It wasn’t settling onto a direct trajectory for the mining freighter, but it was going to come close. They’re on to us, she thought. They don’t want to spook us, but they are on to us. Whether the Indians had received a tip off or had caught a lucky sensor return off her freighter, it didn’t matter. Closing her eyes for a couple of seconds, Angela tried to think as her heart raced. The frigate was still far away. If she finished transferring the weapons and then disengaged from the mining freighter, she could try and sneak away in stealth. By the time the Indian frigate caught up to the freighter she’d be well out of sensor range. But those loyalists can’t be complete idiots. They’d figure out the frigate was after them sooner or later, and when they did, they’d try and make a run for it. If the loyalists had people in some of the outer system mining systems they might have a chance of reaching one of them and offloading the weapons before being caught. And when they ran, the frigate would race here as fast as possible with their sensors blazing. Dalliance would be detected for sure.

That left only one option. With a tap on her datapad, Angela sent the emergency override command to the docking hatch. As it zipped closed, she ran for the bridge. Another series of taps sent orders for Dalliance to power up her reactors and engines. As soon as she jumped into her command chair her fingers worked frantically. Moments later Dalliance’s nose turned away from the mining freighter and her engines pushed her away. Once clear of the freighter, Angela pointed Dalliance’s nose towards the nearest shift passage out of the system and gunned the engines.

Unsurprisingly, the cockpit’s COM unit beeped, D was trying to speak with her. She hesitated for a second then decided to accept. “What are you doing!” D shouted as soon as his face appeared in front of her. “You haven’t given us all our cargo.”

A different beep made Angela pause before she replied. The Indian frigate was changing course again, this time its intentions were clear. It was settling onto a direct intercept trajectory for their position. “Unless you’re completely blind, maybe you see now what I’m doing?” she asked as she failed to keep sarcasm from her voice. “I’d suggest you do the same.”

“You fool,” D shouted, “You have brought them down on us.”

Angela didn’t have the patience to argue with the young man. He was welcome to think that if he wished. It wouldn’t change either of their situations. She had planned on warning him about the Indian frigate, but now there was no point. Without bothering to reply, she cut the COM channel. It was every ship for themselves. When her COM unit beeped again she ignored it. Instead Angela focused on her breathing. With her ship charging as fast as it could to safety, there was nothing else she could do but wait. Allowing panic to overtake her would accomplish nothing. To focus her mind, she stared at the Indian frigate. As Dalliance moved further and further away from the mining freighter, it would have to decide which ship to pursue. Relief flooded her when it became clear the mining freighter was its target. With her head start, and the detour the frigate was taking, she was going to get away. Her mind quickly turned to what to do next. She couldn’t stay in the Indian colonies. Her ship’s sensor profile would be shared with all the Indian customs officials. It would probably be shared even further. She would have to go back to Quebec. Her contact there would hook her up with an engineer who could make enough changes to Dalliance to alter her profile. It’ll probably cost a good chunk of my platinum, but there’s no choice now.

An abrupt change on the sensor display made Angela swear. The mining freighter was cutting its engines! What is going o… Angela swore again when it hit her. The Indian frigate had demanded the mining freighter surrender and they had complied! They’ve probably dumped the weapons overboard. They’ll play the innocent victim. Heck, they’ll probably claim I was a pirate trying to raid them. Angela wanted to scream in frustration. Being hunted as a smuggler was one thing, being classed as a pirate was something else entirely. Dalliance’s sensor profile would be shared through the entire Human Sphere. Military and Customs ships would open fire on her without warning.

Thoughts of her future were suddenly cut off when the Indian frigate changed course. It was turning after her. Seconds later a shuttle emerged from the frigate and headed towards the mining freighter. Angela’s fingers danced across her command console as she carried out some calculations. She didn’t know the maximum missile range of the frigate for sure, but she had a fair idea. “Damn,” she swore as she punched her command console. Dalliance wasn’t going to make it to the mass shadow before the frigate opened fire. They’ll only get one shot, but they’ll make it count. “What are we to do girl?” she asked the only constant in her life, “Do you think we can make it?” The ship didn’t reply, but Angela didn’t see that she had any other choice. She had paid a lot of money for the small freighter’s upgrades. She had a couple of point defense lasers, and powerful maneuvering thrusters. It was enough to give her a chance against another smuggler that might try to get cute with her. But a military grade missile? Angela didn’t know, but she feared she was about to find out.

Thirty-five minutes later a new contact emerged from the frigate. “They didn’t even send us a warning,” Angela complained. “Not that it matters.” She wasn’t going to surrender. Not when they likely thought her a pirate. “Ok.” She rehearsed in her mind how she wanted things to go. She had practiced for such a scenario, but it was very different when it was actually before her.

As calmly as she could, she watched the missile approach her ship. As soon as she could, she opened up with her two point defense lasers. Her heart beat faster and faster as beam after beam zipped past the missile. Its ECM and evasive maneuvers were too much for her. Failing to control her anger and her fear, Angela smashed the laser’s firing controls and grabbed the flight stick. The missile was just twenty seconds away. Throwing the freighter into a corkscrew, she tried to get it to lose lock. At the same time the freighter released two decoys. Almost as if it was laughing at her, the missile flew directly between the two decoys and perfectly matched her corkscrew. Coldness settled onto Angela’s heart. She had been a fool. Thinking a civilian frigate could outsmart a military grade missile was worse than stupid.

With just ten seconds left Angela jumped from her command chair. She took three quick strides to the cockpit’s emergency escape pod. As soon as her bum hit its seat, she hit the eject button. It had taken her just five seconds to get there. It took another second for the pod to initiate, and then it was shooting away from Dalliance. Time seemed to slow down. Through the viewport she watched as her ship shrunk. The Indian missile was already in view. It was only seconds away from hitting its target. She knew the explosion would hit her escape pod too. Shutting her eyes, Angela braced herself for the explosion. Her last thoughts were of her father. She had forced him to buy her the freighter. She had insisted she wanted to make her own way in life rather than join his businesses. It would break his heart when he heard of what was about to happen to her. He would blame himself. Though her eyes were still tightly shut, a tear ran down her cheek. Then the escape pod’s proximity alarm blared and Angela gulped down her last breath as every muscle in her body clenched.

She was thrown around in her chair. Her restraints tightened to the point where she could barely breath. Several clashes echoed around her as bits of something – her freighter no doubt, hit the pod. Then there was silence. If it wasn’t for the force of the restraints on her chest, Angela would have thought she was dead. Instead, her lungs were screaming for air. Reaching up to her chest, she undid the restraints. As they fell away she gasped as she gulped in oxygen. I’m alive, she thought in amazement as she enjoyed the feeling of her lungs filling. I’m alive!

Only then did she open her eyes. They widened far more than she had intended when she saw the viewport. Thousands of cracks spread out from a single point. Something had smashed into it. A piece of Dalliance, Angela thought. She could see no sign of her freighter. It had been blown to bits and debris had hit the escape pod. As the implications crossed her mind, she became aware of the blare of warning alarms.

Reaching out for the small control terminal, Angela brought up the pod’s systems status. Her elation at being alive faltered. The pod was damaged, badly. Its thrusters and COMs were down. Its oxygen supply had also been compromised. She had just four hours left, and no way of contacting anyone for help. Even if the Indian frigate came to investigate the debris of Dalliance, by the time it caught up to what was left of her freighter, the escape pod would be long gone. Its momentum was still taking it towards the edge of the New Delhi system.

Angela swore and kicked and bashed anything that was within reach. She was going to die in the middle of nowhere. Alone and with her oxygen supply dwindling, she would slowly suffocate. Her only company would be the regrets and recriminations she already sensed bubbling up in her mind. Worst of all, she was going to die for nothing more than a few bars of platinum. For months she had been full of anger. At the UN, at the new Empire and most of all at her father. Her older sister had signed onto the Canadian navy at her father’s encouragement. He had wanted her to have some naval experience before joining the family business. She had fought and died trying to protect Earth from the Karacknids. Angela had blamed everyone and anyone for her sister’s death. Now, as her own death stared her in the face, she was jealous. Her sister had died doing what she believed in. The letter she had sent Angela days before the battle had made that much clear. Angela was going to die for nothing. Her life had been a waste. With a sob, Angela reached for the plasma pistol she still had holstered to her hip. She pulled it out and turned it towards her head. With trembling fingers she tried to make herself pull the trigger. With a curse she let her arms drop to her side. She couldn’t do it! It would be far better than suffocating, and yet she couldn’t do it. “You’re such a wuss,” she shouted. She lifted the pistol and pointed it at the smashed viewport. Again her arm and hand trembled. Again she let the pistol drop to her side. She was too afraid.

Tears streaming down her face, Angela began to cry. Thoughts of her mother, father and sister kept them flowing. For more than two hours she replayed memories from her childhood over and over again as she couldn’t help but think through everything she was going to lose. Her thoughts became so fragmented that she thought she was beginning to suffer from oxygen deprivation.

She was so sure that was what was happening, that she ignored the sudden jolt. Then, when the view of the stars out the cracked viewscreen stopped rotating, she dismissed it as a wishful delusion. When the hatch to the escape pod opened, she couldn’t dismiss the light that flooded in. Raising her hands to shield her eyes, she desperately tried to see what was happening. Hope and fear filled her. She wasn’t going to suffocate! But it was very possible she was about to be arrested and executed for piracy.

“Don’t move,” a stern voice ordered from outside the escape pod. “Do you have any weapons?”

“A pistol,” Angela managed to croak. “It’s on the floor.”

“Alright, unbuckle yourself and come out with your hands up,” the voice ordered in a tone that didn’t give Angela any room to protest.

Doing as she was told, Angela slowly walked out of the pod, she was immediately greeted by the most orderly looking cargo hold she had ever seen. It could only be the hold of a military vessel. “Where am I?” she asked as she looked at the man who had been speaking to her. He was wearing some kind of combat armor and had a plasma rifle pointed at her chest. She expected to see a pair of handcuffs moving towards her at any moment.

“You are on board IS Ferret,” the man replied. “I am Sergeant Brady, Imperial Marines. Welcome to the Empire.”

“The Empire?” Angela spluttered in surprise. That was the last thing she had expected. She had thought the marine was an Indian customs’ enforcer. “What are you doing out here?”

“We’ve been watching the New Delhi system for a couple of weeks. We were sent here when rumors of trouble started to filter into the Sol system. That’s all I know. You’ll have to talk to the Captain if you want to find out more. She is waiting to speak with you in her office.”

“You’re not going to arrest me?” Angela asked, almost as shocked by that as the fact she had been rescued by an Empire ship.

“Not yet,” the marine sergeant chuckled. “You’ve had some dealings with the locals. We watched your little showdown with that Indian missile. I suspect the Captain will find your intel valuable. Though I’m sure if you want we can take you into custody after she’s done with you.”

Angela didn’t react to his jibe; she was looking around the ship’s cargo hold with a fresh set of eyes. She was alive. She wasn’t going to be executed. She had her whole life ahead of her. A thousand possibilities filled her mind. They all focused on her parents and sister. She didn’t want to let them down again.

Chapter 1

Even in victory loss is inevitable. A naval commander must never succumb to the trauma of war, yet neither can they harden themselves to it. Danger lies in either extreme.

Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Argyll, unnamed system, 13th May 2482 AD (two days after Admiral Gutpa’s death in the Jaranna system).

Admiral Lightfoot stood gazing out the viewport towards the shift passage his flagship had just emerged from. Images of the battle two days ago were still fresh in his mind. Trapped between a Karacknid fleet and a heavily defended convoy, Admiral Gupta had led a small force to their deaths to buy time for him to lead the rest of the fleet to safety. Massively outnumbered, thousands of missiles had enveloped Gupta’s squadron. Somehow, miraculously, Earth, Admiral Gupta’s flagship, had survived the maelstrom. But the Human warship did not survive the second salvo the Karacknids threw at her. Alone, she had stood no chance. Hundreds of antimatter missiles had wiped her out of existence. But then Gupta’s real attack had materialized. Every fighter in Gupta’s fleet had used the diversion to close with the Karacknid ships. Their attack had cut down most of the Karacknid capital ships. The sacrifice of Earth and the fighters had allowed the rest of the fleet to engage the Karacknid supply convoy and flee. They had hurt the Karacknids; but the price for such an opportunity had been high. Too high, Lightfoot thought as he tightened his hands into fists.

Yes, his ships had wreaked havoc among the large Karacknid supply convoy and escaped the Karacknid fleet that had come to chase them out of Jaranna. Nevertheless, they had paid a heavy price in both ships and personnel. Gupta and Commodore Flew had been great naval commanders. We don’t have many of those left, and the war is far from over, Lightfoot couldn’t help but think. As he stared out the viewscreen, other thoughts assaulted him. His fleet was alone, behind enemy lines and hundreds of light years from any Allied force. They had used up all their missile pods and the fleet’s fighters had sacrificed themselves to allow the escape from Jaranna. The negative feelings he had struggled with over the last couple of days threatened to rise again. With an effort he fought them down. Yes, they were in dire straits, but he couldn’t let anyone else see that. You have a fleet to lead, he chastised himself as he turned back to the officers gathered in Argyll’s main briefing room. The hushed discussions immediately stopped. Everyone looked to Lightfoot. He was sure they all had the same kinds of thoughts he had going through their minds. He couldn’t help that. But he could try and show them everything was not yet lost.

Taking a deep breath, he began. “We are safe, at least for now.” No enemy ships had been detected in the system they had fled to. It had been part of the Mindus civilization, but even they hadn’t named it. The system consisted solely of a red dwarf star. There was nothing else of note. “Now, we must figure out how we’re going to get home. We cannot return to Jaranna. It will be swarming with Karacknid ships. I have no doubt what ships survived Admiral Gupta’s attack will be hard on our tails. My staff have been reviewing the local star maps. As far as we can see, we have two options. Commander Houston,” Lightfoot said as he nodded to his Chief of Staff.

Houston jumped to her feet and powered up the room’s holo projector. “We are here,” she began as a system in the center of the projected star map flashed. “Here is the extent of Karacknid territory. They have incorporated all of the former Mindus civilization and have pushed their borders out by two or three systems from there. With returning to Jaranna being an impossibility, we cannot return to Earth via the Holstein colony. Nor can we attempt to reach Alliance space, there are far too many Karacknid battle fleets in the way. We need to find another route. We believe there are two options, with some variation in each possible.” Two snaking paths appeared in orange and blue. One led from the system they were in towards the outer edge of the former Mindus civilization’s territory. It skirted the border of the Karacknid Empire until eventually turning towards Human space and the Chinese colony of Xiachuan. The other turned towards the borders of the Karacknid Empire prior to the invasion of the Mindus civilization. It actually proceeded into the Karacknid Empire’s core worlds for several systems before turning back on itself and working its way back towards Human Space. It ended at the Chinese colony of Damang. “Each route has its advantages and disadvantages,” Houston continued. “Route one is shorter, it would likely take us about three months to return to Human space. But there is a potential problem.” One system along the path began to flash. “We believe this is the system from which the Karacknids launched their invasion into our territory. We avoided it on our way to Jaranna. But if we take route one, we will have to pass through this system. It’s possible there is a sizeable Karacknid garrison still stationed there. With our numbers depleted we might take heavy losses if we had to engage it. Route two may pass through systems the Karacknids have not thought would come under attack. They may be lightly defended, if the Karacknids have warships stationed in them at all.”

“We have no way of knowing that,” Captain Gar’am said in a tone that suggested he was not happy even discussing such an idea. He was the senior surviving Captain among the Varanni warships. “The scouts we sent out a year ago barely managed to penetrate several systems into Karacknid territory. This route would take us deeper than that. We have no idea what we might find or come up against. To venture into the unknown would be a grave risk, perhaps a fatal one.”

“We also have to remember that we are Earth’s only line of defense,” Captain Nolan of the heavy cruiser Prometheus added. “We all saw how many ships the Karacknids were able to get to Jaranna within days of our attack. If they have more ships nearby, they could redirect them towards Earth. We need to get home as soon as we can.”

“What about our mission?” Captain Scott asked. “Varanni Prime and Cria must still be under threat. We have hit the Karacknids hard, but how can we know if we have done enough? If we take the longer route, we may encounter another Karacknid supply convoy. Or another supply hub that we could raid.”

“Or we could walk into another ambush and get ourselves killed,” Nolan countered. “I know the risk we all face if the Karacknid invasion of Alliance space is not thwarted. But we cannot throw our lives away. We have done what we came to do. Now we are needed at home.”

“We cannot forget about the Karacknid ships that Gupta fought,” Scott replied, the emotion in her voice unmistakable. She had been close to Gupta. “Yes, many of their dreadnoughts were taken out. But their smaller screening ships survived the battle unscathed. They’re likely no more than hours behind us. If we take the shortest route home, just as they will expect, they could follow us and wait until we engage this garrison. Then we’d be caught in a pincer attack.”

“That is a serious risk Captain,” Gar’am responded. “But one we may face whatever route we take. If the faster Karacknid ships can keep pace with us. They will follow us no matter where we go. We are just as likely to run into a significant Karacknid force deeper within their territory as we are along the frontier.”

Scott nodded. “There will be risks whatever direction we go.”

“Perhaps we may be able to throw off our pursuers,” Admiral Jil’lal suggested. “We have fast ships of our own. Your modern Human warships and the Varanni warships are able to match the Karacknids’ speed. They could lure the Karacknids down a false trail whilst our main fleet makes good their escape. Then they could double back and re-join the main fleet.”

“Splitting our forces would make either squadron more vulnerable to being outnumbered, cornered and destroyed,” Nolan responded. “Surely we would do better to stick together. With so many unknowns before us, facing them together would give us a better chance of dealing with them.”

As the back-and-forth continued, Lightfoot made sure his face showed his interest, though he was only half listening. The arguments were the same he had been having over and over with his own staff officers. The same he had been having over and over with himself. Though he had led many fleets to battle before, the weight of the decision before him was weighing heavily. In part he knew it was because Gupta had given her life to give him the opportunity to make this decision. More so though, it was because of what he feared would befall Earth if he failed. The images of the nuclear missiles raining down on his homeworld were still fresh in his memory. If he lost his fleet, Earth would be left defenseless. Yet if he took months more than necessary to return home, Earth would be left undefended. The real problem was the Karacknid ships still in the Jaranna system. The enemy fleet that had jumped in to engage what had been Gupta’s fleet had numbered eighty warships. At least half had been damaged or destroyed by Gupta’s attack. Yet Lightfoot only had seventy of his own warships. They would stand a good chance of going toe to toe with the Karacknids, but any victory would likely cost half his fleet. That was something he couldn’t allow. Momentarily closing his eyes, he once again pictured IS Earth disappearing as hundreds of missiles detonated around her. Even if it took longer, he needed to get his fleet home intact. Gupta had died to ensure he would be able to do just that. After hours of deliberation, he came to a decision.

“Admiral Gupta gave her life so that we could escape, so too did our fighters,” he said as he looked from Admiral Jil’lal to Captain Gar’am. They were the two most important commanders in the fleet. If they agreed with his proposal, then their path would be set. “We will not let their sacrifice be in vain. I know there are risks with both options, but one leads to an almost certain confrontation with a Karacknid garrison. With whatever ships still in the Jaranna system likely to be hot on our heels, that battle would prove to be very costly. We are needed at home true, but that is all the more reason to avoid what we know to be certain danger. We have already hurt the Karacknids badly, maybe not enough to stop their offensive in Alliance space, but certainly here in the vicinity of Jaranna their supplies have to be in very short supply. There’s no way the Karacknids will be able to launch another attack against Earth within the next couple of months. I believe we have bought ourselves the time to take the long way home. We have the supplies for it, and by taking the unexpected route we may throw off our pursuers. Plus, with Jil’lal’s suggestion, we may be able to make sure that we do. What do you say?”

Jil’lal was the first to speak. “We will need to be careful. Very careful. Yet speed will be our ally as well. If you are confident we can mix both of these, then the longer route would be my preference. But I understand I am not the one whose homeworld is in immediate danger.”

Lightfoot nodded and turned to Gar’am. The Varanni lowered his head slightly as he thought. “It would be my preference to take the shorter route. If we could sneak past the garrison we could return to Earth without having to fight another major battle. Yet I recognize we are talking about an if. If we had to fight, we might return to Earth without much of a fleet, if we even returned at all. If the general consensus is for path two, then I will acquiesce. On the positive side, it may give us more opportunities to raid Karacknid supplies. I know that will help my compatriots back in Alliance space.”

“Then it is settled,” Lightfoot said as he rested his hands on the briefing room table. “This is not going to be easy. Not by a long shot. But we need to do our best to get our ships home. We have three systems to pass through before we need to make our final decision, but we will continue on the assumption route two is our preferred course. Return to your ships. Make sure your crews know that we have a long journey ahead of us. Keeping our ships at maximum efficiency will be as important as having them battle ready. Good luck to you all. We will likely not get to meet again in person.” With a nod Lightfoot dismissed his gathered officers, then he caught Jil’lal and Gar’am’s eyes. They had more to discuss.

*

IS Misfit, Jorang System, 21st May 2482 AD (9 days later).

With a start Scott realized she was biting her nails. As quick as a flash she returned her hands to her thighs. It wouldn’t do for her bridge crew to see their Captain, or as she was now, acting Commodore, showing signs of nerves - whether she felt them or not. To distract herself she enlarged the small holo projection of the Jorang system on her command chair. Her medium cruiser Misfit, her sister ship Benevolence and another six of the latest Human destroyers were cruising towards the small Mindus colony within the system. Four Varanni frigates were with them. All twelve ships were under her command. It was the first time she had ever led a taskforce. Though she was still getting used to being a Captain; now she found herself responsible for more than two thousand lives. What really had her nervous were the four Karacknid light cruisers in orbit around the Mindus colony. In a straight up fight, she had no worries about them. With technologies from the Varanni Alliance, the Mindus civilization and Humanity’s own advances, Misfit was the most advanced medium cruiser Humanity had ever built. Alone, Scott fancied her chances against two Karacknid light cruisers. With the rest of the ships in her taskforce a battle would essentially be one-sided. That was not what was playing on her mind. If the Karacknid ships detected hers and had a mind to, they could nuke the Mindus colony out of spite. On top of that, her plan called for her to allow one of the light cruisers to escape. On paper that sounded easy, but if the ship wanted to fight instead of flee, she could take unnecessary losses. With all that swimming through her head, she just caught herself as her right hand rose towards her lips again.

“Any sign of life on the colony?” Scott asked. According to the data the Mindus survivors who had fled to Alliance space had shared with them, the colony had been home to several million of their species.

“Not much,” Misfit’s sensor officer reported. “We are detecting a few communications coming up from the surface. They are encrypted with Karacknid encryption codes though. Beyond that, there are heat blooms from several small cities. But there is hardly any electromagnetic COM traffic or any other signs of civilization.”

“The Karacknids must have troops on the ground,” Scott concluded. “They’ll have the planet locked up tight.” The news was good and bad. It meant there was less of a chance the Karacknids would nuke the planet if their own troops were on the surface. It also meant Scott would be able to do very little to help the local populace.

“All right, signal the rest of the ships, put us onto heading four three seven point four,” Scott ordered. “It’s time to make our play.”

Scott stayed on the bridge as her ships closed with Jorang. When they were just three light minutes away from the planet she gave a nod to her First Lieutenant. With the touch of a button he ignited one of Misfit’s maneuvering thrusters. It was a small, short burn. The kind that a ship in stealth would make to alter its course slightly. However, it was just a little stronger than necessary.

The Karacknid light cruisers reacted within seconds. They powered up their active scanners and flooded the space around Misfit with electromagnetic energy. Then their reactors and engines came online. “No sense remaining in stealth now,” Scott called out as if she hadn’t wanted to be detected. “Signal the squadron, eighty percent acceleration, lay us onto an intercept course.”

Her twelve ships lit off their engines, revealing their numbers to the Karacknids. For several seconds, the Karacknid ships continued on their current trajectory. Then, to Scott’s relief, pragmatism seemed to win out over battle lust. The four cruisers turned away from her squadron and Jorang. They were retreating. Scott knew she could just let them go but she couldn’t pass up an opportunity to destroy enemy ships. Not when she knew they would have to be fought by her people sooner or later. “Target the three trailing cruisers, fire a salvo as soon as we come into range.” With her fleet accelerating at eighty percent of their maximum thrust, she had timed it so that they would be able to fire one salvo before the Karacknids got out of range.

Normally Karacknid ships would be able to open fire first in any missile duel, but Misfit was equipped with mark IV missiles. Though they weren’t multistage missiles, Scott had designed them to utilize the new miniature inertial dampeners. With acceleration rates thirty percent higher than the anti-ship missiles most Human warships carried, they had a higher maximum velocity and range. As a result, her squadron released eighty-six missiles towards the Karacknid ships. Moments later they returned fire with fifty of their own.

As the Karacknid point defenses opened up on her missiles, Scott leaned forward to watch closely. She had seen her missiles in action a number of times now, but she always felt like she could learn more. There were always improvements to be made. Though she was watching with a critical eye, a small grin formed. The Karacknids were struggling big time with the new ECM and faster closing rates of her missiles. Twenty-three avoided every effort to shoot them down. Two thousand kilometers from their targets, the missiles detonated their warheads. The thermonuclear explosions were focused through the specially designed crystal lenses to form high-powered laser beams. Almost instantaneously the beams covered the distance to their targets and each of the three Karacknid light cruisers were ripped apart.

Only then did she turn her attention back to the Karacknid missiles. When she did, a spike of fear shot through her. There were still three missiles targeting Misfit. She had her cruiser leading the squadron. Within a couple seconds, one missile was taken out by a point defense plasma. Then an AM missile connected with a second. The third, twisting and weaving, avoided everything that was thrown at it. “Evasive maneuvers!” Scott shouted. “Activate the particle shields!”

Thrown back in her command chair as her restraints tightened around her chest, Scott was reduced to the role of a passenger as Misfit’s pilot flung the cruiser into an evasive turn. Just two seconds later the Karacknid missile detonated. Scott felt a jolt as she was thrown to one side. Instinctively she knew the force wasn’t from an evasive maneuver. Her command had been hit. “Damage report,” she demanded.

“It was a proximity hit,” her First Lieutenant reported. “The missile detonated twenty kilometers off our port bow.”

Scott turned to her First Lieutenant. The detonation from a Karacknid antimatter missile at that range should have crippled her ship. Anti-matter wiped any normal matter it came into contact with out of existence. “The particle shields?” she asked even though she knew the answer. When her First Lieutenant nodded, Scott closed her eyes and said a quiet thank you to Xui-le. The Mindus scientist had helped her adapt Humanity’s gaseous shields so that they could counter anti-matter missiles. They used magnetic fields to hold ionized gases in a bubble around the ship. Much of the Karacknid anti-matter must have been canceled out upon coming in contact with the shields. It worked my friend, Scott thought to Xui-le. The Mindus scientist had died in the battle of Earth. Your legacy lives on. All of the advances Scott had incorporated into Humanity’s latest warships had been worked on by Xui-le. “Well,” she said as she opened her eyes. “At least we know they work. Did they absorb all the blast?”

“Initial estimates suggest they took about eighty-five percent of it,” her First Lieutenant replied. We lost about sixty percent of our armor on our starboard nose section. But no anti-matter breached our hull.

“All right, good work everyone,” Scott said as she reassessed the wider situation. “That last cruiser is out of range. But they will know we’ve been hit. Signal the rest of our ships to close with us, let’s let them think we took more damage than we did. COMs see if you can raise anyone on the planet. Sensors, let’s see if we can identify any Karacknid installations down there.”

Twenty minutes later Scott found herself talking to the only Mindus who had responded to their COM signals. “What is the situation down there like Lieutenant?” The Mindus had once been a part of their Navy.

“It’s bad Captain,” Han’sol replied. “They confiscated almost all of our modern equipment and technologies. Apart from the valstronium mines, they seem intent on pushing us back to a preindustrial age. I wouldn’t be surprised if my COM unit is one of the last ones they haven’t discovered. They’ll soon be able to triangulate my broadcast location.”

“I’m sorry to hear that Lieutenant. We’ve driven the Karacknid ships in orbit from the system. Though we won’t be able to hold here for long. We’re attempting to get home ourselves. I’m afraid a relief force for your planet may be many years away. However, we can provide you with some assistance now if you wish. We’ve identified a number of Karacknid targets we could take out from orbit. Is there any kind of resistance? One that could take advantage of our attack?”

Han’sol twisted his wrist and flipped his hand in a gesture Scott had come to know from Xui-le that meant ‘sadly not.’ “We had very few small arms on the colony when the Karacknids attacked. There has been no way for us to resist the Karacknid soldiers. Even if they put their weapons down, they far out match us in hand to hand combat. I fear that if you were to destroy some of their bases they would carry out reprisal attacks on our towns and villages. We would be helpless to defend ourselves.”

Scott nodded, the last thing she wanted to do was make things worse for the Mindus people on the colony. “Very well Lieutenant, then my ships will break orbit and we will not cause any more problems for you. We are on our way home, but I hope we may be able to meet again. I hope it is a day when your colony is free.”

“I hope such a day may yet be possible Captain, your presence here and news of the war your species is fighting gives me hope. I will make sure to spread the word throughout our colony. You may not be able to help us militarily, but that news will change things for many of my people.”

“If we can do nothing else, I’m happy we can do this for you,” Scott replied. “Good luck Lieutenant.”

“And to you Captain,” the Mindus replied just before Scott ended the COM channel. “Signal the squadron, set course for the next shift passage. Let’s be on our way.” Though it made her feel bad, Scott watched as Jorang slowly shrunk on the holo projection. She disliked leaving so many millions of civilians at the Karacknids’ mercy. But she had no choice. She had to play her part in getting the fleet home.

Three hours later, minutes before her small squadron reached the system’s mass shadow and the next shift passage on the journey, she gave her final order. “Light them off,” she said. Around her ships fifty drones activated and emitted copious amounts of electromagnetic energy. They powered up their engines and settled into formation around her ships. Then, five minutes later, they and Scott’s ships cut their engines. To anyone watching it would look like the rest of Lightfoot’s fleet had joined up with Scott and together they had jumped into shift space. In reality, Scott’s ships collected the drones and made their jump five minutes later.

Four hours down the shift passage, at one of its kinks, Scott’s ships exited shift space. Instead of recharging their shift drives, they powered up their impulse engines and moved out of the shift passage into the dark matter that filled space. Then they all entered stealth mode and reduced their emissions. “I’m retiring to my quarters,” Scott said. “Alert me as soon as we detect something.”

Fourteen hours later, when Scott was back on the bridge, Misfit’s sensors blared an alert. Scott nodded in satisfaction as sixty Karacknid ships appeared out of shift space. They reoriented themselves and travelled up the shift passage, presumably charging their shift drives as they went. They’ve taken the bait, Scott thought. The next system up the shift passage was a four-day journey away. By the time the pursuing Karacknid ships got there and realized her ships had doubled back she would be well on her way to re-joining Lightfoot’s main fleet. With luck, they had just bought themselves a nine-day head start. Which is just what we need, Scott thought as more detailed sensor readings  came back on the Karacknid fleet. There were ten Karacknid dreadnoughts in the fleet. They alone had enough firepower to destroy half of Lightfoot’s ships. But only if they catch us, she reminded herself. Which should not happen. Of course, that assumed Lightfoot wouldn’t run into any trouble. Whilst she had been travelling on the shorter route home to lure the Karacknids after her. He had headed deeper into Karacknid space. No one knew what they were going to find there.

Chapter 2

In the history of the Empire a number of fleets have found themselves cut off behind enemy lines as battlefronts move and shift. Usually it has spelt destruction for those stranded.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Argyll, Mindus frontier system, 20th May 2482 AD (one day previous).

What to do? Lightfoot asked himself as he drummed his thumbs on the arm rest of his command chair. Argyll’s passive sensors were displaying the readings from the final Mindus system they had to pass through. Over the last eight days his fleet had traversed two former Mindus systems without incident. They hadn’t even sighted a Karacknid warship. That had changed. When the Karacknids had conquered the system in front of him it had been home to just a few small asteroid mining facilities. No longer. There were two massive operations within the system. One was in orbit around the system’s second gas giant. It was clearly a He3 mining station. Then on the surface and in the orbit of a rocky moon around the system’s second planet there was a hive of activity. The Karacknids must have invested a lot of effort into developing both operations over the last couple of years. That meant they were prime targets. Yet he had snuck his fleet through the last two systems without launching any attacks or giving away his position. That had been the plan. As long as he could, he had wanted to avoid contact with the enemy. Sending Scott and her ships away had been a hard decision. There was a reasonable chance he would never see them again. He wanted to give their ruse every chance of working. But there were two juicy targets in front of him. He couldn’t ignore them. With tap on his command chair he pulled up a COM link to Gar’am and Jil’lal. “What do you think?” he asked the two aliens.

“We came here to disrupt Karacknid supply lines,” Gar’am said, speaking first. “We hit Jaranna hard and we thought taking out their gas mining station there would prove significant. We didn’t know about this station. I believe we need to attack. Even if it alerts our enemy to our escape route.”

Lightfoot nodded and turned slightly to face the holo projection of Jil’lal. “Getting home is our priority. But we cannot just let such targets pass. If the Karacknid fleet took the bait, they will be more than a week away. If not, then what difference will a small delay here make?”

“All right,” Lightfoot said as he accepted their reasoning. “My ships will take the gas mining station. Jil’lal, you can take the other operation. Gar’am, your ships will remain in stealth. Here’s what I’m thinking…”

Five minutes later all the ships in Lightfoot’s fleet powered up their reactors and engines, though only minimally. They cruised into the system in stealth and diverged into three squadrons. The Varanni warships, equipped with more sophisticated stealth technologies, were able to maintain a higher acceleration rate and forged ahead of their consorts.

“Let’s do this,” Lightfoot ordered an hour later. Captain Rivers nodded to Argyll’s navigation officer. With the touch of a button, the heavy cruiser’s reactors powered up to full and her impulse engines rapidly increased her rate of acceleration. Argyll’s movement was the signal to the rest of the Human ships arrayed around her and to Jil’lal and her Vestarian warships. Soon they were all rapidly accelerating. Despite the commotion, Lightfoot kept his attention squarely on the Karacknid warships defending both mining operations. Within seconds the gravimetric waves given off by their impulse engines would be detectable to the Karacknids.

“Movement!” one of Argyll’s sensor officers called. The six Karacknid destroyers and frigates in orbit around the system’s second planet had all began to break orbit. Whatever mining operation was on the planet’s surface, their commander had decided it wasn’t worth losing his ships over. Not when Jil’lal had twenty warships rapidly closing with them. Each of Jil’lal’s three battlecruisers out massed all of the Karacknid ships put together. Lightfoot’s eyes narrowed as he shifted his attention to the twelve Karacknid ships defending the gas mining station. That was the most important target. And they had a heavy cruiser amongst their number.

“They’re not going to pull back,” Captain Rivers predicted. “He3 must be in short supply in these parts. They don’t even know what we’ve done to Jaranna.”

“They don’t, but they can probably guess,” Lightfoot responded. “Given where we’re attacking them from. Either way, their bravery deserves commendation. It will not help them, however. Tactical, prepare a full missile salvo. Let’s not let them fire a third.” With the Karacknids’ advantage in missile range, there was no way he could stop the defenders firing two salvos. But he didn’t intend to let them do any more damage than necessary.

Three minutes after the Karacknid ships opened fire, he gave the order for his ships to do the same. From the fifteen Human warships that were left in his fleet, three hundred and eighty missiles shot out of their tubes. Lightfoot watched them go until they passed the Karacknid salvo heading in the opposite direction. Then he focused on the enemy missiles. He watched them as they approached and carried out evasive maneuvers as flak cannon rounds, laser beams, plasma bolts and AM missiles reached out to take them out. Space around his fleet became a blur of explosions and energy weapon fire to the point where he could no longer keep track of what was going on. Instead of watching the holo projection, he watched the count of the number of Karacknid missiles as it decreased. Just four made it into range of his fleet. Lightfoot winced as each one detonated, releasing an expanding ball of antimatter. He didn’t need to demand a damage report; his staff officers already knew what he would want.

“Seahawk is gone,” Camala Houston, his Chief of Staff reported. “She took two of the missiles. There’s no trace of her. Battleaxe and Fortitude took proximity hits. Battleaxe’s Captain thinks he can patch her up. Fortitude doesn’t look like she’s faring so well.”

“Make sure Captain Dillinger is certain Battleaxe can keep up with us,” Lightfoot ordered. “I don’t want her falling behind, especially if we have to run. I’d rather her be abandoned now. And send Fortitude all the help we can. Make sure her Captain knows he holds no blame if she must be scuttled.”

Leaving damage operations in the hands of his staff officers, Lightfoot turned back to the Karacknid fleet. The enemy ships were engaging his salvo with their own point defenses. Ever so slightly Lightfoot shook his head. Not enough for his officers to notice, but he couldn’t help but express his frustration. The Karacknid ships were whittling away at his missiles far too easily. He had seen how impressive Captain Scott’s mark IV missiles were in the fighting around Jaranna. He was eagerly awaiting the day when he had an entire fleet of ships equipped with them.

Despite the prowess of the Karacknid point defenses, they couldn’t overcome Lightfoot’s numerical advantage. Forty-six missiles got close enough to detonate their warheads. The laser focusing lenses allowed the missiles to detonate much further away from their targets, avoiding some of the point defense fire aimed at them. Each missile released two laser beams. No Karacknid ship endured the attack unscathed. Eight were destroyed outright and the remaining four fell out of formation as they lost control of their engines or reactors. None looked like they would be able to put up any more of a fight. “Target each remaining ship with a missile to finish them off,” Lightfoot ordered. He didn’t want to waste any more missiles than necessary. “Then bring the fleet into heavy plasma cannon range of the gas mining station. We’ll take it out as we pass.”

Lightfoot watched as Argyll’s bridge officers focused on the task at hand. The second missile salvo the Karacknid ships had managed to fire before being destroyed was closing with the fleet. Lightfoot couldn’t help but crack a smile as every single enemy missile was taken out before detonating. “Pass the word to the fleet, tell the gunners that was some fine shooting,” he said more than loud enough for everyone on the bridge to hear him. He spared a glance towards Fortitude. The light cruiser was trailing behind the rest of the fleet and shuttles were swarming around her, taking off her crew. “In fact, I want every point defense gunner to get a double food ration today,” he called. He was more than happy not to be facing the prospect of having to abandon another ship. “Let’s destroy this gas mining station and get out of here.”

As Argyll and her consorts swept in and blasted the gas mining station, Lightfoot watched Jil’lal’s ships do the same to the orbital stations around the system’s second planet. As she passed, she also bombarded the installations on the surface with tungsten spears. Whatever the Karacknids had been mining there, they wouldn’t be doing so for a while. Then, as both fleets turned towards the next shift passage on the journey home, the final scene in the brief skirmish played out. The Karacknid ships that had fled the system’s second planet passed right through the space where Gar’am’s ships had been cruising in stealth. Either because they had been too focused on what Lightfoot and Jil’lal’s fleet had been doing, or simply because of incompetence, the Karacknid ships didn’t detect the Varanni warships until it was too late. High-powered laser beams reached out from the Varanni ships and destroyed all eight of the Karacknid ships in one swift attack. With luck, Lightfoot thought, there weren’t any other ships hiding in the system. No one will know we are coming. That would be a very good thing for they were soon to enter systems that had belonged to the Karacknid Empire before their war with the Mindus. In his mind they were entering Karacknid space proper. And no one really knew what they were going to encounter.

*

IS Argyll, 28th May 2482 AD (eight days later.)

“This is a Karacknid frontier world?” Captain Rivers asked, unable to control his surprise. “What must the interior be like?”

Lightfoot didn’t have an answer. He was doing his best not to let his jaw drop. Argyll’s passive sensors had just begun to make sense of what was before them. Technically, Argyll’s computers hadn’t detected any Karacknid warships, but that was not what was surprising. There were literally thousands of contacts moving around within the inner system. “What are we looking at?” he asked as he turned to one of the battlecruiser’s sensor officers, hoping she and her computer terminal had more of an idea than he did.

“An initial analysis of the traffic suggests there are eight outlying sources of industrial activity,” the sensor officer replied as the holo projection of the system changed to highlight the eight areas. “From what we’ve seen so far, none of the ships are moving overly fast. If they are Karacknid designed, then they must be massive to be so slow. Almost eighty percent of the traffic is heading to and from those areas and this planet here.” The fourth planet in the system flashed. “Signals from the planet suggest it is inhabited. Though there aren’t too many emissions coming from orbit. It hardly seems possible for so many ships to be in the system and yet so little orbital infrastructure to have been built up.”

“Do we have any idea what the ships are heading back and forth from?” Rivers asked.

The sensor officer shrugged. “Several of the points are in asteroid fields. Others are on rocky worlds on the edge of the system. Presumably, they are all some kind of mining operation. Though this is on a scale I haven’t seen before.”

“Keep gathering data,” Lightfoot ordered. “I want to know if those are Karacknid ships or if they belong to a species the Karacknids have conquered. Begin moving the fleet into the system towards our next shift passage, five percent thrust. As impressive as this is, we can’t afford to just sit and watch.”

Forty minutes later Lightfoot had more of a sense of what he was looking at. It didn’t make it any less impressive, however. A detailed analysis of the ships within the system suggested that none of them were powered by Karacknid reactors or engines. Presumably they were built by the native species who inhabited the planet. The final count had put it at seven thousand ships moving back and forth. None of them were particularly large, but they were busy. “They turned the entire system into a mining operation,” Lightfoot concluded after being given a run down on the latest sensor data. It wasn’t hard to imagine what had happened. “The Karacknids must have conquered the system and forced its inhabitants to strip mine it.”

“And for good measure, they showed the natives just what would happen if they didn’t,” Rivers said as he zoomed in the holo projection. On the surface of the fourth planet there were three very visible craters. The natives had been nuked from space. “How much are you willing to bet that those orbital stations have a few more nukes in their cargo holds? They’re clearly Karacknid stations.” Rivers turned the image to the only signs that this was indeed a Karacknid system; two small stations that were giving off copious amounts of energy. They stood out like sore thumbs among the more primitive ships and stations in orbit.

“That could have been us, if we hadn’t driven the Karacknids away from Earth,” Lightfoot reflected as he was filled with sorrow for the native species. The fact that the Karacknids didn’t even feel they needed to keep a warship stationed within the system signaled just how defeated the natives were. The Karacknids didn’t see them as any kind of threat. “I don’t think I’ll take you up on that offer.” He wasn’t a betting man, but even if he was, he was sure the odds wouldn’t be in his favor.

“What should we do?” Rivers asked. “This is a massive mining operation. We can’t just leave it intact can we? Taking this out has to hurt their economy.”

“Will it?” Lightfoot asked as he turned to Rivers. He couldn’t hide the hint of dismay in his voice. “If this is what a Karacknid frontier world looks like, what are their core systems like? They could have hundreds of systems like this, who knows how many species have been enslaved to mine whatever minerals their war machine needs.”

Rivers nodded and glanced at the holo projection nervously. “That is a concerning thought.”

“Yes,” Lightfoot said. He regretted voicing his concerns. He didn’t want to sow despair among his officers. “But one we cannot answer now. Let’s put together plans to attack the mining facilities we’re going to pass by. That’s the least we can do. We’ll make contact with them first so we can warn them. We don’t want to kill any species that may turn out to be our friends one day. But you’re right, we cannot let this remain.”

As his staff officers got to work, Lightfoot zoomed in on the nearest mining operation. Argyll was on a course that would bring his flagship within missile range of its various structures. It looked like ten large asteroids had been converted into mineral processing facilities. More than a hundred ships were moving back and forth from other asteroids mining whatever mineral they were after and bringing the ore back to the facilities to be further processed. Larger ships were waiting to bring the minerals back to the natives’ homeworld. On its own it was an impressive looking operation. The fact that it was one of eight was an imposing reality. Very little was known about Karacknid shipbuilding processes, but Lightfoot guessed that there were enough raw materials being taken out of the system to provide for the construction of a pair of Karacknid dreadnoughts every month. These are just the kinds of systems we need to be liberating from the Karacknids, Lightfoot couldn’t help but think. Though it was a long way from becoming reality, he imagined a day when the natives were freed from the Karacknid empire. Their industrial prowess could be diverted to helping Alliance shipyards instead of Karacknid ones.

“We’re within extreme laser COM range of the nearest asteroid facility,” one of Argyll’s COM officers reported an hour later. “Shall I hail them?”

“Proceed,” Lightfoot replied with a nod. It took more than five minutes for a reply to come back. When it did, Lightfoot prepared himself. There was no knowing what the aliens would look like, nor what kind of demeanor they would have.

“Greetings,” Lightfoot said when a large scaly Humanoid appeared on his holo projector. The alien didn’t look like it was wearing clothes. Its head, shoulders and torso were a dull orange and the alien’s skin looked thick and rigid. Thankfully, the alien had two eyes, a mouth, and a nose though no ears were apparent. In any case, the similarity to Humans and the other Alliance species made him relax slightly. “I am an Admiral in charge of a fleet currently within your system. We are a group of species who are at war with the Karacknid Empire. We have been attacking and raiding nearby worlds. We know they have two stations in orbit. What is your relationship with them?”

“Greetings to you Admiral,” the alien spoke, though far slower than Lightfoot had been expecting. As it spoke, it raised one of its hands. Though again this seemed to be in slow motion. “I am Supervisor Lijal. I’m responsible for the mining operations in this asteroid field. You’re welcome to my species’ home system. We are the Farmalians. Sadly, the Karacknid Empire conquered us half a century ago. We have been working for them ever since. You are at war with them? How does that war go? Is there hope for my species? Do you come to liberate us?”

“I’m afraid not,” Lightfoot replied, choosing to be blunt. “The war hangs on a knife edge. Though we have hope. At this stage we are not close to being in a position to liberate this system or those nearby. I’m afraid I will have to destroy your mining operation and the rest of those within the system. We hold no ill will towards your species. That is why I have contacted you. I wish to give you fair warning so your facilities can be evacuated. I hope you understand that I cannot allow such a productive industrial system to remain intact while under the control of the Karacknids.”

Lijal slowly bowed his head and was quiet for more than ten seconds. “Your words are harsh Admiral. But I understand the position from which they have been spoken. My species tried to resist the Karacknids. We were beaten in one swift battle. However, we have not lost our desire for freedom, nor our willingness to resist. We simply have no means to pursue either.” The alien supervisor was quiet for several more seconds before speaking again. “Perhaps there is another way,” he said as he raised his head and locked eyes with Lightfoot. “I presume you have detected that the two Karacknid stations in orbit are military stations.”

Lightfoot nodded. “We have. And the craters on your planet’s surface. Have the Karacknids bombarded your species from space?”

“They have,” Lijal confirmed. “That is why my species cannot risk resisting. But, if you could destroy those stations, then my people will be free from that risk. Even if only for a short time. We would gladly scuttle all of our mining operations and ships if given the chance to do so. You wouldn’t have to destroy anything then; we could do it for you. That way we can ensure everything is taken out.”

Lightfoot kept his face straight, though his suspicion had spiked. “Even if we destroy those two orbital facilities, the Karacknids would be back. It’s likely a fleet is pursuing us. They could be here within days. Do you not fear further repercussions?”

“That is possible,” Lijal said, actually speaking slower than before. “And yet we could blame the destruction on your fleet.”

“You believe your leaders on your homeworld would accept such a plan?” Lightfoot pressed.

“Without a doubt,” Lijal replied, speeding up his rate of speech. “My people are desperate for a means to give voice to our hatred for the Karacknids. They would embrace this idea with open arms.”

“All right,” Lightfoot replied with a nod. “I will give it some thought and get back to you momentarily. Thank you for speaking with me superintendent.” Lightfoot ended the COM channel. “Well?” he asked as he turned to Rivers. “What do you think?”

“It could be a ploy to try and save their skin,” Rivers responded. “It’s more than possible he would get into a lot of trouble if we destroyed his facilities.…”

“But?” Lightfoot asked when he sensed Rivers had more to say.

“But, destroying everything in the system would be quite a feat. We can only hit three of their facilities. If we could get all eight, and all their ships, and the storage facilities in orbit around their homeworld that would put a significant dent in Karacknid shipbuilding efforts, at least in this area of their Empire.”

“Yes,” Lightfoot agreed as he looked back to the holo projection of the system, it certainly was buzzing with activity. “Taking everything out would be quite an accomplishment.” He came to a decision. “One we should pursue. Though, that doesn’t mean we won’t take our own precautions,” he added as number of backup options flooded his mind. Pulling up a data file he typed out instructions for his staff officers to pursue. “Contact Captain Gar’am and Jil’lal. I want Gar’am to dock with supervisor Lijal’s mining facility and take the Farmalian on board his ship. His squadron can close with the Karacknid orbital stations in stealth and engage them. I have other ideas for what the rest of our ships can do.”

After a brief planning session with Jil’lal and Gar’am, Lightfoot returned the view of his holo projector to the Farmalian system. Still in stealth, his ships split up. One Varanni warship remained several light seconds away from Lijal’s mining facility. The rest of Gar’am’s ships waited for his ship to take Lijal on board, and then turned and headed towards the Farmalian homeworld. The Human and Vestarian warships broke into several small squadrons and spread out towards the other mining facilities. If the Farmalians didn’t follow through with their promises, Lightfoot was going to destroy all of their facilities himself.

For the three hours it took for Gar’am to close with the Farmalian homeworld, Lightfoot couldn’t help glance back at the shift passage his ships had come through. There was simply no way to know if a Karacknid fleet was hot on their heels or not. The first warning they would get would be when a fleet lit off its engines. With his ships split up and spread out across the system, if they appeared now, he would be caught with his pants down. But there had been no sign of Karacknid scout ships or anything else yet. There was a good chance they had taken Scott’s bait. At least, Lightfoot hoped so.

“Something is happening!” a sensor officer called out.

“Let’s be a little bit more specific,” Rivers replied in a tone that suggested his officers needed to take a moment or two longer before reporting next time.

“Right, sorry Captain. Energy spikes from the Farmalian homeworld. We… We’re getting larger ones now. They look like explosions. Two of them.” The gravimetric sensors beeped as a contact suddenly appeared accelerating towards the Farmalian homeworld.

“They have destroyed the two Karacknid orbital stations,” Lightfoot concluded. Gar’am wouldn’t have revealed his ships’ presence otherwise. “Now we will see,” he said as he turned and shared a glance with Rivers.

For more than an hour, nothing happened. No communications came through from Gar’am, nor was there any change in the Farmalian’s activity throughout the system. Then, in a matter of seconds, Argyll’s sensors reported hundreds of anomalies. Energy signatures were coming in from all over the system as asteroid mining stations, orbital processing facilities, mining ships and transport freighters all self-destructed. Though he had thought it was likely to happen, this time Lightfoot couldn’t stop his mouth from hanging open. There were more than a hundred contacts still moving around within the system, but the vast majority of the activity that had astounded him hours ago had disappeared. The ships that remained all seemed to be heading towards the Farmalian homeworld. Lightfoot guessed they were carrying the crews from the other ships and stations that had been destroyed. They’ve wiped out their entire industrial base, Lightfoot thought as he shook his head. He had no idea how the Karacknids would respond. Whether they would attribute the destruction to his fleet or not. Either way, he wouldn’t want to be the one to tell them what had happened. Though he had only known of the Farmalians for a few short hours, his respect for them was growing fast. It took a certain amount of courage to be willing to face the consequences of what he had just witnessed.

“We’re getting a COM message from Captain Gar’am,” a COM officer reported. “He says the Farmalian are willing to share their technologies with us. It seems they have some pretty advanced mining techniques. Gar’am is working out the details and will then be on his way.”

“Send back an acknowledgement. Then message the rest of our fleet. We’ll rendezvous at the next shift passage,” Lightfoot ordered. He looked around to Rivers and spoke more quietly. “I’ll retire to my office. I imagine Gar’am will have a detailed report coming through for me. I’ll return before we make the jump out of here.” With a nod, he stood and stretched then moved out of the bridge. Once in his quarters he called for Fox, his steward, to bring him some refreshments, then he looked through the more detailed estimates of the system’s mineral output his analysts had carried out.

Barely half an hour later an alert from his COM unit made Lightfoot jump to his feet. Before anyone could contact him directly, he was out of his office and stepping across the corridor onto the bridge. “What is it?” he demanded as he moved to his command chair.

“New contacts,” Rivers reported at once. “Karacknid ships, they jumped into the system out of the shift passage we are headed towards.”

As soon as he was in his command chair, Lightfoot glanced up at the main holo projector. Fifty ships were accelerating into the system. As he watched their acceleration rates fell. “They know something is amiss,” he concluded. He glanced around the system, searching out his own ships. About half had already joined up with Argyll. The rest were still spread out across the former sites of the Farmalians’ mining operations. At least, the Karacknids will believe the Farmalians when they say we were the ones who attacked their operations, Lightfoot thought as his mind whirled. With his ships spread out, there was no way he could combine them before the Karacknid ships in front of him ceased their deceleration. He had no doubt they would. As soon as the commander knew he was facing an enemy fleet, he would use his superior speed to close with the spread out Human, Vestarian and Varanni warships. In his mind, Lightfoot played out several scenarios as he sought the best orders to send to his ships. He needed to limit the losses they were about to suffer and confront the Karacknid fleet with the bulk of his fleet as quickly as possible.

“They’re still decelerating,” Rivers commented a couple of minutes later, drawing Lightfoot out of his thoughts. “Their rates seem a little strange. They are not slowing down as fast as they could. Are they still trying to figure out who they are against? It’s rare for a Karacknid commander to be so indecisive.”

“Pull up the gravimetric emissions from those ships from the moment we detected them,” Lightfoot said as he turned to his tactical officer. “I want a detailed analysis. Get me your best estimate on the size and power of those ships’ engines.”

Five minutes later Lightfoot’s hunch proved correct. “The computer is suggesting nearly half of those ships are either dreadnoughts or bulk freighters,” the tactical officer reported.

Lightfoot nodded and looked over to Rivers. If there were twenty dreadnoughts in the Karacknid fleet it wouldn’t be acting so tentatively. “It’s a supply convoy. Perhaps they’re here to pick up some minerals. They’ll keep running until they get somewhere safe. We have nothing to worry about for now.” Lightfoot didn’t add the rest of what he was thinking. Some of the escorts from the convoy would certainly be detached and sent speeding through the nearby Karacknid systems. The word would be out about his fleet’s position. Mentally, Lightfoot calculated where his ships would have been if he hadn’t decided to destroy the Farmalians’ mining infrastructure. He had to bite back a curse when he figured his ships would have reached the entrance to the shift passage at about the time the Karacknid supply convoy would have jumped out. Both fleets would have been surprised by the presence of the other, but with his gunners on a hair-trigger, he would have fancied his fleet’s chances of completely wiping out the convoy. No word of his ships’ presence would have leaked. Lightfoot wondered if the cost of destroying the Farmalians’ stations and ships was worth it. He feared he might come to rue his decision. Whatever Karacknid forces were in the immediate vicinity of his fleet would now be homing in on him. Our task has just got a whole lot harder, he thought. Rivers and the others would know that just as well, but he, like them, had no desire to voice it out loud.

Chapter 3

The Karacknid War taught us many things as a species. One thing we didn’t have to learn was the folly of idealizing our leaders, our own history had taught that too many times before.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Argyll, 30th June 2482 AD (12 days later).

Lightfoot spent the next twelve days living on a knife edge. They saw no further sign of the Karacknid convoy, at least, no sign of its freighters. The warships from its escort were another matter. Though they kept well out of weapons range, in each of the three systems they passed through, the Karacknids had been there, waiting, watching, and then shadowing his fleet as they continued their journey home. More than once he had second-guessed himself. His ships were charging straight into the unknown under constant pressure from the Karacknids. With no way of shaking the warships shadowing him, there was no way for Lightfoot to avoid whatever was before him. The Karacknids could be amassing a massive fleet and he wouldn’t find out about it until his forces were surrounded. What else can we do? he asked himself as he shook his head. He couldn’t turn back now, while there might be a fleet ahead of him, he knew there was one behind. Even if Scott’s diversion had worked, the Karacknid fleet from Jaranna was bound to be racing after him.

“Is something wrong Admiral?” Houston asked, obviously having noticed her Admiral’s movement.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Lightfoot said as he forced himself to concentrate on their immediate circumstances. “I’m just mulling over a few things.”

“Aye Admiral,” his Chief of Staff replied.

With a nod to his subordinate, Lightfoot turned to the holo projector. The only inhabited world within the system dominated the view. It was a luscious looking green and yellow world. The second one Argyll had come across in the last week. Though the world looked like it could support a large population, scans suggested there were no more than a few million sentients on the surface. Most were spread across its three continents in small towns and villages. Like the previous world they had come across it seemed clear it was an agricultural world. The Karacknids had conquered it, then turned the native species over to producing crops. A pattern was developing in Lightfoot’s mind. It seemed the Karacknids had a standard modus operandi. Either from fear of a revolt, or simply because they wanted to maximize the output of the species they had conquered, it looked like they forced each species they conquered to specialize in one form of economic activity. That way if they did revolt, they would pose little to no threat.

“How much do you want to bet that the food stuff grown on that world is shipped to the Farmalian system?” Lightfoot asked his staff officers. “If the Farmalians revolt, their food supply would be cut off and they’d starve.”

“That’s not a bet I’d go against,” Houston replied as she nodded towards the world on the holo projector. “I’m betting that if whoever lives down there decided to revolt, the Karacknids wouldn’t even break a sweat.”

“No,” Rivers agreed. “Even if they were once a space faring civilization, they are no longer. Unless they’ve developed spades that can take out dreadnoughts, the Karacknids would just wipe them out.”

“It does look like they produce quite a lot of food,” Houston commented as she zoomed in the holo image. “It looks like almost every square mile possible of the planet’s land mass has been turned over to agriculture. How many other industrial systems like the Farmalian’s do you think a world like that could feed?”

Lightfoot shrugged. He knew almost nothing about farming and had no idea. “Whatever it is, that’s not my immediate concern,” he responded. From the look on Houston’s face, Lightfoot guessed she was a little disappointed in his reply. He knew what she had been getting at. If they attacked the planet and destroyed the storage stations in orbit they could hamper the Karacknids’ operations in this system and probably several others. But he wasn’t prepared to starve out species like the Farmalians who had been conquered by the Karacknids. If the Karacknids did pursue a policy of reducing the technological level of those they annexed, the natives of the surrounding worlds would essentially be slaves. He wasn’t going to cause famine on their worlds just because they were working for the Karacknids, not when they had a gun to their heads. Ideally, he would like to contact the natives of the worlds he came across. If they were willing to risk themselves like the Farmalians, that was another matter. But with the Karacknid warships following their every move he couldn’t risk bringing the Karacknids’ wrath down on the natives.

“If we ever come back this way again, we are going to have some serious problems,” Rivers mused. He elaborated when Lightfoot turned to him. “Think about it. If we can survive this war long enough to push the Karacknids back, these are the kind of worlds we will be liberating. If we freed the Farmalians but couldn’t capture this world, we’d suddenly find ourselves responsible for feeding the Farmalian people. Imagine trying to ship all the food they would need to them when their world might be on the frontline of the war? We’d be having enough problems shipping supplies for our own fleets all the way out here. Never mind having to care for the natives. Even if we took this world, we’d have to find a way to ship their food back to Farmalian. It would be a logistical nightmare.”

Lightfoot found himself shaking his head again. Conservative estimates put the number of worlds controlled by the Karacknids into the several thousand. If even a tenth of them were like the worlds he had seen so far, liberating them would probably cause millions if not billions of deaths. The Karacknids had made their economies so fragile that if the Karacknids left, many could collapse back into a technological dark age. “I see what you’re saying,” he replied. “I fear you are right. But I have no answers. That’s a problem for someone who has a higher IQ than either of us. We have enough problems of our own as it is.” His gaze turned to the eight Karacknid warships that were trailing his fleet and the one charging ahead. The lone Karacknid frigate was already on its way, bringing news of his fleet’s progress to the next system. The rest were keeping close tabs on his fleet. They never got close enough to engage, but they were making sure none of his ships tried to slip away. Desperately, Lightfoot wanted to rid himself of the Karacknid warships. They felt like vultures circling their prey, just waiting for a chance to strike. Several times he had contemplated altering course. In one of the shift passages he could exit shift space early and double back on himself, or even try and ambush the small group of Karacknid ships. But he knew their commander had to be alert to such tactics. Whoever was commanding the Karacknid ships knew their trade well. They weren’t taking any risks, and yet still managed to be a constant thorn in his side. They were there to observe his fleet, it was unlikely they would take any unnecessary risks.

“New contacts,” a sensor officer called, bringing a sudden halt to Lightfoot’s thoughts. His head swiveled to a secondary holo projector. Twelve new ships had begun to accelerate on the far side of the system.

“Captain Scott?” Rivers asked when he saw the number of ships.

“It has to be,” Lightfoot replied as he sat forward in his command chair. It would take at least thirty seconds for Argyll’s computers to analyze the gravimetric waves given off by the ships and match them to Scott’s, but he was already certain. At once he factored in the new variables. As he weighed up his plan, he ground his teeth together. It would mean more of a delay. But he would likely have to wait for Scott’s ships anyway. It would be foolish to proceed to the next system without adding their number to his. Glancing back to the holo projector he nodded when he saw the Karacknid ship that had been ahead of his fleet had already jumped into shift space. It would be on its way to the next system with news that Lightfoot’s fleet was just hours behind. And without knowledge of Scott’s ships. That sealed his decision. He quickly typed out orders for Captain Scott. As soon as they were ready he sent them to Argyll’s COM officer. “Transmit these to Misfit immediately. Then send orders to the rest of our fleet. We are going to take out as many of those pesky vultures as possible.”

Once the orders were sent Lightfoot had to wait patiently for the right moment. The Karacknid ship shadowing his fleet, rightly discerning the identity of the twelve new contacts, had pulled back slightly. It was a full hour before Lightfoot felt the time was right. “Execute!” he ordered.

His fleet split into three and pursued the Karacknid ships. There were eight of them, and though spread out, they were roughly arranged in two groups of three and then a final pair. Lightfoot caught himself silently rocking back and forth as he urged Argyll forward. As soon as he realized what he was doing, he stopped, but he understood his feelings all too well. Having spent more than a week helplessly watching the Karacknid ships, he was eager to finally be after them. As expected, their superior acceleration rates allowed them to make a good attempt at escape. However, Lightfoot had split his fleet up so that some Varanni ships were in each group. Unable to outrun Varanni engines, the Karacknids slowly realized they were in trouble and what Lightfoot could only describe as a dance developed. Seeking to escape, the Karacknid ships split up and twisted and turned, constantly changing course in an effort to shake off their pursuers. Lightfoot grunted in satisfaction when the game of cat and mouse began. He had played many such games before, even against other Karacknid commanders. He fancied his chances of success. But as the back-and-forth developed, his frustration grew. He found himself grinding his teeth again. Whoever was orchestrating the Karacknids’ movements was good. He wasn’t going to get all of his ships to safety, not if Lightfoot had any say in the matter, but some were going to escape.

“Now,” he ordered when the time was right. Argyll’s COM officer sent the order to Scott and her ships boosted to their full acceleration rates. Four of the Karacknid ships were caught off guard by the new Human ships that were capable of going faster than the ones they had been pursuing for more than a week. Having been so focused on evading Lightfoot’s ships, they hadn’t fully accounted for the possibility that Scott’s ships were faster than they appeared. Each of them was destroyed without being able to do any damage in return. They got off several missile salvos, but operating in groups of four, Scott’s ships had more than enough point defenses to fend them off. However, the remaining four Karacknid ships eluded every attempt Lightfoot made to close with them. Though he was sorely tempted to keep trying, when Scott’s ships re-joined his, he called off the chase. “Turn us back towards the shift passage,” he ordered. Getting home was more important than satisfying his desire to swat gnats. “And open a COM channel to Captain Scott, I want to hear her report firsthand.”

*

IS Argyll, 12th July 2482 AD (12 days later).

“Longshot has just returned,” Lightfoot’s COM officer reported. “She is transmitting her scans now. Her Captain says he thinks we have come to a fleet headquarters’ world.”

Lightfoot sat up straighter. Since entering Karacknid space proper they had seen no sign of an actual Karacknid military presence. Yet he knew they must have some supply depots and fleet bases. They had launched their invasion of Mindus territory from this part of their Empire. When the data from Longshot’s scans came up on Argyll’s holo projector he knew Captain Jenkins was right. There were thirty ships within the inner system moving in what could only be a military formation. Further in, orbiting the system’s fourth planet there were a multitude of stations. Most of them were radiating huge amounts of energy. Whatever they were designed to do, it took a lot of reactors to power them.

“Right,” he said, giving voice to his newfound optimism. Now that he knew Scott’s ruse had worked, and they had taken out half of the ships that had been pestering him, the tight constricted feeling that being stuck in Karacknid space had been giving him had eased. “Jump the fleet into the system. Set course for that Karacknid world. Let’s get a little closer and see what we’ve found.”

Seconds after Argyll carried out the short jump right to the system’s mass shadow and accelerated, the Karacknid squadron reacted. Having been warned about Lightfoot’s ships, they had evidently been keeping station between the shift passage Argyll had just jumped out of and the orbital stations they were tasked with defending. Whether because of the course Argyll set off on, or because Lightfoot’s fleet was larger than they had been expecting, the Karacknids turned back to the system’s fourth planet. “They don’t want to fight?” Rivers asked as they watched the Karacknids’ maneuvers.

“If my guess is right, that’s a pretty significant military installation deeper in the system,” Lightfoot replied. “They’ll not want to let us attack it. If they try and take us on head to head we could blow through them and have a free pass at their stations. If we were in any other system that commander might willingly sacrifice his fleet to cripple us. But not here. That gives us an opportunity.”

“What is the plan Admiral?” Houston asked as she turned in her command chair.

“Let’s get a little closer and see what we’re up against,” Lightfoot replied. “They’re bound to have some orbital defense stations defending such a significant investment. The enemy commander probably believes that with his ships and the defenses he can beat us off. Of course, he doesn’t know we have no desire to fight a fleet action with a squadron his size, never mind taking on fixed defenses as well. But as long as he doesn’t know that we may as well take advantage of it.”

Twenty minutes later Lightfoot found himself facing the same decision he had faced in the Farmalian system. Further scans had revealed just what the Karacknids were doing deeper within the system. Over twenty shipyards were clearly visible on Argyll’s main holo projector. Every single one of them had a partially completed ship within it.

“Based on our scans, the computer believes the ships are destroyers,” Argyll’s tactical officer reported. “The system must be dedicated to building them. If you look here, it looks like there are eight completed ones sitting in orbit. It doesn’t look like they have any energy weapons yet. They must be taken elsewhere to finish being outfitted.”

“Which means they likely don’t have any crews either. So they are no threat,” Rivers added.

“What about the planet?” Lightfoot asked.

The holo image zoomed in on the planet. It was a rocky world. For the most part, large mountain ranges dominated the holo projection. “We have only detected one major city,” the tactical officer answered. The image zoomed in again to focus on a series of long thin spikes that stretched high into the sky. “Our scans suggest about eighty percent of the structures are underground. It could be home to anywhere from five hundred thousand to several million Karacknids.

Lightfoot turned to the tactical officer. “We’re sure they are Karacknids?”

The officer shrugged. “We’re too far away to confirm if there are any Karacknids out in the open. But we’re detecting no other cities or even towns or villages.”

Lightfoot nodded. That meant the city hadn’t been built by natives of the planet. Either this was a Karacknid colony, or a species the Karacknids had transported here lived in the city. Given how paranoid the Karacknids appeared to be with the species they conquered, he doubted they would allow one of them to operate a shipbuilding project as large as this. Ok, he thought. Now what? Just like at Farmalian, the target in front of him was almost too good to pass up. The twenty shipyards in front of him could probably churn out one hundred and fifty to two hundred ships every year. If he destroyed them, it might mean five hundred less ships for Humanity to fight in two or three years. Yet it would probably cost him half his force or more. That was the key difference with Farmalian. There, there had been no Karacknid ships to fight. Thanks to Scott he knew the Jaranna fleet was at least several days behind him. He could spare some time to take out the shipyards. But not too much, he mused. If he wanted to destroy them he couldn’t afford to waste days preparing a fancy attack. He’d have to move straight into missile range and fight it out with the defenders. In his mind’s eye he could picture what Jil’lal and Gar’am would say. Jil’lal would want to attack. She hated passing up the opportunity to hurt the Karacknids. Gar’am would be more cautious, but he could probably be persuaded.

And there was something else to consider. If he did take out the shipyards and the orbital defenses, the Karacknid city would be at his mercy. It would be the first time in the war a Karacknid colony would be at the mercy of a Human fleet. After what they had done to Earth, the possibility stirred up a number of dark emotions. That scared him. As much as he hated the Karacknids, he didn’t want the guilt he would eventually feel if he attacked their city. Plus, if he started nuking their cities, the Karacknids would respond in kind. Even if his ships all made it home safely, there was no way the Human fleet could protect every Human colony. If the Karacknids wanted to, they could dispatch small squadrons to every Human world and blow them all out of existence. That would be the end of us, Lightfoot knew. As he was thinking about it, another thought came to him. If he was having such conflicted thoughts, what would his Captains be thinking? Or even the individual gunners. All it would take would be for one rogue gunner to launch a missile at the city and it could set off a chain reaction that would see Humanity bombed into extinction. That thought settled Lightfoot’s mind. “Here’s the plan,” he said as he turned to Rivers and Houston and outlined what he was thinking.

Scott and Gar’am’s ships moved to the front of the fleet. Then Lightfoot’s entire force continued towards the Karacknid shipyards. For the next two hours Lightfoot watched the Karacknid ships closely. He was looking for even a hint that they might break orbit. He also dispatched several frigates ahead of his main force to make sure there weren’t any other Karacknid forces lying in wait for him. As long as things continued as they were, he was happy to allow his fleet to proceed along its current trajectory.

An hour later Lightfoot decided his ships had come close enough. “Signal Scott and Gar’am to release their missiles,” he ordered. “Then alter course.”

As he had arranged, both groups of ships accelerated a missile salvo out of their tubes. However, the missiles didn’t ignite their own engines. Instead they continued on a ballistic course towards the Karacknid orbital shipyards. Seconds after the missiles were launched, all the ships in Lightfoot’s fleet turned away from the Karacknid forces. They decelerated and turned onto a heading back out of the system. Over the next ten minutes his fleet split into two squadrons as they set course for two different shift passages. Lightfoot nodded in satisfaction when the Karacknid ships powered up their engines and broke orbit. “They were happy to defend their shipyards when they thought they were under threat. But they’re not going to let us leave unopposed.” The Karacknid commander wasn’t a coward, he was just prudent.

“Send the activation code for the missiles,” Lightfoot ordered fifteen minutes later. As soon as the missiles went active, he had to fight to keep a straight face. The Karacknids’ response almost had him breaking into a grin, however, he didn’t want his officers to think he was gloating. The Karacknids were far too competent to show them anything but respect. Even so, it was clear the Karacknid commander hadn’t been expecting the sudden appearance of eighty missiles. Certainly, not on the trajectory they were on. As soon as they ignited their engines, the missiles from Scott and Gar’am’s ships split into two groups and, using their superior range, arched up and over or down and below the Karacknid ships. They were programmed to follow a curved route around the Karacknid ships to the orbital stations. The Karacknid fleet suddenly found itself heading in the wrong direction. Soon every enemy warship was decelerating hard as they scrambled to get back to the orbital stations to defend them.

Most of the Karacknid frigates and destroyers got back in time, but the heavier and slower ships did not. Just as Lightfoot had suspected, the shipyards were equipped with their own point defenses. As the missiles closed with their targets many of them were destroyed. Yet some got close enough to detonate. “Good shooting,” he said loud enough for the entire bridge to hear. He knew his words would make it to the other ships. It looked like five shipyards had taken some kind of damage. Three looked to be completely destroyed. “That was a good hunch about those completed destroyers,” he added to his tactical officer. The six destroyers that didn’t have any energy weapons had turned out not to have any point defenses. Five of them had been destroyed.

“They’re turning again,” the Lieutenant said as he nodded towards the holo projection.

“They’ll be out for revenge,” Lightfoot responded. He had humiliated his counterpart. The Karacknid commander must have thought his attack a feint designed to drive the Karacknid ships into orbit so that Lightfoot’s fleet could escape. He had been partially correct, but his eagerness to give chase when Lightfoot changed course had been his undoing. “They’ll follow us to the next system and the next in an effort to bring us to battle.” The Karacknid fleet split into two small squadrons and each held onto a pursuit course for his two squadrons. A number of destroyers and frigates were also spread out with their active sensors on full to make sure no other missiles tried to sneak past the Karacknid ships. “Let’s hope the next stage of our plan works as well,” he said. Even though he had the numerical advantage, he didn’t fancy letting the Karacknid commander get his ships into missile range. He suspected they would be more than happy to sacrifice themselves to cripple his fleet.

Chapter 4

Though the Imperial Fleet rapidly expanded its technological superiority over the Karacknids in the early stages of the war, our production capabilities were severely lacking. As we started to overcome that problem, the Karacknids responded with technological upgrades of their own.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Argyll, 13th July 2482 AD.

Eighteen hours into their journey along the shift passage to the next Karacknid system Argyll and the squadron of ships with her exited shift space. Instead of reorienting themselves and recharging the shift drives to continue their journey, they turned and used their impulse engines to move out of the shift passage. There, they entered stealth and waited patiently. Two hours later they detected thirty Karacknid warships exiting shift space. Twenty minutes after that they disappeared as they jumped again. For another eight hours the Human and Vestarian warships waited. Only when another group of twenty-two ships appeared out of shift space did they move.

“Hail Gar’am, let’s see if our ruse worked,” Lightfoot ordered as Argyll moved to re-join the second squadron Lightfoot had detached from his fleet.

“Greetings Admiral,” Gar’am said with a slight bow of his head when the COM link was established. “I presume the squadron chasing you has already passed?”

“It has,” Lightfoot confirmed. “And the one that chased you, they believe you proceeded on up your shift passage?”

“They continued on down the shift passage apparently none the wiser,” Gar’am answered.

“Then we may proceed,” Lightfoot responded. “We will jump as soon as your ships have recharged their shift drives. With luck, we’ll have enough of a numerical advantage to pass through the next system without being accosted.” Gar’am tilted his head again before the COM channel ended.

“Right,” Lightfoot said as he turned to his staff officers. “As soon as it gets to the next system and sees we did not get there ahead of them the Karacknid fleet will know we are up to something. Let’s go through how they might react and work up some counter plans. I want to be ready when we jump out.”

“Aye Admiral,” Houston replied for her staff.

*

IS Argyll, 15th July 2482 AD (2 days later).

“Something is afoot,” Houston said when the sensor data from the two scouts Lightfoot had sent into the next system came back. “There is no sign of them.”

“They have gone into stealth,” Rivers suggested. “They must be lying in wait for us.”

“Or they think we’ve doubled back and are already racing through shift space back to those shipyards,” Houston replied. “Imagine what must be going through that Karacknid commander’s mind. If he thinks we doubled back and are hitting them again he would be livid.”

“That would be the best thing for us,” Lightfoot responded, more than once he had thought about how the shipyards might have been left all but undefended. “But let’s assume they are still waiting for us. What do we know about the system itself, is there likely to have been a Karacknid garrison stationed in it?”

One of Lightfoot’s staff officers altered the holo image to show what the scouts had detected. “It doesn’t look like there is much of note,” she said. “There are no signs of a colony, and just this lone orbital station. It could be an outpost, research station or perhaps there is a small mining operation on the planet’s surface.”

“So nothing to suggest our friends have been reinforced. Ok then, the question is, if the Karacknid commander wants to try and ambush a numerically superior force, where would he do it from?” After studying the holo image of the system for several seconds Lightfoot raised a finger and pointed. “There, that’s where I would be.”

“He’ll try and take us as soon as we exit shift space?” Rivers asked. “Why not stand off and let his superior missile range come into play?”

“Because then we’ll have time to react,” Lightfoot responded. “Our superior numbers mean we have the better point defenses. No. He’ll want to engage us at energy weapons range if he can.”

“What are you thinking Admiral?” Houston asked.

“He may have the advantage in missile range, but our missiles can detonate further out from their targets. We can use that in a close-range knife fight. If he wants a laser beam duel, perhaps we can oblige him,” Lightfoot responded. He tapped a set of coordinates into his command chair. “Prepare the fleet to jump to this position. We’ll fire a spread of missiles as soon as we emerge. If the Karacknids are there, we’ll hit them with the missiles and then close in for the kill.”

“Aye Admiral,” Houston responded before giving orders to the other staff officers. “The fleet is ready,” she said five minutes later. Lightfoot nodded and she gave the order to jump.

Though he had done it several times before, the two quick lurches from his ship jumping in and out of shift space in a fraction of a second threatened to make the contents of his stomach escape his mouth. Swallowing hard, Lightfoot tried to ignore his body and focus on the holo projection. A volley of missiles had been released by his ships. The Karacknids, detecting his ships’ shift space jump, were coming out of stealth and charging. Lightfoot had jumped his ships into the system two light seconds beyond the mass shadow. His ships were just out of range of the Karacknid’s heavy lasers. On the other hand, after just ten seconds, his missiles got close enough to detonate and fire their bomb pumped laser beams. With ample time to lock onto the Karacknids’ engines, the missile salvo was devastating. There hadn’t been enough time for Lightfoot to confirm the enemy’s numbers, but as explosions ripped through their ranks, at least two thirds of the enemy ships disappeared from Argyll’s sensors. Others fell out of formation, venting atmosphere and debris.

With both sets of ships so close, there was no time for Lightfoot to give any orders. Instead he had to trust to his Captains as both fleets closed to directed energy weapons range. In the span of seconds laser beams, heavy plasma bolts and particle beams reached out to strike each fleet. The remaining Karacknid ships also rippled off a volley of missiles. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the battle was over. The energy weapons’ fire from his ships had destroyed or crippled the remaining Karacknids in one volley.

Lightfoot glanced over to Houston. She held up her hand, “One moment.”

Lightfoot nodded and waited patiently. He had seen the frigate Dakota destroyed by an enemy particle beam and an anti-matter missile blow a Vestarian cruiser in half. When Houston gave him a run-down of the fleet’s damage, he was relieved to hear that just three other ships had been hit. Two would be able to repair most of the damage, but the third, a light cruiser, would have to be scuttled. While Houston oversaw the evacuation of her crew and what supplies they could carry off, Lightfoot turned his mind to his next move. Peering out at the wider system, he searched the holo projection for any sign of other Karacknid ships. There were none, but he suspected that was only because they didn’t want him detecting them. The Karacknids’ attempt to ambush him had been a risk for them, the enemy commander was bound to have left a couple of ships in stealth to watch and see how the battle unfolded. They’ll have orders to shadow us and report our movements. There were now two fleets behind his ships, the fleet that had pursued them from Jaranna, and the second half of the fleet they had just destroyed. If they didn’t already, soon both of them would know where he was and be nipping at his heels. “We will put the fleet onto this trajectory as soon as we’re ready to move,” Lightfoot ordered as he sent a new course to his navigation officer. “There is nothing in this system worth attacking, and we need to keep moving.”

*

IS Argyll, 28th July 2482 AD (13 days later).

“This does not look good,” Rivers couldn’t help but say as he looked over to Lightfoot.

Lightfoot nodded. For almost two weeks their journey through Karacknid space had been plain sailing. In each of the four systems they had passed through there had been minor Karacknid activity, but there had been nowhere near enough ships to waylay them. The sensor data the scouts had brought back from the next system was another matter. “It must be a border garrison,” Lightfoot replied. The system they were in was just one system away from the border of Karacknid space. Having headed several systems into Karacknid space, they had changed their direction of travel three systems ago and were heading out on a path that would take them to the Damang system. “And they know we are coming.” There had been no sign of Karacknid ships stalking them, but clearly someone had followed them and been able to get word to the Karacknid fleet guarding this system.

“The computer’s analysis puts the enemy numbers at eighty,” Houston informed him. “There is nothing larger than a heavy cruiser. But there are fifteen of them.”

“And those stations in orbit around the second planet?” Lightfoot asked.

“From the power readings, the computer estimates that at least four of them are battlestations. They look to be about twice the size of a Karacknid dreadnought,” Rivers answered.

“We won’t be tangling with them,” Lightfoot concluded. It also explained the enemy fleet’s formation. About forty of their ships were stationed right in between the shift passage his ships were about to exit from and the one they needed to take to continue towards Human space. The other forty, comprising the frigates and destroyers, were spread out patrolling the system. If he tried to sneak past them one ship was bound to catch sight of his forces. Then the main Karacknid fleet and all the scouts would close in around his fleet like a net. “Get me Gar’am and Jil’lal,” Lightfoot requested.

“What do you make of it?” he asked when both commanders appeared on his command chair’s holo projector.

“They certainly don’t want to let us leave their space,” Jil’lal commented. “We could take them, blow right through the center of their formation, but we might not have many ships left to take home.”

“Agreed,” Gar’am responded.

“We could try and go around,” Lightfoot proposed in a tone that conveyed his reluctance to do so. “Instead of jumping into the system from here, we could skirt around the system in normal space. Argyll’s navigation officer informed me it would take just over two and a half weeks.”

“What if they anticipated such a move?” Jil’lal asked. “They could have a few ships stationed out there waiting to see if we pass by. Then the whole fleet could jump ahead of us to the next system and set up a similar search pattern. If we wanted to avoid contact with them there, we’d have to take another two-week diversion to go around that system.”

Lightfoot nodded. “My fears exactly. We’d probably encounter the same situation if we tried retracing our steps. If we fall back to the last system and head deeper into Karacknid space to avoid this garrison, they’d suspect what we’re up to when we don’t appear here. They could cut us off at the next system that leads out of their space.”

“We need to draw them away,” Gar’am suggested. “My ships are the fastest. We could make a mock attack on their orbital infrastructure. If we let their scouts detect us they’d have to move their main fleet to intercept. That would give the rest of your ships an opening to make a run for the next shift passage.”

“How would your ships re-join us?” Jil’lal asked. “Your ships are fast, but not faster than Karacknid frigates and destroyers. Their extended patrols would envelop you. You’d never make it out of the inner system.”

Gar’am bowed his head. “If that is the price that must be paid.”

“No,” Lightfoot said abruptly. “I’m not letting anyone else sacrifice themselves to allow me to escape. We are not splitting up, not again. Besides, even if you did, you wouldn’t be able to damage their main fleet. As soon as they destroyed you, they’d be hard on our heels. They could chase us all the way back to the Chinese colonies. How many of our ships would make it back without your ships supporting us?”

“If we’re not going to try and sneak past, nor run, then we need to divide and conquer,” Jil’lal decided. When Lightfoot raised an eyebrow she continued. “Gar’am is right, if their scouts detect a squadron heading for their planet, the main fleet will have to divert to intercept them. That’s a predictable move. One we can take advantage of. If we can pull their patrolling ships out of formation, we could hit their flank with our main fleet.”

Lightfoot raised a hand to scratch his jaw. “And if it would work once, then why not a second time?” he mused. When he glanced from Gar’am to Jil’lal he could tell they were thinking along the same lines. “Let’s work out the details and get to work. This should be our last obstacle before we can get home. We are not going to let it beat us or make us turn back.”

Two hours later Lightfoot was confident his staff had carried out enough simulations for him to formulate a finalized plan. After sending it to Gar’am and Jil’lal for their approval, he sent it to his Captains. Thirty minutes after that, the first ships jumped into shift space. Lightfoot watched each group jump out and nodded to Rivers when Argyll’s turn came.

When the heavy cruiser exited shift space and her passive sensors sifted through the electromagnetic energy washing over the ship, Lightfoot saw that things were going to plan. On the holo projection in front of him a group of twenty ships were charging towards the only planet with Karacknid orbital stations within the system. The Karacknid warships had reacted. Lightfoot counted seven of their scouting ships closing with the contacts, presumably to get a better sensor read on them. The main Karacknid fleet had altered course and was moving to intercept the new contacts before they reached the planet. According to Lightfoot’s plan, the twenty contacts should have been detected by the Karacknids twenty minutes ago. All of them were drones deployed by the heavy cruiser Minotaur, the first ship he had dispatched into the system. Evidently the Karacknids hadn’t figured that out yet. As he watched, one Karacknid frigate got close enough to see what the contacts really were for it immediately veered off at a seemingly random angle. A signal, Lightfoot concluded. Rather than wait for a sub light transmission to update his commander, the frigate’s Captain had pulled a maneuver that communicated the same thing.

Over the course of the next two minutes, the Karacknid ships all reacted. Most of the extended scouting screen of ships turned back to their original course while the main Karacknid fleet decelerated. Too late, Lightfoot thought as the Karacknid ships scrambled to get back in position, aware that they had been tricked. Coming out of stealth, Scott’s ships charged a group of scout ships that were isolated because of the Karacknid fleet’s course changes. Two Karacknid destroyers and three frigates suddenly found themselves in a long-range missile duel with four medium cruisers and six destroyers. Three missile salvos were exchanged between the two groups of ships. Lightfoot clenched his teeth as a Human destroyer disappeared when two antimatter missiles struck it. In return Scott destroyed all the Karacknid ships. What was left of her squadron turned and charged away from the Karacknid screening ships that were trying to close with her. As soon as they were a safe distance away, they went into stealth mode in an effort to escape.

Before the Karacknids could arrange a systematic sweep of the area to hunt Scott down, thirty new contacts appeared. They were racing towards the hole Scott’s ships had made in the Karacknid formation. Just as Lightfoot had intended, it looked like Scott’s ships had been seeking to clear a path for the main Human fleet. The Karacknids’ response was predictable. All of the ships accelerated hard to stop the new contacts from breaking past them and racing towards the shift passage out of the system. For twenty minutes the chase continued until suddenly every Karacknid ship cut its engines. “They know they’ve been tricked again,” Lightfoot said as he shared a glance with Rivers. The new contacts had been another set of drones.

Gar’am’s ships activated their reactors and engines and came out of stealth. Having taken up a position on the opposite flank of the large Karacknid formation to Scott’s ships, Gar’am pounced on a handful of isolated Karacknid scouts. Seven more enemy ships were destroyed by his missiles before he broke contact and, like Scott, took his ships back into stealth. “That commander has to be pulling his hair out,” Rivers commented. “Which reminds me, do Karacknids have hair?”

Lightfoot rolled his eyes at his Flag Captain while several bridge officers chuckled. The plan was working well, but it was far from over. For several minutes he watched to see how the Karacknid commander would arrange his forces now. Twice he had been tricked by drones. “These will be our final attack vectors,” Lightfoot said after he input a series of commands and sent them to his COM officer. “Transmit them now,” he ordered.

Pushing himself back into his command chair, Lightfoot took a deep breath. It would take five minutes for his orders to reach all of his ships. Then it would be go time. In silence he watched the Karacknid formation, looking for any hint that the enemy commander would issue new orders. Whether from indecision or some plan Lightfoot couldn’t figure out, the Karacknid ships simply continued to decelerate. “Begin acceleration,” he ordered when the time came.

Argyll and the thirty ships in her formation, along with Jil’lal’s flagship and her twenty Vestarian warships, powered up their engines. Both squadrons were separated by more than thirty light seconds. Even so, the nose of every ship was pointed towards the same spot. The heart of the Karacknid fleet. With the screening ships in the Karacknid fleet so spread out and in a hodgepodge formation, its center was isolated. Lightfoot had the numerical and missile weight advantage. While the Karacknid fleet’s largest ship was a heavy cruiser, he had two battleships and several battlecruisers. Unperturbed by the change in circumstances, the Karacknid commander didn’t blink. Instead of falling back, his ships turned and accelerated towards the new ships. Lightfoot nodded in respect. He knows this is the real attack and he’s coming anyway.

The rest of the Karacknid frigates and destroyers accelerated in a vain effort to join the approaching battle. A handful were close enough that they would get into range. However, Scott and Gar’am’s ships came back out of stealth and maneuvered to head them off. Instead of pulling back when entering stealth, both Captains had maneuvered their ships back into range. For ten minutes Lightfoot watched as Gar’am and Scott fought duels on the periphery of the main battle. Then he focused on the center of the Karacknid fleet. They had just entered missile range. Moments later they released a volley of six hundred missiles. In return, his ships fired nine hundred and sixty. Individually, they were nowhere near as deadly as the Karacknid antimatter missiles, but numbers had an advantage of their own.

“Begin deceleration,” he ordered after the missiles were away. He had no intention of letting the Karacknids get into energy weapon range. “Extra rations for every gunner who takes out a missile in this engagement,” he added. Though some of the gunners might spend the ration allocations on their favorite food or desert, he knew most would place orders for one alcoholic beverage or another. If his fleet got through this he wouldn’t mind. They’d be on their way home. When one of the bridge officers acknowledged him, he had to repress a smile. More than one officer looked disappointed that they weren’t manning Argyll’s point defense guns.

Turning his attention back to the Karacknid missiles, Lightfoot made an effort to keep his face motionless as he watched the battle unfold. There were no more fancy orders to be given. It was a simple shootout now. Over the next twenty minutes both fleets exchanged four missile salvos. In the first two, the point defense gunners of each side were largely victorious. Lightfoot’s fleet lost four ships to the Karacknids’ seven. Then Lightfoot’s numbers began to tell. Eleven Karacknid ships were destroyed by his third salvo and fifteen in the next. The remaining seven Karacknid ships were all heavily damaged. “Ceasefire,” Lightfoot snapped. “We’ll close to plasma cannon range and finish them off.” He didn’t know the exact numbers, but he knew some of his ships were close to running out of missiles.

“Scott is signaling. The rest of the Karacknid ships are pulling back,” one of Argyll’s COM officers reported.

“Acknowledge her message,” Lightfoot responded. “Begin rescue operations. I want as many of our people picked up as possible.” Nine ships had been taken out by Karacknid missiles. At least four more were drifting in space. He suspected they would have to be scuttled. But he didn’t intend to leave anyone else behind on this mission. “The way home is clear,” he said to his bridge officers. “Let’s mop up what remains of the enemy fleet and get out of here. I for one am eager to see Earth again.”

“As am I Admiral,” Captain Rivers responded. “The way is clear thanks to you.” He began to clap and the rest of the bridge officers joined him. One or two shouted ‘Hurrah.’

Lightfoot waved at Rivers to cease. Inwardly he was relieved that they had dealt with the Karacknid fleet so efficiently.  But ships had been lost and thousands were dead. Now was not the time to celebrate. “See to your duties,” he ordered the bridge officers. “You have comrades out there who are still stranded.”

Lightfoot watched as they destroyed the remaining Karacknid ships that were in range of the heavy plasma cannons. Then he laid out a new course for his fleet and sent it to his COM officer. “Transmit these coordinates to Scott, Gar’am and Jil’lal,” he ordered. “Oh and tell them well done.” He would tell them so in person, but they deserved to have the praise transmitted so that their officers could hear it as well. In his head Lightfoot did the math. Over the last two hours their maneuvers had resulted in the destruction of sixty Karacknid warships for the price of nine of his own. Probably five more would have to be scuttled, but if they had been closer to Earth they would be salvageable. Nine for the price of sixty, Lightfoot thought. That’s not bad. He was tempted to bask in the accomplishment. His officers would only admire him more because of what they had just done. One thing kept him firmly grounded. Given the massive numerical advantage the Karacknid empire had over Humanity and the Varanni Alliance, they would need to keep on winning battles with a similar loss ratio to stand any chance in the ensuing war. That is, if there’s anything to even return home for. They still didn’t know if their attack on Jaranna had caused any disruption to the Karacknid invasion of Alliance Space. For all his fleet knew, they could return to Earth to find that the Alliance had fallen and Earth was next. Looking at the joy on his officers’ faces, Lightfoot had no intention of reminding them of that just yet. They can enjoy their victory for a few hours at least.

Chapter 5

Warship design has changed much over the last half century. Advances in artificial intelligence have vastly reduced the crew numbers required to maintain and fight an Imperial warship. Yet both Human commanders and engineers are still as essential as they ever were. A.I. cannot replace the intuition that gives our species its edge.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Argyll, 10th August 2482 AD (twelve days later).

