Interstellar War (The Pike Chronicles Book 5) (5 page)

“I still can’t believe it,” said Kevin, looking out the shuttle window at the devastation below. “They turned the Earth into a wasteland.”

“We’ll clean it up,” said Jon. “The Diakans have restored nuked planets before. They’re getting their equipment ready as we speak.”

“I just don’t understand it. All those people. Billions of them. Dead. Why would the Juttari do this?” said Kevin.

“They see you as a threat,” said Colonel Bast.

“A threat? Earth? How is that possible?” said Kevin.

“The Juttari either see planets as resources, or threats. When they saw Earth as a resource, they occupied it. Something has changed this view, and now they are afraid. That is why the have tried to exterminate the population.”

“They should be afraid,” said Jon, staring out at the scarred landscape. “They’re going to pay for what they’ve done.”

“But I still don’t understand how they can see Earth as a threat,” said Kevin.

“It’s not Earth, it’s humanity,” said Jon, looking at the two men. “You’ve heard of the Great See’er?”

“Yeah, she’s the Diakan oracle,” said Kevin.

Jon nodded. “Apparently she’s had visions about humanity, and about me in particular. She says we’re going to rise to power in the galaxy.”

“You think these visions are why the Juttari nuked Earth?” said Kevin.

“It’s possible,” said Jon.

“But why would they believe a Diakan prophecy?” said Kevin.

“Perhaps it is not the Diakan prophecy they believe,” said Bast.

“I don’t understand,” said Jon, intrigued by Bast’s comment.

“The Juttari are zealots. Everything they do is related to their religion. It is often said that their gods give them guidance, and have helped them build their empire. The Juttari have a caste of holy men who are said to speak directly to the gods. This caste relays the divine guidance, and the Juttari act on that guidance.”

“Are you saying the Juttari have the same prophecy as the Diakans?” said Jon. “That that’s why they nuked the Earth? Because they’re afraid humanity will rise to power?”

“It is possible.”

“If that’s true, the colonies are in just as much danger as Earth,” said Kevin. “Colonel Steeg had said they sent a message back about the colonies before the AI freed them.”

“I’ve been thinking about the colonies, and if all this is true, it only makes things more urgent,” said Jon. “We need to unite humanity. The colonies, Sol, we all need to be together in this.”

“But the colonies are over a thousand light years away from Sol, with Kemmar space in between us,” said Kevin.

“I know,” said Jon, resolutely. “That’s why I’m giving you command of the Vanguard.”

“Sir?”

“I’m sending you back to the colonies,” said Jon. “You are hereby promoted to the rank of Captain.”

“Sir, I respectfully ask that you to reconsider. Surely there’s someone better qualified.”

“No, your it, Captain St. Clair. You are going to take command of the Vanguard, and you are going back to New Byzantium. You’ll take a couple of Diakan and Chaanisar ships with you, should you run into any trouble. When you get to the colonies, you are going to figure out how to activate their jump gate.”

“The jump gate? But that’s been inactive for over five hundred years? Do we even know where it is?”

“I’m sure Prime Minister Sallas does. He’s pretty good at that sort of thing. As for the activation, the Diakans will know how. At any rate, opening the jump gate is the only way we can unite and protect both Sol and the colonies. If the Juttari decide to attack the colonies, we can send a fleet through it to protect them. Without it we’re hopelessly divided.”

“I will go with him,” said Bast. “New Byzantium will not know the Vanguard, but they are familiar with the Ronin.”

“Good point. I agree,” said Jon.

“Thanks, Colonel,” said Kevin. “It’ll be good having you along.”

“Then it’s settled. The Ronin will act as escort. I’ll make arrangements for a few more ships to join you,” said Jon.

“Yes, Sir. If anything it’ll be fun seeing the old man again.”

“Tell Seiben that he’s a crusty old bastard, and that I’ll see him when we get the jump gate up and running,” said Jon.

Yes, Sir,” Kevin laughed.

Captain Shaw cracked his knuckles as he warily eyed the tactical display in front of him. On the screen, a cluster of red icons approached his ship’s position. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation was far worse. Those icons were actually Kemmar warships, and that cluster was a Kemmar fleet invading Rainer corporate space.

“Sir, Rainer corporation head office is ordering us to engage the Kemmar,” said the frightened communications officer.

“What? Have they lost their minds? Tell them we’re facing over a hundred warships,” said Captain Shaw angrily.

“I did, Sir. They are ordering us to stand our ground and fight.”

“Do they know that we are only ten ships?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Those bastards want us to stall them so that they have enough time to escape. They don’t pay me enough for suicide missions.
“Helm, turn this ship around.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Captain Shaw’s console flickered and displayed the ragged face of Commodore Marcy. “Captain Shaw, what do you think you’re doing?”

