Warfare: Rise Of Mankind Book 2 (19 page)

              Gray found himself lost, stuck in a foggy dream. He saw a field of grass fading into a blue sky horizon. Off to the right, mountains climbed toward the heavens and on the left, a distant sea licked the shore. Wind caressed his ears, drowning out any sounds or distractions around him.

              All at once, the ship reappeared and his senses instantly returned, causing a flash of pain in his skull. Gray stumbled backward and flopped into his seat, pressing his fingers tightly to his forehead. “That wasn’t pleasant at all…” he muttered, “anyone know what happened?”

              “Normal jump, sir,” Clea replied. “All systems report operational. Engines are charging and should be prepared in thirty minutes.”

              “Good…” Gray leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “We made it…”

              “Again,” Adam added. “These close calls are getting a little old.”

              “Space combat isn’t cut and dry,” Clea answered. “It can be unpredictable…just as most major battles. Right, Captain?”

              Gray nodded. “Mostly true, yes. But I wouldn’t mind a straightforward engagement…or even a mission to be what we assume. Redding, let’s hold position here until we’re ready to go. Have all departments report in. Olly, did you get any readings just before we hopped out? Was that explosion the Crystal Font?”

              “I’m not able to tell, sir.” Olly shook his head. “I’m afraid we left
right
when I might’ve gotten something back. Whatever it was made quite the wave though. The energy readings were enormous.”

              “Might not have been an explosion,” Clea said. “It could’ve been an emergency jump.”

              “That was a pretty spectacular display for a jump…” Adam smirked. “Not…that I really know what a jump
looks
like…per se.”

              “There you have it.” Gray looked around and took a deep breath. “You’ve all done outstanding work here. Every one of you vastly exceeded my expectations. We’re all alive because of your quick thinking, skillful execution of your duties and hard work. I commend you all. Thank you.”

              Redding, Tim and Olly each stood, turned and saluted. Gray and Adam stood and returned the gesture. They remained for a good minute before relaxing and returning to their stations. Their successful escape meant a great deal to the alliance and to Earth. All the technology they saved, and the lives accompanying it was a powerful victory, even if they lost the facility that housed both.

              Gray thought about the various losses, the multiple alliance ships in particular. Those men and women gave their lives protecting that place. Each of them suffered the ultimate sacrifice. It honored the Behemoth to be able to carry on for them, to give their end a meaning. Had they lost their own people on the surface or been destroyed, the defeat would’ve left the alliance staggering.

              Protocol Seven didn’t work the way they’d hoped but Olly already found some ways to improve upon it. With the help of the alliance technicians, they may find the necessary breakthrough to employ it. Combined with all the other discoveries, Gray hoped they would develop a new advantage to overcome their foes.

              Earth command would have a great deal to say when they returned home. Their work proved exemplary and they returned relatively undamaged. The others took the brunt but their improved understanding of the enemy, and help from Kale’s Crystal Font, meant they were able to come back in operational order.

              Kale may’ve been a new Anthar for the Alliance but he knew his stuff. Without him, Gray figured they may not have come away unscathed or at all for that matter. Superior tactics saved them. It dawned on him that with such a vast fleet, the enemy could not employ brilliant commanders to each. That was a stunning oversight to take advantage of.

              Maybe dramatic technology wouldn’t win the day. Advances in their overall designs and weapons would help but didn’t necessarily represent the silver bullet to end the war. Tactics, ingenuity, free will and self preservation, those seemed to be the values to stand upon for victory. So far, humanity survived multiple engagements with these invaders and each time came from raw desire.

              Reports filtered up from the various departments, detailing the state of the ship. Some reported minor damage from the various maneuvers, others had injuries which were being tended to in the various triage and sickbays. All around, they came away fairly clean. Nothing they encountered would be missed in routine maintenance.

              Damage caused by the microjump concerned Gray. They would definitely perform a full diagnostic of the system to determine what went wrong and how to correct the problem. Such a tactic seemed to be part and parcel to the alliance handbook. He didn’t want to be hamstrung by losing a tool at his disposal.

              Perhaps Clea would be able to help. Poor Clea. The situation with her sister made his heart hurt. Now that they had a moment to take a breath, he wanted to speak to her in private, to see if she needed to talk before they returned to Earth. They’d jump in near Saturn and have hours of flight time before arriving home.

              Once they all had some downtime and got underway, Gray knew he’d have an opportunity to speak and relax. Everyone on board deserved some R&R, especially the soldiers and pilots who pulled double duty and risked their lives throughout the operation. He hoped the council wouldn’t send them immediately back out on another mission. They needed at least a couple days.

              If for no other reason, they needed to work out the glitch from the engines. While that may not take long, Gray knew it would give the majority of the personnel the time they needed to take a deep breath. It may not be much but considering all they’d been through, it would be worth it.

              He sure wouldn’t balk at a decent meal and a night’s rest.