As he had done at each of the previous four systems over the last twelve days, Lightfoot made sure he was on the bridge as Argyll exited shift space. Now that his fleet had escaped the Karacknid empire, they were racing home as fast as possible. He had done away with his more cautionary approach of sending scouts into each new system ahead of his fleet. That didn’t mean he had completely abandoned all restraint. It was possible they could bump into a Karacknid patrol. That was why he had his ships at battle stations.

Moments after the jolt from Argyll exiting shift space, alarms blared. Instinctively he gripped the armrest of his command chair tighter. His eyes darted to the holo- projector to see what had set off the computer’s automatic warnings. For a split-second doubt threatened to well up and dominate his emotions. If he had led his ships into a trap… Relief washed over him as just two contacts appeared on the holo projector. They were both heading away from his ships deeper into the system. As he released his grip, more data appeared from Argyll’s passive sensors. There were orbital stations around the system’s third gas giant. A number of ships were maneuvering in and out of orbit. He glanced at his Chief of Staff. “Varanni star maps have no record of a civilization inhabiting this system?” he asked. Though he had carefully vetted his chosen route many times, he wanted to be sure.

Houston shook her head. “No Admiral. There should be nothing here.”

Lightfoot nodded. That and the fact that the stations were around the gas giant meant one thing. It was a Karacknid installation. Those two ships probably came here with news of our presence, he figured. His gaze returned to the two contacts and studied them more closely. There was no way his ships could catch them. Though they had been close enough to detect his ships’ exit from shift space. “All right,” he said loud enough for his staff officers to hear. “They know we are here. Take us towards the next shift passage. Maximum acceleration. Let’s see how they react.”

As the ships began to move, Lightfoot mentally crossed his fingers. Whatever the Karacknids were doing this close to Human space, it wasn’t good. If they had a fleet stationed here, his ships weren’t going to make it home. Even if they didn’t, he was not feeling confident. “The Karacknids must be planning another invasion of our space. This has to be a forward staging base,” he said as he looked over to Rivers. “Even as they’ve been invading Alliance space they’ve be planning to hit us again.” He looked back to the holo projector. The question was, just how prepared were they?

Ten minutes later Lightfoot found his confidence growing. Initial scans of the Karacknid forces suggested that they had no more than twenty warships. There were at least thirty freighters and a lot of construction work was ongoing, but the Karacknids did not yet have a fleet stationed in the system. “What about orbital defenses?” Lightfoot asked.

“It looks like they have these two stations here,” his tactical officer answered as he zoomed in the holo- projection. “They’re both class III defense stations. Each one is the size of a battlecruiser.”

Lightfoot nodded and stared at the images of the Karacknid stations and ships. It would take his ships another month and a half to reach Earth. Likely, it would take at least another two months for a sizeable force to be sent back here to attempt to destroy the Karacknid staging planet. By then they could have hundreds of ships protecting the gas mining station and the supply depots they had under construction built. “Signal the fleet,” Lightfoot said. “Inform our crews they have one more battle to fight before we can head home. We need to stop this Karacknid invasion plan before it gets going.” When his COM officer acknowledged his words Lightfoot turned to Houston. “The fleet will change course, put us on an intercept trajectory for the gas giant. We’re going to destroy everything they have in orbit.”

“Aye Admiral,” Houston replied. She turned to the rest of her officers and barked orders.

As the ships drew closer to the Karacknid forces, Lightfoot prioritized targets for his fleet’s first missile salvo. He wanted to destroy the two orbital battlestations and as many of the Karacknid cruisers as he could. With no dreadnoughts or battleships among the Karacknid fleet, there was a chance he could take out his primary targets with his first salvo. If so, the battle would be all but over. Though his focus was on the military installations, he couldn’t help but be impressed with the other stations the Karacknids had built. There were actually three gas mining stations and more than twenty depots. There was no way to tell how long the Karacknids had been building up the system, but given how few warships were stationed here, Lightfoot guessed it couldn’t have been much longer than six months.

“They have committed a lot of resources to this system,” Rivers said, seemingly reading Lightfoot’s thoughts.

“Yes,” Lightfoot agreed. “It would seem they intend to finish what they started at Earth.”

“We are the first species to ever turn back one of their invasion fleets,” Rivers said proudly. “I guess they don’t intend to underestimate us twice.”

“The only species to beat them back, as far as we know,” Lightfoot reminded Rivers. If it had happened before there was no record of it. Of course, almost nothing was known about the history of the Karacknid empire. There is no historical record, or no living evidence of it, Lightfoot thought. If the Karacknids had been beaten before it was entirely possible they had returned to nuke their enemies out of existence. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the supply depots. Whether the Karacknids were planning a second nuclear strike or simply a complete conquest of Human space, it looked like they were committing heavily to the task. And if the Alliance has already fallen, they’ll be able to use all their forces against us… Cheer up, he told himself after a moment. At least if his fleet destroyed their base now, it would delay their attack by several months. Several months probably wouldn’t change anything, but it was something.

For another hour, his fleet continued into the system towards their targets. The Karacknids didn’t appear to do very much. The freighters closed with the orbital battlestations and huddled close together for mutual support. The twenty-four warships formed up into a tight formation between the two battlestations. “They’re not going to run,” Rivers commented when the fleet was just ten minutes away from entering missile range. “They’ll all die here.”

“The Karacknids have proven one thing over the last several months,” Lightfoot replied. “They are brave. Foolhardy, but brave.” If the enemy commander had so chosen, he could have pulled back with his freighters and warships. It would have given Lightfoot a choice between destroying the orbital stations or chasing down the Karacknid freighters. It seemed that wasn’t the choice he was going to have to worry about.

“Make sure every ship is prepared to open fire as soon as we come…” Lightfoot was cut off by one of Argyll’s sensor officers.

“We’ve got movement!” the officer shouted in alarm.

Lightfoot’s eyes widened at what unfolded on the holo projection. The thirty Karacknid freighters were all moving away from the orbital battlestations. In their wake, they left behind a bunch of new contacts. Dreadnoughts, battlecruisers, and heavy cruisers all powered up their reactors and engines. They had been hiding behind the freighters in stealth! Lightfoot had been fooled. He thought the two Karacknid ships Argyll had detected monitoring the system had been bringing news of his arrival. In reality, the Karacknid commander had known he was coming for far longer. They had prepared a warm welcome for him. It’s caught up with you, he thought. So many times before he had fooled the Karacknids with one trick or another. Now it had caught up with him. They had turned the tables. For several seconds he stared at the new Karacknid ships. Alone, they had enough missiles to go toe to toe with his fleet. With a shake of his head, he tried to clear his surprise. He needed to think clearly. “Begin deceleration burns immediately! The fleet will veer up and right towards the mass shadow. Switch targets, focus our fire on their light ships. Their faster ships will be sent to snap at our heels if we don’t take them out now.”

As Argyll’s bridge broke into pandemonium Lightfoot looked back to the Karacknid fleet. He swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. After months traveling through Karacknid space he had thought his fleet almost home. Now they were about to face the most devastating missile salvo yet. His gaze turned to his own ships. Though they were decelerating hard, their momentum was still carrying them almost straight towards the Karacknid fleet. He had managed to bring seventy-two back from the raid on Jaranna. Admiral Gupta had given her life to make sure he got them home. Closing his eyes, Lightfoot tried to fight down the feeling that he had failed her. So many of them were about to be destroyed. Just as he felt he was getting his emotions under control; new alarms forced his eyes open. The Karacknid fleet had fired! One thousand two hundred missiles were charging straight towards his ships. When he looked down from the plot of the enemy missiles, he found most of Argyll’s officers staring at him. For a second he hesitated, then he forced himself to do the only thing he knew, he gave out orders. “Push all our frigates and destroyers ahead of the fleet. They are to form an additional point defense field of fire. Have every Captain prepare evasive maneuvers. Make sure it is shared with the ships around them. I don’t want any accidental collisions. Every ship has authorization to release every single drone they have. Make sure every one of them is programmed as a decoy.” He glanced back at the holo-projection as the trajectory of his ships continued to update. “We only have to survive one salvo,” he said to his officers. “Then our momentum will take us out of range. Just one salvo. I know we can do it!”

Several officers nodded, others stared for a couple of seconds as expressions of grim determination settled on their faces, then they turned back to their command consoles as well. Lightfoot raised his eyes back to the holo projection and clenched his teeth. If they wanted to stare any longer, they would only see quiet confidence from him.

Though his ships opened fire ten seconds later, Lightfoot barely registered it. He was focused on the Karacknid missiles. As they entered range of his fleet’s point defenses, every weapon, including the ships’ heavy lasers, plasma cannons and forward missile tubes opened fire. Hundreds of Karacknid missiles were taken out. The number on one of Argyll’s secondary projectors dwindled but it was quickly evident to Lightfoot that it wasn’t decreasing by nearly enough. He was caught off-guard when Argyll began evasive maneuvers and he was thrown around in his command chair. Then explosions detonated among his ships. So many missiles released balls of anti-matter that Lightfoot lost count. More ships were blown apart than he could keep track of. More alarms made his head swing around. He wasn’t the only bridge officer to turn to another secondary holo projector. The alarms were what every officer feared. Missiles were targeting Argyll! Two were just seconds out. One was taken out by a flak cannon round. The other got so close it disappeared from the sensor feed. Lightfoot felt and heard Argyll scream in agony as her innards were twisted and wiped out of existence by the Karacknid antimatter. He was thrown back and forth in his command chair so hard that his head flung black and struck his neck rest despite his restraints. A piercing pain shot through him. Suddenly his eyelids felt like lead. Twice he blinked, fighting to keep his eyes open, then the pain and darkness overtook him. The last thing Lightfoot saw on the holo projection was more and more explosions erupting among his ships. His last thoughts were that Argyll was doomed. His fleet was doomed. He had failed Gupta and Earth. Then everything went black.

Chapter 6

There are many ways to subjugate a conquered foe. Earth’s history alone shows this. The Assyrians slaughtered those whom they subjugated. The Babylonians translocated people from their ancestral homes; and the Romans raised up local rulers to rule in their stead. The Karacknids employed a fourth strategy; they made their subjects so dependent on them, rebellion was an impossibility.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

Badminton House, England, 26th September 2482 AD (6 weeks later).

James gently stroked the bark of his seat. Carved out of a fallen tree trunk, it fit his form perfectly. Often in the past, when sat in this very spot, James imagined who had originally made it. One of his ancestors had likely requested it. Or perhaps an industrious groundsman had carved it in the hope of pleasing his employer. Normally he also enjoyed the sound of the wind rustling in the trees along the riverbank and the quiet babbling as the fast-flowing stream rushed over its rocky bottom. None of those things held James’ attention now. Instead, he found himself staring blankly at the stream. The repetitive ripples on its surface made his mind drift and he was unaware of the passage of time.

“There you are,” a soft voice said as a hand rested on his shoulder. “I’ve had a couple of servants out looking for you.” As she spoke, Christine moved around from behind James and squished herself onto the seat beside him. She picked up a small twig, threw it upstream and quietly watched it float down past them. “I’d ask you what’s on your mind, but I think I can guess.” She turned to look James in the eye. “Gupta?”

James nodded and turned back to the stream. “They’re months overdue,” he said eventually. “Captain Winters said he expected Gupta and her ships to be days behind him at most. It’s been months.”

Christine reached over, took one of James’ hands and gave it a tender squeeze. Captain Winters had commanded the freighters and damaged ships Admiral Gupta had sent home from Jaranna before her planned ambush of a Karacknid convoy. Gupta’s faster warships should have been able to ambush the convoy and catch up with Winters before the fleet supply squadron had made it back to Earth. They hadn’t. “I’m sure an officer with your experience can think of a thousand horrible things that might have happened to them,” Christine said as she squeezed James’ hand again. “But equally,” she continued as she reached up with her other hand and turned his chin towards hers, “I’m sure you can think of a thousand good reasons why they’ve been delayed. Perhaps they found a new target to attack? Perhaps they decided to push deeper into Karacknid territory? Perhaps they decided to fall back towards Alliance space rather than here? We simply don’t know.”

James shook his head. “They wouldn’t have fallen back to Alliance space. Gupta knows how vulnerable Earth is. If they had been able to get back here by now, they would have. Something has happened to them.”

Christine fought back a sigh; she knew James well enough to know that when he was in one of these moods it was all but impossible to argue him out of it. She tried a different tact. “You have many friends in their fleet. Gupta, Scott, Lightfoot. They are good officers we cannot afford to lose. Yet if you’re right, they may already be lost. Or they may all be safe and sound. Either way, we can’t spend all day sitting out here thinking about them. We have an Empire to run and a people to protect.” Standing, she grabbed James’ other hand and pulled him to his feet. “Come Grand Admiral, we have our duty to see to. Gupta led her fleet to Jaranna to turn back the Karacknid invasion of Alliance space. Whatever they’re doing now, they accomplished that. Now we have to make use of the time they bought us. Come on,” she repeated as James allowed her to lead him away from the stream and towards Badminton House.” If we don’t leave now, the others will be waiting for us.”

As they walked away from the stream and through the meadow a shuttle appeared and landed on the front lawn of the 17th-century house. Christine glanced at James, he wasn’t in his full dress uniform, but he was in naval attire. It’ll have to do, she thought. “There’s no time to freshen up, we’ll get on the shuttle now and be on our way.”

“Yes my Empress,” James replied, “I’m at your service as always.”

Christine elbowed James in the side, she had told him off more than once for using her title when it was just the two of them. Even so, she smiled at him, it was his way of telling her he was setting his concerns about Gupta and her fleet aside, for now at least. Before she could think of a witty reply, six armed marines descended from the shuttle and formed an honor guard for her. They all stood at attention. One by one they saluted her as they walked past. Christine returned the gesture and nodded to their Sergeant. “We are ready to take off,” she said to the shuttle’s pilot after strapping herself in and pulling on a COM’s headset. “Take us over London as we go,” she ordered.

When James’ head turned towards hers, he shared a knowing glance with her. Neither of them needed any reminding of what the Karacknids had done, but it would focus their minds. As Empress she had several residences spread across Earth. While she and James had spent most of their free time, the little of what they had of it, at Badminton House, the next scheduled meeting of her Inner Council was to take place at Chilton House.

In just five minutes the shuttle had covered the distance from Badminton House to London. Though it had only been several weeks since she had last laid eyes on the capital city of her former nation, Christine was still taken aback by the destruction. More than ten square miles of the city was nothing but a wasteland. Here and there shuttles and ground vehicles were examining the wreckage. For the most part though, the inner city had been abandoned. There simply weren’t enough resources to start cleaning up and rebuilding. Everything her fledging empire had was being devoted to looking after those who were alive and building ships and weapons to defend against the Karacknids. It will probably fall to my successor to start rebuilding our lost cities, Christine thought. As much as she would love to be the one to begin it, she feared it would take many years, if not decades to beat the Karacknids. Not a single credit could be spent on sentimental projects when everything was needed to counter the overwhelming power of the Karacknid empire. Thoughts of a successor made Christine reach out and take James’ hand again. They were engaged now, eventually to be married. As soon as all the colonies that were willing to join the Empire had done so, she could be officially crowned and she and James could be married. Then they would have to start thinking about an heir. It wasn’t something she had talked about with him before. A part of her was scared to bring it up. The thought of bringing a child into the world they now lived in did not please her. She had enough trouble sleeping because of her constant fear and concern for her species. Having her own child to protect as well would only make that worse. Yet as James squeezed her hand back and turned to smile at her, she knew she wanted a child even with all the dangers.

“We’ll make them pay,” James said as he turned back to look out the viewport. “We’ll make them pay, and then we can rebuild what was lost. Our species will have a future.” He turned back to her, “We’ll have a future beyond this war.”

Christine returned his smile, she didn’t know if his thoughts had turned to the same place hers had, but the determination in his eyes was all the comfort she needed. After this meeting, she promised herself, we’ll talk about kids.

*

Chilton House

As James followed Christine into the large briefing room, he wasn’t surprised to see that everyone else was already there. “Sorry we are late,” he said, aware that he was the cause of their tardiness.

Fairfax waved a hand dismissively. “An Emperor should never apologize for being late,” he responded. “You may not be an Emperor yet, but it’s time you started getting used to behaving like one. You don’t see Christine apologizing do you?”

Christine shrugged at James. “I am sorry, I just didn’t want to waste more time apologizing. I knew how he’d take it.” She turned to Fairfax. “Though now it is you who is holding us up,” she said before shooting James a wink.

Fairfax rolled his eyes and gestured for James and Christine to take their seats. “So,” Christine asked after getting herself comfortable. “What is on the agenda today?” Everyone turned to Fairfax, Christine had made him her Chief of Staff. As Empress she was primarily responsible for the military affairs of the Empire, though many other things fell under her prerogative. Fairfax’s political experience in both peace and war made him an ideal candidate.

“Two main items,” Fairfax replied, “and then several lesser matters. I’ll take the first one.” Reaching out to the desk they were all sat around, Fairfax picked up a datapad and gestured for everyone else to do the same. “You each have a full report, but I’ll give the highlights. We’ve heard back from Britannia and Haven. Both have held referendums to join the Empire. Both have accepted.”

“That is excellent news,” Andréa, now drafted into the Imperial navy and promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral said as her voice rose. “Our key colony strategy is paying off.”

“Indeed, it does seem so. We are building up a good head of momentum,” Fairfax responded with a cheeky grin. “Whoever thought up the idea should be congratulated.”

Christine frowned at her Chief of Staff. He had been the one to suggest the plan. “I don’t think that will be happening any time soon. But the news is pleasing. We have New Shanghai, New Rostov, Utah, Connecticut and now Britannia and Haven. With luck, many other colonies will follow their example and we will not have to exert as much political influence.”

“Which means we can focus more of our efforts on defeating the Karacknids,” James said excitedly. He had experienced more than enough politicking over the last several months. Fairfax’s plan had called for Christine, Admiral Koroylov, Senator Nicholls and James to focus their efforts on winning the referendums that had been scheduled on the key colonies. Though he hadn’t had time to visit Britannia or Haven in person, he had spent a lot of time strategizing with political operatives before they had been dispatched to the colonies. Time he knew would be better spent directed against the Karacknids.

“Eventually yes,” Fairfax agreed, “though there is still much work to be done. We still need to convince the other former British colonies to vote to join the Empire in their own referendums. But that doesn’t take away from our success. Getting Britannia to hold a referendum and pass it means every other British colony will have to have their own vote. Unless they are crazy, they will follow what the people of Britain here on Earth and now on Britannia have chosen.”

“As should the people of China, Russia and the colonies of the former United Colonial States,” Christine added. “Though the latter may be a little harder.” James nodded, as did several others. Everyone knew the different colonies that made up the United Colonial States of America were fiercely independent. Technically the constitution of the Empire would allow them to keep their independence, but that didn’t mean their citizens would see things that way. “We cannot rest on our laurels however,” Christine continued. “What about elections to the Senate and House of Commons? Britannia and Haven will need to elect Senators and Commoners. The sooner they can hold elections and send them here the better.”

“There’s no need to worry about that Empress,” Fairfax answered with a smile. “The reports I’ve received from both colonies indicated they are keen to hold elections as quickly as possible. They know how important getting their own representatives sent here to be involved in the decision-making will be. I’ve asked Commoner Hargreaves to take the lead in making preparations for the new members of our Parliament. Everything should be ready for them when they get here.”

James nodded. He had worked closely with Hargreaves before she had been elected as one of the Commoners who sat in the House of Commons representing Earth’s populace. “Things are going well on the political front. Are there any other referendums coming up that we’re expecting to hear results from soon? I imagine that with the worlds that have joined us there will be many others clamoring to do the same.”

“I was just getting to that,” Fairfax replied. “If you look further down your datapad you’ll see that we had a request from the governor of New Berlin. He is asking that all of the colonies in German colonial space be admitted into the Empire in one sweep. As you can imagine, they are eager to formally come under our protection.”

“That is understandable,” Christine responded as she glanced at James. Their systems were the closest to Karacknid territory. “But the terms Admiral Somerville laid out to our people were that every colony must hold a referendum to decide if they wish to join us.”

“The Germans understand this,” Fairfax said. “They’ve held referendums on New Berlin and four of their other colonies. Each was an overwhelming victory for joining our Empire. The governor of New Berlin is using this as evidence that their twelve other colonies will join as well.”

“Then when they hold their own referendum, they will be admitted,” Christine replied.

Andréa leaned forward in her chair. “Perhaps we could be a little pragmatic in this issue. Our shipbuilding efforts desperately need as much raw minerals and other rare elements as we can get. Even though many of the German colonies have been raided, we still get a significant percentage of our construction materials from them. The sooner the German colonies can be admitted to the Empire the more beneficial it will be to us. Perhaps those colonies who have not had referendum yet could be provisionally admitted?”

Again James noticed Christine glance over at him. He had been the one to insist that things be done democratically. He didn’t want some colonies to feel forced into something they didn’t want to be to be a part of. That said, when Andréa spoke, he knew from many years of experience to take heed. Christine had appointed her head of the new Military Budget Department and given Andréa responsibility for bringing the Department into being. In time the Department would be responsible for overseeing the distribution of all funds assigned to the Imperial Marines and Navy. Right now, her main task was to maximize the efficiency of the Empire’s ship building efforts. Ever so slightly he nodded to Christine, as long as the German colonies held their own referendum eventually, he was happy to be a little pragmatic.

“All right,” Christine said as she nodded more vigorously. “We can work with that. I guess you may tell Commoner Hargreaves that she can get ready for more Senators and Commoners to be arriving from the German colonies soon. She is going to have her work cut out for her. How are the parliamentary buildings coming along?”

Everyone turned to Cynthia Davenport. Christine had appointed her as Secretary for Reconstruction. In reality, her responsibilities were more focused on looking after the refugees from the Karacknid attack than rebuilding what had been destroyed. But she had been put in charge of overseeing the construction of new parliamentary buildings in Geneva Switzerland for the Senate, House of Commons, and House of Servants. Of all those within Christine’s Inner Council, Cynthia was the least known to the others. Except, of course, to James, he knew her well. She had been Suzanna’s personal assistant while Suzanna had been first the Governor of Haven and then the colony’s First Counsellor. Not many people had known it at the time, but she had been much more than a personal assistant. She had been his late wife’s Chief of Staff. Now, her experience and the fact that she was from Haven and had no loyalties to any of the Earth nations made her the ideal candidate for looking after everyone’s refugees. She was basically the only person on Earth who could not be accused of favoritism.

“Work is progressing,” Cynthia began, “albeit slowly. We have identified more than enough hotels, apartments and other buildings that will provide suitable accommodation for the first Senators and Commoners that will be coming in from out of the system. There is also plenty of conference space in Geneva for the elected officials to meet. For now, at least. The current projections for the Senate building are that the brickwork will be completed in six months. It will take another four for the interior to be fully kitted out. But by then it should be able to begin functioning. The Commons building will take an additional two months to complete and then at least two months to furbish. I’m afraid I expect both of those dates to be pushed back by several weeks, if not months. There is simply a shortage of skilled labor, Andréa is snapping up everyone she can get her hands on.”

“That is not something you will be blamed for, do not worry,” Christine reassured her. “Our priority will always be the fleet, at least for the foreseeable future.”

“Something I fully understand Empress, I’m not making excuses, just seeking to be as clear as I can be. As I have been instructed, work on the House of Servants has not begun yet. But when it does, it should be reasonably quick, we will be able to transfer workers from the other two projects to it in time.”

“Thank you,” Christine replied with a nod of respect to Cynthia. James appreciated the gesture. When he had spoken to Cynthia about taking up the role he had detected some hesitation in her demeanor. Likely, she had been reluctant to work for the woman he was now engaged to. Someone in Christine’s position might not have taken too kindly to Cynthia because of her relationship to Suzanna. James knew Christine was not that petty, hopefully Cynthia was coming to learn that as well. “Very well,” Christine continued as she turned back to Fairfax. “Things are progressing nicely on the political front. Is there anything else before we move on to your next item?”

“No, not in relation to the colonies joining the Empire, however I’m afraid the next item might put a dampener on your enthusiasm. Admiral Russell,” Fairfax said as he gestured for the formerly retired British Admiral to speak.

James sat a little straighter as he turned to Russell. Before retiring he had headed Royal Space Navy Intelligence. Christine had brought him out of retirement to build a new Imperial Intelligence Division.

Russell nodded to Fairfax and stood. “There is still a lot of work that needs to be done building up the IID. Primarily, of course, our focus is on developing intelligence related to the Karacknid Empire. However, there are other threats that we need to be aware of and monitor. I’m afraid I have to report that we have been getting some disturbing reports from both our own fleet officers and civilian sources about a number of Indian and Argentinian colonies. At the moment my main concern is with New Delhi.” With a tap of a button Russell brought up a star map of the Indian colonies. “As far as we can tell, the new self-proclaimed governor of New Delhi, a Sai Culthrapori, has seized power. With the fall of the Indian government on Earth, he took his opportunity to essentially become a dictator. He’s abolished the local parliament and installed his own people into most of the governmental positions. Both publicly and privately to Ambassador Bracey, he has denounced any attempt to form an Empire. He is calling Empress Christine a power-hungry usurper.

Fairfax laughed. “Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.”

“In any case,” Russell continued in a more serious tone, “Bracey is still on New Delhi, trying to talk sense into Culthrapori, but she reports being frozen out. Perhaps more concerning are the rumors we’ve been hearing about Culthrapori and others seeking to form a new UN. Several other governors or groups have followed Culthrapori’s example and seized power on their own colonies. We believe there are some discussions going on between them about forming a new UN as a counter organization to our Empire. They’ve even gone as far as to send out some delegations to other colonies to canvass support. There haven’t been many takers, though a few Argentinian colonies may be thinking about it. Formosa in particular has caught my interest. The political leadership there hasn’t declared themselves a dictatorship yet, though they are getting close. Forming a new UN would give them a kind of legitimacy they couldn’t get any other way.”

“What are we to do about them?” James asked. “We can’t force them to give up power. Not unless we are willing to use actual force. If they don’t want to join us, then in the long run they will suffer economic disaster. Sooner or later they will come around.”

Fairfax snorted, making everyone look at him. “How many politicians have you dealt with over the last several decades Grand Admiral? Do you think these would-be-dictators will just give up power when they start to feel a financial pinch?”

James took a deep breath. He knew Fairfax was right. “What are you suggesting?”

Fairfax shook his head. “Nothing at the moment, I’m just making sure we understand the full nature of the problem. I believe there’s more,” he added as he turned back to Russell.

“Indeed, though this is sketchier intel than what I have shared up to this point. We are getting reports of pro-empire movements on most of these planets. Like all good dictators, their desire not to join the Empire seems like it may be going against the will of the general populace. Though of course, there are those who genuinely do not want anything to do with us. As far as we can tell there has been no violence yet, but tensions are high.”

“There is our problem,” Christine said as she caught James’ eye. “We swore to protect all of Humanity. If these groups who have seized power will not even allow the people to hold a referendum, what are we to do? You want everything to be done democratically. So do I, but politics is rarely so clean.”

“There is another problem,” Andréa said as she re-joined the conversation. “I don’t know about the other systems Russell is referring to, but New Delhi accounts for eight percent of our heavy metal output. I knew supplies from the Indian colonies had been disrupted, but I didn’t know why. I was hoping it would only be a temporary thing. If this is permanent, it’s going to cause some significant bottlenecks in our warship construction. Bottlenecks that we can ill afford.”

“What are we talking about then?” James asked in concern. “Some kind of military intervention? If they won’t give up power peacefully, are we really prepared to do that?”

“Not at the moment,” Christine reassured him. “But this is a serious development. If a counter political entity arises, it could fracture our species at the very moment when we need to be united. Plus,” she gestured towards Andréa, “if it hampers our ship rebuilding efforts, it could put all of our species in jeopardy. This is a delicate situation, that I will grant. If we go in with too heavy a hand, we could turn other smaller colonies against us. Yet we may not be able to simply let them be.”

“What assets do you have in the New Delhi system?” Fairfax asked Russell.

“I have one IID frigate and a couple of freighter Captains keeping an eye on things,” Russell answered. “We have had little success making contact with anyone on the planet surface though. Culthrapori has the colony locked up tight. Ambassador Bracey is there, but she is being kept well away from the general public.”

“All right,” Christine said in a tone that indicated she had made a decision. “I want to put together official diplomatic envoys and send them to each of the worlds Russell has identified. We’ll figure out the wording over the next couple of days, but I want to deliver a direct message to each colony’s government. We’re going to remind them that with the worlds that have already joined the Empire and those that are looking set to do so, they need us far more than we need them. For protection and for trade. We will advise them it’s in their best interests to hold a free and fair referendum on joining the Empire. We can make it clear that if they do as we ask; we are prepared to provide them with important roles in our government.”

James had to bite his tongue, Fairfax had been right, he’d dealt with enough slimy politicians to know exactly what those who had seized power in New Delhi and elsewhere were like. He detested the idea of giving them a position within Christine’s government. But then she probably did too. A necessary evil, a voice said in the back of his mind, James couldn’t tell if it was Suzanna’s or Christine’s, they had both given him more than enough lectures about politics and diplomacy.

“Whilst we do that, I also want plans drawn up to carry out a blockade of New Delhi and even an occupation if necessary. As a last resort of course,” Christine said as she rested both hands on the desk in front of her. “But one we will at least plan for. Admiral Koroylov, General Johnston, are our forces in a position to carry out such a mission?”

Koroylov, who was once again an Admiral and in charge of the Fleet’s strategic division spoke first. “It should be relatively simple Empress,” he assured Christine. “New Delhi had several warships stationed in the system when news of the attack on Earth came through. Russell informs me that they are all under Culthrapori’s control, however, a small squadron would be able to neutralize them. Blockading the colony would be even simpler. Given that almost all the freighters coming to the system would be coming from Imperial worlds, an embargo would cut off most of their trade overnight. It would be impossible to stop some smugglers getting through, but a small squadron, perhaps ten or twelve frigates and corvettes, would be able to maintain a relatively efficient blockade.”

“Can our fleet spare such a force?” Christine queried.

“If it is deemed necessary for our political and military aims, then yes, we can do without a handful of corvettes. If the Karacknids come back, they would hardly make a difference.”

Christine turned to Johnston “If we need to land marines?”

“That would depend on what kind of preparations Culthrapori has been making,” Johnston answered more slowly. “There were a number of Indian army regiments stationed on New Delhi. If Culthrapori has gained control of them and their heavy weapons, occupying the colony, or even just trying to occupy the capital would be costly. At the moment we have one division of imperial marines trained and kitted out. The vast majority of them are veterans from the UN marines. Three more divisions are scheduled to come online within the next two months. That would give us a force of forty thousand Marines. That would be more than enough to take the colony. The problem would be transporting them to New Delhi and keeping them in supply. As you know, Andréa is already crying out for more freighters to supply our shipyards.”

Christine nodded and turned to Andréa.

Andréa shook her head. “There’s no way I can spare enough freighters to keep a force of forty thousand marines in supply. Perhaps one division, but not four.”

“Then one division it will have to be,” Christine replied. “General, you can draw up your plans based on being able to bring one division to New Delhi. You can brief us on what options your staff have come up with at our next meeting. I’m sure it goes without saying that keeping civilian casualties to an absolute minimum would be vital.”

Johnston nodded and replied in a serious tone. “I’m sure it also goes without saying that any kind of military landing on a colony will cause collateral damage. Sending in the marines should only be considered if such a price is willing to be paid.”

“Yes,” Christine agreed, “of that I’m all too aware. But this development is serious. If New Delhi and several other colonies band together, tensions between our two political entities are bound to run high. We cannot afford a minor skirmish with them, let alone a civil war. So all options must be on the table. For now at least,” Christine said as she looked around the room, showing her advisors how serious she was. “Now my Chief of Staff, what are the other items on our agenda. I hope there is some better news to follow this?”

As Fairfax called on Andréa to update everyone on how their efforts to rebuild Humanity’s war fleet were going, James only half listened. Forming an empire where Humanity was united in their efforts to stand up to the Karacknids was the only way he could see his species surviving. Yet if it was accomplished with the sword rather than diplomacy, he wasn’t sure if the result would be any better than being conquered by the Karacknids. Christine’s quickness to order preparations for the Imperial Navy and Marines to be used to solve the problem of New Delhi was concerning. What would you do in her shoes? he asked himself. As an Admiral he had been called on to put the good of his fleet above the individual fate of some of his captains. He had even been forced to sacrifice some of his forces in order to save the rest. Was that really any different than being forced to intervene in New Delhi in order to protect the Empire? James wasn’t sure, but he did know one thing, he didn’t like where that kind of logic may take him. Equally he did not like the idea that the actions of New Delhi and the other colonies siding with her could lead to a civil war. That would be bad for everyone. It would likely seal Humanity’s doom at the hands of the Karacknids.

Chapter 7

The Constitution of the Human Empire extends certain rights and privileges to all its citizens and the citizens of its allies. Those same rights are almost always extended to other sentients outside of that sphere, but there have been notable exceptions in the Empire’s history.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising 3002 AD.

England, the next day

When James stepped out of the official residence he and Christine had stayed in and walked towards the waiting shuttle, he frowned. Major General Johnston was standing beside the shuttle’s ramp. The shuttle was supposed to take him to Beijing for a meeting Christine had asked him to chair about expanding the agricultural production in some of the more mountainous regions of western China. There was nothing that should have concerned Johnston. “What are you doing here?” he asked as he approached the marine.

“There’s a slight change of plan,” Johnston said as he gestured for James to ascend the shuttle’s rear ramp. “We’ll explain inside.”

“We?” James asked as he walked past Johnston. Once inside he saw that Admiral Russell was already seated and strapped in. “Admiral?”

“Sorry for the subterfuge Grand Admiral,” Russell said as James sat down beside him. “There never was a meeting in China. We have another task in mind for you.” Russell nodded to Johnston who sat down opposite James.

“You know about the Karacknid general Hux’lar we captured on Holstein,” Johnston explained. “I lost one of the best special forces marines I have ever known in the mission. We’ve been interrogating him. The last update I shared with the Inner Council was two weeks ago. Since then we’ve hit a dead end. Hux’lar has largely kept his lips shut. Other than throwing insults at us, we’ve been getting nowhere. We thought we’d try a different tact. Some of our analysts think part of the problem is that Hux’lar has a disdain for anyone of lower rank than him. The theory is that if he meets our Imperator, then maybe we’ll get him to open up a little.”

“Imperator?” James asked as his eyebrows rose. “You mean me? I’m not even an Emperor yet.”

“Does Hux’lar know that?” Russell responded.

James shook his head, more out of bewilderment than to answer Russell’s question. He had been expecting a boring trip to China, not a face-to-face meeting with one of the Karacknids who had invaded Human territory and attacked Earth. “Why do you need me?” he asked. “If I am to pretend to be an Imperator rather than myself, why not just get someone else to play the role? Someone who is trained in interrogation?” Johnston and Russell shared a glance. “Well?” James prompted.

Russell was the one who answered. “Given who you are, your experiences and accomplishments as an Admiral, we thought the real thing would be better than an actor. We want to rattle him if we can. Pull him off guard and see what happens. We figured you’d have as good a chance of doing that as anyone else we might bring in.”

James rolled his eyes, but before he could complain about how busy he already was, the scenery out of one of the shuttle’s viewports got his attention. “Where are we going?” He asked when the blue of Earth’s sky gave way to the black of space.

“The Moon,” Russell replied. “IID has a black site there. That’s where we are holding Hux’lar.”

“That seems a little overly dramatic,” James responded. “What’s wrong with holding him on Earth?”

“I know I wasn’t here when the Karacknids attacked,” Johnston said, “but I’ve been among the people since I’ve been back. There is still a lot of anger out there for what they did. There are groups calling for the complete end of the Karacknid civilization. They want nothing short of nuking every Karacknid planet. They may be small, but they can rile up a lot of anger in the general populace. What do you think would happen if word got out that we were holding a Karacknid commander hostage? Especially one that was a part of their invasion force?”

“Point taken,” James replied with a nod. “I’ve been briefed on a couple of the groups.”

“It’s also cheaper,” Russell chipped in. “If he was on Earth, we would need quite a large security detail. Where we’ve got him on the Moon, there is no one around for miles. So we only need a couple of squads of marines on guard duty along with our operatives.”

“I’m sure Andréa would approve of that,” James responded. “As long as that is your only reason and it hasn’t had anything to do with torture?” he continued as he turned to Russell and raised his eyebrows. Whilst he was as angry with the Karacknids as anyone on Earth, he wasn’t willing to see Humanity become what the Karacknids were in order to defeat them.

“That might depend on how broadly you want to define torture,” Russell said slowly.

“Tell me,” James responded, his tone hardening.

“We’ve been feeding him, though from the amount he has been eating and the feedback he’s been giving us, I’d say he’s not enjoying it,” Russell said. “The last I checked; he’d lost ten percent of his body mass. The medics assured me it is mostly muscle and he’s still doing fine, but I imagine it’s uncomfortable for him. We are not starving him. Heck, we’re not even doing it on purpose. It just seems he doesn’t appreciate the different kinds of food we’ve tried to give him.”

James nodded. “That I won’t feel too bad about. Perhaps we should contact the Varanni and see if they have food recommendations. Perhaps we’ll have to ship something in from their space. Maybe if he gets a good meal in his belly he’ll be more talkative. Is that all I need to know?”

Russell shared a glance with Johnston. “There’s one other thing. We had to declaw him. It was that or keep him strapped up on a bed for months on end. We thought the declawing more humane. He was simply too dangerous with his claws. Leaving him with them would have endangered anyone who came into contact with him. Plus, he might have been able to cut his way out of his holding cell. They are just as deadly as a marine’s nano carbon knife.”

“I suppose he didn’t take that too well either,” James said as he thought through the ethics of what Russell had done. Technically, they had maimed Hux’lar, possibly even for life. Yet in another sense, they had done nothing more than disarm him. He was an enemy combatant. Something to talk with Christine about, James decided. So far in the war they hadn’t bothered to take prisoners. The Karacknids that had been stranded on crippled ships after the battle of Earth had been left where they were. On Holstein, the Karacknid ground troops had fought to the last soldier. Eventually they would have to start taking prisoners. Especially if the war got to the stage where they were invading Karacknid worlds. He and Christine were going to have to figure out how to deal with prisoners of war and Karacknid civilians. If there even was such a thing.

“That’s an understatement,” Russell replied with a chuckle. “But it had to be done. It wasn’t entirely conducive for getting him to open up. But at least we don’t have him chained up twenty-four seven.”

“What have you got out of him so far?” James asked as he forced himself to dismiss his concerns about Hux’lar’s treatment, the Moon was fast approaching and he didn’t have time for such niceties.

“Nothing more than what we shared with the Empress’s Inner Council,” Russell answered. “He has confirmed that he was the commanding officer of the Karacknid forces on Holstein. Beyond that, and his rank, he has given away very little. He has had a lot to say as you might imagine, but none of it has been useful intelligence. “

“What kind of approach do you want me to take?” James followed up.

Russell pulled out a datapad and handed it to James. “Analysts have suggested you adopt a somewhat friendly attitude. If you go in as our Imperator who has been impressed by the Karacknids’ martial prowess, perhaps he will give something away about their Imperator or society. We’re hoping a fresh face with a fresh approach may yield something.”

James scanned the datapad and its suggested questions, then glanced at Russell. “And if he just wants to heap insult upon insult upon us?”

Russell shrugged, “Then go with the flow. You’re here to be you.”

“Right,” James said in a tone that suggested his confidence in the whole idea wasn’t the highest. For the rest of the trip he read through the datapad. He had a strong suspicion what he was being asked to do would utterly fail. As far as he could tell, the Karacknids invaded their enemies because they felt them inferior. Whether racially or technologically, it didn’t matter. Meeting with the leader of a species his people had invaded and almost wiped out was unlikely to overawe Hux’lar. I’ll give it my best shot, James said to himself.

As the shuttle descended towards the moon’s surface, James wasn’t surprised to see they weren’t heading towards one of the many domed cities. Instead, they were heading towards a small drab looking installation. When they got close enough, an access hatch opened and the shuttle passed through it. Only after the external hatch closed did the interior lights come on. When they illuminated the internal features of the installation, James was impressed. There was enough room to land at least six shuttles in the hangar bay. Beyond the bay, it looked like the installation had several cargo holds, all filled with crates, though James couldn’t tell what was in them. “Just how deep does this go?” he asked Russell.

“Eight levels are below the main hangar bay,” Russell answered. “This was originally a RSNI black site. Though we’ve been working to expand it. We hope to add ninth and tenth levels in the coming months.”

“What are all these levels used for?” James queried.

Russell raised an eyebrow. “Do you really want to know? There are some things an Emperor is best left in the dark about. I can say we do a lot of our training here. I’ll tell you more if you really want though?”

James opened his mouth to demand to know, then he thought better of it. Whatever Russell was prepared to reveal to him, he guessed he’d have to tell Christine about it. Then she would intervene. His uncle had trusted Russell completely, so did he. If he thought whatever he was doing was necessary for the war effort, then James was content to leave it at that. Unbuckling himself, James stood, “Come on, let’s get this over and done with,” he said by way of answering Russell’s question.

Silently, James followed Russell through the IID compound to the eighth floor. They’re not taking any chances, James thought as the turbolift took them down. If Hux’lar escaped, he’d have to fight his way up through all eight levels. Even then he’d find himself in the middle of nowhere. James didn’t know if Karacknids could survive on the very thin atmosphere Humanity had managed to produce on the Moon before they had given up trying to fully terraform it, but even if he could, he suspected it would be unpleasant for the Karacknid general.

“We’re here,” Russell said when they came to a large door with two marines in full combat armor standing guard. “General Johnston is going to join you. Hux’lar and the general have had several conversations.”

James turned to Johnston. “Anything else I should know them before we go in?”

Johnston smiled. “Like Russell said, just be yourself.”

James nodded and turned to the door. Then, after taking a deep breath, he gestured to one of the marines. “Okay, let’s go.” The marine saluted and opened the door. Both marines preceded James into the room. As he walked in, James was surprised by how spacious it was. In one corner there was a large bed. Though it didn’t look like anyone had slept in it. In the center of the room, on a slightly odd-looking chair, Hux’lar sat. His eyes were fixed on James. Though he had never been face-to-face with a Karacknid before, James could feel the disgust pouring off Hux’lar. Keeping his face impassive so as not to betray his emotions, James casually moved towards Hux’lar and took the seat opposite.

“Greetings general,” James began. “I am Imperator Somerville. I thought it time I met my enemy face to face. The strategic skills you demonstrated at Holstein where impressi…” James didn’t get any further for Hux’lar tilted his head back and let out a crackling howl.

“You! You are your species’ Imperator!” Hux’lar let out another howl. “You are pathetic. Why would your people pick you? When our fleet returns your species will fall in a day, if not hours, if you are its leader. Your species is so weak you need two armored guards to even come into my presence.” As he finished speaking, Hux’lar raised his hands to show the wounds where his claws had been. “Your species has no honor. You are cowards.”

James tightened his jaw. Things hadn’t begun as he had hoped. He was tempted to turn and give Russell a knowing glance, he knew the spymaster would be watching the meeting from one of the recording devices hidden in the room, instead he turned to the two marines in combat armor and gestured for them to leave. For a moment it looked like they were going to ignore his order, then they both saluted and exited the room. Slowly, James turned back to Hux’lar. “You were saying?... I believe you have mistaken prudence for cowardice. Does your Imperator not have his own guards? Is he so unimportant to your species that you do not protect him?”

“You are a foolish subspecies,” Hux’lar barked. “Do not compare yourself to the Imperator of the Karacknid empire. You would melt into atoms simply by being in his presence.”

“That may be,” James said as he decided to change tact. Playing nice was clearly not going to work. “But your Imperator is not here. He was too cowardly to come and face my species. Perhaps he is smarter than I give him credit for. If he had been here, he may have perished with the fleet that we drove out of our territory. Tell me, how many Karacknid fleets have been utterly defeated by their enemies?”

Hux’lar jumped to his feet, his muscles bulging. It took every ounce of James’ self-control to remain seated. Hux’lar motioned as if he was going to take a swing at James. Again, James didn’t flinch. Instead he held Hux’lar’s gaze firmly. “I believe you have badly misread this situation general. You are the captive here. I have nothing to fear from you. You think your species is invincible.” James lent forward as he continued. “My people have already demonstrated the folly of such thinking. We will do so again and again until your empire is no more.”

Ever so slowly, then more quickly, Hux’lar sat down. Though his expression did not change. “You will be made to pay for your insult to my Imperator,” he said far more calmly than he looked. “My fleet was not defeated, it carried out a tactical retreat. One that will allow it to return and wipe your species out. When the time comes, I will take great pleasure in being the one to hand you over to my Imperator. I’m sure he will take great pleasure in disabusing you of your false views about yourself and your species.”

“False views? Like what?” James asked when he saw an opening.

Hux’lar let out another crackling howl. “You’ll have to do better than that Imperator,” he said in a tone that left no doubt how unworthy he felt James was to have such a title. “I will not tell you anything about my species. What you will learn from us, you will learn through death and destruction. That is all your species will ever know. You’re not capable of anything else.”

James shook his head, almost out of genuine pity. “I’m afraid it is not I who is deluded here, but you general. If you cannot face up to reality, then your species may be easier to defeat than we thought. Your fleet did not carry out a tactical withdrawal, it was defeated. Just like the fleet that invaded Varanni space was turned back and driven out.” When Hux’lar’s eyes flashed, James pressed on. “Yes, you heard me correctly. The invasion of the Varanni Alliance failed. Your fleets have fallen back in disarray. It is your species who is on the defensive,” James added as he mixed in lies with the truth to rile Hux’lar up.

“What do you know of war?” Hux’lar spat. “Imperators do not conduct naval strategy.”

James smiled, whether he knew it or not, Hux’lar had just revealed one interesting piece of intelligence. He pointed to his uniform. “Do you see this? This is the uniform of an Admiral of my species’ Navy. Perhaps your Imperator hides behind his fleets. The leaders of my species do not. Who do you think commanded the fleet that drove your invasion force out of my species’ territory? I fear you have severely underestimated us.”

Hux’lar shook his head in a very Human-like fashion. “You are the one who is deluded. Your species is nothing compared to mine. Look at me,” he said as he raised his hands again. “You had to maim me just to feel safe in my presence.”

“Really?” James asked as he remembered a recording Johnston had shown him a couple of months ago. “Perhaps you remember the marines that captured you? They assaulted your command outpost, defeated your guards, and took you prisoner. How many of them were there? Four I believe. Four against your entire command staff, and what happened?” James gestured towards Hux’lar. “What happened is that you are here with us. You do not believe my species is the equal of yours, then see for your own eyes.” Pulling out a datapad, James accessed a recording on it. He then slid it across the table to Hux’lar. As the recording played, James studied Hux’lar’s expression. He had seen the video before and knew what was on it. As Hux’lar watched, James could easily remember. One of the resistance fighters on Holstein had set up a recording device to watch Hux’lar’s command outpost. It had caught a part of Major Jeffers’ assault on the Karacknid base. The recording showed Jeffers and one of her marines confronting two Karacknid guards. In a hand-to-hand engagement, both Jeffers and her marine overpowered the Karacknids and killed them with their nano carbon knifes. The marine with Jeffers actually cut off the Karacknid’s claws in the fight before slipping his knife into the Karacknid’s throat.

“So,” James said as he rested his hands on the table when the recording stopped playing. “Now you’ve seen it with your own eyes, my species is not inferior.”

Hux’lar threw the datapad across the room to smash against one of the walls. “A lie. I have seen many of your marines in combat. This is a lie.”

James raised a single finger on his right hand. Johnston got the message loud and clear. In the blink of an eye he crossed the distance to Hux’lar. Before the Karacknid could react, the special forces marine had Hux’lar in a chokehold. James watched, holding Hux’lar eyes for several seconds as the Karacknid general struggled with all his might to escape. Thanks to Johnston’s enhancements, the Karacknid was no match for him.

“Is this a lie?” James asked. Knowing Hux’lar couldn’t answer, he pressed on. “Are you so deluded that you cannot believe what your own eyes are telling you? What your own body is screaming out to you? You see, here, I am not the one in danger. You, and you alone are… Now, are you ready to be more cooperative?”

For several seconds James stared into Hux’lar’s eyes. When it seemed almost like he was going to fall unconscious, James flicked his glance to Johnston and then back. The marine released Hux’lar with a grunt. Then, just as quickly as he had closed with the alien, he was back standing at James’ shoulder. As soon he was released, Hux’lar gasped for breath. Both his hands came up to his throat. James waited until he got his breath back. “I have an offer for you. I’m prepared to grant you your freedom. You can return to your Imperator and your family if you have any. All I ask is that you answer three questions and bring a message from me to your Imperator.”

Hux’lar pulled his lips back, revealing his razor-sharp teeth, and hissed at James. Then he tilted his head back and let out his loudest roar yet. “You weak pathetic being. You do not deserve sentience. I will never answer any of your questions, nor will I be granted freedom by you. My people will come to this system and liberate me. Then and only then will I be able to stand without shame before the Imperator. You think your species can stand up to us? You are the one who does not accept reality. You have what, a hundred systems? We have eighty times as many. You had a fleet of a thousand warships? We have tens of thousands. We can produce more warships in a single year than your species has ever constructed. The Imperator has decreed that your species will be conquered, and so my people will not rest nor stop attacking until that has been accomplished. If it takes the lives of hundreds of thousands of Karacknids, your worlds will fall. You and your people will bow before our Imperator.” Hux’lar waved his hand towards Johnston. “Fancy tricks or not, your inferiority will be laid bare for you. The day is coming when you will not be able to delude yourself any longer.” Quicker than James or even Johnston could react, Hux’lar spat a large glob of saliva into James’ face.

Immediately Johnston put himself between James and Hux’lar. For a split-second panic raced through James. He didn’t know whether Hux’lar had been hiding some kind of poisonous saliva the doctors who had examined him had missed. When no immediate ill effects assaulted him, he fought to get control of his emotions. No doubt Russell would want to carry out a full medical exam, but he couldn’t just run out of the room. Reaching out he gently eased Johnston to one side. “Very well, you have made your decision. You will rot away in here until the end of the war. Before I go though, you should know this. My three questions were these; how many warships does your empire have? What is the size of your military-industrial complex? And on what terms might your Imperator settle? It seems you have answered my questions for free.” James bowed his head slightly. “For that I thank you general. Good day to you.”

Hux’lar jumped to his feet and screamed at James. James didn’t look up. Instead he gently slid himself out of his seat, turned and moved towards the door. It opened as he approached and he walked out without turning back. Though his face was perfectly calm, James’ heart was pumping madly. Partly, it was out of concern for what Hux’lar’s spit might do to him. Far more than that though, he was fighting to push down his fear. A part of him had held out hope that if Humanity and the Varanni Alliance were able to bleed the Karacknids enough, they would eventually sue for peace. It was good news to hear that the Karacknids counted their ships in the tens of thousands, not the hundreds of thousands. Now they knew that about eight thousand planets was the upper estimate for the size of the Karacknid empire. That was a large number, but it wasn’t beyond what he had expected.

On the other hand, Hux’lar’s sheer hatred for Humanity and his apparent commitment to destroying his Imperator’s enemies at all costs had shaken James to his core. The enemy wasn’t just one that lusted for conquest, the Karacknid empire would stop at nothing to subdue his people. There would be no ceasefires, no peace, no diplomatic settlements. Either he would have to find a way to destroy the Karacknid empire’s ability to make war, or they would conquer and enslave every Human planet. Either we destroy them, or they destroy us, James said to himself as his mind boggled to comprehend just what a monumental struggle winning such a war would take. That, or we kill their Imperator, he added as a new thought occurred to him. Hux’lar’s undying devotion to his Imperator was obvious, James had no idea what would happen if their Imperator was captured or killed. But if nothing else, it might break their spirit. Though he had no idea how to accomplish such a feat, James filed the thought in the back of his mind. Winning the war was a far distant hope. But it was his responsibility to think that far ahead.

Chapter 8

For a time what have come to be called starfighters ruled the battlefield. But like all battlefield innovations, their time was cut short by other, newer weapons systems. Today every major fleet known to the Human Empire employs starfighters, but their usefulness is limited.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

Whilst the meeting with Hux’lar had been short, the debriefing with Russell and his analysts took James a couple of hours. Eventually Russell allowed James to return to his shuttle. “Thanks again for your help Admiral,” Russell said as they walked through the IID facility. “It might seem like we got very little, but it’s a start. Perhaps we can get more out of Hux’lar now that we’ve got him talking. Even if it is only heaping more insults upon us.”

“I’d say my pleasure,” James replied, “but I’d be lying. If I don’t ever have to be in a room with another Karacknid again, I’d be a happy man.”

Russell smiled. “Agreed, though you did handle yourself ably. You should know by now that if you do a job well, you are usually asked to do it again.”

James rolled his eyes. “My place is in space at the head of a fleet, not interrogating prisoners. I hope that the next time you have someone you want to question; I’ll be on the front lines somewhere.”

“So do I Admiral, so do I,” Russell said as he clapped James on the shoulder. “Your uncle would be proud of you. Though I imagine he’d hardly believe where we’ve all come to. In a few months you’ll be Emperor of the Human race. That would make him chuckle.”

“It certainly would,” James agreed. “It’s a pity he is not here. We could have used him. “

“On that we are of one accord,” Russell replied as the they walked into the hanger bay. “Now, you may get going, I’m sure I’ve taken enough of your time. Until the next Inner Council meeting.”

“Try not to do anything I wouldn’t,” James said as he shook Russell’s hand.

“I can’t make any promises,” Russell called out as James turned and moved towards his shuttle.

“Where to Admiral?” the shuttle pilot asked as James ascended the shuttle’s ramp and moved to take a seat beside the Flight Lieutenant.

James pulled out his datapad to check his schedule. He had missed a couple of minor meetings, though he had one more he would just be able to make. He would have to apologize to the other two, but he knew they would understand. “North Dakota,” he answered. “Grand Forks Air Force Base.” Formerly owned by the United Colonial States Air Force, the base had been taken over by Imperial Navy Research and Development, a branch of the Imperial Fleet Andréa had set up. There was some kind of top-secret demonstration he was scheduled to attend.

“Aye Admiral, the computer says ETA is fifteen minutes,” the pilot replied.

“Very well,” James responded as he shimmied back and forth in his chair to get comfortable. Then he turned and looked out the viewport. With luck he’d be able to get a glimpse of some of the latest Imperial warships as they carried out their shakedown cruises. It was eleven months since the Karacknid attack on Earth and Andréa had two or three warships coming out of their construction yards every week. There was always something interesting to see.

When the shuttle landed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, James thanked the pilot and informed him that he shouldn’t be more than an hour. Then they were to go to the outskirts of Shanghai where Christine had a military strategy planning meeting with her senior Admirals. Stepping off the shuttle, James saluted the Commodore who was waiting to greet him.

“Welcome to Grand Forks Admiral,” the Commodore said. “I’m Jefferson, the ranking officer here. You’re scheduled to meet with Captain Black and Razor squadron. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to their training facilities.”

“Thank you for the welcome Commodore, you may lead on,” James replied. As they walked, he asked a series of questions about the base. Three squadrons of Spitfire fighters and one of Lancaster bombers were stationed here. In the event of a Karacknid attack they would launch to join the forces in space. James wished all their fighters could be based on fleet carriers. That would give the fleet a far bigger punch on offensive operations. Yet it was far easier to produce a Spitfire fighter than a multi-thousand-ton carrier. The reality was that for the foreseeable future many Spitfire squadrons would have to be assigned to surface bases.

When they got to a large hangar, Jefferson stopped beside a door with the keypad. “This is as far as I go,” he explained. “Even I don’t have clearance to know what goes on in there. Though they can’t hide everything. I must say, the new tech certainly looks good. I’m keen to put my boys up against Razor squadron when we get the go-ahead.”

James nodded knowingly, though he had no idea what lay within the hangar. He had a suspicion that it had something to do with Captain Scott and Xui-le. Scott and Xui-le had spent months together on Regin in the Liberty system and a number of their ideas were still being teased out and put into production.

Reaching forward, Jefferson tapped the intercom built into the door’s control panel. “Commodore Jefferson escorting Grand Admiral Somerville,” he said.

After a few seconds a voice came over the intercom. “Acknowledged Commodore, the door is open, Admiral Somerville may proceed.”

“Good luck Admiral,” Jefferson said as he shook James’ hand. “I’ll be back out here when you’re done.”

“Thank you Commodore,” James replied before entering the hangar. Within seconds he knew he was going to have an interesting hour, for parked right in front of him was a vehicle he had never seen before. Clearly it was a space fighter like the Spitfires. Yet it was no Spitfire. Its angles were sleeker and there didn’t appear to be any attachments for a plasma missile. Nor were there the two barrels of the twin plasma cannons Spitfires were armed with.

“She’s a beauty isn’t she Admiral,” a naval captain said as she walked around from behind the fighter. “I am Captain Black,” she added as she snapped to attention. “And this is one of our Corsairs.”

James returned her salute and then reached out to touch the spacecraft. Whatever its hull was coated with, it looked and felt like nothing he had encountered before. “A new fighter?” he queried.

“Almost,” Black answered. “An interceptor might be more accurate. Notice the lack of attachments for weapons.”

“And no plasma cannons, what is she armed with?” James asked as he tried to recall what an interceptor was. Though he was only vaguely familiar with the aircraft developed by the different Human nations centuries ago, a vague idea was coming back to him.

Black gestured for James to proceed to the interceptor’s nose section. As he moved, James saw that the entire nose section of the fighter was one single laser cannon. “The Corsair’s reactors don’t have enough surplus energy output to release a laser beam with the same punch as a plasma bolt. But seeing as we don’t intend to be taking on capital ships with their valstronium armor, low powered laser beams are all we need. With her engines at full power she can put out sixty beams per second. With her capacitors, she can fire streams of twenty beams within a five second window before having to recharge.”

“She’s designed for just one purpose.” James said. “An interceptor, designed to take out enemy fighters before they can launch attacks against our capital ships.”

“Exactly Admiral, you have the gist of it. I was the test pilot for the first prototype. Since then we have been training up our first squadron. I’ve only got four Corsairs here, but the rest are scheduled to arrive over the next two months,” Black explained.

“What kind of specifications are we talking about?” James asked as he walked around the interceptor.

“With less weight and the type III miniature inertial dampeners, she can pull acceleration rates thirty percent higher than our current Spitfires,” Black answered. “You’ve seen her hull coating. It’s the latest stealth coating. She’s so small that she can bend the electromagnetic energy from enemy sensors around her rather than trying to absorb it. It should mean we can get very close to enemy carriers. The idea is that we can hit their fighters as they’re launching and forming up, or we can sneak right in behind whatever enemy craft are approaching our fleets and hit them before they know we are there.”

“How has she performed against our Spitfires?” James asked.

Black smiled, “That’s what you here to see Admiral. We’ve been carrying out simulated battles with several Spitfire squadrons from around Earth. We have one scheduled to begin in twenty minutes.”

“All right,” James said as he returned Black’s smile, a simulation would be exciting. It would certainly be better than being given a technical briefing on the finer points of the Corsair’s design. “Can I get in the cockpit before we meet your pilots?”

“Of course Admiral,” Black responded. She turned away and made a series of hand gestures to a group of ground crew technicians. “They’ll have the staircase for you in a moment.”

“Thank you,” James replied as he smiled again. That was one of the benefits of the new position Christine had promoted him to. As Grand Admiral of the Imperial Fleet, he could pretty much do whatever he wanted to do when it came to things like this. “Tell me,” he continued as a new thought occurred to him. “Is there some intelligence about Karacknid designed fighters that I haven’t come across yet?”

Black shook her head, “Not to my knowledge Admiral, though with the Varanni having already put their own fighters into service, from what I hear most of the naval strategists expect it’s only a matter of time before the Karacknids do likewise. As I understand it, it is one of the key advantages we have over them.”

“Indeed it is,” James replied. “One I hope we keep for a long time. But if they do develop their own fighters, I’m glad to see we are already making steps to counter them. I’m eager to see just what you and your pilots have got.”

“And we’re eager to show it,” Black assured him. “Ah, here are the technicians.” She added when a portable staircase came rolling towards the Corsair.

For the next ten minutes Black gave James a detailed run down of everything in the Corsair’s cockpit. By the end of it, James felt like he might just stand a chance of flying one himself. Silently he promised himself he would have a go one day soon in a flight simulator to see just what the Spitfires and Corsairs were like. Wing Commanders who had served under him had offered to take him out for a real flight, but he had never had the courage. In a simulator he could make a fool of himself and no one else would need to know.

“All right Admiral, I think my people are ready,” Black said as James climbed out of the cockpit. “This is Lieutenant Foster, she is our logistics officer, she’ll see you to the simulator control room. I have a Corsair to fly.”

“Good luck Captain,” James said as he turned to Foster. “Let’s get this started Lieutenant, do you know what simulation they will be running?”

“I believe it is a standard ambush scenario,” Foster answered as they walked through the hangar to the main control room. “They’ll be going up against Scarlet Squadron from IS Enterprise. Here we go,” she continued as they entered the room and she gestured towards two seats that faced a large holo projector. Beyond the projector twelve simulation cockpits formed a semi-circle facing where James was to sit. “We can monitor everything from here.”

“This should be interesting,” James said as he took a seat. A few seconds later, the holo projector hummed to life. It showed a rocky world with a thick planetary ring. Within the ring a small mining station was clearly visible. In the distance twelve contacts were being displayed, they were slowly approaching the station.

“In the simulation, the mining station has reported some anomalous readings to the system Commander. Scarlet Squadron has been sent to investigate. That is all they know,” Foster explained.

“You mean they don’t know about the Corsairs?” James asked.

Foster shook her head. “We regularly runs simulations with different squadrons to keep our project a secret. The pilots don’t know they are up against real Human pilots, nor that Corsairs even exist. It is designed to test their reaction to our interceptors as well as train our pilots.”

And it will make the simulation look good, James added to himself. He knew full well that a part of why he had been invited to see the simulation was so that he would be a voice for the project within Christine’s Inner Council. Every week they had to make decisions about the allocation of resources. Black had said that she hoped to have a full squadron of interceptors for her pilots to train in within the next few months. But that could very easily be changed if some other project took the materials or staff they needed. Heck, the whole project could be scrapped it if was determined that the resources would be more cost effective elsewhere. Hence why they want to put on a good show.

Good show or not, James was still keen to see just what the Corsairs could do. As he watched, the twelve Spitfires carried out a slow pass over the rocky world, their active sensors on alert, looking for anything suspicious. Just before they closed with the mining station, a flash of electromagnetic energy appeared from deeper within the planet’s asteroid ring. Barely seconds later the Spitfires reacted. In formation they turned and raced towards the asteroids, their engines and thrusters going to full power. Just moments after they began to turn, Black’s Corsairs announced themselves by going full throttle on their engines. They had been hiding in open space all along. Using their stealth coating to maximum effect, James thought. The Spitfires, already in the middle of a turn, were caught with their pants down. For a full ten seconds they were at the mercy of the Corsairs as they desperately turned again to stop their attackers from getting in behind them. Black’s squadron made good use of their time. Nine of the Spitfires were shot down before they could bring their plasma cannons to bear on the interceptors. Three managed to dodge every laser beam that was shot at them. A dogfight quickly ensued. Being faster, nimbler, and having laser beams that put out far more shots, the Corsairs quickly shot down two more of the Spitfires.

“It’s just Scarlet Squadron’s commander left,” Foster commented

James nodded. Whoever was piloting the Spitfire was good. It was clear they had practiced dogfighting before, even if it wasn’t something the manual stipulated. The manual will have to be changed, James thought as he took a mental note. If the Karacknids did develop their own fighters, all Spitfire pilots would need to be as capable at dogfighting as making attack runs on enemy dreadnoughts. As the battle continued, the Spitfire actually managed to turn the tides on the Corsair that had been chasing it. Fooling the Corsair pilot into a loop, the Spitfire pilot got in behind the Corsair. It took Scarlet Squadron’s commander just seconds to blow the Corsair apart. Before the Spitfire had time to celebrate, another Corsair was upon it, lashing out with laser beam after laser beam.

“That’s Captain Black now engaging the Spitfire,” Foster explained.

James nodded. The dogfight ended almost as quickly as it had begun. Clearly Black’s pilots needed more training, but Black herself knew what she was about. As the simulation ended and a new one began, James pulled up Black’s service record. He nodded to himself. Black had flown three combat missions before being transferred into the Corsair research and development program. One of which had been during the battle of Earth. By fighter pilot standards, she was a veteran.

“This scenario is of an attack on a squadron of battleships and fleet carriers,” Foster commented when a simulated fleet appeared on the holo projector. There were three battleships and two fleet carriers along with twelve smaller escorts. “Scarlet Squadron and a squadron of Lancaster bombers from Enterprise will launch the attack. The Corsairs are already on station, they’re currently carrying out a CSP, that’s a carrier space patrol. They know nothing more than that they’re tasked with protecting the fleet.”

“This should be a real test,” James responded. This time Scarlet Squadron would know what they were up against. For several minutes nothing happened, then Scarlet Squadron and the squadron of bombers lit off their engines. They were just five minutes out from the fleet Black was tasked with defending. At once her ships banked towards the threat. Moments later, half of Black’s squadron pushed ahead of their comrades. James wasn’t sure what Black was doing until Scarlett Squadron accelerated to move ahead of their bombers, then it became clear. Scarlet Squadron intended to engage Razor Squadron in a dogfight and allow the bombers to push on to their targets. Black was going to sacrifice half her squadron to make sure she had a clean shot at the bombers.

Over the next five minutes things played out as James had predicted. Scarlet Squadron and the forward half of Razor Squadron ended up in a tangled ball of twisting and weaving fighters. Two Spitfires from Scarlet Squadron managed to break away from the engagement and tried to intercept Black’s half of Razor squadron. However, they were both shot down at long-range before they could waylay Black. Then, despite the Lancaster bombers’ best efforts, Black’s interceptors were on their heels. The bombers, designed solely for racing in to strike an enemy’s capital ships, had no defenses. They disappeared as they were taken out one by one. However, their commander was far from a fool. As soon as it had been clear the Corsairs were going to engage his bombers, he had split them into pairs which had then spread out. The extra time it took Black’s Corsairs to cover the distance between each pair was costly. Five bombers got close enough to the fleet that the capital ships’ point defenses had to open up on them. Moments later, six new contacts appeared, racing away from Black’s Corsairs. James’ eyes narrowed when he figured out what they were. He swung around to Foster, “I thought they had no missile ordinance?”

Foster smiled, “Black wanted to keep it a surprise. They are our new anti-fighter missiles. They have a limited range and a small warhead. But they are very fast and agile.” She nodded back to the holoprojector.

James turned just in time to see three of the five bombers taken out as the missiles raced up behind them and detonated. The final two bombers somehow managed to dodge the missiles. One fell to a point defense plasma bolt from a battleship, but the fifth got close enough to release its two plasma missiles. James leaned forward as the capital ships switched their fire to the plasma missiles. Despite their best efforts, one avoided being hit. Seconds later it crashed into one of the fleet carriers. Moments after that, the entire carrier detonated as secondary explosions caused one of its main systems to overload. James sat back in his chair and let out a deep breath. A fleet carrier had a crew of eight thousand and took more than a year to build. A Lancaster bomber that took a couple of weeks to build and had just one pilot had taken it out.

When he looked back at Foster, he saw she was disappointed. He suspected Black felt the same way, they had lost one of their charges. But only one, James thought as he turned back to the dogfight. Only three of the six Corsairs Black had sent to engage Scarlet Squadron were still alive. Yet they had taken out seven Spitfires. James suspected their anti-fighter missiles had played a part in that. As Black’s six Corsairs turned and charged towards the dogfight, Scarlet Squadron’s Spitfires broke contact and raced away. Black charged after them, using the Corsairs’ higher acceleration rate to close the distance. She was clearly intent on killing as many of Scarlet Squadron as she could. She probably thought she needed to make up for the strike on the fleet carrier. James nodded, Black might think her simulation a failure, but it wasn’t how he read things. Black’s twelve Corsairs had gone up against twenty-four enemy ships intent on destroying the squadron of battleships and carriers. Without Black’s Corsairs, James imagined pretty much every ship in the squadron would have been destroyed. If it had been a real battle, the losses would have been cataclysmic. If the Karacknids did develop their own fighters, they could rip a Human fleet apart in a matter of minutes. Black’s Corsairs had turned back all but one of the enemy attack craft. With two squadrons, they would have crushed the attack, James was sure. All right, he said to himself, he didn’t need any more convincing. The Corsair program had won him over. He would be fighting their corner in any Inner Council debates that came up in the future. It may yet take the Karacknids many months or even years to develop their own fighters, but when they do, we need to have Corsairs in the fleet ready for them. We cannot afford to be caught out even once.

Just as James opened his mouth to call an end to the simulation so he could inform Black of his conclusions, a command console beside Foster blared. “What is it? he asked.

“A flash alert,” Foster said as she swiveled in her command chair and tapped on the command console. Its blaring ceased and she spun back to James. “It’s Home Fleet, they have just jumped into the system!”

James’ heart went through a tangle of emotions in quick succession. Excitement, fear, and anxiety washed over him. “Pull up the sensor feed on the Beta shift passage. I want to see,” he demanded at once.

The holo projector cut away from Black’s simulation to a picture of empty space. James looked at Foster in confusion. “Sorry Admiral,” she said hastily as she looked down at her command console. “Home Fleet is not coming from the Beta shift passage, but from Alpha.”

James’ heart went through another series of flutters. If Home Fleet was coming from the Alpha shift passage that meant they had fallen back to Human space through the Chinese or perhaps even the British colonies. That explained their months long delay, but not why. What could have made them take such a long detour? he asked himself. When the sensor feed on Home Fleet finally appeared in front of him, he had his answer. Less than a third of the ships he had expected to see where there. His fist tightened when he saw IS Earth, Admiral Gupta’s flagship, was not among them.

“So many gone,” Foster said, then blushed when James looked at her. When he looked back at the image, he saw that even those that were there were traveling at a snail’s pace. That suggested that some if not many of them were badly damaged.

At once James was on his feet. “My compliments to Captain Black on her demonstration. Inform her that she has my full support. But I must leave immediately,” he said as he made his way out of the simulation control room. Before Foster could catch up with him, he had crossed the hangar and opened the access hatch. Commodore Jefferson was already waiting for him. He saluted and spun around to follow James. “I have ordered your shuttle prepped already Admiral; they should be ready to go.”

“Thank you,” James replied. He didn’t add anything else as he moved as fast as he could whilst retaining some level of dignity. Whoever was the senior commander of the remnants of Home Fleet would have already transmitted their mission report. It would be sent to Charlton House in England where the Headquarters for the Imperial Fleet had been set up. He intended to be there when it arrived. “Back to England,” he called to his pilot as he raced up the shuttle’s access ramp. He threw himself into a chair and strapped himself in. Though the loss of so many ships was devastating, one face was kept firmly fixed in his mind. Gupta had been his first Lieutenant on his first ship, HMS Drake. She had been his closest friend ever since. She was the best Admiral he knew. He couldn’t have lost her, he just couldn’t.

Chapter 9

At the site of every city destroyed in the Karacknid War lies a cenotaph marking the lives lost. Perhaps none are so poignant as the one at the Imperial Academy on the Moon. No nukes fell there, however. The cenotaph records another loss Humanity suffered in that war. Listed there are the names of every ship, Flag Officer and Captain lost defending Humanity’s freedom. The list is long indeed.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising 3002 AD.

By the time James’ shuttle brought him to Imperial Fleet HQ, the initial report had arrived from Home Fleet. James found himself a quiet office, locked himself in, sat down and pulled up the report on his datapad. He was relieved when he saw the report was sent from Argyll, but then he saw Captain Rivers and not Admiral Lightfoot had sent it.

Though he was sorely tempted to skim the report to see why the fleet had taken so long to get home, and why it was in such a devastated state, James forced himself to begin at the start and read slowly. Almost at once he had to put the datapad down. Though sent by Rivers, it was obvious that the first parts of the report had been written by Lightfoot’s hand. In great detail, not hiding any of his emotions, Lightfoot had outlined what had happened in the Jaranna system and the sacrifice Gupta and Commodore Flew had made. For several minutes James was lost in memories. Gupta had been a First Lieutenant, then Flag Captain, and then a Commodore and Admiral in her own right. More importantly, she had been his best friend. On many occasions she told him what he needed to hear when no one else would. She had been there for him when Christine had left him as a young Captain, and then when Suzanna had been killed. As an officer and a friend there had been no equal in James’ eyes. More than once he had witnessed her risk her life to uphold her duty and protect those under her care. Now she has made the ultimate sacrifice, James thought as a tear ran down his cheek.

He could easily picture her in the situation Lightfoot had described. Her fleet had been surrounded, there had been no other chance of escape. She would have given her life gladly to see the rest of her fleet get away. Whilst the thought made James’ love for Gupta grow all the more, it did nothing to ease his grief. He clenched his teeth, rage flaring up within him. The Karacknids had already taken so much from him! Now they had taken her too! And not only from him. The Imperial Fleet needed every able officer they could find, and Gupta had been one of the best commanders they had. The list of officers who James would trust with a battle fleet to face off against the Karacknids was getting smaller and smaller. For several more minutes James thought over all of Gupta’s accomplishments. Time and time again she had showed a strategic and tactical acumen that would be desperately needed in the future. That would be desperately missed.

She made her choice, James reminded himself as he felt a wave of despair threaten to well up. She chose to protect her people. Just as you would have done. With that thought he picked up the datapad again and continued to read. He wanted to know how Lightfoot and the others had made use of Gupta’s sacrifice.

As he read, James lost track of time. It was too easy for him to picture exactly what the fleet went through and how Lightfoot was thinking in each of the situations they found themselves in. As he followed the fleet’s progress through Karacknid space his emotions oscillated up and down. He was impressed with Lightfoot’s tactical decision making and the actions of Scott, Jil’lal and several other officers. And yet he grieved the loss of each ship that was destroyed or had to be abandoned. He was also concerned by several things that the fleet discovered. Their raid through Karacknid space had revealed just how hard it was going to be to defeat the Karacknids once and for all.

Then, when it came to the Karacknids’ surprise attack at their staging world outside Humanity’s border, James’ heart went out to Lightfoot. He had been tricked and he had lost so many ships and lives because of it. James wasn’t sure how he might react if he lost a battle so decisively. He would probably run from the very thought of taking command ever again. And yet we cannot lose Lightfoot, James thought. Not after having just lost Gupta. They couldn’t afford to lose another one of their best commanders.

As James read on and came to the after action report, he found out why the report had Rivers’ name attached to it. Lightfoot had been badly injured as Argyll fled the battle. Though he was concerned for Lightfoot, it was probably a small mercy. He had been kept in a stasis pod to allow his head injury to be examined by a specialist on Earth in case it might deteriorate. At least he wasn’t conscious for the long journey back to Earth from the Karacknid staging planet, James thought. It would have been a living nightmare for Lightfoot, he would have relived the defeat over and over again in his mind. At the end of the report, Rivers had compiled a list of all the ships, officers and crew lost during the entire mission, along with quite a number of recommendations for promotions and commendations. James slowed his reading. As he read the lists of names and ships, memories flooded his mind. Many of the officers and ships he had served with at one time or another. At least those who survived will know the sacrifice their friends made accomplished what we sent them out to do, James thought. He had known for months that the raid on Jaranna had contributed to forcing the Karacknids to retreat from Alliance space. Lightfoot, Rivers, and the rest had spent months running from the Karacknids without knowing if their attack on Jaranna had worked. You succeeded, James thought to Gupta. He reset the report back to the start and started reading again. It was his last link to his friend.

*

Sometime later James heard the office door unlock. Anger spread across his face at being interrupted. Then he saw it was Christine, she had someone with her who obviously had access to override his lock. As soon as the door was open the other man stepped out of sight and Christine rushed in, closing the door behind her. “I’m so sorry James,” she said as she moved to his side and knelt beside him. “I’m so sorry,” she repeated as she grasped one of his hands.

Though he wanted to pull his hand back and be left alone with his grief, James didn’t. He knew he needed her comfort, even if it wasn’t his first reaction to accept it. “Thank you,” he forced himself to say. “I’ll be ok. I feared this was what had happened. But it’s still hard. We can’t keep losing everyone around us.”

“I know,” Christine said as she stood. “We can’t, and we won’t.” She had a tear in her eye. “But if we’re going to make that a reality, then we need to win this war. And in the short term, that means we’re going to lose more.” She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Your country has already asked too much of you over the last two decades. And now we are asking even more. I wish I could take away your pain.”

“I know,” James said. He looked up at Christine and smiled. He reached up and placed a hand on hers. “I know. I just wish it had been me. I should have been the one to lead that fleet.”

Christine whipped her hand away. “You can’t start thinking like that! Not now. Not when we need you more than ever. You had to stay here. You had a duty to fulfill. Gupta knew the risks she was taking when she accepted the mission. She chose to make the sacrifice she did. You should not take that away from her by feeling sorry for yourself.”

James sighed. Christine reached down and turned his chin so that he was looking up at her again. “Don’t start this. Gupta and I had a few long hard chats before she left. She told me about how you were on Drake after I decided to marry Na. And how you were on Regin after Suzanna. You’re not going there again. Do you hear me? Not when Gupta was the one who pulled you out of that dark place.”

James’ thoughts swirled. He knew he was prone to disappearing when grief overwhelmed him. He knew Gupta would hate it with a passion if he let her death affect him in that way. And yet knowing it and doing something about it were two different things.

“Come on,” Christine said as she grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. “I can’t control your thoughts, but there were two pieces of advice Gupta gave me. One, I’m to not let you wallow on your own.” She waved her arms to take in the small office. “Especially not in some dark alcove in the back end of nowhere. And two, you are to be reminded of your duty. Captain Rivers is just forty-five minutes out. I’ve asked for him, Admiral Jil’lal and Captains Scott and Gar’am to meet us here. I’ve assembled my Inner Council. We need to get a face to face debrief with the survivors. Figure out what condition their ships and crews are really in, and start to make plans. If the Karacknids are setting up a new staging base to invade our territory, then another attack could be mere months away. We don’t even know if this is the only base. We need to start making preparations at once.”

Reluctantly, James allowed himself to be pulled to his feet and led out of the office. He could remember all too clearly Gupta’s anger the last time he had disappeared into his grief. As he walked, Christine’s words sank in. If the Karacknids had been working on a new supply base from which to launch another attack, that meant they had no problem invading Human territory while they were still heavily engaged against the Alliance. If they were prepared to fight on two fronts like that, then there was nothing stopping them from already having a fleet on the move towards Earth. On the other hand, now that we know about it, it might be possible to stop their attack before it can properly begin, James thought. Christine was right, they had some important decisions to make! With a gentle twist of his wrist, James shook off Christine’s grip on his forearm. When she turned around, clearly about to scold him, he reached out and took her hand instead. Then he continued to walk with her side by side. “Thank you,” he said with a smile. “You’re right. We have work to do.”

Christine nodded in satisfaction and turned her head back to look in front of her. From the set of her shoulders and jaw James knew she was determined to make the best of a bad situation. That was her duty as Empress, whatever befell her people; Christine needed to be the one to go on, no matter what. As do I, James reminded himself, he was to be Emperor in the not too distant future.

*

When they got to the large briefing room, the rest of Christine’s Inner Council were already there. A number offered their condolences to James as he moved past them. James smiled and thanked them, keeping his emotions to himself.

“All right,” Christine said after taking her seat. She opened up her datapad and glanced at it. “We still have almost forty minutes before the senior Captains from Home Fleet get here. We will have lots to discuss and decisions to make after we hear what they have to say. Probably the next few days if not weeks will be taken up by our response. Are there any other items of business we could get out of the way now?”

Admiral Koroylov was the first to speak, “We need to make some decisions regarding the Alliance fleet that is scheduled to arrive three weeks from today. There has been some difficulty ensuring we have enough ship births to station them here in Earth’s orbit. However, now that there are many births assigned to Home fleet ships that will not be needed any more, that is not likely to be a problem. The second issue we need to think through is what do we intend to use the Alliance ships for? I’ve had my staff officers draw up a number of training scenarios, but it will be good to get a more concrete series of plans that we can prepare training simulations for. However, Home Fleet’s return may force our hand on this issue.”

“Indeed,” James said as he nodded. After stepping down as President of the Russian Star Federation, Koroylov had accepted the position of Admiral within the Imperial Navy. Though without an actual fleet to command, Christine had put him in charge of the strategic planning division based at Imperial Fleet headquarters. “I’m afraid Koroylov is right. The two of us have tentatively discussed sending out elements of the Alliance fleet with some of our new warships to probe the Karacknids’ borders and generally make a nuisance of themselves. Yet if the Karacknids are already preparing for a second attack against us, we will need to keep the Alliance fleet within the Sol system. Whatever else happens, we cannot allow Earth to be attacked again. We still have far too much of our military industrial complex focused here to risk losing it to another raid.”

“Then the Alliance fleet will be based here on Earth in the immediate future,” Christine responded. “Admiral Koroylov, you can draw up simulations focused on defending Earth from another attack. If we are attacked, we will meet the Karacknids with everything we can throw at them. What’s next?”

“There is the delegation from the Conclave species that Captain Kansas informed us about,” Fairfax brought up. As he spoke he looked to James and winked. Captain Kansas, or Emilie as James always thought of her, was his niece. Whilst Fairfax had likely meant the gesture as a sign of respect, Emilie had accomplished a great deal on her mission to the other side of the Gift’s second wormhole, it just reminded James of how long it had been since he had seen her. Even her last communication was six months old. For all James knew, she could have been killed as well.

Unaware of the thoughts his words had stirred, Fairfax continued, “We have been making preparations, but the information Admiral Somerville’s niece shared with us was limited. We have little to no idea of what kind of living quarters or amenities the different alien species that make up the Conclave might make use of. And then we have the diplomatic side of things to think about. Again, we have very little to go on from Captain Kansas with regards to how to negotiate with the conclave delegation members. Though I suspect Home Fleet’s return will have an impact on this. Ideally we would like to be speaking to them from a position of strength, not one of weakness. They could arrive at any time over the next month, if they do, I fear they may find us in quite the commotion.”

“They will see things as they truly are,” Senator Nicholls responded. “There’s nothing we can do about that, but surely that is for the best. If they are truly going to stand up to the Karacknids, they should know the risks.”

“Of course they should,” Fairfax agreed, “though there’s no harm in us giving them a bit of confidence as well. I’m just suggesting that we keep the Conclave delegation in mind as we think through our reaction to the loss of most of Home Fleet,” as he finished speaking Fairfax turned to Christine and held her gaze for a moment.

Christine gave him a slight nod. “Trying to broker a trade deal or even an initial alliance with the Conclave will be difficult given how little we know about them. But it is one of our key priorities. We are never going to win this war unless we can open up more fronts and relieve the pressure on our colonies. Perhaps you and I can form a smaller group to discuss strategies over the coming few days. Then we can filter our ideas back to the main Inner Council?” Christine then looked away from Fairfax to her other advisers. “That will save the rest of you from the minutia of Fairfax politicking.”

“I would be happy to join with the two of you and whatever diplomatic staff Fairfax might have in mind,” Nicholls suggested.

“You’re more than welcome,” Fairfax replied.

“I’m happy to have the three of you figure things out,” James responded. Several other Admirals nodded in agreement.

“I have a lot on my plate as well,” Andréa added, “Though if I may, I’ll put together a wish list of materials that our construction efforts are crying out for. You can use it to put together a few potential trade options.”

“Very well,” Christine said when no one else spoke. “That is how we will proceed.” She glanced at her datapad. “Any other issues we can clear?”

For several seconds no one spoke, then Koroylov cleared his throat. “This isn’t an old issue, but one we can act on immediately. I believe we should dispatch a scouting mission to Able-four, the system the Karacknids staged their first attack against us from. If they are building up their forces again in the system Lightfoot was defeated in, they may be doing the same at Able-four. If so, we need to know.”

“Agreed,” James said at once. “We should draft orders right away and have a small squadron dispatched today. We can put together a group of six of our newest destroyers and send them out.”

“You have my permission,” Christine responded. “You may put orders to that effect into motion.”

James picked up his datapad and typed out a series of commands to send to one of his staff officers. With luck, by the time Inner Council was done with Captain Rivers and the others, the new squadron would be taking on provisions and preparing to depart.

“What about the rest of our borders?” Andréa asked. “If the Karacknids are building up a base in the system Lightfoot fought them, then may they not be preparing others as well? We know that they prepared at least six such bases for their invasion of Alliance space.”

“A valid concern,” Christine said, she then looked at James and raised her eyebrows.

“It is,” James replied. “But there are hundreds of systems between our borders and theirs. It would take us months to search them all and we’d have to commit a significant percentage of our newly built warships to do it. They’re the only ones who have the speed to get in and out of a Karacknid controlled system without being detected and caught.”

“Perhaps you do not have to search them all,” Andréa suggested. “We know about Able-four, and now this new depot system Lightfoot discovered. Plus we have data on the six bases the Karacknids set up along their border with Alliance space. That gives us a good idea of what kind of systems the Karacknids like to use as forward bases. We have the Varanni and Kulrean survey data of that area of space. We should be able to narrow down the systems that would need to be scouted quite significantly.”

“Of course,” James said, almost slapping himself on the forehead for not thinking of it. “You have the best analysts in the fleet, can you put your people on it?”

Andréa nodded, “We should be able to get a preliminary list for you by the end of the day. You can start making preparations based on it whilst we refine our analysis.”

“Perfect, as long as there are no more than five or six systems, we should have the ships to investigate them all,” James said. “Any more than that and we will have to wait until the Alliance fleet gets here and dispatch some of their destroyers.”

“I will leave putting the survey missions together in your capable hands Grand Admiral,” Christine said. Before she could add anything else, there was a knock on the door. “That must be the officers of Home Fleet,” Christine said as she stood. “Let us welcome them home. They have been through much on our behalf.”

Chapter 10

The number of times the three houses of the Imperial government have unanimously passed a bill can be counted on one hand. The legislation to halt independent colonial expansion along the Antarian border after the discovery of the alien race was one of them. It was hoped such legislation would prevent a war. Sadly, that was not the case.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising 3002 AD.

James stood and followed Christine to the door. Before they got there, it opened and Admiral Jil’lal and Captains Rivers, Scott and Gar’am walked in. James joined Christine in greeting them. He firmly shook Captain Rivers’ hand. Though he had only met the American once or twice in passing, he had a growing respect for him. Not only did Lightfoot’s reports speak well of him, but the way he had led the remnants of Home Fleet back to Earth was commendable. He then held out his hand to Jil’lal, the Vestarian Admiral engulfed his in all four of hers. In response, James added his left hand to the embrace. “Welcome back to Earth Admiral,” James said with a smile. “I am very pleased to see you.”

“And I you,” Jil’lal said as she returned James’ smile. “For a moment or two, I wasn’t sure any of us would make it back. Captain Rivers deserves our thanks, he took command quickly after Lightfoot was injured and gave the order to fall back.”

“Then he deserves my thanks as well,” James said as Jil’lal moved past him to greet the others in the room. Next up was Captain Scott. Without hesitation he pulled her into a hug. “Welcome home,” he said gently as he held her. “I’m not sure I could have lost both of you.”

“I’m truly sorry James,” Scott replied just as quietly. “By the time she had turned her ship around, there was nothing I could do.”

James released her and held her at arm’s length. He nodded. “I know,” he replied. Then he lightened his tone. “Your first campaign as a fully-fledged Captain, you handled yourself admirably.”

Scott nodded and smiled. “It’s very different when the buck stops with you.”

James winked. “There’s never any way to explain it properly, it is something that can only be learned from experience. Experience you now have plenty of. Experience that we won’t let go to waste.”

Scott bowed her head slightly. “It is my duty to serve the Empire, and my Empress,” she added as she held James’ gaze. “The example of service Admiral Gupta has left us will be one we all strive to live up to.”

“That is for sure,” James agreed. “Though I hope you will set another.” When Scott frowned, James smiled. “One of giving a long life of service to the Imperial Fleet.”

Scott’s face relaxed. “That I’d be happy to agree to Admiral.”

James smiled and directed Scott past him to speak with the other members of the Inner Council. Captain Gar’am was the last to enter the briefing room. James didn’t hear what Christine and he shared, but as Scott moved past him, the Varanni slithered up to James. He bowed as deep as James had seen a Varanni bow. “Admiral Somerville, since departing on the mission to Jaranna I have come to learn how close your relationship with Admiral Gupta was. I believe you were a mentor to her. That being the case, I owe you a great debt of honor. Your protégé sacrificed herself to save my life and the life of my crew. Thanks to our raid on Jaranna, the Karacknid fleet threatening my homeworld has been driven back. You have my condolences and my thanks Admiral.”

James returned the deepness of the Varanni’s bow. “And you have my thanks Captain. From what I have read of Home Fleet’s exploits, none of our ships would have made it back here without your assistance. I am in your debt as much as you may think you are in mine. However, in times of war there can be no debts, rather we are all friends and allies.”

“Fine words, ones I can heartily agree to,” Gar’am replied.

“I’m glad to hear it Captain,” James responded as he turned and gestured for Gar’am to move towards the chair that had been prepared for him.

“First,” Christine said as everyone took their seats, “how is Admiral Lightfoot?”

“His condition hasn’t changed since we re-entered our space,” Captain Rivers answered. “I had Argyll’s chief medical officer accompany me on my shuttle along with Lightfoot’s stasis pod. They’re on their way to Atlanta. Some of the best neurological surgeons are based in a hospital there. If anyone can help him, I’m sure they can.”

Christine nodded as she tapped on her datapad. “I’ll make contact with them as soon as we’re done here to make sure every effort is being made on his behalf. Thank you, Captain. Now… on to our main topic of discussion. I’m sure Grand Admiral Somerville and my other Admirals will closely dissect the mission to Jaranna. If there is blame to be laid and lessons to be learnt, then they will come in due time. However, right now, we need to focus on what steps we need to take in light of the ships we have lost and the unexpected move the Karacknids are making against us. James, where do you think we should begin?” Christine asked as she glanced at him.

James took a deep breath. “Let’s start with your ships and crews, what condition are they in?”

Rivers shook his head, “The simple answer is, not good. No ship made it out of the Karacknids’ forward base system without damage. We were only able to get away by using our most damaged ships to cover our retreat. We had to abandon twelve warships simply because they couldn’t make the jump to shift space. We got most of their crews off, but not all. After such a long cruise, most of our ships would probably have required some time in a repair yard. Now, I suspect every single one of them will need months of attention before they are battle ready again.”

“Including our newer ships, Captain Scott?” James asked as he turned to Scott.

“I’m afraid so Admiral, they handled the wear and tear of such an extended cruise well, but they’ve all taken damage. We’ve done our best to repair what we can but we’re going to need time in our repair yards.”

James glanced at Andréa. The former head of the Somerville Foundation shrugged, “I’ll get some of my team to run the numbers. We’ve been slowly converting our repair yards into construction yards. It’s much cheaper and more efficient than building new ones from scratch. To be frank, it will depend on the damage. It may not be worth our while repairing the older ships. Scott’s ships we’ll certainly be able to accommodate, but that may be all.”

“And your ships Jil’lal?” James said to the Vestarian Admiral.

“None of our older ships that were among the fleet survived,” Jil’lal answered. “Only those that have the upgrades Captain Scott sent to us are left. Given the similarities with your own ships, it may be that your repair yards could complete the necessary work. Yet my crews have been away from Vestar for many months. I would prefer to dispatch them home.”

“I understand,” James replied, “They are your ships, you may do with them as you please.” James was tempted to suggest that she head back to Vestar with them. She had been operating in Human space since the Karacknid attack on Earth after all. However, he knew she would flat out refuse so he held his tongue. There were already an additional twenty-four Vestarian warships in orbit that had arrived since Jil’lal had left to raid Jaranna. No doubt Jil’lal would transfer her flag to one of them rather than head home. “What are your intentions Captain?” James said as he moved his attention to the Varanni.

“Sadly, I am quite sure that your repair yards do not have the capabilities to complete the kind of work that my ships will need,” Gar’am replied. “I understand there is already a substantial Alliance fleet on its way here to bolster your defenses. That is good news. I presume that thanks to our efforts against the Karacknids in Jaranna, my people have been able to spare more ships to send here. With that being the case, I think it prudent that I continue with my ships back to Alliance space as soon as possible.”

“That would make the most sense,” James reluctantly agreed. “Though we will be sorry to see you go.”