“We are retreating, Sir. I suggest you do the same.”

“Captain Shaw, you will get back into formation immediately, or you will be fired upon.”

“But Commodore, this is a suicide mission. We have no chance against that armada.”

“Don’t you have any family back on Rainer, Captain?”

“No, Sir. No family.”

“Well I do. Now listen to me you spineless worm. Our orders are to stand and fight, and that is exactly what we are going to do. We are going to buy time for Rainer, so that they can evacuate as many people as possible.”

So they can evacuate as many executives as possible,
Shaw thought bitterly.

“Captain Shaw, start moving your ship back into formation, or you will be destroyed.”

“You would fire on one of your own ships?”

“I would fire on a deserter, which is what you are about to become. It’s your choice Captain. Stay and fight like a man, or turn and die like a coward.”

Damn it. The old prick will do it too. And he’s right. We will be destroyed at this range.
“Helm, move us back into formation. Prepare to engage the enemy,” said Shaw grudgingly.

Commodore Marcy nodded. “Good choice, Captain. Let’s take out as many of those bastards as we can.” Marcy’s face disappeared from Shaw’s display, replaced by the tactical feed showing the advancing Kemmar fleet.

Once Shaw’s ship was back into formation the Commodore sent the order to advance. The Commodore directed the fleet to attack the Kemmar on their right flank. As they raced to intercept the armada, Shaw’s tactical display showed the Kemmar begin to break ranks and converge on the Rainer ships. He immediately saw they had no hope. The Kemmar were moving to surround them. Soon, any avenue of retreat would be blocked. They were done for.

“We are in weapons range, Sir,” said the tactical officer.

“Target the lead Kemmar warships. All weapons, fire at will.”

“Kemmar have launched missiles.”

“Deploy countermeasures.”

“Missiles closing. Countermeasures are diverting several missiles, but others are making it through. There are too many of them. Impact imminent.”

Shit
. Captain Shaw watched the progress of their own weapons, hoping at least to take a few Kemmar ships with them. The Kemmar countermeasures nullified some of the missiles. Many made it through, however, and ripped into Kemmar armor. A savage grin spread across his face as three of the Kemmar ships disappeared from his screen.

Flying backward, he wondered why he had never settled down. Never started a family. He wondered if that might have given more meaning to this moment. If he might have felt less empty. He decided that he should have negotiated harder for more money. That might have made a difference. When his head hit the bulkhead he heard his skull crack, giving way to the unyielding metal. He landed hard. His vision blurred, but surprisingly he remained conscious. Smoke billowed through the bridge, and he could only make out the shadows of some of his bridge crew. Some were trying to climb back to their feet, others lay on the floor, motionless. He heard the screams, the crying, but stayed silent. He felt no desire to call out. There was nothing to call out for. He simply waited for the end, feeling like there should have been something more.

“It’s confirmed, Rainer corporation has fallen to the Kemmar,” said General Calledonius with a scowl.

“Damn it,” said Prime Minister Sallas. “They didn’t waste any time.”

“No, Sir. They are moving as we predicted. The failed corporate attack on New Byzantium has left the other corporations vulnerable. The Kemmar are taking advantage of that weakness.”

“So, by that logic Meisser corporation will be next.”

“That would be the logical next move.”

Sallas rose to his feet and walked to the stately bay windows. He watched a couple of Guardsmen walking along the perimeter of the grounds. Everything had changed so much in such a short time, and it was about to get worse. “Can we do anything to help?” he said, looking back at Calledonius.

“No, Sir. If we send our ships, we will leave New Byzantium vulnerable. If we had the jump ships, we could harass the Kemmar and buy some time, but we don’t know if they’re ever coming back.”

“I’m sure they’ll return, General. The only question is if they’ll be back in time to make a difference. What about DLC Station?”

“What about them, Sir?”

“They were not part of the attack on New Byzantium, and that station is heavily fortified. Do you think the Kemmar will target them?”

“I think once they’ve conquer Meisser corporation, they can take their time with the rest of the colonies. They could isolate the target, blockade it for extended periods of time, and just wait for the right moment.”

“So, we could be facing a long siege.”

“Yes, Prime Minister. The attacks on Amboss, Rainer, and perhaps Meisser simply represent targets of opportunity.”

“Do you think we’ll have more time to prepare?”

“Nothing is certain. I believe the Kemmar have enough firepower in the colonies to defeat us. Of course, with each invasion that firepower diminishes, as they would need to leave an occupying force to secure the system. That said, I doubt they are worried about a counterattack.”

“So they won’t feel it necessary to leave a large force in each system.”

“Exactly.”

“That may not be true,” said Sallas. “Admiral Pike said that they engaged the Kemmar on multiple occasions, so the Kemmar know about the jump ships. If that’s the case, then they know that they can be attacked at any moment.”

