Kelly Blake 3: Where the Stars Are Few and Far Between (36 page)

Captain Jason Thomas pulled alongside the command ship Montpelier and set the station-keeping program into effect. It would keep the Resurgent exactly 10,000 meters from the command ship automatically and reduce the need for a bridge crew to a couple of look outs and a chief of the watch. He rested his crew that had just executed a five light-year round trip cruise for nothing. He used the time for rest and diagnostic checks on the ring mechanism, both erecting and transport. His ship would be ready when the need for it arose.

* * * * *

J’Kol prepared a message to his family, telling them that if they received this message he was dead. He either died in combat or at the hands of the Empire. He told his children not to believe any stories they heard or saw in the press. He had always served the Empire and if it meant his death was needed to serve the Empire, so be it.

He told his wife she had been his only mate and to know that he loved her from the first time he laid eyes on her until he drew his last breath. He asked her to be brave for the children’s sake and to show her pride and love for him. He laid out the strange circumstance of being relieved of command and directed to take his fastest ship and report to G’Durin at best possible speed. He knew not what was intended for him, but hoped it would all work out in the end. He closed by saying that Shadow Leader G’Motta was his most trusted subordinate and that G’Motta would do everything in his power to see to her well being, if things did not go as he hoped. He closed with expressions of love for his family and support for the Empire.

* * * * *

Commanders from three races spread all over the inky black vastness of K’Rang space were doing the same thing – watching the ETA clock tick down and wondering if there was anything else they could do to be more prepared for the impending combat. Commanders and staffs worked and reworked plans to gain the slightest additional advantage over their adversaries, knowing that this would be the largest space battle ever in recorded history. Crewmen in fleets speaking K’Rang standard, Galactic Standard, and Angaerry, worried about the coming battle, tested and retested their equipment to ensure it was in top working order. Some laughed it off in a not too convincing attempt at bravado. Others got religion. Some just kept doing their jobs with a renewed sense of purpose.

Spacemen Third Class and admirals felt the tension. Older petty officers and chiefs, having experienced the terrors and triumphs of battle in open space, tried to calm their subordinates and keep them focused on their jobs. Ships’ captains felt that cold gripping hand in their guts over the thought of not having done enough to keep their ships and crew alive. Drills increased exponentially and became more complex. Abandon ship drills became increasingly prevalent. The tension rose higher the more the clock ticked down. The three fleets pressed on relentlessly.

 
Chapter Nineteen
 

 Baron J’Kol was approaching the point at which he directed the P’Tong captain to drop out of FTL, to scan for the Human fleet or scouts before approaching G’Durin. If they wanted him home to execute him, it would be bad form to disappoint them by being destroyed by a Human fleet.

The captain reported no ships within 500,000,000km, which seemed strange to J’Kol. G’Durin required ships to bring in food and luxury items on a daily basis, to meet the needs of the nobility, their servants, and the few bureaucrats allowed on G’Durin.

J’Kol made sure the captain gave the proper orbit code and they dashed into G’Durin’s orbit at 0.8
c
, stopping at the last second to avoid burn in. No hostile forces followed them in, so they assumed they were protected by the lunar emplacements and spiraled in for a landing at the main spaceport east of the city.

There was no welcome party of stony-eyed Shadow Warriors, or a marching band, either. There was nothing. In fact, the spaceport was deserted. There was not another ship at the spaceport. It was thirty minutes before a ground car appeared and drove up toward the P’Tong. Shadow Leader G’Motta, in his dress uniform festooned with medals, stood next to J’Kol, as the car drove up to them and stopped. A petty functionary of the Elders, as could be told by the colors of his cape, got out of the car and headed their way.

J’Kol whispered to G’Motta as the official approached, “No matter what happens, my friend, I will see that no harm or shame befalls you.”

The P’Tong lifted off behind them, throwing up a tremendous cloud of leaves and other detritus. It left orbit and proceeded to a designated defensive patrol area outside the system.

