Neptune's Massif (17 page)

"Roughly twenty light years depending on the area of space the system is in. The system will still accept targets out to fifty light years, but will refuse to lock in on a single ship. The missile will 'hunt' once it gets closer and chose a target based on mass.

"As for coverage time, it actually depends on the size of the system. This was designed to be set-up in orbit of the main planet or area to be protected. It will build a 'shell' of launchers around it that slowly expands outward as more and more launchers are added to the network. Once the shell of launchers reaches the system's Oort cloud, they can usually resupply themselves from the materiel in open space. For Hyperion, two months is minimum protection, it'll take almost two years for the device to finish all the platforms and get them into position," Ian explained. "The device was designed to function with as small a crew as possible. Twelve people on the main station to man the tracking and firing systems. The rest is automated. Of course, the process can be sped up by using other ships to put the platforms in place and whatnot, but as designed, it can do the job without assistance or interference."

H’joles nodded. "Would you be interested in building these devices for ARC systems? I believe we would also be interested in working with some of your scientists. Our current hyperspace tracking sensors lose resolution at fifteen lights."

"I would have no objection to it, Fleet Admiral. However, it will have to be approved by the Council. I will mention it to them so they are prepared for it when they receive the formal request. A faster decision can be made that way," Ian replied.

"As I understand it, this is entirely a defensive technology. As such, this would even be accepted by the Benesian Hegemony. I must say that dealing with you and your Terrans is entirely different than working with the Talosians. Admiral Goya seems a good man, but he is only one man, and his own people were fighting his efforts. I hope he survives this ordeal," H’joles replied.

Ian nodded. "In the short time I have known him, I consider him a friend."

H’joles nodded. "I do not have many of those; such is the curse of Command. The ships departed last evening local time for your Pleiades Station. They have been instructed to make contact twenty hours from arrival and should be doing so in eight standard days."

Ian nodded. "Thank you, I will instruct your ships stationed here to contact you for reassignment. Since we will not be departing for Hyperion we should be fine without them for a few days. Pleiades station has completed all major repairs to the remainder of the Beti Hydri fleet. The ships will undergo systems tests starting tomorrow. We took the liberty of making a few improvements on the original design that should make their commanders very happy."

"Such as?" H’joles asked.

"All three ships are now encased in our enigma armor. That will make them far more difficult to be tracked by enemy sensors and weapons. The power systems have also been totally redesigned and should be far more stable while providing more over all power. All three ships will be twenty or thirty percent faster in hyperspace due to an upgraded hyperspace engine system.

"We also included anti-fighter mass driver weapons; four turrets on the cruiser and two on each of the destroyers. We have found them to be very effective against small agile fighters as well as missiles. There are quite a few other, small and less impressive upgrades we made that should give the ships a much improved survivability in combat," Ian replied smiling. "I'll send you the list. I was also told that none of the improvements, with the exception of the armor will require very much studying for the Engineers to become familiar with.

"The armor, however, is a completely new innovation we developed that shouldn't require any studying at all. Doctor Benson, the young woman that created this, will be providing complete technical specifications for it," Ian said.

"Admiral, are you not holding any of your technology back as secret?" H’joles asked calmly.

Ian cocked his head to one side before answering him. "What would be the point in that, Admiral? Shouldn't we do everything in our power to support each other in our defense? If we withheld the technology for this armor from the rest of you and it could have turned the tide of the war, what good would it do us? No, we don't know each other well enough for trust to be built, but in war there is little time for that. In this war, we are not really an Alliance of Races banding together for mutual protection, but all the peoples of the Galaxy defending all our homes from an implacable invader intent on conquest. Denying our technology to any of you would be denying it to ourselves. That's just... stupid."

––––––––

G
antry One Observation lounge.

Pleiades One Orbital Shipyard

High Orbit, Planet Atlas

Centauri System, Sol Sector

––––––––

"I
t looks nothing like any other ship, but there is a deadly beauty to her," Belirus said as Ian joined him in the lounge. "It’s a wonderful ship, Admiral."

