Federation Reborn 2: Pirate Rage (107 page)

“I just got in. I've been buried up to my ears in paperwork,” she said dryly as she leaned against the counter for the nurse's station. She crossed her arms as the celebration quieted. “So before we get more of our patients upset, let's see what this is all about.”

“Ma'am,” the nurse said as she pointed to the news broadcast. Helen looked up to catch the recap. Celebrations were breaking out all over the planet. She pursed her lips as she heard the news that the ships that had hammered her home planet had been caught and torn apart by the fleet.

She finally looked down to the nurses. She nodded. “Well! Good! That is a relief,” she admitted, smiling. "If there is a hell, I hope they are roasting in it."

“It's a hell of a thing, ma’am,” the RN said with a broad grin, echoing her sentiment. “Now we can sleep easy at night.”

“True,” the doctor replied, looking about her. She wasn't about to interrupt their celebration now that she knew it was good news. She caught an orderly's sour look though and frowned at him. “What's the problem, Jed?”

He looked up and then shrugged. “It's a start,” he said grudgingly. "There will be more. There always is more."

She nodded. “It is indeed,” she murmured, patting him on the shoulder in passing. “But we're not going to let them stop us from doing what is right. Life goes on,” she murmured.

“Code Blue!” the hospital's computer called out. “Floor 3, room 313. Code Blue …”

“At least for some of us,” the doctor sighed, picking up her pace.

Author's Afterword:

Wow what a book! I had intended to go a bit further, but I snipped it off for the next one. :)

I didn't expect this book to run so long. Then when it started to get long, I thought it would run longer. I ran through a see saw of emotions regarding that.

I've been made aware through some of the betas that my shorter books were not very … appealing. That I missed the mark with Admiral Irons and Sprite. That they should have been grieving and dealing with Defender's loss in
Battle Lines
.

Perhaps. I know I didn't handle it well. Perhaps he didn't either. I'm not sure. It is a bit late in the game for him to grieve, but I did try to address some of the concerns here.

Originally, this book's first act was
supposed
to have taken place in parallel with
Battle Lines
. Some of it did indeed, but not as much as I'd originally planned. Oh well.

If you are like Jory and you're a bit put out over the lack of additional detail on Bek, sorry, I was planning to write it up in a short story called "
My Darling Caroline.
" The same for the
Bismark Incident
, and Mara's in
Catch22
. Commodore Logan's new adventure in Bek is going to be its own book or novella, and oh, a couple dozen other things I left clues about in this and other books have their own stories. :)

I'd like to thank Minion Mike Kotcher, Andrew Sivula, and Matt Malecki for submitting names in the governor contest. Thank you. I may not have gotten into their detailed bios, but I will eventually. :)

As usual you can read my musings, tidbits, news, see artwork, and other things on my blog.

Cast:

Orbital fortress guarding B450 jump point: (chapter 1)

Lieutenant Commander Carlos Santina: Commander B-450a fortress. Wife Iona, has kids.

CPO Be': Veraxin Tactical section -male

Corporal Mariko Yoshida: Marine. Asian female, Wolverine Chimera. High healing factor, claws in her forearms. Super soldier, enhanced senses. From Konahagakure, missing nin shinobi.

Private Ziller -Mariko squad

Luka -PFC partner of Walker

Corporal Walker -Mariko squad

Fleet Admiral Irons staff:

G-1 ops LTCMDR/CMDR/Captain JG Trojan VARGESS -replaced w/ -1st Lt Otto Turner

Lt Otto Turner deputy. -1st lt

lt jg Robin Siegel junior deputy. -promoted

G-2 intelligence OPEN -acting -Lieutenant Lake to be replaced with LTCMDR Montgomery -Monty promoted to Captain JG.