“As we will be sad to leave,” Gar’am said. “It has been an honor fighting with all of you,” he continued as he looked from Rivers to Scott and then to Jil’lal. “I want you to know that when I return to Varanni Prime, I will request to be assigned to the next group of ships sent here. I believe there is much to be done on this front against the Karacknids. I also intend to pay the Karacknids back for Commodore Flew’s death.”

“You will be welcomed back gladly,” James responded. “Hopefully in the not-too-distant future.” He gave Gar’am another deep bow. When he raised his head again he set his hands on the briefing room table. “All right,” he continued as his mind began to turn. “We may have to consign what’s left of Home Fleet apart from Scott’s ships to the scrap pile. That leaves us desperately short of ships. But it may help solve another problem. We have new ships coming out of the construction yards pretty much every day. For months we have been crying out for trained personnel. We’ve combined the British, American, and Chinese cadet training academies into the new Imperial Fleet Academy, but even with accelerated training courses, we’re still struggling to get enough crews for our ships. We’ll have to give your people a couple of weeks off I’m sure, but then we can begin redistributing them throughout the ships we already have.”

“May I make a suggestion,” Rivers said. “I think if we can get away with it, a full month off would be more appropriate. Our people have been through hell over the last six months. For long periods we were constantly on a knife edge, being hounded and chased by Karacknid ships. We didn’t know if we were ever going to get home, and then when we thought we had finally made it, we were taken by surprise and lost many of our comrades in our failed attack on the supply depot. I think at least a month’s rest is needed if our people are going to come back in a fit state to lead and be examples to others.”

James nodded and scratched his chin. “What do you think?” he asked Admiral Koroylov.

“Two weeks would suit me far better. An injection of experienced crew and officers is desperately needed. But Rivers knows his people better than we do. If we don’t give them enough of a break and they start dropping over the next few months due to stress, it will hurt us more in the long term.”

James tapped the briefing table, “We’ll go with your recommendation Captain, one month’s leave for all Home Fleet’s crew. And that includes officers,” he added as he glanced from Rivers to Scott. “Once you have your ships handed over to repair yard officials, I expect you to take the same kind of break. If things really were that tough out there, then you need the break as much as anyone else.” When Scott opened her mouth to protest, James raised a hand. “Don’t worry, if we need you back before then, I won’t hesitate to call, but you need the break. Of course, if a few technical files on new ship designs happen to fall into your hands, I won’t turn away any suggestions you have, but I want you all to have a break from command.” Scott nodded, though she didn’t look entirely pleased.

“Very well,” James said as he moved on from Scott’s unspoken objection. “That brings us to the most important topic we have to get a handle on. How far along are the Karacknid invasion plans? We’ve decided to send out scouting missions to see if the Karacknids are building up any forces at Able-four, or if they are putting together other supply depots to launch attacks from. It will take weeks, if not months, to get any reliable data back from the ships we’re sending out though. That means the only thing we have to go on is what you guys saw at the one depot we know about. You have had the most time to analyze the sensor data, what are your thoughts?”

Rivers looked over to Scott and nodded to her. Scott cleared her throat and began, “With only one data point it’s hard to make any kind of reasonable guess at this stage,” she said hesitantly. “If it were a Human system that was being built up, or even a Vestarian or Varanni one, I’d be confident in saying they were still months, perhaps six or more, away from being able to facilitate any kind of large-scale campaign. Yet given what we saw in the other Karacknid systems within their territory, the scale of the operations they can put together is far beyond anything we have ever imagined. There’s no way to know how long it took them to build what we detected in system. They could have spent the last number of months building it, or they could have put it together within just one or two months. If it’s the latter, then I’d say they are gearing up for an invasion within the next six months.”

James took a deep breath and glanced at Christine; he was sure she was thinking the same thing. If the Karacknids had any chance of launching a successful invasion in the next several months, there was no way Humanity could fend it off. Even with the reinforcements coming from the Varanni alliance, and the Kulrean ships that were still in the Sol system, another Karacknid fleet of one or even two or three thousand ships would blow through Humanity’s outer colonies and ravage Earth once again. The Empire they were trying to build would be wiped out before it ever got off its feet.

“That’s not very encouraging news you bring,” James said as he turned back to Scott. As he worked through what she had said, he tried to put the best face on it possible. “Though just because they have put a lot of effort into building up this depot system, it doesn’t mean they are on an advanced schedule for attacking us. No doubt they expended a lot of resources building up their forward bases along their border with the Alliance space. It may be that once their construction ships were finished there, the most logical step was to divert them to our border. They may be making preparations now for an attack in the future. One that may now not come given that their invasion of Alliance space has been turned back. What ships might have been tasked with attacking us have probably been diverted towards Alliance space.”

“The problem with that,” Jil’lal responded, “is that we encountered more than three hundred Karacknid ships just in the handful of systems we passed through. Even if there was a second fleet of Karacknid warships similar in size to the one that attacked us here being put together, which has now been diverted to Alliance space, the Karacknid still have enough ships in the vicinity of your space to deliver a crippling blow. Even if they just gathered up the ships we encountered and formed them into a fleet, they could conquer half of your colonies. And those ships are no more than two months away from here.”

James brought a hand up to his jaw as he thought. “You’re right, and even if those ships had purely been tasked with defending their border, after your incursion, whatever Karacknid commander is in charge may come to think of attack as the best form of defense.”

“What we need to do is send a second scouting squadron back to the Karacknid depot,” Scott suggested. “We can see what further work they have accomplished in the weeks since we left. Plus, if they start to build up warships, that will indicate what they are planning.”

“Yes, that is a necessity,” James agreed. “We can dispatch a small force back to the depot system as quickly as possible,” James added as he turned to Koroylov and nodded. The Russian Admiral tapped on his datapad to make a note of the order. Before Scott could volunteer for the mission, James continued, “I believe Commodore Farnsworth would be the best commander for that mission. However, that alone is not going to protect us. Before Home Fleet’s return we knew we were in a precarious position. Now it turns out the threat of a second attack is even greater than we feared. What’s more, the threat is never going to go away. Not as long as the Karacknids have the freedom to build forward supply depots and reach into the heart of our territory. That is why I believe this news means we need to develop a more aggressive strategy. It may be months before we have the ships to accomplish anything, yet we need to start thinking about reaching out beyond our territory. We need to deny the Karacknids any systems they might use as a forward base. If we can take their supply depot system and hold it, they’d be forced to curtail whatever invasion plan they are trying to put into motion.”

“Go on the offensive?” Christine asked as her eyebrows rose. “We barely have enough ships to defend Earth, never mind the rest of our colonies.”

Koroylov nodded. “We do not, and yet, given the report Home Fleet has brought back, I concur with Admiral Somerville’s instincts. As long as we remain on the defensive, we will have too many systems to protect and too few ships to accomplish it with. On the other hand, if we push forward and take the supply depot, and any others they may be preparing, then the Karacknid fleet will have to concentrate against our ships and dislodge us before they can push on to our territory. At worst, if we could take the supply depot it would buy us time. At best, we could turn it into a fortified world like the Alliance has done with several systems along its outer border.”

“Well…” Christine said slowly. “I’m not going to disagree with my Admirals, but is our fleet anywhere near being capable of pulling off such a mission?”

Though most people turned to James, James turned to Andréa, “I believe that’s a question only the fleet’s logistics department can answer.”

Andréa let out a long breath. “We barely have enough ships to call the Imperial Fleet a fleet,” she responded. “Once the promised Alliance ships get here, we may be closer to such a description. But even then, our build-up of new ships is progressing very slowly. If and when more colonies join the Empire, that build up should speed up exponentially. But we are not there yet. How many ships do you think you would need to take the supply depot?”

James shrugged. “If they have a hundred ships there now like they did, then we’d need to match their numbers at least. If they have reinforcements, then we obviously need more. I’d imagine we need to have at least two hundred warships before I’d feel confident of moving out against the system.”

“Two hundred,” Andréa repeated slowly as she pulled out a datapad and scanned through it. “There’s no chance we could have that many ships within the next two months. Perhaps in four or five, but a lot of things have to go to schedule for that to be a possibility.”

“Let’s make it four,” Christine responded. “If we’re going to try and hit them, I don’t want to give them a day longer to prepare their defenses than we absolutely have to. In the meantime, I would like our fleet to carry out a raid against their depot. We can use our fleet carriers to launch a strike from the edge of the system. That should delay their preparations long enough for our main fleet to be assembled. Admiral Somerville, I’m putting you in charge of organizing both missions. You’re still needed on the campaign trail, but it’s time your skills were put to use in other ways now that the Empire is starting to expand.”

James couldn’t help but smile, “Thank you my Empress,” he responded with a nod. “We will have some preliminary mission parameters put together by the time we meet again.” Though he had straightened his lips after his initial smile, on the inside, James was beaming. He was finally going to do something meaningful again! The Karacknid supply system was a real and present danger, but at least it meant he would get to command a fleet in battle. It would be the first time he got a chance to face the Karacknids since they nuked Earth.

Chapter 11

Every Emperor and Empress has had their own warship commissioned. In most cases they become mobile command and control platforms our leaders can use to tour the Empire. That was not so with the first Imperial Flagship. She was built for war and that is how she was used.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

Imperial Shipyard Edison, Earth orbit, 15th October 2482 AD (3 weeks later).

“…And so it is with great honor, and even greater expectations that I launch this ship, the first battleship of the Imperial Fleet. I name her IS Drake. She will be a reminder to us all of the sacrifice of the late Admiral Georgia Gupta. I hope she will serve Grand Admiral Somerville as faithfully as did his first Drake.” Christine reached out and touched the large button that was the centerpiece of the podium she stood behind. As soon as she did, a large bottle of champagne was released on the other side of the glass viewport the crowd was gathered around. Without gravity to pull it towards the battleship’s outer hull, a small jet of air pushed the bottle so that it careened into the ship. As soon as it struck the bottle shattered sending champagne in all directions. At the same time, the final support structures fell away from Drake, disentangling her from the shipyard. A small spurt of power from her maneuvering thrusters backed the battleship out of her construction berth. The final flurry of activity was from the plastic banner that had been covering the ship’s name. It was pulled away to reveal ‘IS Drake’ stamped on the battleship’s hull.

As everyone watched the launch of the first battleship built since the Karacknid attack on Earth, James turned to Christine. The ship, his ship, was supposed to be named Constitution, in honor of the new Imperial constitution that the empire was founded upon. Somehow, without him knowing, Christine had changed it. As several emotions welled up within him, James nodded his thanks as he blinked back a tear. The survey frigate Drake had been his first command. Gupta had been her First Lieutenant. Now it would be impossible for him to forget the loss he had suffered with her death. Every time he heard his ship’s name, she would be remembered. He figured that had been Christine’s intention. He wouldn’t forget his loss, but he also wouldn’t forget why he was fighting. To avenge Gupta’s death and to stop the Karacknids taking others whom he loved away from him. Again he nodded to her, this time it was filled with determination. Christine’s lips twitched into a small smile. Then she nodded back, communicating the same determination before she turned to watch the battleship.

James did the same. As the warship slid out of its dock, he looked at her afresh. Drake, he repeated in his mind. He had fought a number of battles against all but impossible odds in his survey frigate and won. “Drake it is,” he said. There was no more fitting name. The battleship was a full twenty percent larger than Golden Hind, his last flagship. Though that was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to the differences. Filled with Varanni and Mindus technologies, Drake was as powerful as anything the Varanni had produced of the same size. For the first time, Humanity had a warship that could go toe to toe with a Karacknid battleship. In fact, James was confident that he could win any such engagement. With four Spitfire fighters, Scott’s mark IV missiles and a point defense system that was eighty percent more effective than Golden Hind’s had been, Drake was designed to devastate any Karacknid ships she came up against. And she won’t be alone, James thought as he glanced left and right at Edison’s other berths. There were two other battleships currently under construction and a handful of battlecruisers. None looked like they were ready to launch quite yet, but they were not too far away. Furthermore, even as James watched, engineers and construction drones swarmed around the berth Drake had just occupied, already getting ready to work on the next battleship.

“Now,” Christine said, drawing everyone’s attention, “we will leave Drake’s crew to get her ready for space. It is time for us to retire and enjoy some refreshments, I am eager to speak with all of you. If you would please follow me.” Stepping off the podium, Christine gestured for her audience to follow her out of the viewing gallery and into the large reception room that had been prepared for the occasion. Despite his instinct to hang back and let everyone else proceed him, James quickly moved to Christine’s side when she gestured for him. He knew that on a day like this he couldn’t simply fade into the background. No matter how much he might want to. “We will sample a few things first to break the ice, then everyone else will follow us,” she whispered as she guided him towards the tables of finger food.

James did as he was told. After trying a couple of Earth delicacies and being handed a glass of wine, he turned to see the others tentatively pick out some food as well. Slowly at first, but then with increasing quickness, the volume in the room rose as conversations broke out. “You see,” Christine said as she bumped his elbow. “It’s always the same, if you send them in first, they’ll all stare at each other waiting for someone to take the lead. Now, let’s move over to one side and see who is brave enough to come and speak with us.”

Again James did what he was told, though his instincts were telling him something else. Among the audience for Drake’s launch was the delegation from the Conclave species. They had arrived in system just three days ago. James hadn’t met them yet for Christine, Fairfax and a handful of other diplomats had taken the lead in dealing with them. Given what Emilie had shared about them, he was eager to meet them. Especially Xamon, the Gramrian representative, and Admiral Shraw who commanded the small squadron of ships that had escorted the Conclave delegation. Of the five Conclave species, it seemed from Emilie’s reports that the Gramrians held the most promise when it came to fighting the Karacknids. As if that wasn’t enough, there were other aliens who attracted James’ attention, for the reinforcements from Alliance space had arrived just hours before Drake had been scheduled to launch. Christine had invited Admiral Danlien, Commodore Maleck, and Rear Admiral Becket to join the reception.

“It seems there are no takers,” James commented as he watched the group of Humans and aliens interact with one another. Even though there were nine different species, Xamon stood out like a sore thumb. Her large reptilian size and shape meant she out massed even Danlien, the only Varanni in the room. Yet where Danlien slid across the ground slowly, Xamon moved with grace and speed. It was obvious that her species were expert predators. It was also pretty clear that most of the other aliens were all too aware of that. Wherever Xamon went, a small bubble of space formed around her; no one was keen to get too close.

“I’m sure they’re just enjoying the food,” Christine replied quietly. She half turned and looked James up and down, “though perhaps there is another problem.” Before James could complain, she winked at him. “This is another easy problem to solve.” Turning back to face the crowd, Christine raised a finger no more than a few inches. When he followed her gaze, he saw she was looking at Fairfax.

Politely, her Chief of Staff extradited himself from the conversation he was involved in and approached them. “Congratulations on your new ship Grand Admiral,” Fairfax said loudly as he moved closer. James held out his forearm for Fairfax to grasp. It had only been two weeks since the surgeons had restored his ability to walk and he was still finding his feet. “She sure is a beauty.”

“On that we are agreed,” James replied equally as loudly, having figured out what Christine was doing. It seemed that on these kinds of formal occasions a lot of ice had to be broken. “I’m even more impressed with her weaponry. I’m eager to see what she can do against the Karacknids.”

“But not too soon I hope,” Christine said as she placed a hand on his elbow. “First and foremost you will always be an Admiral. I know that neither I nor anyone else can change that, but you are soon to be Emperor too. You have to be cautious when you take her into battle. I, for one, am glad Drake has so many point defenses.”

James had to fight back a sigh. This wasn’t the first time Christine had made her concerns clear since she had given him command of planning the attack on the Karacknid supply depot. “You don’t need to worry; I don’t intend to throw my life away. Besides, given the new deference everyone in the Imperial Fleet seems to have for me, I strongly suspect they will be throwing themselves in front of any missiles that come my way.” That was one thing he was struggling to get used to now that he was spending most of his time with the fleet again. Given his engagement to the Empress and the prospect that he would be becoming Emperor soon, everyone in the Imperial Fleet was bending over backwards for him. It didn’t help that most of the British officers still saw him as their King as well.

Christine gave him a sharp nod. “I’m glad to hear it. If our people are going to unite, they must believe in us, even if we are merely figureheads. They must be willing to fight and die for us. Not because we are important,” she said as she saw James’ eyebrows rise. “But because of what we represent. We are responsible for all of them.”

Fairfax clapped James on the back. “Which just means your job is all the more complicated I’m afraid Grand Admiral. You probably thought you were skipping the politics when Christine put you in charge of this mission I bet?” Fairfax chuckled. “Now that you’re Emperor in all but name, I’m afraid there’s no escaping politics, no matter where you go.”

James shook his head. He didn’t want to admit Fairfax was right, but he couldn’t deny it. When he saw General Johnston head in their direction though, he smiled at his friend and quickly changed the topic. “General, how are you enjoying the refreshments?”

Johnston raised a hand that was holding a half-eaten hors d’oeuvre, “As fine as any I’ve had. With the guest list, I’m sure a lot of work was put into this.”

“I have no doubt,” James said as he smiled. He continued a little more quietly. “I haven’t had a chance to ask you, how has our guest been since my visit?” Johnston glanced from James to Christine and Fairfax. “I’ve spoken to both of them about my encounter with the General,” James reassured him.

“Well, in any case, there is not much to tell,” Johnston said. “We’ve got a few more tidbits out of him here and there, mainly when we’ve been able to provoke his anger. But nothing of any serious significance.”

“A pity,” Christine said in the same quiet tone. “It would be useful to know a bit more detail about exactly what we are up against. We are all still largely in the dark. The Conclave species know nothing more than we do about their powerful neighbor.”

“A topic for another time,” Fairfax said as he nodded towards the first group of guests that had decided to come and speak to James and Christine. Like magic, Fairfax and Johnston disappeared and James found himself face-to-face with Rear Admiral Danlien.

“Rear Admiral,” James said as he bowed deeply to the Varanni, “You are very welcome to our homeworld. It is an honor to have you and your fleet here. I believe we both fought in the first Battle of Jaranna together, I’m sorry we have not met in person before today.”

Danlien returned James’ bow. “It is my pleasure to be here. The actions of your Home Fleet contributed greatly to our ability to push back the Karacknid invasion. We would not be here if it wasn’t for what your fleet accomplished. It is an honor for my ships and I to make up for the losses you have suffered.”

James bowed again and turned to Christine, “May I introduce Empress Christine. It is my belief that under her leadership our species will finally be able to stand united against the Karacknids.”

Danlien slithered closer to Christine and bowed even deeper than he had to James. “I hope your Admiral’s beliefs are proven correct Empress. We will all need to stand together to win this war. It is my honor to serve with your ships in the protection of your territory.”

“I am very thankful for your presence here,” Christine said as she returned Danlien’s gesture. “We are in a precarious position. We believe the Karacknids are planning a second attack against Earth. Your ships may be the difference between victory and defeat.”

“That is why we are here Empress. In time Alliance High Command hopes to be in a position to launch a counterattack against the Karacknids. Yet that is many months away. For now we are working to expand our border forts towards your territory. It is hoped I can aid your fleet in preparing their own forts. Once we have our defenses more tightly secured, then together we can push the Karacknids away from our borders.”

“That is a day I hope we see soon Admiral,” Christine replied. She looked over Danlien’s shoulder to the second Alliance naval officer who was standing slightly behind the Varanni.

“This is Commodore Maleck,” James said as Danlien slithered slightly to the side to allow Maleck to approach. “He was Admiral Ya’sia’s Flag Captain until his recent promotion.” When Maleck got close enough, James held out a hand and warmly embraced the Crian. Though Crians looked very different to Humans with their four legs and large torsos, James had found them to be among the most Humanlike species he had encountered. Certainly, he counted Ya’sia and Maleck as good friends.

“Commodore Maleck is my second in command,” Danlien explained as Maleck moved past James and bowed to Christine.

After Christine and Maleck exchanged some pleasantries, James motioned for Maleck to move to one side. He knew Christine would want to speak to Danlien more to fully convey how appreciative their Empire was for the Alliance ships. “So,” James said as he adopted a more casual tone. “How was your journey here?”

“Surprisingly quick,” Maleck replied, “I hadn’t realized how far along our dark matter repulser frigates were in their work. The artificial shift passage is only forty light-years from your border now. Another six months and we will be able to travel from Earth to Cria in just one month.”

James shook his head. “It’s hard to believe. Even with the system of jump gates we have throughout our territory now, there are still many colonies that are up to two months journey from here.”

Maleck smiled, “For one who has grown up accustomed to artificial shift passages, it is something I had not thought twice about before this war with the Karacknids. I’m sure it is going to bring significant changes to your civilization.” Maleck turned and gestured towards the gathered group of aliens. “Though with everything else that you have going on, it’ll probably go unnoticed.”

“It is just one change among many,” James agreed, “but hopefully the artificial shift passages will give us a significant strategic advantage. At least when it comes to defense. Which brings me to what I would really like to talk to you about. I have read the reports that were transmitted here from Varanni Prime and I’m sure I’ll get to speak to rear Admiral Becket, but I’m keen to hear firsthand about your battles with the Karacknids.”

“Of course,” Maleck replied, “though I warn you, I’m likely to talk your ears off. A lot has happened since we last saw one another.”

James raised a hand, placed it on Maleck’s shoulder and guided him towards one of the tables full of refreshments, “Time is something we have plenty of at this reception. Don’t worry about telling me too much, the more intimate details that don’t make it into the reports are exactly what I’m after.”

As Maleck spoke, James lost track of time. At some point Christine came and stood beside him. She listened patiently for nearly a minute before clearing her throat and interrupting. “I’m sure you old friends could spend all day reminiscing,” she said as she flashed Maleck a smile. “But I’m afraid I need my fiancé for the time being. If you don’t mind Commodore?”

“Not at all Empress,” Maleck replied. “I’m sure we will have many strategic planning meetings to get reacquainted. He is all yours.” He gave Christine a small bow.

“Thank you,” Christine said as she put her arm through James’ and gently turned him away from the Crian. “The members of the Conclave delegation have been asking about you. It’s time for some more introductions.” Before James could complain, she elbowed him in the ribs. “Make sure you’re on your best behavior.”

“Yes boss,” James replied in a tone that he knew would get him another elbow in his side.

For the next twenty minutes or so James was introduced to each of the delegation leaders from the five species that made up the Conclave. He ended up having the same conversation over and over again as he spoke with them, asked them about their homeworlds and shared some of his experiences fighting the Karacknids. All the while, he felt like he was being watched. At first he wasn’t able to figure out what was causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. But then he caught one of the Gramrians staring at him. It was Admiral Shraw. Thereafter, every time he glanced towards the reptilian Admiral, his eyes were on James.

Eventually, James worked his way around to where Shraw was standing, slightly apart from the rest of the delegation. Despite a natural hesitation, he reached a hand out towards the Admiral. “It is a pleasure to meet you Admiral,” he said, “my niece, Captain Kansas, speaks highly of you.”

Shraw reached out a clawed hand and, with far more gentleness than James had been expecting, shook his. “Captain Kansas is your niece? And you are soon to be the Emperor of your species. Should she not have some appropriate title?”

James smiled. “Forming our own Empire is a relatively new development. Emilie doesn’t even know all the details yet herself. She will have to content herself with Captain for the time being.”

“Content I imagine she will be,” Shraw replied. “A Captain’s life is always one of envy within our Navy. Especially an unattached command. There is a freedom that one never again experiences once promoted to flag rank.”

James nodded. “With that I heartily agree. I only ever wanted to be a Captain. Now I find myself a Grand Admiral, prospective Emperor and who knows what else Empress Christine has planned for me.”

Shraw’s expression changed. “You mean your Empress is the one who dictates to you? I thought the Emperor would make his own decisions.”

James guessed where Shraw was going. In a species where physical strength and martial prowess were so highly prized, it was understandable that the males held most of the prominent leadership positions. The thought made James smile. Whilst it was true he could easily physically overpower Christine, she could defeat him in many other ways. “That is not quite what I meant,” he explained. “When it comes to military matters, she defers to my experience and judgement. Yet, at the same time, when it comes to politics I defer to her, that is her area of expertise. We are a partnership. That will not change when I become Emperor.”

“I see,” Shraw replied as he looked James up and down, “at least, I think I do. You are regarded as one of the greatest warriors of your species. I am keen to get to know you more. You do not look overly impressive, but I presume you have hidden strengths. If my people are to commit our future to your species, we must have confidence that you are capable of standing up to the Karacknids.”

James couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re certainly right about my appearance,” he agreed. “No one would give me a plasma rifle and expect me to accomplish much. There is someone here though I will introduce you to, General Johnston. Perhaps later today or before you go, we could arrange a sparring session with him. I expect you would be suitably impressed with his physicality. However, that is not where my strength lies. My species has a number of skilled naval commanders. I hope I would be among them.” James honestly didn’t have an idea of who was the best naval commander Humanity had left, Lightfoot or Koroylov would be top contenders. He certainly fancied his chances against either one of them in a simulated battle, but he didn’t know for sure how their comparative skill sets would match up.

“Then I look forward to challenging you to a simulated naval engagement before our delegation leaves,” Shraw said. “Among my people, that is how we determine our comparative naval ranks. In times past we fought physical duels, but now they have been replaced with simulations. It is not quite the same but given that one’s career advancement depends on the outcome of them, there is always a fierce competitiveness.”

“I will gladly accept the challenge,” James replied honestly. Though he suddenly felt nervous, if he embarrassed himself in front of Shraw, it could impact the alliance Christine was seeking to establish with them. Yet he was keen to see just how good a commander Shraw was. Plus, it would be fascinating to see the kinds of tactics Shraw used. James was always interested in learning and adapting from others.

Shraw flicked his forked tongue back-and-forth and raised his upper lips to show his razor-sharp teeth. “Then we will have to arrange it for later. Now though, I have a number of questions for you. Your niece provided us with a significant amount of historical data on your species before she left our space. I have paid particular attention to your recent wars. I understand you fought in many of them. I would like to learn more about them.”

James smiled. He was more than happy to oblige, he always feared he’d be dragged into discussing endless minor political points at these kinds of gatherings. Or worse, he’d make a blunder and put his foot in it with one alien or another. Remembering all the different cultural mores always give him a headache. “I’ll gladly answer all the questions you have,” he replied. “As long as you will share with me how Emilie got on with your species and how you think she might be faring in her search for the Kalassai.”

“It is a deal,” Shraw said as he showed his teeth again.

Chapter 12

To this day the bow of IS Drake floats in geosynchronous orbit above the Imperial Palace. Sadly, that is all that was ever salvaged from her wreckage. The remnants of the first Imperial Flagship stand as a reminder to all naval personnel who pass her on their way to the Palace that no ship is invulnerable.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Drake, Earth orbit, 16th October 2482 AD (the next day).

James pushed himself back in his chair to recline further. As he did he took a deep breath. Though Drake had only been launched yesterday, he had already moved into his office and his staff officers were getting settled in. Despite the smell of fresh paint and the many furnishings that were missing, it felt good to have his own space onboard a warship again. It was also good to have Becket sitting opposite him. She had just spent an hour telling him all about her time with Admiral Ya’sia and their campaign against the Karacknid invasion force that had attacked Alliance space.

“From everything you have told me, and from Ya’sia’s reports, you handled yourself admirably,” James said once he had pulled every little detail about her battles against the Karacknids out of her. “You certainly justified your decision to remain in Alliance space. And now we have Admiral Danlien and his ships here. That is also thanks to your efforts. Earth, and now the Empire, has much to thank you for.”

“I was just doing my duty Admiral, as you taught me. I need no thanks for that,” Becket replied as her tone became more formal. It made James smile; she didn’t like receiving praise any more than he did.

“Nonetheless you will be receiving my thanks. Both here and in public. Captain Rivers, Scott and the other survivors of Home Fleet will all be receiving naval commendations for their accomplishments against the Karacknids in the Jaranna system. Rivers will also be getting the newly instigated Medal of Merit for extracting Home Fleet from the ambush in the Karacknids’ depot system. I intend for you to receive a naval commendation at the ceremony as well. The assistance you provided to Ya’sia in the battle of Kalesh was just as important as anything Home Fleet accomplished.”

“That is really not necessary,” Becket insisted.

James smiled again. “And yet it is happening. Unless you want to go against your Grand Admiral, you’ll just have to accept it.”

Becket nodded, “I’m not stupid enough to go up against you Sir,” she replied in the more informal tone she had been using until James brought up her commendation.

“Good,” James replied with a laugh. “It seems you have learnt something from all those years as my Flag Captain. “Which brings us to the second reason I invited you here. As much as I’d love to see you resume your duties here onboard Drake, your skills would be wasted with me. I have another command in mind for you.” With the touch of a button James turned on his office’s holo projector. A heavy cruiser sprang to life in-between the two of them. “The is Viper. One of Scott’s new designs. She is the third in her class. Just out of her construction yard two weeks ago.”

“She is beautiful,” Becket said slowly. “But I don’t understand. If I am being given a heavy cruiser? Why not Drake?”

James smiled at her confusion and touched another button. Another heavy cruiser appeared beside Viper. Around the two capital ships were a further eight destroyers and frigates. “This is her sister ship Adder, and their escorts. Viper is to be your flagship. You are a Rear Admiral now.”

“I’m honored,” Becket responded at once as a gleam filled her eyes. “They will make a formidable force. I know there are not many ships to go around at the moment. Thank you for putting your trust in me.”

“They will cause the Karacknids a headache no doubt. Especially in your hands. If I had more ships to give you I would. Especially with the mission I’m sending you on. But they will have to do.” As he spoke James switched the image on the holo projector. It showed a map of the territory owned by the Conclave species. When Becket frowned James almost slapped himself on the head. Of course she would be all but unfamiliar with Conclave territory. The information Emilie had sent back from her exploration mission had been transmitted to Varanni Prime, but Becket had probably had little to no time to spare on such details. “It is Conclave space,” James explained. “Each blob is the area controlled by one of the five species. This is the territory of their neighbor, the Nanee. They were recently absorbed by the Karacknids.

“Negotiations with their delegation are ongoing but given that they fought off a Karacknid warship that came into their space demanding they surrender, I imagine a Karacknid response will be forthcoming. They will have no choice but to throw their lot entirely in with us and the Alliance. When their delegation heads home in a week or so I intend to send you and your new squadron with them.”

Becket nodded, “What are my orders?”

James’ respect for Becket grew. She hadn’t hesitated for a second. If she thought her superiors needed her in the middle of nowhere when there was an imminent threat to Earth, she would simply go. “Initially your role will be that of a military attaché to the Conclave. I doubt we will have concluded any more formal alliances between our species before they go. So you can’t be anything more than that for now. But that time will come. Until then, your first goal will be to help train and prepare the Conclave fleets to face the Karacknids. You have as much experience fighting them as any commander I have available. In addition, I want you to scout out the Karacknids’ territory. Hopefully, I will have talked Admiral Shraw into lending you some of his ships for the task as well. But if not, you’ll have to work with what you have got.

“In the long-term I believe that the discovery of the second wormhole in the Gift and the Conclave species may hold the key to our chances of beating the Karacknids. That is why I am sending you out there. As long as the Karacknids have the majority of their fleet concentrated against us and the Alliance, we may never be able to push them back. We’ll always be defending our borders in constant fear of attack. If we can open up a second front, one that poses a real threat to the Karacknids, then it may buy us enough breathing space to put together a real offensive against them. That is the goal of your scouting mission. To get the lay of the land within that part of the Karacknid Empire and identify weak points.

“It is my hope that in time we will be able to put together a larger Alliance fleet and send it through the Gift to reinforce you. When that opportunity comes, I would like you to have the groundwork laid for a series of rapid raids into Karacknid space. With luck the Karacknids will underestimate the Conclave species. They can’t know that they are already receiving weapons and warships from us. A deep thrust into their space will not win us this war. But it may cause enough concern to make them divert a significant proportion of their strength away from us.”

“That is a bold plan,” Becket said as she stared at the holo map. “If we divert a large force to Conclave space, it would take a number of weeks to pull them back if we found that a Karacknid attack was imminent.”

“Which is why I need the groundwork for any attack to be well laid. The idea is that the fleet will move quickly, strike hard and then be prepared to pull back to our space if necessary.”

Becket nodded. “Who do you think will command the overall attack when it is launched? That might influence how I should go about my preparations.”

“You’re underestimating yourself again Rear Admiral,” James said. “You are one of our most senior commanders with real combat experience. In addition, you have worked closely with Alliance fleet commanders. They respect you. I imagine that when the time comes, Alliance warships will make up a significant portion of whatever fleet we send to Conclave space. I intend for you to lay the groundwork because you will be in overall command if and when we are in the position to commit more forces there. It may be that your squadron is slowly built up initially. But if we can push back a second attack coming against us here, then we will have more ships to send your way.” Reaching for his datapad, James sent a file to Becket. “Here are my ideas sketched out in a little more detail. I have another hour before my next meeting, we should be able to go over them now. Then you can take command of Viper and Adder and we can discuss things further once you’ve had time to process what I’m asking of you.”

“Certainly, Admiral,” Becket replied as she picked up a datapad and accessed the file.

Before James could draw her attention to the first objective he had in mind, his COM unit beeped. “What is it?” he asked when he saw it was one of his staff officers.

“We just got a priority communication from Empress Christine’s staff. She has requested an emergency meeting of her Inner Council. It is scheduled to begin in twenty minutes. We are already prepping your shuttle Admiral,” the Lieutenant informed him.

“Very well,” James replied as he shared a glance with Becket. “We’ll have to do this another time Rear Admiral. I also wanted to schedule a couple of simulated battles with Admiral Shraw. It seems the Gramrians place a lot of emphasis on competing against one another in simulations. It will serve you well to show them just what you are capable of before you head into their territory.”

“I’ll contact Admiral Shraw myself and make the arrangements,” Becket replied. “It sounds like you may be a little busy. I’ll leave and let you get ready to go. We can pick this up again whenever it suits you. I’m eager to see Viper anyway.”

“I’m sure you are,” James chuckled. “It was good to catch up with you Rear Admiral. I am very pleased that you have returned to us. Albeit if only for a little while.”

“I’m eager to serve however you need me to Admiral,” Becket assured him. “You have my utmost faith. If anyone can get us through this war, it will be you.”

“Thank you,” James said as he stood and shook Becket’s hand affectionately. He then washed up and left. He couldn’t help but think of Gupta. He hoped he wasn’t sending Becket to her death as well. With an effort, he forced himself to dismiss such thoughts. He didn’t have time or energy to waste on worrying about things he couldn’t control. His mind turned to Christine. Whatever had made her call the emergency meeting, it had to be serious. For a second James thought that perhaps the Karacknid invasion had already begun, but then he shook his head. The first scouts weren’t expected back for at least another two if not three weeks. It was unlikely they had detected anything yet. Well, I’ll find out soon enough, James thought as he left his office and made his way to Drake’s first shuttle bay. On his way, his new Chief of Staff, Commander Miyagi caught up with him. Miyagi had commanded a Japanese medium cruiser in the battle of Earth. It had been too damaged to repair. Since then he had been awaiting a new command. On recommendation from Vice Admiral Nogamoro, James had taken him on to his staff.

“Do you want me to accompany you to Earth Admiral?” Miyagi asked as he fell in step beside James.

James shook his head. “There’s no need. Have Lieutenant Beckford meet me at the shuttle. There’s probably not much else for her to do right now, she can come along for the ride. I want you to get the rest of the staff officers settled in and inform Captain Fisher that we have to postpone our lunch.”

“Understood Admiral,” Miyagi replied. As he went through a number of different issues with James, James only half listened. He had been looking forward to his lunch with Fisher. Fisher had been a Sub Lieutenant on his first Drake. Their paths had crossed once or twice since then, but it had been a number of years since they had served together. That didn’t mean he had not been following her career. On the contrary, as soon as he had seen the list of potential Flag Captains for Drake, he had jumped at selecting her.

“Lieutenant Beckford,” James said with a nod as he and Miyagi entered the shuttle bay to find his COMs Lieutenant already standing at attention waiting. “At ease Lieutenant, we are going on a flight to Earth, not the cadet parade ground.”

“Yes Admiral, at once Admiral,” Beckford replied sharply. She fell into a more relaxed pose, though her shoulders and arms still looked tense. James wanted to tell her to relax again, but he knew it would do no good. It was the same with all but one of his staff officers. None of them knew him personally and it would take weeks, if not months, for them to settle into how he liked to do things.

“All right Commander,” James said as he turned back to Miyagi, “You’re in charge until I get back. Make sure everyone is settled in then by then. I want to have our first planning session later this afternoon.”

“Aye Admiral,” Miyagi responded as he gave James a salute. James returned it and moved towards the shuttle, signaling for Beckford to follow him with a nod.

*

James wasn’t surprised when he was the last one to arrive for the council meeting, he had the furthest to travel after all. “What was the rush about?” he asked as he took his seat.

Christine gestured towards Admiral Russell who nodded to her and stood. James felt a momentary flood of relief, if Russell was the one who had called the meeting, then it was unlikely to have anything to do with the Karacknids. But another thought made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. For Russell to have called it, it had to have something to do with intelligence about the formation of the Empire. That was almost worse.

“I’m afraid I have received two very concerning intelligence reports over the last twenty-four hours,” Russell began. “They come to us third hand though, hence why I waited a few hours to see if they could be corroborated. At this stage I’m afraid they cannot, but their content still demands our immediate attention. First, I have received news from two separate sources that the self-proclaimed leader of New Delhi has violently put down a pro-empire rally in New Delhi’s capital. One source suggests up to a thousand protesters were killed, the second is more conservative and puts a number at a couple of hundred. Either way, it is a serious escalation of the situation there.

“Perhaps of greater concern are the intelligence reports I have been receiving from a number of field operatives I have dispersed across the systems that haven’t joined the Empire yet. The final one that allowed us to put together the various reports came in just four hours ago. It confirmed that two Argentinian colonies have sent delegations to New Delhi. We’ve been tracking the leading diplomats on most of the colonies to see what direction they will go in, either for our Empire or staying independent. Most of the colonies that have upcoming referendums are strongly leaning towards joining us. However, I’ve been getting reports over the last three weeks that several diplomats have gone off the radar. I strongly suspect that they are all heading to New Delhi for some kind of conference. We have lost track of diplomats from one other Argentinian colony, two Brazilians, a Canadian and a French colony. There may be others that we have missed, but even if we haven’t, that’s a significant number of worlds.”

“It most certainly is,” Christine agreed. “Do you have any indication of what they may be planning?”

Russell shook his head, “No more than what we have discussed before. There has been some talk coming from New Delhi’s Governor about reforming the UN. It may be that the other delegations will just discuss remaining independent but forming some kind of union seems far more likely. I don’t see how they could realistically keep their independence if they remain alone and separated. In financial terms alone, they would become totally dependent on us.”

“This is worrying,” Andréa commented. “It also explains the delay in shipping we’ve been having from New Delhi and a handful of other Indian and Argentinian worlds. Raw materials and other computer components that we need for our shipbuilding projects haven’t arrived over the last three weeks. Given what Russell is saying, I suspect they will never come.”

“That actually make things worse,” Russell said as everyone turned back to him. “If they’re withholding key shipbuilding materials, they may be thinking they need them for themselves. That suggests they’re thinking they could form their own political entity and build their own fleet.”

“We cannot have that,” Koroylov growled. “We cannot have two separate Human fleets. We must combine our forces. It is our only chance against the Karacknids.”

“Agreed,” Christine said just as forcefully. “And we cannot risk a civil war. New Delhi and the others cannot be allowed to build up their own fleet of warships. What are our options? We cannot simply use force to take over these colonies, can we?” As she spoke she looked to James. Everyone knew he had pushed the hardest for putting it in the constitution that every colony must freely choose to join.

“We cannot invade these colonies and conquer them,” James confirmed. “It would go against everything we’ve tried to found this empire on. Besides, even if we wanted to, we do not have the forces to do so. We need all our strength to be concentrated here.”

“What do we do?” Andréa asked. “If all of these worlds pull their support for our shipbuilding, we’ll be set back months. That will delay any potential pre-emptive strike against the Karacknid supply depot. They may have their invasion force ready to go before we can confront them.”

“Things are not as black and white as Admiral Somerville perhaps believes,” Fairfax said carefully as he held James’ gaze. “New Delhi seems to be the central focus of this movement. If we neutralized Governor Culthrapori, all this may fall apart.”

“You are not talking about assassination?” James replied as his heartbeat increased.

Fairfax shook his head quickly. “No, no, nothing so drastic. But we may have legal and moral grounds to remove him from power. If he is preventing the people of New Delhi from holding their own referendum, if he is killing his own people, then for their own good we may have to intervene. Our empire was founded to protect all of Humanity. We’ve all taken vows to that end. It’s written into our Constitution. That means we cannot stand by and allow citizens of New Delhi to be killed. Especially if they are protesting in support of joining us.”

“How accurate are these reports?” James asked as he turned to Russell. “We cannot launch some kind of military operation on a few unconfirmed reports.”

“Culthrapori has New Delhi locked up tight, no freighter crews are allowed access to its data net, nor are they allowed on the surface. Both the reports I received are from assets we have put in some of the freighters that regularly visit the system. They’ve only been able to have brief conversations with some of the orbital dockworkers. That’s where the information has come from.”

“So at best its third hand by the time it gets to your assets,” James concluded.

Russell nodded, “It is,” he conceded, “but two different assets from two different orbital docks picked up the same reports of violence. It’s at least partially credible. In addition, from what we know about Culthrapori, it is not surprising in the least.”

“What about the protesters themselves, were they peaceful?” James pushed.

Russell shrugged. “I have no information on that.”

“But?” James said when he sensed Russell almost wanted to go on.

Russell glanced at Fairfax and then back to James. “But the IID frigate we have stationed in system picked up a smuggler. She had been chased out of the system as she was trying to deliver a shipment of plasma rifles. She said her contact claimed to represent a pro-empire faction on the planet’s surface.”

“So Culthrapori’s forces might have been defending themselves,” James said. He turned to Christine. “I’m not trying to defend Culthrapori. Not in the slightest. I don’t want to see him in charge of New Delhi, or anything else. But we cannot sit here on Earth and claim that our Empire means democracy and freedom for all and then turn around and stage a coup on one of the few colonies that doesn’t look like they are going to join us. Not without a far greater reason than a collection of possibilities.”

Christine took a moment before replying. “I agree. Intervening militarily is a last step. But New Delhi and several Argentinian colonies have rebuffed the diplomatic envoys we have sent to them. It seems they are not interested in listening. Now we know why.” She paused and took a deep breath. “Okay, if they won’t listen to our envoys, maybe they will listen to one of us directly.”

“You can’t be talking about going to New Delhi in person,” Fairfax said, sitting up straighter. “You’re needed here! There is far too much for you to do Empress.”

“I agree entirely,” Christine said as her gaze settled on James. “But my fiancé, perhaps we could spare him. They could hardly turn away a future Emperor.”

James shook his head. “I have far too much to do. I have a military campaign to prepare for. We need to turn back this Karacknid invasion before it can be launched. The raid on the Karacknid supply depot is scheduled to leave tomorrow.”

“And the raid is just that, a raid,” Christine countered. “Hardly a mission that requires our Grand Admiral. And from everything Andréa has said, it will be three more months before we have anything close to the numbers we need for a full-scale attack. With the shift gates we have going all the way to Indian space, you could be there and back in seven weeks. Think about it, if it does come down to needing a military intervention, who are you going to trust to tell you it is necessary? Only you can overcome your reservations. That’s why you need to go. I trust you; we all trust you. If you can get them to see reason, then all the better. But if something more is needed, you’re the best person to be on the ground to make the decision.”

James’ eyes narrowed, “Just what kind of decision are we talking about?”

Christine shook her head. “There’s no way of knowing that for sure whilst we are hundreds of light years away. Perhaps Culthrapori should be arrested if he has killed unarmed protesters. Or perhaps the pro-empire factions need our support. If they represent the will of the people, we could help them without directly intervening. Alternatively, if they are the troublemakers, you may have to discourage them. Either way, we will leave it in your hands.” Christine turned to General Johnston. “I believe Drake is due to receive a compliment of four hundred Marines. Though as I understand it, she was designed to house a full regiment if being used for a planetary assault. Do you have a regiment of marines that could depart with Drake?”

“I’m sure I could scrape something together Empress,” Johnston replied.

“Good,” Christine said as she nodded. “I’d like you to go with them. James could use the support.”

“Hold on a minute,” James complained. “We haven’t decided that I’m the one going yet. I cannot just abandon the planning stage of our defensive strategy strike.”

“In this case, perhaps you can,” Christine countered. “Koroylov heads up the fleet strategic planning department. He and his staff officers are already involved in the process. I also heard today that Admiral Lightfoot has regained consciousness after his surgery. It may take a few weeks yet, but when he’s back on his feet he’ll be keen to get back to work. Between them, Koroylov and Lightfoot can handle things until you return. Besides, Drake is scheduled for a shakedown cruise. She can go to New Delhi and you can take your staff with you. There’s nothing stopping you from continuing your work during the journey there and back. In any case, I thought you were looking forward to getting some more time in space?” Christine waved towards the rest of her Inner Council, “away from all the politicking that goes on around here.” Christine winked at him.

James bit back a sigh. From the look on Christine’s face, he knew there was no arguing with her. Yes, a bunch of colonies forming their own political union would cause a serious headache for the Empire, especially for Andréa’s efforts to build up their warship numbers as quickly as possible. But there were any number of people that could be sent in his place. Going to New Delhi wasn’t exactly an escape from politics. He was being thrown into the midst of the most difficult political situation facing the fledgling Empire. His thoughts made James screw up his face as he stared at Christine. Though they didn’t make their way to his voice. “Okay,” he found himself saying. As much as he didn’t want to go, he knew arguing the point would accomplish nothing. “Okay, but I’m only going to try and speak to Culthrapori and whatever other diplomats may be there. Then I’m coming straight back. By then we should have enough ships to put a plan of attack into motion. If the Karacknids haven’t already beat us to it,” he couldn’t help but add. He knew he would never forgive Christine if she ended up sending him away whilst the Karacknids attacked. But he couldn’t argue the point now, what little information they had suggested the attack wouldn’t be launched right away. “If it’s that important to you, I’ll go,” he added as he smoldered on the inside.

Christine gave James a genuine smile. “Thank you Admiral. You may not think it, but you are the best man for the job. Koroylov and the others can hold down the fort until you return. Now, let’s think through a few different situations you might find yourself in. The final decisions will be up to you, but let’s do as much preparation work as we can.” Fighting back a sigh, James nodded and summoned what patience he had as Fairfax and the other politically minded members of the Inner Council shared their thoughts.

Chapter 13

Every generation looks back at the medical practices of those before it as barbaric. Today it is just the same. A historian must remember that at the time, the medical practices were cutting edge.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

Atlanta, Georgia, 18th October 2482 AD (two days later).

James found himself run off his feet over the next two days, nevertheless he forced Miyagi to find enough time for one personal visit he wanted to make. As the shuttle Miyagi had organized touched down outside the hospital, James gestured for Miyagi to stay put. “I will not be long,” James said, “there’s no need for you to get up.”

“Yes Admiral, we have one hour before Drake is scheduled to break orbit.”

James chuckled at his Chief of Staff, “Don’t worry, we are not going to be late. Besides, do you think the Grand Admiral’s flagship is going to leave without us?” As he spoke James tapped his rank insignia on his shoulders and raised an eyebrow.

“No, of course not Admiral,” Miyagi responded.

“Then don’t worry, we’ll be breaking orbit in time.” Dismissing Miyagi from his thoughts, James descended the shuttle’s ramp. In front of him was a series of hospital buildings. Some looked to be more than three or four hundred years old whilst others were essentially brand-new. Somewhere in the midst of the buildings Admiral Lightfoot was being looked after. As he approached the main entrance, three doctors were already rushing out towards him. At least I won’t get lost, James thought.

“Greetings Grand Admiral,” one of the doctors said. “I’m the Senior Neurology Consultant here, Doctor Cathy Jennings. It’s a pleasure to have you visit our hospital.”

“Thank you for the warm welcome,” James said as he shook her hand. “I don’t have time for a proper tour. I’m actually leaving the system within the hour. If you don’t mind, I’d like to be taken directly to Admiral Lightfoot’s room.”

“Certainly, Admiral. Right this way,” Doctor Jennings responded. She waved her two compatriots to one side and marched off. James quickly followed.

A handful of minutes later Jennings came to a halt outside a door similar to the hundreds of doors that they had already passed. “Admiral Lightfoot is in here. Let me warn you though he may be asleep. If he is, you will have to leave him be. He needs his rest.”

“I understand completely,” James responded. “Can you tell me, what’s the latest on his situation?”

Jennings reached over and lifted a file out of the holder attached to the wall beside Lightfoot’s door. “He took a serious blow to the head,” she said as she flipped through the file. “He needed neural regeneration. Putting him in stasis for the journey home prevented the damage spreading too far, but you never know with these kinds of injuries. Thankfully, our doctors were able to repair almost all of the damage.” She nodded as she replaced the file and turned to James. “He has passed all his cognitive tests and his memory is largely intact. It seems his memory of the last six months is a bit fuzzy in places, but that’s understandable. What is missing may come back to him, or it may not. Only time will tell.”

“Thank you,” James said as he gestured towards Lightfoot’s door for it to automatically open. Tentatively he stepped in, looking for Lightfoot’s bed. When he saw his friend sitting up and eyes open, he smiled. “Do you have time for a visitor?” he asked.

Lightfoot set the datapad he had been holding to one side. Then he returned James’ smile. “Of course Admiral, or is it Grand Admiral now? Or are you Emperor? I’m losing track of all these titles. Perhaps I’m supposed to get down and bow to my former King?”

James increased his pace as his smile widened, at least his friend hadn’t lost his sense of humor. “For now, I’ll settle for a handshake. Though when you’re back on your feet I’ll be expecting you to kneel.” Taking Lightfoot’s hand, James firmly shook it. “I’m glad to see you awake and doing well. We have been very concerned about you.”

Lightfoot waved to take in his hospital room. “They’ve taken care of me very well here. They say I’ll be ready to go home in another week or so if I pass a few more tests.”

“That’s great, have your family been staying nearby?” James asked

Lightfoot nodded, “Emma is in a hotel across the street. The kids have taken a couple of flights over to see me.”

“That’s good,” James said as he placed a hand on Lightfoot’s shoulder and squeezed it. “You don’t need any more encouragement to get better than that. How is your memory of events?”

Lightfoot’s face darkened. “Well enough,” was all he offered in response.

James hid a frown. “You’ll be pleased to know we’ve had a full debrief with Captain, now Commodore Rivers, as well as Captain Scott and Admiral Jil’lal. You’ll not need to relive what happened at the Karacknid supply depot over and over again. But we are keen to get you back to work as soon as you’re feeling up to it.”

Lightfoot shook his head, “I don’t know,” he responded.

James’ mental frown deepened. He took a deep breath as he started to say what he had prepared on the shuttle flight down from Drake. Of course, he had wanted to see how Lightfoot was doing, but he had also suspected what kind of mood his friend was in. Losing ships and their crews in battle was always hard. It was one thing if you were victorious, quite another when it was a defeat. Especially one you felt solely responsible for. As he spoke, James gave Lightfoot’s shoulder another squeeze. “You can’t let one loss determine your future. I know it is hard. Trust me, I’ve been there. The pain is far worse than any physical injury. Your head will eventually fully heal, at least, that’s what the doctors tell me. But you’ll never forget those moments when the Karacknids launched their surprise attack.” Though James hadn’t been there, it was easy for him to picture it. Scott had described it vividly. When Lightfoot didn’t respond or meet his eyes, James pressed on. “Your dark thoughts are as dangerous to you as any disease. You have to fight them just like a doctor might fight an infection. They need to be eradicated. One defeat does not make you a failure. Nor does it mean you let your people down. They all signed on knowing the risks. We cannot win every battle. But we need to win most. And for that, the Imperial Fleet needs you. We cannot afford to have you wallowing in self-pity and doubt.”

James walked around Lightfoot’s bed to place himself in his friend’s line of sight. “I know how easy it is to just give up. After Suzanna died I went AWOL for months. Months that could have been spent preparing for the Karacknid attack on Earth. I’ll never get those back. All I can do is spend the rest of my life making up for those mistakes.” James reached over and grabbed Lightfoot’s wrist. “You don’t want to go down that path. You are one of our greatest Admirals. We desperately need you.”

Lightfoot’s eyes flashed as they finally rose to meet James’. “And what if I get more of our people killed? Who needs me for that?”

“You will get more of them killed,” James said bluntly, making Lightfoot’s eyes flash again. “But you will also kill more Karacknids. Perhaps even the very ones that ambushed your fleet at their depot. And, far more importantly, you’ll protect Earth and our colonies. If you disappear on us all, the cost could end up being measured in the tens of millions of lives.”

Lightfoot snorted, “You don’t believe that.”

James took a step back and anger filled his voice. “You joked about kneeling to me. Yet perhaps that is what you should have done. Though I didn’t want it, I have been thrust into this position. Now all of our species are my responsibility. I leave in less than an hour to go to New Delhi to deal with some political annoyance when I should be preparing our fleet for war. Do you think I have time to waste coming here for nothing? If you respect my opinion at all, you will listen to me. You are vital to this war effort. If I cannot be here, then you must. We are making preparations for a strike against the Karacknid supply depot. Koroylov heads the strategic planning division. He needs your input. I’m giving you a direct order as your Grand Admiral and Emperor to be, as soon as you’re well, you will report to him.”

Lightfoot didn’t respond, James stepped forward, back into his direct line of sight. “Is that understood Admiral? You just received an order from a superior officer.”

When Lightfoot looked at him, James saw pain in his eyes. Nevertheless, Lightfoot nodded slowly. “What was that?” James demanded.

“Yes Grand Admiral, I hear and obey.”

“Good,” James said, his tone softening. He reached out and touched Lightfoot’s shoulder again. “It will be hard at first, but you’ll quickly get back into the swing of things. You’re too valuable for us to lose. Not when we’ve lost Gupta and so many others. She died to get you home. I’m not going to let you waste her sacrifice.”

“All right Admiral,” Lightfoot said as he shook James’ hand off. “I get it. I won’t let you down. You can rest easy.”

James smiled for the first time since first seeing Lightfoot. “That’s what I came to hear. I wish I could stay longer, but I do really have to go. Drake is making her final preparations to break orbit.”

“Drake?” Lightfoot asked. “Your new flagship?” James nodded. “That’s a good name. What is she?”

“A battleship, one of Scott’s designs. She will be a force to be reckoned with,” James explained.

“Of that I’m sure,” Lightfoot replied.

“She’s being wasted on this mission to New Delhi, I fear both of us are, but this is what I have been asked to do. By the time I get back, I expect you and Koroylov to have some plans drawn up for how to put her to proper use.”

“I’m sure we will, you have my word,” Lightfoot replied. “Now get going, I don’t want you to blame me for holding up a battleship.”

“All right, well, farewell then,” James said as he stepped back from Lightfoot’s bed. He gave his friend one more nod and then turned and left as Lightfoot called out goodbye.

Doctor Jennings was still outside the room waiting for him. “Did you have a good visit Admiral?” she asked.

James nodded, “It was as I expected. You have been taking good care of him. See that it continues.”

“Of course Admiral, of course we will,” Jennings replied.

“Good,” James said, “now you better lead me out of this maze back to my shuttle, I have a battleship to catch.”

“Right away Admiral,” Jennings said as she quickly turned and headed in the opposite direction James had expected them to go.

*

When the shuttle touched down in Drake’s hangar bay, James descended its access ramp, datapad in hand as he flicked through a couple of files. He was taken completely off guard by the pipes that broke into song and the snap of officers clipping their heels together as they came to attention. He quickly got over his surprise and kept his eyes from rolling as Captain Fisher, in full dress naval uniform, stepped up to him and saluted. “Welcome on board your flagship Admiral. It is an honor to have you as our commanding officer.”

“The honor is all mine,” James said loudly as he held his hand out to Fisher. “I’ll get you back for this,” he whispered. He had specifically told her not to cause any fuss. He had thought he got away with it when she hadn’t formed a welcoming party when he had first come on board a couple of days ago. Since then he had been running around Earth making preparations to leave. This was his first time back.

“Having you use Drake as an office was one thing,” Fisher whispered back. “Now we are going on our first official mission. I couldn’t just let you sneak on board. Besides, Captain Scott contacted me and suggested you would appreciate the welcome.”

This time James did roll his eyes. He was going to have a word with his former Chief of Staff about just what she shared with his current officers. “Well, it’s customary for you to introduce me to your officers,” James said as she stepped past Fisher and looked at the Lieutenants lined up in front of him. As Fisher walked down the line and introduced the different officers, James was dismayed to see that he didn’t have a direct connection with any of them. None had served under him before. Two of Drake’s six lieutenants were actually fresh out of the naval Academy. James had to stop from shaking his head at their youth. They’ll learn, he thought. They have to.

Behind Drake’s Lieutenants, there was a second line of officers. His command staff had turned out in their full dress uniform as well. “Commander Miyagi,” James said with a nod as he stepped past his Chief of Staff. Somehow, in all the commotion, he had come off the shuttle and got in front of James and formed up with the rest of his staff officers. After Miyagi, James greeted each of his staff officers by name. Though for some it was the first time he was meeting them in person. He stopped in front of Lieutenant Commander Kirsty Ivanov and warmly shook her hand. “It’s good to see you Lieutenant,” he said. She had served under him on board Golden Hind. Three months ago he had contacted her with news that he had a ship available for her. To his disappointment, she had refused and requested to be assigned to Koroylov’s strategic planning department. Koroylov had been the one who had suggested Ivanov join James’ staff as his operations officer. She had proven the strength of her strategic thinking time and time again during her years with him. When he had spoken to her she had insisted that that’s where her skills lay. Despite his misgivings at the time, James had given in and allowed her to work with Koroylov. As soon as it was time to put together his own staff officers, he had contacted Ivanov and asked her to join him. She had been more than happy to. Now that James found himself standing in a room full of unfamiliar officers, he was happy that she was with him.

“It’s good to see you as well Admiral,” Ivanov replied. “I’m looking forward to serving with you once again. Though we do have a habit of ending up where the fighting is fiercest.”

“Would you have it any other way?” James asked, then smiled as Ivanov vigorously shook her head.

“Where the fighting is fiercest is exactly where you need to be Admiral,” she replied.

“Where we all need to be,” James said as he took in the stern looks on the faces of his other staff officers. He turned back to Ivanov, “I hope you will let them know I don’t bite… If they live up to the high standards we set of course. They have big boots to fill.”

“Don’t worry Admiral, we have already had a conversation or two about that.”

James nodded to Ivanov again and continued down the line. He stopped once more in front of Lieutenant Commander Anderson. He was James’ new tactical officer. According to the reports James had read, he had been seen as a young prodigy in the United Colonial States Navy. James was eager to see what he could do. “You come with an imposing reputation Lieutenant,” James said. “I’ve worked with a lot of highly skilled officers. But I am open to being impressed.”

“No Sir… I mean yes Sir; I won’t let you down Admiral!” Anderson said forcefully.

From his voice and the look in his eyes, James sensed something he easily recognized in himself. “You lost someone in the Karacknid attack on Earth?”

Anderson nodded and then lowered his gaze to his feet. “I was on the frigate Hercules in the Connecticut system at the time. My parents and sister lived in New York. Their bodies were never found.”

James placed a hand on his tactical officer’s shoulder. “We’ve all lost friends and family to the Karacknids. We will make them pay.” Raising his voice James addressed all the officers. “This mission to New Delhi may seem like we’re heading away from the action. In many ways we are, but this is your chance to train together. To get to know one another. As soon as we’re back, we will be heading to confront the Karacknids. Don’t waste the next couple of months. If we are not ready for war by then the Karacknids will best us and return to ravage Earth. So make every day count.” Turning to Fisher he gave her a nod and then a salute. “My compliments on your officers Captain. You may break orbit as soon as Drake is ready.”

Ten minutes later James was sitting in his command chair on Drake’s bridge as his flagship came to life. First maneuvering thrusters reorientated the ship’s nose away from Earth orbit, then her main impulse engines kicked in. Around her, six destroyers broke orbit and fell into a defensive formation. After watching his ships maneuvering for several minutes, James turned his attention back to Earth. He imagined Christine, wherever she was, was watching Drake leave. She’d probably only have a few minutes to watch him go before being pulled back into one problem or another. Good luck, he thought to her, guessing she was thinking the same thing. As he said the words to himself, it hit him that he was going to miss her. Though they were engaged, their relationship had remained largely platonic. The odd cuddle, kiss or quiet word alone was the only intimacy they had been able to share. Even so, he had come to rely on her tremendously. They had worked so closely together on forming the Empire that she had become like a second arm to him. Good luck, he thought again, I’m going to miss you.

As it often did, his mind turned to Suzanna when thoughts for Christine swirled up within him. For the first time James didn’t feel guilt. For several minutes he lingered on that revelation. Then it dawned on him that he was looking forward to getting married. No one quite knew when the wedding would be yet. It couldn’t happen until every colony had joined the Empire. Only then did Fairfax and Christine feel it would be appropriate for him to step into the role of Emperor. Still, despite all the extra responsibility and pressure their marriage would bring him, he was looking forward to being married again. With a shake of his head, James looked away from Earth as it receded in Drake’s holo projector. He could analyze his feelings for Christine when he got back, for now he had a mission to focus on. For the first time since the Battle of Earth, he was leaving the Sol system.

As he took in the other sights around Earth, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealously. Two other groups of ships were maneuvering away from Earth. Viper, Adder, and their escorts were carrying out a series of training exercises. Rear Admiral Becket and her squadron would be gone by the time he returned. Further out towards the Alpha Shift passage Scarlet Squadron was on the move. In the center of its formation were two battlecruisers, a large fleet carrier and six converted freighters. James was sorely tempted to take Drake with them. Under Commodore Rivers, they were returning to the Karacknid depot. The Imperial Fleet did not have anywhere near the ships necessary to take and hold the Karacknid depot system. But there was one thing they did have in abundance, Spitfires. With luck, Rivers would be able to raid the Karacknid infrastructure and delay whatever timetable the Karacknids were working to. With a sigh James looked away from the warships. There was no point wishing he was going with them for it was not to be.

Instead he looked beyond them to the edge of the system and the massive shift gate that would speed Drake’s journey to the Alpha system. As he did, he allowed his thoughts to drift in another direction as he thought about the long journey that was in front of him. Though he thought it a long way to New Delhi, it was nothing compared to the distances his niece was no doubt covering. Emilie had been away from Earth for ten months. She was hundreds and hundreds of light years away. By now, James really had no idea just how far. However she was doing or whatever she had found, he hoped she was okay. He hoped that by the time he got back to Earth there would be some news from her. As Drake left Earth behind, James tried to imagine just what she was up to. It was a good distraction from all the other emotions that were hiding in the back of his mind.

Chapter 14

To date Humanity has made contact with over two thousand sentient species. Thankfully, most breathe an atmosphere similar enough to ours that we can occupy the same spaces for diplomatic purposes. For the few species that come from homeworlds that are wildly different from Earth, carrying out diplomatic missions to them is always difficult and at times simply uncomfortable.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

Intrepid, Pinyal system, 19th October 2482 AD (one day later).

“All right Lieutenant Maguire,” Emilie said as she rose from her command chair. “It’s time for you to get a little practice skimming for fuel. I’ll be in my office.”

“Yes Captain,” Maguire said as a hint of excitement entered her voice.

“Call me if you need me,” Emilie responded, glad someone still had some enthusiasm. She moved through Intrepid’s bridge and straight into her adjoining office. As soon as the door slid shut, she threw herself into one of her chairs and let out a sigh. She reached up and rubbed her temple. “Another dead end,” she said in frustration as she rubbed her head more vigorously. When another door into her office slid open without her permission, she cut off what she was about to add. For a second anger crossed her face at being disturbed. Then she saw it was Alvarez.

“From the way you left the bridge, it sounded like you could do with some company,” he said as he moved over and, more gently than she had, lowered himself into a seat opposite her.

“It was that obvious?” Emilie asked.

“Maybe not to the others, but I do know you a little better than they… Well, perhaps more than a little better,” he added with a wink.

Emilie appreciated his attempts to lighten the mood, but it didn’t work. “Another dead end,” she complained. “How many more are there going to be? It’s almost been a year since we left Earth. Five months since we left Damial, and what do we have to show for it?”

“Well…” Alvarez began tentatively. “We’ve visited four alien worlds, each with their own space civilization and opened up diplomatic relations with them.”

Emilie waved a hand dismissively. “Three of them the Folians knew about. None have even the slightest possibility of standing up to the Karacknids.”

“No,” Alvarez agreed, “but, at least we warned them. They should be better prepared for what is likely to come their way. And if the Karacknids leave them alone for a few decades, who knows how prepared they might be?”

“But we’ve learnt nothing more about the Kalassai. We’re supposed to be in the area of space they inhabit. At least according to the Folians and Gramrians. There hasn’t been sight nor sound of them. None of the worlds we’ve visited had even heard of them. Heck, the Pinyals didn’t even know there were other space faring alien civilizations in the galaxy!” Emilie stared at Alvarez, daring him to disagree. A part of her wanted to argue with him, to get a chance to channel her frustration into something. Just three hours ago they had broken orbit from Pinyal. Their arrival two days before had sent shockwaves through the Pinyal civilization. They had earnestly requested Emilie and Intrepid remain in orbit for longer, understandably they had many questions. But as soon as Emilie had learnt that they would be no help against the Karacknids, and knew nothing about the Kalassai, she had exchanged pleasantries with the Pinyals’ leaders and broken orbit. Someone else could return to open up diplomatic relations with them.

“So what do you want to do? Go back to Damial and see if the Folians have any more information they can share with us? Go back to Earth and give up?”

Emilie ground her teeth together, Alvarez did know her too well. He wasn’t going to get drawn into an argument with her. “Of course not,” she replied at once. “We are not going home until we find them. How many times have I said that?”

“I haven’t been counting,” Alvarez replied with a smile, “but perhaps this is one time you need to hear it yourself. There are going to be days like this. But as soon as we collect enough fuel from Pinyal’s gas giant, we can be on our way. There are still many more systems to explore.”

“I know that, and because I know that it’s getting frustrating. Doing the same thing over and over again without any results is wearing me down. And I know the rest of the crew feel the same.”

“But as Captain all the pressure to get results falls on you,” Alvarez said as he leant forward. “The crew will follow you wherever you lead them. I’m not concerned about them. But I am concerned about you… There’s nothing I can do to take away the pressure on your shoulders. But perhaps I can distract you in other ways.” Standing, Alveraz reached over and took Emilie’s hand. He pulled her to her feet. At first she resisted, but when he strengthened his tug, she allowed herself to be raised off her seat and enfolded in Alvarez’ arms. When his lips met hers, she begrudgingly had to admit her frustrations were seeping away.

*

With a start Emilie awoke. For the briefest of seconds her mind was fuzzy as she tried to figure out what was going on. Then her bed’s inbuilt COM unit beeped again. It was a priority one alert. Immediately her mind cleared. With a groan she pulled herself out of bed and grabbed for her uniform. Twenty seconds later she was moving through Intrepid’s bridge to her command chair. “What is it?” she demanded as Maguire stood up and allowed her to take her seat.

“I have no idea Captain. One minute we were continuing the refueling skim and the next there was a massive negative mass photon wave that washed over the whole ship,” Maguire answered.

“A photon wave?” Emilie asked as her mind raced. It could be a weapon, or some kind of sensor. “Send the ship to battlestations. How far away was its source?”

“That is what has us stumped Captain,” Maguire responded. “Initial analysis indicates that it was thirty light minutes away.”

“Thirty light minutes?” Emilie repeated, expecting to be corrected. Instead Maguire nodded. Emilie frowned. Then she remembered the full description Maguire had given her; a negative mass photon wave, she had no real idea just what that meant. “Get Dr. Matthews up here now,” she ordered. “And run a ship-wide systems check, I want to make sure this wave didn’t do anything weird to our equipment.”

“Aye Admiral,” Maguire replied.

As her officers filed onto Intrepid’s bridge, Emilie allowed Maguire to fill them in while she thought over what was going on. With Intrepid so deep within the gas giant’s gravity well as she scooped up He3, her sensors were essentially blind. They wouldn’t be able to detect a ship even if it was half a light minute away, never mind thirty. But they didn’t need to detect whoever it was. The photon wave told her there was someone out there. And they’re looking for something, she concluded. There was no way the wave was a weapon, not used from such a distance. So it was some kind of sensor technology. “Put us into stealth,” she ordered. It was too late to take any preventative measure against the first wave, but if there was a second one there was no point making it any easier for whoever was out there to detect them. “Take us around to the other side of the gas giant. Keep us at this altitude.”

With her lieutenants overseeing her orders, Emilie turned to Dr. Matthews. She had taken her seat less than a minute ago, but Emilie was impatient. “What’s your first impression doctor?” Emilie asked.

Matthews shook her head. “I’m not sure I can say anything definitive. The computers were right. It was a negative energy particle wave. I’ve only seen them created in deep space laboratories. Even then, they couldn’t come close to travelling the distance this one has. From the energy readings we got, the wave has the strength to cover the entire system!”

“What is the point of these negative photon waves?” Emilie asked. She had read something about them in one of her advanced physics classes at the academy, but that was all she remembered.

“Besides tachyon pulses, they are another theoretical way to achieve faster than light communication,” Matthews answered. “They have always stayed theoretical because we’ve never been able to create a wave with more than one wavelength. We can’t pass on information that way.”

“So the wave moved through the system faster than the speed of light,” Emilie repeated. “What if it isn’t a communication technique, but some kind of sensor? Would the wave bounce off our hull and give whoever sent it a reading on us?”

Matthews’ eyes widened. “Of course! We know it does! But we’ve never been able to produce one powerful enough to cover a worthwhile distance.”

“Well someone figured out how to do it,” Emilie replied, she already had a strong suspicion who. “And they just used it against us. What are the chances they picked us up so deep in the gas giant’s atmosphere?”

Matthews surprise turned to shock as she frowned. “I… I… don’t know Captain. We’ve never carried out such experiments, at least not to my knowledge.”

“Give me your best guess doctor,” Emilie replied as calmly as she could. “Our lives may depend on it.”

“Right,” Matthews said as her lips tightened. She turned to her computer console and furiously tapped away at its screen. Less than a minute later she turned around. “There’s no way to know for sure. But it’s possible they might have missed us. Our stealth coating absorbed some of the negative photons, and the gas giant’s atmosphere may have disrupted many of them as well. They also have a strange variance, it’s almost like they are designed to reflect off some kind of material I haven’t seen before. Even Intrepid’s hull without her stealth coating would absorb a lot of the photons.”

Emilie frowned. That didn’t make sense. Who would make an FTL sensor that was bad at detecting alien ships? “Could it be some kind of system survey technology? If they are not looking for ships, maybe they’re looking for rare minerals or something?”

“It’s possible,” Matthews replied slowly, “but I have no idea what kind of minerals they might be looking for. There are none important enough that I can think of that this variance of photon wave would be good at detecting.”

“Right,” Emilie said as she came to a decision. “We need to know more. Prepare a stealth recon drone. I want it to just pop its head out of the gas giant’s atmosphere to see what it can pick up.”

“Aye Admiral,” Lieutenant Jones responded.

Emilie looked over to Alveraz’s command chair. “What do you think?”

Alveraz looked to be deep in thought. Instead of answering Emilie directly, he turned to Matthews. “You said our scientists have never produced one of these waves that has anywhere near the strength of what we detected. Why not?”

“Well, theoretically it’s possible I believe,” Matthews answered. “But the power consumption rates would be off the charts. Given our inability to make smaller strength waves work for communication purposes, there’s never been the need or financial backing to make larger ones.”

“What kind of power consumption are we talking about?” Alveraz pushed.

“I don’t know, but throwing a rough estimate out there, let’s say if we had thirty Intrepids with all their reactors hooked up together and a massive capacitor to hold the charge, we could maybe get the power we’d need in about a day.”

Alveraz let out a long whistle. “That’s a lot of energy!” He turned back to Emilie. “Apart from the Kulreans and the Varanni, who else do we know who might have the technology to produce that much energy?”

Emilie bit her lip. “I was already thinking that. But what are they doing out here, and with such a strange technology?”

“Well,” Alveraz said in a tone that suggested he was coming up with his answer as he went. “Why are we out here? We’re chasing a half mythical space civilization that supposedly has no home system and is all but impossible to track. What if the wave was from some kind of sensor designed to detect Kalassai ships? That may be why it isn’t attuned to ships like Intrepid. We don’t know how the Kalassai build their ships.”

“And,” Emilie jumped in as she grabbed hold of Alveraz’ thinking, “if the Kalassai have no home system like the Gramrians believe, then they could be hiding anywhere. If you wanted to hunt them, you’d need some kind of special technology… You may be right,” she added with a nod. “Let’s see what our drone shows us.”

“Launching,” Jones informed them moments later.

Emilie had to fight to keep still as her nerves spiked. Much more slowly than she was used to seeing, the drone was launched out of one of Intrepid’s forward missile tubes. It gradually moved away from the exploration cruiser, slowly gaining altitude until it was out of sight of Intrepid’s passive sensors.

For eight minutes everyone on the bridge waited in silence. The drone was programmed to move around to the other side of the gas giant and then poke its nose out long enough to allow its passives sensors to get a snapshot of what was going on within the system. When the drone reappeared, Emilie let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Her finger tapped on the armrest of her command chair as the drone closed with Intrepid again and its sensor data was transferred to Lieutenant Maguire’s command console. Before Emilie could ask, Maguire looked up and nodded to the main holo projector. As Emilie turned her head, it came to life. An image of fourteen ships appeared. Emilie’s eyes narrowed. They were unlike anything she had seen before. And yet there was an eerie familiarity about them.

“They have to be, aren’t they?” Alveraz asked.

Emilie wasn’t a hundred percent sure, but she couldn’t find a better answer. “I don’t see any other reasonable suggestion. They are strange, but they have to be Karacknids.”

It was Matthews who confirmed it. “Think about how far we are away from the Karacknid Empire’s borders. If the Kalassai really have no homeworld and the Karacknids are hunting them, then why not have specially designed ships to go along with their negative photon wave sensors?”

“Of course!” Emilie said as it became clear to her. “That’s why they look so strange. The ships have the same Karacknid nose design, but everything else has been bulked out. It’s like we’re looking at overweight Karacknids warships. They are a long-range squadron.”

A sudden flurry of alarms cut off whatever anyone else was going to add. Emilie swung her head around to Maguire. Intrepid’s second Lieutenant nodded. “It was another negative photon wave.”

“They are certainly looking for something,” Alveraz said. “What is our next move?”

Emilie eyed the images of the Karacknid squadron. All but one of their ships looked to be about the size of destroyers. She reckoned Intrepid could take on a couple of them, but not thirteen. And then there was the larger ship. It had to be at least the size of a battleship. “Do you think that big one is where this photon wave came from?” she asked Matthews.

“It has to be,” the scientist confirmed. “There is no way one of the smaller ships has the reactors to do it. It’s pretty amazing to think that the larger ship does.”

“What if most of the ship’s internals are dedicated to reactors,” Alveraz asked.

“That would be more plausible, given what we know about Karacknid energy reactors,” Matthews replied.

Emilie saw what he was getting at. “It’s a dedicated Kalassai sensor platform, not a warship at all?”

Alveraz nodded. “Why not, if they’re building long range ships to hunt them, why not a converted battleship?”

“We still can’t take on thirteen Karacknid destroyers. Even if they have sacrificed some of their weapons for extra range, can we?” Jones asked.

“No,” Emilie responded. “We certainly can’t. There isn’t much more we can do right now but hole up here and hope they don’t spot us. Maguire, I want our drone sent out again. Program it to poke its head out every ten minutes. Only for a few seconds. I want it to come back and update us if anything changes out there.”

“Yes Captain,” Maguire replied.

“What about the Pinyal?” Matthews asked. “Their world is defenseless against this Karacknid force.”

“And hopefully not their target,” Emilie answered. “The Pinyal have no technologies nor an industrial base that should attract the Karacknids. Plus, we are a long way from their borders. With luck, this squadron will just leave them alone.”

“We can’t just sit here if they launch an attack,” Matthews countered.

Before Emilie could respond, Alveraz jumped in. “Doctor. That is enough. You are under my command. If you have a problem you speak with me. Not our Captain.”

Emilie shared a look with Alveraz. He needed to have his people better under control, even if they were civilians. Even so, she met Matthews’ stare. “If they do attack the Pinyal, then yes, we will just sit here. There is nothing we can do for them. Our mission is to find the Kalassai. Nothing more, nothing less.” Though she hated herself for saying it, and she wasn’t sure she believed it, Emilie wanted Matthews to have no doubt who called the shots. The doctor had been nothing but helpful for the last year, but Emilie knew she hated the Karacknids as much as anyone onboard Intrepid. She had lost family in the Karacknid attack on Earth. Though that didn’t give her an excuse to act as she had. Emilie held Matthews’ gaze until the doctor lowered her eyes. “Good,” Emilie said as she returned her attention to the main holo projector. Though the tension on the bridge had suddenly risen, she ignored it as she waited to see what would happen next.

It wasn’t until an hour later that the drone returned. When it did Emilie’s finger began to tap as she waited for a run down on its sensor data. “They have left,” Maguire reported as a new image of the Karacknid squadron appeared on the main holo projector. The ships waited for several seconds, then turned and accelerated towards another shift passage in the system. As soon as they reached it, they jumped out.

“So they didn’t find what they were looking for,” Emilie mused.

“What are your orders now?” Jones asked.

“A good question,” Emilie responded. “Thoughts?” she asked her bridge officers at large.

“We may need to consider what kind of extra security precautions we take going forward,” Maguire suggested. “If the Karacknids have one long range squadron searching for the Kalassai this far from their border, they may have more. We could run into them at any time. If we get caught out in the open, their negative energy wave might allow them to detect us.”

“A very good point,” Emilie replied. “Dr. Matthews, I expect a full scientific report on what you think the capabilities of this new sensor technology the Karacknids have at your earliest convenience. I want to know just how far away we could be and the Karacknids still detect us.”

“I’ll begin running simulations,” Matthews replied in a neutral tone.

Alveraz was the next to speak. “I know you’re not going to like this,” he said without meeting Emilie’s eyes. “But perhaps we need to rethink our chances of success. If the Karacknids think they need to go to such efforts to hunt the Kalassai, what chance do we have? There is no way we can develop our own negative mass photon wave. Even if we could, we’d never be able to power it. At this stage we don’t even know if we could detect a Kalassai ship without one.”

Emilie felt like she had been punched in the gut. After the hours they had spent talking about their hopes of finding the Kalassai and getting them to help in the war with the Karacknids; now Alveraz was giving up? It felt like he was giving up on her.

Whether he sensed her thoughts or not, Alveraz continued when she didn’t speak. “I hate the idea as much as you. Believe me. But we have to think about this rationally. If we have next to no chance of finding the Kalassai, then our time could be spent better elsewhere. We could search the systems on the other side of the wormhole. In the opposite direction to Conclave space. It may be that there are other civilizations out there that could help us.”

“Or we could just find more of what we’ve found out here,” Emilie countered. “More immature civilizations that would stand no chance against the Karacknids. We know the Kalassai have been at war with the Karacknid for over a century. They are still our best chance.”

“What do you suggest?” Alveraz asked. “How are we going to find them?”

A handful of things went through Emilie’s mind but none of them sounded convincing to her, never mind the rest of her officers. They would follow her if she insisted they continue their search but at some point boredom and its apparent hopelessness would get to them.

“There is another option,” Seth Hassan said. Emilie frowned; Seth was still a teenager. He had been brought on this mission as a part of Alveraz’ team because of his computer skills, not for his strategic advice. Whether he picked up on Emilie and Alveraz’s facial expressions, it didn’t seem to matter, for Seth continued. “We could always follow the Karacknid ships. If they have this specialized technology to hunt the Kalassai, then they might be our best chance to actually find them.”

Emilie bit her lip. That was one of the stupidest suggestions she had ever heard. If they tried to follow the Karacknid ships they would be detected soon or later. Even without their new sensor technology, Intrepid would be detected. And that didn’t even address what they would do if the Karacknids actually found a Kalassai ship. Unless the Kalassai had the numerical advantage, Intrepid would have to run away from any fight.  Even if the Kalassai did end up fighting, there was no guarantee Intrepid wouldn’t be treated as hostile. Showing up with a Karacknid fleet wouldn’t endear them to the Kalassai. When she looked over to Alveraz Emilie saw he was staring at her. She gave him a dirty look. She knew exactly what he was thinking. Seth’s idea was idiotic, and yet she didn’t have any others. Without a negative photon energy sensor it might be impossible to find a Kalassai ship. That meant they needed the Karacknid sensor. And yet following them, the only way to make use of theirs, was all but asking to be killed or captured.

“Alright,” she said more in anger than acquiescence as she held Alveraz’s gaze. “We may have bitten off more than we can chew. We can’t keep running around in the middle of nowhere hoping we stumble across the Kalassai. I’m not giving up the hunt. But we need to think through things, maybe we should head back to Folian space. There we can send an update back to Earth and see if there are any orders waiting for us.”

When Alveraz nodded in approval Emilie looked away. If there were orders, it was very unlikely they would be from her uncle asking her to keep looking for the Kalassai. Intrepid would probably be ordered home for a full debrief. If you can think of a good reason to continue the search by the time we get there, we can ignore the orders as out of date, Emilie said to herself. Or better yet, if we can think of them before we get to Damial, we can turn around and continue our search. There must be another answer to our problem rather than just needing a negative photon sensor. “Set course back to Damial,” she ordered reluctantly. “But I want everyone working double shifts to analyze the Karacknids’ sensor technology. If we can replicate it or find our own way to achieve the same results, I want to know about it as soon as possible.”

“Aye Captain,” Jones replied.

As her officers got to work, Emilie sat in silence. She didn’t say anything as Maguire finished collecting the fuel they needed and brought Intrepid out of the gas giant’s atmosphere. Nor did she speak when Jones set course for the shift passage they had entered the system from. For nearly two hours Emilie sat still as her mind went over their search for the Kalassai from every angle. As hard as she tried though, nothing came to her.

It was only when she closed her eyes and gave herself a shake that it hit her; there was something else pulling at the back of her mind. At once she forgot about trying to find a solution to finding the Kalassai and tried to figure out what was bothering her. Something just didn’t feel right. Closing her eyes again, Emilie replayed the events of the day. It took her a full five minutes to put her finger on it. When she did her eyes shot open. She found Alveraz staring at her. “What is it?” he asked.

Emilie ignored him. Instead she swung around to Jones. “Recalculate our shift jump. I want to do a micro jump of just half a second.”

“Yes Captain,” Jones said, though it was clear he wanted to ask why.

Emilie looked back around to Alveraz. “Just wait,” was all the explanation she was willing to give. For some reason the Karacknids had thought it necessary to send out two negative mass photon waves. That was what had been troubling her. The first wave had caught Intrepid by surprise. But as soon as they had detected it they had been able to take extra precautions. Surely so too would any Kalassai ships that were in the system. The Karacknids had to know that too, so why the second wave? The only reason Emilie could come up with was that they had been expecting to find a Kalassai ship. The second wave had been sent out of frustration, or a vain hope of detecting something. But if the Kalassai had already been hiding… “Focus our passive sensors on the gas giant when we exit shift space,” Emilie ordered. “If there is so much as a whiff of gas out of place, I want to know about it.”

Chapter 15

With so many species now accepted as full Imperial citizens, the culture of the Empire has evolved over the centuries. One lesson from Humanity’s past has ensured the Empire remains united. Only species whose leaders and culture can whole heartedly ascribe to the ideals of the constitution are admitted. In this way, their unique cultural and political perspectives can be allowed to flourish and enrich the Empire without diluting the foundation of what has made the Empire what it is.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

Three hours of watching and waiting later Emilie couldn’t hold it off any longer. “I’ll be right back,” she said as she stood and made her way to her quarters where she could relieve herself.

“How long?” Alveraz asked her when she returned.

“Until I say so,” Emilie replied, knowing he meant how much longer would they wait. In truth she didn’t know. They hadn’t detected anything out of place but she wasn’t going to give up that easily. She focused on the holo projection of the system’s gas giant. For another two hours she sat almost perfectly still. As determined as she was to play out her hunch, she was just as determined not to give Alveraz any excuse to try to talk her into leaving for real.

“Look at this,” Lieutenant Maguire said, breaking the silence. “This is strange.”

“What?” Emilie snapped at once.

“I can’t really tell, but the passive sensors are saying there is something moving in orbit around the gas giant.”

“Let me see,” Emilie ordered as she looked down to her command chair. Moments later Maguire sent the data to one of her holo screens. She stared at it for several seconds before giving up. It made no more sense to her than it did to Maguire. “Matthews?” she asked as she lifted her eyes to the astrophysicist.

“Your guess is as good as mine Captain,” Matthews replied. “But there is something there. And given that the Karacknids seemed to think there was a Kalassai ship in the system…”

“Exactly,” Emilie agreed. “We have no idea what a Kalassai ship would look like on our sensors. “Put us into stealth,” she ordered. “And take us into the system. Set course for the gas giant.”

“Whatever it is, it’s breaking orbit,” Maguire reported twenty minutes later. “It’s hard to get a good fix on its heading, but I think it’s heading towards the system’s third shift passage.”

“That makes sense,” Alveraz said, “If they are so secretive, they’ll not want to head in the direction we or the Karacknids went.”

“Put us onto an intercept trajectory,” Emilie ordered. She glanced at Alveraz. “What do you think?” she asked him. “Do we send them a message now, or try and get a little closer?”

“If we get too close they may think we are hostile and open fire,” Alveraz replied. “On the other hand, if we reveal ourselves now, given how secretive they appear to be, they may opt to just run. And we don’t know how fast their ships are…”

“My thoughts exactly,” Emilie replied. “Navigation, keep us on this course until we’re no longer closing with this contact. Then take us to full military power. Alveraz, I want your team to put together a first contact message. We’ll broadcast it a minute before we go to full power. I want to make sure whoever it is out there knows we mean them no harm.”

“I’ll get right on it,” Alveraz said as he gestured for his team members who were on the bridge to follow him to one of the adjoining briefing rooms.

“How does their speed compare to ours?” Emilie asked once Alveraz was gone.

“If their current velocity is the best they have got, then our top speed would beat theirs by about fifteen percent,” Maguire answered.

“But they could be playing it safe so they don’t draw any attention,” Emilie finished. “Any ideas on their drive technology?”

Maguire shook her head. “At those acceleration rates, we should be picking up some gravimetric waves. But there is nothing. Either they’ve got some very sophisticated impulse engines, or they have some other kind of sub light propulsion. Matthews would be the one to speculate on that.”

“Still no visuals?’’

“Nothing we can make sense of,” Maguire answered.

Emilie nodded and returned to staring at the strange contact on the main holo projector. She didn’t look away for the next forty minutes. “It’s time,” she finally said after Alveraz’s team returned. “Transmit the message.”

As expected, though she had hoped otherwise, the contact reacted at once and not in a positive way. Clearly without taking the time to process the message, the contact accelerated and turned away from Intrepid.

“Follow it!” Emilie ordered. “And send the crew to battle stations.” She turned to Alveraz, “What’s your guess, do we have the acceleration advantage?”

Alveraz shrugged, “I don’t know, but we’re going to find out!”

Emilie beamed at him. They certainly were! After so many months, her adrenaline was pumping. “Keep transmitting your message.”

On the holo projector, despite its best efforts, Intrepid continued to close with the strange contact. Its momentum was still carrying it towards Emilie’s command as her ship also charged towards it. As its acceleration rate kept climbing, the rate of closure slowed, but it wasn’t closing fast enough. “Still no sign of any attempt to communicate?” she asked.

“None,” Jones answered.

Emilie pushed her lips together. The contact was going to get away. “Increase our acceleration rate to match theirs. Take the safety of the engines.” When Alveraz and Jones’ eyes shot up from their command consoles, Emilie met their questioning looks with a stern gaze. “Do it!” She wasn’t going to let the ship escape. “This may be our only chance!”

Moments later, Intrepid’s acceleration rate increased to one hundred and five percent of her maximum. Then it increased to a hundred and seven and then a hundred and eight. In response, the strange ship increased its rate too, but not by enough. Ever so slowly, Intrepid started to close with it.

“I think we’re close enough to get a visual on this ship,” Maguire reported. “Though…” She didn’t add anything more. When the image on the holo-projector zoomed in, she didn’t need to.

“What on Earth?” Alvarez asked, echoing what was going through the minds of many of Intrepid’s bridge officers.

Like everyone else, Emilie had no reference point from which to make sense of what she was looking at. Long and sleek, with an easily identifiable nose section and a rear with several large engines, it was definitely a ship. There the similarity to anything she had seen before ended. Instead of a uniform hull there were ridges and cracks all across the outer surface of the ship. Where she might have expected to see weapon ports or sensor blisters, there was nothing. The ship in front of her looked more like a large piece of bark than anything designed by a space faring civilization.

“We’re getting some kind of energy build up from the contact,” Jones shouted in alarm. “It’s a massive spike!”

Before Emilie could give any orders, the image of the alien ship changed. Many of the cracks and ridges widened and what looked like the bulb heads of daffodils suddenly appeared. They all started shooting out blobs of something towards Intrepid. “Target those with our point defenses!” Emilie snapped. “Evasive maneuvers. Bring our active sensors to full power.”

With no idea how effective Intrepid’s weapons would be, Emilie held her breath as the blobs hurtled towards her command. The only thing that gave her relief was that they were not accelerating. As Intrepid altered her course though, they demonstrated that they had some maneuvering ability as they altered their heading to follow the exploration cruiser. “Put us on a wider course change. Let’s see how much they can alter their trajectory,” she ordered. If the enemy munitions didn’t have proper engines, then the course changes they could make had to be limited.

“There’s another energy spike coming from the ship,” Jones reported with almost as much concern as he had done the first time. “It’s identical to the last one.”

Emilie’s eyes widened. It had barely been thirty seconds since the first alien salvo. As she watched another wave of projectiles erupted from its weapons. “How many of those munitions were in the first salvo?” she asked.

“I think about a hundred Captain,” Maguire replied.

“How many are still tracking us?”

“At least two thirds of them,” Maguire answered. “It looks like their second salvo is more spread out though, they’re trying to compensate for any more maneuvers we may make.”

“Navigation, keep us on the move, I think their weapons are like our flak cannons. They’ve got a limited attack envelope. Get us as far to the outer edges of their envelope as we can.”

“Aye Captain,” Sub Lieutenant Ager responded.

Emilie watched with her fingers crossed as the cruiser’s flak cannons opened fire. With the enemy munitions’ limited ability to maneuver, the shrapnel from the flak rounds tore through them. Before Emilie could determine just how many had been destroyed, point defense plasma and laser cannons joined the fray. The last weapons to fire were the AM missiles. Designed to intercept rapidly accelerating enemy missiles, they found it much easier to connect with whatever was trying to hit Intrepid.

“All enemy munitions destroyed or evaded,” Jones reported fifteen seconds after the first flak cannon rounds had been fired.

“Prepare to engage their next wave,” Emilie ordered Jones. “Maguire, Alvarez, analyze the effectiveness of our point defenses. We cannot keep firing everything we have at each salvo. We’ll shoot ourselves dry within ten minutes.”

With only thirty seconds between each round of enemy munitions, Emilie didn’t have time to give any other orders. All her officers were busy anyway. As the next wave came into range of Intrepid’s point defenses, she watched her ship’s weapons cut through them. Because they had been spread out more when launched, Intrepid’s evasive maneuvers hadn’t been as effective. At least ten got close enough to raise Emilie’s concerns. Nine were hit with a wave of AM missiles. The final one got through. In less time than it took for Emilie to close her eyes and tighten her muscles, something slammed into Intrepid’s hull.

When the alarms blared, Emilie turned to Maguire. “I want the damage report immediately, what did that thing do to us?”

Maguire was already furiously tapping on her command console. “There’s no sign of a hull breach.” She looked back to Emilie. “I think our valstronium armor held. The munition was very small, no more than a few cubic liters. There’s no sign that it exploded or did anything else.”

