Scrapyard Ship 7: Call to Battle (16 page)

Updates over comms from Billy indicated his team’s visits to the other set of five Craing cruisers were even better—with no injuries. Apparently, Sergeant Jackson was almost as impressive as Traveler when it came to demonstrating potential pain and violence. One unexpected outcome to their surprise visits was the officers’ requests to be taken prisoner. Over the proceeding weeks, word had widely spread about the tyrannical nature of fleet commander Ot-Mul … Ot-Mul and his indestructible four battle droids. Jason knew first hand how only one of those mechanical beasts could evoke terror; four would be a nightmare. One more obstacle he’d have to overcome in the upcoming days.

Bristol, good to his word, had all landing positions figured out. One by one, the cruiser commanders were directed just where to attach their big warships onto the hull of
Dreathlor
prison barge. With a bit of maneuvering, Bristol had them situate each vessel so its big drives were pointing in the precise orientation, allowing for maximum rear thrust. The individual ship commanders knew how to clamp on to the prison barge’s hull, so their vessels wouldn’t fly off into space when their drives were energized. All in all, the entire maneuver, with the ten warships, took close to two hours. They had less than a half an hour before they’d have company.

Bristol set up communication linkage with each ship commander. He was adamant their timing needed to be perfect and, since Jason’s crew hadn’t arrived with the necessary equipment to take control of the ships remotely, they’d have to do so in a far cruder manner.

Jason was the last one to phase-shift back onto the
Starlight
. Beforehand, they worked out a process where each man would phase-shift into a specific location at the back section of the vessel. No one was to dillydally, once there, or he’d find himself getting violently knocked out of the way by the next team member phase-shifting in. One apparent built-in safeguard though: It didn’t permit a phase-shift of organic matter
into
other organic matter. But the resulting
shove
from the same could result in broken bones, or worse.

Jason arrived on the
Starlight
to see Ricket standing in the narrow corridor before him. Seeing him alive and, with the exception of several large scabs on his face and arms, looking almost normal, was a great relief.

“Captain, I’d like to talk to you about Bristol’s calculations.”

“Well, hello to you too, Ricket,” Jason said with a smile.

Jason saw Bristol at the bow of the
Starlight
seated next to Grimes.

“Bristol, get those commanders firing up their drives. Let’s get this show on the road!”

On his way up the aisle, Jason passed by the medical bay. He slowed and saw Gaddy being attended to. Another ten paces and he stood between Grimes and Bristol. Out the front observation window Jason saw one of the heavy cruisers firing up its drives. Lieutenant Grimes changed the view perspective to include another three of the cruisers. These and seven more were all throttling up. Jason turned and saw Ricket by his side. “Is this going to work?”

“I do not believe so, Captain. As I was trying to tell you, their combined thrust, along with that of
Dreathlor
’s own large ion engines, still won’t be sufficient to arrive at the wormhole in time. The calculations were incorrect.”

“Well, not everyone has a computer for a brain, Ricket,” Bristol said irritably, without turning around.

Grimes changed the display again
. Dreathlor
prison barge now took up the entire view. Bristol, using his NanoCom to communicate with each of the commanding officers, was talking fast, his squeaky voice spewing off directives. He’d earlier designated each ship a number, from one to ten. He now ordered ship nine to throttle back ten percent, and ship two to kick it up twenty percent.

“He’s got the prison barge going in the right direction, Captain,” Grimes volunteered. “But
Ricket’s right; although we’re somewhat ahead of the thirty break-off ships, we’re not achieving the speed necessary to reach the wormhole before Ot-Mul.” She changed the display perspective again to show the prison ship’s location in relation to the pursuing thirty Craing warship armada and then changed it again to show the correlation between
Dreathlor
prison barge and Ot-Mul’s massive Drac-Vin forces.

Chapter 23

“Captain, sorry I didn’t see this before. It’s pretty small. Hard to detect, but it makes perfect sense that he’d do it—”

“What is it, Lieutenant?” Jason asked.