Deputy LT Lake -promoted to LCMDR

Deputy LT Fletcher

Ensign Yao Ting -Promoted to 2nd LT

G-3 schools training Jani MATILDA -lt, promoted to ltcmdr J3 -Promoted to captain JG PR

deputy: Historian Ensign Olivia Raynor -promoted to LT

G-4 ships -Lt Commander Vestri Sindri -promoted to CMDR

G-5 personnel -lt jg female Veraxin Qr'll'ck -promoted to 1st LT

G-6 Communications- electronics-ensign Ch't'te Veraxin -promoted to LTJG

G-7 JAG- Veraxin -

G-8 logistics - Lieutenant Fuentes -replaced by Neo?? LCMDR Portia Bloodhound

G-9 medical- lt commander Nara Thornby -promoted to Captain JG

deputy: Lt Che

G-10 Fighter command: LCMDR (PR) Carnique Overall command Captain JG Junior Valdez

G-11 Fortress command: Commander Tra'jeki

deputy 1st Lieutenant Waters Brightly

RM-resource manager-Fletcher: -AI Intel officer. Ensign/lieutenant- Fletcher

Chief Warrant officer Riley Quigon -chief engineer. noncom warrant. Helped to build the base as well as blackbird. Neogorilla male. Senior most noncom of fleet.

Captain Thomas Burrows: Admiral Irons security detail leader. (cameo)

Lao Cho-LCMDR liaison to the senate -court martialed and reassigned.

R&D and Xeno Virus hunter: LCMDR Yao Li Wong - He is a Chimerian, he'd changed himself into a birdman early in his teen years before signing up with the navy. He had blended elements of Terran eagles with ravens to reform his head into a bird like shape. He had a impressive bird crest of black and brown feathers, a sharp bird of prey's beak, and large yellow piercing eagle eyes.

His body was covered in short down like black feathers. His hands had been scaled and reformed into taloned hands. The talons were long and black. The admiral had never gotten into the fad of bioforming one self. To go through the pain and suffering of changing your shape for fashion? He had been happy the way he'd been. Synergist, tech wizard.

Works with LT Veber, Sprite, and other computer geeks. (see PB, betas)

Jory Gray -promoted

Commander Snider -IG office top officer

Lieutenant Commander Woods -IG officer XO

Chief Able- chief engineer of Collier 4. Transferred to IG section of Yard.

Yeoman Tracy Cho -Morning shift yeoman for the admiral, 4 days a week. Female. -KIA

Yeoman Uma Lajoy -new Morning shift Yeoman for Admiral Irons -replaces Tracy

Yeoman Onj'll -Veraxin yeoman for admiral Irons. graduated college and OCS took commission to Ensign and reassigned.

1st lieutenant Kinja -mahogany woman, engineer. Good engineer. Lesbian. Worked as assistant engineer to Sindri on Bounty before taking a posting with Captain Hoshi on Le More. Bad break up with Hoshi at Richalu.

Served on ship until the fleet reached Antigua. Signed up for commission. Chief engineer of Cutlass and deputy yard foreman.

Lieutenant Commander Woods: Replacement for Panski. Whiner. Former deputy Yard manager in Pyrax. Promoted to Lt Commander and sent to Antigua to build the yard. Sindri has him by date of rank. -IG office?

1st Lieutenant (GP) LCMDR (PR) Carnique -fighter commander in Antigua

Ensign Yao Ting - newly promoted from midshipman. Lake snagged him for intel.

Sergeant Sn'll -Veraxin ROTC trainer and recruiter at Antigua prime university.

1st Lieutenant Waters Brightly: Elf. Former midshipman AI/ computer sciences student at Anvil college just after founding of navy there. Served on several picket ships before being transferred to yard and then the fortresses. Transferred to Antigua.

commander Tra'jeki : Veraxin- In Fools gold was a midshipman AI/computer student at anvil college with Waters Brightly. Served in the yard as an avionics and computer manager before being transferred to oversee fortress construction. Transferred to Antigua

Commander George Sung -Intelligence commander

Antigua Prime:

Antigua Prime college:

History professor: Professor Wilks

AP (assistant Professor) Miss Thornson -female, chimera. She was 3 meters tall, with elf like ears that wrapped around her head to join at the tips. She had milk white skin with blue bioluminecent marks all over her body, a feline flattened nose, and wide cat like golden eyes. She had long golden hair in a braid that went to her waist. She apparently preferred flowing silk garments in her wardrobe to accentuate her lithe long frame and long fingers.