“You may be right, Sir,” said Calledonius with a frown. “If Admiral Pike were still here, we would have an opportunity to reinforce that fear.”

“We might not need to. Their actions indicate that they know about our defeat of the corporate fleet, or else they wouldn’t be targeting those systems. They must know about the jump ships. Hopefully that knowledge alone is enough to keep them wary.”

“Agreed,” said Calledonius. “I’m too old to become a Kemmar slave.”

“Captain on the bridge,” announced Commander Hurley, while saluting Kevin.

“At ease, Commander,” said Kevin, returning the salute. It still felt odd being called Captain, stranger still, the legendary Commander Hurley was saluting
him
. It wasn’t too long ago that the roles would’ve been reversed, and Kevin could have easily ended up under Hurley’s command. He hoped, however, that having such an experienced XO would make the transition easier. That was important, considering the Vanguard’s recent history.

“How’s the crew holding up?” said Kevin.

“They’re on edge, Sir. I’ve been keeping them busy, but morale is very low.”

“I can’t say that I blame them,” said Kevin, his mind returning to the devastated Earth.

“I’ve completed a readiness report for you, Sir,” said Hurley.

“Thank you, Commander,” said Kevin, thankful to think of something else. Hurley was right in keeping the crew busy. He needed to keep himself busy too, otherwise his mind would keep returning to the horrors back home.

Kevin glanced around the bridge. Keeping the crew busy would only go so far. They needed answers, and a purpose. He knew the purpose most of them craved was revenge against the Juttari. Unfortunately, this mission wouldn’t match up to an attack on the Juttari. Still, it was an important piece of the puzzle, and the crew needed to understand that.

“Commander, I want to assemble the ship’s officers for a briefing on our mission. The sooner the better.”

“I can make it happen in a few hours, Sir.”

“Good. Do it. I’ll review your report in the meantime.”

***

Kevin surveyed the senior officers assembled in the ship’s main briefing room. They sat at attention on both sides of the long table. Mostly new faces. He’d not served with any of them before. That was probably a good thing.
A clean slate, for all of us
. He sat at the head of the table and Hurley took the seat directly to his right. The old warrior looked intimidating as ever, his face steel, his eyes like lasers.

Kevin had finally gotten around to reviewing his officers’ files, but he hadn’t yet met most of them in person. This meeting would dispense with that formality, while getting them all up to speed.

“For those of you who don’t know me yet, my name is Captain St. Clair, and I am the Vanguard’s new CO. I know that you all must have questions about our role, where you fit in, and what might happen next. I’m going to try and answer some of those questions for you.

“First off, you should all know that we’re working hard to pick up the pieces on Earth. We’ve all lost people we love. We’re all grieving. While we can’t change what took place, we can focus on our duties and our mission. I won’t lie. Earth’s got a long road ahead of her. But she
will
rebuild. The Diakans have brought some sophisticated equipment to help clean up the radiation. It’ll take some time, but it will get done.”

Kevin paused, examining the faces around him. He saw dejection. He couldn’t blame them, and he knew nothing he said today would change the way they felt. But he meant what he said. The best thing for all of them was to find purpose. They couldn’t afford to spend time wallowing in sorrow. It wasn’t good for them, the ship, or the mission.

“Space Force has been decimated,” Kevin continued. “The Vanguard is probably the only true Space Force ship remaining. The only reason it is still here is because you were on a mission to find the Hermes. My old ship. The rest of the fleet, your fleet, is one that came together out of necessity in the lost colonies. This fleet contains a large contingent of freed Chaanisar.” Kevin saw what he expected. Sorrow quickly shifted to anger. None of these officers were eager to think of the Chaanisar as anything other than the enemy. “Now I know what you’re all feeling, and I’ll tell you, I felt the same thing not long ago. You see these Chaanisar as our enemy. But I’m here to tell you that
these
Chaanisar are not. The Chaanisar that we’ve fought through the years were Juttari slaves.
These
Chaanisar are free. They’re no longer under Juttari control.”

“With all due respect, Sir, how can we know that?” said a formidable looking brunette he immediately recognized as Security Chief Elvera Sanchez.

“We know it because we’ve seen it. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the Kemmar by now. My Marines and I were captured while attacking their prison planet. We were tortured. Some were killed. Those Kemmar are nasty bastards, I can tell you that. The point is, we might still be on that planet if it weren’t for the Chaanisar.

“We were rescued by a crew of freed Chaanisar, who had mutinied and killed their Juttari masters. Those same Chaanisar helped us find our missing crewmen, and eventually Admiral Pike, then still a Captain. Through them, we discovered a way to free any Chaanisar we encountered using the Hermes AI.

