Retribution (24 page)

The battle looms closer and closer

Muscles and sinews tighten

Minds focus young and older

Fears resurface and frighten

Opportunities present but most ignored

Costs calculated and consequences noted

Strengths identified and weaknesses explored

Shortages identified and juniors promoted

Closer and closer the tension rises

Some fall foul of inherent weakness

Others shine and create surprises

Some pray but most are speechless

Chapter 1. Nova Vista 1430, 17 June

Art waited for Sue to open the door to their apartment in Nelson’s Tower. He held the door open while Sue dragged in his pack with all his stuff. He was under strict instructions not to use his injured left arm and to avoid any situation which could put it at risk.

He’d only had the robo cast on for a day and was still finding it uncomfortable. He was yet to adjust to the way it seemed to respond to his minds signals. He’d been told he was doing fine, though he had doubts about whether he’d ever get used to it. It was always slow responding. ‘It must be the dammed interface’ he thought as he looked at the patch on his arm where the fibre optics had been fused with his organic nerves. He flinched at the thought of how that had been done and was grateful he was not conscious when it was.

“Thanks darling” said Sue as she squeezed past him dragging his pack. She dropped his pack in the bedroom and came out to find Art on the lounge already interrogating his messages on his console.

“What am I going to do here for the next four weeks?” he asked.

“Look lovely of course” said Sue and she cuddled up next to his good right side. But this interfered with him using the console and he looked at her. She ignored him. He gave her a little nudge with his right elbow. She ignored that too.

“Like that is it?” he asked, giving up his efforts with the console. Instead he wrapped his right arm around her and they sat there quietly for a couple of minutes. Art admired the water of the bay. It was about three kilometres away and he could see that there was little wind to whip up the water. The tide was on its way out and in a way it reminded him of his current predicament.

“You’ll be leaving me to go back to duty and I’ll be here on my own. What am I going to do?”

“Stop whining Art” said Sue with enough seriousness to register. “It doesn’t become my hero.” She pecked him on the cheek and then sunk back into his shoulder.

“Some hero” said Art melancholically.

Sue pulled herself out from under his arm and turned and looked at Art directly. “Look Art you need to snap out of it. Enough of this ‘poor me’ nonsense. If you don’t I will be out this door. That’s not a maybe, that’s a real threat. Do you understand?”

“OK…sorry darling” said Art.

Chapter 2. Nova Vista 1620, 17 June

“OK I think that will do for now” said Phil. “We’ve got three contingency plans based on the relative force ratios and several variants on each of these. We’ll need to wargame these out over the coming days. So be back here tomorrow morning at 0900.”

“Oh Rudi” continued Phil, “While I remember make sure your staff do not include any details about the new reinforcements in the daily updates to the COP.”

“Already being done” replied Rudi “The rogan won’t know about the arrival of the Ark Royal, nor of our redeployments within the system.”

“Excellent. I also want you Rudi to be upstairs commanding the battle. I’ll stay down here and keep an eye on Shen and the big picture.” Shen gave a wry smile.

“Are you sure Sir” asked Rudi. “I appreciate the honour.”

“I am sure Rudi. You will do a fine job. Give me a crushing victory.”

Rudi glanced around at the others before replying with a smile on his face “One crushing victory coming up then.”

Dave sat there taking it all in. The thing that struck him was how Phil had given Rudi the honour of commanding the battle. He could have so easily retained this for himself. But when Dave reflected on his own recent experiences he saw that Phil had consistently given him the opportunity to shine and that was what he was doing here for Rudi. Dave looked at how Rudi’s spirit had just been elevated. The gesture was already paying dividends. ‘That’s just one more reason why Phil’s such a good commander’ thought Dave.

“Dave can I have a word?” asked Phil.

The others began leaving. Rihan was still finishing up on her workstation. “I’m going to be sending your husband away for tonight, if that’s all right with you Rihan” said Phil.