Emilie didn’t understand. There had to be more to it. If the aliens had technology to build ships that travelled at such speeds. Surely they could have more effective weapons. “Keep on it,” she ordered. Either way, Emilie didn’t want another one causing more trouble. With everyone else preparing for the next salvo, she got to work on her command chair. Uploading targeting data, she took control of Intrepid’s tactical systems. As the point defenses opened up for third time, she launched a single missile towards the alien ship. Long before it got close enough to destroy the ship, it detonated releasing three laser beams at a ninety-degree angle away from the alien ship. Emilie then opened an unencrypted COM channel. “Alien vessel, I am Captain Kansas, the commander of the ship you are attacking. We mean you no harm. We are enemies of the Karacknids. We are here seeking out the Kalassai civilization. We are looking for friends, not enemies. However, if you are allies of the Karacknids, then we will engage you for real. Cease firing on us or we will destroy your engines.”

As the message was sent, Emilie fixed her eyes on the alien ship, waiting to see if it would fire another salvo. The sudden blare of alarms tore her eyes away from the main holo- projector. “Have we been hit again?” she demanded as she turned to Maguire.

Maguire had her head hunched over her command console. She was shaking it vigorously. “No more enemy munitions have gotten through. The alarms are coming from where we were hit before. We’ve now got a hull break being reported. Wait, there are more damage reports coming in. There’s damage spreading throughout that section of the ship. It’s heading towards one of our main power couplings.” She looked up to Emilie. “It could cause a secondary explosion if we lose that coupling.”

“Show us on the main holo projector,” Alvarez requested before Emilie could speak. In front of them a large schematic of Intrepid’s forward sections appeared. In real time it was being updated as more damage reports came in from the computer’s internal sensors. “Look,” Alvarez said, “it’s splitting in two directions, both towards areas of high-power density. We need to cut all power to those sections immediately!”

“But we’d lose all our point defense weapons and those sections,” Emilie protested.

“Trust me,” Alvarez responded as his eyes pleaded with Emilie.

“Do it,” she ordered as she turned to Jones.

Almost immediately after the power was cut, the rapid spread of the damage reports slowed. Then they almost ceased altogether. “What?... How?” she asked as she turned back to Alvarez.

“It was something strange I read in one of the intelligence briefings on Karacknid ship designs. The outer sections of all their ships are believed to be built with isolated power circuits. They can cut power to individual sections of their ships at will.” Alvarez nodded towards the holo projection of Intrepid. “I think we now know why. Those alien projectiles are designed to break into a ship’s hull and take out their power relays.”

“Forget about limiting our point defense fire,” Emilie replied. “I don’t want another one of those things getting onto our hull.”

“You may not need to worry about that Captain,” Maguire responded. “It’s been forty-seconds since the last alien salvo. There’s been no energy spike.”

“The alien ship is slowing,” Jones added.

“Reduce our acceleration,” Emilie responded at once. “Bring us to ninety percent military thrust.” Pushing Intrepid’s engines beyond their recommended safe limits had been flirting with disaster. So too had been flying straight into the unknown ship’s weapons. But it was worth it, Emilie said to herself as she eyed the alien ship. At least, I hope so.

“We are receiving some kind of broadcast from the alien ship,” Intrepid’s COM officer reported. “The Kulrean translation software is having a hard time making sense of it. Hold on… I think I’ve got something. It looks like flight instructions… I think they want us to bring Intrepid alongside their ship and send over a representative to speak with them.”

“Follow the instructions Navigation,” Emilie responded. “But keep us at battlestations and our weapons charged.” She turned to Alvarez and raised a hand with one finger up stopping him with his mouth open. “Don’t, I don’t want to hear it.”

Clearly not interested in obeying her, Alvarez spoke anyway. “It’s far too risky. You can’t.”

“They only stopped when I contact them directly. I have to be the one to go. That’s why we are here. Our mission depends on this. I’m going. I’m the Captain. I’m going,” Emilie put as much authority into her final words as possible. She flashed her eyes at Alvarez. They may be a couple, but she was not going to let him use that on Intrepid’s bridge. She could see he desperately wanted to protest, instead he slowly nodded and turned away. From the tension in his shoulders she guessed he was going over a whole list of reasons why she shouldn’t be the one to go. You can complain to yourself all you want, she thought. But keep it to yourself. “Prepare my shuttle,” she ordered. She had no idea how the aliens intended for her to actually get on board their ship. Given its strange design, it was unsure if the ship even had a shuttle bay or a docking hatch. But clearly they thought she could get on board. “I’m going to change,” she said to her bridge officers. “Jones, you have command. Don’t fire unless they do something clearly hostile.”

“Yes Captain, of course,” Jones replied. “Shouldn’t you take someone with you though? Perhaps Sergeant Walker. He wouldn’t need to bring any weapons with him. He’s a weapon all by himself.”

Emilie’s instinct was to refuse, but then she thought about it. It was crazy to just walk onto an alien ship all by herself. “Fine,” she said, “Alvarez, inform Walker to meet me in shuttle bay one. He is to come unarmed.”

“Aye Captain,” Alvarez replied through gritted teeth.

Emilie paused before she left the bridge and turned back to Alvarez. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it,” she said as she flashed him a conciliatory smile. “You’ll not even have time to miss me.”

Chapter 16

Though I have never taught the class, alien language and culture is a critical class for all officer cadets at the Fleet Academies. Once a cadet has risen to the rank of Lieutenant or Captain they could find themselves interacting with Imperial Senators, Commoners or Servants from any one of a dozen species. Understanding their culture and language is essential if clear communication is to take place. In the early days of the Empire there was no such training; naval officers were left with only their own common sense to help them navigate such encounters.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

“Are you ready?” Emilie asked Walker as she pulled her flight helmet over her head and locked it into place.

“Of course Captain. I’m ready if you are,” Walker replied as he raised his chin. He was already in his flight suit, standing in front of the shuttle’s umbilical docking arm.

Emilie changed the COM channel on her flight suit so she could speak to the shuttle’s pilot. “We’re suited up, you may bring us in.”

“Yes Captain, there appears to be some kind of hatch just in front of us. It has changed color anyway. I believe that’s where we are meant to go.”

Emilie took half a step to look out one of the shuttle’s viewports. There was indeed a part of the alien ship that had just changed color. “That seems as good a place as any Lieutenant,” Emilie responded.

As the shuttle approached the alien vessel, Emilie studied it closely. As far as she could tell, her initial impressions were right. The ship looked like it had been grown rather than built. It was the only way she could account for all its oddities. No two-meter square section of the ship looked exactly like any other. Her eyes widened when, as they got closer, the part of the ship that had changed color changed again. The bright yellow section shrank until just a small area, about the size of the umbilical docking arm, was yellow. Yet as they closed to within just a hundred meters, it didn’t change any further.

“I’m not seeing any docking hatch or anything,” the shuttle pilot said. “What do I do now?”

Emilie had no idea other than to proceed. “Just extend the arm to that point,” she said. To her surprise, as the docking arm reached towards the alien ship, the ship’s hull changed again. Or rather, reformed, might have been a better word. Or even grow, Emilie thought. From the center of the yellow area, a portion of the ship’s hull extended towards the shuttle. As it got larger and larger it almost looked like parts of the ship’s hull were travelling along the newly forming arm to its end to add themselves to the growing structure. When it met the end of the shuttle’s docking arm, the hull of the alien vessel actually flowed around it. For a second Emilie panicked as she thought the alien ship was going to engulf the umbilical and then the shuttle itself. Thankfully, about halfway up the arm, the alien structure stopped.

“We’re locked in place,” the pilot said. “I have lost all control of the shuttle. I guess it’s over to you two.”

Emilie turned to Walker and raised her eyebrows. “I’d say follow me, but I suspect Alveraz has given you specific instructions.”

“He didn’t need to Captain. Once a marine, always a marine. You can stay behind me until we know it is safe.”

“Then after you,” Emilie replied as she waved towards the docking arm’s hatch.

Without another glance at her, Walker stepped forward and hit the hatch’s activation button. As it slid back he confidently stepped forward. Emilie followed him, though not at quite the same pace. As they walked up the umbilical cord, she couldn’t help but stare out its viewports. The first two gave her the closest look of the alien ship she had yet had. The third was partially covered by the ship’s hull. The last two were completely blocked. As she walked towards the darkened end of the umbilical arm, a shiver ran down her spine. The alien ship was most definitely alien. She had no idea what she was heading into. When the umbilical arm’s hatch into the shuttle snapped closed with a hiss, it made her jump. Her head whipped round to make sure the alien ship’s hull hadn’t snapped the umbilical arm in half or something.

“Ah, Captain… I think we might have a problem,” the shuttle pilot’s voice said over her COM unit. “The access hatch’s sensors have just detected that the alien ship’s hull reformed to match our hatch design. But it seems like there is a liquid substance on the other side, not a gaseous atmosphere.”

“A liquid?” Emilie asked as she tried to peer around Walker’s bulky form. The access hatch that would open to the alien ship had a viewport in it. With little to no light it was hard to see exactly what was on the other side, but there did seem to be a green gooey substance pressed up against the hatch.

“What do you want me to do Captain?” the shuttle pilot asked.

Emilie tightened her jaw. “Is the liquid corrosive?” she asked.

“It doesn’t appear to be,” the pilot replied.

“Open the hatch Lieutenant. We have our flight suits on,” Emilie said. “Just be ready to shut it again at my say so.”

“Sure thing Captain,” the pilot responded.

When the hatch opened, Emilie took a deep breath as the green gooey liquid flowed into the umbilical arm. Thankfully, her pilot had only opened the hatch partially so it didn’t rush in and overwhelm them all at once. As it reached her foot, Emilie instinctively took half a step back before forcing herself to stand still. The goo was already up to Walker’s ankle and he didn’t appear to be in any discomfort. She grimaced as it touched her, but quickly relaxed when she realized she couldn’t feel anything. None of the alarms on her flight suit went off either. When the goo got to her knees, she tried to move around a little bit and was surprised by how easy it was. Though the liquid looked thick and gooey, it was actually quite free flowing. As it got up to the bottom of her hand she began to switch around in it. “Do you have any more of an idea of what it is?” she asked her pilot. She didn’t want to pull out her own scanner from its protective case in case the liquid damaged it.

“It’s not like anything the shuttle’s sensors have detected before Captain,” the pilot replied. “Though it does appear to be rich in oxygen. There is also lots of organic matter within the goo. It seems to be alive.”

Walker turned around to Emilie. “The goo isn’t the aliens, is it?”

Such an idea seemed far-fetched to Emilie but, given how strange everything in front of her was, she couldn’t rule it out. “There’s only one way to find out,” she said as she nodded towards the half open access hatch. “You may open it fully now,” she said to the shuttle’s pilot. Emilie braced herself as the flow of goo increased. Within seconds it had covered her shoulders and was moving up over her flight suit’s helmet. As soon as she was completely covered, she walked forward. Surprisingly, the goo was thin enough that she didn’t float. It made walking a lot easier. As Walker ducked and moved through the hatch, Emilie took a deep breath and followed. The inside of the alien ship was just as strange as the outside. The hatch opened into a large corridor, easily four times the width of anything in Intrepid. The walls appeared to be made of the same substance as the outer hull. Everything looked grown rather than made due to its irregularity.

“I don’t think the goo is the aliens,” Walker said moments later. Emilie picked up her pace and came up beside the marine sergeant. If she hadn’t been preparing herself for encountering something so strange, she would have let out a shriek. As it was, she made to grab Walker’s arm out of fright. She only stopped herself short inches away from his forearm. Instead she just stood and stared. In front of her was a creature floating in the goo. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. The closest description she could come up with was a hybrid between a jellyfish and a squid. The alien’s head, or was it its torso? Either way, it was large and bulbous and looked extremely fragile. Yet coming out of the center of the alien were eight large tentacle like arms that rippled with muscle as they swayed back and forth.

Emilie was still trying to take in the scene in front of her when what she could only describe as a maw opened in the center of the alien’s torso. It moved back-and-forth several times, emitting a strange squeaking noise. Her whole body felt the goo around her vibrate. Then, after about a second’s delay, her suit’s translation software kicked into gear.

“You have succeeded in waylaying us Captain. Not for many decades has an alien stepped foot aboard a Kalassai ship. I would declare you privileged, except for the fact that you have forced your way on here,” the alien said.

Emilie bowed to the alien, giving the gesture that, at least within the Varanni Alliance, was the universal sign of respect. “I apologize for any concern I caused your Captain and crew. You’ll notice that we did not fire any weapons at your ship, however. It was never my intention to start a fight. On the contrary, I have been searching for your species for more than six months. My name is Captain Kansas, my species and several of our neighbors are involved in a war with the Karacknid Empire. One that will be the end of our civilizations if we lose. Recently we have befriended the five species that call themselves the Conclave. They told us about your species and your centuries old war with the Karacknids. It is my hope that we may become friends and allies against our common foe.”

“If you are at war with the Karacknids, then your species has my condolences,” the alien said as the rippling of its tentacles changed pattern. “Your homeworld will soon be conquered, if not destroyed. The Karacknid’s have no mercy. You should abandon all hope and flee while you can.”

“Never,” Emilie said with emotion. “Never will my species run from an enemy as evil as the Karacknids. Not after what they have already done to us.”

“So they have already destroyed your homeworld. Again, you have my sympathies,” the alien replied. “If you truly have come all this way seeking out my species. Then listen to the wisdom that we have to share. Fighting the Karacknids is futile. There is no hope of victory. Even today your ship was lucky. If their squadron had arrived when you were not refueling, they would have destroyed you.”

Emilie took a breath. She needed to try a different tactic. “Your species has known the Karacknids for far longer than mine has. I am sure you have much wisdom to share. But you cannot know everything. You say there is no hope? On that you are wrong. The Karacknids attacked my species’ homeworld. That is true. But we defeated them. We drove them back and forced their invasion fleet to retreat to their own space. More than that, when a much larger Karacknid fleet, numbering more than four thousand warships, attacked our neighbors, it too was driven back. There is hope. But only if those who oppose the Karacknids band together.”

The alien’s tentacles stopped swaying. “You have defeated the Karacknids in battle?”

“Yes, and more than once,” Emilie said as she lifted her chin. “They have the numerical and technological advantage. But they can be beaten. We have done it before, and we will do it again.”

The alien looked frozen in place. For what seemed like an eternity it didn’t move or speak. “Remain here,” it eventually said. Then, almost in the blink of an eye, it twisted its body around and all eight of its tentacles snapped as they propelled the alien further into its ship. The force of the goo being thrust at them almost made Emilie stumble.

Walker turned to her, “It seems you made an impression. And here I thought it was just them who were making the impression on us.”

Emilie wanted to ask Walker if the marine thought the alien had believed her. She suspected there was no point though. He wouldn’t appreciate her second-guessing herself. Instead she waited patiently for the alien to return. When it didn’t appear to be in a rush, she studied the ship around her. Reaching out, she touched the wall of the corridor. Though it didn’t quite feel as she had been expecting, it still gave her the faint impression of tree bark. Even up close it was uneven and rough.

“Here we go,” Walker said, pulling Emilie’s attention back to the center of the corridor. The alien was returning. Or at least, one of its species was. Emilie had no idea how someone was supposed to tell them apart.

“You will follow me Captain, my Captain will speak with you. My name is Lieutenant Wass-maka. Let me welcome you on board our ship.”

Emilie shared a glance with Walker. The alien was taking a very different tone with her. “It is a pleasure to be welcomed here. Especially given how rare it is for any to be welcomed. It is a privilege.” As she bowed her head, the alien tilted his torso slightly towards her in reply.

“This way,” Wass-maka said as it turned its body and moved forward with a gentle swish of its tentacles.

As Emilie followed, she kept her eyes open, taking in every square centimeter of the ship she could. As they continued, she grew disappointed. There was nothing for her to see. It seemed like they were just walking along one never-ending corridor. Only when Wass-maka took a sharp right turn and the wall peeled back, did Emilie realize they had probably passed many different sections of the ship. “This is Captain Wal-sma of the Kalassai ship Wayfarer,” Wass-maka said as it pointed a tentacle towards one of several Kalassai floating within the large oval room they had just entered. Emilie guessed it was Wayfarer’s bridge.

Emilie bowed to Wal-sma, “Thank you for agreeing to meet me Captain.”

Wal-sma returned the gesture. “Your ship is impressive. Any other species but the Karacknids and we would have destroyed you. I hope we did not cause any serious damage with the one hit we succeeded in making.”

“I do not believe so,” Emilie replied. “Your ship is impressive too. I’ve never seen sub light drive technology nor weapons quite like yours. They caught us off guard.”

“Then I’m glad we did not catch you off guard too much,” Wal-sma said. “You have to forgive us for our reaction. My species has spent centuries on the run from the Karacknids. It makes one rather jumpy.”

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Emilie responded. “I knew we were going to catch you off guard. But I could see no other way of getting the time we might need to convince you to speak with us. I knew that taking weapons fire from your ship was a risk.”

“Well, your ship handled it admirably Captain. The truth is that is the main reason why you are standing here before us. Without the demonstration of your ship’s capabilities, I would never believe the claims you have made to Wass-maka.”

“About defeating the Karacknids?” Emilie asked.

“Indeed,” Wal-sma answered. “Now, I have some questions for you.”

“Of course, I am happy to answer,” Emilie replied.

“How many warships does your species have?”

Emilie had to think for a second. “It’s been more than a year since I was home. If there have been no more major engagements and the projections about new ship construction were correct, then we should have over four hundred warships. Our nearest ally, the Vestarians have almost a hundred of their own. So far in the war, our two fleets have fought together as one. We had many more than that before the Karacknids attacked us. More than a thousand were lost in the battle for our homeworld. However, all of our new ships will be much more powerful than what we lost. Our new ships incorporate technologies that have been shared with us from the Varanni and the Mindus. They are both enemies of the Karacknids. That number does not take into account our fighters. There should be many more of those.”

“Fighters?” Wal-sma queried.

“Small attack craft that take advantage of a technological breakthrough my species made. They can launch devastating attacks against ships a hundred times their size. In large part our fighters are what allowed us to counter the Karacknids’ numerical advantage.”

“And your allies, how many ships do they have?”

“The Varanni Alliance,” Emilie began, “Their fleet numbered around five thousand warships. Though, both they and my own species did not know about the Karacknids until just four years ago. Our industries and shipyards are still being expanded. We know that the future of each of our species is at stake in this war. We are in the process of converting those civilizations to the point where we can fight all-out war with the Karacknids. We know the conflict may last decades. Nevertheless, we are committed to standing against them and fighting for our freedom.”

“If you and your allies have been so successful against the Karacknids, then why have you come seeking us?” Wal-sma asked.

“Because we know that despite our best efforts, we may not win,” Emilie answered honestly. “The Karacknid empire is many times larger than all of the space my species and our allies own combined. I was sent to this part of the galaxy to seek out new friends and allies. The Karacknid empire is constantly expanding its borders, gobbling up their neighbors and enslaving them. Our best chance of defeating them is to attack them from many sides. To make them fight a war on several fronts and divide their strength so that they can be defeated piece by piece. The Conclave species recognize that they must stand up to the Karacknids. I know your species has already been attacked by them. But perhaps you do not need to be on the run forever. Perhaps the Karacknids can be defeated and you could return to your homeworld.”

At the mention of the Kalassai’s homeworld, Emilie sensed a change around her. Most of the other Kalassai tilted their bodies slightly away from her. Captain Wal-sma’s stopped swaying back-and-forth. “Returning to our homeworld is not an option. The Karacknids destroyed it when my species first fled from them,” the Kalassai Captain said slowly in a very different tone.

“You have my sympathies,” Emilie replied. “Perhaps then it is not peace that your species could gain from joining us, but revenge,” she continued, determined to make her case. “Or the freedom to find a new homeworld without fear of the Karacknids destroying it.”

“A new homeworld is all but impossible to find. My species has a very particular set of requirements,” Wal-sma explained.

“Maybe in that we could help you,” Emilie proposed. She took a risk. “My species’ home system is many thousands of light years from here. My ship traveled through a wormhole to reach the territories owned by the Conclave species. If we became friends, your ships could use our wormhole to explore an entirely new part of the galaxy. We could help you with that exploration.”

Wal-sma bowed its head slightly. “Your offer is a kind one Captain. Perhaps the kindest my species has received since fleeing our home system. But I do not believe you realize what you are asking of us. For generations we have fled at the sight of a Karacknid warship. Our ships can fight them if necessary, but we do not have the numbers to survive a serious confrontation. How do you think we could be of assistance in your war?”

Emilie took her time to reply. “Wars are won in many ways,” she eventually said. “You can help us with information about the Karacknids. Maps of their territory. We could also share technologies with one another. My ship for example is coated in a specially designed stealth material. We had never encountered the sensor the Karacknids used to try and detect your ship. Nevertheless, we believe our stealth coating significantly reduces the effectiveness of the Karacknid sensors. We could share it with you and help your ships to better hide from the Karacknids. In all these ways and more, I’m sure your assistance would be of great benefit in the war we fight. However, I will not lie to you, ultimate victory may only be achieved if your ships directly engage the Karacknids. Given your species’ history of fleeing the Karacknids, I’m sure you have become very adept at avoiding them. Perhaps your ships could sneak into their space and raid their freighters? Disrupting their economy and shipbuilding endeavors will be as effective as winning large-scale naval battles in this war.”

Wal-sma’s tentacles changed their swaying again. “I have heard enough Captain. I cannot make a decision on behalf of my people. But your words deserve to be heard by our leaders. I will take you to one of our cities. There you will share what you have sought to say here.” Wal-sma turned to one of the other Kalassai nearby. “Are we ready?”

“Yes Captain,” the Kalassai replied.

“Begin,” Wal-sma ordered.

In front of Emilie and the Kalassai, a section of the goo they were suspended in changed. It actually condensed together and formed a series of shapes. It took only a couple of seconds for Emilie to recognize one of them as Intrepid. It was their form of a holo- projector! What happened next made her cry out in alarm. “What are you doing?” she demanded when two small objects rushed away from Wayfarer and towards Intrepid. Before anyone could answer, one split into more than a hundred smaller contacts just in front of Intrepid. The second passed over the top of her ship and then split as well. The two hundred contacts rushed towards Intrepid’s hull. Point defense plasma bolts and laser beams reached out and struck several of them. The attack had happened out of the blue though and most of the contacts reached Intrepid’s hull. Instantly her ship’s power readings disappeared and she began to drift in space. It was all a trap, Emilie screamed to herself as she turned towards Wal-sma, her fists clenched.

“Do not worry Captain, our attack will not cause lasting damage,” Wal-sma said.

Though Emilie wanted to reach out and throttle the Kalassai, she had to grab Walker’s arm. The marine sergeant looked ready to drive his fist through Wal-sma’s soft looking central torso.

Unaware of Emilie or Walker’s emotions, Wal-sma continued. “We fired two negater missiles at your ship. They are designed to disable a Karacknid vessel. The smaller contacts you saw latch onto a ship’s hull and release a particle wave into the ship. The wave should not harm your crew or your systems, but it will disable your reactors for a short period of time. I’m afraid your ship cannot know where we are going. The location of our cities is our most highly kept secret. I could not risk that your ship would try to follow us.”

Emilie’s anger was bubbling within her. Wal-sma could have explained things to her. She could have ordered Intrepid not to follow them. Wal-sma could have let her say goodbye to her crew and Alvarez. Yet from the images in front of her, she could see that Wayfarer was quickly pulling away from Intrepid. Despite her desire to shout at Wal-sma, Emilie bit her tongue. Arguing now would do no good. You’ve got what you wanted, she said to herself. She had found the Kalassai. And now she was being taken to their leaders. But where is that? She couldn’t help but ask. And how far away is it? Emilie swallowed hard. She had no idea what she had just got herself into.

Chapter 17

The Imperial Research and Development Division had humble beginnings; but just a few naval officers meeting to discuss technologies and ideas quickly grew. Most historians agree it reached its zenith under Admiral Scott in the post Karacknid War era. Today there are tens of thousands of naval officers and scientists working for the division. Tens of thousands of independent contractors comb the galaxy looking for new alien tech they can sell. The IRDD always offers lucrative bounties for new curiosities. After all, it was thanks to alien tech that the early Imperial Fleet managed to catch up with the Karacknids’ capabilities.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.  

One moment Alveraz was sitting in his command chair trying to imagine what Emilie was experiencing on the Kalassai ship, the next all hell broke loose. Alarms blared. His restraints automatically tightened. He felt Intrepid’s flight computer throw the ship into an evasive maneuver. Looking up at the holo projection, he was just in time to see two contacts race across the gap between Intrepid and Wayfarer. Moments later they both disappeared to be replaced by hundreds of smaller ones. Then everything went black and every alarm ceased.

“What is going on?” Jones demanded from Intrepid’s Captain’s chair. “I want a status report now,” he followed up when no one answered. All around him Alveraz could hear officers tapping on their consoles and whispering to one another, he still couldn’t’ see anything.

“We seem to have lost power,” Maguire eventually said. “But it makes no sense. None of the emergency capacitors have kicked in either. It’s like everything has been drained!”

“Not everything,” Alveraz said as he pulled out his personal datapad. It switched on instantly and was currently providing the only light source on the bridge. “Just everything connected to our central systems.”

“Right,” Jones said as he pulled out his COM unit and activated it. “Chief O’Rielly, what is the status of our reactors?... Chief,” Jones repeated when there was no answer.

“Our COM systems are directly tied into the central computer Lieutenant,” Sub Lieutenant Evans, Intrepid’s COMs officer said. “The internal COMs are supposed to be supported by one of the emergency capacitors. But if they are all offline as well…”

Jones swore and then paused, clearly thinking. “Evans, you’re no use here then. Get yourself down to engineering and see what is going on. I want a full report as soon as O’Rielly has one. Specifically, I want to know if and when the reactors can be brought online. Maguire, go and join up with the repair teams. Figure out just what has happened. Their priority will be getting our emergency capacitors working, but if they are all drained, they’ll be useless to us until the reactors come back on. If that’s the case, focus on removing the Kalassai weapons that hit our hull. There must be nearly a hundred of them. For all we know they could do whatever they did again as soon as we reboot the reactors.”

“Yes Lieutenant,” Maguire said as she unbuckled her seat restraints and began to float out of her command chair. With no power, Intrepid’s artificial gravity generators were also offline.

“We should send someone to the marine barracks,” Alveraz suggested. “Their COM units are designed to work off ship. They shouldn’t be tied into our main systems.”

“Good thinking,” Jones responded. “Maguire, Evans, swing by the marine barracks and pick up a COM unit each. Organize for the marines to spread out to our main sections with the rest of their COM units. We’ll use them until we get our systems back up and running.”

“We should send someone to an observation blister that is facing the Kalassai ship,” Alveraz said to Jones as Maguire and Evans left. “We might get a visual of what they’re up to.”

“I’ll go,” Seth said as he jumped to his feet. “I’ll swing by the marine barracks and pick up one of their COM units as well.”

“Very well,” Alveraz said as he nodded to the young computer tech. As Jones got to work organizing the rest of his bridge crew, Alveraz was left to his thoughts. Immediately his mind went to Emilie. If the Kalassai had turned hostile, it meant nothing good for her. She could already be dead for all he knew. At the very least, she had been taken prisoner. And if they leave the system, we’ll never be able to find them again. She could be lost to him forever. You don’t know that, he told himself in a tone of voice that sounded eerily like one Emilie sometimes used on him. However, despite knowing that Emilie would never give up on him without knowing for sure, over the next ten minutes, as Jones and his other officers worked to get things under control, he couldn’t help the negative emotions that grew within him. When Seth’s voice came over the COM unit, his mood worsened.

“Bridge officers, calling the bridge officers,” Seth said in his typically energetic way. “I’m afraid it’s not good news. I can see Wayfarer, but she is getting smaller and smaller by the second. Either we are drifting away from her or she is leaving.”

“Acknowledged,” Jones replied, “keep your eye on her and let us know when you can’t see her anymore.” He turned to Alvarez. “Well, that answers that question. Until we get power back though, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“No,” Alvarez agreed as a sharp sense of loss suddenly struck him. Emilie was gone.

*

In the end, it took a full six hours for Intrepid’s Chief Engineer to get the reactors fully working again. Jones’ prediction had been right. It wasn’t until every one of the alien weapons had been removed from Intrepid’s hull that the fusion reactors had properly reinitiated.

“I believe they are designed to release some kind of particle wave,” Dr. Matthews explained to Intrepid’s officers in the cruiser’s main briefing room. She was holding one of the small alien weapons. “The wave interfered with our reactors and energy conduits. I have no idea how they did it though. It’s going to take some work to figure it out. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to come up with a counter even if we do.”

“I’m sure you will make it your top priority all the same,” Alvarez responded. He turned to face Jones and Maguire. “But it doesn’t help us figure out what to do now. Wayfarer has a six-hour head start. We need to get going.”

“It’s not as simple as that,” Jones replied. With Emilie’s abduction confirmed, he had become Intrepid’s Acting Captain. “We have no way to track them and no idea where they are going. We cannot just head off into the unknown with a blind hope of finding them.”

“It’s what she would do for anyone of us,” Alvarez pushed back as he looked from officer to officer.

“Are you sure?” Matthews asked. “Finding the Kalassai was her priority. She spent the last six months pursuing them. Now we’ve found them. We also know we will struggle, if not find it impossible to detect their ships with the sensor technology we have. And now we know they are hostile. These are all things that we need to inform our leaders about. They could be making long-term strategic decisions based on Emilie’s initial reports. If they think there may be more potential allies in this area of space instead of another hostile race, they could be making bad decisions. We have a responsibility to get our intelligence back to Earth.”

Alvarez couldn’t help but growl. He detected the same tone in Matthews’ voice that she had used to argue against Emilie hours before.

Matthews held up her hands. “This isn’t personal. It’s purely logical. We don’t know where they’ve gone, we can’t detect them, and we have important strategic information. If we go after them, we could spend another six months searching in vain. That’s six months Earth wouldn’t know about the Kalassai, and six months that Intrepid could be doing something more useful.”

Alvarez growled again. Nothing was more useful than finding Emilie and bringing her back. “Perhaps Doctor Matthews misspoke,” Jones said as he tried to put himself in the middle of the dispute.  “Nothing is more important than getting our Captain back. But if that’s not possible, then we must reassess our priorities.”

“We still don’t know for sure what just happened,” Alvarez insisted. “The Kalassai disabled us yes. But if they wanted, they could have destroyed us. Instead they let us go. Yet they knew that we know about them. We got close-up scans of their ships. Why let us go?”

“They are good points commander,” Jones said. “Points that we can share with fleet intelligence. But I don’t know how they help us now. We have no idea where Wayfarer has gone.”

“We know where they were going before we intercepted them,” Alvarez responded. “We know the shift passage they were heading towards. That’s where we should go.”

“And then where?” Jones pushed. “When we get to the next system what do we do?” as he spoke, Jones brought up a holographic map. “Look, according to the Conclave star maps the system they were heading towards has three other shift passages leading away from it. Which one do we take then?”

Alvarez shook his shoulders. “I don’t know. We will see what we see when we get there. But we have to try. We cannot just turn and leave here without trying.”

Jones lowered his head. “I feel what you’re saying. But how can we justify going twelve days out of our way when we know it will be a dead end?”

“We don’t know that for sure,” Alvarez insisted. When Jones didn’t reply, Alvarez looked from officer to officer. His eyes were pleading with them to join the discussion. He knew Jones was a good officer, that Intrepid’s First Lieutenant wanted to get Emilie back almost as badly as he did, he just needed a little more encouragement. Surely one of the other officers would weigh in on their Captain’s side. None of them would meet his eyes though. Alveraz wanted to curse them all yet he knew he couldn’t. They all thought it was impossible to track the Kalassai ship. Given that, their feelings were understandable.

“Perhaps it won’t be a dead end after all,” Seth said almost absentmindedly from where he sat in the corner of the room. He had spent the entire meeting hunched over his datapad.

“What are you talking about?” Alvarez snapped.

“Well…” Seth said sheepishly as he looked up and found everyone staring at him.

“Out with it,” Alvarez pressed.

“I… You’re maybe not going to like this, but curiosity got the better of me,” Seth said just as hesitantly. But as he continued he got faster and faster. “When we were sat stationary beside Wayfarer for so long before they attacked, I got bored. I launched one of my micro drones to get a closer look at Wayfarer’s hull. The drone attached itself to the Kalassai ship to get a small atomic sample. When the Kalassai attacked, I lost all contact with the drone. It should still be attached to their ship. I’ve just been playing with Intrepid’s sensors, I think we can pick up some of the trace particles from the drone.”

“You did what?” Jones responded angrily before Seth had finished speaking. “Who on Earth gave you permission to do such a thing? How do we know it wasn’t your actions that caused them to respond so aggressively?”

Alvarez wanted to know the answers to Jones’ questions too but it didn’t matter now. What had happened had happened. “You mean we can track Wayfarer’s course?” he said loudly enough to cut across Jones.

Seth looked from Jones to Alvarez and clearly decided who he wanted to answer. Glancing down at his datapad he tapped it a couple of times and looked back up as the image on the holo projector changed. A small dotted line appeared leading away from Intrepid. “It’s extremely faint, only a few heavy metal particles fall off the micro drone’s hull now and again. But in open space, it’s enough to track. At least to give us a course. If Wayfarer goes through a dense particle cloud or cuts across an area of space where other ships have been, we could lose it. But it is clear enough at the moment to follow.”

Alvarez turned to Jones. “Now, we have no excuse. We know which shift passage they were going to, and we can confirm it. At the very least we have to go to the next system and see if we can pick up the trail. We can deal with Seth’s insubordination later.”

Jones closed his eyes for several seconds. “All right,” he said without opening them. “All right, we can’t leave our Captain behind.” His eyes snapped open. “Let’s get to work, set course to follow Seth’s signal. If we can get to the next system before Wayfarer leaves it, we can maybe contact them and apologize. At the very least they may release Captain Kansas to us if we offer some kind of compensation. Let’s get to work ladies and gentlemen.”

Alvarez nodded vigorously and stood as the rest of the officers did so. He moved over to Jones and clasped the Lieutenant’s forearm. “Thank you,” he half whispered as the other officers filed past him. “Thank you.”

“As long as there’s a chance, I’m not going to leave her behind,” Jones replied. “We just needed a chance.”

Alvarez released Jones and allowed him to head to the bridge. He then settled his gaze on Seth. The technician was still sitting in his chair, eyes on his datapad. Alvarez moved towards him, he didn’t know whether he wanted to throttle the young man or throw him in the air in celebration. Being outside Intrepid’s line of command however meant Jones would be the one to decide what to do with him. “Right you,” he said as he grabbed Seth’s shoulder and lifted him to his feet. “You’re going to talk me through exactly what you were trying to do, and how good this trail is going to be. We need to anticipate any problems we might come across and plan a counter to them now. We cannot leave anything to chance. Emilie’s life depends on it, and perhaps, so does yours.” Alvarez didn’t turn his gaze away from Seth’s, though he didn’t mean it, he wanted to put the fear of god into his computer engineer. As good as Seth was, he did not want the engineer’s curiosity getting them in any more trouble or causing them to lose Wayfarer.

Chapter 18

Today seventy percent of the Human colonies in the Empire can trace their lineage back to the thirty prominent colonies of the Karacknid War Era. Most do so proudly.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Drake, outskirts of the New Delhi system, 9th November 2482 AD (three and a half weeks after leaving Earth).

“This is Captain Stalker of IS Ferret, Admiral,” Miyagi said as he gestured for the young Captain to step into James’ office.

“Captain,” James responded as he and Johnston stood. “At ease,” he added after they exchanged salutes. “I want a complete update on everything that has been going on in system.” He sat and motioned for Stalker to sit opposite him.

“Of course Grand Admiral,” Stalker replied. “Where should I start?”

“From the beginning,” James requested.

“Right,” Ferret’s Captain said as she took a moment to gather her thoughts. “Well… we’ve been in system for the last four months. Initially things were pretty quiet. Culthrapori has the place locked up pretty tight so there was no real news coming in and out. As a result we focused much of our intelligence gathering on Culthrapori himself and the government he formed. It took us awhile but we have developed contacts on several freighters that visit the system regularly. They in turn have contacts on the orbital stations. We get updates every two or three days.”

James nodded, “What have you found?”

“As I said, our initial efforts were focused on Culthrapori. He has assumed almost total control over the government and main institutions on the planet. Those who wouldn’t toe the line have either disappeared or been imprisoned. They have all been replaced by New Delhi Nationalists, that is the name Culthrapori and his cronies have taken for themselves. From what we can tell their main objectives are to lock down the planet to prevent opposition movements growing, and to push a massive propaganda campaign. Its message is twofold, first they have been focusing on the right of India’s colonies to rule themselves; as well as the need for them to do so in order to be strong enough to stand against the Karacknids. Apparently it was the previous government’s attachments to other political entities that brought the Karacknids’ wrath against Earth in the first place. Second, their propaganda has been proclaiming the evils of our Empire. As far as Culthrapori is concerned, Empress Christine and you are power hungry dictators. He has been making it sound like preventing you two from crushing Humanity under an iron fist is his destiny. We have plenty of examples of the propaganda that is being put out we can show you.”

“Maybe later,” James replied. He had seen more than enough such propaganda from others on Earth and further afield who opposed the Empire. “What do you know about the alliances that Culthrapori is trying to forge with other nearby colonies?”

“That ties in with his second propaganda focus. In order to hold back your tide of evil, Culthrapori has been insisting that all freedom loving colonies should band together for their common defense. By our count, there are now representatives from eleven other colonies in system.”

“Do we know if any formal agreements have been made yet?” Johnston asked.

Stalker shook her head. “Not as far as we can tell. But we have no contacts within Culthrapori’s inner circle, so there could be something that hasn’t been made public yet.”

Johnston looked to James. James nodded in return. It was something they had discussed many times on the journey to New Delhi. If the colony had made any formal agreements with other colonies, their job would become a hundred times harder. At the very least, it could mean that if they had to confront Culthrapori, other colonies could interpret it as an attack on them. If open hostility broke out, whatever agreements Culthrapori already had in place could drag more systems into the conflict. Knowing that Stalker and her team hadn’t picked up any information on any agreements being signed yet was good, but given her limited intelligence, it was still a serious concern. “We need to get a firmer picture of just what kind of negotiations are going on between the representatives and confirm if any agreements have been made,” James said. “That is our number one priority.”

Stalker nodded. “I’ll put my people onto it right away. But, as I said, the reach of our information gathering only goes to New Delhi’s orbitals.”

“Something we shall have to remedy,” James replied. “But we can think more about that in a moment. “You said initially your focus was on Culthrapori and his government. What has changed?”

“The protests,” Stalker answered. “Or the riots as Culthrapori has described them. They started small. Here and there at various times demonstrators appeared demanding that they have the freedom to democratically choose their own government. They were quickly put down by Culthrapori and his militia. No one was hurt as far as we can tell, all they had to do was show up with their weapons. The threat was enough. But then things started happening in the capital. The protests sprung up there with a far greater intensity. It grew too quickly for Culthrapori to put down with simple threats. Within days there were two main groups. The Freedom Force, who want a diplomatically elected government to replace Culthrapori, and the Imperial Loyalists, who want a referendum on joining our Empire.

“According to our sources, there were well over forty thousand demonstrators by the third day of protest in Calcutta. Amazingly, as far as we can tell, they were entirely peaceful. That didn’t stop Culthrapori. On the fourth day fighting broke out between Culthrapori’s militia and the protesters. We don’t know who started it, but we have our suspicions. The report I sent back to Earth suggested there had been some between two hundred and one thousand protesters killed. We now know that number was closer to one hundred. However, after about a week there was another protest. At least nine hundred were killed and thousands, if not tens of thousands were arrested. Live ammo was fired into the protesters indiscriminately. We also lost contact with Ambassador Bracey that day,” Stalker continued. “Her ship is still in orbit, but there’s been no communication from it or via our contacts in New Delhi’s orbitals. We had a series of contacts set up for communicating back and forth but they haven’t made use of them since then. The only reasonable explanation is that they have been arrested. But…”

James nodded as he ground his teeth together. “But if he would kill his own people…” James finished as anger filled his voice. “It’s been less than a year and he has turned to killing his own people. It’s always the same! When will these kinds of dictators learn?”

Silence filled the room as neither Stalker nor Johnston had an answer. After a few seconds Johnston cleared his throat, “You said you think Culthrapori started the violence. Is there some reason to doubt that?”

“Perhaps,” Stalker replied slowly as she activated the rooms holo projector. An image of a young woman appeared. “This is Angela Davenport, heir to the Canadian Davenport Shipping Industries, though I don’t believe her father knows where she is. She was formerly the owner of a small freighter called Dalliance. We picked her up after a couple of Culthrapori’s patrol frigates chased her freighter down and destroyed it. She claims she had been in contact with the group calling themselves the Imperial Loyalists. She had come in system with a shipment of small arms for them. Before we picked her up, the only intelligence we had on weapons smuggling were of groups bringing weapons for Culthrapori. But if the Imperial Loyalists have been arming themselves, then it’s impossible to know for sure who started the violence. We have picked up reports of Culthrapori’s militia being injured in the ongoing unrest as well.”

“Ongoing?” James asked

Stalker nodded. “There haven’t been any more protests, but there has been violence. Mainly in Calcutta, though it has begun to spread. It’s always isolated, one or two attacks each day. But they almost always involve Culthrapori’s militia. None of our contacts can get us good enough intelligence to know for sure. But either one or several protest groups are attacking the militia forces, or fighting may be breaking out when the militia tries to raid or apprehend the protesters. I can’t be any more definitive than that.”

“What is your take on the overall situation?” James followed up. “Where do you see things going?”

“It’s a powder keg,” Stalker replied without hesitation. “The only way I see things going is downhill. Either Culthrapori’s militia are going to step over the next line and start mass arrests and shooting people on the streets or the protests are going to erupt into a civil war. After the two large protests were put down violently, we thought that might be an end to it. Like when Culthrapori’s militia put down the more isolated protests in the smaller towns. But that hasn’t happened. There have been no more protests, but the violence is increasing. I can’t see how Culthrapori will get control of the situation without using an even heavier hand.”

“That’s not likely to put an end to things either,” Johnston commented. “It will only increase the rage of the protesters. What do you think Culthrapori will do if we try to intervene diplomatically?” Johnston asked as he glanced at James. “We’ve been discussing a number of strategies on the journey here. What if we take Drake into the inner system and request to speak to Culthrapori and the various diplomatic envoys from the other colonies? We can let them know we know what they’re up to. That’s bound to put a dampener on their plans.”

“I’m no diplomat,” Stalker replied. “But I’m sure it would make them think twice. The way Culthrapori has the system locked down suggests he doesn’t want the outside colonies to know what is going on. If you burst that bubble, they may have to think again.”

“Or it could make them double down,” James responded. “If Culthrapori is willing to kill his own people, I doubt he would respond to kindly to us showing up at his back door. If he feels his position is threatened by us, he’d have no choice but to double down on his repressive measures. Thousands could be killed. Especially if our presence fuels more protests.”

“But it would make the others think twice,” Johnston suggested.

James nodded. “There is that. But in time it could also embolden them. If we show up and demand to speak to Culthrapori and he simply ignores us. Then the other diplomats will see us as a lame duck. They could go home with news of how Culthrapori stood up to us and nothing happened. Uncovering their secret may make some colonies who were just flirting with Culthrapori’s new United Nations take a step back, but for those who are already seriously considering it, we could be giving them the final encouragement they need.”

“The other option we have discussed is a military intervention,” Johnston said as he turned back to Stalker. “How do you think that might be received?”

Stocker looked at her feet as she bit her lower lip. “That depends I suppose. I doubt Drake will have any problems getting into orbit, all but one of New Delhi’s orbital battlestations were towed to Earth before Culthrapori took power. He doesn’t have anything larger than a light cruiser in his fleet. So his hardware won’t be too much of a problem. Beyond that, I guess it depends on what kind of force you plan to use. Though whatever it is, I can’t see Culthrapori’s militia laying down their weapons easily. They’re basically made up of the dregs of the former army regiments and whatever lowlifes Culthrapori recruited to bolster their numbers. After the atrocities they have already committed, they can hardly expect any leniency from the general populace. For many, surrendering could be a death sentence.”

“What about the people themselves, how would they respond if we intervened on their behalf?” James asked. He held his breath as he waited for Stalker’s answer. This was the real dilemma that he had been fighting with since leaving Earth.

“There’s no way to know for sure,” Stalker said as she shook her head. “Yes, there were a lot of protesters on the streets before they were violently put down. But nowhere near enough to say for sure what way public opinion is really swaying. From the news reports we gathered before Culthrapori seized power, it seems the populace really were terrified of the Karacknids. There was a strong movement blaming Earth and India’s involvement in the UN for bringing the Karacknid attack. There were actually protests when New Delhi’s orbital battlestations were towed out of the system. In part that was how Culthrapori found it so easy to take power. There did appear to be popular support for a change. There is no way to know for sure if that support still exists, and what the people think after months of Culthrapori’s reign. That doesn’t factor in how they might respond if we try to intervene, either diplomatically or militarily. As much as they may want to see an end to Culthrapori’s reign, they may not take too kindly to us interfering in what they deem their affairs. Especially if we resort to using the marines. A few civilian causalities could turn everyone against us.”

Johnston let out an exasperated sigh. “So we are none the wiser. We don’t know what the likely success of a diplomatic intervention will be, nor a militaristic one. How are we meant to proceed?”

Again Stalker looked at the ground instead of meeting Johnston or James’ eyes. “That’s not a question for a Captain to answer,” James said, feeling sorry her. “You have done your job well Captain. I’ve read your orders; I know you have strict instructions to keep Ferret on the outskirts of the system. That makes getting any concrete information very difficult. What we need are assets on the ground. We need a clear picture of what is going on before we make any final decisions.” James looked at the holo projector where Angela’s image was still being displayed. “Perhaps the answer is staring us in the face.”

“What are you thinking Admiral?” Johnston asked.

James gestured towards the image with a nod. “This Angela claims to have contacts on New Delhi’s surface. Contacts in the Imperial Loyalists. Perhaps it’s time I met those who wish to be Christine’s subjects in person. If we can get to the surface undetected, we can make contact with them and, hopefully, Ambassador Bracey. She should have a much better idea of the lay of the land.”

“You can’t be talking about going down there yourself,” Stalker said without thinking. “It’s far too dangerous. What if they capture you?”

When James turned to her, he saw that she was already regretting being so forthright. He gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry Captain, I’m sure the General shares your concerns.” When James glanced at Johnston, he saw that his old friend was fighting to hold back his own protests. James aimed his next words at him. “But this is something I need to do. Stalker is right, this whole situation is like a powder keg. It could break into a civil war on New Delhi, or a civil war within the Empire. The former would be bad, but the latter cannot be allowed to happen. We cannot afford to have a handful of colonies being openly hostile to us. Heck, according to Andréa, we can’t even afford to have the supply of New Delhi’s rare elements disrupted for more than another month or so without serious repercussions for our ship building efforts. Yet I cannot make any decisions without knowing more. That means we need to get closer. Much closer.” James turned back to the image of Angela, “And it seems there’s only one way to do that,” he said as he leaned in closer to read the information on Angela that was scrolling by underneath her picture.

*

As James approached the personnel quarters being guarded by a marine he gave a salute. The marine saluted back then reached over and tapped the access button. The hatch opened and James stepped through. Angela was standing at the far end of the room looking out a viewport.

“They tell me you are Canadian,” James said as he stepped through. “Daughter of Bartholomew Davenport, a well-known businessman. My Foundation has had some dealings with his company in the past. Tell me, what is his daughter doing all the way out here?”

When Angela turned she frowned when she saw James. “You’re not…” Her eyes narrowed. “You’re Somerville. Your Foundation, it’s the Somerville Foundation?”

James nodded and smiled at the shock on Angela’s face. “Yes, I am he. My ship entered the system a few hours ago.”

Angela moved over to one of the seats in her quarters and sat down. “They told me I had a visitor coming, but not this.”

“Well, I am here and wish to speak with you,” James said as he moved to sit opposite her. “I wanted to get to know you a little bit better.”

“Me, why are you interested in me? I’m just a has-been smuggler.”

“Has-been?” James asked as he raised an eyebrow. “You have seen the errors of your ways?”

Angela tightened her lips and looked away. “Let’s just say that an Indian missile makes a convincing argument. All I want to do is get home to my family. I have a lot of mistakes to make up for.”

“Well, I’m sure that can be arranged. Neither Ferret nor my flagship will be leaving the system any time soon, but when we go, we’ll take you back to Earth with us. From there you can get a ride to the Québec colony. I suspect that by then they will have joined the Empire anyway so it should be easy to find a ship headed that way. Tell me,” James said as he leaned forward. “What do you plan to do with yourself when you do get back to Québec?”

Angela shrugged. “I doubt I can join my father’s company. Not when word gets out that I was a smuggler. That’s bound to be bad for business.”

“I’m sure your father might make an exception,” James chuckled. “Fathers tend to be like that. From what I know of yours, he is a good man.”

“He is,” Angela said as she blinked a few times in quick succession. “But I have treated him badly.”

James chuckled again. “Fathers tend to overlook that as well… So if you’re not going to join the family business, then what?”

Angela shook her head. “I don’t know, I haven’t thought that far ahead. I just want to get home.”

“What if there is no home for you to get to?” James pressed.

Angela’s eyes shot up. “What are you talking about, what has happened?”

James raised a hand, “Nothing yet. But the Karacknids are far from done with us. They are preparing another attack. Perhaps you should be considering a career in the Imperial Fleet.”

This time it was Angela who chuckled. “Yeah right, sure, being a smuggler excludes me from working in a shipping company, but I can join the Navy.”

“Actually, you can,” James informed her. “You’ve heard of McCarthy of course. One of the most infamous smugglers around. He is now in Empress Christine’s government. In her Inner Council no less. If he can reform his ways enough to be trusted, at least to a certain degree, I’m sure you can too.” James then changed tack. “I’ve seen the recording of how you handled Dalliance against the Indian patrol frigates. You’ve got skills. Skills that the Imperial Fleet needs. And don’t forget who you are talking to. I’m the highest-ranking naval officer in the Empire. I’m sure if I put in a good word or two for you that might help things along.”

Angela brought a hand up and rubbed her forehead. “I’ve never thought about it before.”

“I’m not asking you to make any decisions now,” James replied. “Just think it over. After all this is over, you can head home and see your family and then decide. But know this, those whom you love will never truly be safe until the Karacknids are beaten.”

Angela nodded. “Okay, I’ll think about it. I’m not making any promises.” Her face hardened as she held James’ gaze. “Now, why are you really here? An Admiral doesn’t meet with the likes of me simply as a recruiting exercise.”

James gave Angela a brief smile. “No, you are quite right. I’m here to convince you to hold off on completely changing your ways for a little while. I need your help. I want to get to New Delhi’s surface. You’re the only one with contacts within the Imperial Loyalists. They obviously had a way of getting your weapons shipment to the planet’s surface. I want to use them to get me down there.”

Angela’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious. You would risk your life for this? Why does New Delhi matter so much to you?”

“I have my reasons,” James replied. “Reasons that include trying to hold Humanity together and defeat the Karacknids. I know that may not mean much to you so I’m willing to pay. Whatever the rate was for your shipment of weapons. I’ll match it if you get me to the surface.”

“And if I don’t?” Angela asked as she pursed her lips.

“Then nothing will happen to you,” James said. “You can stay on Ferret, or perhaps come to my flagship. Either way when we get back to Earth we’ll release you. You’ll will be free to go. But, if you go, you may not be able to enjoy your freedom for long.”

Angela let out a long breath. “You sure know how to lay on the guilt trip.”

James couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “You’re right, I suppose I do. I guess I’ve spent so much time laying it on myself over these last few years that it just comes naturally.”

Angela eyed him more closely. “I suppose being a Fleet Admiral at a time like this comes with its own unique set of strains and stresses.”

“So you’ll do it?” James pressed.

Angela looked past him and took a moment to think. Then she nodded. “I’ll do it. But not for your money. You can keep it. I’ll do it so that I can return home with my head raised high.”

James allowed a wide smile to spread across his face. “You may not know it yet, but I have a strong suspicion you’ll make a fine naval officer… That is, if we survive the next few days.”

Angela rolled her eyes as James stood. He held out a hand to her. “Welcome to the Imperial Fleet,” he said. Hesitantly, Angela stood and took James’ hand. After a brief shake she quickly pulled her hand back. “I have things to do,” James said. “But someone will be here momentarily to take you over to Drake. Then we will begin putting our plan together.”

“Yes, of course,” Angela said as James turned to leave. “Admiral,” she called out after him.

“Yes?” James asked as he turned back.

“Thank you,” Angela replied. “For the second chance,” she explained when James frowned. “And for not trying to use my sister to convince me.

James nodded. “I figured she’s already in the back of your mind. You don’t need me reminding you of what happened to her. Just don’t let us down.”

“I won’t,” Angela promised in a very serious tone, surprising even James.

As James turned and walked away, he couldn’t help but smile. He had read Angela’s sister’s file. She had been a promising Lieutenant, someone who had been earmarked for command. If Angela was anything like her, which James strongly suspected was the case, then she would be a valuable asset to the fleet. Of course, they had to survive New Delhi first.

Chapter 19

If possible every Imperial couple has sent one of their offspring into the Imperial Navy and another into the Imperial Marines. Even if they don’t rise through the ranks to hold senior commands, their experiences and training equips them well to serve the Empire in other capacities.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Ferret, New Delhi system, 12th November 2482 AD (three days later).

“Well?” James asked Captain Stalker as they sat in Ferret’s bridge.

“It could be her,” Stalker responded. “Certainly, she is on roughly the right heading. Though it is only roughly.”

James turned to Angela and raised his eyebrows.

“The freighters coming back and forth from their outer asteroid mining operations often have slight variations in their courses, it could be our freighter, she may have begun her journey in system from an unexpected refinery,” Angela answered.

“So you think we should go?” James followed up. Angela nodded. “All right then,” James said as he jumped to his feet. “The mission is a go. I’ll see you in a few days Captain. Make sure you take yourself back to a safe distance once the shuttle returns.”

“Yes Admiral,” Stalker said in a less than enthusiastic tone. No one liked the idea of James going on this mission. Fisher, his Flag Captain, had argued with him until she was red in the face. Even Stalker was upset at having to pull back. Ferret would have to be at least an hour away from New Delhi to remain undetected. Far too far away to come to his aid if something happened.

“Very good,” James said. “Good luck to you all,” he added loud enough for the rest of the bridge officers to hear. He turned to Johnston. “Shall we?” he asked as he gestured for Johnston to proceed him.

“Against my better judgement,” Johnston growled. James held his tongue. When Johnston had insisted on joining the mission, James had wanted to argue. Yet how could he demand that Johnston remain behind because he was too important, when he himself was going? All too aware of the hypocrisy of such an argument, he had silently let Johnston insert himself into the mission.

When he, Angela and Johnston got to the shuttle, the rest of the team were already there. Johnston had selected six of his best special forces marines to accompany them. All were dressed in the casual wear of New Delhi. Though underneath James knew they were wearing combat suits. Not as effective as their combat armor, they at least provided some protection from melee weapons. “We are all aboard I see,” James commented as he dropped into one of the shuttle’s seats and strapped himself in. He activated his COM unit. “We are ready to go when you are Lieutenant,” he said to the shuttle’s pilot.

As the shuttle took off, James looked around. Everyone’s face looked the same. Expressionless. It was the marine way. All of the marines Johnston had picked had seen combat several times before. They all knew what might be ahead of them. Angela, on the other hand, looked apprehensive. Indeed she might, James thought. The success of what they were about to do depended almost entirely on her.

Two days ago Ferret had slipped in close enough to New Delhi for the destroyer to send the same covert message Angela had used to get in touch with her contact last time she had approached the colony. After waiting more than four hours, James had been ready to give up. The Imperial Loyalists were no doubt very suspicious of Culthrapori’s militia trying to trap them. Especially after Angela’s first attempt at an exchange had failed so spectacularly. Yet after six hours, a reply had come through. It had simply been a time and place. The shuttle James and his team were in was on its way there. According to Ferret’s passive sensors there was only one ship that had a chance of making the rendezvous in time. With luck, the mineral freighter they had detected would pick them up and take them to New Delhi. Of course, that would only happen if Angela could convince them to let the shuttle dock with them. Having second thoughts, James glanced around at the shuttle’s empty cargo deck. Johnston had suggested they bring a shipment of plasma rifles so that Angela could use them to show her good intentions. However, James had refused. If things went belly up, he didn’t want to be responsible for giving weapons to an unknown group. If the Imperial Loyalists turned to using terror tactics, he would not be the one who armed them.

“We are at the coordinates Admiral,” Flight Lieutenant Carmichael reported thirty-five minutes later. “Passive sensors aren’t picking up anything yet. According to the last track Ferret had on the freighter, it should be no more than ten minutes out.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” James replied. He turned to Angela. “Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be I guess,” Angela responded.

“Well get yourself to the cockpit then, it’s time to look like you’re in charge,” James ordered. Unstrapping himself, he followed Angela to the shuttle’s cockpit and sat in a seat behind Carmichael.  The co-pilot unbuckled himself and moved out of Angela’s way allowing her to take his place. “Remember,” James said to the two pilots, “Don’t say anything unless Angela invites you to. You are her crew.”

“We understand Admiral,” Carmichael said for the both of them.

With everyone in their new seats, silence filled the cockpit. Then, well before the ten minutes were up, a crackling noise came over the COM channel. It quickly coalesced into a male’s voice. “Unknown shuttle, identify yourself,” it said.

“Acknowledged,” Angela replied and tapped a button to send the second confirmation code she had used in her first meeting with the Imperial Loyalists.

“Those are old codes,” the voice said moments later. “Ones that almost got one of my compatriots killed.”

“They’re all I’ve got,” Angela responded. “And they almost got me killed. But they didn’t. I’m here now. So are we going to trade or not? Time is money.”

The man laughed. “Money is everything to your kind. What have you got for us?”

“Half of what I lost the last time I was here. I expect half the payment though. It’s going to take me a long time to build up enough profits to get a ship like the one I lost,” Angela answered.

“The risks that come with your kind of business I suppose,” the man said without a hint of sympathy. After a couple of seconds of silence he spoke again. “All right, bring your shuttle into our docking bay. You can unload your cargo and be on your way.”

“Admiral,” Carmichael said when the COM link ended. “The freighter has hardly slowed. If we dock with her, it will take us further away from Ferret.”

James nodded. He understood. The shuttle they were in had been disguised to look like a long-range inner system transport shuttle. Like the ones used to ferry passengers between Earth and the Sol system’s outer asteroid belts. That was not the case, however. With Ferret slowly moving towards the outer system and the freighter heading in, Carmichael could end up not having enough fuel to get back. “How long do we have?” he asked.

“At the velocity they’re travelling at, another twenty minutes or so,” Carmichael answered.

“Then you better land this thing quickly,” James suggested.

“Aye Admiral,” Carmichael responded. She put action to words as she turned the shuttle’s nose towards the oncoming freighter. Rather than accelerate to match its velocity, she waited. James found himself holding his breath as the freighter got bigger and bigger in the viewscreen. When it looked like the freighter was almost on top of them, Carmichael lit off the shuttle’s engines. James had barely counted to three before she pulled up on her flight stick and squeezed the shuttle in through the freighter’s docking bay hatch. Everyone was flung forward in their seats as the freighter’s internal tractor beam and an inertial compensator relativized the two ships’ momentum.

“All right, you’re with me,” James said as he stood and placed a hand on Angela’s shoulder. “If they see Johnston or any of the other marines they’re likely to shoot first and ask questions later.”

“That I can understand,” Angela said as they walked towards the rear of the shuttle past the marines. Every one of them looked like a spring under intense pressure, they were ready to explode into action at a moment’s notice.

Before the shuttle’s rear access ramp fully descended, the same voice that had spoken to them over the COM unit came roaring up the shuttle. “What in the blazes are you playing at?” the man demanded. “We could have had cargo in here. You could have wrecked it or crushed some of our workers.”

As James stepped onto the shuttle’s ramp, he saw the source of the voice. It was a large burley looking man with a thick ginger beard. Standing around and behind him were at least ten other men and woman. Each one had a weapon pointed at James and Angela. When Angela raised her hands to show she was unarmed, James followed suit.

“Fuel is expensive in these parts,” Angela said nonchalantly. “Given how bare my bank account is at the moment, I can’t afford to go burning it willy-nilly.

The man took his eyes off James and Angela for a few seconds and very visibly glanced up and down the shuttle. “This is no inner system transport. What kind of shuttle is this? What trick are you pulling?”

Angela smiled. “Okay, it’s confession time. I have no small arms to trade with you.” Before she could say anymore, the weapons pointed at her all tensed as the men and women tightened their grips. “I wouldn’t be so hasty,” Angela said in a tone that sounded like she was not in the least concerned, though James had spent enough time with her to pick up how she was really feeling. “This is an Imperial shuttle. On board are seven Imperial special forces marines. If you open fire now, none of you will survive. And you’ll kill the most valuable piece of cargo I’ve ever shipped.” Taking half a step to her left, Angela gestured with one of her raised hands towards James. “I don’t have any small arms, but I have brought you something else. Don’t you recognize your Emperor?

“Emperor?” the man asked as he took a step forward and squinted at James. “He could be anyone.”

Despite the tension, James couldn’t help but laugh.

“What is so funny?” the man demanded.

“You have no idea how long it’s been since someone didn’t recognize me. If you weren’t all pointing guns at me it would be nice to actually go unnoticed for a change,” James explained. He slowly moved his hands to the front edges of the overcoat he was wearing. “If you would allow me?” The man nodded. James reached under his overcoat and pulled out a small portable holo- projector. He searched through it until he found the image he wanted then he slowly set the projector on the ground in front of him and activated it. Springing into life, it replayed one of the speeches he had given on Earth that had been transmitted throughout the Human colonies. James played it for nearly twenty seconds before reaching down again and switching it off. When he looked back up at the leader of the group, the man’s eyes were as wide as saucepans.

For several seconds he continued to stare at James until the spell broke. Quickly he turned to those around him and pushed the muzzles of their weapons to the ground. “Put those away, put those away,” he ordered. He turned back to James. For another second he hesitated, then he fell to one knee. “My Emperor, I apologize for not recognizing you at once.”

To say James was taken aback by the large man’s sudden reverence was an understatement. He was even more surprised when the rest of the men and women around him also fell to one knee. James took several steps forward and lifted the man to his feet. “There’s no need for any of that,” he said. “As Emperor, I’m meant to be your servant, not the other way around. Besides, I’m not an Emperor yet. I am only engaged to Christine. New Delhi is not even in the Empire.”

“And yet you are our Emperor,” the man said. He quickly held out his hand, “I am quartermaster Khatri. If you wait just a moment, I’d better contact the Captain and let him know just what is going on.”

“If you don’t mind,” James said before Khatri turned away, “Our shuttle is low on fuel. It has a long journey back to its mothership. Can we unload my people and send it on its way?”

Khatri’s face changed again as another wave of shock passed over him. “You’re planning on staying on board?”

James nodded. “If you and your Captain are happy to have me. I need to get to the surface. I need to speak to the leadership of the Imperial Loyalists and see just what is happening on New Delhi for myself.”

Khatri licked his lips. He then began to speak a lot slower than he had before. “I will definitely have to speak to the Captain. Smuggling arms onto the surface is dangerous enough. But people? Especially you. I’m not sure if that is doable.”

“Well, speak to your Captain quickly,” James responded. “For it is of vital importance. I wouldn’t be here if it were otherwise.”

“Yes of course Emperor,” Khatri replied. “You can take your people off the shuttle at least and I’ll let you know as soon as the Captain has made a decision.”

“Thank you,” James said before turning and taking a step back up the shuttle’s ramp. “Well, it looks like it’s so far so good. You can show yourselves now,” he called to Johnston and his marines. Unsurprisingly, as the marines appeared and made their way down the shuttle’s ramp, the crew of the mineral freighter all stared at them with suspicion. Despite their plain clothes, there was no mistaking the marines for civilians. For a couple of uncomfortable minutes each group stood looking at one another. Then one of the crew pulled out a COM unit. Khatri’s voice was easily recognizable, though James couldn’t hear everything he was saying.

“Khatri’s says the Captain is not very comfortable with having you as guests. But if you want to go to the surface then we’ll do our best to get you there,” the crewmen with the COM unit said.

James nodded and pulled out his COM unit. “Okay Lieutenant, you can take off. Have a safe flight back to Ferret.”

“Aye Admiral,” Carmichael replied. “And safe travels to you too. Try not to bump into the customs officers.”

James smiled at the Lieutenant’s words. He made a mental note to ask for her next time he needed a shuttle. Most of the officers in his squadron were still tight lipped around him, it was nice to be able to enjoy a little bit of informality. “Right,” he said as he fixed his attention back on the freighter’s crew. “I guess you better show us to the bridge. I’m sure your Captain will want to figure out just what he’s going to do with us.”

*

An hour later James was tightly packed into a small five meter by five-meter container. Technically, it was a container within a container. The mineral freighter was designed to carry four hundred containers of partially processed minerals to New Delhi’s orbital refineries. Within one of the containers the Imperial Loyalists had built their own smuggling container. The thick mineral dust that filled the larger container that surrounded the small one they were in would hide them from most customs sensors. At least it had a number of times before.

Beside James, or more accurately squished in all around him were Johnston, his six marines and, to James’ surprise, Angela. When Carmichael’s shuttle had been about to take off she had refused to get on board. Instead she had insisted on seeing the mission through to its completion. At that point, any doubts James had about recommending her to take the accelerated officer’s course back on Earth had disappeared.

“How long did they say we were going to have to be in here?” Johnston asked, not for the first time.

“Hours yet,” James replied. “You may as well start using one of your marine relaxation techniques. We haven’t even reached orbit yet. And when we do, who knows how long the customs checks will take?”

Johnston let out a sigh and though it was pitch dark; James could sense he was shaking his head. “You navy people are all the same. You wouldn’t know efficiency if it bit you in the ass.”

“If I wasn’t meant to be aloof as your Emperor… And if you weren’t a special forces marine, I’d be forced to give you a thump,” James said. “Comparing the Imperial Fleet to New Delhi’s customs officials is like comparing your special forces marines to one of Alpha colony’s underworld gangs.” All around him, James felt the marines stiffen. “Not that I’m making the comparison of course,” he added hastily.

Johnston let out a half chuckle. “I’m glad to hear that Grand Admiral. Titles can only protect you so far… But I take your point.”

“Do the two branches of your military always get on like this?” Angela asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

“You should see it when it’s ordinary officers,” one of the marines commented. “These two high-ranking commanders are playing nice.”

“I’ll not ask who normally wins,” Angela followed up. “Perhaps I should be asking General Johnston for a recommendation.”

“I’m sure the marines would be happy to have you volunteer,” Johnston replied. “But you have to go through basic training like everyone else. We have no accelerated officer courses.”

James chuckled at Angela’s silence. “I’m guessing that might influence your decision back the other way.”

“Perhaps,” was all Angela was prepared to say.

For another two hours the conversation went back-and-forth. Slowly the other special forces marines came out of their shells. “What was that?” one of them asked when a slight tremor ran through the freighter.

“The freighter has begun decelerating,” Angela answered. “I’d say we are about half an hour out from New Delhi.” As the conversation continued, tension seeped into everyone’s voices. No one said it, but they all knew they were sitting ducks. If the customs officials detected them, or the Imperial Loyalists sold them out, the first thing they would know about it was when a bunch of plasma rifles were being thrust in their faces.

“I think that is an orbital tug picking up the adjacent container,” Angela commented when a stronger jolt shook everyone. “We will be next.” James was thrown into the midst of tangled arms and legs as their container suddenly moved. Just when everyone got themselves reorientated, the container was flipped on its end again. Then, everything went quiet. “We are either sitting in orbit or have been deposited at one of the orbital refineries.”

“What happens when they open the container to process the minerals?” one of the marines asked.

“I don’t think we want to find out,” James answered. The container they were in was supposed to be earmarked for one of New Delhi’s ground refineries. Yet there was always a chance some bureaucrats would change the work order.

“We are moving again,” Angela said needlessly as everyone fought not to smash into each other. “Another tug must have us.”

For several minutes the sense of moving continued unabated, then the container got hotter and hotter. “The good news is, I think we are going through the atmosphere. The bad news is I don’t know how hot it’s going to get,” he said. The Imperial Loyalists had designed the hidden container to smuggle weapons, weapons that had had a far higher temperature tolerance than James did. For more than a minute the temperature kept rising and rising to the point where it felt like sweat was flowing out of every pore in his body. Then, the increase in temperature dropped off. Slowly at first and then with more speed, things became more bearable.

“I don’t know about you special forces marines,” Angela commented, “but that was becoming a little uncomfortable.”

“We can tolerate much higher temperatures than normal folks,” one marine commented.

James felt movement beside him from Angela. “That may be,” Angela replied, “but you still feel pretty sweaty to me.”

The marine grunted as several of his comrades laughed. Their revelry was cut short when the container landed on the planet’s surface with a thump. The mechanical sound of the tug disengaging its clamps was followed by silence. The silence lasted several minutes until one marine broke it. “Now what?” he asked.

“Now we continue waiting,” James answered. “By my reckoning, it’s still daytime in Calcutta. There are several more hours until darkness. The Imperial Loyalists won’t come for us until then.”

James counted four hours until they next heard any kind of sound coming from beyond their container. At first it was the banging of several hammers on something. Then it sounded like something was moving the mineral dust away from the sides of their container. Eventually voices could be heard. Finally, the scraping of the container’s external hatch release being turned made everyone tense. As the container’s door cracked open and light from several powerful torches shone in, everyone’s hands shot up to their eyes and more than a few groans escaped even the marines’ lips. Someone had come for them.

Chapter 20

Underground resistance cells are almost impossible to root out. Every marine officer has extensive training for the eventuality they find themselves up against such an enemy. Yet in the history of the Empire even the marines have struggled in this regard. Only the Antarians have successfully eradicated such cells on planets they have conquered. Of course, their methods leave next to no-one alive to oppose them from the get-go.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

“Admiral?” A woman’s voice asked tentatively as the container door creaked open further and more light burst in. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes we’re fine, just dim the lights,” James requested. “Give us a second to adjust.”

“I’m sorry Admiral, but we don’t have much time. We need to get moving. There could be a patrol passing by this area any moment,” the woman replied.

That got James’ attention. “Right, we’re coming,” he said as he clapped Johnston on the shoulder. The General snapped a couple of names and two of his special forces marines led the way out. James followed them more slowly, still half covering his eyes. When he got out and slowly looked around, he was surprised to find only three people waiting to greet them. One was reversing the machine they had used to clear a path to his peoples’ small container. The other two were holding lights. Concern was etched on both of their faces. “We are ready to move as soon as you are,” James said as he stretched his arms and legs. “But I think we’ll need a few minutes to fully loosen up if you want us to move fast.”

“I’m afraid we have to walk to the safe house Admiral. There is a curfew on aircars. It’s four miles away, but we have a route planned. We shouldn’t draw any attention to ourselves,” the woman said, she even gave James a slight bow. “I’m Adhira Patel, I was an engineer in this refining facility before they found out about my political persuasions. I lost my job a couple of months ago.”

“Nice to meet you,” James said as he held out his hand to Adhira. “Don’t worry about the walk, it will do us good to stretch our muscles a bit.”

Adhira nodded, “Haima, you take the lead. We’ll stay a couple of hundred meters behind you.”

“Yes boss,” the Indian who was standing beside Adhira replied before quickly turning and taking off. Adhira watched him go for several seconds and then set off as well. “Follow me Admiral and keep your people close.”

“Don’t worry about them,” James replied. “They know how to look after themselves.” He fell in step beside Adhira. As she led them through a maze of containers identical to the one they had been brought to the planet’s surface in, James kept his mouth shut and eyes open. Only when they left the large refining facilities did he feel it appropriate to start asking questions. “May I ask, where are we going?”

“A safe house,” Adhira answered. “I was given the address just an hour ago. I believe some of our leaders are there waiting for you.”

“How long have you been a part of the Imperial Loyalists?” James followed up.

“A month,” Adhira responded. “They contacted me after I lost my job.”

“A month?” James couldn’t help but spit out. “And they trusted you with this mission?”

Adhira looked back at him with a sharp expression. “If you want, I can give you the address and leave you to it.”

“No,” James replied with a smile. “I just like to know who I’m entrusting my life to.”

“I am risking my life as much as you,” Adhira said as she looked back again. “And this is my homeworld that is in this mess.”

“You don’t seem to overly enamored with me or the Empire,” James observed.

Adhira didn’t try to hide her feelings. “I’m not, but when you’re faced with three bad options, the least worst is your only choice. I don’t want New Delhi to continue to be trampled by Culthrapori and his militia. Nor do I want to see my homeworld nuked by the Karacknids. Being ruled from Earth by some Empress I’ve never heard of wasn’t at the top of my wish list a year ago. Yet here we are.”

“Well, at least you’ve met me now. Not many people in the Empire can say that,” James replied.

“The jury is still out on you,” Adhira responded without turning.

James smiled at her tone. As they continued to walk through the seemingly deserted outskirts of the city, he decided to change the subject. Instead he asked about how Culthrapori had been treating his people. None of the answers he got pleased him very much. Adhira had a brother who was currently imprisoned without trial and both of her parents had been expelled from Calcutta, New Delhi’s capital. It was no wonder she had been picked to escort him to meet the Imperial Loyalists leaders. She was as motivated as anyone to see Culthrapori’s reign brought to an end.

“Here we are,” Adhira said after what James reckoned had been almost an hour of walking.  They had stopped at what appeared to be the back end of a group of high-rise apartment buildings. Buildings that looked identical to tens of others they had passed in the night. After stopping for a few seconds and listening, Adhira jumped over a small fence that outlined one of the gardens of the ground floor apartments. She moved up to a set of glass sliding doors and tapped out a clearly prearranged signal. Stepping back she turned to James and gave him a quick nod. “Good luck Admiral.” Before James could respond, she retreated and hurdled the fence again. Within a few seconds she and her two companions were gone.

James found himself staring at Johnston. “I guess it’s just us again.” Movement behind him made James turn. A woman had appeared on the other side of the glass doors.

Without hesitation she slid one open. “Quickly, come inside before anyone sees you.”

James moved to obey, but Johnston’s hand on his shoulder stopped him short. “Let Phelps check it out,” he suggested. Before James could respond, Phelps was already stepping forward.

“It looks okay,” the marine replied seconds later.

When James stepped through the sliding doors a pleasant aroma of strong coffee brewing greeted him. “The leadership isn’t here yet,” the woman replied. “I’m Maria, I help them out from time to time. They said you would likely want an hour or two to freshen up. I have drinks and some light snacks.”

James licked his lips as his stomach rumbled. It had been hours since he last ate. “Thank you very much,” he said as he stepped towards the kitchen counter that was stacked with different kinds of breads and cakes.

“Is there a bathroom?” Phelps asked.

“Of course,” Maria replied, “this way,” she added as she gestured for Phelps to follow her.

“What’s the plan General?” another marine asked.

“Now we eat,” Johnston replied as he too tucked in, “we can worry about this meeting after we’ve eaten our fill.”

“Sounds good to me,” a different marine responded.

After taking fifteen minutes to eat and drink whatever Maria put before them, James finally felt his hunger subside. “Are there rooms for us or are we to rest here?” he asked as his mind turned to the coming meeting with the Imperial Loyalists’ leadership.

“I have a couple of spare bedrooms you can make use of. There are only three beds though. If you want a nap you’ll have to share or sleep on the floor,” Maria answered.

“The floor is fine for my boys,” Johnston replied. “If you need a nap, you take priority.”

Ordinarily James might have considered refusing. He didn’t want to make himself look weaker than those around him. But when he was in the company of seven special forces marines, he knew such a show of bravado was more than foolish. They had implants that could pump them with enough stimulants to keep them awake and fully functioning for well over twenty-four hours. “I think I might just do that,” James said. He turned to Maria. “They will be here in a couple of hours?”

Maria nodded. “That’s what they told me. But I’m just a hostess.”

“Well, thank you for your hospitality,” James said then turned back to Johnston. “I’ll try and grab a quick hour of sleep, you’re to wake me after that.” He reached out and placed a hand on Angela’s shoulder. “I suggest you get some sleep as well. We’re not built like they are.”

“Of course Admiral,” Angela replied.

“I’ll make sure to wake you both,” Johnston called after them.

*

After waking, Maria suggested that James, Angela, Johnston, and the rest of the marines wait in her apartment’s living room. Happy to do so, they spread out on the sofas and floor and began to discuss strategy. “How long are we to stay here after this meeting?” Johnston whispered so that Maria wouldn’t hear them from the other room.

“Not long if we can help it,” James replied at the same volume. “Though it may not be entirely up to us.”

“We can fight our way out of here if we need to,” Johnston replied. “We might not have our plasma rifles, but marines are still pretty deadly with their side arms.”

James grinned. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. But violence is our last resort.”

“And if they won’t let us go? If they want to use you as a figurehead for whatever plans they may be concocting?”

“Then our last resort may be necessary,” James replied. “We need to get the lay of the land here, not just the Imperial Loyalists’ view of things. That means we need to get out from under their supervision. One way or another.” The sound of one of the other rooms’ windows being tapped stopped James saying anything more. It was the same pattern Adhira had used. “I think our friends are here,” he said instead.

A few moments later three Indians stepped into the room. James was already on his feet to greet them, but when he recognized the fourth person to follow them, he rushed towards her. “Ambassador Bracey,” he said, his voice full of surprise. “What are you doing here?” Though he had only met the Ambassador twice before, once before the Karacknid war, and once when the Inner Council had met with her before dispatching her to New Delhi, Bracey was hard to forget. Especially for James, she had the same jet-black curly hair that Susanna had had.

Bracey smiled at him and warmly returned his handshake. “It’s a long story Admiral. Though I could ask you the same thing,” she said with a smile. She gestured towards the three Indians. “I think my friends wish to make introductions. Then we can talk.”

“Of course,” James said as he turned to the three Imperial Loyalists. “Thank you for getting me to the surface.”

One of the two men gave James a bow. “It was our pleasure Emperor.” He held out his hand, “I’m Arjun. This is Ishann,” he said as he pointed to the second male, “and this is Kaia. I guess you could say we are the leaders of the Imperial Loyalists. Though organizers might be more accurate. I have to say, we were more than shocked to hear of your request. You could have come here with a fleet. Yet you came to us like this. Why?”

“Because there has been no real information getting out of New Delhi,” James explained. “Culthrapori has the system locked up tight. If you have been speaking with Ambassador Bracey, then you know that back on Earth we are very concerned about what is happening here. I have come to see for myself.”

“Before intervening?” Arjun pressed.

James couldn’t help but allow a small smile to play across his lips as he shared a glance with Johnston. “You are perceptive. Yes, some kind of intervention is on the table. At least as an option. On Earth we have bigger issues to deal with than New Delhi’s fate, as harsh as that may sound to you. But at the same time, New Delhi is tied in with the rest of our colonies. What happens here could have a ripple effect elsewhere.”

“And the Empire is concerned about every one of its prospective citizens,” Bracey added as she shared a glance with James.

James nodded. “If you knew me well, you would know that goes without saying,” James said as he held Arjun’s gaze. “But New Delhi is not a part of the Empire yet. As such, my hands are partially tied. That said, I’m here to learn more.”

“If it’s information you’re after, then you may ask us anything you wish Emperor. As far as we are concerned, we are already your citizens,” Arjun said.  “If a referendum had been held here, we have no doubt about what the outcome would have been.”

“Very well,” James said as he thought through where to begin. “Why don’t you tell me your story from the start.” For the next half an hour James listened to each of the three Indians share how they individually, and then collectively, came to form the Imperial Loyalists. In many ways their stories were similar to Adhira’s. Culthrapori’s heavy handedness and authoritarian rule had driven them to take steps they never thought they would have been prepared to take in order to regain their freedom. “And the protests, tell me about them?” James asked next.

“That’s exactly what they were,” Arjun said, “protests. We weren’t actually the ones to organize them, but when we heard about them, we got our people involved. I think the first one caught Culthrapori off guard. He wasn’t ready for it. But he was for the second. I was there when the shooting started. It was totally unprovoked. None of our people were even armed. There was no violence offered in return.”

“And the third?” James asked.

“We were ready for the third protest,” Arjun said as his face tightened.

“But even then, they didn’t start it,” Bracey said as she jumped in. “I was there. After the violence at the second protest. I requested permission to observe the next one. When Culthrapori gave us permission, I should have suspected…” Instead of finishing she looked to the ground.

“Suspected what Ambassador?” James pressed gently.

“It was a trick. Culthrapori sent us in with more than ten armed guards. Yet when the shooting started, they vanished,” Bracey said as she looked up. James could see the emotion in her eyes. “Plain clothes protesters appeared out of nowhere and attacked us. They had the same weapons Culthrapori’s militia are armed with. Olivia Cornell, one of my staffers, was killed. We all would have been if Arjun’s people hadn’t intervened. They engaged the fake protesters long enough for us to flee. We are certain they were members of Culthrapori’s militia in plain clothes, sent there to get rid of us.”

James shook his head as his fists tightened. “They have killed a citizen of our Empire?” he asked, not expecting an answer. He shared a glance with Johnston. A great weight seemed to lift off his shoulders. For months he had worried about intervening in New Delhi without justification. What Adhira, Arjun and the others had shared with him had made his blood boil. His hatred for Culthrapori had only grown and grown. But that didn’t give him justification to intervene. It had only made his angst grow. But the intentional killing of an Imperial citizen, that was different. “Your organization,” he asked, forcing himself to think through the situation logically. “How is it structured and what exactly have you planned?”

“For safety we have adopted a cell structure,” Arjun answered. “Each one of us three oversees around twenty cells. However none of them know about each other. We have been slowly getting enough weapons and other materials to make a real effort at overthrowing Culthrapori. There are one or two other groups we’ve come across that we believe are working towards the same goal. If they make an attempt before us, we are ready to support them if necessary.”

“How long until you are ready to launch your operation?” James followed up.

“Two weeks, maybe three,” Arjun replied.

James nodded and turned to Bracey. “The chances of success?”

Bracey shared a look with Arjun that James suspected was meant to be apologetic. “At best, I’d say forty percent. Culthrapori’s militia are very well armed and they will have the numerical advantage in any fight. Surprise will only get the Imperial Loyalists so far. And whatever happens, many will die.

“Hundreds if not thousands of civilians,” James guessed. “They would be caught in the crossfire whether you liked it or not.” He looked at Arjun to give him a chance to reply. Though the Indian looked like he wanted to, he said nothing. James nodded. “Okay, tell me about what you know of their diplomatic efforts?” James asked Bracey.

“Nothing has really taken off the ground yet, at least that was the impression I got from several of the delegations I spoke to. That was nearly a month ago now however,” she said with a shrug. “The delegates can’t be idiots. They have to know how harshly Culthrapori is treating his citizens. Yet as far as we can tell, they are all still here. In fact, more have arrived. If they are still negotiating despite what’s been going on, then they must have a reasonable degree of resolve towards forming a political union. Though as to exactly what they have in mind beyond claiming the name of the United Nations, your guess is as good as mine.”

James pursed his lips. He had been hoping to get more information. But that was all Bracey knew. What’s more, it was unlikely he would be able to garner anything more from any other source he could make contact with on the planet. “And if we were to remove Culthrapori. How do you think the other colonies would take it?”

Again Bracey shrugged. “I haven’t seen anything that would give me the confidence to answer that concretely. But if they have the resolve to look past Culthrapori’s atrocities, they may be willing to go forward without Culthrapori and New Delhi altogether. On the other hand, if they think their positions are threatened, they may become more amenable.”

James nodded, that was the problem with many of the colonies who were dillydallying when it came to holding a referendum on joining the Empire. Those who currently held positions of power didn’t want to risk them. If their colonies became members of the Empire they would have a chance to campaign for a seat on their local government, or even to be a Senator or member of the House of Commons. But they knew that in a democratic campaign, there were no guarantees. “Then we may just have to do what is right for New Delhi and see where the chips fall,” James said as he brought a hand up and rubbed his chin. “The general populace. Where do they stand when it comes to Culthrapori?”

Again, Bracey looked to Arjun before answering. “The Imperial Loyalists will tell you he has almost no support. That is close to the truth. But he does have some who are still with him. His popularity was riding high when he first took control. I’m told there was pandemonium for several weeks when news of the nuclear attack on Earth first came through. When Culthrapori restored order, he was seen as a hero. Even more so when he tried to stand up to the fleet elements that came and took most of their orbital battlestations. However, it has been dwindling ever since. Even so, if there is some kind of popular uprising, I suspect he will have enough support to make a good fight of it.”

“So there could be open fighting on the streets. And not just between the Imperial Loyalists and Culthrapori’s militia,” James surmised. He could easily picture the chaos that would break out within Calcutta and the other major cities on New Delhi. Even if the Imperial Loyalists won, the colony’s economy would be ruined. Instead of New Delhi becoming a productive member of the Empire, valuable resources would have to be sent to help with the reconstruction. “All right,” he said as he made his decision. He fixed his eyes on Arjun. “General Johnston and I are going to handle things from here. You are to instruct your cells to lay low. I don’t want you organizing any kind of armed insurrection.”

“But,” Arjun said as he jumped to his feet. “This is our homeworld. We cannot just sit by and do nothing. Not when a tyrant is abusing our people and our families.”

“You’re not just sitting back,” James replied, “you’re putting your trust in me. You can still continue your preparations. It may be that we will need your assistance. But if you truly care about your homeworld, then you will not throw it into chaos. Tens of thousands could die if you try and overthrow Culthrapori by yourself.” James gestured towards Johnston. “The General and I may be able to do things much more surgically.”

Arjun shook his head. “We will not let Culthrapori get away with what he has done.”

James raised his voice and adopted the more formal tone he used on the rare occasions he had to berate a junior officer. “I seem to recall you claiming I was already your Emperor. Are you telling me you’re going to disobey a direct command? Is your faith in me so fickle that it evaporates at the first opportunity? Or do you just think you are wiser and smarter and more experienced than I? Which one is it?” James didn’t take his gaze away from Arjun’s until the Indian lowered his eyes. “Well, what have you got to say?”

“If this is what our Emperor demands, then we will obey,” Arjun said quietly.

“Good,” James said in a much friendlier tone as he stood and moved beside Arjun to pat him on the shoulder. “I’m not saying you abandon your goal of seeing Culthrapori overthrown. Only that you let us do what we can. That’s what an Emperor is meant to do after all isn’t it? Protect his people? If we fail, or we need your help, trust me, I will ask for it. Deal?”

When Arjun looked up, he had lost some of his disappointment. “Deal,” he said as he nodded.

As James turned back to Johnston, he was surprised to see the marine jumping to his feet, moving far quicker than James thought humanly possible. Beside him the other six special forces marines were on their feet as well. Then James heard what had set them off. Gunfire. And it had been very close.

“Gunpowder weapons,” Phelps commented. “Light caliber ones.” Before he finished speaking, an explosion rocked their apartment building. As the sound reverberated within the apartment, the more familiar sound of plasma rifles releasing their bolts of destructive energy could be heard.

“Culthrapori’s militia,” Arjun hissed, “they have come for us.”

Chapter 21

One notable historian has compared the post Karacknid War colonial expansion of the Empire as akin to the wild west of the nineteenth century United States. Outside of Imperial space there were almost no laws, hundreds of potentially colonizable worlds, and tens of thousands of pioneers willing to risk all to claim their stake of them. More than one would be dictator or prophet or ‘elected’ ruling council had to be put down by the Imperial marines. Eventually these worlds were incorporated into the Empire’s borders and order restored.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

“We need to get out of here, now!” Johnston shouted. “What is our best way?” he asked as he turned to Arjun.

Before the Indian could answer, Phelps spoke up. He had moved to the living room’s window. “Looks like they are searching the apartment opposite ours. Whoever is in there doesn’t seem too keen on the idea. There are a couple of squads coming in our direction as well,” he finished as he stepped back.

“We have a secondary safe house across the street,” Arjun explained. “Our cell there is meant to watch over this one.” Even as he spoke, more small arms fire could be heard from across the street.

“Your escape plan,” Johnston reminded Arjun.

Arjun nodded. “Right, we go out the back, the same way you took to get in. Then we go into the sewer system.”

“No chance of that,” another marine called out, James thought it was Magee. He wasn’t in sight but his voice was coming from the apartment kitchen. “There’s militia out there too, looks like they’re searching the next apartment building as well. They’re already bringing residents out.”

“They don’t know exactly where we are,” James realized. “That gives us a few moments. What other ways out are there?”

Arjun shook his head. “None that I know of.” Neither of his two companions looked like they had anything to add. All three looked completely out of their depth.

Clearly dismissing them from the strategic equation, Johnston quickly moved out of the living room, James followed him. The General began to tap the internal wall of the apartment. “I think it’s just a few centimeters thick. Not permacrete either. Phelps,” he called. “Let’s see how strong it is.”

Phelps sighed but took several steps back away from the wall, nonetheless. He lowered his shoulder and charged with all of his enhanced strength. The wall gave way like it was made of straw and Phelps, startled by the ease with which he broke through, fell to the floor. Screams came through the hole as residents in the next apartment responded to Phelps’ sudden appearance.

“Not the best construction work,” Johnston said as he reached out and tore off a piece of the crumbling wall. “But that suits us just fine. What we need now is a distraction. Are there any weapons in the safe house?”

“Yes, a few pistols, but nothing else,” Arjun answered.

“That will do,” Johnston replied as he pulled Phelps to his feet. “Keep going private. I want a path clean through to the last apartment in this complex. We have to get the Admiral out of here, no matter the cost.”

“Yes General. They can fix my shoulder back on Drake,” Phelps replied before turning and heading into the next apartment.

“Magee, Bronson, Rodriguez,” Johnston said next. “Get Arjun’s weapons. The rest of us are going to follow Phelps. Give us a few seconds and then open fire on those militia units. Hold them off for as long as you can. Then leg it after us. They’ll not be expecting special forces marines, so speed should be all you need to get away.”

“Yes Sir,” Magee responded for the three of them.

“Everyone else, let’s go,” Johnston said as he directed another marine to take point and pushed James through the hole in the apartment’s wall. James only hesitated long enough to make sure Bracey, Maria, Arjun and the other two Imperial Loyalists were following before allowing Johnston to take over.

As they moved through the different apartments on the complex’s ground floor, the shooting from across the street died down. Either Arjun’s other cell had escaped or they had been killed or captured. When they had passed through six apartments, the shooting started up again. This time he knew it was Magee and the others. The initial cracks from their gunpowder pistols were quickly overwhelmed by the sound of what James guessed was at least twenty plasma rifles tearing into their apartment. Before James could ask Johnson if the marines they had left behind were going to be all right, they bumped into Phelps.

“This is the last one General, there’s at least a couple of militia out the back, but they’re certainly distracted,” the marine said.

“Okay, we’ll take them,” Johnston said as he moved towards the apartment’s kitchen and its rear doors. Before James could move to follow, another marine placed himself between James and danger. Whatever Johnston and Phelps were about to do, James was only able to imagine it.

Less than ten seconds later they were back. “The way is clear,” Johnston said. “Let’s go, everyone keep down and keep quiet.” As a marine placed his hand on James’ shoulder, James allowed himself to be pushed down almost to his knees and guided out of the kitchen and into the apartment’s rear garden. They moved right and followed the line of bushes to the garden’s fence. They hopped over it and sprinted across the street to the gardens of the next apartment complex. Again they hopped the fence and took cover in a new group of bushes. Something caught James’ eye. Rising above the bushes he poked his head out. The sight in front of him made his blood boil. Glancing back, he saw Arjun and most of the marines were staring too. In front of them, lying in the middle of the garden were five bodies dressed in civilian clothes. None appeared to have any weapons whatsoever. They had simply been killed. Probably as an interrogation method. “There’s no time for that,” Johnston said as he grabbed James’ arm. “We need to keep moving.”

James allowed himself to be pulled along. Though he kept his attention on where he was going, a part of his mind couldn’t shake what he had just seen. Culthrapori needed to be brought to justice, and soon! After following the line of the gardens, they again hurdled the fence and sprinted across another street. A cry of alarm almost made James turn, but Johnston yanked his arm in the opposite direction. Moments later the ground, vegetation and nearby wall of an apartment building erupted as plasma bolts crashed into their group. More than one grunt of pain reached James’ ear, but he didn’t have time to turn. He was running for his life. The next few minutes were a blur as Johnston led the group at a blistering pace away from the militia who were chasing them. Only when they made it to an open park and were able to hide in a thick grove of trees did he stop.