The official walked up and came to a rough approximation of attention typical of a civilian and said, “Baron J’Kol, welcome back to G’Durin. I am H’Tat, undersecretary to Baron N’Gana. He apologizes that he could not be here to greet you personally, but the Elders requested his presence, as we were leaving. Please come with me.”

J’Kol climbed in the spacious back seat of the car. The driver attentively held the door for him and closed it behind him. G’Motta sat in front, next to the driver. J’Kol had seen G’Motta unobtrusively return his weapon to its holster under his cape as they got in. He was still unsure what to make of his mysterious orders and his summons to the Elders. A host of possibilities ran through his mind. The only one that came to mind was that he was being brought to take over the defense of G’Durin. That had to be it. No other explanation fit the situation.

They drove down the main east-west avenue and passed through the main cemetery on into the government center. The driver drove him to the front door of the Palace of Empire, where Baron N’Gana and two Imperial Guards awaited him. The guards caused J’Kol a momentary stab of panic, until he was able to inwardly calm himself down and prepare to meet his fate. If it were to be his execution, he would face it as a Shadow Warrior, no matter how quick or slow his death.

Baron N’Gana opened the door for him and the two guards came to a respectful attention, not the cold rigid attention of an execution party. J’Kol inwardly relaxed, pinning much hope on this slight difference, and climbed out of the ground car. Baron N’Gana welcomed him, apologizing for not meeting him, but he was unavoidably delayed.

As his immaculate shining boots clicked across the marble tiles, J’Kol asked, “Baron N’Gana, I am somewhat in the dark as to why I have been summoned here. Can you enlighten me?”

Baron N’Gana hesitated uneasily and answered, “Baron J’Kol, I am not at liberty to say. You will have an immediate audience with the Elders. I can assure you it is nothing negative.”

J’Kol let his thoughts wander back to the G’Durin defensive mission and relaxed. As he walked along, he noticed mourning white ribbons and wondered who died. Before he could ask, he was brought to the portal of the Elders Audience Chamber, and immediately removed his weapons and handed them to G’Motta. It was time to learn his fate.

He straightened his uniform, stood up to his full height, and marched into the Elders’ presence. He looked straight ahead and marched to the spot five steps from the bench and came to a halt, but there were no Elders behind the bench. In fact, he was alone in the room. He heard footfalls and Elders J’Gon and G’Tol came around the bench and walked up to him. Elder G’Tol removed his Shadow Warrior crimson cape.

“Baron J’Kol, you will have no more need of this,” and G’Tol tossed it aside. Elder J’Gon helped him on with an azure robe reserved for the Elders.

J’Kol stammered, “Distinguished Elders, what does this mean?”

Elder J’Gon answered him, “It means you now join us, Elder J’Kol, as our junior Elder. Congratulations. During your absence from the capital, Elder J’Tona succumbed from the strains of his duties and your faction elected you to be their Elder.”

J’Kol had to sit down and compose himself.

“I am, of course, honored, but could you not have given me some indication of why I was being recalled? All sorts of bad scenarios have been running through my head. It made it a less than pleasant journey.”

G’Tol laughed, but J’Gon kept a serious face.

“Elder, how pleasant would your journey have been if the Humans intercepted our message and then intercepted you? No, we had to keep you in the dark, no matter how uncomfortable your journey.”

Elder G’Tol said, “Elder J’Kol, we bring you into our council at a most dangerous time. The two Human fleets arrive here tomorrow evening, at the earliest. If they stand off to organize, they will be here day after tomorrow. We have no defenses beyond the lunar emplacements and they won’t last too long against the Human fleets. We will be transported to our cavern emergency site tomorrow morning and the Imperial Guard Regiment will occupy ground defense positions around it. It will hold out only as long as it remains undiscovered. Orbital bombardment ships would have no difficulty entombing us in it.”

“We must make some immediate decisions. Wait while I call in Baron N’Gana and his scribe.”

J’Kol said, “Have someone inform Shadow Leader G’Motta, my aide, that I am not to be shot, garroted, or hung from a hook. Please have him taken somewhere comfortable to wait to hear from me.”

N’Gana and the lone scribe came in and took notes, while the reconstituted Elders decided on the defense of G’Durin.

