Coming Home (Free Fleet Book 2) (10 page)

I watched tensely as a half hour passed, seemingly like a lifetime, and as a private call came in, I took it.

"Generators will take three days with the entire crew of the factory ships," Eddie said and I took a minute to realize what he was talking about.

"Alright, get it started if you can trust them."

"I do. They're of the same bloodline as me," he said, making it seem absurd that they wouldn't.

"Okay," I said, thinking I would have to look up why that was so important. Maybe they where family members. He could probably tell I was distracted by my tone because he cut the channel. I continued watching my shuttles. They where inside the Syndicates PD envelope.

"We have fire coming from one of the battle cruisers!"

"One of the destroyers is firing!"

I felt my blood go cold as I saw the shuttles jinking and taking fire, some of them where ripped apart.

"Five shuttles destroyed, six shuttles. The weapon systems have been destroyed and our forces are moving to reinforce the Commandos already on board," the combined arms officer said.

Again, I settled into waiting as I read reports filled with casualties and gruesome numbers and names of those who where so close to Earth but would never make it back to their home planet alive, whether it be Earth or AIH or the Kuruvian and Sarenmenti's home worlds. More ghosts to occupy my sleep. I kept my face a measured mask from years of practice as I looked over the names, my heart aching for the people I'd taken into battle but wouldn't make it back. I assured myself it was for a good cause, but a part of me questioned what good cause was worth all of those people dying.

Fourteen shuttles later, the ships stopped firing. There were a hundred and fifty commandos on board each.

Two hours later and the station was under my command and the Syndicate ships that had been running had turned around for Earth.

"Alright, cut orders to the ships to join with the station to affect repairs. Ships are to be repaired in this order." I sent a file to the combined arms and comms officers and they began cutting orders to make it happen.

I felt physically exhausted and emotionally dead.

“Helm, dock us with the station.” Engines fired, meaning that we where open to any and all attacks as we came alongside the station and docked.

I opened up a channel to the intel department based on my ship, not wanting to bother the busy comms officer.

"Commander Salchar, we've been collecting transmissions from across the planet as soon as we went full emission and the situation on Earth is complicated, to say the least. Mecha's were found in Japan and they took out what are being called collector ships. The ones that grabbed us from the ground. Everyone launched their nukes but the Syndicate took them out when they reached space and then cleared the planet of them, down to power plants. Though every country that can make nukes, have been in a mad rush to rebuild their weapons.

“Any kind of resistance was dealt with harshly, usually in the form of Syndicate forces dropping a KEW on people. The Syndicate made each country supply them with a certain quota of materials, if they fell below the quote people where recruited from that country. Some countries, like the United States, took other countries resources to pay for their own quota as they built up their military. There has been increased tension on Earth with multiple conflicts between world powers. Militaries have been heavily recruiting. In the United States, about seventy percent of the population have signed up with the military for warmth, shelter, and to fight the Syndicate forces.

“The president believes that America would have not befallen this fate if it hadn't abided by the Geneva Convention and laws of armed conflict, or really any rules in any conflict. He believes that America should rightly own the world and has turned ninety percent of the recruits he's got into what he's called the American Space Force. It's corrupt to all hell and the soldiers are crap, nothing more than bullies in uniform, and their officers are political up to the hilt. Most of them came from civilian agencies, knowing that that civilian control was dead, and will do anything to get a higher rank. They don't care about their troops unless it messes with their schedule.

“Every country has cut their ties to the United States. All of the other countries are united for once on two things: their hatred for the Syndicate and their wariness of the United States."

"Is that wariness warranted?”

“I would say so. I've pulled a letter from the presidents secured terminal and found out that he had gained the Syndicates approval to “bring the planet Earth under one stable ruler."

"That doesn't sound good at all."

"No, sir, with our arrival, I expect for there to be people vying for our favor, to take sides and to stop a conflict. Overall, Earth is tired. Except for the United States, who, with a combination of propaganda and change to total militarization of the country, they're spoiling for a fight."

"So, it's the metaphorical powder keg and we might be the match."

"Exactly."

"Well, seems like my job isn't getting any easier. Is there a way I contact the leaders of the world?"

"You could set up a summit, though you would need to go in person as they won't negotiate with anyone that is floating above them and controlling the orbitals."

"Alright, see if you can set up this meeting for me. Contact me if you need anything."

"Yes, commander." They cut the channel as I looked over the bridge. It had been a day and a half since we'd fired our first volley of missiles; everyone was only on their feet due to Wake Up.

"Alright, Rick, take everyone down to twenty five percent. Combined Arms, work with the medics to get aid to everyone."