“Do you know where we are?” Johnston asked as he sought out Arjun.

As the Indian looked around, James assessed their group. There were only two special forces marines alongside Johnston. Maria, Angela, Bracey, and Kaia were all there too, but not Ishann. It was possible he had been separated from them, but James feared the worst. He tried to remember the name of the other marine who had been a part of their group as well, he thought it was Olsson. There was only one reason why he wasn’t with them. He must have been hit. Neither Magee, Bronson nor Rodriguez were with them either. James hoped that meant they had been forced to find another route of escape rather than that they were all dead.

“I think we are in Jaldapara Park,” Arjun said eventually. “One of our escape routes from the apartment complex was meant to come out here. There is an entrance to the sewer system over that way,” he said as he pointed. “We can get down into it and out of sight.”

“Let’s do it,” Johnston said with a nod. “Phelps, take point again. Go with Arjun and make sure he can find the sewer in the dark.” He turned to James. “This isn’t going to be pleasant Admiral, but at the moment that’s not a priority.”

“That’s not going to bother me,” James replied.

Five minutes later James wasn’t sure he had spoken the truth. Despite the corner of his shirt he had torn off and was holding over his mouth, the smell made him dry retch every time he breathed in. Nevertheless, he pushed himself forward as the group waded through sewage that was at times waist deep. On and on they went for what felt like an eternity. Sometimes they passed ladders that clearly led to the surface. Each time, James longed for them to stop, but Johnston pressed on. After passing the third, James made a mental note to find out if special forces marines had implants that allowed them to suppress their sense of smell. He strongly suspected they did. If so, he promised himself he would force Johnston to experience the kind of smells they were all suffering without using his implants when they got back to Earth.

Eventually, Johnston stopped beside a ladder. “I think we have gone far enough. Phelps, head up and get a lay of the land. Do you have a rough idea where we are Arjun?”

Arjun shook his head, but Kaia spoke up. “I think I do. We’ve been heading south-west. That should mean we’ve been heading in the direction of the Kalesar district. I have a couple of cells there. Once we know where we are exactly, I can take us to one of their safe houses.”

Even in the dark of the sewer, James could sense Johnston’s reluctance. When he didn’t say anything in protest, James realized how bad the situation was. After what had just happened there was no way Johnston would trust another Imperial Loyalists’ safe house. Yet they had no other options. “Let’s just get out of here and then we’ll see where we are,” Johnston said.

For the time being, James could only agree. When Phelps poked his head back into the sewer to give the all clear, James eagerly moved towards the ladder. As his head popped out into the open and he took his first breath of clean air in more than half an hour, he let out a sigh of relief. They had escaped, at least for the moment. Either way, he had fresh air and nothing seemed more important than that.

*

Despite taking two showers, changing his clothes, and scrubbing his hands several more times, James still couldn’t get the smell of sewage away. Finally giving up, he dried himself off and left the communal shower area. What was left of his team were holed up in an abandoned warehouse that the Imperial Loyalists had discovered and turned into a storage area for some of their weapons.

“We need to plan our next steps,” Johnston said as he walked over to James.

James nodded and both men sat on a couple of crates on one side of the warehouse. Angela and Bracey were several meters away trying to get some sleep. Arjun and Kaia had left a couple of hours ago to check in with their other cells and find out what was going on. “There’s no way we can risk trying to get back into orbit,” Johnston whispered. “We were sitting ducks on the way down. It’s too risky to try something like that again.”

James had already come to the same conclusion. “Especially if they discover Olsson’s body and carry out an autopsy. If Culthrapori finds out there are special forces marines on his planet, his paranoia will go through the roof.”

“Then we need to get a message to Drake. Whatever is going to happen, it will have to happen with us down here,” Johnston followed up. He levelled his gaze at James.

James nodded again and turned away as he rubbed his temple. He knew what Johnston was getting at. A decision needed to be made about how to deal with Culthrapori. The longer they waited, the more likely it was that someone would discover Olssen’s body and figure out who he was. From there it was only a small leap to realize that there may be Imperial forces gathering against the colony. If Drake and Johnston’s marines lost the element of surprise, the casualty rates for whatever actions James wanted carried out would rise rapidly. As he ran through his options, James closed his eyes. Though his mind and heart had been growing more and more certain over what he needed to do, he still struggled with coming to a settled decision.

The Empire had been founded on the premise of democracy. He firmly believed that only through a united democratic government could Humanity stand up to the Karacknids. If he used force to incorporate New Delhi into the Empire, it would rightly allow some to charge him with hypocrisy. At best there would always be a shadow hanging over the Empire’s founding, at worst it would question the very legitimacy of Christine’s and his positions. He was certain that a diplomatic option would not work. If Culthrapori was willing to kill his own citizens so openly and brazenly, he would not back down to diplomatic pressure. Tyrants never responded well to threats to their power. That left only a military option. One that is entirely justified, James reminded himself. Culthrapori had killed an Imperial citizen, that was all the legal justification he needed to intervene. And the people of New Delhi need you, he added. Whatever was to happen regarding New Delhi’s future, whether they would join the Empire or stayed independent with their own democracy, either was bound to be better than what they were currently going through.

“Okay,” he said as he opened his eyes. “There’s only one option as I see it. We need to remove Culthrapori from power as soon as possible. He won’t go willingly, so we’ll have to force him out. If we let the Imperial Loyalists do it, we’ll only have more dead civilians on our hands. Drake and your marines are going to have to do it without us. Is Lieutenant General Maximus up to it?”

Johnston nodded, “I wouldn’t have come down here if I hadn’t thought that. We gamed out a number of different scenarios on our journey here. He is more than capable. The question is, what exactly do we want to achieve?”

*

An hour later when Arjun returned, James and Johnston pulled him to one side. “We need you to get this transmitted to the outer system,” James said as he handed Arjun a datachip. “Can you get it to one of the mineral freighters?”

“I believe so,” Arjun said slowly. “We lost two cells last night, and with Ishann’s death, it is going to take us time to link in with his cells. But Kaia deals with our contacts on the freighters. She should be able to arrange it. What is on that chip?” Before James or Johnston could answer, Arjun figured it out. “Your plan of attack! So you’re going to intervene. Are you sending in the marines? How can our group help?”

James held up his hands even as he smiled. “Slow down there, cowboy. The less you know about our plans the better. Operational security and everything. Given what happened last night, the less anyone knows the better.”

“But you are going to intervene. And not just diplomatically?” Arjun pressed. James nodded. “Then how can I get my people ready?”

James shared a glance with Johnston and nodded to him. They had come up with a few things the Imperial Loyalists could do. In reality, it was meant to keep them out of the way. “There are several key spots within the city that any assault will have to capture,” Johnston began. “We need as detailed a reconnaissance of them as possible. We can transmit the data to my marines just before they begin their assault. I presume your cells can be tasked with gathering what information we need? Though they’ll need to do it quietly. If they alert the militia to the importance of these locations, then it could give the game away.”

“Of course, I can assign a separate cell to each one,” Arjun said. “None of them will know exactly what they’re doing. So even if they are captured, they’ll not be able to give anything away. We can tell them they’re surveying possible sites for future protests.”

“That will do,” Johnston said with a nod.

“Then we can prepare to take on the militia,” Arjun added. “We can hit them on the ground while your marines come in from space.”

“No,” James said as firmly as he could. “That will not be happening. Your cells are amateurs at best. Last night should have showed you that if you didn’t know it already.” Before Arjun could protest, James pressed on. “I know you saw those civilians murdered in their garden,” he continued. “I want justice for them as much as you do. I want justice for all the evil Culthrapori and his militia have perpetrated. But if your cells get involved, many more civilians will die. Plus, they are as likely to alert the militia and give away our element of surprise than to actually help with our operation. You want to be a part of the Empire? Then you have to trust the Imperial Fleet and marines to do their jobs. After this is over, you can join the marines if you want. But for now you need to leave them to do their jobs.”

Arjun looked from James to Johnston. Both had grim expressions. Reluctantly, as he had done the night before, he acquiesced. “Fine. We’ll recon and nothing more. But if your plan fails, we will do what we can.”

“If it comes to that, then neither Johnston nor I will be in a position to stop you,” James replied. If the marines failed, New Delhi and Calcutta would be turned into a nightmarish battlefield. At that point, Culthrapori’s grip on the colony would have been weakened enough that the Imperial Loyalists might actually stand a chance of seizing power. Not that there would be much left for anyone to rule over.

“Then I will give this to Kaia,” Arjun said as he held up the datachip. “What are we to do then?”

“You can return home and lay low,” Johnston replied. “We’ll be doing the same here. Though if you can arrange a second safe house for us in case we need to leave this one, that would be wise.”

“I’ll do that as soon as I pass on the datachip,” Arjun promised. He shook his head. “We’ve been talking about this and planning it for months. And now you’re telling us all to sit still.”

“That’s exactly what we’ll be doing,” James reminded him. “We have to trust our subordinates just as much as you do.” As he spoke, James’ mind went to Fisher and General Maximus. Both had plenty of combat experience. Though he would never admit it to Arjun, that didn’t entirely put his mind at ease. Sitting and watching helplessly while others carried out his plans had never been James’ strong point. And it turns out it’s even worse when you’re stuck in the midst of the very target they are coming to attack, James thought.

Chapter 22

There has always been a healthy rivalry between the Imperial Navy and Marines but in times of war that is quickly put aside. The Antarian War epitomizes this. Never before had both sides of the Imperial Military had to work so closely together across so many different star systems.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Drake, New Delhi system, 14th November 2482 AD (two days later).

“It is time,” Fisher said as she stepped onto Drake’s bridge. “Are your marines prepared General?” she asked as she glanced over to where Maximus sat.

The General nodded. “Everyone is geared up and ready to go,” he confirmed.

“Then let’s begin,” Fisher said. “Navigation, take us in towards New Delhi. Eighty percent military thrust.” At such speeds, every gravimetric sensor in the system would detect her battleship. That was just as Fisher intended. Drake was just ten minutes away from missile range of New Delhi. She didn’t want Culthrapori’s forces to have any more time to come up with a plan. Instead, they should be just scared enough to do what she wanted. “Open a system wide COM channel,” she ordered. “Naval forces of the New Delhi system, I am Captain Fisher of the Imperial battleship Drake. I have orders to disarm all naval warships and orbital stations of the New Delhi system. Stand down from your stations and power down your reactors. There will be no second warning. Power down now or face destruction. You have thirty seconds to comply after you receive this message.” Fisher nodded to her COM officer to end the COM channel.

“That should get their attention,” Maximus suggested.

“If it doesn’t, what happens next certainly will,” Fisher replied. She didn’t look over to the General, instead she kept her eyes focused on the holo plot of the nearest Indian warship. A small frigate on a wide patrol arc from New Delhi would be the first to come under Drake’s guns in just three minutes.

“Frigate alpha-1 should have gotten our message by now,” Drake’s COM officer reported.

Fisher counted thirty seconds in her head, then another to give the frigate a chance. Instead of powering down, it altered course onto a heading to rendezvous with the rest of the New Delhi warships. It was clear they intended to stand and fight together. “Send the signal,” she said as she glanced at her COM officer.

“Yes Captain,” officer replied and tapped on her command console. Moments later a covert message mimicking the background radiation given off by the New Delhi system’s star was broadcast from Drake.

The destroyer Despicable picked up the message a couple of seconds later. At once her Captain gave the command that had been on the tip of his tongue from the moment the New Delhi frigate hadn’t surrendered. “Fire!” he ordered. From the hidden destroyer, two heavy plasma bolts shot towards the frigate. They both punched right through the frigate’s weak armor and out the other side. Secondary explosions ripped the frigate in half and further explosions shattered it into hundreds of pieces. Despicable, still in stealth, didn’t change course or increase her reactor power. To any other ship in the system it would look like the New Delhi frigate had been destroyed by Drake at an extreme range.

When Fisher saw the frigate disappear on Drake’s holo projection she began to tap a finger on her command chair. She had just sent as strong a message as possible to the rest of the New Delhi ships that she wasn’t playing around. If they were smart, they would power down their reactors as soon as they saw what had happened. When the time came and passed when the other Indian ships should have detected the frigate’s destruction, Fisher clenched her teeth. They weren’t surrendering. It made no sense. Then she remembered Admiral Somerville’s report from New Delhi. Culthrapori’s ground base militia had been involved in a number of atrocities against civilians. He had also replaced most of the military personnel with those loyal to him. If he had done the same with his ships then the officers in charge would believe their lives were tied to Culthrapori. If they surrendered, they were likely to face criminal charges.

“Open another COM channel on a wide angle broadcast, maximum signal power” Fisher said as a thought came to her. With Drake so close to the Indian ships, every personal COM on each of them would be able to pick up what she was about to say. “This is your last warning,” she said as sternly as she could. “Power down now or face certain death. Even if you had a battleship of your own, you would be outmatched against Drake. Surrender now and I promise you will all receive a fair trial if one is even necessary. I’m speaking now to the crews of your warships. If your Captains or Lieutenants have carried out war crimes, they and they alone will be punished. Surrender and many of you will be allowed to go free.”

Again, Fisher waited longer than she needed to, to give the Indians a chance to surrender. No ships powered down. She shook her head in frustration. “Send the next signal.” This time, Drake’s COM officer gave the go ahead to IS Ferret. The Imperial Intelligence Division ship, equipped with the most advanced stealth technologies Humanity had, was even further into the system. As soon as she received the signal, Stalker gave the order to fire. Two more plasma bolts blew another New Delhi frigate into space dust.

“Power up our weapons, activate targeting sensors,” Fisher ordered when the frigate was destroyed. She wanted the rest of the New Delhi ships to know she wasn’t messing around. In formation with Drake her five other destroyers did the same. Arrayed against her force, Culthrapori had a light cruiser, three destroyers and three more frigates. Even if the numbers were doubled, Fisher knew that Drake alone could easily take them all.

“Ships are powering down!” Drake’s sensor officer reported excitedly. “All of them I think, wait, the light cruiser’s power levels haven’t wavered.”

Fisher nodded, “Signal the rest to move out of our line of sight. They are only to use their maneuvering thrusters. Prepare a half missile salvo for the light cruiser.”

When Drake was just thirty seconds away from missile range, the battleship’s COM officer began to speak quickly. “We’re getting a message from the light cruiser. It’s someone claiming to be a non-commissioned officer. They say they’ve taken the cruiser’s bridge. The Captain and senior officers are dead or in custody. They’re in the process of taking control of the ship’s engineering department and will power down momentarily.”

“Tell them they’ve got another minute,” Fisher snapped. Once again she began to count in her head. When she reached fifty-five the energy readings on the light cruiser rapidly fell. “All right,” she said with a nod. “Just one more hurdle in our way.” Everyone’s attention turned to the solitary battlestation in orbit around New Delhi. There had been no communication from it, nor any sign it was powering down its weapons. Fisher had expected as much. If she were Culthrapori, she would have put her most loyal people on the battlestation. It was probably a fair bet that its crew thought they stood a decent chance against a single enemy battleship. If the New Delhi warships had been able to fall back to the battlestation in time, they too might have fancied their chances, but Fisher had caught them out in the open. The battlestation was another matter. There was no way to defeat it except in a direct confrontation. Luckily for her, Drake was nothing like the pre-Karacknid war battleships the battlestation’s crew probably thought they were facing.

“Send orders for Despicable and Ferret to rendezvous with us. Launch fighters,” Fisher said. “Fire our first mark IV missile salvo as soon as we enter maximum range.” Technically, she could have fired a couple of salvos of multistage missiles at much longer ranges. But they packed far less of a punch. Against a battlestation mark IV missiles were needed. At least, if she wanted to return to Earth and not get a dressing down from Andréa Clements. “Prepare to fire a second salvo but hold off on launching it. I doubt we will need it.”

Drake and the Indian battlestation fired their salvos at roughly the same time. The battlestation didn’t have modern missiles, but the larger battlestation missiles that it was armed with had had the longest range of any Human missiles before Scott had developed the multistage and then the mark IVs. Though Fisher had every confidence in her ship’s point defenses, she still tightened a hand into a fist. Staring at forty missiles racing towards you was never a relaxing experience. Much of the tension in her body disappeared just seconds after her ships opened fire with their point defense weapons. Flak cannon rounds destroyed six missiles. Then Drake’s arc emitters released two massive waves of electrostatic energy. They fried the seeker heads and engine control processors of eight more. With just six missiles left, plasma and laser cannon fire destroyed them easily. Not a single AM missile needed to be fired. Fisher nodded. “My compliments to the squadron’s gunners,” she said. She switched her attention to the Indian battlestation. Its point defenses were already trying to engage the ninety- six missiles her squadron had fired. With higher top speeds, better maneuverability, and significantly increased ECM, the battlestation’s gunners were struggling. According to the counter on Drake’s holo projector, only eight missiles had been destroyed so far. Seconds later the salvo reached attack range. Only ten more had been destroyed. The rest detonated. The missiles’ focusing lenses converted the energy from the thermonuclear warheads into three high-powered laser beams. Two hundred and thirty-four reached out to strike the battlestation. All but seven struck home. When the interference from the nuclear detonations subsided, Drake’s sensors detected nothing but an expanding ball of debris. “Recall the fighters,” Fisher ordered. Drake’s four Spitfires had been racing in after the missile salvo, ready to add their plasma missiles to the carnage, but they were no longer needed. Fisher turned to Maximus. “It’s over to you now General.” She glanced at her command chair’s chronometer. Just twenty minutes had passed since Drake had revealed herself. Culthrapori’s forces on New Delhi’s surface would have had some time to prepare, but twenty minutes was not long.

“Slot us into our arranged orbit,” Maximus requested as he took charge of the landing operation. Fisher nodded to him as her officers began to carry out his orders. Then she sat back in her command chair and rolled her shoulders to relax. For the rest of the mission, she was basically a spectator. It was time to see what the Imperial Marines could do.

*

Flight Lieutenant Amy Povich glanced at her shuttle’s secondary readout for the seventh or eighth time. The readings from the shuttle’s two decoy missiles were still operating at optimal efficiency. Tilting her head left and right she confirmed that her two wingmen were with her as well.

“Begin mission Delta-one. Repeat, begin mission,” her flight controller on Drake announced over their COM channel.

“Acknowledged,” Povich replied. She quickly switched COM channels to her wingmen. “We’re up,” she said. “Deploy ordinance and begin descent on my mark… mark.” Flicking the switch that activated the first stage of the decoy missiles, Povich tilted the nose of her shuttle down and accelerated into New Delhi’s atmosphere. Within seconds she felt the resistance of New Delhi’s atmosphere through her flight stick. It quickly passed though. Moments later the alarms on her shuttle blared. Ground-based radar and other electromagnetic sensors were trying to track her. Of course, given the heat bloom her shuttle would have given off during its re-entry, they already had a good idea where to look. Just as she expected, atmospheric missiles appeared on her radar. They were coming from three separate sites around Calcutta. “Bank west, evasive maneuvers!” she ordered her wingmen.

As more than twenty missiles raced towards her three attack shuttles, Povich had no idea how many were actually targeting her command. With luck, none were, but there was no way to be sure. The decoy missiles under her shuttle’s wings were designed for exactly this kind of engagement. They weren’t missiles at all. There were just designed to look like them. Just before she had dropped into New Delhi’s atmosphere, they had deployed eight small drones each. The drones gave off heat blooms just like her shuttle as it entered New Delhi’s atmosphere. Then, after passing through the atmosphere and decelerating, the second stage of the drones kicked in. Each one gave off a faint electromagnetic signature, again designed to mimic her shuttle. With three shuttles under her command and each carrying two decoy missiles there were forty-eight drones arrayed around her shuttle. It gave her better than two to one odds that no missiles were actually targeting her craft. Those were odds Amy was comfortable with. She had trained to face them.

As the Indian missiles approached, she deployed her shuttle’s standard countermeasures and took evasive maneuvers. As she twisted and weaved she kept both eyes on one of her shuttle’s secondary displays. It was showing the sensor feed from the rear of her shuttle. When one missile appeared there and stayed with her, she cursed. Taking one hand off her flight stick she activated a second batch of countermeasures. She threw the shuttle into a twist so tight that her vision narrowed to the point where she could only see her flight stick. For several seconds she held the maneuver and then with a gasp she levelled off. When nothing struck her shuttle and no explosion erupted nearby, she let out a sigh of relief. “COMs check,” she requested.

“Decoy two here,” one of her pilots replied.

“Decoy three here too Lieutenant. That was fun, can we do it again?” her most junior pilot asked.

Povich shook her head. After the fright she had just experienced she wanted to give him a verbal bashing. But she knew it would only encourage him to come up with some cocky response. Instead she twisted her head to look back towards Calcutta. She was just able to make out six small dots accelerating towards the city. Like her craft, they were small sleek attack shuttles. Not quite Spitfires, but much closer to the fighters than standard shuttles. Having entered the atmosphere at a much slower velocity, they hadn’t given away their presence to the Indian ground defenses. On the other hand, the three surface-to-air missile sites had revealed their locations. Though she couldn’t see it, she could easily imagine the air to surface missiles racing away from the six shuttles. Her peripheral vision detected a handful of explosions in and around the outskirts of Calcutta. Then, on her main sensor display, she saw twelve normal shuttles enter New Delhi’s atmosphere. The real invasion force had arrived.

*

Major McGrath held onto his plasma rifle tightly as he was jostled about in his seat as the drop shuttle went through some turbulence. Though he had participated in many simulated ground assaults, this was only his second combat drop. Normally a man of action, he hated sitting still. Especially when the shuttle could come under attack at any moment. He knew the attack shuttles had taken out the three Indian SAM sites. Yet there was always a possibility Culthrapori had more, or even some additional ground defenses. According to the best intelligence on New Delhi’s defenses before the Karacknid war, there shouldn’t be any more than a handful of SAM sites. Even so, it was possible Culthrapori had managed to purchase additional weapons somewhere.

“Thirty seconds,” the shuttle’s pilot called over the COM channel, causing relief and tension to flow over McGrath. If the Indians hadn’t opened fire on the shuttles by now, it was unlikely they were going to; but that meant his part of the mission was about to begin. “Go, go, go,” the pilot called as the shuttle touched down on its assigned landing pad.

McGrath allowed Lieutenant Shelvey to lead the shuttle’s marines out before he followed. As he stepped down the access ramp, he was greeted with a bird’s eye view of Calcutta’s cityscape. The shuttle had landed on the roof of one of the city’s many apartment complexes. As Shelvey barked orders to his platoon, McGrath activated the main command and control section of his combat armor’s HUD. As the senior commander of the first wave, his role was one of coordination and strategy rather than getting into close quarters fighting with the enemy. Of course, if he got the chance for the latter he wouldn’t be complaining. “Secure the apartment and keep moving,” he ordered Shelvey. He switched the view on his HUD to check on the nine other shuttles under his command. He grunted in satisfaction when he saw that each had successfully landed on its building. Marines were swarming down the different apartment complexes and out onto Calcutta’s streets. The plan of attack had been designed to catch Culthrapori’s militia off guard. Instead of defending against an attack coming from outside the city, they were suddenly faced with five hundred marines within their defenses. After giving orders for the shuttles to take off and head back to Drake for the second wave, McGrath looked around the apartment complex’s roof. He was on his own. Breaking into a jog, he made his way to the nearest stairwell and descended. As he kept one eye in front of him, he monitored the progress of his ten platoons. Eight were moving out from within the city towards what Admiral Somerville’s intelligence had identified as the main militia barracks. The other two were being held back in reserve.

When McGrath got to the apartment’s ground floor and stepped out into the street, he saw Shelvey had his platoon in a defensive formation covering the block around the apartment complex. He gave the Lieutenant a nod of approval and stepped back into the apartment complex for cover. In relative safety, he devoted his full attention to his other platoons. When a firefight broke out between a squad of marines and two armored aircars, he accessed the visual images from one of the marines. In real time he watched the marines destroy one aircar with a hyper velocity missile. As the other dove to the street and militia poured out of it, the marines closed in and caught the militia in a crossfire. Six were killed before the rest threw down their weapons. “Secure any militia that surrender,” he ordered his Lieutenants and Captains over the regimental COM channel. “Leave a marine to guard them unless it is untenable.” Given the intelligence he had read, it was highly likely that if his marines tied up any surrendered militia and left them for later, there might not be anyone left to recover. Given the chance, it was entirely possible the locals would enact their own justice. One that would be dealt out a lot quicker than whatever might happen to the surrendered militia in the coming weeks and months.

McGrath coordinated the movement of his platoons as they moved in and surrounded the militia barracks and the outer defenses of the city. Rather than assault the barracks or the defenses from the rear, he ordered them to take up their own defensive positions. Securing the militia barracks was not his primary objective. All he needed to do was hem them in and cut off their access to the rest of the city. According to Somerville’s intelligence there were over two thousand militia based in the main barracks. Another thousand or so were spread out throughout the city, though the other bases were much further away from the governor’s residence. Or, as it was now, Culthrapori’s residence. “All right Lieutenants,” he said as he switched COM channels to speak to Shelvey and Hemsworth. “The other platoons have the barracks secure. It’s time for us to make our move.” McGrath contacted one of the Captains of the other platoons and passed responsibility for guarding the militia barracks to her. Hefting his plasma rifle, he moved out of the apartment complex and joined Shelvey’s platoon. With the second wave of marines less than ten minutes away, Shelvey and Hemsworth’s platoons were not needed as a reserve for defense of the barracks. It was time to head towards Culthrapori’s residence.

With their route predetermined, Shelvey and Hemsworth gave orders for their marines to proceed. Rather than take one of the large open streets, both platoons of marines jogged down two back alleys, one block apart. As they went, McGrath monitored the feed from the more than one hundred stealth drones that the marines had released. They were swarming ahead of the marine platoons, keeping a careful eye out for militia. It wasn’t long before they detected movement. “It looks like they’re setting up a roadblock. Three blocks out from the residence, six blocks ahead of us,” McGrath informed his two Lieutenants. “There’s two pockets of militia in front of the roadblock. We better neutralize them before we tackle the roadblock.” McGrath didn’t want any militia operating in his rear as they pushed forward.

On his HUD McGrath watched several squads split off from each platoon surround the two groups of militia. In two short sharp engagements, the militia were all dispatched or incapacitated. “They know we’re coming now,” McGrath said to Shelvey and Hemsworth. He used the eye tracker on his combat armor’s helmet to draw out a rough plan of attack and sent it to both Lieutenants. “Shelvey, we will occupy these two buildings and lay down covering fire. Hemsworth, once the militia are distracted, you’re to punch through their line at this point. Then turn west and sweep up their flank. Once you have them heavily engaged we will push through and join you.” After both Lieutenants acknowledged his orders, McGrath focused on his surroundings as he and the marines around him pushed forward.

Just a minute later they reached the two buildings he had identified. Both had commercial stores on the ground floor and offices or apartments above. Across a four-lane street the militia’s roadblock was visible. Keeping out of sight, McGrath followed the three squads of marines that Shelvey had assigned to one of the buildings. Moving up to the second floor he found a good vantage point and waited. Shelvey was the first to let him know his marines were in place. Then Hemsworth signaled to say she was ready to proceed. “Covering fire,” McGrath ordered over his COM channel with Shelvey’s marines. Matching actions to his words, he lent sideways and fired a single plasma bolt to shatter the window in front of him. He raked fire down into the militia across the street. He saw one go down before the rest dove for cover. As return fire blasted the area all around him, McGrath found himself diving down as well. They’re not too bad, he had to admit to himself. There were more of them than he had thought. He had clocked return fire coming from the second and third stories of the building across the street as well as from the roadblock itself. “Keep up the fire,” he ordered as he ducked out and released another stream of plasma bolts before ducking down again. “I want a hyper velocity missile on that roadblock,” he ordered. General Maximus had given strict orders about reducing collateral damage; there was no way he could order any heavier ordnance against the civilian buildings across the street, but the militia’s roadblock was fair game. Seconds later a massive explosion erupted, shattering the remaining windows. Forgot about that, McGrath thought as he poked his head out and continued shooting. It looked like the glass windows up to the fourth story of the building opposite him had been shattered. Any concerns about what Maximus or anyone else would say quickly evaporated as he focused his fire on anything that moved across the street. The explosion had sent all the militia under cover and his marines were taking advantage of that, keeping them pinned down. The militia’s fire had slackened considerably. “Time to make your move Hemsworth,” McGrath said as he switched COM channels.

Out of the corner of his eye, McGrath caught movement further down the street as the first squads in Hemsworth’s platoon charged across the open ground. In their combat armor, they could move almost three times the speed of a normal man. In little more than the blink of an eye they were swarming over a part of the militia’s roadblock that hadn’t been engaged yet. The militia there, either due to being distracted or having some of their number pulled away, were quickly overrun. Then Hemsworth’s marines assaulted the building to the east of the roadblock. “Keep up the covering fire,” McGrath ordered. He didn’t want the militia to have time to react to the new threat.

Just as he was about to lean right and open fire again, something made McGrath freeze. It took a couple of seconds to figure out what it was. All around him was the sound of an intense firefight but even amidst all the noise, several shots sounded wrong. By the fifth one McGrath figured it out, they were coming from the wrong direction. Behind us! McGrath realized. He switched COM channels to Shelvey’s platoon. Several voices were shouting at once. The marines on the floor below him were under attack. Leaving Shelvey to organize his marines, McGrath turned and sprinted through the building to its opposite side. Raising his rifle he glanced out one of the windows down to the street below. Before he could fire off a shot, several militia who had their weapons targeted on his building opened fire. McGrath swore and ducked back out of sight. “There’s at least ten of them still outside making their way in,” he shouted over Shelvey’s COM channel. He reached for his utility belt, pulled off a couple of grenades and flung them out the now destroyed window. As soon as they detonated, he popped back up and fired into the militia that hadn’t made it into the building yet. He cut down two before those that were left regained their wits and returned fire.

Just as McGrath began to take cover, he saw movement behind the militia. He almost snapped off a shot at the new arrivals, but he pulled his finger off the trigger just in time. The newcomers weren’t in military fatigues. Nor were they firing at him. Instead they were firing into the backs of the militia. Back behind cover, McGrath waited for several seconds. As soon as the fire on his position died down, he jumped back up. When he brought his rifle to bear on where the militia had been, he didn’t find any targets. They were all on the ground. The newcomers were moving over them and towards the entrance to the building. For a second McGrath didn’t believe his eyes. The civilians were moving with a speed and poise that defied logic. Only when he glanced further back and recognized that one of the other Humans that was moving more slowly did he understand. Admiral Somerville had come to join the fight! The civilians moving at such speeds had to be the special forces marines with him. Which included General Johnston! McGrath realized.

Chapter 23

Many Emperors and Empress have put themselves in harm’s way. No doubt they all felt fear in the midst of battle. I doubt, however, that they were as stressed as those assigned to protect them.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

Leaving his window, McGrath quickly made his way to the stairs that led down to the ground floor. As he descended, the signs of fighting ceased. Between Shelvey’s marines turning to face the new threat and General Johnston’s rear attack, the militia had been killed.

“General Johnston,” McGrath said as he came to attention and saluted his superior.

“You are leading the assault on Culthrapori’s residence?” Johnston asked.

“Yes Sir,” McGrath answered.

“And the roadblock, you have secured it?”

“My marines are in the process of doing so General,” McGrath replied.

Johnston nodded. “Then see to your marines, we’ll talk more once you secure our route to the governor’s house.” Johnston gestured towards the cowering militia around his feet. “We’ll take care of these and watch your back.”

“Of course General,” McGrath said as he spun and brought up his HUD again. Hemsworth had secured one of the buildings they were assaulting. From there they were pouring fire into the flank of what militia were left defending the roadblock. “Reorganize your platoon,” he ordered Shelvey. “We are advancing across the street.” After informing Hemsworth of what was happening, McGrath joined Shelvey’s marines as they made their charge across the open ground. Miraculously only one marine took a serious hit from an enemy plasma rifle. McGrath registered the marine’s cry of pain just before he hurdled the roadblock. The next several seconds were a blur as he head-butted one militia, fracturing his skull with the force his combat armor gave him. He shoved the butt of his rifle into the chest of another militia member before whipping his rifle around and gunning down a third enemy combatant. With that, the street was clear. Over the COM channel he heard Shelvey order his marines into the adjacent building to secure it. Given that no fire was coming down upon their heads, McGrath guessed the militia that had been in there were either dead or falling back. “Secure the area, and prepare to keep advancing,” he said to Shelvey and Hemsworth. “I need to speak to General Johnston and then we will proceed.”

Vaulting back over the roadblock, McGrath crossed the street again and found Johnston. Admiral Somerville had joined him. “General,” McGrath acknowledged with a nod. “Thanks for the assist.”

Johnston flashed him a brief smile. “No problem Major. What’s your situation?”

“We have eight platoons from the first wave pinning most of Culthrapori’s militia in their barracks and outer defenses,” McGrath explained. “We landed behind their frontlines. They just tried to erect a roadblock around the governor’s residence. It’s now breached. I’m about to give the order to proceed to the residence.”

“Very good Major, we will accompany you. You may carry on,” Johnston replied. McGrath hesitated. “Is there a problem Major?” Johnston queried.

McGrath felt his body stiffen as he did his best to hide his feelings. Though he still had to answer Johnston’s question. “None of you have combat armor. Wouldn’t it be safer to wait here? I can leave a squad of marines with you to stand guard. They can bring you forward once we have the residents secured.”

Johnston looked to Somerville and they both shared a glance. Then he turned back to McGrath. “No can do Major. We are coming with you. We’ll hang back, but we are going to be there when Culthrapori is apprehended. We’ve seen too much to just be spectators.” Before McGrath could say anything in reply, Johnston continued as he raised a hand, “and don’t think you’re going to assign a squad of marines to play babysitter with us. We can handle ourselves. You need every marine you’ve got. Understood?”

“Perfectly Sir,” McGrath replied in an obedient tone that conveyed the exact opposite of what he was thinking. The last thing he wanted was General Johnston or, even worse, Admiral Somerville being killed in his operation. He would never live the shame down. Not to mention the political consequences such a loss could have. Yet, as much as he hated it, he understood an order when he heard one. Trying to argue more would be a waste of time. Keying his COM unit, he turned and crossed the street once again. “Let’s push on to the residence, General Johnston and Admiral Somerville are going to accompany us.”

Though it was already his custom, McGrath made sure he stayed right at the very back of his marines’ formation. He knew Johnston and Somerville wouldn’t move past him so he made sure to keep himself out of harm’s way as the marines cautiously traversed the final few city blocks to the governor’s residence. A couple of firefights broke out here and there, but they encountered little significant resistance. “Major, you’re going to want to come and take a look at this,” Lieutenant Shelvey said not long after his lead squad made it to the outskirts of the residence. A minute later, when McGrath entered the building and climbed to the third story where Shelvey was waiting for him, he understood the Lieutenant’s tone. The governor’s residence was surrounded by a large park and gardens. There was a city block of open ground between the building McGrath was in and their target. The open ground wasn’t what had Shelvey concerned though. They had known about that obstacle going in. It was the administrative building itself that was not at all what McGrath had expected. Instead of a three-story hexagon shaped building, it looked like he was facing a fortress. Throughout the gardens, militia were standing or marching on patrol. Beyond them, poking out of several third story windows were the muzzles of heavy plasma cannons. The rest of the windows were either sandbagged up or open with more militia peering out. On the roof McGrath could see at least three separate sniper teams. They had probably already made his position. They’re just waiting until we come out in the open, he thought.

“What’s the problem?” General Johnston asked as McGrath turned back around the corner in the building to see him and Somerville moving up towards him past the waiting marines.

“They’re ready and waiting for us,” McGrath explained. “They don’t need any reinforcements from their barracks. There’s enough militia and ordinance to cause us a real headache. We could take a lot of casualties crossing that open ground. It might be wise to wait for the platoons from the second wave to catch up with us.”

Johnston screwed up his face. “Our intel suggested there were no more than fifty militia guarding the residence. The rest are usually out on patrol.” As he spoke Johnston moved past McGrath and leant around enough to peer out the window. He only looked for several seconds before turning back. “It seems our intelligence was wrong,” he said. He stepped to one side and motioned for Somerville to join him. McGrath tried to listen in but even with his combat amour’s enhanced audio sensors, he couldn’t quite make them out.

Moments later the two men broke apart. It was Somerville who moved closer to McGrath. “I think in this instance Major, we can forgo the request to keep collateral damage to a minimum. Whoever is in that building, they’re likely to be Culthrapori’s most loyal cronies. We’re going to have to consider them expendable. We can’t let Culthrapori escape. The General suggests a hypervelocity missile or two to the residence’s front door and a couple more for those plasma cannons. It should buy you the time your marines need to cover the open ground.”

McGrath didn’t have to think about it for more than a half second. “Yes Admiral, that should get us across the residence’s gardens without taking too much fire. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll speak to my Lieutenants and draw up a plan of assault.”

“Of course,” Somerville replied as he gestured for McGrath to move past him.

Moving over to where Shelvey and Hemsworth were conversing, McGrath joined them. “We have permission to use HVMs,” he said in a tone that conveyed the grin that his subordinates couldn’t see because of his combat armor. McGrath raised his left forearm and activated the small holo projector on it. A 3D map of the residence appeared between the three officers. “We’ll hit the main entrance here with one missile, there are two heavy plasma guns approximately here and here,” McGrath explained as he pointed to two third story windows. “We’ll hit each of them as well. Between the explosions and the debris, we should have enough additional cover to make our charge. We’ll stick with our original plan for the rest. Shelvey, your platoon will assault from this direction using these trees for your cover. Hemsworth, your platoon can advance with the fountain and statues for yours. It looks like there are going to be militia out in the open along both of your routes unless they fall back once the shooting starts. Either way, make sure your marines are ready for close quarters combat as we move through the gardens.”

“Understood Major,” Shelvey replied.

“They’ll not know what hit them,” Hemsworth added.

“Just make sure your marines know what is likely to hit them in return,” McGrath warned. “Brief your people,” he said by way of dismissing them. “We go in two minutes.” McGrath made his way back to Johnston and Somerville. “We go in two minutes,” he informed them. He took a deep breath. “I believe you should wait here until we have secured the outer sections of the residence. In fact,” he continued before either man could interject. “I insist. This is my operation. Charging across the open gardens against so much opposition is going to be risky. I don’t want my marines’ attention dividend between taking their objective and protecting you two.” Letting out a deep breath, McGrath waited to see how cross both of them would be. After sharing a glance he was surprised when both Somerville and Johnston turned and smiled at him.

“Given what we’re facing, I think I’m happy to sit this one out,” Somerville said. “I may be eager to see Culthrapori brought to justice, but I don’t have a death wish. We’ll wait here until your marines have secured the gardens and are clearing the residence. Then we’ll join you.”

“Thank you,” McGrath replied, unable to hide the relief in his voice.

Somerville must have picked up on it for he smiled again. “Stop worrying about us and make your preparations Major. We’ll stay out of your hair.”

With a nod McGrath turned and made his way to the squad in Shelvey’s platoon that he had been accompanying. Whilst he wanted Somerville and Johnston to remain behind, he had no such intentions. He was going to cross the enemy’s field of fire with his marines. If he was going to order them to do it, he had to go himself. “Are your platoons in place?” he asked his Lieutenants over the COM channel.

“Affirmative,” both replied one after the other.

“Missiles first, then mortars and grenades,” McGrath replied. “On my mark.” McGrath silently counted to eight to allow Shelvey and Hemsworth time to make sure their marines knew the firing order. “Begin,” he commanded. Unable to just imagine what was about to happen, McGrath risked poking his head around the side of the building. He was just in time to see the three hypervelocity missiles zip across the open ground. They struck the residence at almost the exact same time. Three fireballs washed over the outside of the building and ate their way in. McGrath saw the militia diving for cover all across the gardens before the mortar rounds landed and the grenades the marines had hurled exploded. Both sets of ordinance were designed to provide cover for the marines’ assault. They exploded with a bright burst of light that would temporally blind anyone not wearing combat armor. Then smoke poured out of them as well as thousands of superhot metallic flakes. The flakes would descend over the course of several minutes, making it impossible for infra-red sensors to see the small heat signatures the marines’ combat armor gave off.

The next thing McGrath saw were the six marines of the squad he was accompanying move past him in a flash as they charged. Springing into action, he followed close behind as they moved into the dense smoke and cloud of metallic flakes. As soon as his vision became seriously impaired, his HUD overlaid a representation of the main features of the residence’s garden. As a result, when he came to the gardens outer wall, he vaulted over it even though he couldn’t see it. Still moving at a sprint, he continued forward. Twice Human shapes appeared in front of him. One he sent spinning to the ground with a combat armor enhanced punch to the ribs. His enhanced audio sensors easily heard the militia’s ribs cracking. The second he had just enough time to bring his plasma rifle to bear to dispatch.

When he was about halfway across the open ground the militia defending the residence regained their cohesion. The first indication McGrath got of the change was when plasma bolts exploded all around his feet. They’re firing blindly, he guessed as he continued to charge and no bolts zeroed in on him. A second later he passed a marine crumpled on the ground. Despite McGrath’s instincts calling out for him to stop and offer aid, he knew he couldn’t. The smoke and metallic chaff wouldn’t last much longer and if the residence wasn’t breached, the marines would be caught out in the open. Instead he fired blindly through the smoke towards where his HUD overlay said the second and third floors of the residence were. Perhaps his fire would cause some of the militia to duck for cover. For another ten seconds or so McGrath sprinted with all the speed his armor could give him. Then, just as suddenly as he had entered the cloud of smoke and chaff, he emerged from it. The residence towered above him just ten meters in front. McGrath didn’t have time to take it in. As soon as he emerged, the militia focused their fire on him. The only thing that saved him were the nearly one hundred other marines who appeared at the same time. Their lightening quick reflexes meant they tracked in on and dispatched the militia faster than Culthrapori’s men could hit their targets.

In barely longer that it would have taken McGrath to blink, he was through the hail of fire from the militia and bursting into the massive hole the HV missile had made. At least eight other marines had beaten him through. Three fell as militia opened up from where they were hiding behind pieces of rubble. The remaining marines dispatched them before McGrath could get involved. In the space of seconds, what remained of the residence’s large entrance hall was packed with marines. “Spread out,” McGrath ordered over the general COM channel. “Stick to your squads. You already have assigned search patterns. Clear this building and find Culthrapori!”

As the marines scattered McGrath looked for Shelvey and Hemsworth. “To me Lieutenants,” he said over their command COM channel when he confirmed both were still alive. “What is the status of your platoons?” he asked when they approached.

“I’ve got five marines down,” Shelvey said, “their combat armor is indicating they are gone. There are another seven out there wounded,” the Lieutenant added as he gestured towards the smoke filled gardens.

McGrath nodded and turned to Hemsworth. “Four dead, three unaccounted for,” the Lieutenant answered.

“Alright, we’ll send a couple of squads out to get the wounded as soon as the smoke clears,” McGrath informed them. “But first we need to clear the militia away from the windows. Focus on coordinating your platoons’ search patterns. We need to find Culthrapori or our losses will be in vain.”

Both Lieutenants nodded, Shelvey turned away in a gesture that suggested he was speaking to one of his subordinates on his COM unit. “I think we’re going to have a problem,” Shelvey said after he turned back. “I’m getting reports from my squad leaders. The layout of the residence isn’t matching our schematics.”

“What?” McGrath asked as he bit back a series of curses.

“There appear to be new doors that weren’t on the schematics and even new walls. It’s throwing off our search efforts,” Shelvey elaborated.

McGrath grimaced. “See to your platoons,” he ordered. “Do your best. They have obviously been making preparations for defending this place for a while now. Warn your marines to be careful.”

As both Lieutenants sprinted off to join their platoons, McGrath moved deeper into the residence. He wanted to see for himself what Culthrapori’s militia had done. It didn’t take him long to encounter a wall where the schematics on his HUD said there shouldn’t be one. Reaching out he gave it a strong punch. When rock came crumbling away he grunted. They had gone to a lot of effort. Falling back a little, he found a small room that the marines had already cleared. Then he hunkered down and gave his full attention to his command and control HUD. He projected a 3D image of the residence with the location of each of his marines on it. In real time he watched as they systematically cleared the building room by room and floor by floor. At least as systematically as they could with the changes to the building. Here and there McGrath intervened to better coordinate several squads, but for the most part they didn’t need his help.

Now and again a dot indicating a marine would flash or dim and disappear telling him one had been injured or killed. Two dimmed together when a large explosion rocked the entire building, making dust fall from the ceiling to coat McGrath’s combat armor. McGrath responded with several swear words.

“Major, I think you’re going to want to come and take a look at this,” Shelvey said seconds later.

“On my way,” McGrath replied as he checked the Lieutenant’s location and quickly made his way to his subordinate. “What is it?” he asked when he entered the ground floor room Shelvey was in. Instead of answering, Shelvey stood aside and pointed at a large hole in ground.

“Tunnels?” McGrath asked needlessly. He swore to himself. Culthrapori had been well prepared indeed. “No doubt they lead out to the surface several blocks from here. Do we have any drones left?”

Shelvey shook his head. “We’ve used them all trying to figure out the building’s new layout.”

“Then we go in blind,” McGrath said as he raised his plasma rifle and jumped into the hole. His amour’s HUD immediately switched to night vision mode.

“I can take point Major,” Shelvey said as he jumped in and was followed by three other marines.

McGrath was already on the move. He was not going to let Culthrapori escape. Not when so many marines had already died. Though he had to crouch in his combat armor, he moved as fast as he could. There was no time for caution. If Culthrapori was still in the tunnels, McGrath intended to catch him. And if he was already out, they needed to find out where the tunnel ended as quickly as possible so they could search for him. After about a hundred and fifty meters the tunnel divided. “Split up,” McGrath ordered as he took the left tunnel without breaking stride. When another fork appeared thirty seconds later he went left again.

For nearly a minute he moved as fast as he could through the tunnel. The silence behind him told him the other marines had all taken different forks. Then heard new noises. They weren’t from behind, but in front. I have him! McGrath thought. Seconds later he turned a slight corner in the tunnel and bowled into two men in militia uniform. Both let out cries of alarm before McGrath silenced them. As he disentangled himself from their bodies, he looked further up the tunnel to see five more men. To his surprise, two of them were in combat armor.

They moved towards him. Even as he prepared to engage them, he noticed one of the other men was dressed in what looked to be a rather fancy civilian suit. Culthrapori, he growled as he rushed the two militia in combat armor. With his plasma rifle still on the tunnel floor where he had dropped it in his tussle with the first militia, McGrath pulled out his nano carbon knife as he accelerated. His two opponents did the same. McGrath smiled a predatory smile. They probably didn’t want to cause a cave in. That was fine with him. He was no special forces marine, but he would bet on his knife skills against anyone else’s in a heartbeat.

With no space to maneuver, all three combat armor clad men crashed into one another. McGrath used his forearms and elbows to deflect the two blades thrust at his chest. Then he brought a knee up into the side of one of his opponents as hard as he could. As a grunt of pain filled the tunnel he pivoted to make use of his momentary advantage. Grabbing the other man’s wrist, he pushed his opponent’s hand and knife up and away. He thrust his own knife into the militia’s armpit with all the force he could muster in the confined space. When the militia cried out in pain McGrath doubled its volume by twisting the knife. He yanked it out and shoved the militia up against the tunnel wall. Snapping around, he was just in time to see the second militia aim a thrust at his throat. Ducking, he shot back up and returned the gesture. His knife met the militia’s chest armor plate, but McGrath kept thrusting and his knife slid along until it met the crease in the combat armor at the man’s neck. Adding extra pressure, McGrath forced the knife in with both hands. For a second the armor held out against the nano carbon blade, then it gave way. McGrath’s knife sunk into his enemy’s neck all the way to its hilt. The militiaman coughed and gargled as he began to drown in his own blood.

Though he was surrounded by the sounds of both men dying, McGrath ignored them and looked further up the tunnel. The remaining three men were standing exactly where they had been five seconds before. “Move one muscle and you are next,” McGrath rasped. “Drop them,” he added as he gestured to the weapons in hands of the militia who were in their normal fatigues. They both dropped them and backed away from the third man. “Culthrapori I presume,” McGrath said as he advanced. He reached out and grabbed the man in the suit before he overcame his fear and tried to run. Lifting him into the air he got a better look at him. “It is you,” McGrath said with a smile. Culthrapori spat on the face plate of his armor. Instead of enraging McGrath, it just made him laugh. “Yes, yes, that’s right. Just like a little child. You are nothing but a bully.” Turning, he cast Culthrapori back up the tunnel in the direction they had come from. “You two can get out of here,” he said over his shoulders. His HUD had already taken facial scans of them. They wouldn’t get far, and he didn’t want Culthrapori gaining some sudden courage from their presence. Dismissing them from his throughs he gently kicked Culthrapori as he lay on the ground. “On your feet. You are officially under arrest by the Imperial Marines. You will face trial here in New Delhi for your war crimes and perhaps even on Earth as well. Now, on your feet.” This time, instead of kicking Culthrapori, McGrath reached down and picked him up. Holding him in the air, he carried Culthrapori back up the tunnel as he held the Indian’s shoulder in a vice like grip.

“Nothing to say?” McGrath asked as Culthrapori struggled against his grip. “Very well,” McGrath continued when Culthrapori made no response. He gripped harder on the self-appointed governor’s shoulder, making him scream in pain. Though it did put an end to his struggling.

When he got to the end of the tunnel, just to show off, McGrath jumped out of it still holding onto Culthrapori. As he landed he wasn’t in the least surprised to see Johnston and Somerville standing there. “I’ve brought someone who wants to have a word with the two of you,” he said as he dropped Culthrapori at Admiral Somerville’s feet.

Chapter 24

Many opponents of the Empire have been bent to the will of our Emperors and Empresses. Both Humans and aliens have come to see the light, with the right persuasion. Never in the history of our dealings with the Karacknids have they been swayed by anything but the threat of sudden and swift violence. This is the only threat they understand.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

“Culthrapori,” James said as he looked down at the skulking man on the floor. “It’s good to finally meet you.” As a small measure of sympathy for the pathetic excuse of a man lying in front of him started to well up inside James, he forced it down with memories of the civilians he had seen shot in cold blood. “I considered making a diplomatic request to come and speak with you. But I thought you might turn me down. So I decided this way would be better. I presume Major McGrath has informed you that you are under arrest?”

Culthrapori looked up at James, drew his head back and hurled a glob of saliva. James started to duck out of its way, but Johnston was quicker. With his lightening quick augmented reflexes he reached out and slapped the spit away.

“Now, now Mr. Governor,” Johnston said as he lifted Culthrapori to his feet. “That is no way to treat your betters. Especially one who is to be your Emperor.”

“He is no Emperor of mine. You are a tyrant and an oppressor!” Culthrapori shouted.

“Perhaps,” James said as he quickly reached out and placed a hand on Johnston’s shoulder. The General had been about to give Culthrapori a dig in his ribs. “You may be right. But I think I will let your people decide that. I doubt your judgement is twenty-twenty on the issue.”

“You have no right. No right at all!” Culthrapori shouted as he raised his fists towards James. “You have killed my people! You are a murderer! All of New Delhi will see it.”

James couldn’t help but smile. In the last twenty years he had come across a number of politicians and leaders who had sought their positions simply for the power it brought them. It never ceased to amaze him just how easily they projected their own motives onto others. It always meant such leaders ended up on their own, for they could never trust those around them. His smile was as much one of pity as amusement. “One of us is badly deluded Governor. I guess we will have to find out who… Take him,” James said as he nodded to Johnston. He turned to McGrath, “Find us a room where we can have a more civilized talk with the Governor, preferably one with a view.”

“Yes Admiral,” McGrath responded before turning away to access his map of the Governor’s Residence. “This way,” he said moments later.

When they got to the office McGrath had chosen, James wasn’t surprised to find it a mess. Its windows had been blown in and something, a grenade or plasma bolt had torn the only desk to shreds. Still, there were several chairs knocked over that looked to be mainly intact. Picking one up and sitting it upright, he patted it and nodded to Johnston for him to sit Culthrapori down. He grabbed another one and turned it over to sit on himself. “Now,” he said as he placed his hands on his lap. “I know you’re not a complete fool. You couldn’t have taken power and held it for these last several months without some intellect. You have to know your situation is untenable. We have your militia’s main barracks surrounded. We can assault it at any time. Most of your other forces have been destroyed or are being hunted down. You may think you have loyal supporters within the civilian populace but they are massively outnumbered by those who hate you. You are not getting out of our clutches. You are facing criminal charges. Both in our Empire and here on New Delhi. Let me promise you this, whatever happens, you will be held accountable for the death of Olivia Cornell. Yes,” James said as Culthrapori‘s eyes widened. “I know about your attempt to kill Ambassador Bracey.” He lent forward. “You may not have succeeded in getting her, but you killed a citizen of the Empire, nonetheless. You will face justice for that… In addition, there is the long list of crimes you have committed here. I have a team working on documenting them all. What we have at this moment is enough to see you jailed for life. No doubt we’ve only discovered the tip of the iceberg. As I see it, you have two choices. Either you cooperate and we will show you some leniency. Or I hand you over to the crowds and let street justice be done.”

Culthrapori tilted his head back as if he was going to spit at James again. Johnston reached round and cupped Culthrapori ’s mouth and nose. “Swallow,” Johnston ordered forcefully. When Culthrapori didn’t respond, James saw Johnston’s grip tighten. Culthrapori started to thrash. “Swallow,” was all Johnston said. For several seconds Culthrapori struggled. Then he stopped. Very visibly he took a deep gulp. Johnston released his grip, though his hand stayed in front of Culthrapori ’s face. “Are you going to behave?” Johnston asked.

Culthrapori didn’t respond verbally, but he did give a very slight nod. “Good, now we’re starting to understand one another,” Johnston said.

“Indeed,” James said. “What is it going to be Governor?”

“I will not aid you usurper. You have no legitimacy. Not on Earth, and not here. I will gladly face the justice of my people,” Culthrapori said as he looked down his nose at James.

James shook his head. “Do you hear that?” he asked. Culthrapori frowned. “Listen,” James demanded. Through the broken window, a low rumble of voices could be heard. Here and there screams and shouts broke out. “What do you suppose that is? Your supporters, gathering to demand your release?” When Culthrapori didn’t respond James glanced at Johnston. “Show him.”

When Johnston lifted Culthrapori to his feet, he didn’t resist. At least he’s learnt something, James thought. James stood and moved to the window and stood beside Culthrapori. At the far end of the residence’s garden, a small crowd had formed. Perhaps more than a hundred people. More and more were streaming in through the nearby streets. Several marines were on the perimeter keeping the crowd from pushing forward. “Listen,” James ordered again. “Are they crying out for you?”

As silence descended within the office, the cries of the crowd got louder and louder. Initially it was hard to make out exactly what was being said. But the cries coalesced into one chat. ‘Death to Culthrapori, death to Culthrapori!’ As the crowd grew larger and larger, the volume of the chant increased until it was absolutely unmistakable what they were after.

“There you have it,” James said to Culthrapori after letting him watch for nearly a minute. “Your people have spoken. Now, back to my two options,” he added as he nodded towards the chair Culthrapori had sat in. As Johnston brought Culthrapori back to his seat James continued. “Either you help us and call on your militia units to lay down their weapons. Or I hand you over to the crowd.”

“Traitors, they are all traitors!” Culthrapori spat. “They will be made to pay. You have probably bought them.”

James couldn’t help but give Culthrapori another smile full of pity. “Why would I bother? I have you in custody. They are here of their own free will… Now choose, you can have my justice or theirs.”

“You wouldn’t,” Culthrapori said defiantly, though the more he spoke, the lower his voice became.

“You have wasted enough of my time!” James said, his voice rising to match his impatience. “I should be on Earth, or even out on the frontline with the Karacknids. Instead I am here, wasting my time with you. Last chance, choose now.”

Culthrapori didn’t respond, instead he stared at James, anger smoldering in his eyes. James waved a hand dismissively. “Fine, have it your way. Take him out and give him to the crowd.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Culthrapori said as he was taken away by a couple of McGrath’s marines.

James watched them go then turned to Johnston and raised an eyebrow. “You’re just bluffing, aren’t you Admiral?” Johnston asked.

“You saw those dead civilians just as I did,” James replied. “They were murdered in cold blood. How many more of them do you think there have been?”

“Some I’m sure,” Johnston replied. “Perhaps many. But you know what they’ll do to him. Beat him to death, or hang him, or simply tear him apart.”

“And that’s not what he deserves?” James queried.

Johnston shook his head. “I’m not saying that. But it’s not exactly imperial decorum to hand over your enemies to crowd justice. I’m not sure this is the kind of example Empress Christine would like us to set.”

James couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer. He burst out laughing. “The look of concern on your face,” he said as he shook his head. “Of course we are not going to hand him over. But he doesn’t need to know that.”

Johnston’s lips tightened, then he shook his head too. “You had me worried there. When I’m the voice of reason, something has gone badly wrong.”

“Don’t mistake me, I would love to hand him over. It is just what he deserves. But I know we can’t do that. As much as we might like,” James replied.

Johnston nodded. “I’m glad I don’t have to talk you out of it.”

“This time,” James said as he winked. “Perhaps next time I’ll keep up the ruse longer and see how good your debating skills are. Now, let’s see how my real reason is going.” Standing, James moved over to the window again. The crowd had grown in size. So too had their calls for Culthrapori’s death. Glancing down, James saw the two marines in combat armor bringing Culthrapori towards the crowd. They were dragging him as his feet trailed along the grass. When the crowd recognized who was being brought to them, they let out an almighty roar. Their cries for Culthrapori’s death doubled in volume. “Okay,” James said as he glanced at McGrath. “Have them stop.”

James watched as the marines stopped and turned so that Culthrapori could look up at him. “Last chance,” James shouted down to the Indian. “Help us, or I hand you over.” Though he was more than forty meters away, Culthrapori ’s glance over his shoulder towards the crowds was unmistakable. When he looked back, his whole body seemed to deflate. He nodded and slumped even further into the arms of the marines. James smiled. “Bring him back up here. He is going to record a message for his militia,” James ordered.

When the marines started moving back towards the residence, the crowd’s roars increased. James glanced at McGrath. “I think you’re going to need a few more marines out there.” He turned to Johnston. “We better contact Arjun and Kaia and see if they can get the crowds to disperse. They will have their justice. Just not today.” Stepping away from the window, James went back to his seat and sat down. His mind raced through a hundred different things. On top of getting Culthrapori to get his forces to stand down, he needed to deal with the diplomats from the other colonies that were somewhere in the capital. Then he would have to see to maintaining law and order throughout the colony. And no doubt there were some civilian casualties from his marines ‘attack. He fully intended to meet with their families and offer his condolences and whatever help and compensation he could. On top of all that, he had to find a way to restore a functioning government for New Delhi. As a hundred and one problems assaulted his mind, James couldn’t help but smile. Commanding a fleet in battle was far easier than all the politicking he constantly found himself being thrown into. At least I’m getting plenty of experience, he couldn’t help but admit.

*

Calcutta, New Delhi, 19th November 2482 AD (five days later).

Five days, but certainly not five nights worth of sleep later a very tired James struggled to keep his eyes open. He was sitting in a school gymnasium watching as a long line of Indians slowly made their way to the voting booths. Sitting on either side of him were members of the diplomatic delegations from the Canadian colony of Baffin and the Argentinian colony of Lafonia. He had invited members from all the diplomatic delegations to attend as many of the voting stations as they had people to send. For on this day, all across New Delhi, the entire population of the colony was voting in the referendum that would decide their future.

In front of James and the two diplomats, a non-commissioned officer from Drake, several teachers from the school, a couple of firefighters and a policewoman were overseeing the actual voting. Each citizen of the colony who wanted to vote had a small mark lasered into their wrist to show that they had voted. The mark would only last a short time, nevertheless it was impossible to hide or alter. It had been the simplest and safest way James and his staff officers had come up with to make sure no one was able to vote twice.

“Well,” James said as he leaned towards Jennifer Barker, the lead Canadian diplomat. “Have you any complaints?” The look he received in return would cut glass. But that was all she did. No words of anger or accusations followed. She’s hedging her bets, James was sure. If the results of the referendum meant New Delhi had decided not to join the Empire, no doubt she would have a lot to say. One thing she couldn’t bring up were allegations of foul play. Both her and her staff had their own recording devices and James had allowed them to gather as much evidence as they wanted. If there were going to be any allegations of the vote being rigged, Barker would not be able to claim he kept her in the dark. Everything was being done openly for all to see.

With hours yet before the vote was finished, James moved from side to side in his chair to get more comfortable. He wanted to close his eyes and take a nap, the last five days had been even more hectic than he had feared, yet he couldn’t. He needed to see things through. When the vote was over he would finally be able to get some proper rest, but not until then. A small amount of movement in the corner of his eye made James twist his head. When he met the gaze of the marine standing guard out of sight of the voters, he smiled. Johnston had insisted Private Magee be assigned to protect James. Thankfully, Magee, Bronson and Rodriguez had appeared hours after the governor’s residence had been taken. After escaping the militia raid on the safe house, the three marines had slipped out of the city and hidden themselves in a nearby forest. James had been glad to learn of their survival and he was happy to have a special forces marine watching his back.

Turning back to the voting, James decided to count the number of people passing through the booths. It was just about the last thing he had to keep his mind busy. By the time he got to two hundred and thirty-six he gave up. It was just making him sleepier. Instead he allowed his mind to drift as he wondered what Christine, Lightfoot, Rivers, and the rest were up to.

Just over four hours later, James sat up. He hadn’t noticed, but the queue of Indians wanting to vote had dwindled. No more new voters were arriving. Twenty minutes later and the last voter left. With everything being done by paper so that no one could accuse him of tampering with election devices, the votes still had to be counted. Many of those assisting in the voting station had already begun the process. Standing, James moved to where the votes were being sorted into two piles. “How is it coming?” he asked one of the Indians.

“We reckon we have over thirty thousand votes here Admiral. We’ve been sorting them in piles of hundreds. These are yes votes, and the no are over here,” the teacher responded.

James couldn’t help but smile. If he was looking at two piles that came to thirty-three thousand votes, less than a fifth had to be in the no pile. “I’d say that’s pretty conclusive, wouldn’t you?” James asked as he turned to Barker. She had followed him over to see what he was doing.

“If the people of New Delhi wish to join your Empire, then I will not stand in their way. But you cannot threaten Baffin. We will not bow down to violence like Culthrapori has,” Barker responded.

James turned and fixed her with an unwavering stare. “You may have been able to claim ignorance about what Culthrapori was up to before our arrival. But you cannot do so any longer. If I find out that you or anyone else was complicit in his crimes, justice will come for you. No matter what world you call your birthplace. I have no desire to force Baffin or any other colony to do anything against their will. But I will not stand by and let tyrants persecute and kill their own people. Not when we have a far greater enemy that we should be fighting.” Before Barker could reply, James turned and marched out of the voting station. Magee followed right behind. “Let’s take a shuttle back to the governor’s residence,” James said. “If the voting has gone the same everywhere else, then I need to talk to General Johnston.”

By the time James got on his shuttle and flew to the governor’s residence to find Johnston, many of the voting stations had reported their numbers. “It looks like the vote has passed with flying colors,” Johnston said with a smile as James walked into the office he had converted into his command and control center. “I guess that means congratulations are in order Admiral. You have overseen your first successful solo election. Fairfax and Christine would be proud…” Johnston faded off as his face hardened. Then he tried to cover it up with humor. “Though I suspect they’ll take a little convincing that you actually pulled it off.”

James returned Johnston’s smile. He added what he knew Johnston had been thinking. “So would Suzanna if she were here. But I imagine she would immediately have claimed all the credit.”

Johnston chuckled. “Aye, that she would have,” he said as the tension on his face eased.

“I’m glad you’re in such a good mood,” James said. “It makes what I’m about to say even more enjoyable for me… I’m leaving you in charge. I’ll be taking Drake back to Earth. Now that Culthrapori has been dealt with and the referendum has gone in our favor, I’m no longer needed.”

“Me?” Johnston said as he sat up straighter. “Can’t I go back with you?”

James smiled again as he shook his head. “New Delhi has just voted to join the Empire. They need to hold elections to vote for their Senators and members of the House of Commons, never mind electing their own Governor and Colonial Senate. They need someone to hold the reins until all those elections can be sorted out. Someone to make sure they are free and fair. Not to mention there are still a few groups of militia lingering out there. Someone needs to keep an eye on them as well. I’m needed back on Earth. There is an enemy invasion force that we need to confront. Unless things go horribly wrong, we’re not going to need a General for another couple of months yet. We can spare you until things get more settled.”

“But…” Johnston said without adding anything more.

James’ smile widened. “Exactly, there’s no good argument you can make. You’re a ground commander,” James said as he waved his hand to take in Calcutta. “This is a planet. My responsibilities lie out there,” he continued as he pointed towards space. “This is the most logical division of labor. I intend to depart tomorrow if at all possible. I’ll make sure my staff officers have yours fully briefed before we go.” James winked at Johnston. “Besides, it’s time you started to get some political experience yourself. Who knows how your Emperor might ask you to serve in the future?” As Johnston’s mouth fell open, James turned before the General could see his smile break out into a grin. As he walked away, James allowed his mind to leave New Delhi and think about his return to Earth. In the week and half he had been in the New Delhi system no news had come for him. Hopefully, that meant nothing noteworthy had happened but there was no way to be sure. He desperately wanted to get back to Earth to find out what was going on and focus on the real problem. Whatever Baffin and the other colonies which had been contemplating joining Culthrapori would do now, he intended to leave that in someone else’s hands. It was time for him to get back to his real work.

Chapter 25

In the early years of the Empire a naval commander often struggled with information deficiency. Far from home, such commanders were often acting on information that was weeks or months old. Today, with FTL communicators on most capital ships, information overload is now the issue commanders must learn to overcome.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Stalwart, 20th November 2482 AD (one day later).

We are finally here, Commodore Rivers said to himself as he felt his shoulders and back stiffen. His battlecruiser had just exited shift space on the outer edge of Depot Alpha-one. It had been three months since he had fled from the Karacknids in this system in disgrace. Now he was back. Outwardly, he was doing his best to portray an air of confidence. Inwardly it was another matter. He knew the enemy commander was good. He had beaten Rivers once before, he feared it could happen again. Taking a deep breath he steadied his emotions. Worrying wasn’t going to do him any good. He had a plan, and he had to stick to it. At least until the situation forced him from it.

“Any change in the inner system?” he asked his bridge and staff officers. An hour ago he had sent a destroyer in to scout ahead of his squadron. Its findings had been concerning, but not unexpected. The Karacknids were expanding their orbital infrastructure within the system. Several more stations and a repair yard were easily recognizable. In addition, at least thirty more ships had joined the system’s garrison.

“It doesn’t look like it, Commodore,” one of Stalwart’s sensor officers replied. “Passives are not picking up any ships moving beyond those patrolling in close around the planet.”

“Very good,” Rivers responded. “We’ll wait here awhile all the same and make sure. Send word to Wing Commander Chen. He may begin final preparations for his attack. Inform him we will begin our operation in thirty minutes if nothing changes.”

“Aye Commodore,” Rivers’ COM officer acknowledged.

“Alright,” Rivers said five minutes later. Stalwart’s passive sensors still hadn’t detected anything out of the ordinary. “Let’s start the squadron moving. Set course for the twelfth planet. Two percent thrust. Begin deploying our insurance policy in thirty minutes.”

“How do you think the additional Karacknid warships factor into our attack plan?” Harvey Ross, Stalwart’s Captain, asked quietly as he leaned over the armrest of his command chair towards Rivers.

Rivers bit his lower lip as he thought through the question. No doubt his tactical officers, Wing Commander Chen and his people were already crunching the numbers, but Ross wanted his gut feeling. “It’s going to make it more difficult,” he said as he turned to Ross. “Our losses will be higher of course. But I believe in our pilots, they will get the job done.”

Ross nodded. “My thoughts exactly.” He turned back to the main holo display of the inner system. “All the same, I wouldn’t want to be one of them. We are going to owe them a great debt.”

“Indeed,” Rivers said with emotion as he followed Ross’s gaze. He had already lost many friends and subordinates within the system. Now he was about to order many more to their deaths. Every single pilot was a volunteer, but he knew that fact would not make it any easier for him to give the order to send them in.

“We’re ten minutes out from the launch point,” Rivers’ Chief of Staff informed him a short time later.

Rivers took a deep breath. “Are they ready to go?”

His Chief nodded. “Chen reports all his pilots are in their craft.”

“Very well, open a COM channel to them all for me,” Rivers replied.

“It’s open in two seconds Commodore,” his COMs officer informed him.

“Pilots,” Rivers began, adopting a solemn tone without having to consciously think about it. “You are about to embark on one of the most important missions of your lives. For many of you, it will also be your last. You know what’s at stake today. We do not have the fleet numbers to contest this system. Yet if we do not stop the Karacknids from building up their infrastructure here, they will use this system as a base from which to conquer every single one of our colonies. That is why we are here, why you are here. You represent the most powerful strike force we can put together. Succeed today and we will buy ourselves the breathing space we need. Fail, and whatever losses we suffer will be insignificant compared to what the Karacknids will do to our friends and family. Go knowing that our species looks to you today. We have placed our hope in you. Do not let us down. Whatever it takes, whatever it costs, you must not fail.”

Sitting back in his command chair, Rivers let out a sigh as his officer ended the COM channel. He was not one for making eloquent speeches, he knew that. But he could not let his pilots go to almost certain death without saying something. “Give the launch order,” he commanded as he looked over to his Chief of Staff. He had said his piece, now it was over to the pilots.

*

Wing Commander Chen listened to Rivers’ words with closed eyes. As the Commodore spoke of friends and family Chen’s mind went to his wife and son. They were safe back in Hunan province. He still thought it was pure luck their city hadn’t been nuked by the Karacknids when so many others had. Chen had fought in the battle of Earth. From his fighter he had been forced to watch helplessly as the nukes had rained down on Chinese cities. At the time it had been impossible to tell which ones had been hit. It was not hard for him to imagine what could happen to his family if the Karacknids broke through to Earth once again. That was why he was sitting in his Spitfire on board Enterprise. As the Wing Commander of Rivers’ squadron, he commanded the entire fighter force as well as leading Boxer Squadron. All the pilots were volunteers, most were single without any families. They had all known the risks involved in this mission. It had been made very plain to them from the beginning. Even so, Chen had volunteered. The fighter force needed experienced leaders, and Chen knew his worth. I will come back to you, he promised the images of his wife and son as they floated around in his mind. I will.

“This is Enterprise flight control,” Chen’s flight officer said over the COM channel, pulling Chen from his thoughts. “We are a go for launch. All fighters launch, launch, launch.”

As he always did, Chen rolled his shoulders and wiggled his fingers to loosen the tension from his upper body. Then he was flung back in the cockpit as his Spitfire was accelerated out of its launch tube. Easing back on his flight stick and maneuvering thruster controls, he slowed his fighter and put it into a gentle curve up and around Enterprise. “All right Boxer Squadron, check in,” Chen requested. As the pilots sounded off, Chen glanced right and watched the Spitfires drop out of the underbellies of the six bulk carriers that were in formation with Enterprise and Ark Royal. Technically classed as carriers, they were really converted freighters. Without any ability to refuel or rearm their fighters, the carriers were essentially one-shot weapons. But then the entire mission was a one-shot mission so they fit in just fine. When the last Spitfires were released by the freighters, Chen switched COM channels to the Wing COM channel. “Squadron leaders, report ready?” he requested.

All fourteen squadron leaders reported ready to go. “Form up on me,” Chen ordered. He twisted his flight stick to bank away from Enterprise. Gently he settled his Spitfire’s nose onto a trajectory aimed at the system’s only gas giant. The eleven Spitfires of his squadron followed him, then beside, around and above him the other squadrons slotted into their allotted positions. “You all heard Commodore Rivers,” Chen said to his pilots. “We’re only going to get one shot at this. Let’s make it count. We’re going to be under radio silence from here on in, but I just want to add one more thing. It has been an honor training and serving with you all. As long as some of us live, we will not be forgotten…” again Chen’s mind went to his family. “Engage engines in five, four, three, two, one.” With the other one hundred and sixty-eight pilots in his Wing, Chen hit the button to begin the pre-planned acceleration burn. For two minutes his Spitfire accelerated at ten percent of its thrust. Then his engines shut down. His reactor followed suit moments later. Chen was left with only a trickle of energy from his Spitfire’s capacitor. It had to keep his life support and passive sensors working for the six hours it would take him to reach his target.

Straining his neck, Chen turned and looked behind him. The huge form of Enterprise was nothing but a pinprick. Even as he watched, it faded into nothing as it passed beyond the point where his eyes could make it out. Turning back to look ahead he tried and failed to pick out the gas giant. It was still too far away. Closing his eyes, Chen decided the best thing he could do was try and get some rest. It was hard as his mind kept taking him back to Earth and the last time he had said goodbye to his family but eventually he drifted off.

Six hours and thirty minutes later Chen was awoken by a beeping from his cockpit. His eyes snapped open at once. Instinctively he grabbed his Spitfire’s flight stick. As his gaze swiveled from the view of space out his canopy to his sensor readouts, he tensed, ready to throw his Spitfire into an evasive maneuver in the blink of an eye. His fingers didn’t twitch though. There was nothing immediately concerning that he could see. Only when his eyes settled on the passive sensor readout did he realize what his ship was warning him about. Ahead of his fighter, less than half a million kilometers away, an unknown contact had been detected. Whatever it is, it doesn’t have an energy source, Chen thought as he studied the readout. Yet his optical sensors were certain it was not a naturally occurring object. Its profile and reflection characteristics suggested it was made out of some metallic alloy. Chen’s eyes narrowed. If it was not natural and had no detectable power source it was likely one thing: a stealth reconnaissance drone or sensor array. The realization made Chen swear. His Spitfire was heading almost directly for it. There was no way he could alter course now. If he lit off his maneuvering thrusters even for a fraction of a second, whatever the strange contact was, it would certainly detect his actions. Widening the map of local space, Chen nodded when he saw just how far away the contact was from the system’s gas giant and his target. They have been making preparations, Chen thought. The Karacknids were no fools. By now they had encountered Human fighters a number of times. They’re starting to adapt. If his suspicions were correct, the Karacknids would have a number of the stealth sensors arrayed around the gas giant. It would give them plenty of warning of a sneak attack by Human stealth warships or fighters.

Reaching down to his command console, Chen activated his laser COM link. He carefully aimed it at his wingman’s Spitfire and activated it. “Gustauv, are you awake?” he asked.

There was a moment’s delay before his wing man replied. “I am now Commander. What is it?”

“Check your passive sensors. What do you see?” Chen requested.

“There’s nothing… Wait, I’m just getting something now. Some unknown contact almost dead ahead.”

“I fear it is a Karacknid stealth sensor platform,” Chen explained. He paused for second as Gustauv swore. “There’s no movement from the Karacknid ships in orbit around the gas giant so it probably hasn’t detected us yet. But it will soon, certainly by the time we fly past it. There is no way it can miss us. We need to get our forces ready for combat. Use your laser COM and contact Chavez on your right. Get a message passed up the entire right side of our formation. Everyone is to get ready.”

“Aye Commander,” Gustauv replied.

Chen reoriented his laser COM to connect with the fighter to his left. He relayed the same message to one of his other pilots and informed her to pass it on up the left side of his formation. Leaving his pilots to relay the message, he returned his focus to the Karacknid passive sensor and the fleet protecting the orbital supply stations and gas mining facilities. The Karacknid warships still hadn’t moved. But Chen knew they would. The question was, how quick would they react to his force?

Before either of the two pilots got back to him to inform him that his message had been relayed to his entire strike force, Chen got the answer to his question. Alarms went off just as he saw the first sign of movement. Twenty ships had lit off their engines and were breaking orbit. They were headed directly towards his ship. Chen watched his computer’s analysis of the ships closely. They were all frigates. The Karacknids knew they were facing fighters. They were holding their larger and more vulnerable ships back. But perhaps they don’t know how many of us there are, Chen thought as a plan formed. Twenty Karacknid light ships had a lot of point defense fire, but he had a lot of fighters. With the need to remain hidden now gone, Chen activated his normal COM unit. “Tyson, Red, Blackjack and Hawk Squadrons are to engage your engines. Your targets are those twenty enemy warships. I want two fighters to each one. Clear them out of the way for the rest of us.”

In quick succession the captains of each squadron acknowledged his orders. Moments later forty-eight new contacts appeared on Chen’s sensors as their Spitfires powered up their reactors to full and engaged their engines. They shot away from his position as they rapidly accelerated. Leaving them to it, Chen reorganized the rest of his force and divvied up new targets for them. With less fighters going in to attack the Karacknid supply depot, he needed to make sure their top priority targets were still going to be hit. After sending out new orders, he returned his attention to the first wave of fighters moving to attack.

With the Karacknid warships and his fighters accelerating directly towards each other, it didn’t take long for them to enter engagement range. Laser beams filled space around the forty-eight Spitfires. They twisted and wove, but as the seconds ticked by Chen could easily see small explosions erupt in their midst. With clenched fists Chen bobbed his hands up and down, willing on his fighters. When the count in his head of explosions reached nine he saw what was left of the four squadrons release their plasma missiles. “Yes!” Chen shouted. Now it was the Karacknid ships’ turn to carry out evasive maneuvers. Being small and agile for warships, the frigates had a decent chance of avoiding the incoming plasma missiles. Yet there were at least two targeting most of them. Point defense weapons destroyed some of the missiles. But not all of them. As explosions erupted among the Karacknid warships, Chen shouted again. In just four seconds sixteen of the Karacknid ships were taken out.

Before Chen could open a COM channel to the squadrons he had sent forward, Blackjack’s Captain beat him to it. “That’s our missiles spent Wing Commander. The way is as clear as we can make it. What are your orders?”

Chen hesitated before replying. Normally he would order the Spitfires to proceed to the rendezvous point with their fleet carriers. They had expended their missiles. And yet the attack on the Karacknid depot was of paramount importance. Though he hated himself for doing it, Chen gave the order he knew he needed to. “Re-join our formation Captain. You might not have any missiles, but you can still run interference for us during our attack.”

“Acknowledged Commander,” Blackjack’s flight leader responded in a tone that hid whatever she was feeling about Chen’s order.

Chen lingered on her words for a few seconds as he imagined how the pilots of Blackjack and the other squadrons would feel. Each squadron had lost at least one pilot already. Now, there would be more to follow. Forcing himself to coldly dismiss the pilots’ fate, Chen refocused and activated his COM unit. “All squadrons still in stealth, it’s time to go active. Do your best to avoid the remaining Karacknid warships. Then we’ll begin our attack runs. Happy hunting everyone.” From here on out each flight leader would be responsible for their own squadrons. It was about to get too chaotic for him to maintain any kind of strategic control of the situation. Reaching down to his command console he tapped in a course and transmitted it to his squadron. “Boxer Squadron, here’s our attack vector. Stay close to me until we enter range of their point defenses. Then split up into wingman pairs.”

As his pilots acknowledged his orders, Chen watched the closest remaining Karacknid frigate carefully. Each of his squadrons were breaking formation and angling towards their own targets. He swore when the frigate altered course to intercept his group of fighters. “Scratch that,” he said to his pilots. “Split now. We’re going to have to pass through this frigate’s defensive fire.

“Evasive maneuvers,” he commanded sixty seconds later when the enemy frigate got into range. Matching his order, Chen jinked and twisted his Spitfire at random angles. As he did so, he kept a close eye on the eleven closest dots on his holo map. He bit back a curse when one disappeared. “Who got hit?” he asked as soon as his fighters passed out of the frigate’s range.

“Boxer Six,” one of his pilots reported. “I saw her take the hit. She didn’t have time to eject.”

“All right, Boxer Five, you’re with me and Boxer Two. There’s nothing between us and our target now. Let’s make every plasma missile count,” Chen responded.

As he looked down at his holo map and the large gas mining station that was his target, Chen swallowed hard. Two small battlestations flanked the station and eight warships had moved to cover it. Thankfully, he wasn’t the only squadron prioritizing the mining facility. Even so, his fighters were about to face a massive wall of enemy fire. This is going to hurt, he thought. In any other engagement his fighters would prioritize taking out the battle stations and warships to allow a second strike to come in and take the mining facility. However, there would be no second attack. Everything was riding on what his fighters were about to attempt.

Chapter 26

The Imperial Medal of Honor is a rare award. It is always handed out by the Empress herself. That is just as rare an award.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

Just as he had done before his fighter had launched from Enterprise, Chen rolled his shoulders and flexed his fingers to ease the tension in them. Then he gripped his flight stick. Letting out a deep breath he watched the distance to the system’s gas giant count down. “Evasive maneuvers!” he snapped when his ships were just seconds out from range of the Karacknids’ point defenses.

Clenching his teeth, Chen lost all awareness of the world outside his cockpit. Everything became about maneuvering his fighter. Desperately he twisted and weaved as he tried to throw off the Karacknids’ aim. A glance at his sensor readout showed a never-ending stream of energy racing towards him. Out of the corner of his eye on a secondary holo-projection he saw the dots representing his squadron begin to disappear. He couldn’t afford to divert any attention to them, however. For the longest forty seconds of his life he tried every trick he knew to keep his Spitfire alive.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, his cockpit beeped to inform him he was within range. He flicked the arming switch on his flight stick. Less than a second later another beep confirmed his missile’s seeker head had locked onto the gas mining station. Chen was already depressing his flight stick trigger. As soon as the missile disengaged, Chen’s Spitfire gave a slight lurch as its engines no longer had to cope with the missile’s mass. That was Chen’s cue. Twisting hard and pulling back on his flight stick he pulled his Spitfire’s nose up and away from the gas giant. He couldn’t help but watch his plasma missile accelerate. Immediately to his right, Chen saw a Lancaster bomber release its two missiles. All around him other missiles appeared at almost the same time. So few, Chen thought as he counted the missiles. A full squadron of Lancaster bombers had been targeting the gas mining facility. Yet he only saw one pulling away to safety.

Even though the fire coming towards his Spitfire had significantly decreased, Chen continued his evasive maneuvers. He carried out the maneuvers on instinct though for his full attention was devoted to the plasma missiles his force had released. He could see no more than fifteen racing towards the mining facility. With almost all their point defenses targeting the missiles, the Karacknids took them out. Fifteen quickly became twelve, then seven. Chen cursed when his missile was destroyed by a laser beam. Moments later, his emotions soared when three missiles raced through everything that was fired at them. They detonated in quick succession. Each missile released a ball of plasma that quickly expanded as it accelerated on a ballistic course. The gas mining station, with limited maneuvering thrusters, was unable to get out of the way. Seconds later the three balls of plasma came crashing into it. The plasma ate through the station’s weak armor and ripped massive holes into the structure. Now out of range of the Karacknids’ point defenses, Chen watched the station’s last few seconds. Several sections broke away as the plasma destroyed the support structures holding them together. Then the plasma struck a critical part of the station’s reactors or energy transfer conduits. A brilliant explosion made Chen shut his eyes tight. When he opened them again, the station was nothing more than hundreds of chunks of metal smaller than his Spitfire. Most were being sucked down into the gas giant’s atmosphere. Pumping his fist in the air, Chen let out a satisfied battle cry. He repeated the gesture when he widened the view of his holo display to see more explosions erupting among the other orbital stations. Alongside the gas mining station twelve of the largest Karacknid depots had been targeted. Nine of them were being torn apart.

We did it, Chen said to himself. We have destroyed them. No one knew just how long it had taken the Karacknids to build the depots and mining station. But whether it had been a couple of months or perhaps as much as half a year, the main thing was that their attack had destroyed them. Whatever the Karacknids were planning, Chen’s attack had just bought Earth a number of months to prepare. But at what cost? he asked himself as he reached out and tapped his command console. As much as he wanted to savor the taste of victory, he knew he needed to check in with his squadron and the rest of his attack force.

When the sensor data on the fleeing fighters appeared in front of him, Chen gasped. Only three other fighters from his squadron were still with him. Neither his wingman nor Boxer five had survived. As much as Chen was shocked by the losses, it looked like his squadron had come off lightly. Out of the one hundred and sixty fighters and bombers he had led into the attack, less than fifty were racing away from the gas giant. Chen’s fingers twitched towards his COM unit. Yet he hesitated. He didn’t know what to say to the survivors. They were already on a trajectory towards the fleet rendezvous point. They could all see what they had accomplished and just how severe their losses had been. With a shake of his head Chen tried to come up with some words that would comfort his pilots. None came to him.

Then, as the Karacknid forces in orbit around the gas giant began to move, he got distracted. Almost all of them were breaking orbit. They know we launched from carriers, Chen realized. They’re going to try and hunt them down. As soon as they began to break orbit Chen knew Enterprise would be able to pick them up. Commodore Rivers would have to deal with them. There was nothing Chen could do now but get his fighters back as quickly as possible. And with limited fuel, they were reliant on their current momentum taking them to the rendezvous point. Returning his focus to his fighters, Chen checked their fuel status. Thankfully, none were so empty that they wouldn’t be able to land on their carriers. Chen fingered his COM unit, but he still could think of nothing to say to them.

In the end, it was one of his pilots that pulled him out of his silence. “Boxer Leader, this is Boxer Seven. Come in Boxer leader?”

“Go-ahead Boxer Seven,” Chen responded.

“Have you seen the two Karacknid ships at seven four eight point two?” the pilot asked.

Chen swore. He had been so focused on the Karacknid ships breaking orbit that he had forgotten about the four Karacknid frigates that had survived the initial engagement Blackjack Squadron and the others had had with them. The frigates were accelerating hard to put themselves in front of Chen’s force. As his computer calculated what kind of maneuver his fighters would have to make to avoid them, Chen cursed again. His forces’ raid on the Karacknid depot had been meticulously planned. Whilst Humanity had many fighters and bombers to spare for such an attack, her two fleet carriers were irreplaceable. Enterprise and Ark Royal were as far away from the Karacknid depot as possible given the fuel limits of his Spitfires.  His ships had just enough fuel to get back and no more. If he tried to go around the Karacknid frigates, his fighters wouldn’t have enough fuel to land.

For a couple of minutes Chen tried to come up with different scenarios that would get his fighters past the frigates, but as much as he tried to think outside the box, nothing would work. Their fuel situation was so tight that even if they tried to carry out evasive maneuvers, some of his fighters would run out of fuel before getting to their carriers. If there wasn’t a Karacknid squadron racing after them from behind, perhaps Ark Royal and Enterprise could have come closer to pick them up. But not now. Chen knew Rivers wouldn’t risk the carriers, nor did he want him to.

Closing his eyes, Chen activated his COM unit. “Pilots, each of you have won the respect of the fleet today. No one else could have accomplished more than we have. Those who aren’t with us now have given their lives to buy the rest of the fleet the time it needs to defeat the Karacknids properly… We have done what we set out to do. But I must ask more of you. I need three volunteers.”

A chorus of voices replied to Chen’s request. Glancing down at one of his readouts, Chen picked three of the best pilots from those who had responded. “Boxer Seven, Blackjack Four and Ivy Three. Each of you, match my course and speed. The rest of you, proceed to the rendezvous point. Pass on my respects to Commodore Rivers. You have all made me proud today.” Chen ended the general COM channel, he didn’t want to hear what the other pilots might have to say. Instead he opened a COM channel to the pilots he had selected.

“Thank you,” he said to them. “You are smart enough to know what I’m asking for. You are the best pilots we have. It’s time to show the Karacknids just how good you really are. I’ll see you on the other side,” Chen finished, knowing his pilots would get just what he meant. He cut the COM channel before they could reply. Taking a final deep breath, he pulled out a physical picture of his family. It was a gift his wife had given him before he had last left Earth. Though it was an extremely old-fashioned piece of technology, he had welcomed the gift with tears. Holding it up in front of him, Chen stared at his wife and son, etching their faces into his memory. Even as he looked at them, he reached down and increased his Spitfire’s acceleration to full. He continued to stare until his Spitfire beeped to warn him he was approaching an enemy ship. Reluctantly, he slipped the picture back into a pocket in his flight suit. Then he settled his gaze on the lead frigate in the small Karacknid formation.

He began to carry out evasive maneuvers just as the frigate opened up with its weapons. Though far less point defense fire was coming his way than when he had attacked the gas mining station, Chen put just as much effort into his maneuvers. To help his chances, he opened up on the frigate with his small plasma cannons. The small plasma bolts wouldn’t penetrate the frigate’s armor, not unless tens of them hit the same spot. Nevertheless, there was a chance they would distract the frigate’s gunners. Twisting and weaving, Chen kept his fighter charging towards the frigate. He kept going past the point where he would normally have launched his missile. He kept going past the point where his plasma cannons could actually penetrate the frigate’s armor. He kept going after his cockpit’s collision alarms blared. Only at the last second did he whip his hand off his flight stick. Reaching across his cockpit he smashed the eject button. Before he had a chance to blink or tense his muscles, his cockpit was thrust up and away from the rest of the Spitfire’s body. The Karacknid frigate, unaware of the true danger it faced until it was too late, desperately tried to turn away.

For the three seconds it took for his Spitfire to close with the frigate, Chen’s mind cleared. Peace descended on him. There was no way he could get back to Enterprise now. But equally, there was no way the frigate could avoid his fighter. Through the canopy of his cockpit he watched as his Spitfire crashed right into the middle of the frigate. The fighter’s momentum had been so high that Chen saw parts of it blast right out the other side. Then the frigate erupted into a fireball. It wouldn’t threaten the rest of his fighters.

Off to the side, Chen saw a second fireball erupt moments later. Without his fighter’s sensors he couldn’t tell who had destroyed it, but it didn’t matter. With two frigates destroyed and the other two hopefully distracted with defending themselves, the rest of Chen’s force would pass by without being accosted. They will get home safely, Chen thought, as heroes. Whatever praise they would receive would be rightly deserved. It had been bought at a great cost.

As his cockpit floated through space, Chen checked its power reserves. He had enough life support for six hours. Chen couldn’t help but smile at the number. In flight school, every pilot was told six hours was all they needed. In Humanity’s history, space battles almost never lasted longer than that. Six hours would usually give the victor time to send out rescue operations to pick up ejected pilots. Of course, such thinking didn’t apply to his situation. Whether he had six or sixty hours, no one from Enterprise or Ark Royal would be coming for him.

A voice in his mind suggested opening his canopy now. He would die instantly. It would be better than waiting for his oxygen to run out. With a grimace he dismissed such thinking. He was a warrior. He wasn’t going to kill himself. If circumstances meant he was to die, then so be it. He wasn’t going to do it himself. Dismissing such thinking with contempt, he pulled out the picture of his family. If he had to go, he would do so staring into the face of his wife and son.

*

Rivers had to fight to keep his face straight as he watched the four Spitfires charge the four Karacknid frigates. He had been gripping the armrest of his command chair when his Chief of Staff had informed him about the Karacknid frigates’ maneuver. Now his knuckles turned white. Though he knew it would mean their death, he silently willed on the four pilots. Around him, on Stalwart’s bridge, a deathly silence had descended. Everyone was watching the fate of the four pilots play out in front of them. When one was hit by a laser and destroyed, a collective groan filled the bridge. It disappeared quickly though for there were three more Spitfires desperately twisting and weaving as they charged their enemies. A second gasp erupted when another Spitfire was destroyed just moments away from impacting its target. A louder groan followed it when the two remaining Spitfires hit their targets. Rivers found himself emitting the same expression of distress as the two frigates disappeared in explosions. Although the frigates’ destruction meant safety for the remnants of the attack force, it also meant the death of two more of his pilots.

“Orders Commodore?” Rivers’ Chief of Staff asked, breaking the silence.

“Yes, of course,” Rivers said as he shook himself. “Those Karacknid ships from the gas giant are still chasing our fighters. There is no way our bulk carriers will be able to escape from them. Begin evacuating their crews now. Make sure Enterprise and Ark Royal are prepared to take all of our remaining fighters and bombers on board. I don’t want to leave one of those pilots behind.”

“Aye Commodore,” Rivers’ Chief of Staff replied.