“According to my long-range scans, Ot-Mul has dispatched one of his four battle droids, along with those thirty breakaway vessels now in pursuit. As I said, it makes sense … you know, since he’s having a problem keeping his forces together. He’s sending along a watchdog.”

Jason continued to stare at Lieutenant Grimes.

“What is it … do I have something on my face?” She wiped at her cheeks, mystified.

Jason slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. “That’s it … you’re a genius, Grimes! We’re going about this all wrong.”

Both Ricket and Bristol turned their attention toward Jason.

“We’ve seen it time and time again … Ot-Mul’s forces, as enormous as they are, are only bound together by concern and fear of Ot-Mul’s reprisals … in part by that advanced ship of his, but more so by those battle droids. It’s certainly not from a sense of loyalty, or to honor his cause. And that just doesn’t hold up in the long run. Why? Because the minute their fear of reprisal disappears, his Drac-Vin forces will scatter like cockroaches in the light.”

“So how do we take away their fear of reprisal?” Grimes asked.

“That’s the million dollar question.” Jason, rubbing at the three-day-old stubble on his chin, turned to face those seated behind him. In one unanimous voice they all said together:

“Set a trap!”

* * *

It took fifteen minutes to get an open channel through to Allied space, specifically to the admiral on board the
Minian
.

“Look, I’m ecstatic you’ve rescued Ricket and Gaddy … that’s wonderful news, Jason. But this half-baked idea of yours, it’s too damn risky.”

Jason, standing at the stern of the
Starlight
, was using his virtual notebook to display before him his father’s holographic image.

“You need to stick to your plan, son … get that prison ship into that wormhole and close it down … whatever that takes.”

“And then what, Dad? Do you think Ot-Mul will just pick up his marbles and go away? You don’t think he’ll travel an extra month or two, or whatever’s necessary, to reach another loop wormhole, and eventually find his way back to Allied space? Then what? You going to come up with a few hundred thousand more warships to fight him by then?”

“What you’re talking about is an all-or-nothing gamble. Putting everything on the line … billions of lives at risk, in one roll of the dice,” the admiral said.

“What you’re not getting, Dad, is that an attack is coming anyway; it’s inevitable. Either now, or two months from now, it’ll be over for Allied space … Earth included. We’re dealing with a powerful, but deranged, leader. We should use that to our advantage and take him out. I assure you, Dad, when we take out Ot-Mul, his Drac-Vin forces will surrender; or, worst case scenario, scatter to the far reaches of space.”

The admiral was quiet for several moments while he considered Jason’s words. “If—and this is a big
if,
right now—I approve just what you’re planning … what would you need from me?”

“A call to battle.”

“So you’re talking about a last stand?”

“Yes, and it will require every asset you can get your hands on. You’ll need to reenlist the Allied worlds … including any that broke away, preferring to go it alone months ago. You’ll also need the
Minian
and
The Lilly
.”

“What’s the plan?”

“Ot-Mul is no fool. He’s bringing his forces through that wormhole, but he won’t come through it himself, or send his battle droids through it all at once. We have to convince him he has no other choice than to come through it from the get-go, along with his droids.”

The admiral was slowly nodding his head. “You see us picking them off as they come through the wormhole … pigs to the slaughter. He’ll have no choice but to rush through it himself to defend his massacred Drac-Vin. I like it.”

“The second he does that, we drive
Dreathlor
into the wormhole and blow it up … closing the wormhole down … cutting Ot-Mul off from the rest of his forces.

“There’s another big risk here,” Jason quickly added. “Initially, many warships will come through that wormhole. Maybe thousands. And we will still have to deal with the battle droids and Ot-Mul’s advanced destroyer. It could be close … we could still lose everything.”

Jason knew he’d said all he could. The decision was out of his hands. He’d follow his father’s command.

“You’ve made your case, Jason. But it’s not completely up to me. This call to battle you’re talking about … I’m not sure there’ll be enough of a positive consensus from the Allied worlds. Some have cut all ties with my command … it could take days—”

“This is happening now. Right now. Within the next hour the first of Ot-Mul’s warships will start funneling into Allied space. At the very least, the
Minian
and
The Lilly
need to be there, ready to fire off everything they’ve got. I suggest you open up an interchange wormhole and get those three reconditioned Craing fleets moved over. Five thousand warships will go a long way toward slowing down the Drac-Vin. It will also leave Ot-Mul little choice but to join in the fight.”