"Sir," They replied, sounding determined but tired.

"I'll be in the station," I said.

"I'll take a survey of the ship," Rick said, putting the fourth watch commander in charge of the Resilient.

 My protection detail fell in around me as I made my way to the dock, pausing and talking to my people as I saw them, though mostly nodding or giving tired two finger salutes as we went about our jobs.

The bulkheads inside the station, as well as the hatches, showed the severe fighting that had occurred within the stations tight confines. Lights flickered and sparks showered the halls as we continued on. I quickly moved to where an impromptu medical bay had been made. I walked in, finding the cramped room filled with harried doctors and wounded.

"Eddie, I need a work detail to my location, now. I am sending you the structural information of the area I'm in. I need med bays set up immediately in this area; I don't care if they're ripped from the training rooms and planted here. I'm expanding this med bay over four rooms and back two."

"I see; be there momentarily." I heard yelling as I cut the channel. I turned to my protection detail around me and any AMC still moving.

"Alright, we're expanding the medical bay. Cut down those walls, now!" I jumped in with my men and as we hacked the walls down more wounded where brought in. Eddie and his group arrived minutes later as we'd gone through the first wall. Eddie barked orders loud as any battlefield commander as his people rushed around the station getting what they needed. An army of droids followed them, connecting medical bays to the power sources available and bringing other unused medical bays into the room. Quickly, wounded were placed in the remorseless medical bays which did their gruesome work without painkillers, only bringing relief to their charges when they passed out from the pain.

James kept expanding the med bay with Eddie and any engineers they could find. As soon as a med bay was completed, it was filled. There seemed to be no end to the wounded.

I lost the track of time until I got to the last wall. Med bays, ripped from across the station, filled the rough space encompassing two training rooms, a few storage closets, and a large multi person bathroom.

 "See what you can help with. I'm going to talk to the injured Commandos." They started to protest as I raised my hand.
"Krom, you can come, but these are your brothers and sisters. We need to do everything for them that we can." Without another word they got to work, putting their first aid skills to use as I walked around, talking to those that could talk and assuring them. I told them what was going on, how we'd taken the station thanks to their efforts, how they had saved my world, or their own world, and my deep thanks and praise for them. Some of them tried to get out of bed to go back and help their squads but, thankfully, Krom pressed a hand, keeping them down, and my severe glance ended their complaints.

***

I heard the commotion of a particularly stubborn Commando trying to get back to the now finished battle.

This is why our doctors are armored,
I thought to myself with a grin.

"Mrs. Cook, please, you need to sit down. Someone get me a tranquilizer!" I turned, seeing the bloodied, ragged, and cut Mecha that enclosed my wife. Before I knew it, I had crossed the room and was pulling her helmet off.
"Yasu," I said in wonder as I looked at her. She looked like hell, her armor open in a dozen places, her shoulder ragged and bleeding.
 A doctor was beside me as I looked at Yasu, her eyes searching for the next attacker. I threw my gauntlets at Krom and held her head. Her eyes snapped to me and I felt any anger I had for her disappear as she looked into my eyes, realizing who I was and a small, sad, tired smile appeared on her face.
"James," She half whispered half said as she let unconsciousness take her. I opened her suit manually with the doctors and they began hauling her into a med bay. More wounded were following her as I got my gauntlets from Krom and we helped get people out of their Mechas so the doctors could treat them.
I forgot time as I opened countless Mechas, pulling the wounded and mangled AMC from them for doctors to attempt to put back together. Henry found me some time later helping to hold down wounded as doctors did their work. He detailed his men to take over as he pulled me outside.
“We’ve made contact with the governments of the world and they each want to talk to you.”
I nodded, not having the energy to wear a mask. I felt numb as he guided me past yet more wounded that where streaming in from shuttles and ships.
I walked into the command center, my mask falling into place as I stood straighter and studied the room, which had seen better days, alien blood and bits where everywhere and craters looking like it had come down to grenades were visible in the floor. Techs were putting the room back in order with Mechas doing the heavy lifting. The intelligence officer that I’d talked to earlier walked up to me as I entered. There was too much noise to hear if anyone had called out my presence, so I thankfully kept my arm down.
“I’ve talked to the different nations on your behalf; they’ve agreed to have a meeting in Canada. I don’t want to show them how badly damaged we are, or this command center, so that they can gain information.”