Ian nodded in agreement. "I have to say, seeing it now is much different than the design blueprints and schematics I reviewed for it a year ago. Once launched, it'll carry the firepower of five Battle Cruiser class or eight Heavy Cruiser class ships. She has two AI; one for standard ship operations and the other for flight operations. For all intents and purposes she's a flying fighter base; which is exactly what she was designed for."

"I don't recognize the name, may I ask what the origin is?" Belirus asked.

Maia, who had been standing with the men replied. "The Mesopotamian Religion of ancient Babylonia has 'Tiamat' as the primordial Goddess-mother of all the lesser gods. She is viewed as the symbol of the chaos of primordial creation. Another, more modern reference has Tiamat as a chromatic dragon and creator of all evil dragons. She is listed as the Ruler of Avernus, the first layer of the nine hells. She is depicted as a multi-colored, multi-headed ancient dragon, or as a beautiful dark-haired woman while in human form."

Belirus snorted. "She is aptly named then. Have you chosen a commander for her yet, Admiral?"

"We had someone in mind, but that has fallen through. So the Council has decided to extend the offer to a new candidate," Ian replied. "The problem is we need an experienced person that we can trust completely. We can have no doubts about the person in control of this ship."

Belirus nodded agreement. "That's the truth. I understand you do not have the same safeguards that we of Talos use. Ship Captains will have to be beyond question in loyalty and devotion."

"Well, yes and no. You see, the ideal person would have to be loyal to the people, but have the balls to argue with command if they were messing up. As far as devotion goes, we would prefer 'belief' over devotion. Our Captains have to believe in what we are doing, and what we're fighting for," Ian replied.

Belirus nodded. "I think you might be right in that. It’s a more relaxed command structure than I am used to, but it might be better. I know it would have probably lessened the chances of what happened to me from happening to someone else."

"Have you been told about what's happening at New Talos yet?" Ian asked.

Belirus nodded. "I've heard that civil war has started. But not much else. Have you heard anything?"

Ian relayed what H’joles had told him, including the issuance of the Council Override Authority. "We'll be sending an expedition in a couple of weeks. ARC Fleet Admiral H’joles is sending me some of the Talosian forces he had, so we can go there and put an end to the fighting. I just wish they could get here faster. I'm afraid people might be dying, and we can't do anything about it yet."

"The fact that you are willing to try is very surprising. May I ask why you would?" Belirus asked.

Ian looked at him funny. "You know, you are the second person to ask me a question like that today. People are dying, we are soldiers, it is our duty to prevent that, or stop it when it can't be prevented."

"But it is a Talosian problem, not a Terran one," Belirus clarified.

"That is entirely irrelevant. People are dying, what else is there to know?" Ian asked.

Belirus nodded and looked back out at the ship. "You once asked me why I asked to remain here and help you and your people. That is the reason, right there. Put in its simplest form; you care. Your whole society here is like that; you give a damn about other people. That is missing, been lost, or forgotten by the Talosian people. They need to be reminded that other people do indeed matter, and that caring for someone else is not a sign of weakness."

"After this business on New Talos is taken care of, I am taking the
Star Dancer
to Hyperion. We are going to retake the planet for New Talos," Ian said simply. "Matriarch T'gan M'orel of Benesian asked me a personal favor to rescue her granddaughter and a few other Benesians from the planet. I decided to go one better."

Belirus started chuckling but took pity on Ian and Maia. "The House of Cronos has long been a political enemy of Houses Herecin and Bjorin. Hyperion was a Bjorin holding. Returning that world to New Talos would go a long way to showing the people that Terrans are not the evil rebels you have been portrayed as by Herecin and Bjorin houses. It would be a slap in their faces that they cannot but smile at since you have saved their world.