Rivers turned his attention to the fleeing fighters and bombers. It would take another hour for them to reach his ships. Yet they were accelerating at much higher rates than the Karacknid warships pursuing them. That would give him time. A glance at one of the bridge’s secondary readouts indicated Enterprise and Ark Royal could take on board all the fighters and bombers in the space of fifteen minutes. Then his ships would be free to increase their acceleration rates and flee towards the system’s mass shadow. It looked like his ships would have about half an hour’s leeway to get to safety. Of course, if the Karacknids tried to send what smaller ships they had left after him they could nip at his heels. That was why Stalwart and his other warships were there though. They would be able to see off any attempt to waylay Enterprise and Ark Royal. Barring any new surprises, we should make it to safety, Rivers said to himself. Though given what had happened last time he was in the system, he wasn’t going to relax until his ships were in shift space. At least we accomplished what we came to do. The losses had been high. But as cruel as it was to admit, he knew Spitfire fighters and their pilots where relatively easy to replace. Even the bulk carriers that he was about to scuttle were reasonably inexpensive. In contrast, buying Andréa Clements and the Imperial Fleet ship builders an extra two or three months was priceless. Even so, Rivers brought up the personnel files on the pilots who had been confirmed killed. He went through them slowly. On the way back to Earth he intended to write personal letters to each of their families, communicating to them just what their deaths had accomplished. He was still going through them when the surviving pilots reached Enterprise and Ark Royal and began to land.

“Commodore,” a voice said tentatively.

When Rivers looked up, he was surprised to see that it hadn’t come from one of his staff officers. Rather, one of Stalwart’s junior bridge officers was looking at him. Though she didn’t make eye contact when his gaze settled on her. “Yes?” he asked.

“I was reviewing the sensor readings from Commander Chen’s final attack on the Karacknid frigates,” the Sub Lieutenant replied without looking up.

“And?” Rivers prompted as gently as he could. “I don’t bite.”

“Yes Commodore, of course… It looks like two of the pilots ejected before their fighters were destroyed. I think Chen was one of them,” the Sub Lieutenant informed him.

Rivers let out a deep breath as he sat back in his command chair. He glanced at its chronometer. Chen, or whoever it was, had already been floating in space for more than an hour. He could only imagine how they were feeling. Knowing there was no hope of being rescued. Their deaths were certain. They sacrificed themselves knowing that would be their fate, Rivers thought. You cannot let them just run out of air. That’s no way for them to die. Even as he told himself that, Rivers’ mind went to Mink. She was a stealth frigate designed to be used for covert missions. Most of her sister ships had been assigned to Imperial Intelligence, but several were operating in the fleet. Rivers had used her to scout ahead of his ships to make sure the Karacknids couldn’t ambush him. But he wouldn’t need her on the way home.

“Get me Mink’s Captain,” he requested as he made a snap decision.

“Captain,” Rivers said when the face of one of the youngest men he had seen in a Captain’s uniform appeared in front of him. “I have a mission for you. But only if you are confident you can pull it off. You know your ship’s capabilities better than I. I want the truth, mind you. This isn’t the time for bravado.”

“I understand Commodore,” Mink’s Captain replied. “What do you want us to attempt?”

“One of my Lieutenants believes a couple of the pilots that attacked those four Karacknid frigates ejected from their Spitfires,” Rivers explained. “Do you think you could return to the area and pick them up? Hopefully the Karacknid fleet’s attention will be on us. You can take as much time as you want to sneak out of the system. But the pilots only have five hours of air left. You need to be able to get to them by then. Can you do it?”

“Hold on,” Mink’s Captain said as he turned away from Rivers. Thirty seconds or so later his gaze returned to Rivers. He gave a confident nod. “Yes, we can get them for you Commodore.”

“Then do it,” Rivers said at once. “We’ll rendezvous with you at the Damang system.”

“Aye Commodore,” Mink’s Captain said as he saluted and ended the COM channel.

Good luck, Rivers thought as the image on the holo projector changed to show Mink turning and leaving his fleet’s formation.

*

Staring out of his canopy, Chen watched as the stars slowly spun around and around. He had just finished reading the final letter he had written to his wife several hours ago. He had read it thinking he would make some additions and transmit it to Enterprise. Making the transmission would alert the Karacknids to his location, but that didn’t concern him. However, after reading the letter, he could think of nothing more to add. He had shared his heart with Biyu, his wife. He had known that surviving his mission was unlikely. If he added to it now, writing with just a few hours of life ahead of him, he wasn’t sure he could say anything useful. It would just cause Biyu more pain to know he had spent his last few hours alone.

The shadowy ship that blocked out a number of stars made Chen jump in his command chair. His heart raced. The Karacknids had come for him! His mind went to the many horror stories he had heard of how the Karacknids had treated the civilians and marines on Holstein. His hand twitched as he reached for the release mechanism for his canopy. He wasn’t going to let them capture and torture him. A faint crackling from his laser COM unit stopped him in his tracks. It was very faint, but it definitely sounded like a Human voice. Increasing the output from his COM unit, Chen strained his ears.

“Wing Commander Chen, come in. This is IS Mink. Wing Commander Chen do you copy?” the voice asked.

Though Chen strongly suspected it was a trick, he couldn’t quell the hope that was growing within him. Without active or passive sensors, his cockpit couldn’t detect the ship that was nearby. That meant he couldn’t lock onto it with his laser COM unit. Instead, he did the only thing he could do without alerting any nearby Karacknid ships to his presence. He used his cockpit’s maneuvering thruster to release the smallest amount of energy it could.

“Acknowledged Wing Commander, we see you,” the voice said almost immediately. “Hold on Commander. We are coming. We’ve already got one of your pilots. Commodore Rivers sent us for you. We are not leaving you behind.”

The tension in Chen’s body evaporated and he fell back in his command chair. He could hardly believe it. It seemed almost impossible that a ship had snuck back into the system. Yet as a shuttle appeared in front of his cockpit he couldn’t deny what he was seeing. He watched eagerly as the shuttle gently closed and latched onto his cockpit. Soon he was being towed towards the shadowy ship he had first seen. A stealth frigate, Chen thought. That was how the ship had snuck back into the system. He really was being saved. The Karacknids could fake a Human shuttle, but not a stealth frigate! Filled with joy he pulled out the picture of his family again. “I’m coming home after all,” he said to them. “I’m coming home,” he repeated almost to reassure himself that it was actually true.

Chapter 27

We have already noted that any historical study of the main players in the Karacknid War must start with a review of their careers during the First Galactic Expansion Era. So too is it with the minor characters we now turn to. Many of those who served on the Imperial Inner Council had colorful pasts long before they appear in most history books.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Drake, outer Sol system, 3rd January 2483 AD (6 weeks later).

Though he had fully expected to see Earth and her orbitals intact, when Drake exited subspace into the Sol system and her sensors detected everything as normal, James couldn’t deny the relief that he felt. It had been three months since he had left and anything could have happened in that time. Yes, a packet ship had crossed paths with Drake passing on several messages and reports telling him everything was well; but James had still been concerned. When he had met the packet ship two weeks ago, its messages had already been two weeks out of date. Even a month was a long time when a Karacknid invasion fleet was amassing on your borders. But they are all there, safe and sound, James reassured himself.

As he looked around the system several groups of contacts caught his eye. James guessed they were squadrons of warships carrying out training exercises. That was good. It meant Koroylov was working the fleet hard. His eyes narrowed when one group stood out to him. Just thirty light minutes ahead of Drake, a squadron with two unmistakable ships was on a course for Earth. “Rivers’ squadron,” James said. “They have just beaten us back.” And they have been in a fight, he thought. The six bulk carriers that he had watched leave the Sol system were not with Rivers’ ships. That meant he had been forced to abandon them. Which hopefully meant Rivers had engaged the Karacknid supply depot and not been forced to retreat before reaching the system. “Put us on an intercept trajectory,” he ordered. “I want to get into two-way communication range with them.”

“Aye Admiral,” Miyagi replied. “We should be there in an hour. Do you want me to ask them to slow down for us?”

“No need,” James replied. He wanted to speak to Rivers before he made it to Earth and was swallowed up in the bureaucracy of the Imperial Fleet’s debriefing process. At the same time he didn’t know if Rivers had any seriously injured crew or other pressing reasons to get to Earth in good time so he didn’t want to slow him. As they continued into the Sol system, James surveyed Rivers’ ships more closely. Reassuringly, none appeared to have any outward signs of battle damage.

“Look Admiral,” Lieutenant Beckford, James’ COM officer said. She was pointing at a large contact just outside of Earth’s orbit. “It looks like Prometheus was completed in our absence.”

“Indeed it does,” James said as his eyes left Rivers’ squadron. Prometheus was the first Karacknid era fleet carrier. Twice the size of Enterprise, she could carry more than double the number of fighter squadrons. “That is a reassuring sight,” he added. If his memory served him well, the carrier hadn’t been scheduled to begin her space trials for another two or three weeks. Yet she was already out of her construction yard.

“It looks like Drake’s sister ships are coming along nicely,” Miyagi commented as he altered the view of the bridge’s main holo projector slightly. Two battleships identical to Drake were in high orbit above Earth. Quite a number of ships were swarming around them, presumably loading supplies and other necessities. But they too were out of their construction yards.

“They will be a welcome addition to the fleet,” Captain Fisher responded. “Though I’d fancy our chances against either of them any day.” As she spoke she patted the armrest of her command chair.

James smiled. Every Captain was biased towards their own command. Yet he had to admit, Fisher had a point. She had drilled her crew mercilessly over the last three months. Unless the two battleships in Earth’s orbit were crewed by veterans from other ships, James was certain their crews would struggle to match Drake’s efficiency. And Fisher isn’t half bad herself, James happily thought. On the way back from New Delhi he had engaged her in numerous simulated battles. Both one-on-one ship duels and larger fleet engagements. She had handled herself ably. Another one who will be a flag officer in the not-too-distant future, James was certain. Especially as he had a somewhat significant say in such matters. As his other staff officers and some of Drake’s bridge officers joined the conversation about the various ships they could see, James was happy to sit back and listen. He was glad they were starting to relax around him.

“We are ready to hail Stalwart,” Lieutenant Beckford informed James when Drake caught up with the battlecruiser.

“Proceed,” James said with a nod towards his COMs officer. A few seconds later Commodore Rivers’ face appeared on the holo projector of James’ command chair. “Commodore,” James began as he gave his subordinate a salute. “It’s good to see your squadron made it back largely intact. No doubt I’ll have time to read your full report once we get back to Earth. But I’m keen to hear things firsthand.”

“Of course Admiral,” Rivers replied. “It’s good to see you have returned quickly from New Delhi as well. I trust things went smoothly there?”

James chuckled. “Smoothly isn’t the word I would use. But I think we have the situation in hand.”

“That sums up our mission as well,” Rivers replied. “Our strike against the Karacknid depot was at least partially successful. We destroyed their gas mining station and most of their largest supply stations. Whatever fuel and munitions they had stored went up with them. But we paid a heavy price. Of the hundred and sixty fighter and bomber pilots under my command, only forty-eight made it back. I’m recommending all who lost their lives receive the Imperial Distinguished Order Merit.”

James couldn’t help but grimace at the losses. He and the rest of Christine’s Inner Council had known any fighter only attack against the Karacknid depot would be costly. Even so, knowing that was how things might play out and hearing about actual lives lost was very different even if the losses were as a result of a successful mission. “Tell me more,” James responded. He didn’t want to commit to handing out any medals just yet. As Rivers went through his raid in greater detail though, James quickly found he was being swayed to Rivers’ way of thinking. The attack wing under the command of Wing Commander Chen had fought as bravely as any Humans James had fought with or against. Against worse odds than James had expected them to face, they had succeeded. “Chen is still alive?” James asked after Rivers told him about dispatching Mink to look for the Wing Commander.

Rivers nodded. “Yes, Mink found Chen and Lieutenant Chomsky. They were both transferred to Enterprise. I’m recommending Chomsky be awarded the Imperial Fleet Cross along with Lieutenants Stromboli and Angu. They were the other two pilots who died taking on the four Karacknid frigates. I’m also recommending Chen receive the Medal of Honor.”

James took a deep breath. So far in the brief history of the Empire, its Medal of Honor had only been handed out twice. Both had been posthumously to fleet officers who had fought and died in the Battle of Earth. If Chen received one he would be the first living citizen of the Empire to do so. It would be a historical moment. It would also mean a lot of pomp and ceremony. Ordinarily James would turn his nose up at such an event. But when it came to honoring the bravery of military personnel, that was something else entirely. “I’m in agreement,” he said as he gave Rivers a definitive nod. “You can pass on your recommendation and I will speak to those who oversee the approval process personally.”

“Thank you Admiral,” Rivers replied. “Knowing Chen, he will not want it. But he deserves it. And it will do the rest of our pilots and their families good to see it. Especially the families of those whom we lost.”

“I’m sure it will,” James agreed. “Now, we are approaching Earth. I’ll let you get back to your squadron. I’m sure you have a lot to organize before your ships slot into orbit. Thank you for your time Commodore. I’m sure we’ll speak again soon.”

“Always a pleasure Grand Admiral,” Rivers replied as he gave James a final salute.

James returned the gesture and ended the COM channel. “No news from Earth?” he asked as he turned to his Chief of Staff.

Miyagi shook his head. “Nothing of significance. We got a request to pass on our report to fleet headquarters. Beyond that it’s just been a few news updates and messages for the ship’s crew. There has been a request for you to report to Chilton House though. I’ve already sent orders for your shuttle to be prepped. You should be able to launch as soon as we reach orbit.”

“I will go and freshen up then,” James replied as he gave Miyagi a nod then stood and moved to leave the bridge. He didn’t know if there was no news of significance or Christine had held back transmitting whatever she might have to say until they could speak in person. Either way, James wanted to be ready to board his shuttle as soon as Drake reached Earth. He was eager to see her again. More than eager in fact.

*

As he moved down the shuttle’s access ramp, James scanned the area for Christine. He smiled when he saw her standing amongst the crowd of officials who had gathered to greet him. However, if he hadn’t been practicing controlling his facial features, his smile would have turned to a frown. Instead of rushing over to greet him, she remained where she was. Then James noticed reporters and holo cameras off to one side. So, it’s an official greeting, James realized. It would hardly do for the Empress of the Human race to run across the shuttle landing pad and into his arms for the whole galaxy to see. Squaring his shoulders, James set off towards Christine. He wasn’t in the least bit surprised when a marching band played a customary naval greeting. Though he didn’t see the band, he guessed it was to the side of the shuttle. Walking right up to Christine, he stopped just in front of her. Then he snapped to attention. “My Empress, thank you for coming to greet me,” he said as he improvised. He really didn’t know the formal protocol for greeting Christine like this.

“It is I who have come to thank you Grand Admiral,” Christine replied more loudly than she needed to for just James to hear. “You have dealt well with a delicate situation; the Empire and New Delhi owes you our thanks.”

James couldn’t take it any longer. “What about you?” he asked just loud enough for Christine’s ears. “Aren’t you happy to see me as well?” From the look on Christine’s face James knew the answer right away. Taking another step forward, he pulled her into a hug. “It is good to see you Empress,” he whispered into her ear. “I’ve missed you more than you can know.”

“And I you,” Christine replied quickly. Then she tried to wiggle out of his grip. “But this is not the time or place. There are others watching.”

James couldn’t help but smile as he tightened his grip. “Let them watch. I thought our relationship was meant to help establish and legitimize the Empire. Why are you complaining? Aren’t I giving the people what they want?” His smile widened as Christine gave up her resistance and allowed herself to be folded deeper into his arms.

“It’s not exactly Imperial,” she protested, though her heart wasn’t in it.

James chuckled as he finally released her and took her hand in his. “Dear, you’re the first Empress a united Humanity has ever known. I think you get to set the precedent for what being Imperial looks like.”

“All right you two,” Fairfax said just barely above a whisper. “There are more of us here than just the pair of you. We came to welcome you home as well Grand Admiral.”

“I’m all the more pleased because of it,” James said as he raised his voice and turned to Fairfax. As he did Christine made a gentle attempt to release her hand, but James held on tightly. She gave him a squeeze and relaxed into his grip.

“Well then, let me welcome you back Grand Admiral,” Fairfax said as he stepped forward and shook James’ hand. “It seems the years you’ve spent under my tutelage have finally paid off.”

James chuckled again as he shared a glance with Christine. “I should have known you were going to claim the credit. Though I’d be careful with that. Things are still a long way from settled on New Delhi.”

“The colony has joined the Empire and things are heading in the right direction,” Fairfax countered. “I’d call that a success. A pretty good one in fact. I imagine the news is going to send ripple effects through the rest of the colonies that have not joined us yet. They’ll be flocking to our banner now.”

“I’ll leave making such bold predictions in your hands,” James replied. He looked past Fairfax and smiled at Andréa, Koroylov and Cynthia. They, along with a bunch of other aides, had come to greet him. “It’s good to see you all,” James said as he moved over to them and shook each of their hands. “I imagine there is plenty for you to update me on.”

“Indeed there is, my fiancé,” Christine answered for them. She wiggled her hand free from James’ grip and interlocked her arm through his. “We can talk more inside. The news reporters have got the images they want and then some. We can head in and get some more privacy.”

“Your wish is my command,” James replied as he let Christine lead him towards Chilton House. “Tell me,” he said once they were out of earshot of the reporters. “What are the highlights?”

“There has been news from Alliance space,” Christine said as she gripped his arm tighter. “The full details are still being broadcast to us. But there have been two significant battles and at least three smaller skirmishes. It seems the Karacknids attempted to renew their offensive. They successfully drove back an Alliance fleet from their Beta Fort. But were prevented from penetrating any further into Alliance space by the rapid appearance of reinforcements from other sectors. At the same time, the Karacknids hit Gamma Fort.” The muscles in James arms tightened as his heart rate increased. “Don’t worry,” Christine said as she brought her free hand up to pat his forearm. “Ya’sia is okay. She managed to defend the system and hold out until reinforcements came. It looks like the Alliance lost upwards of eight hundred ships in both battles. The Karacknid losses are estimated to be in the same region. Perhaps closer to a thousand. I’m sure you’ll want to read the reports when you get a chance, but from how Koroylov has explained it, neither battle was actually fought to the finish. In both cases the Alliance or Karacknid forces retreated before really significant losses were taken. It seems that, for now at least, any thoughts the Karacknids had to continue their offensive into Alliance space have been delayed.”

“At quite a significant cost,” James couldn’t help but comment. Hundreds more Alliance ships destroyed would put a serious amount of pressure on their defenses. “It just makes me all the more concerned. All the Karacknids would have to do to take us is send half of one of their fleets against us and we would crumble.” Even with all the minor miracles he knew Andréa was trying to work, there was no way Humanity would have anything close to eight hundred warships of her own for at least another year, if not two or three.

Christine patted his arm again. “You are too pessimistic. With Rivers’ successful attack on the Karacknids’ Alpha-one depot, we’ve bought ourselves a little bit of time. But that does bring me to the second piece of news. The scouts have returned from Alpha-two. The Karacknids have been building up their staging planet there as well. There were no new orbital installations being built. But those that were already there were being stocked up. More than twenty freighters were detected in the system. There were also fifty warships protecting the Karacknids orbital stations.”

James nodded as he thought through the implications of Christine’s news. “So they have been planning a significant attack against us. One they likely believe will take us out of the war. Why else would they be preparing two staging planets from which to strike us? That is troubling. And that’s not being pessimistic. Moreover, they are not afraid to let us know at least a part of their plans. They know we know they launched their first attack against us from Alpha-two. If they are not hiding their build up, they must not be afraid of what we might do. There is much to discuss I’m sure.”

“That’s why we are all here,” Christine said as she smiled up at him. “I scheduled a meeting of the Inner Council for a couple of hours from now. It should give you a bit of time to freshen up. Then we can get you caught up on where everything is at and what plans we have put into motion. Of course, everyone will want to hear how you got on in New Delhi. Myself included,” Christine added as she nudged him with her elbow. “I had every confidence that you would handle the situation, but even I didn’t think you’d be coming back with New Delhi already signed up to join the Empire.”

“I guess I was just keen to get home and see my fiancé,” James said as he winked at Christine. “Governor Culthrapori should have known not to try and get between us.”

Christine laughed. “Perhaps that is the secret to beating the Karacknids. Maybe I need to let them take me back to their homeworld. Then you can come charging in like a knight in shining armor and challenge their Imperator to a dual. I’m sure that would win the war for us.”

James rolled his eyes as he shook his head. As much as he hated the Karacknids and was desperate to bring them to battle for what they had done to Earth, he wasn’t so foolish as to think he stood a chance against a Karacknid in a hand-to-hand engagement. Heck, we don’t even know where their homeworld is, James thought. Though if we did… He thought through just what might be possible if they did have that piece of information.

“Come back to us Grand Admiral,” Christine said as she gave James a shake. “You’ll have time for daydreaming later, for now, we need your focus to be on the issues at hand.”

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, James gestured for Christine to lead him up to the main doors of Chilton House. “As I said Empress, your wish is my command.”

Chapter 28

The history of our Empire has seen greater naval commanders than our first Emperor and greater political minds than our first Empress, but as a team few could claim to have been better equipped. None can claim to have accomplished more.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Drake, Earth orbit, 12th January 2483 AD (nine days later).

James let out a sigh as he rose from his command chair and wiped the sweat off his brow. “Good work everyone,” he said to the collection of his staff officers and Drake’s Lieutenants who were in the battleship’s auxiliary bridge. “That was interesting to say the least.” They had just finished fighting a simulated Karacknid invasion from the Alpha-two staging base. For the last six hours James and his officers had been playing the role of the Karacknids. First they had attacked Holstein, then they had quickly pushed on and taken New Berlin. Only then had Lightfoot been able to get his ships into German colonial space to slow James’ advance. He had been partially successful, but in the end the numerical advantage James had been assigned at the start of the simulation had told. By the time James had pushed Lightfoot back to the Beta colony, three quarters of Lightfoot’s ships had been destroyed. That had been enough to signal the end of the simulation. There was no way Lightfoot could have defended Earth if James had pushed forward. “How did Jil’lal get on?” James asked as he sought out Miyagi.

“Very similar to us,” his Chief of Staff reported without looking up from his command console. “It seems Koroylov won a couple of minor skirmishes, but he was forced to retreat back to the Alpha colony. It did take her an extra week to drive him back. But, to be fair, she did have further to advance.”

James smiled, “Still, it’s something to remind her of the next time we meet in person.” Jil’lal had been playing the role of a secondary Karacknid fleet that had launched its attack from Alpha-one. As expected, having to split Home Fleet into two fleets to confront a two-pronged invasion had resulted in a total defeat. That had been expected from the get-go, however. What the simulation had been testing was how long the Imperial Fleet could delay such a Karacknid attack. Not long enough, James thought as he double checked the time it had taken his and Jil’lal’s fleet to reach the Alpha and Beta colonies. In theory, with the tachyon pulse generator, Alliance High Command could be alerted to the Karacknid attack within a couple of hours of the news reaching Earth. Then, once the artificial shift passage to Earth was completed, Alliance ships could reach Earth within a month. Technically, James’ ships would have reached Earth two days after the first Alliance ships might theoretically have arrived. But he would have arrived with fourteen hundred warships. There was no way the Alliance would be able to conjure up a strong enough force to counter such a Karacknid threat. Not when the vast majority of their warships were concentrated along their border with the Karacknids. They simply didn’t have enough reserve formations near Human space to divert that quickly in the case of a Karacknid push against Earth. Even if they did, James concluded, Jil’lal’s fleet would have sealed victory for us a week later.

The simulation had been long and intensive as well as informative, but it hadn’t given James much hope. It only confirmed what he had already been pretty confident about. If and when the Karacknids launched their expected invasion, there would be little the Imperial Fleet could do to stop them. Every week the Karacknids were delayed meant more warships were coming out of their construction yards; but the Human Empire did not have the capacity to really make use of the delay. They’d have to be producing fifty or sixty ships a month for the delay to actually work in their favor. “I’m going to retire to my quarters to freshen up,” James said to Miyagi. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready to review the simulation in more detail.”

“Aye Admiral,” Miyagi responded as he briefly looked up.

Before James turned to leave, Miyagi’s head was already back down pouring over the data from the simulation on his command console. Content to leave him to it, James walked out of the auxiliary bridge. The sight that greeted him made him stop in surprise. “What are you doing here?” he asked as his joy at seeing Christine quickly drowned out by concern. Whatever was so important that she had felt the need to come in person, it was hardly likely to be good news.

Christine’s smile instantly dispelled his concern, however. “I have a couple of things I wanted to tell you,” she said excitedly. She rocked back and forth as she talked.

“I was just retiring to my quarters. Do you want to talk there, or can it not wait? You seem like a schoolgirl who has just been asked out on her first date,” James said as he cracked a grin.

Christine’s face tightened as she feigned a cross look. But then she moved forward and embraced James. “I’ve been waiting here for the last twenty minutes for you to finish. Let’s go to your quarters, but we can talk on the way, I’ve waited long enough.” As she moved back, she gave him a light punch on the arm. “That’s for making fun of me. You shouldn’t be taking advantage of your Empress.”

James put Christine’s arm through his and led her away from Drake’s auxiliary bridge. He patted her hand at the same time. “If my Empress wants to start acting like an Empress, then there would be no need to take advantage… Now,” he continued before Christine could give him another thump. “What is it you are wanting to talk about?”

Christine beamed again as she looked up at him. “We got word from a number of different colonies over the last twelve hours. News of New Delhi’s decision to join the Empire reached them several weeks ago and now we’re starting to hear about it. Four other Indian colonies have held referendums. They all voted to join the Empire. So too have all the Canadian colonies.”

“All of them?” James asked as he almost started laughing. It wasn’t hard for him to picture the look on Representative Barker’s face as they had watched the Indians vote in the Calcutta polling station.

“Yes, all of them, even Baffin,” Christine confirmed. “It seems that without New Delhi’s leadership, or perhaps because of what happened to Culthrapori, most of the leaders who were contemplating taking their own path have had second thoughts.”

“Where does that put us now? How many colonies have we got?” James asked. He knew several more American, British, and Chinese colonies had joined the Empire whilst he had been at New Delhi. A steady stream of colonies had been joining since he had returned, but his attention had been almost entirely focused on military matters.

“We have seventy colonies now in the Empire,” Christine answered. “Most of them have already or are in the process of electing Senators and Members of the House of Commons. Perhaps more importantly, we have thirty-two out of thirty-three of Humanity’s most significant colonies. We’re just waiting on news from the more outlying colonies. Most have already scheduled referendums. Fairfax believes it is a foregone conclusion. Every Human colony will join us. The only significant holdout is Formosa in Argentinian space. But with the news of these Indian and Canadian colonies holding their referendums, they will have to join us now, they cannot hold out on their own.”

James stopped walking and held Christine by her elbows. “You’re telling me that we have done it? That we’ve managed to pull everyone into this thing?”

Christine nodded, “It’s not official on paper yet, but in reality yes, there’s no doubt now.”

James smiled as he pulled Christine into a firm hug. “Congratulations Empress,” he said, his voice filled with joy and relief. A significant weight had just lifted from his shoulders. “You did it. I hardly believed it possible when you and Fairfax first shared your constitution with me. But my goodness, you have done it.”

“We have done it,” Christine scolded him, even as she returned his hug. “This is as much your accomplishment as mine. Especially after New Delhi.”

James shook his head as he released Christine. “That’s not true and you know it. The colonies haven’t voted to follow me. They voted to follow you.”

Instead of arguing, Christine beamed at him. “You’re wrong, they voted to follow both of us. But we can debate that later. That actually brings me to my second topic. You know what this news means?” James thought for a second and shrugged as he shook his head. He was too worn out to play guessing games. “It means,” Christine said as her smile actually widened. “Fairfax has said it is time.”

“Time for what?” James asked as he frowned in confusion.

Christine’s smile vanished at once. “You better be playing with me Admiral,” she said in a very different tone. “Time for our marriage of course! What do you think we have been waiting all this time for?”

James wanted to smack himself on the forehead. Of course that was what she had been talking about. That was why she had been so excited. He refrained from doing so, however. If he did, he would give the game away. Instead he broke into a wide grin as he pulled Christine into a hug, lifting her off her feet. “Really? Fairfax says we can?”

Though her face was mushed into his chest, James felt Christine nodding. He quickly set her down and brought his lips to hers. “I can hardly believe it,” he said when they broke apart. “I’ve been so busy I have not had time to think about it. But I’m glad, very glad. When were the two of you thinking?”

“In one week,” Christine said deadpan.

James’ eyes narrowed. He wasn’t sure if she was joking or not. “Really?” he found himself saying again.

Christine nodded, then she broke into another beaming smile that told James she wasn’t joking in the slightest. She was simply happy. “But how? How can we arrange everything so fast?”

Christine swatted his arm. “We’ve been making preparations for months silly. Everything is prepared. We were just waiting for the right date. Given the looming threat of another Karacknid invasion, Fairfax doesn’t think we should wait any longer and I for one am in agreement.” Leaning forward, Christine kissed him again. “I want to marry you Admiral Somerville, whether it is politically expedient or not, I’m done waiting.”

James’ mind was awash with thoughts. He had no idea just what kind of ceremony Fairfax and Christine had been planning, nor what else might suddenly be thrust upon him when he did marry Christine. He knew he would become Emperor to rule alongside her. Despite all those concerns, he couldn’t help but return Christine’s beaming smile. He wanted to marry her too, just as much as she did him. “So am I,” James agreed. “So am I,” he repeated as his smile widened to the point where his cheeks hurt.

*

England, 19th January 2483 AD (one week later).

As James stepped into the massive marquee, his first thought was that it looked very different to when he had last been in it. Then, it had been decorated in the full livery of the British Star Kingdom. Now it was covered in the flags and emblems of the Human Empire. With a nod to the marine Lieutenant commanding the honor guard, James moved to the front row of seats. Behind him, through the marquee’s open flaps, he could hear the roar of the crowds outside. They had warmly welcomed him as his carriage had pulled up. But now the carriage that followed his was approaching, the noise was even louder. I have to give it to him, Fairfax knows what he is doing, James had to admit. Rather than have Christine crowned in some fancy Abbey or governmental building, he had recommended the coronation take place at the same location James had been crowned King of the British Star Kingdom. The large marquee had been set up in the exact same spot, in the middle of the British refugee camps. Even though the vast majority of the refugees had been rehoused, the symbolism would not be lost on Earth’s citizens. Indeed, it seemed they had flocked from all over Earth and the rest of the Sol system to witness the momentous event.

As he passed each row of seats, James nodded or smiled to various people he knew. Most of them were naval officers of one rank or another. Though quite a number were politicians and Imperial officials. James guessed both the warm smiles James gave them and the similar smiles he received in return would have surprised him several years ago. Politicians had never been his favorite people. He wasn’t yet ready to admit he had changed his opinion on that, but at least it seemed like more of his friends were in positions of power rather than those who hated him. After all, you’re about to become one of your species’ leading politicians, he said to himself as he kept from chuckling. That would never cease to amaze him.

When he got to the front row of seats there was only one space available. With a nod to Fairfax and Senator Nicholls, James sat down between them. “It sounds like she has arrived,” Fairfax whispered. “I guess we know who is the most popular.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” James replied. He leant toward Fairfax, “Just remember that when you next want one of us to do some meaningless political event. She is the one the people want.”

Fairfax rolled his eyes as he clasped James on his shoulder. “I’ll remember, don’t worry Admiral.” If he was going to add anything else, he didn’t get a chance for a sudden silence spread across the gathered witnesses. For several seconds, the more than three thousand attendees didn’t make a noise. Then the clap of forty marines snapping their plasma rifles to their shoulders echoed throughout the marquee. It was quickly followed by the orchestra striking up the Imperial anthem that had been written for the occasion. Like everyone else, James stood and half turned to receive Christine.

As she entered the marquee, James was surprised again. Rather than garbed in a flowing regal dress and decorated in jewelry, Christine was wearing a simple dress uniform. In many ways it reflected the Imperial Fleet uniform. Another Fairfax touch, James surmised. Christine was about to be crowned as the Empress of Humanity. It was her duty to serve her people, not use her position to seek her own glory. Her attire communicated that well. As she walked down the central aisle, Christine looked neither left nor right. Her eyes were fixed on the central stage at the front of the marquee. Only when she got close to James did her gaze flicker. For just a second she met his eyes. Though her facial features didn’t change, James saw the emotion in her eyes. Nervousness, excitement, and a deadly seriousness filled her. James was amazed at her ability to keep it all bottled up.

Passing the final row of seats, Christine ascended the four steps up the stage. Once there, she took a couple more steps forward. Then she stopped and spun around. Only then did her gaze move from left to right as she made eye contact with as many of those gathered in the marquee as she could. The first five rows of seats were filled with the elected Senators and Commoners from the colonies who had sent their representatives to the Senate and House of Commons. Beyond them there were naval officers and other officials and everyone else Fairfax deemed worthy of an invitation. James knew that meant they held a significant amount of political or economic power within the Sol system and the nearest colonies. For nearly a full minute Christine took her time to acknowledge all of them. Then, ever so slowly she lowered herself to one knee and bowed to the entire audience, who, as much as they could, represented the people Christine was about to commit her life to. For several seconds she held her pose before springing back to her feet. Turning her back on everyone, she took four steps forward until she stopped in front of the dais in the middle of the stage. On it was a rugged metal crown. Rather than being made from gold or silver, the crown was made from melted down metal scavenged from every single one of the cities the Karacknids had nuked. Out of the wreckage of their attack, Christine’s crown had been forged. The idea had actually been James’, though as soon as he had shared it, Christine had agreed. There was no stronger imagery of how they intended to rule. Reaching out, Christine lifted the crown and placed it on her own head. James nodded in approval. No Archbishop or Lord or politician would crown the Empress of the Human species. She had been elected by her people and she and she alone had the right to crown herself.

Turning, Christine once again faced the audience, her crown plain for all to see. Everyone fell to one knee and bowed their heads. As one they committed themselves to the new Empress. James knew what they were about to say, but he listened to their words, nonetheless.

“We the people of Humanity do swear to take you and your posterity as our Empress from this day forth,” they chanted in unison. “You will be the head of our government and the chief protector of our constitution. Our fleets and armies will fight in your name. To you we give our allegiance.”

“And I swear in response,” Christine said in an amplified voice that carried throughout the marquee as everyone remained on their knee, “that I will discharge the duties of my office to the best of my ability. I will give my life and death in service to our constitution and the people it has been written to benefit. You have my allegiance as I now demand you give me yours… You may arise,” Christine added as she finished her response. She smiled for the first time since entering the marquee. “And now, for the second part of our ceremony.”

As everyone around James rose to their feet, he stepped forward and moved onto the stage beside Christine. From a side alcove, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the same man who had crowned James King of the British Star Kingdom not long ago, appeared. He moved over to stand between James and Christine.

“We have just crowned our Empress,” his voice boomed out across the marquee. “Now let us witness her marriage.” Turning to James, the Archbishop opened the folder he was holding and began to read. “Do you James Somerville take Christine Na to be your lawfully wedded wife, to shepherd and protect, to guide and support, in sickness and in health, for better and for worse?”

James turned from the Archbishop to Christine as he gave his answer. “I do,” he said confidently. Though he had feared he might still feel a pang of guilt, he was happy to find there was none. He still loved Suzanna, that would never change, but he loved Christine as well.

“And with your marriage to her, do you accept the responsibilities and demands that will fall upon you as her Emperor?” the Archbishop followed up.

Having not turned from Christine, James held her eyes as he answered again. “I do.”

The Archbishop turned to Christine “and do you Christine Na take James Somerville to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and respect, to help and support, in sickness and in health, for better and for worse?”

“I do,” Christine said as she gave James one of her beaming smiles.

“You may exchange your rings,” the Archbishop said as he held up his folder where the rings James and Christine had picked out where sitting. Reaching over, James took Christine’s hand and placed it on her finger, and then held up his hand to allow her to do the same.

The Archbishop let them share a moment before speaking again. “Now, as God’s servant and Archbishop of Canterbury, I declare you husband and wife. You may kiss one another.”

Still smiling at one another, James lowered his mouth to Christine’s. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her reach up and quickly grab her crown to keep it in place as they kissed. As they broke apart, a roar of clapping and shouting assaulted their ears. James turned with Christine to see everyone in the marquee was on their feet. Seconds later the roar more than doubled in strength. The news had reached the crowds outside. For what seemed an eternity, James stood by Christine’s side as the audience clapped. James reckoned at least five minutes passed before the first person sat. Even after they did, it took another couple of minutes for silence to return to the marquee.

“Now, we have one final thing to do,” Christine said as the Archbishop of Canterbury retreated to his alcove. “Please stand,” she requested. As everyone in the marquee did so, Christine moved behind the dais and pulled out a crown that matched hers. Moving over to James, she flicked her eyes down. James fell to one knee. Without any fanfare, she gently placed the crown on his head.

As James stood, she was momentarily out of sight of everyone. She stuck out her tongue and winked at him. He had to fight to keep his face straight as he turned to face the audience. Trust her to try and put him off at such a moment! Taking a deep breath, he waited and listened as the audience repeated the vow they had made to Christine, now to him. He then repeated Christine’s vow. As he spoke, emotion filled every word, for he meant every one of them. With Christine, he would give his life and death in service for the Empire; he knew nothing short of that would be sufficient to defeat the Karacknids.

“And now,” Christine said as she stepped out from behind James to stand by his side. “We celebrate!” Taking James’ hand, she lifted it into the air as another round of applause and shouting broke out. Pulling gently on his hand, Christine maneuvered James into another kiss.

*

“That was one long day,” James commented as he followed Christine into his ancestral home’s master bedroom. Unbuttoning his dress uniform tunic, he tossed it on the bed. Then he lifted his arms above his head and stretched. As he looked around the room, he saw that someone had brought their two crowns and placed them on top of one of the drawers. “I don’t think I’ve spoken to half as many people in one day as I have today. If that’s how things are going to be from here on in, I think I may have made a mistake.”

Christine turned on him and raised a finger. She wagged it at him with every word she said. “You’re not going to start that with me.” She held up her left hand. “There’s no going back now. It’s too late for second thoughts.”

“All right, all right,” James said as he winked at Christine. He pulled her in for a long kiss. “I suppose there are some benefits,” he said as they broke apart. “Perhaps it will be bearable.” He moved in for another deep kiss. For the first time since they had begun their relationship, he allowed his hands to roam over her body.

When they broke apart again, Christine took half a step back. She didn’t raise her eyes to meet his. “There’s something I have to tell you. You’re not to laugh. You promise?”

“I promise to try not to,” James said as he wondered just what was on her mind.

Christine raised her eyes to meet his but only for a brief second. “Tonight… It will be my first time. When Na and I got married, it was political. We weren’t romantic with one another,” Christine said quickly.

Though he did try, James couldn’t stop a small chuckle escaping his lips. Christine immediately turned away from him. Reaching out, he gently turned her back. “I’m not laughing at you,” he said forcefully. “Not at all. It’s just you saying that here, in this room, it brings back memories. This is where Suzanna and I spent our first night after getting married. That night I had to have the same conversation with her. Except I was in your place… That’s right,” James added when Christine’s eyes rose to meet his. “I didn’t date anyone else after you ended our relationship. And with Suzanna we didn’t exactly have much time between Fairfax deciding we should marry and the wedding day. So you have nothing to worry about. Not in the slightest.” Reaching out, James stroked Christine’s hair and placed a hand on her chin. “It just makes it all the more special.” Lowering his lips to hers he kissed her again. At first he sensed she was still self-conscious, but that quickly passed as their kisses became longer and longer.

Chapter 29

For much of the early years of the Karacknid War the Imperial Fleet was actually smaller than the UN fleet it replaced after the Battle of Earth. What it lacked in numbers it made up for in advanced firepower. Moreover, the limited ship numbers actually helped in a perverse way, for it took time to build up the infrastructure to train enough officers to staff a larger fleet. So many UN fleet officers were killed that there was a dearth of skilled men and women to command the new ships of the Empire.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Drake, Earth orbit, 6th February 2483 AD (3 weeks later).

Over the next three weeks James jumped from one problem to another. Between Andréa’s constant demands for new materials and construction capacity; to Koroylov’s ever changing strategic plans and battle simulations; and Scott’s constant ideas and suggestions for new technologies and designs, James barely had any free time to himself. Of course, any free time he did get he spent with Christine. It was just as hard for her to get free time, but every day they managed to steal a secluded hour or more together. That left James with very little time to actually sit and think and plan by himself. In the end, the only place he was able to get some peace and quiet was on Drake’s bridge. When he sat in his command chair the battleship’s bridge officers rarely if ever disturbed him.

He was mulling over the latest strategy Koroylov had sent him. In three more weeks another twenty-six warships would finish their space trials and be added to the Imperial Fleet’s roster. That would bring Humanity’s warship numbers up to two hundred and eight. With forty-eight Vestarian warships and ninety Alliance ships, the total force available would be three hundred and forty-six. Koroylov wanted to split the fleet into three. Keeping a third in reserve, the other two would then be sent to the two Karacknid supply depots to carry out what Koroylov was calling raids in strength. Like Commodore Rivers’ successful raid, each attack would be heavily supported by freighters converted to carry Spitfires and Lancasters into battle. The twist in Koroylov’s plan was that if the Karacknids could be convinced to abandon either system, then the fleet would set up a base there. At least for the short-term, they couldn’t permanently deny the system to the Karacknids, but even holding it for a few weeks or months would further hamper whatever the Karacknids were planning. The problem was that if one raid failed whilst the other succeeded, one third of Humanity’s fleet would set up shop in a far-flung border system, while the Karacknids could counter-attack from their other base and drive towards Earth. Of course, if the warships continued to sit in the Sol system they would be squandering the time Commodore Rivers’ successful attack had bought them.

As James thought through the pros and cons of Koroylov’s suggestion, he didn’t notice the new contact that Drake’s sensors picked up. The battleship’s sensor officer took note of its of course, but thought nothing more of it. It was only fifteen minutes later when the frigate’s flash alert reached Drake and the bridge’s COM console gave off an alert that James was pulled from his thoughts.

“What is it?” Captain Fisher asked before James could. She had taken to silently joining James when he visited the bridge in case he wanted to run an idea by her.

“A flash alert from Pterodactyl,” the officer replied at once. “She was one of the frigates sent out to scout for additional Karacknid depot worlds. She has transmitted an encrypted report and some sensor data.”

James sat forward in his chair. “Decrypt it with my authorization code,” he ordered as he typed the code into his command console. “Show me the sensor data first,” he requested. As an image of an unknown system appeared in front of Drake’s bridge officers, James’ fears were confirmed. Pterodactyl had discovered another Karacknid staging world. Perhaps their main one, James realized. The exploration frigate had detected one hundred Karacknid warships. Most were in orbit around the system’s second gas giant. Though sixteen appeared to be guarding some installations orbiting the third gas giant. The second gas giant was where the Karacknids had focused their attention, however. The equator of the planet was lit up like a Christmas tree. There were too many stations for James to count. Far more than had been detected at either Alpha-one or Alpha-two. James turned and shared a glance with Fisher. Pterodactyl’s news was not good, not good at all. If the Karacknids had been preparing three staging planets, that meant they didn’t intend to fail a second time in their attempts to conquer Humanity. Christine’s Inner circle had come to that conclusion already but the level of commitment to the attack was way beyond anything they had anticipated. “With so many stations and gas mining facilities, that system could be ready to prep a fleet of thousands of warships,” he said as he held Fisher’s gaze.

His Flag Captain nodded to him. “We’ll have to tear up Koroylov’s latest plan.”

And then some, James thought. “Ready my shuttle,” he requested as he glanced at Miyagi. The Karacknid threat loomed large on the horizon. What Pterodactyl had found could mean the beginning of the end for their fledging Empire. Christine would already be calling an emergency meeting of her Inner Council. “I’m sure Koroylov, Lightfoot and the others will have a few ideas of what to do,” he said to Fisher as he stood. “I’ll signal and let you know when I plan to return.” He wasn’t sure if his shuttle was ready or not yet, but he knew if he stayed any longer, he would be tempted to voice the doubts that were welling up within him. The same doubts he saw forming on Fisher’s face. The last three weeks had felt like a constant struggle to scrape together enough ships to try and deter the Karacknids from their planned invasion. Pterodactyl’s news was a kick to the guts.

As James walked through Drake’s corridors to his shuttle, he had to fight to keep his emotions in check. We are not defeated yet, he reminded himself. As long as there is a Human warship left alive, we will keep fighting. Despite his doubts, of that James was certain. It was just over a year since the Karacknids had nuked Earth, but he knew from the time he had spent with Captains, Lieutenants and newly enlisted cadets that the Imperial Fleet’s anger had far from abated. We cannot keep ourselves bottled up in the Sol system. Delaying their own offensive operations whilst they built up their forces had been prudent until now. But the Karacknids would always have the capacity to build far more ships than Humanity could. It was crystal clear the Karacknids intended to send a massive wave of ships at them; they had to act now or it would be too late. And massive may be underselling it, James couldn’t help but think. From Pterodactyl’s sensor readings, it looked like this new Karacknid base could easily serve as a staging planet for an invasion force of three or four thousand warships. And they may not be done with their construction work. That didn’t help lighten James’ mood. As he boarded his shuttle, James barely registered the Flight Lieutenant’s words. In silence he strapped himself in, lost in his thoughts.

When the shuttle touched down outside Chilton House James quickly exited it. A marine saluted him as he descended the shuttle’s access ramp, James saluted back out of instinct. With hundreds of thoughts still swirling around in his head, he followed the marine almost unconscious of his surroundings. Only when the marine stopped and James did likewise did he realize where he was. Nodding his thanks to the marine, he reached out and opened the wooden door to one of Chilton House’s libraries. It was where Christine often held the more intimate Inner Council meetings. As he stepped into the room, James wasn’t surprised to see Christine had only gathered Fairfax, Andréa, Koroylov and Lightfoot from her Inner Council. Admirals Jil’lal and Danlien were also present; whatever course of action they were about to embark upon, it would need both of their approval.

“Now we are all here,” Christine said as she gestured James towards an open chair. “Pterodactyl’s news is grave indeed. It has thrown a spanner in all of our plans. The question before us is, what are we to do next? I confess, it feels like our future hangs in the balance. Though I am no naval strategist.”

“Your instincts are spot on Empress,” Koroylov responded. “Given the scale of the infrastructure the Karacknids are building up on our border, an invasion, I dare say a massive invasion, has to be imminent. Especially now that they know we know about at least one of their depot worlds. At the very least, they are likely to dispatch more reinforcements to guard each of their worlds.”

“The situation may be worse than that,” Lightfoot said as he lent forward and looked around at the other Admirals. “It seems strange the Karacknids are going to such an effort just to conquer us, does it not? We have a fleet less than a tenth the size of the Alliance. Why expend so many resources on us? Their last attack almost wiped us out. Why not just come at us again with a similar force? Why go to all the bother to set up such a massive supply storage infrastructure?”

James saw what Lightfoot was getting at immediately. “We are not their final target,” he said. “They’re setting up staging bases through which they can funnel a number of fleets. Perhaps tens of thousands of ships.”

“Exactly,” Lightfoot replied with a nod. “If they can take Earth and neutralize the rest of our colonies in a quick lightning strike, then they could amass a large fleet on our side of the border with Alliance space. If they take us out, they would be able to circumnavigate the Alliances border forts and strike them in their rear. I fear they are setting up the infrastructure they will need to launch a campaign that will destroy us and then strike deep into Alliance space all in one go.”

James couldn’t help but stare at Christine. Her face had gone pale. Before he could say anything to reassure her, Danlien joined the conversation. “Your analysis is perceptive Admiral,” the Varanni said to Lightfoot as he bowed his head in respect. “We must transmit this information to Varanni Prime immediately. I’m sure High Command will want to divert more ships to your space as soon as possible. If we can delay the Karacknid’s attack at all, we must make an effort to do so. I will say as much in the transmission.”

“Thank you,” Christine said, her voice not giving away any of the emotion James had seen cross her face. “I’ve already requested Pterodactyl’s report be transmitted to Varanni prime. I’ll make sure Lightfoot’s conclusions are sent too,” turning, Christine gave a slight nod to Fairfax who pulled out his datapad typed a message for one of his assistants. Christine continued as she turned back to Danlien. “You can send your own transmission when we are finished here of course. How many ships do you think High Command can spare to help us? And how long until they might get here?”

Danlien’s lower lip retracted to show his teeth in a Varanni sign of frustration. “I am afraid I cannot answer those questions with any confidence. Without knowledge of the latest fleet dispositions and strength estimates of the Karacknid fleet arrayed against us, there’s no way to know for sure. But what Lightfoot has suggested is a threat High Command will not be able to ignore.”

“I’m afraid relying on Alliance High Command is not an option we may have the luxury of,” James said in a somber tone.

“Explain,” Christine requested at once.

Reaching over, James activated the small holo projector in the library. It only took a few seconds to pull up a star map of Human space and to highlight the three Karacknid depots. “From these three bases, Karacknid fleets could directly threaten eight of our colonies. From any one of those eight colonies, they could then push deeper into our space and raid our other colonies or conquer Earth. Even if the Karacknids gave us time for a thousand Alliance warships to join us, to protect our colonies, we have to split them up into eight different fleets. A thousand ships divided eight times would not give us a strong force. The Karacknids would be able to defeat us piece by piece with ease. Our only other option would be to keep our ships here in the Sol system. But the Karacknids could raid every other colony we have. We might save our homeworld for a time, but our military industrial complex would be shattered. We would be out of this war and we would fall sooner or later.”

“What are you suggesting,” Christine pressed, “surely you’re not giving up?”

James tried to give Christine a reassuring smile, but his heart wasn’t in it and from the look in her eyes, he knew she could see it. Nevertheless he pressed on. “As I see it, the only option is to move on the three Karacknid depot systems. As soon as we can we need to strike them and take them for ourselves. A raid merely buys us some more time. Perhaps enough for the Alliance to send more ships. But really, we need to take and hold the systems. That is the only way we will be able to concentrate enough of our ships to fend off whatever the Karacknids have planned. If we are holding the systems then the Karacknids will have to push past our fleets in order to attack our colonies. Three systems will be much easier to defend than eight.”

Koroylov shook his head. “We barely have ships enough to contemplate attacking the two depots we knew about. And this third one is larger and more heavily protected than either of those. How can we possibly do this thing?”

James took the time to hold the gaze of each person in the room for a brief moment before replying. “We can do this thing because we have to. Because we must. Because if we don’t, our colonies will fall, and Earth will fall, and so will the Alliance. If this is the Karacknids’ grand strategy, then we must thwart it before it begins. For when it does, there will be no stopping it. They could be moving thousands of ships from their frontline with Alliance space. If they arrive at any of their depot worlds and find the supplies and fuel they need to press on into our space, nothing we have will stop them.” Having said his piece, James looked from one person to the next. None were quick to respond. Instead silence filled the small room.

Fairfax was the one who eventually broke it. “Just what kind of odds of success are we talking about here?”

When everyone looked to him, James shrugged. “We’d have to run some simulations. If we do split our fleet three ways, each part will have to be just strong enough to accomplish its mission and no more. We can’t afford to send two stronger forces and leave one too weak to accomplish its mission. All three systems must be taken out of Karacknid hands. From the start we’ll have to plan in such a way that we’re right on the edge of attempting what is possible. It will partly depend on how quickly we can depart. The longer we wait, the more ships we will have. Though my gut is telling me we shouldn’t delay for an hour longer than necessary. For the longer we wait, the greater chance the Karacknids will reinforce their positions. Koroylov was spot on in what he said earlier. The Karacknids know we know. Our window of opportunity could already be closing.”

Christine took a deep breath. “You’re proposing a Hail Mary attempt aren’t you?”

James nodded. “I don’t see that we have any other choice. Not now. Not if what Lightfoot has suggested is true. We cannot hold back the main might of the Karacknid fleet. We couldn’t even hold back whatever vanguard force they are likely to send in first.”

Christine turned to her other Admirals. “What do the rest of you think?”

Koroylov rubbed the stubble on his cheek. “I don’t like it. Not one bit. If any of the three attacks fail, they all fail. Moreover, we are not just running the risk that the three engagements will fail, but we will also be completely uncovering Earth’s defenses. If one fleet fails to take its objective, then the way will be open for the Karacknids to push towards Earth. By the time the other two fleets find out what’s happening, it would already be too late… And yet, my instincts are telling me the same thing Admiral Somerville’s are. As much as I don’t like it, I don’t think we have any other option. Time is of the essence.”

Christine turned from Koroylov to Lightfoot. “We have to plan each of our attacks based on the intelligence we have on each Karacknid depot,” he answered. “But by the time our fleets get to their targets, things will likely have changed. One depot could have received heavy reinforcements, while another might not. There are so many unknowns.” Lightfoot turned to James and gave him a nod. “Even so, I think this is what we must do. At least, we must attempt to do. If we stay here and rest on our laurels, defeat will find us eventually. There can be no doubt about that now. Either we attack or we die.”

Christine closed her eyes and tilted her head back for several seconds. “All right then,” she said quietly as she lowered her head again. Her eyes slowly opened. “All right then,” she said more forcefully. “If this is what my three best Admirals recommend, then I do not see how I can adopt any other approach.” She looked from Koroylov to Lightfoot and then to James. “You do know who will be commanding each mission don’t you?” James found himself nodding with the other two Admirals. As far as he was concerned, anyone who wanted to stop him going would have to wrestle him into some deep dark prison and throw away the key. He imagined Lightfoot and Koroylov felt exactly the same.

“What about your fleets?” Christine asked as she turned to Jil’lal and Danlien. “I doubt we can do this without your assistance.

James wasn’t in the least bit surprised by Jil’lal’s response. “Wherever Admiral Somerville sees fit to send his ships, mine will accompany them,” Jil’lal said at once. “We know our fate is tied with yours.”

“Given the threat that an attack from your space into our territory would pose to us, I don’t see how I could refuse to join your forces Empress,” Danlien said. “Though I fear we are talking about three suicide missions, our deaths might buy the time Alliance High Command will need to respond to this new threat and redeploy their fleets. If that is the price my ships have to pay, then we will pay it.”

“The question is, how long will it take us to get together the supplies we need to launch this mission?” Christine asked as she turned to Andréa and raised an eyebrow.

“I can’t say for sure right now,” Andréa answered. “If we’re talking about moving all of our warships out beyond our borders to fight in a battle and then remain in each system afterwards, we’re going to need the supplies and munitions for a full campaign. Added to that is the fact that each depot world is a different distance from Earth. Do we want to coordinate our attacks or launch them as soon as each is ready to go?”

“As soon as each is ready to go I think,” James answered. “Unless there is going to be more than a couple of weeks delay between each one. Any time less than that and one attack shouldn’t give the Karacknids warning about the others.”

Andréa nodded as she tapped on her thigh. “One week, I think we could prepare the supplies and freighters to launch in one week. But we’d have to arrange follow up supply convoys to reinforce each fleet if they do manage to capture their targets. Will that do?”

“It will have to,” James responded. “We will find a way to make it work. Though if you can do all that, then all the better.” Turning from Andréa, James looked back to the other Admirals. “Now, we need to figure out how we can give ourselves the best chance of success. Here’s the ideas I’ve got so far…” As James played out a couple of strategies he thought might work, he kept glancing at Christine. He knew she didn’t fully understand what he was saying, but he was trying to give her some confidence all the same. As Koroylov, Lightfoot, Danlien and Jil’lal all began to pick apart his ideas and suggest their own, he forgot about Christine and was pulled into the back and forth. For more than an hour they discussed strategy and the various approaches they could take.

“I think my time may be better spent elsewhere,” Christine suggested as she spoke for the first time since the strategic discussions had begun. “Though I am eager to see your battle plans once you have them finalized.”

“I think we can all end this meeting here,” Koroylov responded. “We have enough ideas to begin some simulations. Once we have briefed our staff officers and began to go through things, we can meet again to work out some more details. I will confess, I’m not any more confident than when we began. But I suspect that may be how things are from here on in.”

Christine nodded. “You’re certainly not reassuring me any more than before. But I’d rather know the truth than be coddled. At least it will mean Fairfax and I can prepare our fledging Congress for the troubles that are likely to be ahead of us. We’ll end this meeting now and we can meet again tomorrow and see if you are all of the same mind after you’ve had a chance to run some simulations and discuss things with your subordinates. Andréa, you can begin making your preparations now.”

As everyone stood, James moved over to Andréa. “Are you sure you can arrange the supplies and munitions we’re going to need so quickly? I can get more officers assigned to your division. I’m sure it’s going to be a logistical nightmare.”

“It is, there’s no doubt about that,” Andréa replied. “But I think I should have things under control. I have a good team working with me.”

“Pterodactyl’s findings have certainly thrown a spanner in the works,” Fairfax said as he joined them. Christine was just behind him. “But at least we know where we stand. It’s better to know that than be in the dark,” he said as he looked to Christine. “And Pterodactyl was the last scout ship sent out. At least we don’t have to worry about any more Karacknid depots appearing out of thin air and surprising us with a fleet they’ve just dispatched.”

“At least we know there aren’t any more in the systems we dispatched scouts to check out,” Koroylov corrected as he came over and nodded to Andréa. “I’m not saying I don’t trust our esteemed colleague’s predictions. But the Karacknids may have other criteria for picking their depot systems that we have not anticipated.”

“That is not an encouraging thought,” James responded. Not at all, he added silently. “But unless we are going to break the fleet up into individual units and send them out to search hundreds of systems, it’s not something we can do anything about now. If it is a risk, it’s just one more we have to add to the list.” James knew it would be devastating if they found a way to attack and take each Karacknid depot system and then it turned out they had another one. Yet there was nothing he could do to prevent that from happening. If the Karacknids did have a fourth world, then they were already beat.

As the others continued their discussion, James allowed Christine to pull him to one side with her eyes. She took his hand and led him out of the small library. “Let’s take a walk in the gardens,” she suggested. James nodded and in silence they walked through Chilton House. Outside, Christine led them through the rose garden, past one of the larger fountains and around a large hedge to the beginning of a small thicket of trees. Several things came to James’ mind to say, he didn’t break the silence Christine had initiated. Instead he just enjoyed her presence. When they stopped by one tree, Christine turned and took his other hand into hers so that she held both his hands in front of her. “Before you try and stop me, I’m not saying I won’t let you go. It’s just, it’s not fair. We’ve only had a few weeks together. And now this. How am I supposed to stay here knowing that you’re going to be going out there and you may never return?”

James gently released his hands from Christine’s grip and pulled her into a hug. “I have no answer for that my dear. Other than that it is your duty. Just as I must go for the sake of our people, you must stay.” He gently eased her back to look her in the eyes. Slowly James lowered his lips to hers. “I haven’t left just yet,” he assured her when they broke apart. “You heard Andréa, we have a week or more yet.”

“A week where you’ll be worked off your feet. If there is any chance these attacks will work, they will need all of your attention and skill. You cannot waste your time with me.”

James gave Christine a cross look. “Time spent with you is never a waste. And you’re forgetting something important. You’re the reason I’m going out there. That means if I am to go, I will need reassuring that what I’m going to fight for is worth it.” As he pulled Christine into a hug, he allowed one of his hands to move down the small of her back. Then he gave her a gentle squeeze. “And that means we have to spend at least a little bit of time together my Empress.”

Christine looked up at him and smiled for the first time since Pterodactyl’s news had been transmitted to Earth. She placed both hands on James’ chest and pushed him back against the tree they were standing beside. “You have reminded me of something else my Admiral. You have another duty you need to see to. Especially if you are about to go on such a deadly mission. Our Empire needs an heir. You cannot go risking your life without the line of succession being secured.” James’ eyes widened at her words, but before he could say anything or ask one of the many questions that sprang to mind, Christine raised herself upon her tiptoes and kissed him again. Enfolding her fully into his arms, he continued kissing her as he forgot about the possibility that an aide or the fleet officer might bump into them. Christine’s nearness and the thought that the next week might be their last together made him throw caution to the wind.

Chapter 30

The legacy of service our first Emperor left, both in life and death, has served generations of Imperial citizens far more than he could have ever known.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

Drake, Earth orbit, 14th February 2483 AD (eight days later).

To no one’s surprise, Andréa managed to scrape together the supplies and freighters for the three attacks in just eight days. Though outwardly James and Christine had shown their pleasure in her efforts, alone they had lamented the shortness of their time together. In part that was why James suspected Christine was now seated beside him on Drake’s bridge. She was going to ride with them to the Sol system’s mass shadow and then take a shuttle back to Earth.

“We’re getting a COM message from Corsair One,” Lieutenant Beckford, James’ COM officer reported.

“I’ll talk to her on my COM unit,” James responded.  “Captain Black, how is your squadron?” James asked when Black’s face appeared on his command chair’s holo projector.

“Emperor,” Black began, but James cut her off.

“It’s Admiral when I’m serving in the fleet,” he corrected her.

“Right, Admiral. Well I was the last one to leave Grand Forks Air Force base. The rest of my pilots are already safely stowed on Prometheus. Our flight crew are coming up on the last shuttle. I just wanted to thank you for bringing us along. I know there was a lot of competition for spots on the fleet carriers.”

“There’s no need to thank me,” James replied. “We’re setting out on one of the most difficult missions any Human fleet has embarked upon.”

“Even so, you didn’t have to bring us, and so I wanted to thank you,” Black insisted.

“Let’s just see if you still want to thank me when all this is over,” James cautioned. “Now go and see to your people, make sure they get settled in. And that they don’t cause any problems with the other pilots.”

Black grinned. “I’ll try Admiral,” was all she was apparently willing to promise. James rolled his eyes and cut the COM channel.

“Corsair Squadron, that is the squadron of interceptors isn’t it?” Christine asked from her command chair. As James nodded she continued, “They aren’t equipped with anti-ship weapons, why have you brought them?”

“Call it a hunch,” James explained. “It’s been three years since the Karacknids’ first encountered our fighters. That’s plenty of time for them to develop their own. Corsair Squadron is our backup just in case.”

Christine nodded. “In that case, I’m glad they are going with you. But I hope they won’t see any action.”

James chuckled. “So do I,” he agreed.

For another hour they watched the hive of activity around the three hundred plus warships in Earth’s orbit. Here and there James explained to Christine what she was looking at. Occasionally she would ask questions as well. As much as James would have rather had more time alone with his new wife, it was nice to share his world with her, even if it was only just for a few hours.

“The last ship in our fleet has just signaled,” Miyagi announced. “We’re all ready to go.”

“Have we heard from Lightfoot and Koroylov?” James asked.

“Koroylov’s fleet reports it is ready to break orbit,” Beckford answered. “I’m still waiting to hear back from Lightfoot’s.”

James nodded and sat back in his command chair to wait. Just ten minutes later Beckford turned from her COM console. “Lightfoot reports ready as well Admiral.”

“Thank you,” James replied. He turned to Christine. “Do you care to do the honors Empress?” he asked.

Christine took a deep breath and lifted her chin. “Order all three fleets to break orbit and proceed on their missions,” she said loud enough for everyone on the bridge to hear her.

“Navigation, proceed,” Captain Fisher ordered moments later.

A slight tremor ran through Drake as her impulse engines overcame the force of Earth’s gravity and lifted her out of orbit. Around Drake three hundred and forty-three other warships carried out the same maneuver. They were flanked by eighty freighters that were stuffed with all the munitions and supplies the three fleets would need to take and hold each of their targets.

“Impressive,” Christine said as she stared at all the ships moving together. “That was smooth.”

“It’s not over yet,” James commented. “Signal the fleets, we will break into formation now.”

Seconds later, the mass of ships broke apart. In formation with Drake, there were one hundred and fifty-six warships. Surrounding Admiral Lightfoot’s new flagship, the battleship Vengeance, there were eighty. The remaining one hundred and four were under the command of Admiral Koroylov. He had the brand-new battleship, Constitution, as his flagship.

“It’s like they’ve done it a hundred times before,” Christine observed as she watched each group of ships seamlessly form up.

“That’s half true,” James explained. “They have carried out thousands of simulated maneuvers. Many close enough to what they just did to make it a relatively simple exercise.”

“Even the Vestarian and Alliance ships?” Christine followed up.

James nodded. “What do you think they’ve been doing since they got here?”

“Point taken,” Christine responded. She lowered her voice. “You are confident we have split our commanders as best we can?”

James nodded again as he gave her a smile. “That’s what the simulations suggest.” Admiral Danlien’s flagship and half of the Varanni Alliance ships were in formation with Koroylov’s Constitution. Danlien was to serve as Koroylov’s second in command. Acting as Lightfoot’s second in command, Admiral Jil’lal commanded all of her Vestarian warships. Finally, Commodore Maleck was to serve as James’ second. According to the simulated battles they had fought together over the last month, each pair of commanders best complemented one another’s skills.

“Then we will just have to trust that things will work out,” Christine said.

Though she sounded concerned, James could see what she was thinking in her eyes. For the last week she had put a brave face on James’ impending departure, but now that it was actually happening, he suspected it was getting to her. Reaching over as far as he could, he placed a hand on hers. “You are not to worry whilst we are gone. We know what we are doing. This is what we have trained for, for decades.”

Christine nodded, but again James could tell what she was really thinking from her eyes. It was all well and good for him to tell her not to worry. Actually doing it was another thing. And how would you feel if the roles were reversed? he asked himself. That thought made James squeeze Christine’s hand again. He knew he would be beside himself. It would take a month and a half for Drake to reach her target. Then the same time for news of what might happen to return to Earth. And after that who knew how long it would take James to get back himself. Christine would have many long, lonely nights with nothing but her own thoughts and fears to keep her company. At least James would have the distraction of commanding a fleet of warships to keep his mind off their separation. Though of course, she will be busy herself, James knew. In an effort to cheer her up, he asked her about her plans for the coming weeks. As always, there were a thousand things that needed to be done. The Imperial Congress would soon be taking their seats, at least on paper all the colonies would have elected their Senators and Commoners. Then it would be time for the two houses of government and Christine to nominate prospective members for the third house, the House of Servants. The Servants would serve a single term of twenty years and selecting them would have a significant impact on the direction of the Empire for a very long time. James knew Christine and Fairfax had been working on their nominations for months, but it was a good distraction to ask her about her picks anyway.

“It will soon be time,” Miyagi said as he looked up from his command console several hours later. “Lightfoot’s fleet will reach the Alpha shift passage in an hour. We’ll have to transmit our message within the next ten minutes to ensure they receive it before jumping out.”

“Are you ready?” James asked Christine.

“Give me a moment,” she replied as she pulled out a datapad and skimmed through it. “All right,” she said as she raised her eyes less than a minute later. “Open a COM channel to our fleets.”

When Lieutenant Beckford nodded to Christine, Christine took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Officers and crew of the Imperial Fleet. This is your Empress speaking. I have travelled with you to the edge of the Sol system. This is as far as I can go physically. My responsibilities to our people prevent me from going with you further, though I earnestly desire to do so. Whilst physically you will leave our species home system without me, in mind and heart, I will be with you. As well as all the people of Earth, the Sol system and every one of our colonies. You know what is at stake. The Karacknid invasion fleet may be on our very doorstep. One that will finish what the Karacknid’s began on Earth just over a year ago. Your three fleets are being dispatched to see that this does not happen. You are all that stands between our peoples and certain death and enslavement. Go with the blessing of your Empress and your people.”

As she paused, James watched Christine let out a breath before continuing, she still hadn’t opened her eyes. “There is an ancient proverb from Sparta, mothers sending their sons to battle would hand them their shields and give them one final instruction; that they should return, ‘with this shield or upon it.’ I say the same to you all now. There is no turning back. No fleeing. If you fail, we all fall. It is victory or death. There is no other choice. Therefore this is the command your Empress, of your Empire. The last one I will leave you with… Do not fail us... You have all sworn to serve me, to serve the Empire in life and in death. I now ask that service of you all...” for a brief moment Christine hesitated before finishing. “Farewell my fleet. May you take us with you in your hearts.”

Opening her eyes, Christine reached up to wipe them, but she wasn’t quick enough. James saw the two tears run down her cheeks. “I will retire to my shuttle now,” she said as she stood, her voice breaking. “Take care of my husband,” she said as she nodded to Fisher and then looked around at the gathered bridge officers. They were all staring silently. “And one another.” She turned to James. “Will you escort me?”

“Of course,” James said, already standing. Linking her arm through his, he led her off Drake’s bridge. Though several things came to James’ mind to say, he couldn’t find the strength to do so. It was hitting him now as hard as he suspected it had hit Christine earlier. They were parting, and after so little time together. She understands the risks, James thought, her short speech made that clear. Whatever was going to happen in the Karacknid depot systems, the three fleets they were sending would follow her instructions. Either they would be victorious, or they would die on the battlefield. Though if that happened, there would be no one left to bring their bodies home.

When they got to the large hatch that led into Drake’s number one shuttle bay, Christine stopped short. James stopped as well when he felt her touch his arm. “Let us say goodbye here husband,” she said, barely above a whisper. “I don’t want to do it in front of everyone.”

James understood, the shuttle bay would be a hive of activity. Looking down at her he smiled as he lent in for a kiss. “We have had far too little time together. But I will treasure what we have shared.”

“As will I,” Christine said as she folded herself into his arms. Leaning her head against his chest she then looked up at James. “Promise me you will return. I cannot do this without you.”

James swallowed hard as he looked down at his wife. He wanted to make the promise she was looking for. He desperately wanted to. The look of hurt and loss in her eyes nearly made him do it. But even more so, he didn’t want to lie to her. Ever so gently he shook his head. “I am sorry. That I cannot do. We have a mission to accomplish. One that is more important than my life, or even our marriage. I will return on this ship or I will die in it. But I cannot promise you which it will be.”

Christine closed her eyes as she pushed her head more firmly into his chest. More tears streamed down her cheeks. “This is harder than I ever imagined.”

Gently James prized Christine away from him. He then kissed her again. “As it is for me,” he told her. “But it will make our reunion all the sweeter… Now, you better get going. If you don’t appear in the shuttle bay, my bridge officers will start to think we made a detour to my quarters. That would hardly be appropriate now would it, Empress?” he asked as he raised his eyebrows.

The smallest of smiles briefly appeared on Christine’s lips, then it faded away. “I know you have your duty to see to. I don’t want to delay the fleet. I will go. Just... One more kiss?” she asked as he lifted her chin. James smiled again as he obeyed. Stepping back moments later, Christine took both of his hands in hers. She squeezed them as she held his eyes. Then she gave one sharp nod and let him go. Turning quickly, she stepped up to the shuttle bay’s hatch. It automatically slid open for her and she moved through. Seconds later it slid shut leaving James on his own in the corridor.

*

As she walked through the shuttle bay, Christine kept her eyes on her shuttle. She knew officers and crew members were saluting her and acknowledging her presence, but she didn’t trust herself to look at them. Instead she kept her focus on the shuttle’s access ramp. She just needed to get to it and make it to her seat. Then she could let her guard down. She didn’t care if her personal pilots saw her distress. But she didn’t want to dishearten Drake’s crew. If they saw how she was feeling, it would spread throughout the battleship like wildfire. The last thing she wanted was to hurt the morale of James’ crew.

As her foot touched the shuttle’s access ramp, she quickened her pace. She could feel her resolve giving way. At the same time, relief sprang up within her, for she was almost out of sight of everyone. The distraction made her lose track of her right hand. Instinctively it moved to her belly and rubbed it. Suddenly horrified at what she had done, Christine whipped her head around. She sought out the shuttle bay’s access hatch. With a sigh of relief, she saw that James was not standing there. He hadn’t followed her into the shuttle bay. Turning again, she quickly moved through the shuttle and to her seat. They had only been married for four weeks and she was far from certain, but she suspected, more than that she hoped. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to tell James. He already had far too many things to worry about. He needed his full attention focused on defeating the Karacknids. If he comes home, then maybe I will have a surprise for him, Christine thought as she ordered her pilots to take off. Not if, when! she scolded herself. Then her emotional resolve ran out as she began to cry. Unaware of their Empress’s emotional state, her shuttle pilots took off and left Drake. The battleship quickly faded out of sight as the shuttle headed for Earth.

Chapter 31

Nomadic species are a rarity within the Empire. During our Empire’s birth only one such species had been discovered. To this day, the Kalassai remain the most elusive of those we know about. Their ways and customs are still largely hidden from us. Only one has ever really got to know them and she took their secrets to the grave.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

Kalassai ship Wayfarer, unknown space, 12th December 2482 AD (two months previous). 

“Pair of sevens,” Walker said as he laid down his two cards beside the third seven that Emilie had just turned over. “Three of a kind. I think that beats whatever you have and parts you from the last of your money Captain,” he said as he leaned forward and reached for the small pieces of bark like material they had been using for chips.

Emilie threw her two cards down onto the table. She’d been holding out for another diamond but it had not appeared. “That’s fine, I have some reading to catch up on anyway.”

Walker laughed. “Sure you do Captain, sure you do. Perhaps some report on the energy transfer efficiency from Intrepid’s tertiary power relays?”

Emilie grabbed the chip and made as if she was going to throw it at Walker. Her gesture only made him laugh louder. “Give it your best shot ma’am. I’d bet on my reflexes over your strength any day. I suggest we make a wager on it,” Walker then gestured to the pile of chips sitting at his end of the table, “but I don’t think you have anything left to bet.”

Emilie let out a sigh as she shook her head. “Of all the people Alveraz could have suggested sending with me, why did it have to be you? Of all the people?”

Walker snorted. “If it wasn’t me, you’d be bored out of your mind. Or at least, more bored out of your mind than you are. I always carry a pack of cards and dice with me. Imagine the last month and half without them.”

“Touché,” Emilie had to admit. Though they both had their datapads and so plenty of visual and written material, alongside electronic games to entertain themselves, there was something different about actually playing cards or the various dice games Walker knew. “But still, it would be just a bit more fun if you let me win once in a while.”

Walker laughed again as he shook his head this time. “You don’t get into the marines by letting people win Captain. I’m afraid that part of my personality is not going to change.”

“I suppose not,” Emilie said as she stood and lifted her arms in the air to stretch. “I’m going to go and lament my losses. Perhaps I’ll come up with my own card game. One where you might not stand such a good chance of winning.”

“As long as the rules are fair, I’m game,” Walker replied as she walked away. “Enjoy your rest.”

Emilie stepped up to where she knew the doorway to her private room was and the bark like structure started to peel back. Within seconds an opening formed that she walked through. Without turning around, she knew it would already be closing behind her. Initially the alien’s technology had amazed her. She had watched the door opening and closing tens of times in fascination. When they had grown the three rooms that she and Walker shared it only took half an hour. She had watched that too with her mouth hanging half open. The aliens were even able to synthesize the perfect atmosphere for her and Walker to breathe, even though they had never had a part of their ship before that had just been filled with gas rather than the liquid goo they floated in. And it actually looks pretty good, she said to herself as she moved towards her bed. If anyone from her species was suddenly dropped into the room, they would probably think they were in some kind of log cabin. Only a close inspection would reveal that it wasn’t. A close inspection, or a sleep in the bed, Emilie thought as she threw herself into her bed. Whilst the Kalassai were able to replicate the general shape and form of most inanimate things she and Walker needed, a mattress was not one of them. Instead they had improvised. What Emilie was now squelching around on was a malleable membrane that held a portion of the goo that filled the rest of the Kalassai ship. It wasn’t exactly what Emilie called comfortable, but it allowed her to get some sleep, nonetheless.

As she reached for her datapad a soft chime reverberated around the room. It was the noise the Kalassai used to alert her and Walker that someone was about to speak to them. “Captain Kansas,” Wal-sma, Wayfarer’s Captain said. “We have arrived at our destination; you and your mate may come to the bridge if you so desire.”

Emilie rolled her eyes, though she had long since given up trying to correct Wal-sma and the other Kalassai. Whether it was because she and Walker had been the two Humans to come onboard their ship, or because they had requested living quarters where they shared a central room, or for some other completely unknown reason, the Kalassai thought that she and Walker were a mated pair. No amount of trying to tell them otherwise seemed to work. “We’ll be there presently,” Emilie called out, knowing that her words would be relayed to Wal-sma.

She rolled herself off her bed and back onto her feet. Setting the datapad down, she walked over to the doorway back to the main living quarters she shared with Walker. Without thinking or pausing, she walked towards it, fully expecting it to recede in time for her to pass through. “I presume you heard that?” she asked Walker who was still seated where she had left him.

Walker nodded. “I guess we may as well go and take a look.”

“I certainly intend to,” Emilie replied. After being cooped up in their quarters for the entirety of the last month and half, she was eager to see something different. Even if it meant spending time in the rest of the Kalassai ship. Of course, being at their destination meant she was finally going to get to speak to the Kalassai leaders. At the beginning of her voyage that would have sent butterflies into her stomach. But she had spent the majority of her time preparing for the meeting. She was as confident as she could be. Either the Kalassai would find her reasoning convincing, or they would not. And at least I’ve got to know Wal-sma a little. The Kalassai Captain had kept herself pretty much to herself, despite Emilie’s best efforts to draw her into conversation. But even that had taught Emilie something important about the Kalassai.

Moving over to the door that led out of their quarters, Emilie grabbed her breather. She thought of it as a portable gill. Slipping it into her mouth she took a couple of deep breaths to steady herself, and then stepped right up to the door. Walker was already at her side. As the bark like structure in front of her peeled back, it revealed another small chamber. When they stepped into it the door quickly sealed again and goo rushed into their chamber. Though Emilie had experienced this more than a handful of times, she still had to fight the urge to pull her feet back from the goo. Doing so was pointless though for it quickly covered the chamber’s floor and proceeded up her legs. Within seconds she was completely covered. Tentatively, she took a breath through her breather to make sure it was working. When a stale stream of air entered her mouth she had to fight the urge to cough out her breather. Despite her complaints to Wal-sma, the Kalassai Captain had told her they could do nothing to improve the taste of the air her breather sucked out of the Kalassai goo.

Glancing over at Walker she gave him a nod, when the marine nodded in return, Emilie maneuvered towards the exit. It peeled back just as quickly as the others. Emilie swam up the corridor. By now she knew exactly where Wayfarer’s bridge was. At least I’ll be a little bit fitter by the end of all this, Emilie told herself. Swimming certainly used a lot more of her muscle groups than walking around Intrepid’s bridge. As she moved through the Kalassai ship, she intentionally didn’t glance back at Walker. It always infuriated her how easily he moved through the alien ship. Rather than swim, he was able to walk upright. She also knew he could move far faster if he needed to. When she asked him, he had said it was something to do with his implants, but he had been very vague.

As they came to Wayfarer’s bridge, there were no guards or any other kind of security protocols. The door simply appeared as the bark like structure peeled away. Emilie had been surprised by the lack of security on board the whole ship during her first few weeks. Then she had learnt that Wayfarer was as much a community residence as it was a warship. The families of all of Wayfarer’s crew lived on board the ship, as did many other Kalassai who did not serve any military function. They simply called this ship home. On the bridge, six Kalassai were floating above their command consoles. Wal-sma was in the middle of the oval room, staring at the Kalassai equivalent of a holo projector. Emilie swam over to Wal-sma. “Greetings Captain,” she said. “It’s good to see you again. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Of course Captain, you’re the reason why we are here,” Wal-sma replied. “I confess, it is good to visit one of our city ships. All of Wayfarer’s people are keen to disembark and converse with our brethren.” Wal-sma gestured towards the image of the system Wayfarer was in with one of her tentacles. “As you can see, we are here.”

As Emilie twisted her body so she could look at the image, her eyes narrowed. Without a known reference point, she couldn’t fully grasp what she was looking at, but even just going by what was in front of her, she hardly believed what she was seeing. “Those are your city ships?” she asked. “They are not broken moons?”

Wal-sma’s tentacles swirled in a pattern Emilie had come to recognize as one that betrayed pleasure. “Indeed, they are no moons. Here, let me project your Human measurements.” With one tentacle Wal-sma reached down to her console and tapped a button. The projection in front of Emilie changed slightly to show the size of the planet and the two ships that were orbiting it.

If it wasn’t for her breather, her mouth would have fallen open. The planet was approximately the size of Mars. If that was the case, then the two Kalassai city ships were massive. They were easily more than a hundred times the size of a Karacknid dreadnought. And they had been the largest ships Emilie had ever seen before. She shook her head. She had been expecting something big when Wal-sma had described the ships as city ships, but nothing like this. They were metropolis ships! “How many Kalassai live in each one?” she had to ask.

“Approximately twenty million,” Wal-sma answered. “The ships are completely self-sustaining. They can carry our people to any system in the galaxy though they are very slow. If the Karacknids discovered one, it would not be able to escape, nor could we defend it. Hence why we take such great care to keep them hidden.”

And why so many other species are so nervous about you, Emilie thought but didn’t say. She knew from previous discussions with Wal-sma that most of the space faring civilizations they had encountered in Karacknid space hadn’t been too friendly. Of course, part of that was probably due to just how alien the Kalassai were. But now Emilie suspected it was out of fear as well. If one of the Kalassai city ships had appeared in Human space its size alone would have terrified her species. Certainly, it would have made Humanity extremely nervous to allow the Kalassai to pass through their systems. “Twenty million,” she said. She shook her head as her mind struggled to grasp the logistics that would be required to run a ship with that many people on board. “And there are two of them out there. How many does your species have?”

Wal-sma’s tentacles changed the pattern. Instead of spiraling around quickly, they almost drooped. “Not nearly as many as we once had,” Wal-sma answered. “In our home system, there were thousands of them. We were able to grow them from our system’s gas giant. Now many have been destroyed by the Karacknids and we can no longer build more.”

Emilie’s lips tightened around her breather. The Karacknids were evil. The Kalassai weren’t facing extinction yet, but it was clear that was the Karacknids’ intentions. They were probably intimidated when they encountered the Kalassai, she realized. With the ability to build such massive ships, if the Kalassai had wanted to, they could have turned their abilities to attacking the Karacknids. And so they struck first, as it seems they like to do. “Well, hopefully with my help, your species can put an end to the Karacknids’ hunting of your people. Perhaps we can even find a new home system for you, one where you can build new city ships.”

“That would bring me and my people great joy,” Wal-sma answered. “It has been a pleasure to have you as a passenger in this voyage Captain Kansas. I hope you have found the journey equally as pleasurable.”

“I most certainly have,” Emilie replied. She wasn’t lying exactly; it was a half-truth. While she might not have enjoyed the actual voyage, she had enjoyed the fact that they were heading to the system they had now reached.

“You will be leaving once we dock with one of the city ships,” Wal-sma said. She floated closer to Emilie, almost to the point where her tentacles were swirling around Emilie. A spike of panic shot through Emilie. Never before had a Kalassai come so close. Emilie had a mental picture of a jellyfish entangling her in a wave of stinging pain. Though that was what she felt inwardly, outwardly she remained perfectly still. Wal-sma spoke to her in a quieter voice than normal. “On board the city ship, you will meet with the two Mothers. They will decide what to do with the news you have brought. I offer you one word of caution. They are both very old as our species counts age. Both of their immediate ancestors were alive during the purge when the Karacknids drove us from our home system and hunted many of our brethren to death. I would suggest you be cautious as you speak to them.”

Emilie nodded solemnly. “Thank you for your words of advice Captain. I will heed them carefully.”

“Then I will send you on your way Captain,” Wal-sma said more loudly. “Hopefully we will meet again soon. Wass-maka will escort you and your mate from Wayfarer onto the city ship and to where you need to go.”

“I thank you for your hospitality Captain and for bringing us here. I too hope we will see each other again soon,” Emilie replied as she gave Wal-sma a small bow. After the Kalassai returned the gesture with a new pattern of weaves and twists from her tentacles, Emilie turned to look at the other Kalassai on the bridge. She was still unable to tell them apart. She had only been able to identify Wal-sma because of her position in the center of Wayfarer’s bridge. One of the Kalassai moved to the bridge’s hatch though, she guessed that was Wass-maka and swam after the alien. By the time they got to Wayfarer’s outer hull, the Kalassai warship had obviously docked with one of the city ships, for a new door appeared, opening into a long cylinder that Emilie guessed allowed people to pass back and forth from Wayfarer to the much larger ship. “How far is it to where we’re going?” Emilie asked, suddenly concerned that she was going to have to swim for kilometers through the massive alien ship.

“It is not far Human,” Wass-maka informed her. “The city ships are designed with internal currents. That makes traversing them much more efficient.”

Emilie nodded, though she didn’t know whether to be relieved or concerned by the sound of currents. As she swam across the cylindrical tunnel linking Wayfarer to the city ship, Emilie paused at the viewports in the bark like material. As alien as the Kalassai were, there were at least some similarities. They too liked to look out at their surroundings. Up close, the city ship looked exactly like Wayfarer, except far larger. Far, far larger would be more accurate, Emilie thought. As she looked at the city ship, she couldn’t see either of its ends. Wayfarer looked like a gnat in comparison.

When they entered the city ship, Emilie was initially disappointed. Its internal structure made it seem like they were still in Wayfarer. Nothing looked different. Then Wass-maka stopped just in front of them. It wasn’t until Emilie swam up beside the Kalassai and could see past Wass-maka’s tentacles that she found herself gasping. Both her hands had to shoot up to her breathing apparatus to keep it in place.

“This is one of the smaller current systems,” Wass-maka explained casually, though Emilie guessed from her tentacles she was pleased at Emilie’s response.

Emilie was still struggling to take it in. In front of her was a massive oval channel, easily two hundred meters in diameter. She could tell from the goo within the channel that it was flowing in one direction. None of those things were what had grabbed her attention though. Traversing along the channel; at almost alarmingly quick speeds were hundreds if not thousands of Kalassai. Most were simply floating as they allowed the current to carry them along. Here and there some swam with their tentacles adding extra speed.

“You want us to go into that thing?” Emilie asked. As she spoke she became aware of a gentle pressure pulling her towards the channel as energy from the current spilled into the corridor they were in.

“It is perfectly normal,” Wass-maka replied. “All city ships have such currents. As I said, this is not the largest. Though this will take us to where we want to go. You have nothing to worry about from my people. They will easily avoid striking you.”

“That wasn’t what I was concerned about,” Emilie replied. Though it is now, she admitted to herself. “Are there any instructions we need to follow? Perhaps there is a practice current we could begin with?”

Wass-maka tentacles twitched in amusement. “All Kalassai learn to flow in the current from the day they are born. There is no practice, only action.”

Emilie took a deep breath as she rolled her shoulders. Only one thing made the prospect of moving into the current even remotely bearable. Glancing over her shoulders she raised her eyebrows at Walker. “I guess I’m going to get to see you swimming after all.” She had to force her grin, for although the prospect was amusing, it was far from the main emotions she was feeling. His grunt did help her mood though. “All right,” she said as she took a deep breath. “Should we go first, or should we follow you?”

“You go first, I’ll stay behind you until we need to come out of the current. Just let it take you and don’t worry about anything else,” Wass-maka advised.

Emilie nodded and stepped towards the opening in the corridor. As she got closer to its end, the pressure from the current made it harder for her to advance. When she got to the very edge, she pushed her hand out into the current. It took all her strength not to have it pulled away from her. Pulling back she looked over to Walker. “After you,” she said as she nodded towards the current. “You’re meant to be my protector after all.”

Walker gave her a very cold stare and then shrugged. Nonchalantly he walked into the current, pushing off with his feet at the last second to propel himself away from the channel’s outer walls. Emilie wanted to curse his ease and grace, even though she suspected he was hiding how he really felt. As she watched him get pulled away, he spun and shot her a smile, before waiting for her to follow him. Not wanting to be embarrassed, Emilie swam forward quickly, kicking hard. As soon as the current grabbed her, she stopped. For several seconds she closed her eyes as she felt a bout of nausea hit her. Swallowing hard several times helped it pass. When she opened her eyes again she saw Walker swimming back against the current towards her. To her amazement, he was actually making headway. “Are you okay?” he asked when he got close enough to shout to her.

Emilie nodded. She swallowed again before speaking. “It just upset my stomach a little. I think I’m getting used to it.”

Walker smiled again. Then he raised his hands, put them behind his head and made as if he was lying back. “I could get used to this,” he commented.

Emilie shook her head as she bit back a curse. The marine was toying with her. Feeling a bit more comfortable, she actually looked around. The outer edges of the channel they were being pushed through were hardly visible. There were so many Kalassai all around them that Emilie couldn’t see past them. As she looked more closely, she found that most of them were staring at her. Indeed it almost looked like they were jostling with one another to get a better view. “What’s going on?” she asked as she turned to the only Kalassai that was near them, guessing it was Wass-maka.

“You’re the first alien to ever step foot in this city ship,” Wass-maka replied. “In fact, you may be the first alien to ever visit one of our city ships. You can’t blame them if they are a little curious, can you?”

“I guess not,” Emilie said as she turned around and eyed some of the nearest Kalassai. Most of their tentacle movements were unfamiliar to her. She guessed they signaled curiosity. Or fear, or confusion, Emilie thought. She had no idea what Wal-sma or Wass-maka had said to the Mother of the city ship. Nor what had been communicated to the general populace. It’s like we are in a zoo, Emilie thought. And we are the exotic animals.

For ten minutes or so they floated along in the current. For the entire time Kalassai kept moving around them. After a few minutes they started getting closer and closer as they jostled one another. Only when Wass-maka spoke some unintelligible command did they pull back slightly. Then, without warning, Wass-maka thrashed her tentacles to shoot past Emilie and Walker. “Follow me,” she called out to them. Going up and to the right, the Kalassai moved towards the edge of the large channel. As she went, the rest of the Kalassai broke apart to let her through. With ease Walker swam after their guide. Emilie tried to keep up with them but failed miserably. Straining as hard as she could, she kept moving to the side. Within a few seconds she was glad that Walker had taken the lead. She had completely lost track of Wass-maka and had no idea where to go except to follow Walker’s shrinking shape.

To her relief, after just a minute or so of swimming, Walker’s form started to get larger. He was floating in place, allowing the current to pull him along once more. “Wass-maka says we’re getting off just around the next bend,” Walker informed her when she reached his position. “The current’s a little weaker here are at the edges. Though she warned that it will still take a good deal of effort for us to get off at the right spot.”

“What if we don’t make it?” Emilie couldn’t help but ask.

Walker shrugged. “You keep going round and round I suppose.”

Emilie rolled her eyes. She moved as close to the edge of the tunnel as she could. “This is us,” Wass-maka called out a few seconds later. She swished her tentacles and disappeared down one of the corridors that led out of the tunnel. Walker immediately started swimming towards it, he easily made it into the corridor and within seconds was standing on the corridor’s floor. Emilie wasn’t nearly as lucky. Despite her best efforts she had to desperately reach out and grab the edge of the corridor as the current tried to pull her past it. Only Walker’s hand grasping her forearm and pulling her in saved her from completely embarrassing herself.

Wide-eyed and panting hard, she allowed him to pull her down the corridor several meters to safety. “Thank you,” she said between breaths, no longer worried about trying to keep her pride intact. “That was close.”

“You’re telling me,” Walker said. Emilie could tell he wanted to chuckle at her. She was thankful he kept it hidden.

“Your mate has adapted to our mode of transport very well,” Wass-maka commented. “It is good you brought him with you.”

Emilie wanted to curse again, both at Wass-maka and at Walker for the look on his face. She kept her thoughts to herself. They quickly faded away when Wass-maka spoke again. “Our two Mothers are awaiting just through this door,” she said as she gestured with her tentacles. “I’ll give you a moment to compose yourself and then we can enter.”

“Yes, thank you,” Emilie replied. She took several slow deep breaths to calm herself and clear her mind. “Okay, I’m ready to proceed,” she said to Wass-maka. It is now or never, she thought. All of her efforts to find the Kalassai were about to pay off or come to nothing. They cannot come to nothing, she thought. Not when her species’ future could hang in the balance.

Chapter 32

The legacy of the first Emperor and Empress extends far further than just their offspring who succeeded them in ascending the Imperial throne. Many Fleet Admirals, Marine Commanders, political and business leaders trace their lineage back to the Imperial family. Upon all who hold such links, the expectation of a life of service on behalf of the Empire is high.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

Stealing herself, Emilie swam up to the door. Like all the others she had encountered, it peeled back for her. I guess they don’t even have any security to protect their Mothers, she thought as she swam through. The room that greeted her was impressive. Oval in shape like Wayfarer’s bridge, it was at least ten times the size. Worse, where Wayfarer’s bridge had been filled with command consoles and other pieces of equipment, the large chamber she had entered appeared empty. It gave her the impression that she was swimming into an endless cavern. She almost turned back to ask Wass-maka what she was supposed to do. Then a small movement from the center of the chamber caught her attention. She could just about make out two Kalassai. The swing of the tentacles was what had drawn her attention. I guess we really are just meeting with the two Mothers. As gracefully as she could, Emilie swam towards them. It took her a full two minutes to cover the distance. When she stopped, she did her best not to appear out of breath. All the swimming was starting to tire her out. When she glanced to her side Walker was already there, looking as relaxed as he had when they had been playing cards more than an hour ago.