Rihan cut a quick look to her side and smiled at Phil “Do I have veto rights now?”

“Afraid not” said Phil.

“Oh well, you can have him then” said Rihan with feigned indifference and she returned her focus back to the workstation.

“Up on a pedestal one day, forgotten the next” said Dave with feigned hurt.

“That’s what I like about you two, complete understanding and regard for each other” said Phil with a smile. “Now Dave I want you to get back to Tumos and Butros Alia. Use my shuttle. Ask Aubrey to go along with you. She might appreciate the ride.” Phil gave a Dave a wink.

“I heard that” stated Rihan with a disapproving tone.

“What were you saying about complete understanding?” asked Dave.

Phil laughed. “Anyway go down tonight and get back here by tomorrow evening. What I want you to do is make sure their defences are set and ensure your ship is going to be ready on the 20
^th
. Also chase up with that brother of yours. He promised me to increase droid production.” Phil swiped his console. “I’ve just transferred the details to you. Let me know if there are any problems.”

“Fine Sir. Will do. Will that be all?”

“That should do it, though I’m not sure if my Ops Officer is ready to go home and help you pack.”

“Help him pack, huh!” said Rihan. She hit save and logged off. Then she got up and wrapped her arm around Dave. “But I am ready!” she said looking like a minx.

Chapter 3. Butros Alia 1900, 17 June

Dave decided it would be best to go to Butros Alia first and spend the night there. Aubrey never complained. She did however complain about being held back in reserve for the battle but eventually, albeit reluctantly, agreed to it.

Dave left Aubrey and Brennon in the dining room and decided to walk outside the facility and check on how the construction was going for the new missile battery that would provide point defence for the site. The work was going nonstop around the clock. They had huge flood lights lighting up the area like it was day. A flock of bats, that had obviously been disturbed, were flying overhead in chaotic patterns.

Dave introduced himself to the project supervisor and confirmed that they should be done in four days’ time. He also explained how the whole battery would be housed into the hill and effectively invisible. It was a fully automated battery with a mix of light and heavy launchers. Initial capability testing would be on the 22
^nd
followed by another round of testing on the 23
^rd
that would be synced into the planet wide missile network.

Dave made a note to follow up on manual override. He wanted to make sure they had a human controller stationed here that could take control if need be. Dave had experienced rogan short range jamming before and he didn’t want to have the defences fall foul of any jamming.

By the time he got back to the dining room, around 2000, there was no sign of Brennon or Aubrey. That brought a smile to Dave’s face. He grabbed himself a cup of coffee and headed back outside. He walked for a couple of minutes to get away from the flood lights. There was a freshening breeze. It even smelt like it might rain – a rare treat out here. Dave sat down on the edge of the apron and hailed Rihan.

“Hi honey what you doing?” he asked.

“Just having a cuppa. What about you?”

“Same, though I’m outside. Believe it or not but I think it might rain out here.”

“Well don’t you get wet without me.”

“No wouldn’t dream of it.”

“How’s Aubrey?”

“Otherwise engaged.”

“I see” said Rihan “You know she and I had a chat at lunch while you were with the Admiral.”

“Yeah, what about.”

“She was surprised that I opted for a staff job. She said I should have stuck at it and that if I had I probably would have got the Phantom over her.”

“What did you say?”

“We’ve shared so much, Aubrey and me, over the last few years but somehow I just didn’t think she’d understand. You know about wanting to have kids, creating a family.”

“We might be on the same train but we don’t all stop at the same stations.”

“Nor arrive at them at the same time.”

“Exactly” said Dave. “You’re not having second thoughts are you?”

“No…not really. It would have been nice to have my own command though. She really loves it. But no, I am doing what I want to be doing Dave….except you’re not here to help with you know what.”

“Is that right?”

“You don’t know what you’re missing mister.”

“Oh yes I do and I am missing it. I love you honey.”

“Ditto.”