"The Commander of
Olympus
when she fell was a man by the name of Zeus, he is a legend in our house histories. The only way the AI would have accepted you as its commander was if you had enough of his DNA to be a virtual clone. Which makes you a legacy of House Cronos. It was a favored story of mine, and he was the reason I joined the Navy. When we first arrived here, when I believed you to be rebels, I took an immediate dislike to you because you look so much like the images of Zeus I've seen.

"But now, I can't help but wonder if he wouldn't be very proud of you and what you have accomplished here. You have done our ancestors very proud, Admiral," Belirus said.

"Thank you, Belirus. That actually does mean a great deal to me, coming from you," Ian said.

The other man snorted again. "I do tend to be an abrasive bastard, but it gets the job done when I need it to."

"Speaking of jobs, I did have a reason for asking you to come here today," Ian said. He took a slim velveteen box out of his pocket and handed it to Belirus. Printed in gold script across the top of it was 'TDF
Tiamat
'.

Belirus opened the box and quickly sat down, shocked by what lay inside. "Admiral, I... are you certain you want me?"

"When the candidacy reopened, your name was offered into the selection by Reaper and Scotty. I have to say, I agree with them. There is no single person in this entire sector that knows as much about commanding a starship as you do. You have also served in various other positions for the Talosian Military to make you a perfect candidate. When you resigned your commission, you had been scanned by one of our telepaths in order to confirm your innocence, which was why your word was never questioned. Her testimony about your character is still in your file. When I presented you as my choice to the Council, it was accepted by unanimous vote. You'll be taking a slight cut in rank, and we don't have much of a fleet yet, but we would like you to become an important part of it. You would be the same rank as what the Talosians would call a senior captain, but once we get the support ships built for her," he indicated the
Tiamat
. "You would be a Commodore as you would have command of the entire flotilla. However, you would still have direct command of your own ship." Ian grinned. "Commodores don't get flag captains, sorry." 

"Hah!" Belirus barked. But remained silent as he stared out the bay at the ship. Ian and Maia both stood silently and respected his silence.

Finally, after a few minutes. Belirus stood and faced Ian. "I think I would like to get to know this girl. Yes Admiral, I accept." He came to attention and saluted.

Ian returned the salute but was smiling. "You can have a uniform replicated and Maia has updated your clearance so you can go aboard her. The Council would like to have an official Promotion Ceremony in a couple days if that's okay with you?"

Belirus was nodding in agreement.

"I will forward the construction schedule to you, as well as a current crew listing. You will also have access to all the information I have on file including any and all classified information. Although I am sure Commodore Hawkins will want to express it himself, on behalf of myself, my commander and my station; congratulations, Commodore Belirus," Maia said.

––––––––

J
u'nio Ha'ena Beach

Hawaii

Mid-Pacific Ocean

Planet Earth

Sol System, Sol Sector

––––––––

A
lan was really pleased with how things had been going. He and his team were really pleased that they actually felt like a team now, and training was coming along very well. They were catching little Mulan about half the time now whenever she tried to ambush them. Considering her training, that was a real achievement.

The Raptor had been worked over by the techs from the moon to include several racks for carrying the Shark underwater fast attack craft. Those in themselves were remarkable little machines. Capable of speeds that could outrun any Earth built torpedo without cavitation or even detection. As a test, Alan had the team infiltrate the Pearl Harbor naval base, and they staged mock attack runs against the ships that were in port. The computers reported that had it been a real attack, they would have inflicted severe damage on every ship in port, as well as sinking three of the larger ones.

On their way out of port, Alan had all the Sharks come to rest on the ocean floor beside the wreck of the USS
Arizona
. While they sat there, Alan told them the story of the Pearl Harbor attack, the sinking of this ship, and the loss of so many lives to tyranny.

The team, now quiet as they all thought about what Alan had told them, sped back to their 'home' port. The
Arizona
hadn't been the only wreckage on the bottom of the harbor.