“Greetings Human,” one of the Kalassai said slowly. “I would welcome you more warmly, but we have not yet determined if such an offer is appropriate. I am Way-san, the Mother of the city ship you are in. This is Way-isal, the Mother of my twinship.”

“I understand your caution,” Emilie replied formally, not sure how else to reply to such a greeting. “I hope to earn your welcome. I bring you greetings from my species and myself. I am Captain Kansas; I command an exploration cruiser that my species sent to this sector of space. My mission was to seek out new friends and trading partners. When I heard of your species and your war with the Karacknids, I sought you out.”

“According to Captain Wal-sma you did more than seek her out, you aggressively chased her down,” Way-isal said.

Emilie responded before thinking. “I believe if you read the report carefully, you will see that there was no aggression on my part. I simply defended myself when fired upon. We caused no damage to Wayfarer, nor did we attempt to do so.” Halfway through her reply, Emilie realized she needed to rein in her tone. She didn’t want to sound defensive or confrontational.

“That may be,” Way-san responded. “Nevertheless, your species’ first encounter with ours was one where weapons fire was exchanged. That does not sit well with us. Not when you are the first alien to ever enter one of our city ships. Your presence here makes us uncomfortable. We did not agree to this highly unusual occurrence...” When Way-san paused, Emilie scrambled to think of something to say. She didn’t want to be turned away before being able to say her part. The Kalassai continued before Emilie could come up with something. “Nevertheless, you are here now. Despite how you first met, Captain Wal-sma speaks highly of you. That is the only reason we are giving you this hearing. You may share with us what you have come to say.”

Emilie swallowed hard as she looked from Way-san to Way-isal. This was not how she had envisaged her meeting with the Kalassai Mothers going. Part of her wanted to turn and swim back out of the chamber. To return and start afresh. Yet that was impossible. This was her shot. Taking a deep breath through her breather, she paused for a couple of seconds to try and compose herself. Then she began with what she had prepared to say. “As you know, my species call ourselves Humans. We have been exploring the space around our homeworld for approximately three hundred years. In that time we have settled a number of colonies. Yet it is only recently we have discovered that other space faring civilizations exist. In just a few short years we have been attacked by one of our neighbors bent on our extermination and encountered ten other species that we call our friends. More recently still, friends of ours, the Varanni Alliance, an alliance between eight advanced spacefaring civilizations received a call for help. One of their neighbors, the Mindus, were being invaded by the Karacknid Empire. We had not heard of the Karacknids until that time. With the Varanni, my uncle led a fleet of our ships to help the Mindus. We fought with the Karacknids in the Mindus’ home system. However, we failed to drive the Karacknids back. At that time we did not know what we were up against. Since conquering the Mindus, the Karacknids have set their sights on conquering the Varanni Alliance and my own species. We are now engaged in a bitter war for survival against the Karacknid Empire. Despite their vast numerical advantage, they have not conquered us yet. In fact, my species defeated and drove back the Karacknid fleet that had been tasked with conquering our homeworld. The Karacknids are a deadly foe, but they are not invincible. Even now the Varanni Alliance, our neighbors the Vestarians and my species are converting our economies to focus on warship production. The Karacknid empire has a head start on us in terms of their fleet numbers and military production capacity, but we are working to negate those advantages.

“We are under no illusions, defeating the Karacknids may take us decades. Yet we are committed to that fight. None of our species intend to allow ourselves to be enslaved. Since my journey into this sector of space, we have met and befriended the five Conclave species. They too are being threatened by the Karacknids. The last time I spoke with their leadership, they were committed to joining the struggle my species and our allies are in against the Karacknids. We now have a coalition of sixteen species arrayed against the Karacknids. I only know a little of your history with them. But I know you have much experience in fighting them. I understand that your species has been hiding and running from the Karacknids, if my species was alone and had the capability to flee, no doubt we would. Yet we are not alone. And this means there is a real chance to defeat the Karacknid Empire. Perhaps the first time there has been such a chance in their history. It may also be the last. If the Karacknids can conquer all of our colonies and add our technologies to theirs, they may expand their control across the entire galaxy. Sooner or later, even your city ships would have nowhere to hide. That is why I am here. I come offering the possibility of an alliance between our two species. We could share technologies, intelligence and, if you are willing, our warships can fight together. For together I believe we stand a chance of ending the Karacknids’ tyranny. As I have said, I do not believe such a path will be easy or short, but given what the Karacknids have done to my species and to yours and so many others, it is surely a path we who would be free must walk. That is why I am here, and I’m willing to answer whatever questions you may have.” Finished with her speech, Emilie almost cringed back as she waited to see what the two Mothers’ response would be.

“Fine words,” Way-san said after a moment’s pause. “Your species’ fortitude and pride should be commended. However, whether there is wisdom or not in what you have said, we will determine.”

“As I said, I am happy to answer whatever questions you have that may help you determine just that,” Emilie responded.

“Then let us begin with what may be the most important question,” Way-san said. “What proof do you offer that would confirm anything you have said to us?”

Emilie swallowed hard. She knew this was the weakest point of her presentation. Yet there was only one answer she could give. “Beyond what Captain Wal-sma is able to confirm with you about how we met, there is no evidence I can provide that would verify my words. My ship is no doubt hundreds of light years from here and all I have with me is my personal datapad. I can share the information on it with you, but you could not independently verify it. Ultimately, the only way you can ascertain the truth of my words is by sending your own representatives to my homeworld to speak with my leaders and those of the Varanni Alliance. That is what the Conclave species have chosen to do. Here and now, all I can do is provide you with enough reasons for that to be a worthwhile decision to make.”

Way-san’s tentacles twitched. “You speak the truth in this matter. There is no evidence that could convince us. But you must recognize, without evidence it will be almost impossible for us to act on what you have come to say. We are open to further discussion however.”

Emilie’s heart sank, but before she could really get disheartened, questions came at her thick and fast. “Let us turn to the war with the Karacknids,” Way-isal said. “You have obviously been away from your species’ homeworld for an extended duration of time. How long has it been?”

“Fourteen months,” Emilie answered.

“How many Karacknid ships were in the fleet that you say attacked your homeworld?” Way-isal followed up.

“Over one thousand,” Emilie responded.

The pattern of Way-isal’s tentacles movements changed. “That is a significant number of Karacknid ships. If your species truly defeated them, then your ships must indeed be powerful. Captain Wal-sma’s analysis of your ship would suggest that may be true.” For a second Emilie’s hope stirred. But it was only for a second. “Yet one thousand ships is but a tiny fraction of the Karacknids’ total strength,” Way-isal continued. “How do you know that in the time since you have left your species’ space, the Karacknids have not attacked again and completely crushed your people? For all you know, your ship may be the last warship your species has left. Certainly, the Karacknids have the strength to do what I suggest.”

Emilie bit her lip. She could feel her anger growing. She was the one who had been abducted and taken all this way to meet with the two Mothers. The least they could do was be friendly and listen to her. Yet she knew her anger was coming from elsewhere. Way-isal had touched on her biggest fear. It was entirely plausible that the Karacknids had mustered a second fleet and destroyed Earth. Though Emilie feared that possibility, she could not let her fear dictate to her. “Your analysis is theoretically correct, I will grant that,” she began as she fought to keep her tone neutral. “But it does not take into account the wider strategic situation. We know the Karacknids are already involved in another war with an as yet unknown species. In addition, they have committed forces to hunting down your ships. Moreover, the Varanni Alliance owns a much larger area of space and their fleets are far larger and more powerful than my species’. When I left my homeworld, the Karacknids were amassing their fleets against the Alliance. It is unlikely that they have the ships to launch a second attack against my species so quickly.”

“Yet it is possible,” Way-isal replied. “Or it may be that the Karacknids have left your species alone for now and have successfully launched an invasion of this Alliance you speak of. Perhaps they have been conquered. In which case I surmise your species will soon follow.”

Emilie didn’t really have anything to say to that possibility other than, “It’s possible.”

There were several seconds of silence before Way-san spoke. “For the moment, let’s assume that your species and the Varanni Alliance have not been conquered. You mentioned the possibility of opening up trade relations between our two species and even sharing technologies. You’ve spent more than a month on board Wayfarer, you must be somewhat familiar with our technologies by now. They are unlike any other species’ approach to technology that we have encountered. Far different from the kinds of technologies Captain Wal-sma tells us your ship appears to be built from. In what way do you think your technologies would aid us?”

“That is a question that our and your scientists may be better placed to answer,” Emilie replied. “Though I believe we have stealth coating technologies that would help your ships hide from the negative photon sensors the Karacknids use to hunt you. I’m sure there are many other ways we could help one another. It is true, your technologies are very different from ours, but that means there may be areas where one of us excels that the other could benefit from.”

“Except your ships and components and even your clothes are manufactured. They are built and not grown. The Kalassai will not succumb to such alien ways. Our ships, our components, everything we have is as much a part of our civilization as each of us are,” Way-san said. “It may be that you would benefit from our technologies, but I do not see how we would benefit from yours.”

“Not all of our technologies focus on manipulating inanimate matter,” Emilie countered. “We grow many things. There are millions of species of what we call plants on our homeworld. Many of which we use in one way or another. We have also encountered many more organic lifeforms on other planets that we have studied and incorporated into our species’ wide range of scientific understanding and technological development. I am far from an expert in these things, but I’m sure we could help one another.”

Way-san’s tentacles shifted into a pattern Emilie easily recognized. She was not happy. “We have not polluted the genetic make-up of our ships and technologies in the hundreds of years we have been exiled from our homeworld. We will not do so now.”

Emilie found herself at a loss for words. She was taken aback by the force of Way-san’s attitude. She hadn’t detected any kind of aversion to Human technologies from Wal-sma or any of the other Kalassai on Wayfarer. She didn’t know how to respond to Way-san’s objections, but it didn’t sound like there was a convincing response anyway. Her objections were ideological, not logical. Thinking on her feet, Emilie tried to change the topic. “Perhaps discussing technological exchanges is a mistake,” she admitted. “Your ways are unfamiliar to me. But there may be another way my species could help you. As I explained to Wal-sma, we travelled through a wormhole to come to your sector of space. My homeworld is thousands of light years from here. I know your species has been searching for a new world you can call home. It may be that we and our allies can help you. Between us we have explored tens of thousands of systems and there are hundreds of thousands more along our borders waiting to be explored.”

“You have obviously been using your time with Wal-sma well Captain,” Way-isal said. “That is the one offer that you have made that intrigues us. Tell me, have you ever seen a gas giant like this?”

Emilie didn’t see either of the Mothers activate any kind of technology, nevertheless the goo in between them swirled around and around until it formed a tight ball. Then it began to glow red. Moments later two planetary rings appeared. They were strange, stranger than anything Emilie had seen before. Instead of circling the planet’s equator, they were off kilter. Looking straight on at the planet, the rings formed an X where they met each other. Beside the planet, other particles formed into text. Emilie pulled out her datapad so that the Kulrean translation software could translate it. For a few seconds Emilie studied the information on the planet. Its atmosphere was unlike any she had seen before.

“To be honest, I have not,” Emilie answered as she studied the image of the gas giant. “This is truly a unique world. It is your homeworld I presume? I understand now why you have struggled to find a new world to settle upon.”

“If your species has not encountered such a world, then your offer of assistance is of little value to us,” Way-isal responded.

“Hold on,” Emilie said as she instinctively raised a finger. “Just because I haven’t encountered one, doesn’t mean my species or our allies haven’t. I am not an astrophysicist. Let me check. I only have access to the systems my species has discovered and those in the immediate vicinity of our territory.” Emilie quickly typed a search parameter into her datapad. She was disappointed when nothing came back. There were no gas giants within Human space that even came close to what the Kalassai were looking for. She shook her head as she looked back up at the two mothers. “I’m sorry, my species has not encountered such a world. But that does not mean we cannot still help you.” As she spoke Emilie waved the datapad about. “I only have the worlds my species has discovered on here. Our neighbors, the Varanni and the Kulreans, have explored many, many more systems than we have. My ship’s computer has access to all that data. We may yet be able to help you.”

“Your ship is not here Captain,” Way-isal said. “And so your offer must be placed in the same category as all the others you have made. Without any evidence, we have no reason to trust you or believe that what you’re saying is true.”

“Why would I come all this way to lie to you?” Emilie protested.

“For a number of reasons,” Way-isal suggested. “Perhaps, you covet our technologies and are here to steal them. Or perhaps you are at war with the Karacknids and you wish to trick us into confronting them openly so as to buy your own species time to survive, or perhaps even escape. You may have some other reason that we are not aware of…” Way-isal paused for a second as her tentacles stopped swaying. “I mean no offence Captain. I am not personally charging you with deception. But you must understand our positions. We have overseen each of our city ships for hundreds of your years. Our duty is to protect our species and preserve what remains of it. We hide because we want to survive. Because we must survive. The genetic information held within our city ships and within our people is the last remnants we have of our homeworld. We cannot risk our heritage. Not on such scant evidence as you are able to provide.”

“Then send a delegation to my homeworld,” Emilie said desperately. “I can accompany Wayfarer or some other ship back to my space, or you can go to the Varanni or the Kulreans if you would prefer. You can see for yourselves that what I have said is true. Surely the opportunity to defeat the Karacknids is worth that much.”

“The risks we take are ours to choose,” Way-isal replied. “We will not risk a ship on your word.”

Emilie shook her head. “You are making a mistake. We can help you. We may very well have discovered a new homeworld that would suit you perfectly. Even if we haven’t, we and the Varanni have advanced knowledge of genetic engineering. We could help you build new ships, even new city ships for your people to live in.”

“Sacrilegious!” Way-san barked so loud that Emilie backed away from the two Kalassai. “You are speaking blasphemy! We would never dilute our genetic heritage. Your words insult the honor and purity of our people.”

Emilie quickly raised her hands. “I meant no insult Mothers. I have spoken out of turn I see.” Emilie searched for the right words to use. She had not picked up any indication from Wal-sma that the Kalassai had been religious. Yet from the fervor in Way-san’s voice, it was clear that was exactly what she was now dealing with. “I did not mean to insult your people, nor suggest that you carry out some impure action. I spoke out of ignorance and I apologize.”

Way-isal swished her tentacles to move herself slightly in between Emilie and Way-san. “Your apology is accepted Captain. Way-san is one of our species’ four Prophetesses as well as Mother of her city ship. As prophetess she is charged with preserving the culture and heritage of our homeworld.”

“Then I apologize again to you Prophetess,” Emilie said as she tilted her head to look around Way-isal. “I will not speak of such things again. But it is still possible that we may be able to help you find a new homeworld.”

“I think our discussions have come to an end Captain,” Way-isal said. “We have listened to what you have to say. We appreciate the offers of help you have given us.” Way-isal turned to Way-san. Both of their tentacles quickly rippled back and forth. After ten seconds or so, Way-isal turned back to Emilie. “But we have decided to decline your offer of assistance. Without corroborating evidence, we cannot risk one ship or even the life of one Kalassai. Every one of our species who now lives is extremely precious to us. We will continue to hide from the Karacknids until we can find a world that we can call home.”

Emilie had to fight to keep from shaking her head or showing any other signs of frustration. She tried the only approach she thought she had left. “I completely understand your desire for evidence. I know I have made some bold claims. Perhaps if Wayfarer returned me to my ship, I could bring some of the evidence you desire. I know you are nervous about allowing outsiders to visit your city ships. Wayfarer could take whatever evidence that you might like from my ship and bring it here.”

“That is not possible Captain,” Way-san said, her tone now back to normal. “Your ship is no doubt long gone from the system Wayfarer encountered it in. Moreover the Karacknids now know that we had been hiding in those systems. We will not send one of our ships into harm’s way. The risks are too great.”

Emilie’s mind jumped to an entirely new concern. “Then how am I to return home?” she asked.

“You are not,” Way-isal replied simply. “You have seen our city ships. You know much about our way of life. You will both remain here. We will take care of you and meet you and your mate’s every need. But you will not be allowed to take our secrets out of this ship.”

Emilie opened her mouth and closed it several times as she thought over what she wanted to say. Unbeknownst to her, her body had begun to shake. “You can’t,” she eventually got out. “You can’t keep me here! My species need me. We are at war.”

“If that is truly the case, then your species has my sympathy,” Way-isal said. “But there is nothing you or we can do about that now.”

“There is!” Emilie said as her voice rose. She no longer had the self-control to contain her anger. “You can allow me to return home. Heck, the very least you could do would be to share your star maps with us. Even that would help us. Surely you do not want to stand by and watch the Karacknids conquer and enslave another species. Not after what they did to you.”

“We will not help you Captain, and your anger will not change that fact,” Way-isal responded. “If we shared our star maps with you, then it would only invite the Karacknids’ wrath upon us. At the moment they only divert a small percentage of their fleet numbers against us. If they thought we were actively helping other races, that would quickly change. And as to your other point of concern, the Karacknids destroyed our homeworld five centuries ago. Since that time we have watched them conquer many species. Why should yours be any different? We have suffered at their hands enough. We will not intentionally allow them to kill more of us.”

Emilie closed her eyes as her hands tightened into fists. She wanted to scream at the Mothers, to grab their tentacles and shake them. She knew that would not work, however. Instead she desperately sought for one more argument, one more line of reasoning that would convince them to keep their minds open to working with her. Before anything came to her, Way-isal spoke again. “We will take our leave of you now Captain. Do not worry, we will make sure our people look after you. But we have other matters to attend to. Farewell.” Emilie’s eyes snapped open. She had nothing to say, but she still wanted to scream at them. It was already too late. Both Kalassai had turned and were rapidly swimming away. Emilie’s mouth fell open as she started to shake from shock. She completely forgot about her breather. It slipped out and her mouth quickly filled with goo. Coughing and hacking she grabbed it and shoved it back in place. It took several deep breaths for her to get control of her coughing. By the time she did, both Mothers were out of sight. Wide-eyed, she turned to Walker. He had listened to the entire exchange in silence. The look she saw on his face stunned her. She had never seen such an expression on any marine before. It was one of defeat. Even without a mirror, Emilie knew her face would be etched with the same emotions. They had failed. Utterly. The Mothers had been nothing like Wal-sma. For some reason Emilie couldn’t fathom, they had not listened to her. No, she corrected herself, they listened, they just do not want to believe.

For the first time it dawned on Emilie just what she was dealing with. If the Mothers were centuries old that meant they and their parents had seen the destruction of their homeworld. They had spent their entire lives in hiding. They will not take any risks. Not without proof. And the kind of proof they wanted was the one thing Emilie could not give them. Not when she had been all but abducted from her ship and brought to meet the Mothers on her own.

Looking around, Emilie felt helplessly trapped. She was floating in the middle of a massive goo filled chamber, at the center of a colossal ship in the middle of unknown space. She was completely at the mercy of the Kalassai and she had no way of getting home. Nor of getting the evidence she needed. Emilie closed her eyes again. I don’t even have a way to tell James that the Kalassai will not help us. Despair engulfed her. A deeper despair than Emilie had ever felt before. If she was truly trapped, then the war would rage on without her. Earth, her uncle, Alvarez, and everything she knew and loved could be destroyed and she wouldn’t even know about it. Probably, she would never even find out.

With no energy left nor a will to fight, Emilie didn’t resist when Walker took her arm and gently pulled her through the goo back towards the door to the chamber where Wass-maka was likely waiting for them. She simply didn’t care what happened to her now.

Chapter 33

Twice civil war has threatened to engulf the Empire. Thankfully the first revolt stalled before many systems were corrupted to its cause. That Imperial Rupert allowed himself to be used as a figurehead for the attempt to seize power showed the wisdom of the Empress and Emperor in removing him from the line of succession.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

Intrepid, unnamed system, 12th December 2482 AD (same time).

“How much longer?” Alvarez snapped as he changed position in his command chair once again. He was looking over at the two remaining members of his intelligence team.

Matthews and Seth were hunched over the sensor console on Intrepid’s bridge. Lieutenant Maguire was hovering beside them as well. Matthews shook her head as she looked up at Alvarez. “It’s complicated. Other ships have been in orbit of this world. Non Kalassai ships. So there are other trace amounts of heavy metals. Deciphering the trail from Seth’s drone isn’t going to be easy.”

Alvarez ground his teeth together as he looked away from them and glanced at Jones. For a month and a half Acting Captain Jones had diligently followed the breadcrumb trail left by the drone Seth had attached to Wayfarer. It had been slow progress for they hadn’t been able to travel too fast for fear of missing the trail. Yet not once had Alvarez had to try and talk Jones into keeping going. They had been in orbit of the small rocky planet for eight hours though. The trail had definitely led them here but figuring out where Wayfarer broke orbit and in what direction was proving difficult. The longer it took, the more nervous Alvarez got. He knew Jones was happy to keep searching for Emilie as long as there was a trail. But if the trail went cold… Alvarez was unsure what would happen next.

“What kind of ships do you think have been in orbit?” Jones asked the three people hunched over the sensor console.

“I’m not sure there’s any way to tell for sure,” Maguire answered. “Though given where we are and who we know frequents this sector of space. We could probably guess.”

“We can more than guess,” Seth said, full of his youthful confidence. “There’s definitely been Karacknid ships here. Maybe they were hunting Wayfarer as well?”

“How do you know that?” Alvarez asked in a tone that wasn’t entirely friendly. He didn’t like the idea of Karacknid ships hunting Wayfarer. Not at all.

“It’s simple really,” Seth replied, seemingly unaware of the edge in Alvarez’s voice. “When the Karacknids attacked Earth, my classmates and I were carrying out a school project looking at Earth’s upper atmosphere. We were investigating the impact several centuries of space exploration has had on our homeworld.”

“And?” Alvarez pressed.

“Our sensors were able to get a before and after snapshot of the upper atmosphere,” Seth continued. “After the Karacknids’ attack so many of their ships were destroyed there was a spike in tritanium and a magnesium cadmium alloy that we named magdium. Intrepid’s sensors are only picking up microscopic traces of either alloy, but they are both here.”

“That’s good work,” Maguire commented as he clapped Seth on the shoulder. “It’s possible that other civilizations in this sector of space use similar alloys, but pretty unlikely.”

“It just gives us one more reason to be extra cautious,” Jones commented, loud enough for all his bridge officers to hear. “So everyone, keep your wits about you.”

Alvarez grunted in response and turned back to the image of the rocky world Intrepid was orbiting. Emilie was here, he thought. She probably looked down on the planet just as I have. Despite the frustrations of their delay, Alveraz forced himself to take comfort in that. Though he didn’t know for sure if she was alive, he had to believe so. And that meant the world in front of him was the closest connection he had with her. Though he kept staring at the planet, his mind wandered over the many hours they had spent together after they had come clean about their feelings. “We will get her back,” he whispered to himself.

Even as Alvarez spoke, Seth jumped up from his seat. “I’ve got it!” he shouted. “At least, I think I have,” he said as he looked up and found everyone else staring at him.

“Matthews?” Jones asked the astrophysicist.

“Hold on, I’m checking,” Matthews responded. Moments later she and Maguire looked up and turned towards Jones. Matthews nodded. “Yes, we have it. I’m relaying the coordinates to navigation.”

“Plot us a course navigation,” Jones ordered. “Keep us in stealth for now. Let’s make sure we’ve got a firm track on the trail before we boost our speed.” Jones looked over to Alvarez. “We’ve still got a chance. We may not be hot on her heels, but we are coming.”

Alvarez nodded back to communicate his thanks. Then he focused on the holo projection and the new course that traced a path away from the rocky world they were orbiting and out towards the edge of the system. Weeks ago they had passed beyond the edge of the star maps the Gramrians had given them. Now they were exploring blindly. But presumably the trail led to a shift passage out of the system and onto wherever Wayfarer had gone next. Just as Alvarez’s frustration was passing, a flurry of alarms made him jump.

“What was that?” Jones demanded.

Matthews, still at Intrepid’s sensor console was the first to answer. “It was another negative photon wave! There must be Karacknid ships in the system!”

“Did it detect us?” Jones followed up.

Before Matthews anyone or else could answer, more alarms blared. This time Alvarez recognized them as alerts that new contacts had been detected. Twisting his head to the sensor display he saw two contacts that had just lit off their engines.

“Those contacts were not the source of the sensor wave,” Maguire commented. “They’re fleeing in the opposite direction.”

“Show me,” Jones requested. On the holo projection, a new dot appeared. Even as the bridge officers focused on it, three new contacts appeared right beside the dot. They were all accelerating after the two ships that had revealed their presence. Jones nodded. “Those first two contacts have to be Kalassai ships,” Jones concluded. “The three pursuing are Karacknids. No doubt their large sensor ship is still in the vicinity of where it released its wave. Matthews, what’s your best estimate for our situation? Did they detect us?”

Matthews shook her head. “There’s no way to know for sure. We’ve made a few adjustments to our stealth tech but this time we are not hiding in the dense atmosphere of a gas giant. Without knowing how sensitive their apparatus is, I can’t give you a firm answer.”

Jones took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s assume they haven’t detected us for a moment. Clearly the Karacknids are intent on destroying those Kalassai ships. For all we know, one of them could be Wayfarer. Even if it’s not, we have to intervene. If we can contact the Kalassai, they may be able to help us get Emilie back.”

Alvarez ground his teeth. He wasn’t so sure about that, the Kalassai had abducted Emilie in the first place. But he recognized Jones’ logic. If they could show the Kalassai they were worthy friends, then perhaps they would return Emilie. At least these Kalassai might help them find Wayfarer if Wayfarer wasn’t one of the ships being chased. It was a thin hope, but it was something.

“Put us on an intercept course, maximum acceleration. What sensor data do we have on the Karacknids?” Jones asked almost as an afterthought.

“Three light cruisers Captain,” Intrepid’s tactical officer replied. “At least, that’s the computer’s best estimate. Their acceleration rates do not exactly match up to the data we have on Karacknid ships though.”

“That’s okay,” Jones responded. “They’ll be their adapted long-range cruisers. Let’s hope they have less weapons.”

“We’re getting a COM message,” Intrepid’s COM officer reported. “It’s from the Karacknid ships!” she said as she looked up, surprise written across her face.

“What is it?” Jones prompted her.

“The Kulrean translation software is working on it now… I think they think we are a freighter. They’ve ordered us to power down our reactors and await further instructions. They say they have sent a shuttle our way.”

“So they did detect us!” Jones said as he brought his hands together on his lap. He was looking at Alvarez. “But they either didn’t get a good enough look at us to figure out who we are, or they don’t even know about our species. How long do you think it takes news to travel from one end of the Karacknid Empire to the other?”

Alvarez thought about the question. “Six months at least, possibly more. As far as we know they have no jump gates. But that would be the communication line between main Karacknid systems. These long-range cruisers could have been out of contact with their bases for months, perhaps many months.”

Jones smiled. “So they may have no idea what they’re up against. Okay,” he said with a nod as he turned back to his COM officer. “Send them a reply. Tell them we are a species from a nearby system further away from their borders. Pick one at random and name us whatever you like. Let them know that we are at war with the Kalassai. Inform them they have abducted one of our officers and we intend to get her back.”

“Yes Captain,” the COM officer replied.

“Navigation, engage engines,” Jones said as he turned back to looking at the main holo plot. “Show us our course if you would.”

Alvarez watched the holo projection fast forward through time as Intrepid’s computers predicted how the chase would go. He couldn’t help but grimace when it was apparent the Karacknid ships would catch up with the Kalassai before Intrepid could get into weapons range. The Karacknids would have about twenty minutes to freely engage the Kalassai. And there’s no escape for them, Alvarez thought. The Karacknids would catch the Kalassai a full hour before they could jump to shift space. Unless the Kalassai’s weapons were more effective against Karacknid weapons than they had been against Intrepid’s, Alvarez wasn’t sure they could survive that long. Which means they need us. Alvarez wasn’t sure if that was a comfort or not. If one of the ships was Wayfarer, it could be destroyed before Intrepid got close enough to help. On the other hand, if the Kalassai needed Intrepid to survive, they would hopefully be more amenable to offering some help in return.

“They don’t seem too bothered by us,” Maguire commented moments later. While they had gone to maximum acceleration, the Karacknid ships hadn’t turned from their pursuit of the Kalassai ships.

“That’s fine by me,” Jones replied. “They can ignore us right up until we run a missile down their throats.”

Alvarez suspected it wasn’t going to be quite that easy, but he shared Jones’ sentiments. At least, to a certain degree. He had no problem with the Karacknids ignoring Intrepid and allowing her to close with them. Yet, if they could be diverted from their pursuit, the Kalassai wouldn’t be forced to fight them alone.

“Another COM message is coming in from the Karacknids,” Intrepid’s COM officer reported. “It is simply a repeat of the previous message. They’re demanding we power down our engines and wait to be boarded. They haven’t responded to what we sent to them.”

“They have never been big on small talk,” Alvarez said. “I guess they don’t care whether we’re from a small single system civilization, or one far bigger and more powerful than theirs.”

“Ignore it then,” Jones responded.

For the next thirty minutes all three groups of ships maintained their heading and acceleration rates. Jones had his crew carry out a couple of simulated defenses against Karacknid missile salvos to steady their nerves. Intrepid’s tactical officer also had plenty of time to get a firm missile lock on his targets. “Missile separations!” Lieutenant Maguire announced just a couple of minutes after the last simulation came to an end. “Gravimetric sensors are detecting thirty missiles. They are all targeting the Kalassai ships.”

Alvarez let out a deep breath as he fought to keep his hands from fidgeting. They still had no way of determining whether or not one of the Kalassai ships was Wayfarer. Both of them were about the right size, but neither ship had responded to the COM messages Jones had ordered sent to them. If they weren’t Wayfarer, given how Wayfarer had responded to Intrepid before, the Kalassai probably thought Intrepid was as much an enemy as the Karacknids. And they’re going to pay the price for that mistake, Alvarez suspected. If they had responded, Jones could have coordinated his movements with the Kalassai. Instead the Kalassai were on their own, for now at least.

If Alvarez wasn’t afraid that Emilie was on one of the ships being targeted, he would have watched the Karacknid missile salvos with fascination. No one had any idea how Kalassai defenses would handle Karacknid missiles. Instead, his fists tightened into balls as the Kalassai point defense weapons appeared and shot out thousands of small blobs at the Karacknid missiles. Surprisingly quickly, the Karacknid missiles disappeared from Intrepid’s gravimetric display. Initially Alveraz thought the Kalassai gunners had got lucky but missiles continued to disappear rapidly. Soon there were only a handful left. Before any got close enough to detonate, they were all taken out by the Kalassai point defenses.

“I guess their gunners are pretty good,” Jones commented. “Maybe they don’t need our help after all.”

“They are impressive, but all it takes is for one missile to get through,” Alvarez responded. He had no idea how a Karacknid antimatter warhead would fare against whatever the Kalassai ships were made from, but he suspected it would be just as devastating as when one hit a Human ship.

“The Karacknids are launching their second salvo,” Maguire announced. “Thirty missiles confirmed in it as well.”

As Intrepid’s bridge officers continued to carry out their duties, Alvarez had nothing else to do but watch the missiles. They were quickly destroyed. But not as quickly, Alvarez thought as he leaned forward in his command chair. Either the Karacknids had altered the ECM of their missiles or luck was not on the Kalassai’s side this time. Two missiles got closer than any from the previous salvo. One was taken out at the last second but the final missile scored a proximity hit on one of the Kalassai ships. Intrepid was close enough that Alvarez was almost watching the fight in real time. As the antimatter washed over the Kalassai ship, Alvarez eyebrows shot up. Rather than eating into the ship and annihilating the normal matter it came into contact with, the antimatter appeared to scorch the Kalassai ship’s outer hull. Some of its hull was clearly burnt away, but the Kalassai ship held together. Seconds later a small explosion blew out a section of the Kalassai ship. Its acceleration immediately slowed, though only by about ten percent.

“The second ship is slowing to keep formation with its friend,” Maguire reported. “I have no way of estimating the damage other than the reduced acceleration rates we see. Though it looks like the antimatter touched about a quarter of their ship’s outer hull. Presumably, some of their point defense weapons were damaged or destroyed as well.”

Alvarez turned to Jones. Jones caught the seriousness of his look. He nodded to Alvarez and then turned back to Maguire. “It’s time to get their attention. Load multistage missiles. Fire when ready.”

Relief washed over Alvarez. It was unlikely their multistage missiles would get through the point defense fire of three Karacknid long-range cruisers, but it might encourage the Karacknids to divert some of their fire Intrepid’s way.

“Launching,” Maguire reported as fourteen missiles were hurled out of Intrepid’s missile tubes. Well within their maximum range, the missiles immediately accelerated as hard as they could. “No response from the Karacknids yet,” Maguire added as the Karacknids didn’t alter their course.

“The Kalassai have fired!” another bridge officer shouted. “Eight missiles from each Kalassai ship. They look like the same missiles they fired at us.”

“Let’s hope they’re just as effective,” Jones commented. Even as Jones spoke, the Karacknids fired their third salvo. Alvarez found himself sitting even further forward in his command chair. When he realized, he didn’t change his position. He didn’t care. His attention was fully on the different groups of missiles accelerating towards their targets. The Kalassai hadn’t timed their missile launch to perfection, but it was close. About twenty seconds after Intrepid’s multistage missiles reached the Karacknid’s point defenses, the Kalassai missiles would also enter range.

“Enemy is opening fire on our missiles,” Intrepid’s sensor officer announced. Her report was unnecessary however, every bridge officer was watching the main holo display where the Karacknid ships were dominating the view. From them, point defensive laser beams and energy particle streams reached out towards the multistage missiles. Being from a previous generation than the standard mark IVs Intrepid carried, they had less ECM, less evasive maneuvering capabilities and carried a smaller explosive warhead. Even so, they were still advanced missiles and the Karacknid point defense fire struggled to take them all out. Two were still left by the time the Karacknids diverted most of their fire towards the Kalassai missiles. A mistake, Alvarez thought. Tightening his fists further, he willed on the last two missiles. In quick succession though, both were taken out. Alvarez growled in dismay.

His disappointment didn’t last long. As the Karacknids engaged them, the Kalassai missiles, though there were only sixteen, appeared much harder for the Karacknid cruisers to take out. One actually made it close enough to the Karacknid ships to detonate. As the missile that had attacked Intrepid had done, it released hundreds of smaller contacts. Many attached themselves to one of the Karacknid cruisers. Within seconds, its power readings plummeted and its engines switched off.

“I think she’s dead in the water,” Maguire commented. “No sign of secondary explosions, but her reactors appear to be off-line.”

“One down, only two more to go,” Jones replied with a grin. “Our odds are improving!”

“Captain, Captain I have one of the Kalassai ships on COMs. They’ve finally responded,” Intrepid’s COM officer reported excitedly. Everyone’s attention turned to her.

“What are they saying?” Jones asked as his head snapped around towards the COM station.

“They want to know why we are intervening,” the Sub Lieutenant replied.

“Forget that,” Jones replied. “There’s no time. Request that they change course and put their ships on heading three nine four point eight. Inform them that we intend to put our ship between theirs and the Karacknids. Then see if we can coordinate our fire with theirs.”

“They’re engaging the Karacknid missile salvo,” Maguire updated everyone.

Alvarez was already watching. He pushed his lips together tightly as it became apparent that the damaged Kalassai ship had lost a number of its point defense weapons. Over the next twelve seconds twenty-six Karacknid missiles were destroyed. Of the remaining four, three were targeting the damaged Kalassai ship. Alvarez still didn’t know if it was Wayfarer or not. As the three missiles closed, he closed his eyes, not able to watch. When groans passed the lips of a number of the officers around him, they snapped open again. The Kalassai ship had been torn apart. Several large chunks were spinning end over end away from each other. Beyond that there was no sign of the ship.

Alvarez closed his eyes as he silently prayed that Emilie hadn’t been on the ship. Then he forced them open once again. The battle was far from over. The two Karacknid ships were still racing after the final Kalassai one. Though now the Kalassai ship was turning towards Intrepid. Even as Alvarez watched, the two Karacknid ships fired twenty more missiles at the Kalassai. They’re still ignoring us, he thought. We need to make them pay for that mistake.

“We’ll be within standard missile range in thirty seconds,” Maguire reported. “What are your orders Captain?”

“Fire everything but one missile at the leading Karacknid cruiser,” Jones answered. “Request the Kalassai do the same. Target our final missile at the disabled Karacknid ship. Let’s punch a hole in her just in case she manages to get her reactors back online.”

“Firing,” Maguire announced as soon as Intrepid got into range. Sixteen mark IV missiles shot out of the medium cruiser’s tubes. Seconds later, the Kalassai ship fired its own eight missiles. All but one of Intrepid’s were perfectly timed to strike the lead Karacknid cruiser. The one that wasn’t, sped towards the disabled Karacknid ship. Having fallen behind its consorts and with its reactors and engines still off-line, no point defense weapons opened up on the missile. Accelerating into attack range, the mark IV detonated its thermonuclear warhead, sending all of its destructive energy into the missile’s focusing lenses. They converted the power into three laser beams. All three smashed into the middle of the Karacknid cruiser and punched right out its other side. Secondary explosions rippled up and down the ship from the impact point and the whole ship disappeared in a blinding flash.

“Not quite an antimatter missile, but pretty devastating all the same,” Jones said, his voice full of pride. “Now let’s see what the rest can do,” he added as the two remaining Karacknid cruisers opened up with their point defenses. Either from fear of being disabled, or out of an underestimation of the power of Intrepid’s missiles, the Karacknids focused on the Kalassai missiles. All eight of them were quickly destroyed. Only then did the Karacknids turn their attention to the Human missiles. Nine were quickly taken out, but the rest reached their maximum attack range. Detonating, they sent twenty-one laser beams flashing towards their targets. The Karacknid cruisers, unaware of just how far out the mark IVs could detonate, were not carrying out evasive maneuvers. Thirteen beams struck their targets. None were as perfectly aimed as the single missile Maguire had fired at the disabled Karacknid cruiser, but they all caused damage. Armor, internal systems, atmosphere, and bodies vented into space from several holes in each cruiser.

“Bogey-one has lost seven percent acceleration rate, bogey-two, five,” Maguire reported. “They’re hurt, but they are still coming.”

Alvarez cursed under his breath. No secondary explosions had appeared to finish off either of the cruisers. But they’ll know to pay more attention to our missiles next time. He turned his attention to the remaining Kalassai ship. Sixteen Karacknid missiles were closing with it. Intrepid’s point defenses had been able to take out four at extreme range as they passed the exploration cruiser. “Have we managed to identify either of the Kalassai ships as Wayfarer?” Alvarez asked as the Karacknid missiles closed with their target.

“Negative,” Intrepid’s sensor officer replied. “The computer’s assessment only gives seventy percent accuracy, but we believe neither of them are or were Wayfarer. They’re both a little smaller.”

Alvarez brought a hand up and rubbed his forehead. He couldn’t deny that he was relieved. Given the point defense capabilities the Kalassai ship had shown so far, he didn’t have high hopes it could survive sixteen missiles.

“They’ve opened fire,” Intrepid’s sensor officer reported. “Two missiles destroyed,” she added a second later.

Alvarez watched the number gradually count down. To their credit, the Kalassai point defense gunners did their best. All but three Karacknid missiles were taken out before they got to attack range. At the last second, the Kalassai ship threw itself into some radical evasive maneuvers. Alvarez’s eyebrows rose at the tightness of the large ship’s turns. Two missiles overshot their target, but the third was not fooled. Not getting close to actually striking the Kalassai ship, it detonated just two thousand meters away from its engines. Antimatter burned and singed the rear third of the ship. Seconds later the Kalassai ship lost all forward acceleration. Its energy readings dipped and began to spin out of control. Alvarez cringed as he waited for a secondary explosion to blow the ship to pieces. But as the seconds ticked by, none came. “They’re not dead yet,” he said as he turned to Jones. “There’s still a chance!”

Chapter 34

The Second Civil War is a hotly debated issue to this day. No one contests the illegality of the way in which the claims were forced upon the citizens of the Empire. Nor that the motivations of most of the ringleaders were far from pure. And yet, the skill and valor of the upstart won many to his cause. If it were not for Antarian incursion, history may have been very different. Certainly, it is hard not to agree that Jacob would have made an impressive Emperor in his own right.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

“Missile launches!” Maguire shouted before Jones or Alvarez could say anything else. “Eighteen missiles are coming our way, two more are targeting the Kalassai ship.”

Alvarez’s head spun towards the two Karacknid missiles. They had a chance, but only if those missiles didn’t reach the Kalassai ship. He quickly turned back to Jones to express his concern but Intrepid’s Acting Captain had already come to the same conclusion. “Put us alongside the Kalassai ship,” Jones ordered. “No missiles are getting through to it. Fire our second salvo when ready.”

Forcing himself to sit back in his command chair, Alvarez kept his hands and legs still as Intrepid placed herself between the Karacknid missiles and the Kalassai ship. Before the exploration cruiser’s point defenses opened up, fourteen more missiles shot towards the Karacknids. Alveraz was tempted to ask Jones to get his gunners to prioritize the two missiles targeting the Kalassai ship but he knew Jones wouldn’t go for it. A direct hit from a Karacknid antimatter missile would destroy Intrepid just as easily as it would the Kalassai.

As soon as the enemy missiles came into range, Intrepid’s four flak cannons released their ordinance. Within six seconds they fired four thousand exploding shells. The wave of shrapnel they released destroyed six Karacknid missiles. Crucially, the two targeting the Kalassai ship were still accelerating hard towards their target. Then the rest of Intrepid’s weapons opened up. Though he was concerned for his own safety, Alvarez kept his eyes on the two Karacknid missiles slightly off by themselves. When an AM missile struck one he punched his fist in the air. Then he almost groaned as six plasma bolts all zipped by the final missile. Out of nowhere hundreds of other small contacts peppered the missile. The Kalassai ship! Alvarez thought. It still had some of its point defenses. Moments later the Karacknid missile detonated. With plasma bolts, laser beams and the Kalassai weapons all firing at it, it was impossible to tell who scored the killing blow. It didn’t matter though, the Kalassai ship had been saved. Suddenly more aware of his own mortality, Alveraz switched his focus to the missiles’ targeting Intrepid. He was just in time to see the last two be taken out by AM missiles.

“Good shooting gunners,” Jones called out. “Good shooting indeed. Now it’s our turn.”

Everyone’s attention switched to the two Karacknid long-range cruisers. Their point defenses had already engaged Intrepid’s missiles. Four were gone. They know how deadly they can be now, Alvarez knew. That didn’t mean they were going to fare any better. Six more were taken out by the Karacknids. But that left five to detonate and send fifteen laser beams towards the lead Karacknid cruiser. This time it carried out complex evasive maneuvers. Even so eight beams punched into it and it lost all acceleration. Then two secondary explosions blew holes into the guts of the cruiser. It wasn’t dead yet, but it was out of the fight.

“All right, one more salvo and this is over,” Jones said to his bridge officers. “Let’s make ours count.”

At almost the exact same time the remaining Karacknid cruiser and Intrepid opened fire. This time, all the Karacknid missiles were aimed at the Kalassai ship but Jones had placed Intrepid directly in the Karacknid’s line of sight. Alveraz had no concern for the Kalassai. Ten missiles would be a breeze for Intrepid’s gunners. On the other hand, he was certain the Karacknid cruiser would not be able to handle Intrepid’s fourteen missiles so easily. It turned out exactly as he expected. No Karacknid missiles got even remotely close to Intrepid. In contrast, seven reached the Karacknid cruiser. Eleven beams struck it. In one single explosion the Karacknid ship disappeared.

“Get me a COM channel open with the Kalassai ship,” Jones requested. “Let’s see if they need any help.”

“Greetings,” Jones said when a very weird looking creature appeared in front of everyone on Intrepid’s main holo projector. Alveraz thought it a good sign the Kalassai were actually showing themselves this time. “I am Acting Captain Jones of the Human cruiser Intrepid,” Jones continued. “We would like to offer you whatever aid you may find helpful.”

“Your greetings are warmly received and returned Captain,” the jellyfish like creature replied. “I am captain May-sic of the Kalassai people. We thank you for your intervention on our behalf. The Karacknids are a wicked species. They are attempting to hunt my people to extinction.”

Jones nodded. “We are familiar with your species,” he explained. “We have encountered one of your ships before. It was called Wayfarer. We’re also familiar with the Karacknids. That is why we are out here in this sector of space. My ship has been tasked with locating your species and offering what aid we can. For now though, I suggest we focus on what help we can offer your ship. There may be other Karacknid vessels nearby. We should leave the system as soon as possible. What is your ship’s status?”

“You communicate many interesting ideas Captain,” May-sic replied as the alien’s tentacles swished back-and-forth. “Ideas I would like to discuss further. But I do not think we will get the opportunity. You’re right, more Karacknids are likely to come this way. The Karacknid mothership that detected us must still be in system. They have probably sent for reinforcements already. You should take your ship and flee while you can. I’m afraid Dancer is going nowhere. Our shift drive has been destroyed and our two main reactors are off-line. My Senior Engineer believes they may not be repairable. We’re only operating on our backup energy generator. Even if our sub light engines were functioning, we wouldn’t be able to produce more than ten percent of our normal thrust. For your own safety, you should leave us. We will seek to hide in this system. Sooner or later one of our ships may come by. That is our only hope of escape.”

“That is far too risky,” Jones replied. “If Karacknid reinforcements are coming, they will search this system top to bottom for you. There are other options we should consider. We could take your crew on board my ship and take you to safety. Or better yet, we can tow your ship out of here. My ship has the ability to tow other ships through shift space. If your ship can handle the rigors of the jump, then we can get you out of here.”

May-sic’s tentacles began to shimmer in a different pattern. “Your offer of assistance is kind Captain. But Dancer is too badly damaged to enter shift space and my people could not survive on your ship. Our needs are very different to any other space faring civilization we have encountered.”

As May-sic spoke, Alvarez glanced at a secondary holo projection showing Dancer. There were two large holes in the Kalassai ship. It did look like the ship might break up if they tried to jump into shift space. But that wasn’t an insurmountable problem. “If I may,” he said as he interjected himself into the conversation. “Intrepid was supplied with a great deal of spare parts for this extended mission. It’s likely that we have enough materials to help you seal the two holes in your ship’s hull. It wouldn’t be permanent, but it would likely allow your ship to jump to shift space.”

May-sic’s tentacles stopped moving. For several seconds the alien remained perfectly still. Then it spoke slowly. “Never before has a Kalassai ship allowed aliens to make modifications to her. Many of my species would excommunicate me for even discussing the possibility.”

“And yet if we do nothing, your people on your ship may be found and killed by the Karacknids. They have already destroyed one of your ships today. Surely you can let us help you prevent more deaths?”

“Many millions of my people have been killed at the hands of the Karacknids,” May-sic replied. “My leaders will not like this, but I would not see more deaths, not when I can prevent them.”

“Then we are agreed,” Jones said as he sat forward in his command chair. “I will launch a shuttle with my best engineers. They can carry out an external analysis of your ship’s hull and survey your internal damage, with your permission of course. Then we can draw up a plan to make your ship shift space worthy. You and your engineers will have final say on whatever plans we make.”

May-sic’s tentacles started moving again. “That is acceptable to me Captain.”

“Okay then, we will launch our shuttle momentarily,” Jones said. “As my engineers carry out their work, we have something else we need to see to. Will your ship be okay on its own for a short period or are there other emergency supplies you need?”

“No, thank you,” May-sic replied. “My repair teams are doing what they can. May I ask though, where do you intend to take your ship?”

“There are still two Karacknid ships in this system,” Jones replied. “Either one of them will be able to watch what we’re doing and track where we go. They’ll send whatever Karacknid reinforcements come to this system after us. I don’t intend to let that happen.”

On the holo projection, May-sic switched her tentacles to swim closer to whatever device was recording her image. “You have fought the Karacknids before I see. They are your enemies as much as they are ours.”

Jones nodded. “They have killed many millions of my people as well. I intend to make sure those in this system do not get a chance to do so again.”

“Then send us your engineers and be on your way Captain, we will endeavor to be ready for you when you return,” May-sic said.

“We’ll speak again soon Captain,” Jones replied and cut the COM channel. “All right, plot us a course back to the point where the Karacknids’ negative mass photon sensor wave came from. May-sic called their sensor ship a mothership. Whatever it is, we are going to hunt it down. Swing us by the Karacknid cruiser we crippled. We’ll finish it off with our heavy plasma cannons as we pass her by.”

As Intrepid’s officers got to work, Alvarez watched events unfold and kept an eye on the reports coming back from the engineers Jones had dispatched. Their initial survey of the Kalassai ship’s hull reached Intrepid just as the exploration cruiser blew the remaining Karacknid cruiser into space debris. “It looks like Chief O’Malley thinks we have enough titanium to seal the two holes in the Kalassai ship’s outer hull,” he updated Jones. “As long as their internal structure has supports they can attach the patches to. From what he is saying, it looks like the internals of Dancer are as strange as its external hull.”

“I’ll get our engineers to start gathering up all our titanium,” Jones replied.

For the next hour O’Malley sent regular updates as he and a few other engineers boarded the Kalassai ship. Alveraz imagined O’Malley was more than a little nervous. They had all seen the goo that Emilie and Walker had entered. They had also seen Wayfarer take off with Emilie and Walker. At least this time Dancer couldn’t go anywhere. At least not fast.

“New contacts!” Intrepid’s sensor officer called out. “Bearing nine three four point four. It’s the Karacknid mothership. It’s making a run for the mass shadow.”

“Lay in a pursuit course immediately,” Jones snapped.

It quickly became apparent the Karacknid mothership was nowhere near fast enough to escape. The question on everyone’s minds was, just how well armed was it? Given that the ship was fleeing, Alvarez hoped that answered the question.

“Fire our first salvo,” Jones ordered as soon as Intrepid got close enough. To everyone’s surprise, as the missiles raced away, the Karacknid mothership didn’t respond in kind. When Intrepid’s missiles did get close to it however, its point defenses opened up.

“The computer estimates the mothership has the point defense batteries of a Karacknid battlecruiser,” Maguire reported.

Jones visibly pushed his lips together. “How many missile salvos do we have left?”

“Twenty,” Maguire replied.

Jones shook his head. “It’ll probably take us at least five or more to break through that much point defense fire. And probably a few more to do any serious damage. Hold fire.” He turned to where Matthews sat just in front of Alvarez. “You say this negative mass sensor is extremely power hungry?”

“Everything we know about such sensors suggests that they are. Given the size of the Karacknid mothership, I’d imagine so,” the astrophysicist answered.

“So the chances of them putting any energy weapons on that thing are pretty slim. They’re not likely to have much spare energy to waste,” he said. “Continue our pursuit, bring us into plasma cannon range.” He glanced at secondary holo projection that was still showing Dancer. “If we want to win May-sic’s trust, we may as well put on as good a show as we can.”

Twenty minutes later eight plasma bolts ripped into the rear of the Karacknid mothership. Half of its engines cut out seconds later. Vainly it tried to carry out evasive maneuvers with the thrust it had left, but eight more bolts scored hits when Intrepid’s plasma cannons fired again. Three more salvos ripped the large Karacknid ship apart piece by piece. Eventually a bolt hit something vital and the ship disappeared in a colossal antimatter explosion as one of its reactors lost containment.

“Bring us back to Dancer,” Jones ordered. “Let’s see what May-sic and O’Malley have come up with.”

Just over an hour later May-sic’s image was once again dominating Intrepid’s main holo projector. “You are to be commended Captain,” May-sic was saying. “Never before have I seen four Karacknid ships destroyed so efficiently. Your species is clearly a worthy adversary for the Karacknids.”

“We could not have won today without the firepower and defenses of your ships,” Jones replied. “I’m only sorry that we were not able to save your second ship.”

“Thank you for your sorrow Captain,” May-sic said. “And for your offer of assistance, your engineer has been very helpful. Though I suspect your team has been uncomfortable on-board Dancer. My species’ way of existence is not similar to yours.”

“That may be May-sic, but we are willing to make sacrifices to help those who we call our friends,” Jones said. “Does this mean you and O’Malley have come up with a workable plan to tow your ship out of here?”

“We have,” May-sic answered. “Not all of my people are happy with it, however, the final decision lies with me. I will take responsibility for what we are doing here today.”

“Then I will send orders for work to begin immediately,” Jones responded. “The next question is, where are we to take your ship? Let me be completely frank with you Captain. We have been seeking out your species because we know you have been at war with the Karacknids for many years. My species and our allies only recently discovered the Karacknids. Since then we have been in a desperate war of survival against them. We would very much like to befriend your species in the hopes that we can aid one another. My ship Intrepid was sent to this sector of space to seek out your species and to offer an alliance, technologies, and whatever other things we can share with one another. That was why we sought to speak to the Captain of Wayfarer. However, that encounter did not go as we had hoped. My Captain boarded Wayfarer to speak with her Captain. Not long after this Wayfarer attacked and disabled us and then fled, taking my Captain and one of my crew with them. We do not know why. My Captain would have shared nothing with Wayfarer’s Captain other than what I have already shared with you. For our part, we showed no hostility towards Wayfarer. That is in part why we are now here, we have been searching for our Captain and hoping to find another Kalassai ship that can help us with this problem.”

May-sic was quiet for a long time. Her tentacles only shimmered back-and-forth slowly. “I cannot speak for Wayfarer’s Captain,” she eventually said. “But I think I can guess what happened. If your Captain spoke to Wayfarer’s Captain of alliances and technologies to help beat the Karacknids, then it may be that she decided our leaders needed to hear what your Captain had to say. No doubt that presented Wayfarer’s Captain with a problem. The locations of our leaders and the vast majority of our people are a secret no other alien civilization is allowed to know. To prevent you from following Wayfarer’s Captain may have deemed disabling your ship necessary.”

“So you think our Captain is still alive?” Alvarez couldn’t help himself asking.

“My species is a peaceful species at heart,” May-sic explained. “I cannot see any reason why Wayfarer’s captain would abduct your Captain or harm her out of ill will.”

“Then the question remains, where are we to take you?” Jones asked. “We would like to go to where our Captain is, to bring her home.”

“That would be a very risky endeavor for you to embark upon,” May-sic replied. “If you were to discover the location of one of our city ships, you would not be allowed to leave that system. Our leaders would forbid it. The only way you could get your Captain back would be if we agreed to bring your species into our confidence. That has never happened before.”

“Have you ever witnessed four Karacknid ships be destroyed so easily?” Alvarez asked boldly.

“We have not,” May-sic confirmed. “It is true, your words excite me. There are many on Dancer who would see us standing up to the Karacknids, if only we had the means. But our leaders are far more conservative than I.”

“But you would take us to where Wayfarer took our Captain, if we are willing to assume the risk?” Jones pressed.

“As long as you know the risks, then, in this extreme case, I will do so. Dancer cannot be repaired without being brought to one of our city ships, and there is no way we can get there ourselves. It would seem we may be of mutual benefit to one another.”

Jones nodded. “Then we have a deal. Hopefully, this is the beginning of many more between our two species.”

Alvarez shared a glance with Jones and Maguire as a grin spread across his face. He no longer feared that Emilie was dead. What’s more, they were actually on their way to where she was. You’re going to see her again! he said to himself. His grin only widened.

Chapter 35

The Karacknid War was the first time Human warships encountered particle beam weapons. Our reactors at the time were simply not powerful enough to form the matter streams and meet the rest of a ship’s energy needs. In close range engagements it meant smaller numbers of Karacknid warships were very deadly.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Constitution, 25th March 2483 AD (seven weeks after leaving Earth).

There it is, Koroylov said to himself as Alpha-two came into view on Constitution’s holo projector. The base from which the Karacknids had launched their devastating attack on Earth. Outwardly, Koroylov projected an air of calm. Inwardly he was grinding his teeth. He had been in command of Home Fleet when the Karacknids attacked. Earth had been nuked under his watch. Millions were dead as a result of his failure. He knew he could never make up for it, but he was going to make the Karacknids pay.

“Sensors are detecting fifteen more warships than our scouts detected two months ago Admiral,” his sensor officer reported. “It looks like they’ve added some more orbital stations. None appear to be armed however.”

Koroylov nodded. We’ve got here in time, he concluded. Just. “Proceed with our primary attack plan,” he ordered.

As his staff officers sent out the order, Koroylov watched his fleet. Under his command he had one hundred and four warships. Guarding the Karacknid base, there were one hundred and thirty enemy ships. Once the handful of battlestations were added into the mix, his ships would stand no chance in a straight up fight. Of course, he had known that months ago. The beauty of being the attacker, Koroylov said to himself as twenty freighters slowly accelerated ahead of his main fleet. The Karacknids might have the numerical advantage, but they had to stay in one place to defend their depot. Especially if they are filled with supplies for an invasion fleet.

For four hours Koroylov sat on Constitution’s bridge as his fleet edged closer and closer to the Karacknid depot in stealth. Twice they were almost detected by enemy patrols but luck was with them. “These two frigates are bound to detect us as we pass them by,” Koroylov said to his Flag Captain and staff officers as he highlighted another Karacknid patrol. “We may as well make use of the extra momentum we’ll have if we launch now. Send the order to the freighters. Launch the fighters, they are to take out any Karacknid patrols that try to intercept the freighters.

Breaking stealth first, the twenty freighters powered up their engines to full. With their noses already pointed directly towards the Karacknid depot, they charged their target as fast as they could. Every Karacknid patrol ship in the system reacted. Their active sensors went to full and several altered course to get closer to the new contacts to check them out. In orbit around the Karacknid depot every Karacknid warship powered up their reactors. Though they stayed in orbit maintaining their formation.

“It’s our turn,” Koroylov said five minutes later. The one hundred and five ships of his fleet announced themselves as they went to full military power.

“It looks like these four frigates will get close enough to engage the freighters,” Koroylov’s Chief of Staff reported.

“Take them out,” Koroylov ordered.

From amidst his fleet, twelve Spitfire fighters appeared as they boosted their engines up to maximum. In minutes they caught up to the freighters and passed them. Long before the Karacknid frigates got close enough to scan let alone attack the freighters, the Spitfires engaged them. With three Spitfires per frigate, they stood little chance. Three of them were destroyed by plasma missiles. The fourth did get one Spitfire before it could release its missile and then dodged the two that were fired at it. In response the remaining ten Spitfires closed in on it. Using their small plasma cannons they swarmed the frigate. Three fighters were lost in the engagement, but plasma bolts eventually ripped through the frigate’s armor and took out its main engines. The fighters pulled back, the frigate’s momentum would take it out of the battle. “Those fighters won’t have time to refuel and rearm before our attack. Have them return to us and stay in formation. They can engage Karacknid missiles as they come in.”

“Aye Admiral,” Koroylov’s Chief of Staff responded.

“We have movement in orbit,” one of Constitution’s sensor officers announced.

Koroylov eyed the Karacknid ships. It looked like a squadron of smaller ships were readying to break orbit. “We can’t have that,” he said to his officers. “Begin phase two.”

Moments later the twenty freighters broke apart as small explosives detonated up and down their central support struts. From their broken cargo bays thousands of asteroids came tumbling out. Koroylov’s plan was an adaption of the one he had used to attack Earth when he had been an Admiral in the Russian Star Federation. There he had used ice meteors to bombard Earth’s orbitals to distract the planetary defenders. Here, Koroylov had no concerns about a meteor striking the rocky planet the Karacknids orbited. There were no sentient lifeforms below to worry about and he didn’t need to use ice meteors that would burn up in atmospheric re-entry. And meteors should prove a lot harder to deal with, he thought as he smiled. If they were blasted by energy weapons they would only break up into hundreds of smaller but still deadly chunks.

He’ll know what is happening now, Koroylov surmised as he imagined the Karacknid commander. If it wasn’t for all the orbital stations, the Karacknid fleet could simply break orbit and move out of the way. However, the massive supply depots did not have the same luxury. The Karacknids had to stay and fight. And they can’t just wait to use their energy weapons. If the Karacknids allowed the meteors to get that close before attacking them, the thousands of smaller pieces would pummel the orbital stations. The Karacknids had to use their antimatter missiles to safely take out the asteroids.

“Signal all ships,” Koroylov ordered. “Advance to one hundred percent thrust. Pass the word to every crew member, inform them we are only going to get one shot at this. Every missile must count.”

“Transmitting now,” Koroylov’s COM officer informed him.

“Karacknids are opening fire,” one of Constitution’s tactical officers announced. “Twelve hundred missiles incoming. They are all targeting the meteors.”

“Send in the rest of the fighters,” Koroylov ordered. “Fire missiles when ready.” Though the bulk of Humanity’s fighters were with Admiral Somerville, Koroylov had forty-eight of his own. Seconds after they raced ahead of his ships, a thousand missiles erupted from his fleet.

After seeing them on their way, Koroylov took a deep breath and, as he exhaled, forced himself to relax into his command chair. The stage was set. There was nothing more he could do. The next few minutes would be crucial. Seconds later alarms blared as the Karacknid missile salvo detonated among the wave of meteors and freighter fragments that were hurtling towards the depot. Thousands were taken out, but hundreds more remained. As soon as they came into range of the Karacknid defenders, point defense weapons designed to take out missiles opened up on them. Just as they did, Koroylov’s fighters caught up with the meteors. Zigzagging through the meteor fragments and dodging enemy fire they charged the Karacknid ships. In the midst of the fighting, the Karacknid ships and battlestations released a second salvo. At almost the same time, Koroylov’s ships did the same. Then everything started to lose cohesion in Koroylov’s mind.

With their focus rightly shifted to the Human fighters, the Karacknids failed to destroy every meteor fragment. In the blink of an eye small explosions rippled across the Karacknid fleet as meteors struck them. Then larger miniature suns appeared as plasma missiles fired from the fighters struck home. Before Koroylov could see just what damage had been done, the Karacknid fleet disappeared as his own ships blanketed space with their point defenses. He knew his missiles were hitting home, but Constitution’s sensors couldn’t see through the wave of fire and explosions his point defenses were causing among the Karacknid missiles. Then far larger explosions erupted around Constitution. Koroylov knew his ships were dying to the Karacknid fire. Not far off Constitution’s port bow he saw the battlecruiser Agamemnon disappear as three antimatter missiles struck her. Seconds later, there was not even a fragment of debris from the massive ship. It had been completely wiped out of existence by the antimatter.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the point defense fire ceased. Constitution’s sensors locked onto the Karacknid depot just in time for Koroylov to see his second missile salvo strike home. Nearly a third of the Karacknid ships looked to be destroyed or damaged. As two hundred missiles punched through their point defenses and released their laser beams, forty warships and half of the Karacknid battlestations disappeared. Koroylov just had time to give one final order before his ships, still hurtling towards their enemies, entered energy weapon range themselves. “Every shot!” he ordered Constitution’s bridge officers and gunners.

Constitution’s sensors were all but blinded as explosions erupted throughout the Karacknid fleet and around Koroylov’s flagship. Two quick shunts threw Koroylov around in his command chair, telling him Constitution had been hit. A third caused the lights to momentarily dim before the emergency power kicked in. Even as alarms went off and damage alerts came in, Koroylov could still hear the low thrum of the battleship’s plasma cannons firing and the far higher pitched whine of laser cannons doing the same. Keeping his eyes fixed on the holo projection of the Karacknid fleet, he saw ship after ship detonate. He knew the same was happening to his own fleet, but he kept his focus on the Karacknids. They had to be wiped out.

In just twenty seconds, every contact Constitution was able to detect disappeared in explosion after explosion. Then, in an instant, the maelstrom ended. Arcing up and over the rocky planet, Constitution and the survivors in Koroylov’s fleet passed out of line of sight of their targets. “I want a full analysis now,” Koroylov demanded of his staff officers. A glance at his Flag Captain told him Garcia had his hands full with Constitution’s damage.

“All military targets destroyed Admiral,” Koroylov’s Chief of Staff informed him less than sixty seconds later. His tone was one of astonishment. “We did it. Every warship and battlestation is gone. Half the depots are still intact, but they are at our mercy.”

“And our losses?” Koroylov asked, fully aware that that answer was not going to be as pleasing.

“Thirty-four ships gone, at least ten more are crippled. Almost every other ship is reporting some kind of damage, most are still trying to figure out how bad it is,” another of his staff officers answered.

“I have Admiral Danlien on a COM channel for you Admiral,” Koroylov’s COM officer reported.

“I’ll speak to him now,” Koroylov replied. “How are your ships?” he asked the Varanni Admiral when his face appeared on Koroylov’s command chair’s holo projector.

“We have taken losses Admiral Koroylov just as you have. But we have destroyed our enemy. Your plan worked well. I wish to congratulate you,” Danlien said as he gave Koroylov a bow.

“It is our people who deserve the congratulations,” Koroylov responded. “And that will have to wait for later.”

“You have orders for us?” Danlien asked.

“Yes, our mission is only half complete after all,” Koroylov replied. “The ships that are able will make a second pass on the Karacknid depot. They can destroy whatever point defenses the remaining stations have and then launch marines to secure them. We may as well commandeer as much of the Karacknid supplies as we can make use of. The rest of our ships can head back to the system’s mass shadow and our support fleet. I’m guessing we’re going to have to tow some of the ships all the way back to Earth. But we need to get as many back into fighting trim as possible. If Karacknid reinforcements appear, we need to be ready to fight them off.”

“That will be a tall task,” Danlien said, “but with what our ships have just accomplished today, one I think we will be up for.”

Koroylov nodded. “Let’s make sure that they are.” After the COM channel ended, Koroylov glanced over at his Flag Captain.

Garcia shook his head in response to Koroylov’s unspoken question. “We’ve lost the main and secondary energy conduits to our impulse engines. Chief Murphy estimates it will take three hours to jury rig something to get the engines working. It will take two or three days to actually fix the damage.”

“All right, start transferring your marines over to one of the ships that can make the second attack,” Koroylov decided. “I’ll place Admiral Danlien in charge. You may as well arrange for one of our other ships to take us in tow. No doubt Murphy is going to need some of the spare parts we brought with us in the support fleet.”

“Right away Admiral,” Garcia responded.

As his staff officers and Constitution’s bridge officers busied themselves with the affairs of the fleet and their own ship, Koroylov took a moment to survey the battlefield. Half destroyed Karacknid and Alliance ships littered the rocky world’s orbitals. Here and there a bright flare from metallic objects burning up in the planet’s atmosphere was still visible. What had once been an impressive Karacknid depot base was no more. They will not be launching any more invasions of Earth from here any time soon, Koroylov thought with satisfaction. Give us a few months and we will start to have our own defense stations under construction. He knew the Alliance High Command were keen to extend their border fort worlds out to this system. If he could hold out long enough for more reinforcements to arrive, then any plans the Karacknids had to send a second fleet this way would have to be abandoned. Perhaps, for once things are going to go our way, he thought as his mind turned to Lightfoot and Somerville. Everything was riding on them accomplishing their missions.

*

IS Vengeance, 1st April 2483 AD (one week later).

Lightfoot struggled and failed to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. Vengeance was just about to jump out of shift space into the Karacknid depot they had named Alpha-one. An hour ago the scouts he had sent forward had come back with news that the Karacknids didn’t appear to have received any reinforcements. That was exactly the news he had been hoping for. And yet, Lightfoot still felt his nerves threatening to get the best of him. Glancing at his officers, he tried to see if they could tell. He couldn’t decide whether they could or not. Of course, if they could, they’d be hiding it from him anyway. Swallowing hard, he tightened his grip on his command chair as he awaited his ship’s exit from shift space. Even though the Karacknids had no extra warships and he had instructed his scouts to carefully check the point they would be jumping in from shift space, he still had doubts. The Karacknid commander in the system had fooled him once before. There was no guarantee it wasn’t going to happen again.

Even though a part of Lightfoot wanted to leave Vengeance’s bridge and hand over command of the fleet to someone else, he forced himself to remain in his seat. Admiral Somerville’s words to him months ago still echoed in his ears. He knew he was a good commander. One defeat didn’t wipe out everything he had accomplished in his career. Despite his nerves and even hesitation, he desperately wanted to make amends for what had happened in this system eight months ago. The name of his flagship was exactly how he felt. Somerville had known what he was doing when he had picked the name and assigned it to him. I will have vengeance, Lightfoot said to himself to quell his nerves. I will defeat this Karacknid commander. Then these blasted butterflies will disappear.

A slight jolt ran through the ship, telling Lightfoot Vengeance had exited shift space. His butterflies spiked. As the seconds ticked by and no surprise attack came, Lightfoot felt himself relax. Then, as Vengeance’s sensors updated to show the Karacknid depot exactly as his scouts had determined, he relaxed even more. “Send the order to Captain Diaz, he may begin his part of the plan,” Lightfoot said. “Have our ships reported in?”

“All ships report ready to proceed Admiral,” Lightfoot’s Chief of Staff replied. “Admiral Jil’lal has signaled to say her ships are ready as well.”

“Then we may proceed. Navigation, plot us a course around the Karacknid patrols and take us into the system,” Lightfoot ordered.

Over the course of the next several hours, Lightfoot’s fleet of Human and Vestarian warships tiptoed into the system. When they were in position Lightfoot sent a covert signal to Captain Diaz. Then everyone on Vengeance’s bridge waited patiently for events to unfold. In his mind’s eye, Lightfoot imagined what Diaz was doing. Only four converted bulk carriers had been assigned to his fleet. Halfway across the system, they would all launch their ships and drones before turning and beginning their covert retreat. The twenty-four Spitfire fighters would slowly close with the Karacknid depot, with one small twist. Instead of avoiding the Karacknid patrols, they were going to skirt just close enough to one to be detected.

Forty-five minutes after sending the signal Lightfoot sat forward in his command chair. The two Karacknid frigates Diaz had targeted had changed course. They carried out three more quick course corrections. Lightfoot shared a glance with his Chief of Staff and Flag Captain. The frigate’s actions were obviously a signal. The gravimetric waves from the frigate’s movements would be instantly picked up by the Karacknid fleet commander.

Now, it’s time to see if you have any butterflies, he thought towards his opposite number. After Commodore Rivers’ raid on the Karacknid system four months ago, the Karacknids had to be expecting another attack. “We’ve got movement,” the sensor officer called out. “Forty ships are breaking orbit. They’re moving to intercept Diaz’s fighters.”

Lightfoot smiled. His nerves had suddenly disappeared. “We’ll hold position,” he said in a predatory tone. The Karacknid commander was stepping right into his trap. No doubt in an effort to prevent another raid on his orbital stations, he was sending every warship he had that was a light cruiser or smaller out to intercept the fighters and drones Diaz had posing as additional fighters. During Rivers’ raid the Karacknid commander had only sent out his frigates, but they had been easily destroyed. In this case, if Diaz had been planning an actual raid, his force would have been decimated. That was not going to happen, however. When his Chief of Staff and Flag Captain looked over to him after several minutes, Lightfoot repeated himself. “We’ll hold,” he ordered. For five more minutes he stared at the approaching Karacknid ships. When he judged the time was right he gave a sharp nod. “Now! The fleet will advance!”

Vengeance and the other eighty warships in Lightfoot’s fleet powered up their reactors and lit off their engines. At full military power, they charged into the flank of the Karacknid light ships. It took just five minutes to enter missile range and release a volley of nine hundred mark IV missiles. The Karacknids had already begun to decelerate, but it would not do them any good. Realizing that, they reformed into a much tighter formation and fired a volley of missiles of their own. Lightfoot could have released a second salvo of his own but he held back. One salvo was hopefully going to be enough.

“They’re engaging our missiles now,” a sensor officer announced. Lightfoot was already watching the engagement on the main holo projector. At best, the forty Karacknid light ships could hope to take out six hundred of his missiles. Over the next fifteen seconds they didn’t even manage that many. With three hundred and fifty mark IVs left to detonate a light second out from the Karacknid ships; over a thousand laser beams smashed into the Karacknids. When the heat from the explosions dissipated into space, only five ships remained. Each was heavily damaged. Within a couple of minutes Diaz’s fighters rammed a plasma missile into each one, finishing them off.

“And now for the main event,” Lightfoot said as he turned his attention to the Karacknid forces still defending the supply depot. The Karacknid fleet commander had six battleships, eight battlecruisers and twenty heavy and medium cruisers. Combined with the handful of small battlestations they were still going to cause a real problem for his fleet. But the numbers had dramatically swung in Lightfoot’s favor.

Lightfoot’s eyes widened when the Karacknid ships in orbit started to maneuver. “What are they doi…” He started to ask but then it hit him. They were breaking orbit! “They’re retreating,” he said, though he could hardly believe it. “They’re abandoning their stations.” Looking around at his officers, Lightfoot saw that they were just as surprised. The Karacknids almost never retreated. Certainly not when it meant they would be leaving behind key real estate.

As Lightfoot’s eyes settled on the battleship that was leading the Karacknid ships away he gained an even greater respect for his opponent. “They know they cannot defend their orbital stations,” he said to his subordinates. “They don’t want to play the defender. They’ll leave the system in our hands and force us to defend.” As many of his officers started to grin and pat one another on the back at their easy victory, Lightfoot didn’t know what to feel. With just a few reinforcements the Karacknid commander would have more than enough ships to return and harass Lightfoot’s fleet. And if we are the ones building our own orbital stations, then we’ll be stuck defending our stations while they can run rings around us. That was not an encouraging thought. He may know something else, Lightfoot thought, the Karacknid commander may very well know an invasion fleet was already on its way. If that were the case, Lightfoot would be the one falling back as quickly as possible. “Put us into orbit around the gas giant. Give the marines orders to board their stations. Update General Maximus’ orders. I want every Karacknid station rigged with explosives. If we have to pull out of the system in a hurry, I want to be able to blow them.”

“Aye Admiral,” Lightfoot’s Chief of Staff replied.

Lightfoot nodded to him and rolled his shoulders to ease the tension in them. Thankfully, his butterflies were gone, but he was still concerned. He would have been much happier if he had destroyed the Karacknid fleet outright instead of having to worry about it reappearing at any moment. It will take us weeks to learn what has happened at the other depots, Lightfoot thought as his mind went to Koroylov and Somerville. Koroylov’s attack should have already taken place, but Somerville’s was scheduled for a week’s time. If either failed, orders for him to retreat might be on their way to him within the month. And if the system commander here fell back because he knew an invasion fleet was imminent, then things were going to be rough for Somerville, Lightfoot surmised. Of the three Karacknid supply depots, the one Somerville was targeting was by far the most built up. The main bulk of any Karacknid invasion fleet would be headed there if it was already on the move. Admiral Somerville could be in for a hard time, Lightfoot feared.

Chapter 36

With the much longer lifespans Humanity now enjoys, the minimum age for entering the Imperial Marines and Navy has been increased, though perhaps surprisingly, not by much. Volunteers as young as twenty-one may join one of the many military academies. I have often remarked that in most cases, the younger the student, the better the officer. It is far harder to train a bad habit or thought pattern out of someone than to train a good one in. 

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

Intrepid, unknown system, 1st February 2483 AD (two months previous).

“How many more systems do you think it’s going to be?” Seth asked as he idly twiddled with his command console.

Alvarez looked over to the computer technician. He wasn’t even looking at his console, a clear indication of just how bored he was. “Your guess is as good as mine,” he answered. He had no more to give the lad than he had for himself. For a month and a half they had been jumping from system to system as May-sic directed them.

“Couldn’t I transfer over to the Kalassai ship. There’s bound to be something I can help with,” Seth said with a sigh.

Alvarez grinned at the teenager. “O’Malley’s reports indicate the Kalassai have nothing resembling our computer technologies. Unless you have an advanced degree in biology or genetics you’ve been hiding away, I doubt there’d be much for you to do over there either. Besides, didn’t Lieutenant Maguire give you an encryption problem to solve?”

Seth grimaced as he turned back to his command console, making Alvarez chuckle. He knew Seth thought decrypting information files was a boring, time-consuming job. But the lad needed the practice. And it kept him busy. That was probably why Maguire had given it to him. Alvarez had seen Seth pestering the Lieutenant a couple of hours ago.

“We’re five minutes out from the next system Dancer gave us,” the Sub Lieutenant at Intrepid’s sensor console reported.

“Thank you,” Jones responded from where he sat on Intrepid’s Captain’s chair. “How is our tow line holding up?”

“Everything is within normal parameters,” Maguire responded. “We should be good for jumping out of shift space.”

“How are things on Dancer’s end?”

“They’ve just reported in Captain, their repairs are holding up,” Intrepid’s COM officer answered.

Jones nodded. “Okay, jump us out of shift space as soon as we reach the system’s mass shadow. Have they sent us our next set of coordinates?”

The Sub Lieutenant who had just spoken shook her head. “No Captain, their latest COM message didn’t include any updated coordinates.”

Alvarez and Jones’s head spun towards each other at the same time. Over the last six weeks May-sic hadn’t shared the next system they were going to until they were about to exit shift space. Wherever they were going, Alvarez and Jones had surmised it was a very closely guarded secret. But now, if there were no new coordinates, that meant they might finally have arrived! “Send the crew to battle stations,” Jones snapped. “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” he added as he held Alvarez stare.

Alvarez nodded. “I’m not going to disagree with that.” Alveraz turned to watch Intrepid’s main holo projector. As soon as they jumped out of shift space it would show them what Intrepid’s sensors were detecting. He tried and failed to suppress a small grin. Emilie must be in this system. She has to be, he thought as his grin widened.

“Exiting shift space now,” Maguire reported a couple of minutes later.

Alvarez tightened his grip on his command chair as the jump out of shift space sent a small tremor through Intrepid. A new system appeared on the holo projector. Within seconds two objects orbiting the system’s fourth world caught his attention. Alvarez took a sharp breath. They were massive, far bigger than anything he had seen before. Just as Intrepid’s sensor officer zoomed in, alarms blared. The image immediately switched to show two Kalassai ships swooping in towards Intrepid.

“Energy spike coming from both those ships!” Maguire shouted. Everyone knew what that meant. They were about to open fire.

“Dancer is communicating with them,” Intrepid’s COM officer reported. “They’re asking them to stand down. Hold on. The two Kalassai ships are responding… They don’t sound happy. Not at all,” she added as she looked away from her console towards Jones. “It sounds like Dancer has committed some kind of forbidden act.” She turned back to her console. “May-sic is trying to explain herself.”

“Get ready to cut the tow line to Dancer,” Jones said to Maguire. “And make sure our shift drive is charged as quickly as possible. I don’t know how we’d fare if we have to fight these two ships, but I’d rather not stick around to find out if it comes to that.”

For a couple of very tense moments, everyone on Intrepid’s bridge watched as the two Kalassai ships maneuvered around Intrepid. The exploration cruiser’s COM officer gave everyone a running commentary on the discussions between May-sic and the two other Kalassai Captains. More than once, Alvarez’s eyebrows rose at the language used. But as May-sic relayed how Intrepid had fought off the Karacknid cruisers that had been chasing Dancer, the two Kalassai Captains’ tones softened.

“I think they are powering down their weapons,” Maguire reported. “Their energy levels are dropping off. Only by ten percent or so, but we may be in the clear.”

“One of the ship’s Captains is demanding that their ship take Dancer in tow,” Intrepid’s COM officer announced. “Even if they’re not going to attack us, I don’t think they want us in the system any longer than possible. May-sic is insisting we take Dancer on into the system though. Wait, I’ve got May-sic on a COM channel. She wants to speak to you Captain.”

“Captain Jones, I am sorry for the concern my comrades have no doubt caused you,” May-sic said several seconds later.

“There is no need to apologize,” Jones replied. “Your people were just doing their jobs. From what my COM officer tells me, it’s been an interesting welcome home for you too.”

“I told you, you would not be welcome here,” May-sic responded. “That sentiment has been extended to me for bringing you here. But they have accepted that I am vouching for you. Convincing them not to attack you is one thing, however. If we proceed from here, you will be at the whim of the Mothers of our two city ships in this system. Are you sure you want to proceed?”

Jones nodded. “We’ve come this far. You’re sure Emilie is here?”

May-sic’s tentacles swished in the affirmative. “I have confirmed it with the Captain of Stargazer. She is here. Though the Mothers decided that she would remain here for the rest of her life. I intend to communicate to them just how helpful you have been. How my people would all be dead but for you. We can only hope that will sway their thinking. Otherwise, they may make the same decision for you.”

“Well, that’s a risk we will have to take. I’m not turning back now,” Jones replied.

“Then we will proceed,” May-sic said. “You may set course for our two city ships. Stargazer will escort us there. I suggest you stand down from battle stations and power down your defensive weapons. It will only serve to make the other ships we have in system nervous.”

“We’ll do that,” Jones replied. “Thank you for speaking on our behalf.”

“We made a deal captain, I intend to keep my end of our bargain,” May-sic said. She swished her tentacles in a sign of respect before ending the COM channel.

“All right people, you heard her,” Jones said. “Captain Kansas is on one of those two massive ships, let’s be on our way. I’m sure she’ll be pleased to see us.”

As the image on the holo projector changed to show the two Kalassai city ships, Alvarez was amazed at them all over again. Now that Intrepid’s sensors had a couple of minutes to analyze them further, an accurate measurement of their length, height and volume was being presented beside them. Alvarez couldn’t help but shake his head. They were truly massive. Each one out massed Humanity’s entire war fleet. At least, the fleet we had, Alvarez thought. Ship construction would have been ramped up considerably over the last year, but even with that, just one of the two city ships would easily out mass everything that had been built in that time. And they’re probably home to millions, he realized. If they’re anything like Dancer. Everyone on Intrepid had been surprised to learn that Dancer wasn’t just a warship, but also May-sic and her crew’s home.

For the next two hours Alvarez watched in fascination as more and more sensor data came in on the two Kalassai city ships as Intrepid got closer to them. As a result, he was caught off-guard when ten Kalassai ships the same size as Dancer suddenly appeared from behind each city ship. Alarms blared as they charged their weapons. Before Jones or anyone else could act, they opened fire. Sixty missiles raced towards Intrepid. Automatically, the exploration cruiser’s point defenses opened fire, but with her gunners not at their battlestations and their capacitors not charged, they only fired three or four volleys each and then ran out of power. It took the remaining sixteen missiles just six seconds to close with Intrepid. Cutting the tow line to Dancer, Jones attempted to throw the exploration cruiser into an evasive maneuver. Despite his best effort, all sixteen got close enough to explode. Together they released more than a hundred smaller munitions, at least a thousand of them struck Intrepid’s hull. Intrepid lost all power as her reactors were shut down and her emergency capacitors drained of all energy.

As darkness enveloped Intrepid’s bridge, no one spoke for a couple of seconds. Eventually Jones broke the silence. “I’m guessing we have no information for a damage report?”

“No Captain, nothing is coming through to us from our internal COMs systems,” Maguire replied.

“At least we have the marines’ COM units spread throughout the ship this time, get them activated and let’s find out what’s happening,” Jones ordered.

“These Mothers don’t seem to be happy with our appearance,” Alvarez said. “At least we are still here. They could have destroyed us.”

“And if they’ve just decided to keep us as prisoners here like they have Captain Kansas?” Jones asked, his voice strained. “How is that any different?”

A good question, Alvarez thought as Intrepid’s bridge officers tried to get their ship functioning again. With no direct responsibilities for Intrepid, Alvarez was left in the dark with only his thoughts to keep him company. He couldn’t decide if he was still excited or on the verge of being overcome with dismay. Emilie was almost within arm’s reach. And yet, if the Mothers wanted to, they could keep them separated for ever.

*

Kalassai city ship, 8th February 2483 AD (one week later).

Emilie cursed as she picked up the makeshift poker chips and threw them across the room to smash into the far wall. She had just beaten Walker in a protracted game for the first time in weeks. Yet it meant nothing. Rather than satisfaction, she only felt more frustration. “This will be the death of me!” she complained. “What’s the point? Why even bother trying?”

To Emilie’s surprise, Walker was on his feet in a flash. He moved towards her too quick for her to back away. In seconds he had grabbed her arms, lowering them to her side. His vice like grip on her wrists sent pain shooting up her arms. For a second fear shot through Emilie. When she saw the look of concern on Walker’s face it faded though. “You can’t talk like that,” he said forcefully, his face just inches from hers. “Our biggest enemy here isn’t the Kalassai, nor this godforsaken room, nor even time, it’s our own minds.” As he spoke, Walker let go of Emilie’s hands and tapped his forehead. “A chance may come for us to get out of here. It may come today, or it may come in ten years. Whenever it comes, we need to be ready. The only thing that will stop us doing that is our minds. We must stay focused.” He let Emilie go completely and took half a step back from her. “If you want to give up, then fine, you can do so. But remember why we are here. What we are fighting for. That’s worth our focus. We need to keep our minds on the Karacknids and our war with them.”

Emilie shook her head as she moved back from Walker. “You’re crazy. You’re really going to wait here day by day for ten years for a chance to escape? All so you might be able to get back to Earth and perhaps play some role in defeating the Karacknids? That’s crazy,” she said again as she shook her head.

Walker squared his shoulders. “I’ve seen the recordings of the nukes going off on Earth many times. I’m sure you have too. But I know for a fact that you saw it in real time. Are you telling me you are just going to forget about that and let it go?”

Emilie closed her eyes, as always, one of two things came to her mind. More often than not these days it was Alvarez, but thanks to Walker’s words, her memory of the Karacknid missiles punching through Earth’s atmosphere and sending mushroom clouds up into the sky replayed in her mind as if she was watching it for the first time. “No,” she said softly, “I’m not going to let it go.”

“What was that?” Walker demanded in what Emilie suspected was his drill instructor’s voice.

“No!” she said more loudly. “I won’t let it go.”

Walker nodded. “That’s more like it, Captain. That’s what I want to see. Mark my words, sooner or later we will get a chance and you need to be ready. I can’t do this without you.”

Movement to Emilie’s right made her and Walker jump back. A door had appeared in their apartment. As they watched it peeled back. What concerned them was that the door had appeared where no door had been before. Nearly two months ago, after meeting with the Mothers, they had been moved to one of the city ships. Once a week a Kalassai visited them to check up on them. Each time the Kalassai came through the same door. One that was on the other side of the apartment to the door that was now opening in front of them.

Even more concerning, as the door opened further, no transition chamber appeared to be on the other side. The goo that filled the Kalassai ships quickly flowed into their apartment. Emilie and Walker dove for their breathers. They had to fight against the current from the goo rushing into their apartment. Emilie got hers into her mouth just as the goo reached her chest. As always her face screwed up as the first few breaths of stale air assaulted her. When the goo covered her head, she used her arms and legs to turn herself back around to face the new door. She was just in time to see a Kalassai swish its tentacles as it pushed itself into the room. “Greetings Humans,” the Kalassai said as Emilie and Walker struggled to keep an upright posture as more goo flowed into the apartment. “My name is May-sic, the captain of the starship Dancer. Wal-sma sent me here to get you. I need you to come with me immediately.”

“Do the Mothers want to speak to us again?” Emilie asked, her concern at the sudden disturbance disappearing as a spark of hope welled up within her.

May-sic’s tentacles changed to a pattern of disappointment. “No, I am afraid they do not. They have made their mind up concerning you.”

Emilie’s eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. “Then what do you want with us?”

“There is little time to explain. You will have to trust me as you trusted Wal-sma. My ship was attacked by Karacknids and Intrepid saved us. Your ship is here in the system right now. But the Mothers impounded it. Wal-sma and Wayfarer are causing a distraction. If you want to get to your ship and escape, it’s now or never.”

Emilie turned from May-sic to Walker as her eyes widened. “Are you some kind of prophet? No matter,” she said as she gave herself a shake. If May-sic said there was no time, then there was no time. “All right,” she said as she turned back to the Kalassai. “I guess we have no choice but to trust you. What do we need to do?”

“We have to get to Intrepid as quickly as possible. I’m told your mate can move fast within our ships. You will have to let me carry you,” May-sic explained. Before she had even finished speaking, the Kalassai moved towards Emilie, her tentacles spread out as if they were about to envelop her.

Emilie instinctively pushed back with her arms in an effort to swim away. “What do you mean? What are you doing?”

“Trust me or you will never get out of here,” May-sic said, not slowing her approach.

Deciding that she had no other choice, Emilie gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. It was only the image of Alvarez conjured within her mind that stopped her from screeching as two of May-sic’s tentacles scooped her up. Emilie found herself pressed up against the Kalassai’s jellyfish like main body. It felt exactly like it looked; soft and squishy, and not in a nice way. “Follow me,” May-sic said to Walker. Moments later, Emilie felt pressure on her face as they began to swim fast through the goo. Opening her eyes, a very strange sight greeted her. May-sic was holding Emilie so that her head was level with May-sic’s. That meant that she could look forward and see where they were going. To her left and right Emilie could see three of May-sic’s tentacles vigorously swishing back and forth. They were moving far faster than Emilie had seen a Kalassai move before and it felt like she was barreling through the city ship as if she was on a rollercoaster. May-sic zoomed down small corridors, banking left and right as she took corners at speeds Emilie thought would cause them to smash into the walls. Straining her neck to look behind her, Emilie could see that Walker was somehow keeping up with them.

“He must be an impressive specimen within your species,” May-sic said as she saw where Emilie was looking. “You chose a good mate.”

Emilie took a deep breath through her breather. She wasn’t going to argue with May-sic. “What is the plan?” she asked instead.

“Wal-sma and several other Captains are petitioning the Mothers,” May-sic explained. “They are demanding that they reconsider your offer. We know they will not accept, but Wal-sma intends to make a scene. Then she is going to take Wayfarer and threaten to go to the other city ships and bring your offer to them. The Mothers will not like that, they’ll try and stop her. That will give your ship the distraction it needs to escape. I’ve seen Intrepid in action, she is fast.”

Emilie shook her head in amazement at her change in circumstances. She could hardly believe she was actually on her way to Intrepid! “Why are you doing this?” she asked a few moments later as her curiosity rose to meet her astonishment.

“Because many of us are fed up. We are fed up running, fed up being stuck on our ships and fed up having to wait for the elders to pass on before we can reproduce. Many of us want families of our own,” May-sic answered. “Wal-sma told me about your offer to help us find a new homeworld, even help us build new ships. Ever since the Karacknids destroyed our homeworld, we have not been able to build new city ships. Any smaller ships we’ve built have been built by cannibalizing the city ships we have. That means our population has been fixed. Since we fled our home system, we can only have offspring when space opens up on one of our ships for them. There are many millions of Kalassai waiting to start their own families. For that opportunity, many of us are willing to risk confronting the Karacknids.”

“I… I am sorry to hear that,” Emilie said as her mind grappled with what May-sic had shared. “That must be very difficult for your people. I had no idea… But it just makes me want to help you all the more.”

May-sic gave Emilie a gentle squeeze with her tentacles. “You are just as kind as Wal-sma said. I will ask you to keep this information to yourself. The Mothers will be angry enough as it is. They would not react well to learning that some of our closest secrets have been shared.”

“I will not tell anyone,” Emilie replied, but then she thought about it for a second. “But maybe you would let me make one exception. My uncle, he is one of my people’s key leaders. I trust him with my life. If he knew this, he would be all the more willing to help you.”

“Then I will trust you to decide whether or not you should tell him if you see him again Captain,” May-sic responded.

“Thank you, I know he will keep your confidence,” Emilie said. “If Wayfarer escapes, do you think the other city ships may choose to help us?” she asked as her mind raced through the new possibilities.

“They may, the Mothers of our two city ships here are among our most conservative. There are one or two more open-minded Mothers. That is not where our hope lies, however. There are many captains like Wal-sma and I. If we can convince enough of them, then we could help you even without our Mother’s permission. If we turn to open warfare with the Karacknids, our city ships would be of little use. With all of our people on board them, it would be too risky to try and fight with them. But that means that we who command our smaller ships would not need the Mothers’ permission to fight.”

Emilie couldn’t help but smile. “I’ve seen what Wayfarer was able to do to Intrepid. I’m sure if enough of you chose to fight, you could cause the Karacknids a real headache. If we fight together, then who knows what we may be able to achieve?”

“Who knows indeed Human,” May-sic replied. “But such things are a long way from happening. It will take months for Wal-sma to spread your news among our people. And many months more for any kind of decision to be made. You must not count on our help any time soon. But at least you can return to your people and perhaps one day we may go side-by-side into battle. You for the future of your species and I for mine.”