“How do we know they’re free?” Kevin continued. “We know they’re free because of their actions, and because our AI has confirmed it. We all need to remember that these free Chaanisar are human. These are Earth’s children, taken by the Juttari and enslaved. Believe me when I tell you that nobody hates the Juttari more than these Chaanisar.”

He waited for Sanchez to offer another objection, but despite looking skeptical, she remained silent. He locked eyes with every other officer in the room, giving each one a chance to speak. No one did. Some seemed to share Sanchez’s skepticism. Others looked down at their hands. None seemed openly defiant. A good sign. He could work with that.

“We will soon be embarking on a very important mission. Earth has been ravaged, but the lost colonies are real, and there are billions of humans living there. Those humans are our future. There is a jump gate in the colonies that connects that region of space to the Sol System. That gate is not working. It is our job to find it, bring it back online, and unite humanity.”

Kevin paused to gauge their response. He could see the disappointment and, in some cases, disgust on many of his officers’ faces.

“I understand your disappointment,” continued Kevin. “We all want to spill Juttari blood, myself included. But trust me when I tell you that this is a very important part of that goal. The Juttari know the location of the colonies. We can’t protect both them and Earth without the gate. If we don’t get the gate online, and the Juttari attack, the colonies will meet the same fate as Earth. Humanity itself will be lost.”

He looked around the room again. There still wasn’t much enthusiasm in their faces. Words were poor weapons against raw emotions. He glanced over at Sanchez. She didn’t look convinced, but he knew from her file that she was a by the book officer. Like it or not, she’d tow the line.

“We will be escorted on our mission by two Diakan battleships, and two Chaanisar heavy cruisers.” Kevin looked to his navigation officer, Ensign Nairi Balian, an olive skinned woman with large eyes and long, curly chestnut hair. “Ensign Balian, we will lead the battle group. All ships will sync their jump systems to ours.”

“Understood, Sir,” said Balian. The young officer seemed attentive and professional. Kevin made a note of that.

He turned to Ensign Paul Michael, the tactical officer, a lanky light haired man who looked barely old enough to vote, let alone be a bridge officer. “Ensign Michael, you are going to test every inch of our weapon systems and ensure that they are primed and ready to destroy any enemy ship that crosses our path. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” Michael straightened his back and displayed a touch more enthusiasm.

He then spoke to the tightly muscled helmsman, Ensign Jared Hayes. A former hotshot fighter pilot who somehow ended up at the helm of the Vanguard. Kevin wondered why he made the switch. No star fighter pilot he ever knew would want to fly a lumbering battleship. His file didn’t mention the reason, but Kevin suspected there was an interesting story there. “Ensign Hayes, the same goes for you. Work together with Engineering and test every aspect of the ship’s engines. Improve response times until there is no room for improvement.”

“Yes, Sir. I’ll make sure the Vanguard is at one hundred percent.”

“Thank you, Ensign.”
Why aren’t you in the cockpit of a fighter?
It was a question for another time. Kevin liked the positive response from the helmsman. Positivity was what they all needed right now.

Looking back to Sanchez, Kevin said, “How are our Marines, Chief?”

“Ready for battle, Sir,” Sanchez said with obvious pride.

“Keep them that way.”

“I’ll make them miss boot camp, Sir.”

“What is the status of our arsenal?”

“Fully stocked, Sir.”

“Heavy weapons?”

“We have enough to take and hold any surface location for as long as we want.”

“Good.”

Kevin scanned their faces again. They looked more upbeat now. Ready to get to work.

“Are there any other questions?”

None.

“We’re leaving Sol in three days. I want this ship battle ready by then.”

His officers responded with a few half-hearted nods.

“I didn’t hear you!” barked Kevin.

“Yes, Sir!” they replied.

“Dismissed.”

The officers left the room, leaving only Commander Hurley.

“What’s on your mind, Commander?” said Kevin.

“Permission to speak freely, Sir.”

“Granted.”

“This mission’s bullshit.”

“You think so?”

“The Vanguard should be in the thick of battle, not playing galactic hopscotch.”

“Trust me, Commander, if there is one thing we’ll see a lot of, it’s battle. We need the colonies, and the colonies need us.”

“With all due respect, Sir, we need to hit the Juttari while we have a chance.”

“Admiral Pike is going to do just that.”

“The Vanguard should be part of it. Her guns are being wasted out in the colonies.”

Kevin smiled. “Those guns will be put to use. There are plenty of bad guys to go around.”

“Maybe, just not the right bad guys.”

“They’re all the right bad guys. Any aliens that threaten humanity, anywhere in the galaxy, are the right bad guys. It’s time for humanity to stand together. That’s the only path to victory. That’s why we need the colonies. That’s why this mission is important.”

“I hope you’re right, Sir.”