* * * * *

The lead scout ships of the 1st and 2nd Combined Fleets arrived in the K’Rang home system just as the P’Tong reached its patrol position. The scouts noted its position and no other hostile ships in the system. In fact, with the exception of three scout ships from the 1st Scout Division, there were no other ships at all. Scout Force’s mission to attack commercial shipping was an unparalleled success in clearing shipping from K’Rang space.

Two scout ships from 1st Scout Division stalked and killed the P’Tong, then slid off in the direction of the approaching Armada and Grand Armada to provide early warning. The Velocity transmitted an observation report to the 1st and 2nd Combined Fleets, knowing that even though the signal was not FTL, the two fleets would fly into the signal at FTL long before they arrived in system.

Two fleet scouts probed in closer to the system, being careful to stay out of range of the lunar emplacements.

* * * * *

Kelly looked at his ETA countdown clock and saw 30 hours tick over. He saw a more serious attitude toward their duties by the entire crew. They knew they were about to be part of something historic and deadly, which tends to focus the mind. Kelly did his most important job, presenting a sense of calm, purpose, and assurance to the crew. Nothing destroyed a combat ship’s morale quicker than a fidgety, nervous commander.

Kelly asked for and received permission to increase speed and arrive in the vicinity of the K’Rang home system six hours ahead of the Angaerry Fleet, to provide early warning of any K’Rang ships or defensive preparations. Jotil Lenkva gave permission and in heavily accented Galactic Standard said, “Good luck and good hunting.” She was learning.

Kelly boosted to FTL power 5.5 to gain the six hours and left the Angaerry behind.

* * * * *

Alistair’s proposal went over well with the admiral and division commander, as soon as he tactfully showed them his letter from the Galactic Republic President, asking the military to provide any and all support possible to Mr. Bennett in a matter of great interest to the President and the head of the Republic Intelligence Agency. Once they determined it could be done, they put their best tactical minds at work to find the best way to do it.

The draft plan said: The Assault Support Carrier Essex and the Assault Landing Carrier Illustrious will break off from the fleet upon dropping out of FTL. They will race to the far side of the system and approach G’Durin during a brief two-hour window, when all three moons are on the far side of the planet and unable to fire on the two carriers parked in geostationary orbit. They will launch two AS-500s carrying two companies of the 1st of the 15th Battalion and Alistair’s special team down through the atmosphere to treetop level. They will then fly low level to the K’Rang Intel HQ building and land. Alpha Company will assault the building. Bravo Company will secure the grounds. The special team will retrieve what files they can. Then everyone will load up and be out before the moons come out of planet shadow and in range to fire on the two carriers. The Essex will provide CAP and close air support if the assault force meets any effective resistance, or if the imperial guards regiment should respond in time. The timing is critical, but with 30 minutes in, one hour on site, and 30 minutes out, it should be a success.

They sent their plan through channels to Admiral Chang, along with Alistair’s letter, and had an almost immediate approval. Mary set up a holographic 1/8-scale model of the Intel HQ Building and surrounding terrain, and walked them all through it until they knew it blindfolded. Colonel Maxwell told her and the 1st of the 15th Commander that she would be going with them to coordinate support from the carriers. Mary looked for vantage points and CP locations while on the ground. She sat down with the battalion commander to make sure the two of them were in synch. He would request support and she would get it for him. She would take three comms operators and her air and gunnery liaison officers along. 26 hours until ETA and they were ready – providing they dropped out of FTL on time.

* * * * *

Elder J’Kol called in his aide, Shadow Leader G’Motta, to tell him what had transpired and give him a new command. G’Motta walked by the Imperial Guardsman with wide eyes and even more so when he saw J’Kol sitting in his azure robes. He walked to a point five steps from the desk and came to a rigid attention.

“How may I serve the Empire, Excellency?”

J’Kol smiled and said, “You may sit down, dear friend. You stood by me when I was expecting to have my throat slit. Now that I have received a promotion, as it were, I am in a position to help you. I can offer you the command of the lunar defense facilities, if you want it.”