Lieutenant commander Yung -fief builder. Pilot. former commanding officer of Lt Susora. Bulldog Asian face but lean frame.

Commander Shedra: Commanding officer of Yung. Noted his alien bigotry.

Commander Kyodai Mushi -wing commander (CAG) Spirit of America. From Pyrax. Asian.

Antigua:

Clark Daly, so called copper king of the Butte area

Pyrax:

Captain JG I'rll, Veraxin. Deputy to Horatio, replacement.

BEK:

10 civilian, 10 officer delegates

8 civilian delegates, 2 officer delegates from Nuevo

Vice Admiral Yorgi Sienkov- older man, near retirement. Silver hair, silver eyes, red skin. Interested in intelligence. Takes on Cabinet position.

Rear Admiral Melvin Zekowitz -engineering admiral. Prefers to go by Zek. hands on. -Returns to Bek with Commodore Logan.

Captain SG Ch'ch'tt -Veraxin -female -Antigua

Captain JG Liota Chavez -female, red hair. -remains in Pyrax as liaison

Lieutenant Commander Swish clack -T'clock -female -Antigua

1st Lieutenant Barrack Coklin -neochimp -engineer -Remains in Pyrax as liaison

1st LT Siobhan Blackyip -Neodog -Antigua

Major Theodore Edward Bear IIXXX -neopolar bear Marine -Goes to Agnosta.

Lieutenant Elvis Yaeger -flag lieutenant to Sienkov -Neochimp -Remains with Admiral

Lieutenant JG Oprah Si -flag lieutenant to Zekowitz -human female -Returns to Bek with her Admiral.

Lieutenant Colonel Pasha 1010111 -Nuevo army militia officer -Goes to Agnosta

Lieutenant Olivia Lincoln -Nuevo Army militia officer -Goes to Agnosta

Moira Sema -head civilian delegate, lt governor of Bek blue hair. Interested in Secretary of State position

Riami Torq -Nuevo head civilian delegate

Jeremy Feurguson -Nuevo delegate

Dwight Houser -doctor Neo orangutan Nuevo delegate

Epsilon Trianglua:

Commander Helen Richards -doctor, reservist

Nohar Yellow Tiger Rajestan -neotiger, former cyborg, former army ranger of the 501st. sergeant.

Ships:

Jr Captain Dwight Harris: Promoted to senior captain. returned to Antigua to take up command of BC
Dawning of a New Day

Lieutenant Commander Samantha Jurgison -BC captain

Planned Prowler:

2nd Lieutenant Yuki Susora: natural pilot, parents dead. From Ten Song island on Majipore. Flew dirigibles. Wears a feathered jacket when off duty.

Midshipman Bright-day -Veraxin from Seti Alpha 4's Icornia continent. Intelligence

Ensign David Hammerschtel- classmate of Bright-day. Leader. Intel officer

Lieutenant Peneker -Intelligence officer in charge of Bright-Day and Hammerschtel's analysis section. Also their training officer.

Protodon:

Captain Ker'll -CMDR captain of Freedom. Veraxin

LCMDR -Bengkulu -Sumatran orangutan

Commander Nambi -captain of Fortress 1 B95a3

Commander T'roi -captain of Xiten'xha, HC left in charge of Protodon

Rear Admiral Amadeus White -Neochimp commander of all forces in star system and TF22. Sleeper

1st LT Jojo -Admiral's chief of staff. Neochimp

CMDR Kyle Offenger -Ops officer

Lieutenant commander Garfield the 3346 -Neocat, orange. tactical officer

1st Lieutenant Kelly Guadino -neogorilla -intelligence officer

2nd Lieutenant Aleck Rowland -navigational officer

C'v'll -Veraxin steward to the admiral

Yeoman Berkowitz -yeoman for the admiral

Governors:

Sedrick 'Harper' Collins the Neochimp governor of Triang: reportedly a descendant of Colonel Harper Collins, made famous during the First A.I. War.