“Okay, son. We’ll do this your way. You can count on the majority of assets under my control to arrive there within the next forty minutes. I won’t leave Earth completely unprotected, though. As for the others who were once part of the Alliance, I’ll reach out to them. That’s all I can do. Realize an undertaking like this … this call to battle is a massive logistical nightmare. I have a lot to do. I’ll contact you when we’re in position.”

Jason said, “Just so you know … the war will be lost or won, one way or another, as a result of what transpires here.” Jason cut the connection.

* * *

Word spread quickly throughout what remained of the Allied worlds. Dira was called away from her mother’s bedside when she learned of the imminent battle—a battle due to take place closer to Jhardon than to any of the other Allied star systems. More destruction, more strife, looked to be on the horizon. As if her people hadn’t suffered enough.

She found her father sitting at his desk, three aides standing around him. He stood when he saw Dira enter the room.

“Leave us.”

Looking frustrated, the three aides protested. Viceroy Rhonn said, “We need to make our stance clear, Your Majesty.”

“And we will, I assure you, Viceroy Rhonn. The princess, your future queen, must be brought up to speed. Leave us now.”

Reluctantly, the three aides left the king’s side, hurrying to leave the antechamber. Viceroy Rhonn made no attempt to hide his disdain for Dira as he brushed past her.

“Rhonn’s an ass. Why do you keep him so close? You know he hates me.”

“He hates everybody, Dira. Especially those he can’t control. He balances out, though, others who are more concerned with kissing my backside. You’ll need to learn this, Daughter: you must rule from a position of knowledge … informed decisions. Surrounding oneself only with ‘yes men’ is a sure way to run astray.”

“What is happening, Father? I’ve been told there will be another battle. A battle to end all battles. And here, close to Jhardon space.”

King Caparri placed an arm around Dira’s shoulder and together they moved toward the door. “It is true. Earth’s high command has requested our participation, as well as that of the other Allied planetary systems. We have been asked to join forces—to come together one more time.”

Two doors down from the king’s antechamber they entered his map room. Dira had been in the room many times before, had played there as a child. Before coming to an understanding of the virtual technology behind the room’s facade, to her it was simply a magical place—the heavens above literally within reach. Here, she first dreamt of exploring the far outer reaches of space … she loved this chamber. It had been, at least partially, one reason she’d left home to crew on board
The Lilly
. That, and to get away from her oppressive parents.

As if walking into space itself, they stood together in the middle of the large, totally dark, room. Then, in a blaze of color and light above and all around them, Jhardon’s star system came alive.

Her father, his face full of wonder as he took in the virtual planetary system glowing all around them, spoke softly. “Jhardon space … our home. What’s left of our home …” Like God Himself, the king used his outstretched hands to reposition the virtual planets around them. Jhardon was closest now, taking up much of the heavenly scene. As the beautiful emerald planet rotated on its axis, soon the blackened scorched side of the planet came into view. Dira felt the familiar dread, the squeezing of her heart.

“This is what awaits the other planets, Dira.”

“Perhaps it’s time to let others—”

“Is that how you’ll rule, Daughter? Letting others fight for you? Letting other nations defend our planet?”

“I’m not capable of making those kinds of decisions! That’s your job,” Dira snapped back.

“My place is with your mother … you know our ways. The choice I’ve made.”

“Let me heal her! Let me bring the technology here to make her well again, Father. She needs a MediPod. You can continue to rule together, as you have, and I can …”

“That is not our way, Dira. Genetic alterations, nanite-infused physiologies … the Queen of Jhardon cannot undergo such abominations.”

“Well, guess what, Father? The queen-to-be has had all of that done. I’m packed with nanites and have had multiple alterations to my genome. I thought you knew that!” Looking at her father’s face, she realized he did not. He looked deeply troubled.