I nodded, agreeing with the man's logic as I let him guide me away.
He turned to one of the rooms that were directly connected to the control center, finding inside a conference table with the intelligence group at one end as I sat at the other.
“Before we start, get me some Wake Up.” They all went out, which I found kind of odd, as I noticed Henry had followed me, waving them out.
“How are the Syndicate and recruit prisoners?”
“There’s a few hard Syndicate believers. The human recruits are in a bad state. Though many of them are closer to civilians than to savages, so I think we should allow them to decide what they need. The savage like ones, I think we should train them, at least give them some bearing. Also, with Earth right there we can hopefully get some more shrinks to make sure they’re okay. Our ones are overtaxed with just us.”
“See it's done. How are the Commandos?”
“They’re tired and strung out. I’ve got my people down to the lowest levels of readiness that I can with a good mind, Have to order those not on duty to rest; they keep on helping in the med bay or to fix their ships and the station up. We’re so used to having to be always ready and most of them are cross trained on something, so they’re falling back on their secondary skills and helping out. It’s tripled our workforce with the new droids that we’ve found, plus, the crews of the factory ships and of the station and Syndicate ships are helping out if possible on non-critical systems.”
“So the question is, to let them continue to keep working and burn out afterwards, or to make them rest for now.”
“Yes, with them we can get most of the ships at minimal standards in two days, without it’ll be closer to a week.”
“Force half of them to sleep; they need it. Get them to make sure that their barracks are good and secured then have them get at least six hours of sleep and an hour of maintenance. Then place as many as we need on security and have the rest cycle through that as you make the second group sleep.”
“I’ll see to it,” he said, about to leave.
“What about the assault force from Earth?” he asked.

I sighed. “They’re secured in a broken shuttle on the Resilient.”
“I’ll go and have a look at them after this. You need some sleep, Commander,” he said as he made his way out.

“You do too, Commander!” I heard a snort as he walked away. Krom and Janice glided into the room and took up position behind the pickup that the intelligence group had set up. I looked at my hand covered in blood. I wondered how I looked as I put my gauntlets and helmet on the table which I’d secured for myself at sometime. They too where encrusted in blood. I sighed as I sat back in my chair which squeaked with my weight but helped as I began thinking about what had to be done now. It seemed everywhere I went and whatever I did, I always had more to do. I swept back my hair and tied it in place, trying to look a bit more presentable.
The intelligence officer returned with a Wake Up clear liquid ampule which I put in my suits receptacle. It used the auto injector to deliver it into my entire system and my fatigue was washed away within seconds. I shook myself, waking up as the other members of the intelligence group filed into the room and sat behind terminals.
“We’ve been able to contact the nations and they’ve agreed to the meeting, though we didn’t tell them that they would be part of a conference. We thought that if they knew then they wouldn’t have all agreed to it…”
“Good work.”
Hologram projectors shimmered as an alien symbol appeared. Then as one the holograms showed the leaders of every nation in the world. It was strange, I had seen these people on television less than two years ago, and now I was addressing them as the most powerful person in the solar system with a fleet of ships.
“Hello, representatives of Earth.” I could see the president of the United States look at me darkly as well as a few other leaders as their screens showed the other leaders of the worlds nations. Their political training caused them to recover quickly and keep their composure, but I’d learnt to tell what people where thinking even as they had a mask. Those that weren’t angry were confused and surprised by my looks. I would be to if I was looking at a six foot human in a Mecha covered in blood, and the signs of battle with one red eye hidden by hair, while the other looked out at the video pickup.
“My name is Commander Salchar. Though I am registered as James Cook in the United states and Choi Joo Mi in Korea.” The Korean president was the only one that hadn’t been shocked. I’d met him on multiple occasions and his grandchildren where avid Mecha Assault fans. He smiled knowingly as I half bowed to him with him returning the gesture for measure.
“As of today, if you accept the terms of the Free Fleet we will protect the Sol System and help Earth and her population get into space.”
“Wait, you want us to agree to be slaves again. I do not think so,” The Russian president said, everyone around the table agreeing with him.
“Not slaves, plus, do you think my fleet—made up with a large amount of humans— would accept that? Definitely not. The terms are simple: allow people to join the Free Fleet as they desire and provide us with support so that we can keep the fleet working. Basically, instead of each having a huge military you can cut back to, say, twenty percent then give us a tithe of what you were giving your armed forces and use the rest to get into space.”
“We will have to look at these terms before we agree to them,” someone said, my tired brain not registering who.
“Of course, the rates of what you will have to support, in resources and monetarily, will be waived for the immediate future. Earth needs to rebuild and we’ve got four factory ships to do just that. Plus a station that we can turn into living quarters for close to a million people. Also, the moon and the asteroid belt just got closer.” I could see their imaginations working as they thought of the opportunities in the future.