Chapter 4. Tumos 0915, 18 June

Despite having helped draw up the plans for the defences at Deathly Hollows, Dave was unprepared for the scale of construction and the sheer scope of activity. On their approach Dave could see out the window of his shuttle that heavy machinery was constructing not only an automated missile battery but also a fortified bunker on either side of the entrance and one opposite on the far side of the runway.

Referring to the one on the far side, Dave said to Aubrey “Look at that. What are they thinking?”

Aubrey shook her head. “They’ll have no chance of surviving.”

Dave began searching his notes on his console. He confirmed that all he had said was fortified positions covering the entrance. “Well I certainly didn’t specify that.”

After touching down Dave and Aubrey went over to the workers around the bunker on the far side. They just asked him to speak with the supervisor who was on the facility side. It ended taking over an hour to get the supervisor to stop the construction on the far side.

Mani invited them both up to his office for morning tea. “You look annoyed Captain” said Mani. Dave explained his frustration. “Sometimes it’s meant to be Captain. We can’t be everywhere at once.”

“Perhaps but mistakes like that cost lives” said Dave.

“Try one of these” said Mani offering Dave a tray with some cakes on it. He was quite keen to brighten Dave’s mood, especially with the bad news he was about to impart.

But Dave declined. “No thanks. What I would like from you is confirmation that the Resolute will be ready on the 20
^th
.”

“Yes well that was what I wanted to speak to you about too.”

“Yes?” said Dave, fearing the worst.

“Well I’m afraid Charles’ tests highlighted a problem with our solution for the life support systems.” Dave looked like he was suffering. Mani continued “But the good news is we have a fix, but it’s not going to be here till tomorrow.” Dave’s gaze was now boring into Mani’s eyes and Mani felt the pressure. “That will push back sign off till the 22
^nd
I’m afraid.” Dave gave a light shake of his head and for a moment closed his eyes. “But this will allow us to complete the engine upgrade” said Mani gesturing with his hands like he was actually building the craft before Dave’s eyes. “Of course we’ll need you to test that as a priority on the 23
^rd
and 24th.”

“Gee Mani you know how to pile on the pressure. We’re expecting the enemy to warp in here on the 25
^th
and I’ll be doing trials the day before. Have you considered the fact that we may have to deploy within the system?”

“Not a problem Captain” said Mani, feeling that he was now on firmer ground, “with this new drive you will be able to warp and buster anywhere within the system in three hours. Just ask the good Commander here.” He finished with a perfectly innocent smile, which proved infectious.

Aubrey began smiling and added “it’s true, we did it the other day.”

“All right Mani but mark my word I will be here on the 22
^nd
and it had better be ready. You don’t want to see me angry.”

Aubrey was shaking her head, “No you don’t.”

Mani believed them. Keen to change the topic he suggested “Would you like to see where we are going to house your marines?”

Chapter 5. Nova Vista 1820, 18 June

It was a tired Dave Warner that entered his apartment in Nelson’s Tower. He was hoping to find solace in the arms of his wife but Rihan was still at HQ working on the mods to the scenarios after the first day of wargaming.

He took a beer from the fridge and put his feet up on the poof in front of his favourite lounge chair. He took a good sip and eased back in the chair. His eyes may have been looking out into the twilight – it would soon be dark – but his focus was not on the almost constant take-offs and landings at the spaceport. No he was recalling how happy Brennon seemed.

A smile came over Dave’s face. He rubbed his hand against the stubble that was now growing on his chin. The physical friction of that act reminded him of how much friction there had been in his brother’s life since that dreadful accident when he lost his child. His wife had been a bastard. It was one thing to have blamed Brennon for the death and even to leave him. But to move to Earth and take his only surviving child was nothing but a bastard act. Brennon had been miserable ever since.

But now he was happy again. Zest had returned and so too had passion in the form of Aubrey. Dave smiled as he recalled how Brennon had grinned at him as he hugged Aubrey goodbye.