“That would be a good day,” Emilie replied. She had her lips open to say more, but May-sic’s grip on her tightened, almost forcing the breath out of her lungs. The rest of May-sic’s tentacles brought the pair of them to a halt with one forceful swoosh. When Emilie looked in front of them, she saw what had brought them to a halt. Six Kalassai were floating just ten meters away. As unfamiliar as Emilie was with Kalassai expressions, she didn’t have to be a genius to know they were angry. Very angry.

Chapter 37

We have encountered thousands of species over the last half century. Whilst there are many differences between them, they have all shared at least one thing in common; they are all capable of violence. Both direct physical violence against another individual, and geopolitical violence against their neighbours. Of course, some like the Kulreans seek to live as pacifists, that does not mean they are not capable of taking a different path if pushed.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

“Captain May-sic, what are you doing here with these Humans?” One of the Kalassai demanded without identifying itself. “Dancer is currently under repair. You’re meant to be supervising the work.”

“I have business with these Humans,” May-sic replied. “Business that has nothing to do with you. Stand aside.”

“We cannot do that Captain. We have strict orders to ensure the Humans stay in their apartment. Hand them over now,” the same Kalassai said.

“Does your mate know how to fight?” May-sic asked quietly.

“You bet,” Emilie whispered back.

“Good, they are going to try and apprehend us,” May-sic said quickly. “I’ll have to release you to fight them off. Tell your mate to rip off their tentacles. The pain will be excruciating, but it will not kill them. They can be easily regrown. If he punctures their torsos though, they will die. That can only be a last resort. If any lives are lost here the Mothers will use that as ammunition to turn my people against your species.”

“All right, I’ll tell him,” Emilie replied.

“This is your last warning Captain, release them or we will have to take you into custody.”

“I’m not handing them over,” May-sic replied.

The tentacles that were holding Emilie unfurled, releasing her. Emilie quickly swam to where Walker was floating. “There’s going to be a fight,” she whispered to him. “May-sic says to rip off their tentacles. Don’t puncture their torsos unless you have to. You heard what she said earlier, time is of the essence.”

“Right,” Walker said with a nod as he tensed his muscles. “Get back,” he added as he pulled Emilie behind him. Turning, Emilie saw the Kalassai were already approaching them. Three quickly shot forward and entangled May-sic in a ball of tentacles. Within seconds, Emilie was unable to see what was going on or who was winning. The remaining three swam around the ruckus and closed with her and Walker.

Before any tentacles could reach towards them, Walker pushed himself down to stand on the corridor’s deck. Then he sprinted forward. The move caught the Kalassai completely off guard. He was upon one of them before they reacted. Grabbing a tentacle, Walker squeezed with all of his reinforced special forces marine strength. Despite the noise coming from May-sic’s struggle, Emilie heard the pop as Walker’s fingers burst through the Kalassai’s tentacle and a high-pitched scream echoed all around her. Walker wasn’t done. He already had two more of the Kalassai’s tentacles in his grasp. Two more pops quickly followed and the volume of the screams heightened. Then Walker disappeared as the other two Kalassai dove upon him. Multiple tentacles wrapped around him and dragged him off his feet. For a few seconds Emilie thought Walker was going to be suffocated. Then he pulled himself into a ball and, quicker than her eyes could follow, stretched his arms and legs out as far as he could. The sudden movement threw both Kalassai back. Walker used the one hand he had free to peel back the tentacles around his other, then he began to grab and squeeze more tentacles. Soon all three Kalassai were lurching around screeching uncontrollably.

“Come on!” Walker shouted as he turned and gestured for her to swim past them. Screwing up her face, Emilie started swimming. She wanted to cover her ears, but she needed her hands to move. The high-pitched screaming was almost too much for her. “I don’t know who is who,” Walker said as he gestured towards the spinning ball of tentacles that was May-sic and her opponents. Just then, one Kalassai broke free and charged them. “I guess that answers that,” Walker said as he moved in front of Emilie and engaged the Kalassai. Within seconds he had ripped off two of its tentacles. Either from pain or out of fear, the Kalassai allowed Walker to use another of its tentacles to throw it down the corridor.

In front of them, the scuffle suddenly broke apart. Another Kalassai moved towards Walker, just as Walker started to engage, May-sic spoke, “It’s me, it’s me.” She looked past Walker to the four screaming Kalassai. “Please, don’t do that to me,” she almost pleaded. Not waiting for an answer, she turned back to the two remaining Kalassai. “Stand down, you cannot apprehend us. Move out of the way or I’ll let him attack you too.”

“Traitor, you are a traitor,” one of them shouted. “You will be punished.”

“We did not start this,” May-sic countered. “Stand aside or we will finish it. See to your friends and we’ll be on our way.”

For a couple of seconds Emilie thought Walker was going to have to attack them as well, but then the Kalassai swam up and around them. “Come on,” May-sic said as she swept Emilie back into her tentacles. We need to keep moving before more of them arrive.”

“Let’s go,” Emilie said as she fought to get over her revulsion at being embraced by May-sic again. For the next couple of minutes she was reduced to the role of passenger as May-sic quickly swam through the city ship. “Are we not taking one of the currents?” she asked.

“No,” May-sic answered. “It would be too risky. You would both stand out and there would be far too many Kalassai around to fight our way through.”

“A good point,” Emilie replied. There had been hundreds of Kalassai in the current when she and Walker had used it. As good as Walker was, there was no way he would be able to fight off so many. “Are they really going to be okay?” Emilie asked as her mind turned back to the ones Walker had hurt.

“In the long run, yes,” May-sic said. “Though I think they’ll have nightmares about Walker for a few weeks. The pain really is excruciating. I lost a tentacle when I was a juvenile. I still remember it. But they can be regrown. So no lasting damage has been done… Ah, here we are,” May-sic said after another minute or so of swimming. “Your ship is just through here.” As she spoke, a door appeared in the wall of the corridor they were in. As it peeled back, Emilie saw a small chamber on the other side. It wasn’t full of goo. “Go through,” May-sic instructed. “I’ll close the door behind you. One of your ship’s docking umbilical cords is attached to the other end of the chamber. Once the seal on this side has been made it should open for you. Your crew are expecting you. We’ve already released the clamps holding your ship in place.”

“Thank you,” Emilie said as May-sic released her. “We owe you our freedom. Thank you for everything.”

“You owe me nothing, I was just returning to you what my people took. Just make sure you use it well. The more you hurt the Karacknids, the safer my people will be,” May-sic replied.

“Don’t worry on that account, we will do everything we can to destroy them,” Emilie promised. “Hopefully one day you will be able to join us.”

“Hopefully. And perhaps our offspring can befriend one another in a time of peace rather than one of war and fear,” May-sic said.

“That is a pleasant thought,” Emilie replied as she swam through the door. She had never thought of having children. For her, it was hard to see a future beyond the war with the Karacknids, but if there was to be one, May-sic’s description was a pleasant thought. Turning, she raised a hand in farewell to the Kalassai. May-sic waved a tentacle in reply and then reached out with a tentacle to close the door.

Emilie held the Kalassai’s gaze as the door closed again, separating them. By the time the door vanished from sight the small chamber had already filled with goo, but Emilie knew it would soon be sucked back out. Sure enough, it quickly disappeared and was replaced by air. As soon as her head was uncovered, Emilie took off her breather. Turning to Walker, she grinned. “We are about to get back on board Intrepid. I bet you never thought we’d see her again.”

Walker’s mouth dropped open. “But.. But I was the one telling you…” He shook his head as Emilie grinned at him.

“Come on,” she said as she turned and activated the chamber’s second door. As it pulled back, she was met by the very pleasant sight of a mechanical docking umbilical. Reaching out, Emilie gave it a tap. “It’s real,” she said as she stepped out of the chamber. Quickly, she ran forward. But for Walker, she would have stumbled. He caught her when her legs didn’t quite move as fast as her brain had been telling them to.

“Careful,” he said as he sat her back on her feet. “We haven’t been used to running around for a few months now, let’s not trip our way onto Intrepid. That might be a tad embarrassing.”

“Right,” Emilie said as she dusted herself off and reached up to tap the access hatch. With a pleasant swish, it retracted revealing a decompression chamber. Stepping in, Emilie and Walker closed the hatch behind them and waited for the next hatch to cycle open. When it did, they stepped out into one of Intrepid’s hangar bays. A roar of applause and shouts met them. Emilie broke into a grin. At least twenty of Intrepid’s crew were there. Looking around, she saw the face she had missed the most.

Alvarez moved up to her and pulled her into a hug. He held her tightly for several seconds. “I wasn’t sure we would ever find you,” he whispered into her ear. “But we did! We did!”

Wiggling out of his grip, Emilie looked up into his eyes. “You did my love,” she replied before pulling him in for a long kiss. She didn’t care about the whistles and renewed shouts that greeted her action. When they broke apart, she grinned when she saw Alvarez’s cheeks had reddened. “Come on, there’s no time for embarrassment. We need to get to the bridge.”

“Of course Captain,” Alvarez replied as he turned to follow her.

“It’s great to see you all,” Emilie said to the crew as she moved through them. “You have no idea. I’m sure we all have stories to tell. For now, let’s get to safety. Back to your stations.”

A chorus of agreements met Emilie’s words and then the crowd quickly broke up. Emilie was already out of the hangar bay and jogging towards the bridge. Turning, she grabbed Alvarez’s hand and held it as they ran together. “Jones has already disengaged from the Kalassai mothership,” he informed her. Wayfarer left about twenty minutes ago, pretty much every Kalassai ship in the system is chasing her.”

“It sounds like Wal-sma is taking quite a risk,” Emilie replied.

“She is,” Alveraz agreed. “I guess I misjudged her. When she abducted you, I thought the worst.”

“I can well imagine,” Emilie said. “They are a very secretive people, but they are good as well. Hopefully, Wal-sma and May-sic can convince the majority of their people that our cause is worthy.”

“Captain on deck,” someone shouted as Emilie and Alvarez burst onto the bridge. Every officer was standing in salute.

Emilie instinctively returned the gesture. “At ease,” she said. Moving over to her command chair, she grabbed Jones’ outstretched hand and shook it warmly. “Well met Lieutenant,” she said, “or I guess, Acting Captain.”

“Intrepid is all yours Captain,” Jones said as he stepped aside to allow Emilie to sit in the command chair. “It is good to have you back.”

“It’s good to be back,” Emilie said as she released Jones’ hand and looked around at her other officers. “Good indeed. We can get reacquainted later. What is our status?” she asked as she took her seat.

“We’ve disengaged from the Kalassai city ship,” Jones replied at once. “We are racing away at full military power. We can’t head directly for the shift passage out of the system. It is being guarded by more Kalassai warships. But we can get to the mass shadow and safety.”

“That will do for now,” Emilie said with a nod. “No ships in pursuit?”

“Two,” Jones answered. “They fired a salvo of their missiles at us. But our point defenses took them all out. We are pulling away from them.”

“Good job,” Emilie replied. “And Wayfarer, how is she faring?”

Jones tapped on his command chair and nodded towards the main holo projector. “She’s being chased, but she had a good head start. It looks like she’s going to make it to the mass shadow as well.”

“Can we get a COM channel open to her?” Emilie asked.

“Yes Captain, she’s just in two-way communication range,” Intrepid’s COM officer replied.

“Then hail them,” Emilie requested.

Moments later she was looking at a Kalassai who she assumed was Wal-sma. “Captain, it looks like you’re having quite the adventure.”

“Emilie, it’s good to see you again,” Wal-sma responded. Her tentacles swished back-and-forth. “This is not exactly the kind of thing I’m used to being involved in. It seems your visit has had an effect on me.”

Emilie smiled, “I am glad to hear it.”

“I’m glad to see you safe and sound on board your ship. I hope you won’t bring too bad a report back to your homeworld about us,” Wal-sma said.

“I won’t,” Emilie promised. “You and May-sic have been very hospitable. I’m just sorry your Mothers didn’t feel the same. What will happen to her?”

“She will be punished,” Wal-sma answered. “She may not be allowed back onto the two city ships in this system. But unless her people vote to remove her from command, she will keep Dancer.”

“That’s good to know,” Emilie responded. “We had to hurt some Kalassai during our escape. I would be thankful if you could pass on our apologies to them if you see them again.”

“I’ll certainly do so Captain,” Wal-sma replied. “It looks like we’re about to move out of range of one another. May I wish you a safe journey home.”

“I’d appreciate it,” Emilie said. “I wish you luck on your journeys. May-sic explained what you are attempting to do. I hope that it works.”

“So do I,” Wal-sma said. “For my people and yours. I have a present for you by the way. I’ll transmit it momentarily. Farewell Captain.”

“Farewell,” Emilie replied just before the COM channel ended.

“Were getting a rather large file from Wayfarer,” Intrepid’s COM officer informed her. “The computer is translating it now. “Whoo,” she couldn’t help but say.

“What is it Sub Lieutenant?” Emilie asked as her curiosity got the better of her.

Rather than answer, the Sub Lieutenant sent the information to Intrepid’s main holo projector and pointed at the image that appeared there. “It’s a star map.”

Emilie slumped back into her command chair as she stared at the massive image. There were hundreds and hundreds of systems in front of her. Thousands in fact. Far too many for her to make sense of what she was looking at. “Maguire?” she queried as she turned to Intrepid’s Second Lieutenant.

“I think it’s a map of the Karacknid Empire. At least as much of it as the Kalassai know about,” Maguire said after a few moments. “Here is Damial and the Conclave species’ systems.” In front of Emilie a small portion of the map flashed. It was a tiny fraction of the sectors of space that were mapped out. “This is marked as Karacknid territory,” Maguire continued. Nearly two thirds of the map changed color to have a red background. “There are details about many of the systems. Including estimates of fleet strengths, defenses and orbital stations,” Maguire said, awe filling her voice. “It looks like there are historical records as well, fleet movements going back years.”

Emilie shook her head. She didn’t know what to think. The size and scale of the Karacknid Empire was absolutely massive. And, from what she knew of the intelligence the Mindus and the Varanni had, the borders she was looking at wouldn’t even match up with the borders they had mapped out. The Karacknid Empire truly was a behemoth. And yet, as daunting as taking them on was, the information Wal-sma had just shared was priceless. The Kalassai had mapped out at least a third of the Karacknid Empire, and now she knew where all their systems were! More than that she knew the likely location of their main fleets as well as their supply depots and construction yards. “We need to get this back to Earth immediately,” she said. “Immediately,” she couldn’t help but repeat. “This could win us the war.” Glancing over at Alvarez she shared a look with him. As happy as she was to see him again, she was even happier at what they had just received. The purpose of their mission; the reason why they had spent so many months out in the middle of unknown space searching for the Kalassai; the reason why they had been kept apart for the last two months was sitting right in front of them. They had found what they had come to look for! Even if the Kalassai wouldn’t fight with them, the information was worth hundreds of warships all by itself. Perhaps even thousands, Emilie thought. From the look on Alvarez’s face, he was thinking the exact same thing.

Chapter 38

The Varanni dark-matter repeller technology dramatically shortened the shift space travel times between the Empire’s systems. As a result, they gave Alliance and Imperial fleets a huge defensive advantage. Yet it was in its offensive use that the technology really played a key role in the War of Doom.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Drake, outer edge of Alpha-three system, 7th April 2483 AD (six days after battle for Alpha-one).

“This is not what we were expecting,” Captain Fisher said as everyone on Drake’s bridge stared at the holo projector. Drake and the more than one hundred and fifty warships in Somerville’s fleet were sitting thirty light minutes from the edge of Alpha-three’s mass shadow. For the past ten minutes the ships’ passive sensors had been filtering through every piece of electromagnetic energy washing over them from within the system.

“No,” James agreed as he took in the view before him. There were two hundred Karacknid ships defending the main supply depot that orbited one of the system’s gas giants. A further forty were defending the second gas giant and the gas mining station in orbit around it. In addition, twenty frigates were actively patrolling the shift passage that James’ fleet was in. Combined, it looked like the Karacknids had received thirty additional warships since the scouts had discovered the system. That was not what had everyone’s attention though. Not at all. Everyone was looking at the sensor contacts on the other side of the system. There was no doubting what they saw there. The Karacknid invasion fleet had arrived. It couldn’t have jumped into the system more than half an hour ago. But they were there, and they were making their way towards the depot.

James could feel his officers’ concern and fear. One thousand two hundred Karacknid warships would be enough to push through Humanity’s defenses and threaten Earth. And if there is a fleet here, there may be others on their way to the other two depots, James figured. As he stared at the massive fleet of alien ships on the far side of the system, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Goosebumps made their way down his arms and legs. This was the first time he had faced a Karacknid fleet since the Battle of Earth. For more than a year he had been running around dealing with political issue after issue whilst others fought on his behalf. Now, finally, he was facing the Karacknids. Vengeance might have been the name he had given to Lightfoot’s flagship, but it was what James had been thirsting for. “Prepare the fleet to jump in twenty seconds,” he said to his command staff. Whatever the rest of his officers were feeling, there wasn’t a lick of fear in his words. Nor in his heart. “We’ve come here to destroy this Karacknid depot, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.” As he spoke, the tingling across his shoulders and back increased.

Fisher and Miyagi looked at him with questioning glances. “Either we stop this fleet here, or we fight them over Earth. Which would you prefer?” James asked. Neither answered verbally, instead they both nodded and turned back to their command consoles. As they did, James performed some calculations in his head. The Karacknid fleet had to traverse the whole system before getting to their main depot. On the other hand, the end of the shift passage his fleet was in was almost right beside the depot. There will be time, James concluded, not much, but hopefully enough. A peace settled upon him. The chances of his fleet making it out of the system were slim. Very slim. But that was a small price to pay. One others have already paid on my behalf, James thought. There was no way he was letting this Karacknid fleet get to Earth. Not after everything he had done to rebuild what the Karacknids had already destroyed. Not when Christine is there. James knew that if the Karacknids did push through into Human space Christine would never flee from Earth. Not when it was now the Imperial capital. If the Karacknids nuked it again, Christine would die with her people.

“The fleet is ready to make the jump Admiral,” Miyagi informed James. James nodded to give his approval. Everyone was thrown forward slightly as Drake entered shift space. Then another jolt threw them back less than a second later as the battleship reverted to normal space. Destroyers peeled away from the fleet as they charged the nearest Karacknid patrol frigates. The rest of the fleet powered up their engines and followed Drake as the battleship turned towards the main Karacknid supply depot and engaged her engines.

“Prep all fighters for launch,” James ordered. “We’ll stick to plan Gambit One until we see how things develop.”

“Understood Admiral,” Miyagi replied.

“The main Karacknid fleet is responding,” Lieutenant Anderson informed everyone. “It looks like they are breaking formation.”

“They’re dispatching their faster ships,” James predicted. “Their commander knows what we are here to do.”

“The ships orbiting the third gas giant are breaking orbit,” one of Drake’s sensor officers added. “They’re setting course for the main supply depot.”

Fisher turned to James. “They’re abandoning one of their gas mining stations. We could take it out with a single destroyer.”

“The main depot probably has all the munitions, fuel and supplies the fleet needs to begin their offensive. That’s their priority. It’s also ours. No matter what happens today, that depot must be destroyed.”

Fisher nodded solemnly and turned back to the display of the depot. “I understand Admiral,” she replied. “No matter what happens.”

James followed her gaze. Now that Drake’s passive sensors had had time to examine the gas giant, it was clear the Karacknids had built even more stations since the scouts had discovered this system. There were more than eighty large orbital stations. Many seemed to be made up of large fuel cells, whilst others were designed to store missiles and other war materials. There were even four large stations that each had multiple dry docks. Clearly they were designed to carry out repairs and get warships back into action as quickly as possible. James couldn’t help but shake his head at the massive amount of work that had gone into developing the base. The Karacknids had almost built as many new stations in the system in the last year as Humanity had in the Sol system over the same amount of time. And this is just a small cog in their war effort, he knew. A small cog that is going to cause them a headache, James promised his opposite number as he imagined what the Karacknid fleet commander was thinking. No doubt he would be concerned. The depot had to be important to them. Especially if Lightfoot was right and the Karacknids were planning to push through Human space and attack the Alliance from the flank. Given the amount of activity James could see in orbit around the Karacknid main base, he was certain Lightfoot was right. Which meant the Karacknid fleet in front of him was probably just the vanguard of an even larger force!

“Commodore Maleck is requesting to speak to you Admiral,” Lieutenant Beckford, James’ COMs officer informed him.

“Send it to my command chair,” James replied. “Commodore,” he said as he gave Maleck a nod of respect. “It seems we have arrived just in time.”

“Just in time to face overwhelming odds,” Maleck responded. “But if we are to face them, I’m happy to do so with you at my side.”

“And I you,” James replied with a grave smile. They both knew the dangers of what they were about to attempt.

“My ships still have a slight edge over yours in speed. Do you want us to run interference for you?” Maleck asked.

James let out a breath. He had known this was why Maleck was calling. Indeed, James had hoped the Commodore would make the offer, but, even so, he did not like it one bit. He nodded again. “I cannot order you. But it will give us the best chance.”

“Then that is what we will do,” Maleck replied. “It is why we were sent to your space. We know we are defending our systems as much as yours. My people will do their duty.”

“Of that I am sure,” James said.

“We will depart now,” Maleck followed up. “The more time we have to dance with them, the longer we’ll be able to hold them off.”

“Then go with my blessing, and our hopes,” James said. “And do not be afraid to ask for help. If we can spare any ships, then you will have them.”

“Of course,” Maleck replied, though from his tone of voice James could tell Maleck knew the offer was all but empty. Both of them would need every ship they had to stand any chance of accomplishing their goals. “Farewell for now Admiral. I’ll see you on the other side of this.”

“As I will you,” James replied as he fought to keep the sorrow from his voice.

James watched the forty-four Alliance ships of Maleck’s squadron break away from his fleet. They increased their acceleration rates and settled onto a course that would intercept the destroyers and frigates pulling away from the main Karacknid fleet.

“Five to one odds,” Miyagi commented, his voice full of respect. “Those Alliance boys are brave.”

“Four to one I’d guess,” James corrected him. Though there were nearly two hundred Karacknid ships attempting to get to the main depot ahead of his attack, none were larger than a destroyer. With Maleck’s heavy cruisers and battleships, the odds were closer to four to one. “But that will make little difference,” he added.

For the next half an hour, each group of ships continued on without deviating from their courses. The forty ships from the Karacknids’ second depot settled into orbit of their main base. The remaining eight patrol frigates who had survived the scuffle with James’ destroyers continued to fall back. The massive Karacknid fleet trundled on towards the supply depot while their forward frigates and destroyers raced as fast as they could to try and prevent their supplies from being destroyed. “All right,” James said when his fleet got close enough to the main Karacknid base. “Launch fighters and roll out our missile pods.”

“Wing Commander Chen reports all fighters formed up and ready to proceed,” Lieutenant Beckford reported just a couple of minutes later.

“They may begin their maneuver,” James replied. Back on Earth he had tried to talk Chen into remaining behind. The fighter pilot Academy needed experienced pilots like him to train the next generation of combat pilots, plus, as James had told him, he had already risked his life more than enough. The Chinese pilot had flatly refused. As James watched the one hundred and twenty fighters and bombers of Chen’s attack force break away from Drake, he hoped the pilot would survive the coming battle. Having met Chen’s family at the ceremony where Christine had awarded him the Medal of Honor, James didn’t want to have to meet them again under very different circumstances. As Chen’s fighters left, they did so at an angle perpendicular to the Karacknid depot. When the time came, they would turn and charge the depot so that they were coming in at a different heading compared to the missiles Drake would soon be launching. The idea was to force the Karacknids to split their point defense fire.

“I’m picking up new contacts breaking away from the main Karacknid fleet,” a sensor officer reported. “There must be some problem with our gravimetric sensors. Their acceleration rates are off the scale.”

James swung around to the gravimetric sensor display. A small group of contacts was rapidly moving away from the large Karacknid fleet. The text scrolling alongside them suggested their acceleration rates were twice that of anything they had detected a Karacknid ship doing before. “Can we get mass estimates on those contacts?” James demanded.

The sensor officer shook her head. “Not if there is a glitch in the gravimetric sensors.”

“Assume there isn’t a glitch,” Captain Fisher said, picking up on what James was thinking. “And that the Karacknids haven’t developed an entirely new drive system. What does the computer estimate their size to be?”

“Less than fifty tons,” the sensor officer replied seconds later. She then looked up at James and Fisher.

James answered her unspoken question. “Enemy fighters. It has to be.” The acceleration rates weren’t quite what Spitfires could put out, but they were close. “They might not have our inertial dampeners, but they figured out some way to make such small craft work.” As he spoke, James thought through the implications. The fighters were aiming to intercept Commodore Maleck’s ships. If they were as effective as his fighters, they’d rip through Maleck’s force. Perhaps half of Maleck’s ships would survive, but that was assuming the Karacknid fighters were roughly analogous to Spitfires. If they were more agile and harder to hit, or carried a more powerful punch, it could be far worse. And if Maleck losses half his force, he won’t be able to delay the Karacknid warships. Then we are done for, James concluded. The Karacknid destroyers and frigates that had left the main fleet would arrive at their depot about twenty minutes after James’ ships would get into missile range. They’d be able to drive James’ fleet off before he could really get to grips with the depot. “Get me Captain Black,” he requested. Just seconds later the interceptor pilot’s face appeared on his chair’s holo projector. “You’re seeing what we are seeing I presume?” he asked.

Black nodded. “Enemy fighters.” She smiled. “It looks like you brought us along for a reason after all.”

“What do you think, can you take them by yourselves?” James asked. “Assume they have similar capabilities to our Spitfires.”

Black screwed up her face. “I want to say yes,” she said after a moment’s pause. “But that’s bravado speaking. We could tangle with them all, but if they tried to split their forces we’d be hard-pressed to stop some getting past us.”

“That’s what I thought,” James said with a nod. “Who are the best dogfighters among our squadrons?”

“Scarlet Squadron,” Black said without hesitation. “Captain Rodrigo is a beast with his Spitfire.”

“All right, launch fighters and move to intercept those Karacknid ships,” James ordered. “Let’s hope they don’t have any more of them.” If they did, James was hoping they would have sent them after his ships already. But without knowing the capabilities of the enemy fighters, he had no way to know how the Karacknid commander might think to use them.

“We’ll take them out for you Admiral,” Black promised as she cut the COM channel.

“Beckford,” James said as he looked at his COM officer. “Signal Captain Rodrigo. His Spitfires are to ditch their plasma missiles and link up with Razor Squadron. Impress upon him the need to keep Commodore Maleck’s ships alive. If Maleck cannot hold off the Karacknid frigates and destroyers, we will not be striking their depot.”

“Aye Admiral,” Beckford answered as she turned back to her COM station.

*

“All right, listen up Razors,” Black said to her pilots as they launched from Prometheus. “For all of you this is your first combat mission. I know that. You know that. But the enemy doesn’t. And we know it is their first combat mission. We may not have faced Karacknid fighters before, but our ships are designed for this and we’ve trained for this. So let’s not disappoint them shall we?” The chorus of ‘Nos!’ made Black smile. “That’s what I’m talking about,” she responded. “Form up on me and let’s move out.”

When her final pilot slotted into formation, Black gunned her Corsair’s engines. The nose of her fighter was aimed directly at the forty Karacknid contacts that were zipping across the system. Their speed is impressive, she had to admit to herself. But we’ll see if their maneuverability matches it.

“Razor One, this is Prometheus flight command,” a voice said to Black over one of her command channels.

“Go-ahead Prometheus,” Black replied.

“Scarlet Squadron is ditching their plasma missiles. They’re going to join up with you,” the flight Lieutenant explained. “Captain Rodrigo is senior to you, but Admiral Somerville has placed you in command.”

“Affirmed and thank you Prometheus,” Black said.

“Happy hunting Razor One,” the Flight Lieutenant responded.

Switching COM channels Black linked in with Rodrigo. “I hear your boys are finally going to get a chance to be real fighter pilots,” she said. “It’s good to have you with us,” she added before Rodrigo could come back with a smart Alec reply of his own.

“We have your backs Razor One. Just don’t disappoint us. I’m looking forward to seeing your fancy new toys in action,” Rodrigo responded.

“Don’t worry, we don’t intend to,” Black said. “I’m sending you an updated flight plan. How do you fancy kicking off our little scuffle by yourselves?”

“Forty brand-new Karacknid fighters against my twelve Spitfires, that sounds like a cakewalk,” Rodrigo replied. “But if it’s what you think will work best.”

“We’ve simmed just such a scenario. Unless the Karacknid fighters are godlike, I have an idea that you will like,” Black said. She went on to explain it to Rodrigo. Scarlet One quickly agreed with her. Switching COM channels she spoke to her pilots. “I have some good news for you all. Scarlet Squadron is joining us. They’re going to play decoy to our slash and burn. Double check your missile guidance systems and get ready. We’ll join up with them and then it’s only twenty minutes until we will reach engagement range.

The next twenty minutes flew by for Black as she talked Scarlet squadron’s pilots through what she had in mind and carried out her own systems check. At the same time she kept an eye on the Karacknid fighters. When they were about ten minutes out they altered course to confront her force head on. They have practiced anti-fighter tactics, she thought. Whilst Humanity’s Spitfires hadn’t had to face other fighters, the Karacknids would have designed their craft with the certain knowledge they would be going up against Human fighters.

“Razor Squadron, stealth and break,” she ordered when the moment came. Switching off her reactor and engines, Black turned her fighter onto the prearranged heading. She watched Scarlet Squadron race ahead of her fighters. With Scarlet Squadron just two minutes away from engaging the Karacknids, Black watched the enemy fighters to see how they would react. She gave her opponent a nod of approval as ten enemy fighters slowed. They’re holding back to engage us when we make our appearance. That was not ideal, but they would have to make it work.

As Scarlet Squadron and the thirty remaining Karacknid fighters clashed, Black held her breath. One of Rodrigo’s fighters disappeared in an explosion while two Karacknid ships did the same. Then both sets of fighters decelerated hard and turned to engage one another. Black squinted down at her sensor readout. It looked like the Karacknid fighters were armed with laser cannons. That was good. Or at least, it was better than the alternative. Some of the intelligence reports had suggested that Karacknid fighters, when they finally made an appearance on the battlefield, would be armed with antimatter cannons. One hit from even the smallest of antimatter projectiles would have wiped out a significant part of its target, there would have been no time to eject or switch to back up systems. Black grimaced moments later when another one of Scarlet Squadron’s fighters was destroyed. The battle between both sets of fighters had quickly degenerated into a series of individual duels. The problem was each Spitfire had to duel three Karacknids. Such a fight wouldn’t last long.

“Now!” she called out to her pilots. Reigniting her reactor, Black turned her Corsair’s nose towards the ball of skirmishing fighters and gunned her engines. At once the ten Karacknid fighters that had been holding back moved to intercept. “Full power,” Black ordered. Her Corsairs had been holding back their full capabilities to keep formation with Scarlet Squadron’s Spitfires. Now the shackles were off. Black grinned when she saw the Karacknid fighters increase their acceleration rates to try and catch her. It wasn’t enough.

Her Corsairs charged the engaged Karacknid fighters. Three turned away from Scarlet Squadron to engage her. Black ignored them. Instead she lined her fighter’s nose up on one of the other Karacknids. It had just slowed to turn sharply after Scarlet Three. As soon as her missile beeped to tell her it had a firm lock, she squeezed her trigger. The anti-fighter missile shot out of its hidden compartment. In just three seconds it covered the distance to the Karacknid fighter. As it struck its target there was a small explosion and the Karacknid fighter was no more.

Sensing as much as seeing a Karacknid fighter turn to try and hit her as she passed, Black dove and twisted her fighter into a corkscrew. Then she was out of the melee. A quick check of her sensor read out told her she had lost one pilot. Razor Six. But there were nine Karacknid fighters gone. That should even the odds for Scarlet Squadron, she thought. Though one more Spitfire from Rodrigo’s squadron was missing. “Let’s take our pursuers now,” Black ordered as she turned her interceptor towards the ten Karacknid fighters that hadn’t been engaged yet. She didn’t want to leave Scarlet Squadron unsupported any longer than necessary, but she equally didn’t want the ten free Karacknid ships doing to her what she had just done.

As they were still chasing her interceptors, the Karacknids were on her in seconds. Knowing the Karacknids would have the speed advantage, Black didn’t even bother to try and hit any of them as they flashed passed. Instead she concentrated on dodging their fire. Then she whipped her interceptor around and engaged them for real as they slowed and turned. The first Karacknid to come under her guns disappeared in just a couple of seconds. It had been decelerating and turning hard to come back at her. With such a low speed, its evasive maneuvers were pitiful and Black easily dispatched it.

Warning alarms blared in Black’s ears as laser beams zipped by her canopy. Smashing her flight stick to one side, she twisted away from her pursuer. “Hang on Razor One. I’ve got you,” Razor Two, her wing man, said over the COM channel. “Bank up and right on my mark… mark.” Black did as she was told and out of the corner of her eye she saw an explosion as Razor Two blew the Karacknid pursuing her apart.

“Thanks for the assist Two,” she said. “Let’s take this one next,” she added as she highlighted a Karacknid fighter on her console. It had just tried and failed to make a run on Razor Seven. Together she and Razor Two lined up on the Karacknid and opened up with their laser cannons. With beams appearing all around the Karacknid fighter, it tried but failed to dodge them. One evasive maneuver away from Razor Two’s shots brought the Karacknid fighter directly in line with Black’s cannons. Four beams tore through the Karacknid and it was no more. Getting a brief moment’s peace, Black checked her sensors. Six of the ten Karacknid fighters had been dispatched, though Razor Five was nowhere on her sensors. As she watched, the other four Karacknids broke and fled back towards the rest of their fighters. She switched COM channels. “Scarlet Squadron, we are on our way,” she informed them as she turned her interceptor and gave chase. There were only eight Spitfires left in the larger melee. Even though Black had given them strict orders to focus on their evasive maneuvers, three more Karacknid fighters had been taken out.

As another one of Scarlet Squadron’s fighters disappeared in an explosion, Black cursed. Then her interceptor was diving into the tumult of twisting and weaving fighters. Two Karacknids tried to line up shots on her, but she twisted away from them. Then a third appeared in front of her as it chased Scarlet Four. Even as it opened fire, Black did the same. Her aim proved better and the Karacknid fighter was blown apart as her shots hit home. One more and I’ll be an ace, Black thought as she scanned the space around her for another target. Three quickly revealed themselves. They were all charging straight for her. Gunning her engines to full, Black charged. This time, instead of twisting and weaving randomly, she carried out a well-practiced series of evasive maneuvers. The final maneuver brought her nose back to where it had been originally pointing. Just as it did, she held down her trigger. Twenty laser beams shot out to connect with one of the three Karacknid ships. Less than half a second later Black was throwing her Spitfire into another evasive turn as the remaining two Karacknid fighters flashed past her.

“They’re falling back!” someone called out. Black didn’t recognize the voice and assumed it was a pilot from Scarlet Squadron. Checking her sensor screen, she saw it was true. The remaining sixteen Karacknid fighters were all pulling up and out of the engagement zone.

“Shall we give chase?” Rodrigo asked over his COM channel with her.

Black smiled. She was glad Scarlet Squadron’s Captain was still alive. She glanced down at her fuel levels. The dogfighting had burned up a lot of her fuel, but she had enough to give chase for a short period of time. “Negative,” she replied, seeing it wasn’t worth it. “Let’s get back to Prometheus and get refueled. They may need us elsewhere. Those fighters won’t be worrying Commodore Maleck any time soon.”

“Affirmative Razor One. Scarlet Squadron will form up on you,” Rodrigo responded.

Black switched COM channels and requested her pilots check-in. A glance at her sensors told her she had lost four Corsairs. With Scarlet Squadron’s five Spitfire losses, that meant their forces had suffered nine casualties. In return, twenty-four Karacknids had been taken out. As her pilots checked in, Black grimaced at the voices that were missing. Even so, she patted her interceptor’s command console. “You proved yourself today,” she said to her Corsair and her pilots. The question was though, were their efforts worth it? The battle for the system was far from over.

Chapter 39

There are over a hundred recorded battles that occurred during the War of Doom that are classed as major engagements. That usually means they involved more than a thousand warships or were decisive battles that greatly impacted the tide of the war in a certain sector. Whilst we cannot go over each battle in here in this work, a naval officer should be familiar with them all, for from each, key lessons can be learnt. Lessons that are far better learnt in the classroom than on the battlefield.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Drake

James nodded in approval as the remaining Karacknid fighters pulled away from the skirmish with his Spitfires and Corsairs. He made a mental note to congratulate Black on the performance of her pilots if he got a chance. Then he turned his attention to the Karacknid depot. Maleck would not be able to hold off the Karacknid ships coming to reinforce it for long. He had to strike hard and fast or the depot would slip out of his grasp. If the main Karacknid fleet secured it, it could take years before he had a fleet powerful enough to attempt a second attack. That left James with a dilemma. There were more than two hundred Karacknid warships protecting the Karacknid base. Added into the mix were several battlestations. He had just over a hundred warships of his own. With fighters and missile pods the odds were closer than it looked. But if he spent his missiles engaging the Karacknid defenders, the main Karacknid fleet would push through Maleck’s squadron and drive him away before he could damage the vital supply stations. On the other hand, if he focused all his fire on the depot stations themselves, without first taking out most of the defenders, thousands of his missiles would be taken out by the warships’ point defenses.

As James thought through the problem, he glanced at Maleck’s ships. They were still accelerating hard to put themselves between the forward elements of the main Karacknid fleet and the gas giant. With two hundred Karacknid ships aiming right for his forty-four, as much as James respected Maleck’s skills, he did not expect the Alliance ships to hold out for long. That made his mind up for him. “The first salvo and fighter attack will concentrate on Karacknid capital ships and battlestations. Our second salvo will prioritize ships we damaged but didn’t cripple. Thereafter, everything will target the depot stations.”

“Understood Admiral,” Miyagi responded. “We’ll transmit the orders now.”

“Begin flushing multistage missiles as soon as we can,” James followed up. The main part of his plan called for one devastating attack to turn the odds as much in his favor as possible. If it didn’t work, James knew he would only have two options. Fall back and admit defeat, or charge into energy weapon range. If it came to the latter, he did not expect any of his ships to survive. Not with the lead elements of the Karacknid fleet racing towards the depot. That was why he found himself tapping vigorously on his command chair as the first salvo of multistage missiles was launched from Drake and her consorts. Instead of going active, the missiles continued on the ballistic course Drake’s launch tubes had catapulted them out on. Four minutes later the second salvo of multistage missiles was released. Then a third followed.

“Switching to mark IVs now Admiral,” Anderson reported. “All missile pods have been released.”

James nodded. He could see the missile pods on his secondary display. Trailing behind Drake, the other battleships and battlecruisers in his fleet and the ten converted freighters specially designed to carry them, were almost three hundred missile pods. Each pod carried four mark IVs.

“Firing,” Anderson announced.

This time, when James’ fleet flushed its missiles, two thousand four hundred new contacts appeared on every gravimetric display in the system. The Karacknid fleet returned fire almost instantly as they entered range with their missiles. They managed to put out one thousand five hundred. James watched them for a couple of minutes then turned back to his own missiles. They were just passing the point where they caught up with the last salvo of multistage missiles Drake had fired. As the two groups coalesced, the multistage missiles fired off their engines. With a higher base velocity, the mark IVs quickly passed them. However, the multistage missiles could burn their impulse engines at a much higher acceleration rate, albeit for a short duration. In just thirty seconds, the multistage missiles caught up with their larger comrades. Then their first stage engines were jettisoned and their second stage kicked in as they kept pace with the mark IVs. As the enlarged missile salvo reached the next set of multistage missiles the process was repeated a second time, and then a third time. By the time the salvo was three minutes out from the Karacknids’ point defenses, there were over six thousand missiles locking onto Karacknid warships. At that moment Chen’s fighters boosted their engines to full. Coming in from above the gas giant, they dove towards the Karacknid capital ships.

For a moment James tracked the progress of the Karacknid missiles. They would hit his ships just after his missiles struck home. Fifteen hundred was a lot. His fleet was going to take losses. But that would be the only full-sized missile salvo the Karacknids would fire.

“They’re engaging our attack,” one of Drake’s sensor officers reported.

James’ eyes flicked back to the Karacknid depot. He squinted as he tried to figure out how they were splitting their point defense fire. It was too hard for Drake’s sensors to tell for sure. But when Spitfires and Lancasters began to blink out of existence, James could tell the Karacknids had made Chen’s fighters a priority. They probably think they’re tasked with targeting their orbital supply stations, James figured. Of course, it wasn’t just fighters that were being taken out. Missiles in their hundreds were being destroyed. But not nearly enough, James hoped as much as thought. As he watched the engagement, his hope turned to certainty. Intently, he watched the count of his missiles go down. Though it was dropping rapidly, his missiles were only seconds away from reaching their attack range. As soon as they did, the count went from four hundred and forty to zero as every missile detonated. With no way tell how many mark IVs or multistage missiles there had been left, James didn’t know how many lasers would be ripping into the Karacknid ships. Whatever it was, it was a lot. Devastation washed over the Karacknid warships. Too many ships for him to count erupted as laser beams destroyed and crippled ship after ship. Secondary explosions from reactor overloads or missile storage detonations blew a handful more ships into debris. Others fell out of formation as their damage took a toll. Some were even sucked down into the gas giant’s atmosphere. Then Chen’s fighters released their plasma missiles. As twenty of them got close enough to detonate, Drake’s sensors were momentarily lit up by the massive balls of plasma. Most disappeared as they made contact with Karacknid capital ships, causing more explosions. James saw at least two dreadnoughts be engulfed by plasma and then ripped in two as the plasma burnt right through the ships.

Looking away from the carnage, James wanted to request a damage report on the Karacknid fleet but he resisted the urge. Like the professionals they were, Drake’s bridge officers had their full attention on the incoming Karacknid missile salvo. Though Drake and the other ships in his fleet had point defenses far superior to the ones Human ships had just five years ago; sixteen hundred missiles were still a lot for his ships to deal with. As much as James wanted to do something to help, he knew he was just a passenger at this point. He could only watch the incoming missiles. There was nothing more he could do to prevent them from unleashing their deadly antimatter.

Squeezing his hands into fists, James refused the temptation to close his eyes and not look as the wave of death came closer and closer. Drake and her consorts threw everything they had at the missiles. Flak cannons, laser beams, plasma bolts, AM missiles and arc emitters all reached out to swat at the Karacknid missiles. Even so, many kept coming. Fisher called for Drake to be thrown into evasive maneuvers. Seconds later, every ship in his fleet was doing the same. Then the explosions began. Balls of expanding antimatter blocked Drake’s sensors from seeing what was going on around her.

When a massive tremor ran through Drake and James’ restraints tightened around his chest, he knew they had been hit. No follow-up alarms blared, however. Looking around him, James frowned. Fisher’s First Lieutenant solved his confusion. “That was a proximity hit Captain,” he called out. “The impact was quite a ways away and the gaseous shields absorbed almost all the antimatter that came our way. They have been depleted by ninety percent. But barely any anti-matter got through to the hull. No breaches are being reported.”

James let out a sigh of relief and then turned to his command staff. “Miyagi?”

“Eighteen ships are not reporting in Admiral. Though I can still see Cossack, Broadsword and Industrious. Their COMs must be down. Four other ships look like they have taken some serious damage, they’re falling out of formation. Including Catalyst,” Miyagi answered.

“Order them to get to safety,” James responded at once. He and Miyagi knew Catalyst’s Captain well. If it was humanly possible, she would get out and pull her ship along just to keep it in the battle. James didn’t want her to throw away her and her crew’s lives, however. If her ship was too damaged to fight, she needed to fall back.

“Firing second salvo now,” Anderson announced above the din of Drake’s bridge officers as they took stock of their ship. From the remaining Human warships, one thousand two hundred missiles were launched towards the Karacknid depot.

After watching them go, James turned back to his Chief of Staff. “The Karacknids?” he asked.

“Analysts are still going over the data,” Miyagi responded. “I’d say more than a third of their fleet is gone, including all but one of their dreadnoughts. We won’t know for sure how hard we have hurt them until they open fire again, but it looks like we have evened the odds despite our losses.”

“That’s what I want to hear,” James said as he forced himself to grin. “Let’s finish off their damaged ships and then we can start to take out their stations. Make sure Chen and his fighters get back as quickly possible. If they can refuel and rearm they’ll be able to devastate the depot.”

The sound of alarms tore James’ attention from his tactical officer. The Karacknids had opened fire again. Like most heads on the bridge, his turned to the main holo projection. His grin wasn’t forced this time. Less than a thousand missiles were coming his way. That was a number his ships could handle. He would still take losses, but unless luck was against him, they had broken the back of the Karacknid defenders. Eight minutes later his second salvo crashed into the Karacknid warships that were left and another eighteen were taken out. James’ confidence grew. Another salvo was on its way and within moments a fourth would be launched from his warships. They were now targeting the various supply stations that orbited the gas giant and the two gas mining stations the Karacknids had built.

As Drake’s third salvo was engaged by the Karacknid point defenses, James watched them twist and weave as they pumped out gigajoules of ECM. More missiles than in the previous salvos were taken out as they had to fly past the Karacknid warships. The handful that made it through detonated, firing their beams of energy into the guts of Karacknid stations. With far less armor, the stations disintegrated after just one or two strikes. Those that weren’t destroyed outright quickly lost structural integrity and broke apart. The gas giant’s gravity would do the rest. “Keep hitting them,” James ordered. “I want them hit again and again.” The missile salvo had destroyed seven stations. One of Drake’s tactical displays counted that over one hundred still remained. And both the mining stations were still intact. “I want those gas stations taken out. They’re priority number one,” James added.

James watched as they engaged the Karacknids’ next salvo. Only one missile got close enough to detonate near its target. Sadly, its target was a destroyer and a proximity hit blew through the destroyer’s gaseous shields and the antimatter wiped half of the ship out of existence. The rest continued to float through space as if nothing had happened as its momentum carried it away. “Send rescue shuttles after that destroyer immediately,” James snapped. There were bound to be some survivors left on board.

As more missile salvos were exchanged, James kept a running count of his losses and the Karacknids’. Here and there some of his missiles missed their targets and struck out at Karacknid warships. For the most part though, each salvo he fired took out a handful more orbital stations. His fleet was paying a cost, however. Even with their heavy losses, the Karacknid defenders were putting out enough missiles to penetrate his ships’ point defenses. Each salvo they fired destroyed or crippled two or three more of his ships. With every ship lost, his point defense fire fell. As much as James hated the mounting losses, he refused to pull back. Every extra salvo they released bought Earth time. The more supplies he could deny to the Karacknid invasion fleet, the more he limited how far they could thrust into Human space.

Between missile salvos, James kept an eye on how Maleck’s squadron was getting on. With the destroyers and frigates dispatched from the main Karacknid fleet accelerating at their best rates, they were all strung out. It allowed Maleck to keep his squadron in a tight formation and slip in and out of missile range of the Karacknids. At least, initially. Then the Karacknid commander leading the relief force changed tactics. Slowing his lead ships, he formed his two hundred warships into a formation to match Maleck’s. Though it radically increased the danger to the Alliance warships, slowing the Karacknids was his objective. To keep them at bay, Maleck brought his ships into missile range to duel with the Karacknids. Over the course of the twenty-minute engagement, he lost a quarter of his ships. James reckoned that Maleck had bought James’ fleet time for at least four extra salvos.

Just after James watched his eighth salvo tear off towards the Karacknid base, he once again turned to check on Maleck’s ships. He was just in time to see the Karacknids change tactics again as their fleet split in two. Though Maleck had taken out two Karacknid ships for every one he had lost, the Karacknids’ numerical advantage was still increasing. That made their move very dangerous.

“The Karacknids are attempting to close with Commodore Maleck,” Anderson announced.

“I see it,” James replied. Half of the Karacknid fleet of destroyers and frigates had turned onto a direct intercept course for Maleck’s ships. They were going to close to energy weapon range and sacrifice themselves. The other half were continuing towards the gas giant. “Order Maleck to pull back,” James said reluctantly as he caught his COM officer’s eye. If Maleck couldn’t stop the Karacknids, there was no reason for him to throw away the rest of his ships. James looked back at the holo projection of the system and calculated how much more time he had. It made him shake his head. He didn’t want to, but he saw no other option. Sacrificing his ships for nothing would not save Earth. “One more salvo and we are pulling back,” he ordered, his voice far hoarser than he had intended. “Make sure every damaged ship we have is already getting out of here as fast as possible. If they pursue us we might have to abandon them if they can’t get clear. And target everything in our last salvo at that gas mining station.” One had been destroyed, but there was still one largely intact.

As his officers relayed his orders, James watched Maleck’s ships. For nearly a minute it looked like Maleck wasn’t going to obey his orders. Then the Alliance ships released one final missile salvo and turned. The Karacknids would be able to nip at their heels all the way out of the system if they wanted, but most of Maleck’s fleet would get out in one piece. Hiding a grimace, James turned to watch as his final missile salvo roared out of Drake’s tubes and accelerated hard towards the gas giant. If they could just take out the second gas mining station then the Karacknids’ invasion plans would be severely dented. At the beginning of the battle he had dispatched a couple of destroyers to take out the third station orbiting the second gas giant in the system that the Karacknids had left undefended. James wanted all three gone before he pulled back.

As soon as the missiles left his fleet and angled towards their target, it was obvious where they were all going. The Karacknid defenders shifted as many of their ships over to protect the mining station as were close enough to do so. The resulting hail of point defense fire tore into the Human missiles. James sat forward in his chair as the missiles got closer and closer. He was pulled back by his restraints as Drake’s altered course and moved away from the gas giant. Even so, he found himself tensing his upper body in a constant rhythm as he willed the missiles on to their target. Only six got close enough to engage. But they released eighteen laser beams. Ten struck the mining station. It didn’t detonate outright, but large chunks of it were torn off as beams melted through support struts. Here and there a few secondary explosions blew out more sections of the large station. James ground his teeth together. They had hurt it. They had probably cut its collection and refining capabilities by at least fifty percent. But the Karacknids could repair it. And it would be far quicker than trying to build one from scratch.

Just before he turned away in dismay, a sudden heat bloom made his mouth fall open. Something inside the station must have overloaded or the heat from a laser beam had finally radiated through to a fuel cell. Whatever it was, the mining station abruptly detonated in a brilliant ball of fire. The explosion was so large it engulfed several Karacknid ships that had moved close to the station. As the fireball dissipated, three of the warships didn’t reappear. All around James roars of victory erupted from his officers. James was surprised to find he had his fist in the air and was joining them. They might not have destroyed the Karacknid depot completely. But they had just delivered a crippling blow. For several seconds he continued to roar before regaining his composure.

“Miyagi,” he called out. “Commander Miyagi,” he had to repeat before his Chief of Staff heard him over the ruckus. “Run a simulation, we still have three salvos of multistage missiles. Can we use them?” As Miyagi got to work Fisher gave out orders to get her officers back to work. James waited patiently as he watched the surviving Karacknid ships try to salvage what they could from their damaged orbital stations.

James let out a sigh when Miyagi looked up from his command console and shook his head. Multistage missiles didn’t have the same ECM as mark IVs. Firing a salvo or two as they retreated would only be a waste. Turning back to the main holo plot, James assessed the situation. If they couldn’t use the missiles against the Karacknid depot, at least he’d able to use them to fend off the Karacknid ships that tried to chase them. However, when he checked in on Maleck’s squadron, he was surprised to see the one hundred Karacknid ships chasing him had turned back towards the depot. That told James just how hard their attack had hit the Karacknids. If they were more focused on securing what little supplies were left in orbit above the gas giant, they must need them badly. James was happy to see that. He had plenty of damaged ships he wanted to send back to Earth if the Karacknids would let him. And it gave him an idea. His eyes settled on the far larger group of Karacknid ships still about halfway across the system. With better sensor data on them now, Drake had identified thirty dreadnoughts at the heart of the Karacknid fleet. With twice as many battleships and literally hundreds of cruisers, the main Karacknid fleet was completely untouched by everything he had just done. Of more interest to him however were the more than a hundred freighters accompanying the dreadnoughts. They had to be stuffed full of supplies. Their number meant it was still possible the fleet could pick up what it needed from the remnants of the depot and begin their assault of Human space. And yet if the Karacknids at the depot were so worried about their supplies, then things were tight for them.

James pulled his eyes away from the slow advance of the Karacknid fleet. “All right,” he said to his command staff. “Our immediate priority is getting the fleet out of here in one piece. Once we get to the shift passage we will jump out. Though we’ll only be jumping twelve light hours. We are not leaving just yet. That Karacknid fleet is here for one reason and one reason only. If we let it leave. It won’t stop until it reaches Earth.” As he spoke, James watched the joy and sense of victory vanish from the faces of his officers. They had momentarily forgotten the wider situation. James had not. They had nothing to celebrate yet. No one but his crippled ships were going home until the Karacknid invasion fleet was turned back. And that may cost us everything we have, James feared.

Chapter 40

Since Empress’ Dallen’s reforms of 2878 AD, every Imperial ship larger than a heavy cruiser carries enough repair bots to fabricate and replace almost all of its essential components. Unless a warship loses its main reactors then, given enough time, it can repair itself completely after a battle without having to return to a repair yard. Often in war however, time is the very enemy we are fighting against.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

IS Drake

Ten minutes after jumping in and out of shift space, James was scanning through a report on the status of his ships. In the space of just three minutes he made snap decisions on sending sixteen ships back to Earth. They were all too damaged to continue the fight. As he read, he was aware of the frantic activity on Drake’s bridge. Both his staff officers and Captain Fisher’s bridge officers were trying to put his latest orders into effect. When he was done reviewing the status of his fleet, James sent a file to Miyagi to organize the ships that would be going home. Then he looked over to Lieutenant Anderson. “How is the transfer coming along?”

“Ten more minutes I think Admiral,” Anderson answered

“Make it no more than ten,” James replied. Time was not on their side. “Miyagi, what about our ships?”

“The final shuttles with the wounded being transferred to the ships going home have taken off. They just have to unload and return to their own ships and then we can proceed,” James’ Chief of Staff informed him.

James shook his head. “There’s no time to waste. Inform the shuttle pilots they can remain here and wait for us to return. Inform the Captains we’re jumping now.” James turned to Fisher. “Drake can lead the way.” Raising his voice slightly, James called over to Lieutenant Anderson. “Inform Ark Royal, Enterprise and Prometheus they are to proceed as soon as they have the last fighters on board. Our freighters can go as soon as they are unloaded as well.”

“Aye Admiral,” Anderson answered.

Just sixty seconds later Drake jumped into shift space and then reverted to normal space almost instantly. With such a small jump, her capacitors were only partially depleted. For five minutes the ninety-seven warships that were left in his fleet recharged their shift drive capacitors. Then they jumped again. This time they didn’t proceed further into the system but skirted around the outer edge of its mass shadow. As soon as they jumped out, James watched the sensor feed from the passive sensors. The main Karacknid fleet was detected almost instantly. It was just an hour and a half away from settling into orbit around the Karacknid depot. Being limited to the speed of their freighters had meant a long laborious flight across the system. But they were almost there now. Time was definitely not on their side. “Take us in.”

Drake powered up her engines and accelerated into the system once more, the rest of the ships in James’ command followed suit. As expected, the Karacknid ships in the system detected the move immediately. James had his ships charging right towards the depot. This time however, he had ordered the safeties taken off his reactors and engines. More than one ship was probably going to suffer a reactor failure. But he needed the Karacknids to think he was serious. Of course, if the opportunity arose, he was indeed deadly serious. If he could get away with it, he intended to charge straight into energy weapon range of the depot. From his current line of attack he would be able to blast the remaining orbital stations and slip past the main Karacknid fleet. At least if they left him alone.

Moments later it became clear they weren’t going to give him such an opportunity. The two hundred and fifty Karacknid warships defending the depot remained perfectly still. They weren’t going to be suckered out of position. If they had, Chen’s fighters had orders to swoop in and strike what was left of the depot. Instead, four hundred warships broke away from the main Karacknid fleet. They settled onto a course that would allow them to bring James’ ships into missile range before he reached the depot even with the safeties off his engines. “Let’s give them something to think about,” James said. “If they want to intercept us, they have to keep on their trajectory. That means no wide evasive maneuvers. Fire every multistage missile we have left. They are to go ballistic until they can engage both stages.”

“Right away Admiral,” Anderson replied.

After the first salvo was slung out of Drake’s missile tubes, James turned his attention to what was left of the main Karacknid fleet. There were just four hundred warships in formation with more than a hundred freighters and other support ships. If the freighters were full of fuel and munitions, the Karacknid invasion fleet would have at least enough supplies to push into Human space and conquer and raid a half dozen systems. If what was left in the depot was added to that, they could have enough to push on to Earth. Even the thought of what the Karacknids might do there made anger well up within James. Yet there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t fight past the five hundred warships attempting to close with him. Heck, he couldn’t even attack the depot again. Not really. If the defenders had any brains they would break orbit and engage him in open space before he reached the depot. No, Chen’s fighters were the only card he had left to play. And there’s no way to know for sure where they are, James thought as he stared at the shrinking space between the Karacknid depot and their main fleet.

For twenty minutes, James had nothing to do but wait and watch as five hundred Karacknid warships tried to intercept his charging ships. Two ships in his fleet had fallen out of formation. One’s reactors had gone into an emergency shutdown. They were trying to restart them. The other had blown a series of power converters in their main impulse engine. There was no way to repair the damage without towing the ship out of the system. Ordering the ship abandoned, James had sent a rendezvous point for the ship’s crew to head to in their shuttles and escape pods. If any of his fleet survived long enough, he would dispatch a ship to get them. Unless the Karacknids hunted them down first. James wouldn’t put it past their enemy to do just that.

“Our first salvo should be lighting off their engines now,” Anderson informed everyone.

James, along with most of the bridge officers, looked up to the main holo plot. Seconds later twelve hundred new contacts appeared as the first salvo of multistage missiles ignited their engines. Technically it was actually the third salvo. Seconds later the second salvo lit off their engines and then the first did the same. James’ fleet had coordinated their missile salvos to combine with one another. “Alter course onto our new heading,” James snapped. Ordinarily such tactics didn’t work, most fleets carried out constant small course changes, making it impossible to target enemy fleets with missiles fired ballistically. Taking a risk, he hadn’t altered his fleet’s heading from the most direct route to the Karacknid depot. In return, the ships trying to intercept him had done likewise. If they wanted to, they could still break and force James’ missiles to expend a lot of their fuel trying to keep a lock on them. But then they risked James’ fleet being able to pass them by.

“They’re going to take it on the chin and keep coming,” Fisher said when the Karacknid ships didn’t alter their course even slightly.

James nodded. Clearly the supplies left in the depot were of vital importance to the Karacknids. “Three thousand six hundred missiles isn’t too scary for a fleet that size.” With five hundred warships, the Karacknids had a fair chance of taking out all of his multistage missiles before they could get into attack range. As the Karacknid defenses opened fire, James’ words were quickly confirmed. Hundreds of missiles disappeared off the gravimetric sensor display every second. To his surprise, seven missiles managed to detonate. Three Karacknid warships were destroyed and two more fell out of formation. “Well, at least we accomplished something,” he said to his officers. “And we kept their attention firmly fixed on us. That’s all we wanted.” After several officers nodded, James gave his next order. “Bring the fleet onto course Beta-one. Slow to maximum military thrust. We’ve done all we can.”

As she reduced her acceleration, Drake fired her maneuvering thrusters to turn her nose away from the Karacknid depot and towards the second gas giant in the system. The Karacknid ships trying to intercept her altered course as well. Then half of them flipped end over end. “They’re going to reverse course!” Anderson called out. “The rest are changing course as well,” he added moments later.

“They know what we are planning,” James concluded. The Karacknid commander was clearly no fool. Using the third gas giant’s gravity well, James intended to slingshot his ships around the planet and back towards the system’s mass shadow. There was little to no chance the Karacknid fleet pursuing him would be able to catch him in time. Realizing James’ attack had been a feint all along, the Karacknid commander was covering his two most important assets. Half of his fleet was decelerating hard to join the rest of his warships and the freighters still crossing the system. The other half was turning towards the depot. Now it’s over to you Chen, James thought. The orders he had given the Wing Commander had been very flexible. Chen was free to interpret them as he wanted depending on the situation.

*

Captain Black lightly tapped out a tune on the armrest of her cockpit. Fanned out to her left and right were the other seven Corsairs left in her squadron. Cruising along in stealth, they were all pointed at the heart of the main Karacknid fleet. Or more accurately, at the freighters at the heart of the fleet. Somewhere behind her the rest of Wing Commander Chen’s force was following them. Gently, she grasped her flight stick and gave the wings of her interceptor a slight wobble. On either side of her, her pilots mimicked the maneuver. Black nodded in approval. They were all alert and ready for action. It was just a matter of waiting. Starting up with her finger again, Black tapped out another one of her favorite tunes.

Fifteen minutes later a beep from her gravimetric sensor told her their part in the attack was soon to begin. Admiral Somerville’s ships had just slingshoted around the system’s third gas giant. Wing Commander Chen had obviously taken that as his cue to begin, for ninety contacts had suddenly appeared behind Black’s interceptors. They were all accelerating as fast as they could towards the main Karacknid fleet. Black fixed her attention on a strange looking Karacknid ship that was slightly larger than their dreadnoughts. Analysis of the earlier engagement suggested that that ship was where the forty Karacknid fighters had come from. Without her active sensors on, she was unlikely to actually detect any fighter launches; but she wanted to see them as soon as they announced themselves. If they have the guts to come out for a second engagement, Black thought with a smile. Scarlet Squadron’s Spitfires had just about held their own with the Karacknid fighters. Her interceptors had gone one better. She was now the first official fighter pilot ace in nearly a century and half. Three of her other pilots were just two more kills away from matching her number. And it looks like they’re going to get the chance, Black thought as eighteen contacts appeared accelerating away from the Karacknid fleet. They were on a trajectory to intercept Chen’s Spitfires and Lancasters.

Taking another glance left and right for her own comfort, Black reassured herself that the interceptors were all in formation. She knew she didn’t need to give them any orders. They knew exactly what to do. No doubt their fingers were all itching on their accelerators, just waiting to go. Forcing herself to be patient, Black waited as the Karacknid fighters came closer and closer. Their active sensors were filling space around them with electromagnetic energy. But Black had confidence in her interceptor’s stealth abilities. She waited until the very last moment she thought she could get away with sneaking up on them. As soon as the moment came, she flicked on her COM unit. “Engage engines,” she ordered. Her left-hand slammed forward her acceleration controls while her right hand gripped her flight stick.

The Karacknid pilots showed the efficiency of their training by reacting at once. In pairs they broke formation, peeling away in separate directions. Yet it didn’t save all of them. As soon as her missile achieved a lock, Black squeezed her trigger. When it just missed and flashed past a turning Karacknid fighter, she swore. Four other explosions told her that some of the missiles had scored hits. Black didn’t have any spare mental capacity to worry about her missile for Karacknid fighters were zipping past her from all directions as the engagement turned into a deadly dogfight. Twisting and turning, Black did her best to throw off the fire of the two ships on her tail. As a third Karacknid appeared in front of her she released a hail of laser beams but failed to get any of them on target. Sweat ran down her brow as the Karacknid weapons fire came closer and closer to her interceptor. With no other way out, she braked, then pulled up on her flight stick and accelerated again as she threw her interceptor into a tight loop. The Karacknid fighters could basically match her interceptor for speed, but they didn’t quite have the same maneuverability. Holding the loop, Black did a four hundred and fifty degree loop before she broke it off. Frantically she searched for the two Karacknid fighters. When one appeared off her left still trying to mimic her loop, she spun her fighter around and blasted her laser cannons. Six laser beams struck, burning away half of the fighter’s right-hand engine section. It spun away from Black’s line of sight out of control.

“Four Karacknids have broken away,” Razor-two called out over the COM channel. “They’re heading for Chen’s fighters.”

Black checked her sensor display. Her squadron had destroyed seven Karacknids. Though Razor-Nine’s transponder was no longer reporting the interceptor’s location. Her ships were still engaged with seven enemy fighters. There was no way they could disengage to pursue. “Chen will have to deal with them. Focus on finishing the rest,” she said to her pilots. Following her own orders, Black sought out another Karacknid fighter. The nearest one to her was chasing Razor-Eleven. The Karacknid ship was peppering space all around Razor Eleven with laser beams. Turning her interceptor, she maneuvered to slot in behind the Karacknid. As soon as she got a half decent shot she opened up on the enemy fighter. When it didn’t swerve away from engaging Razor Eleven, Black swore. The Karacknid pilot was good. Or extremely cocky. He was not giving up on taking out Razor Eleven. Black zoned out everything else around her as she concentrated on lining up the enemy fighter. She needed to take it out before its pilot got Razor Eleven. For nearly twenty seconds her enemy dodged and weaved in and out of her targeting receptacle as the Karacknid pilot carried out evasive maneuvers and kept firing bursts of laser beams at Razor Eleven. Finally, Black got the shot she had been waiting for. With a shout of rage she held down her trigger. Her shout quickly turned to one of victory as the Karacknid fighter disappeared in a mini explosion. Then it was cut off. Razor Eleven had just disappeared off her sensors as well. The Karacknid had hit Eleven just as she had hit it.

Cursing herself, Black threw her interceptor into an evasive turn as she sought out another target. Eleven had died because of her. In a rage she blew away another Karacknid fighter. As soon as it was dispatched, she turned, looking for another target. Moments later she was confronted by another Karacknid fighter chasing one of her interceptors. This time she didn’t hesitate. Twisting her flight stick she fell in behind it. Holding her trigger down until her capacitors ran out of juice, she filled space all around the fighter with laser beams. Seconds before she ran out of power, the fighter was blown apart as a couple of beams hit home. With anger still roaring within her, Black glanced at her sensor readout to find another target. She was caught off guard when there were no Karacknids left in range. Two were retreating as fast as they could back to their mothership. The rest had been taken out by her squadron.

Taking a couple of deep breaths, Black fought to get her emotions under control. Along with Razor Eleven, Razor Seven was no longer reporting in. That left her with just five interceptors, including her own. “Okay Razors, good shooting out there. Form up on me,” she ordered. As her interceptors acknowledged her command and moved to join her, Black checked her sensors to see how Chen’s force was getting on. Six Spitfires had boosted ahead of the main group of fighters. They were now dueling with the Karacknid fighters. From the transponder codes, Black saw Chen had sent half of Scarlet Squadron to deal with the Karacknids. She wasn’t surprised when two of the Karacknid fighters quickly disappeared from her display. Over the next two minutes Scarlet Squadron dealt with the rest of the Karacknids, though they lost two of their own Spitfires. Even as they were fighting, the rest of Chen’s force flew past them and towards Black’s interceptors.

After watching them for a second, Black’s attention shifted to the Karacknid fleet. The freighters and other support ships were moving to the back of the fleet and every warship was moving to face Chen’s force. Black couldn’t help but shake her head. It would be all but suicide to try and fly through the point defense fire so many warships would put out. And yet Chen’s force was continuing resolutely. Its course hadn’t deviated by even a little. As Black looked out her cockpit, the gaps left by the interceptors that were missing from her squadron weighed heavily on her. Then she looked at the Karacknid fleet. The mission Admiral Somerville had given Chen was of vital importance. Taking a deep breath, she flicked on her COM unit. “Razors listen up. Chen’s force has to get through those warships to release their missiles. The way I see it, the more targets the Karacknids have to shoot at, the more of Chen’s Spitfires will get through. We know those pilots are good. But they’re not as good as us. What do you say, you think we could show them a thing or two?”

For a second or two Black thought none of her pilots were going to respond. She began to fear she had already asked too much of them. Then Razor Two broke the silence. “If they buy us a drink or two once we get back to Prometheus, then I’m game if you are Captain,” she said in her usual jovial tone.

“As am I. There’s a couple of pilots in Vanguard Squadron I’ve been looking to impress,” Razor Four quipped. “I was hoping to buy them a drink, but if they are buying, that would be even better!”

When the three pilots all affirmed they were up for it as well, Black worked out a flight path that would allow them to catch up and slot in beside Chen’s fighters. After transmitting it to her pilots, she gunned her interceptor’s engines. They were committed now.

Chapter 41

Many systems exchanged hands between the Alliance and the Karacknids during the course of the War of Doom. None more so than the Mindus homeworld of Jaranna.

-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

Seconds after she lit off her engines, Black’s COM unit beeped to let her know Wing Commander Chen had opened a COM channel. “Captain Black, your interceptors have proven their worth once again,” Chen said. “I see you’re not heading on to the bulk carriers.”

“We thought we’d see this through to the end Commander,” Black responded.

“Well, we’re happy to have you with us Captain. I’ll see you on the other side,” Chen said.

“On the other side,” Black agreed as Chen ended the COM channel. Taking her fingers off her flight stick she flexed them back and forth. Her hand already felt stiff from the stress of the dogfight. As bad as that had been, she knew what was about to come would be far worse. With Chen’s force still five minutes out from the Karacknid point defense weapons, Black forced herself to look away from the enemy fleet. Instead she tried to distract herself with the beauty of the system she was in. The white dwarf gently lit up the three gas giants that were all very close to one another. The image would have served well as a 3D display in someone’s quarters. Black stared at them for as long as she could before having to turn back to the Karacknid fleet. When her interceptor was thirty seconds out from the range of their point defenses she gripped her flight stick again. Following Chen’s orders, she joined the rest of the force as they began evasive maneuvers.

Though she had been expecting it, when the weight of fire from the enemy ships opened up on her, she struggled to catch her breath. With all her skill and focus she twisted and weaved as best she could. Here and there explosions told her Human fighters were being destroyed. She didn’t have the time or focus to check if any of her interceptors were among them. The next evasive maneuver was all she could focus on. A sudden shadow passing over her cockpit made Black look up. She was passing between two Karacknid dreadnoughts! The momentary distraction made her hand delay ever so slightly on her flight stick. Two Karacknid laser beams blasted through the cockpit of her interceptor, frying her body instantly.

*

Razor Two screamed as she saw her flight Captain get vaporized just in front of her. Even as she vented her rage, she passed beyond the last Karacknid warship and found herself amongst their freighters. Slamming on her reverse thrusters, she twisted her nose towards the nearest freighter’s engines. Holding down her trigger, she peppered it with laser beams. Without plasma missiles or even plasma cannons, she couldn’t do more than peck at the freighter. Nevertheless she kept firing every joule of energy her reactor would allow her to into its engines. A scream of delight passed her lips as she saw the freighter’s main engine flicker and blink out. A small explosion erupted where it had been. The explosion rippled up the length of the freighter, blowing sections out into space. Within seconds it was breaking apart.

“Razor Two,” a half familiar voice called out over her COM channel. “You’ve done what you can. Head to the rendezvous point. That’s an order.” Only when Chen stopped speaking did Razor Two realize it was her Wing Commander. Razor Two saw multiple freighters exploding as plasma missiles connected with them. Others were being assaulted by groups of Spitfires as they swarmed around them, hammering them with their plasma cannons. Relief washed over her when she spotted another Razor. Then it turned to dismay when she realized there was no one else left from her squadron. As grief for Captain Black and her squadron mates welled up within her, she gave her flight stick a slight twist and maneuvered towards Razor Four and away from the engagement. Other Spitfires and Lancaster bombers soon joined her but Razor Two could only think about how few of them there were.

*

James watched in silence on Drake’s bridge as fighters and freighters disappeared in the midst of the Karacknid fleet. He had no idea how many pilots he was losing, but as more and more Karacknid freighters detonated he knew they were hurting the Karacknids. On a secondary screen a count was displaying the estimated number of freighters taken out. Once it passed thirty James pressed his lips together in satisfaction. Taking out almost a third of the supplies the Karacknid invasion fleet had brought with them had to count for something. He would have preferred to have completely destroyed their depot but if the freighters were all he could strike, then he would take it.

“What’s left of Chen’s fighters are breaking away Admiral,” Miyagi informed him. “There’s no way to tell from this range how many survived,” his Chief of Staff added, anticipating James’ next question. “We’ll have to wait until they reach the bulk carriers and re-join us.”

James nodded. He had loaded up all of his remaining fighters into his three fleet carriers and sent them in for their attack. The three carriers would be high tailing it out of the system. There was no way the fighters could reverse their momentum and catch the carriers. Unwilling to simply abandon them, James had sent the remaining bulk carriers to the other side of the system. What was left of Chen’s force would be able to use the momentum from their attack to rendezvous with them. With luck, the bulk carriers would be able to slip out of the system without the Karacknids detecting them. “Jump us out as soon as we reach the mass shadow,” James ordered. “Back to the rendezvous point. We’ll pick up our shuttles and assess our next step. He had hurt the Karacknids badly. But he had no intention of leaving them to hold the system uncontested. Christine’s words still rang in his ears. ‘With this shield or upon it.’ He could not fall back in retreat, not when such a large enemy force threatened Earth.

“Admiral!” Lieutenant Anderson half shouted, shock filling his voice. “Look!”

James’ mouth fell open. The image on the holo projector was almost unbelievable. For several seconds he stared at it, wondering if it was some kind of trick. The main Karacknid fleet was decelerating. Yet not to enter orbit of their depot. They were breaking to turn onto a trajectory to leave the system back through the shift passage they had entered it from. James shook his head as he tried to get his mind around what he was seeing. There had to be some strategic reason for them to pull back. Perhaps there was another fleet just hours behind them they wanted to rendezvous with? Before he could come up with a convincing answer, more Karacknid ships began to move. The five hundred ships that had tried to intercept his fleet had given up and turned for the depot thirty minutes ago. Now, they too altered course. Then the Karacknid warships defending the depot lit off their engines and began to break orbit. It’s a trap, James said to himself. It had to be.

“I want a detailed analysis of every single orbital station and freighter we destroyed today. Get me a breakdown of the supplies we have taken out. I want to know exactly how much damage we’ve done,” James demanded. There was only one other explanation he could think of, but he didn’t want to let his hope rise. “Belay our order to jump out. Signal our carriers and bulk carriers to rendezvous with us here. Order Chen to get as many of his Spitfires ready to launch as he can.” James knew things would be extremely cramped in the handful of bulk carriers Chen’s fighters would land on but he would be able to get a squadron or two refueled and rearmed. “If their depot is still undefended by the time Chen has an attack force ready, he is to hit it on his way past.”

For twenty minutes, James watched, still struggling to believe it as every Karacknid ship in the system made as if they were going to retreat. It seemed like the Karacknids were trying to pull off some kind of elaborate ruse. Yet it made no sense. They had eight times the number of ships he did. If they wanted, they could have just chased him out of the system. Why try and draw him in?

“Admiral,” Miyagi said, pulling James out of his thoughts. “We have completed our analysis. You were onto something. Look at this.” The main holo projector changed to show a breakdown of the orbital stations and freighters. On one side in red were what had been destroyed and then on the other in blue was what remained. As Miyagi pointed, both batches split into two subsections. “These are their fuel storage and refinery stations, along with the fuel freighters. By luck or perhaps skill on the part of our gunners, we’ve taken out over ninety percent of their fuel storage capacity.”

James immediately saw where Miyagi was going. “And with their two gas mining stations gone. They don’t have enough fuel to continue their invasion. At least not from here.”

“It may be they barely have enough to even make it home,” Miyagi suggested. “If we keep operating in the system and carrying out hit-and-run tactics, they’d have to expend a lot of fuel reacting to us. So much that they might risk stranding their fleet here. At least until reinforcements arrived.”

“And they know about our raid on the Alpha-one depot a couple of months ago,” James added as clarity hit him. He could easily picture himself in the Karacknid commander’s position. With such a large battle fleet the fuel consumption requirements would be massive. If he was afraid more Human fighters would appear to raid what little supplies he had left, or even better, if James used his fighters to raid every supply convoy that tried to reach the depot, the Karacknid fleet could end up stranded in orbit without enough fuel to defend itself. Falling back would be an embarrassment for the Karacknid commander. Possibly even one that would cost him his life, given what James had learnt from talking with General Hux’lar, but having a fleet stranded at the mercy of their enemies would bring far more shame on the Karacknids. And on their Imperator, James thought as more pieces fell into place. Hux’lar had shown that the glory of his Imperator was everything to him. They will not risk shaming their Imperator’s reputation, James concluded. He didn’t know how, but that seemed like something important. Something he could use against them. “Keep tracking them,” he ordered. “It may still be a ruse. Let’s make sure they actually leave.” Despite his words, James allowed a small measure of hope to grow within him.

Though he had a plausible explanation for the Karacknids’ actions, James stayed on Drake’s bridge for the next six hours to watch the Karacknids retreat. He ordered several waves of probes fired after the Karacknids to make sure their ships were leaving. Only when Chen’s Spitfires took out the remaining orbital stations unopposed did he actually accept what was happening. When the last Karacknid station detonated, he shook his head. It was still hard to believe.

“Send orders to our support fleet, they are to rendezvous with us here. We’ll move in and take possession of the remaining orbital stations,” he said as Chen’s fighters turned back to their carriers. “If they give us long enough, we’re going to turn this into a fortified world. One they have to think twice about attacking. We may as well begin the work now,” James said to his command staff. “And get me Captain Scott,” he added. To his relief, Misfit had survived the day’s fighting unscathed.

“Captain,” James said as he met his former Chief of Staff with a smile. “Once again you are to be commended. Misfit handled herself admirably today.”

“We were just doing our duty Admiral, as you taught us,” Scott replied.

“I have a task for you,” James continued. “Lightfoot promoted you to acting Commodore when you were with him after the raid on Jaranna. I’m promoting you again, this time it will be made permanent when we get back to Earth. I want you to take six destroyers and follow the Karacknid fleet. Make sure they don’t detect you but, if you can, confirm they are falling back all the way to their space. Even better, if you can locate whatever system they are staging from within their territory then do so. Perhaps we can organize a raid on it. That would be the last thing they’d expect. If we can destroy more of their fuel storage facilities there, we might even force their fleet to fall back further.”

“Understood Admiral, I will begin making the arrangements immediately,” Scott replied as she saluted James.

“And Commodore,” James said as he smiled again, the desire in Scott’s voice to get to work was unmistakable. “Be careful out there.”

“Of course Admiral,” Scott said. “I’ll be as careful as you would be.” Before she ended the COM channel, Scott winked at James.

James found himself chuckling at the blank holo screen. When he looked back up he was startled to find every one of his staff officers and Drake’s bridge officers staring at him. Looking around at Captain Fisher he opened his mouth to ask what was going on. She beat him to it though as she raised her hands and began to clap. Soon every officer was clapping him. James wanted to tell them to stop. He didn’t deserve their praise, those who had died in the day’s fighting did, but he knew it would only upset them if he intervened. Every one of them had begun the day expecting that it might cost them their lives to take and hold the system. Yet here they were, alive, and the Karacknids were in full retreat! Swallowing hard, James realized that he too was relieved. For the first time since the battle had begun, his mind turned to Earth and Christine. He would have to remain in the system for weeks if not months to make sure it was secure, but if the Karacknids really had fallen back, then he would get to go home. Sooner or later he would get to hold his wife again. Breaking into a smile, James raised his hands and began to clap too. His officers deserved his praise as much as they thought he deserved theirs.

Epilogue

IS Viper, Scalatar (Gramrian homeworld), 5th June 2482 AD (two months later).

“Come in,” Rear Admiral Becket said as one of her favorite people stepped into her private office.

The young blonde Captain entered and, with the same grace her uncle showed, moved over to where Becket was standing. Eagerly Becket pushed the hand Captain Kansas offered to one side and pulled her friend into a hug. “When I heard about your mission and the Folians and Gramrians told me they hadn’t heard from you for months, I was worried for you,” Becket said into her friend’s hair. She held the young Captain back at arm’s length. “It’s good to see you safe and sound. And your ship largely in one piece as well.” Becket smiled, “For you, that’s quite the accomplishment.”

Emilie rolled her eyes and took another half step back from Becket. She looked around the Rear Admiral’s office. “It seems you’ve done well for yourself since I left Earth. The last I heard you were in Alliance space.”

“A lot has happened since then,” Becket said with a smile. “You know I fought with Admiral Ya’sia against the Karacknid fleet of more than three thousand warships.”

“The Karacknids invaded Alliance space?” Emilie asked as she took a step forward.

Becket’s smile widened and she gestured for Emilie to take a seat. “We both have a lot to catch up on. Why don’t I go first and then you can fill me in on what you’ve been doing?” Becket eyed Emilie carefully as she continued, “the report you transmitted is strangely lacking in certain details.”

Emilie nodded. “By intention. The Kalassai are a very secretive people. There are things they shared with me that I promised I would not speak of. At least not to anyone but James. I have prepared a different report for his eyes only.”

Becket screwed up her face as she thought through what Emilie had told her. “That doesn’t sit comfortably with me. You’re not giving me any choice but to trust you.”

Emilie smiled. “I hope that over the years I have earned that trust.”

Becket let out a breath. “I suppose so. Though I want to hear as much as you can tell me. Hopefully more than is in your report.”

“Of course Rear Admiral, next to James, I would trust you with my life. But some of the things I left out are not my secrets to share,” Emilie explained.

“All right,” Becket said as she sighed. “Let me fill you in on everything that has happened and then you can share with me what you can. By the way, I’d start trying to put an end to calling your uncle James from now on. At least when not in private with him. His official title is Emperor now.”

Emilie jumped out of her seat, making Becket break into a wide grin and chuckle at the shock on Emilie’s face. Then Becket explained everything that had happened with the Karacknid invasion of Alliance space, and the formation of the Empire with Christine and James as its heads of state. Emilie had been gone a long time.

An hour later Becket lifted her coffee mug and took another sip. After having to answer hundreds of questions, Intrepid’s Captain had finally told her story of being abducted and taken to a Kalassai city ship. “And that’s not the best bit,” Emilie said as she pulled out a datapad and slotted it into the holo projector in Becket’s desk. “They shared all their star map data on the Karacknid Empire and the surrounding systems. Including their intelligence on Karacknid military bases and fleet dispositions. Much of the information is months if not years old. But they have historic data as well. We can trace Karacknid fleet movements over more than a hundred years. It gives us an incredibly detailed picture of their defenses in this part of their empire.”

This time it was Becket who jumped to her feet as a massive map of space appeared above her desk. Having spent the last six months in the Gramrian homeworld working with Admiral Shraw to prepare his fleet to fight the Karacknids, Becket immediately recognized the systems that were owned by the Conclave species. What astounded her was that they were just a small section in the bottom right-hand corner of the 3D map. The vast majority of the map, easily ninety-five percent of it, was taken up with systems neither she nor the Gramrians knew anything about. Reaching out with her hands she zoomed in on several systems. The details she saw astonished her even more. Battlestations and warships were clearly visible in orbit around the planet she was looking at. Zooming back out again she sat down and stared at the map, speechless.

For more than five minutes she simply looked at it, zooming in here and there. The more she looked, the more terrified and excited she got. The sheer size and scale of the Karacknid Empire was mind boggling. And yet there was a section of the Karacknid Empire that was grabbing her attention. Not too far away from Conclave space the holo map looked very unusual. If she had been looking at a map of Earth, she would have said the two large spurs that thrust into the Karacknid Empire were mountain ranges. Like a mountain range on Earth, the spurs were devoid of inhabited systems. More than that, they were devoid of any systems at all. The result was a long slither of Karacknid systems that were almost self-contained between the two spurs. Only occasionally were there long shift passages that crossed the spurs to link the area up with the wider Karacknid Empire. Between the two spurs there was essentially a corridor of systems that led more than a third of the way into Karacknid space. Like a spear pointing directly at the heart of the Karacknid Empire, Becket thought. The comparison in her mind with mountain ranges on Earth made her think of one of her favorite historic generals. Jackson’s Valley Campaign was studied by every officer cadet at the Academy. At least at what had been the British Star Kingdom Naval Academy. There was no way she had the forces to invade and hold Karacknid space. But she could thrust deep into their territory. If she could pull it off, it would take the Karacknids weeks if not months to respond. Even then, to do so they’d have to send out fleets on a long journey to traverse the mountain like spurs. As she studied the map, Becket found a grin forming on her face. Emperor Somerville had sent her to the Gramrians to help them prepare their defenses. There was a Human expression she was going to have to introduce Admiral Shraw too; often, the best form of defense is a good offence. Reaching forward, she copied the image and sent it to Shraw along with a request to meet with him immediately. Only then did she look back at Emilie. “Whatever other secrets you’re keeping for the Kalassai, this was worth your time and then some. Well done Captain. Well done indeed!” She paused for a second as she stood and held out her hand to Emilie and returned her friend’s smile. “But I’m afraid I have some bad news for you. At least if you were hoping to congratulate your uncle on his new position any time soon,” she continued. “If what I have in mind is going to work, I’m going to need every ship I can get. Especially ones designed for long range exploration and scouting missions.”

Emilie hesitated. “I and my crew will do it whatever you command. But Intrepid has taken some significant damage. My Chief Engineer insists she needs time in a repair yard. And my crew have been away from home for a long time.”

“Your crew will have to make sacrifices like we all are,” Becket informed her. “And you don’t need to worry about Intrepid. Your uncle sent me here with the supplies and engineers to construct several repair yards. I’ll have Intrepid scheduled to enter one by the end of the day. You started this whole thing out here in Conclave space. Whether or not the Kalassai may actually decide to help us, we are committed now. So you and your crew are going to have to see things through.”

“If that is what is required of us, then we will do what we must,” Emilie replied.” She smiled. “And it will be a pleasure to serve with you once again.”

*

Badminton House, 5th November 2483 AD (five months later).

Sitting in one of the garden’s large decks, James sipped his morning cup of tea as he watched the sun rise over the fields of his estate. He had been home for just three weeks, and in that time everything had changed. Yes, the Karacknids were still a threat. At best, their invasion had been delayed, but it had not been stopped. As much as that thought dominated his thinking, other developments meant hope and not fear were his feelings as he watched the sun rise. He had returned home to find the Empire’s Congress fully functioning. Every colony had elected their own Governor and House of Representatives to govern their world. They had also sent Senators and Commoners to sit in the Empire’s Senate and House of Commons. Together, the Senate, House of Commons and Christine had appointed Servants to sit in the third legislative body, the House of Servants. To no one’s surprise, the arguments, debating and politicking had begun within days of each house taking their seats. Nevertheless, there was a common unity and determination to defeat the Karacknids that had James feeling optimistic about politics for perhaps the first time in his life.

Even that wasn’t what truly filled James with hope as he took another sip of his tea. Something far more important had happened in his absence. Something that made him smile even as he thought about it. The sound of a door opening behind him made him turn. Christine was up. Still dressed in her nightgown, she swung the kitchen’s glass door open and stepped out onto the deck. Gently, she padded over to him, reached down and set a bundle of blankets into his arms. “He just went to sleep again after a feed. I’ve got a meeting in a couple of hours. I’m going back to bed. Until then he is all yours.”

James smiled at her and kissed Christine as she lent in towards him. As she turned and left he watched her go. Only then did he look down at the true surprise that had been waiting for him when he returned home. His son. Jonathan, named after his uncle. James had been blown away by Christine’s revelation. When the shuttle had landed, she had been standing there, holding him waving his little hand back and forth. For several seconds he had stood and stared. Not really taking in what he was looking at. Then, when he had rushed over to her, she had placed him in his arms. Having never really had anything to do with babies before, he had been bewildered. He had feared he was going to drop Jonathan. It had been one of the happiest moments of James’ life.

Looking down at his son, he felt the same happiness now. Jonathan was just two months old and didn’t appear to have a care in the world. Hugging Jonathan closer to his chest, James knew this was his true source of hope. The Karacknids wanted to enslave his species, possibly even to wipe them out. To a certain extent, they had succeeded. Hundreds of millions of Earth’s people had been killed. Hundreds of thousands of naval personnel had already died in the war. Yet Humanity was far from beaten. There is a future for us, James thought as he looked down at his son’s sleeping form. And for you. Since meeting his son, James was more certain of one thing than anything else in his life. He was going to defeat the Karacknids. His son wasn’t going to grow up in a world where Humanity lived in fear of the alien race. Even if he had to do it himself with his bare hands, he was going to put an end to the Karacknid Imperator’s rule of tyranny.

But for now, he said to himself as he dismissed such gruesome thoughts. You have a son to enjoy. Ever so gently he rocked Jonathan back and forth. He now knew from experience that as much as his son looked perfectly peaceful and content, if Jonathan woke up, things would be a whole lot different. With his free hand, James quietly picked up the datapad he had brought with him. A number of reports and messages had been stored for him overnight to read as soon as he woke up.

Flicking through the datapad, the first thing that caught his attention was the latest FTL transmission from Alliance High Command. Four hundred Alliance warships had already passed through Earth on their way to reinforce the three former Karacknid depot systems that were being turned into border forts. Another five hundred were scheduled to arrive over the next couple of months. With the two hundred new warships that had come out of Earth’s construction yards, there would soon be more than a thousand ships defending Earth’s borders.

That was not nearly enough, especially now that everyone knew what they were truly up against. The star maps his niece had sent back from the Kalassai had shocked everyone on Earth and in Alliance High Command. But there was nothing they could do about the size and strength of the Karacknid Empire. At least nothing more than they were already doing. They were in a far better shape than they had been in six months ago. Alliance intelligence estimated that at least four thousand Karacknid warships had been pulled from the border with Alliance space to join the push into his empire’s territory. As soon as the Alliance scout ships had detected the Karacknid fleet movements, Alliance forces up and down their border had begun carrying out small counterattacks and raids. The latest communications from Alliance High Command suggested their actions had forced hundreds of Karacknid ships to return to their former positions to defend their border. It was likely there was a significant Karacknid force preparing to strike at Earth. Turning back their vanguard and destroying so many fuel freighters had no doubt put a strain on the supply condition of the Karacknid fleet. With luck, James hoped they had caused a bottleneck that would delay the Karacknids even further. But sooner or later the Karacknids would take up the offensive again.

At least, that was James’ estimation of the situation. As he surveyed the communication he had just received from Alliance High Command, it seemed they concurred. Admiral Jourm had sent a request to James. He wanted a full break down of the battle readiness of Humanity’s fleet. Rather than wait for the Karacknids to take up the offensive again, he wanted to counterattack! The very idea stirred James’ emotions. Since day one they had been on the defensive. The Karacknids were threatening system after system. All of Humanity lived in fear that a Karacknid ship would show up in their system and bombard their planet. Can we really do it? James asked himself. Going on the offensive would be risky. Extremely risky. But the Karacknid forces still seemed to be out of place as they tried to shift their fleets around. We may have a chance to actually push them back! James thought as he scanned the ships and fleets Jourm thought the Alliance could commit to such an operation. There is a window of opportunity, James said to himself as he began to write his reply in his head. But it is small. We will have to act fast. If they could counterattack and catch the Karacknids still mobilizing for their next offensive, they could catch their enemy with their pants down. As James thought about it a grin spread across his face. Taking the offensive would be a very nice change. Putting the Karacknids on the defensive; perhaps even taking several of their systems would shift the balance of the war. James knew which system Jourm would have in mind. Jaranna. The capital of the Mindus civilization. If they could take and hold it, they would split the Karacknid border in two. From there they could attack either flank of the Karacknid positions and the other flank wouldn’t be able to support their comrades. Or we could threaten to push deeper into Karacknid space, James contemplated. Given what Lightfoot had found out about many of the Karacknid systems when he had travelled through them, it likely wouldn’t take much to get many of them to rebel against their overlords and join the Alliance. An invasion could start off a chain reaction that could cripple a quarter of the Karacknid Empire, James imagined. With so many rebellions to deal with, the Karacknids might not be able to move forces against us quickly enough to stop us. Though a part of James thought it was wishful thinking, Earth still had a massive enemy battlefleet almost at her front door, he wanted to hope. And, of course, there is Becket. James knew Becket had a ruthless streak, but the latest plans she had sent back to Earth had surprised him. Just as surprising was the fact that she and Admiral Shraw had simply informed James of their plans rather than sought out permission. What she had in mind was audacious, but it was just the kind of diversion Earth and the Alliance needed.

A small movement in his arms broke James’ line of thought. Jonathan was stirring. James set the datapad down. Gently he reached over and stroked Jonathan’s chin with the back of one of his fingers. He’d have to bring Admiral Jorum’s suggestion to the Imperial Inner Council. If they gave their approval, then planning would have to start immediately. James knew that would consume all of his energy once it began. For now, he wanted to enjoy a few more quiet moments with his son.

The end.

The story of the War of Doom and James and Christine will continue in Empire Rising book 11 (coming April 2021).

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