Boss Tweed: Acting Governor of Epsilon Triangula From Tammany Hall. Moderately corrupt. (Submitted by Matt Malecki)

Jed Clampbett -Governor of Agnosta - human male, wheat farmer and part owner of a beer distillery, less than forty miles from the Marine base. (Looks like the character from Beverly Hillbillies) Son Jethro has joined the Marines (and often gets a lot of guff because he shares a name with Gunny McClintock) and daughter Elly May is working in the machine shop, fixing tractors and other farm equipment. Jed is popular with the locals and often called upon for solving disputes among the local population, also acts as liaison between the Federation personnel and the local farmers and fishermen. Granny (otherwise known as Eunice Clampett) is a closet biochemist, self-teaching using Irons' teaching tools, working on increasing the medicinal properties of the local fauna... as well as perhaps making a few jugs of shine in the family still. Jed isn't as well educated as others around in the various towns and villages, but he has a knack for solving problems and getting people to sit down and hash out differences.

(submitted by Mike Kotcher)

Governor Saladin of Pyrax

Parvati Das the governor of Seti Alpha 4,- human female, friend of former Io 11's kidnapped Doctor's wife. Tall and curvaceous, dark-haired, she would be beautiful, but was afflicted with a pox at a young age, leaving her scarred. Once the doctor appeared on the planet and the hospital was set up, she was instrumental in helping to divvy up any supplies and see to patients. She moves in as his nurse and then as a traveling doctor. Receiving dermal abrasion and regeneration treatments, her beauty is restored and people start taking a new notice to her. After a short period of time she has gained a following among the local towns and camps, and by acclaim was elected leader. She reluctantly agrees, simply because no one else is taking the job and everyone is looking to her. She remains humble, never forgetting that only a few short years ago she was the scarred, ugly woman that few had the time for but now the males are clamoring for. She was among the first to request a Federation Navy/Marine base here on SA4. (submitted by Mike Kotcher)

Wynona Lane governor of Gaston - human female, mid-fifties, dark skin, dark hair, midwife, barber, and local busybody. She knows everyone, her looks haven't faded, and it's clear in her youth, she was a looker. Knows how her looks affect men (and women) and is friends with a pair of Neo-cats as well as members of the T'clock clan. People tend to congregate around the smithy in the colder months and she was among the first to get and use some of the trade goods brought by Irons and Io11's group. Used these devices to garner and trade favors with other people of power, including the others in power. Has been petitioning any and all of the cargo ships that come this way to get them more transport vehicles, farm equipment, even some air transport (light fixed wing aircraft). Wants to explore the local area, perhaps find other settlements, and extend the hand of friendship. In truth, she's looking for more angles, more favors.

(submitted by Mike Kotcher)

Farvalis Weng the governor of Senka - human male, of Asian descent, very pale skin, almost alabaster as a combination of genetics and time aboard space stations and ships. Family is owner of a pair of large mineral refineries, one of the first families to recover from the Xeno war, shrewd businessman, ruthless in the boardroom, but not entirely uncaring about the people in either his employ or under his rule. Former manager on Station Shenguo Shi, (Life Stone), before going into politics.

(submitted by Mike Kotcher)

Beam Piper -Governor of New Texas he is a neo known as a Fuzzy standing only. .67 meters tall covered in golden fur from head to tail, is known to smoke a pipe he got his position due to pure cursedness, he is a former cow poke who rode dogs to manage his herds and gunslinger par excellence which helps with New Texas's unique take on political discourse, also known to honest to a fault (-Submitted by Andrew Sivula)