              Clea approached Gray’s cabin and knocked on the door. She stood tall in her uniform, hands clasped behind her back as she waited to be summoned. Once they jumped back to Earth space, key personnel retired to their quarters to clean up and eat. After a shower, she felt like a new woman but the process wouldn’t be complete without a reasonable rest period.

              “Come in,” Gray called and she stepped inside. He sat at the table with a cup of coffee, peering down at an old book. She stood in front of his table, head held high. “Sit down, Clea. This isn’t a formal summons.”

              She relaxed a little and sat across from him, in the same chair she’d occupied dozens of times while they played chess.

              “I read your assessment of Vora,” Gray said. “The conversation you had…I just…I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

              “Thank you, Captain.” Clea bit the inside her cheek to maintain a neutral expression. She nearly cried in the shower but fought it back. If she wouldn’t do it alone, she sure didn’t plan to do so in front of Gray, regardless of how gentle he might be. “It was…an unfortunate circumstance, one I will have a hard time explaining to my family.”

              Gray smiled but it seemed to be a sad one. “Clea…you don’t have to lock your feeling away. You’ve got them and this situation sure warrants your ability to let them go.”

              “It won’t help, Gray. Vora made her decision and now she has to live with it…for so long as the alliance allows her to.” Clea turned away, looking out the porthole at the stars. “I didn’t think anyone I personally knew had the capacity to turn on their own people. The revelation has caused me more pain than I can relate.”

              “I understand…such things are never pleasant. Our own history has a number of such incidents and they never go over well. They have far reaching ramifications which may not be realized for weeks, months or even years.” Gray sipped his drink. “But I hope you’re not doubting anything as a result of this.”

              “If anything, my resolve has been strengthened,” Clea replied. “This enemy corrupted my sister with their violent, horrifying ideology. I refuse to be broken because she lost her way. I refuse.”

              “Good.” Gray leaned forward and patted her arm. “You’re a stunning officer and a woman of integrity. Never forget it.”

              “I will not.” Clea finally managed a thin smile then directed them back to business. “Vora has already turned over evidence about our opponents, all her research data which led her to that dangerous turn of heart. The data has been backed up and secured. The other technicians are being questioned but so far it looks like none of them had anything to do with my…with the traitor.”

              “Understood.” Gray nodded. “What’s your assessment of the Crystal Font? Do you think they were destroyed?”

              “Personally, I don’t believe it,” Clea replied. “And I’m not just wishful thinking. Kale proved to be a solid, intelligent officer. I’m certain he thought of something…that he escaped.”

              “I hope you’re right.”

              “After this mission, I’m willing to go on some faith.” Clea settled into her chair and relaxed. “The ground mission pushed me farther than I thought possible. Not only physically either. Those marines are amazing and I feel they are dramatically underestimated.”

              “Often. Most individual soldiers are. Their feats are pretty incredible and only a few of them were even hurt.”

              “Cuts, bruises, a couple of minor fractures but otherwise, they returned unscathed. Captain Hoffner picked the right men for the job.”

              “That’s why he’s here.” Gray sipped again. “I suppose you’ll get your promotion now.”

              Clea nodded, looking down at her hands. “Before, when we were about to leave we talked about the type of officer I’ve become.”

              “I remember.”

              “I feel much more confident. Not only in my abilities but my decision making…my ability to work with others and inspire them. I’ve learned a lot from you, but quite a bit from Captain Hoffner as well. I saw him do things which astounded me…feats of heroics for his people. He was the last one off the planet and the the first to dive into action. I admire him a great deal.”

              “There are few finer people to look up to,” Gray said. “I’ve always liked William. He’s a straight shooter who tells you what he’s thinking. It’s one of the reasons I was okay with you hitting the surface with them. I knew you’d be in a good hands.”

              “I appreciate it. So when I receive my promotion, I will take it with honor now…and not doubt.”

              “I’ll congratulate you when you’ve got it.” Gray took a deep breath. “We’ve got a long road ahead, don’t we?”

              “Yes, sir.” Clea nodded. “I’m afraid we do. The enemy closes in, they’ve proven to be far more frightening than we thought and now, our one advantage has been nullified. We return home with more of a disadvantage than when we started but I will not give up hope. Our cultures will band together and fight. None of us will go gentle into that good night.”

              “Poetry, Clea?” Gray raised his brows. “I’m impressed.”

              “I like the work of Dylan Thomas,” Clea replied. “His words spoke to me. Especially that piece.”

              “It does have a certain context in our situation, doesn’t it?”

              Clea frowned, nodding her head once. “It does indeed.”

              “Shall we pass the time with something less harsh?” Gray motioned to their chess board. “A game before sleep?”

              “I’d like that,” Clea replied, scooting forward in her seat. “Perhaps exhaustion will give you the advantage you need to defeat me.”

              “We’ll see, Clea.” Gray laughed and sipped his drink. “We’ll see.”