Forging Alliances Snippet 5

 

 

Sector Capital, Sigma Sector

 

Admiral V’x’z’z’ll woke from hiscustomary four hours of sleep and stretched slowly. He moved each limbindividually, a ritual he had worked out in his youth as a form of meditation.

Once the task was complete, he movedout of his nest and to the deck. His AI brought up the HUD and nothing newjumped out to his attention so he went through his morning absolutions.

Once he was sitting in the wardroomhaving his breakfast, he sipped his honey and scanned the reports. Two morecruiser divisions had arrived at their intended destinations and had takencharge of their star systems. That was good. He was pushing the perimeter outfurther than Second Fleet had in order to take and hold more territory and denyit to the pirates.

If Second and Tenth Fleets were assuccessful as he assumed the sector was going to become a lot quieter in theensuing years. That was good and bad. Good for the people, bad for him since hewould eventually grow bored.

Hopefully, he would be able to swapout for another commander in the future. He wouldn’t mind an assignment closerto the action.

He did wish that Admiral Harris hadbeen more successful in getting better yard facilities. There were three repairyards in the sector, one in Tortuga, another here in the sector capital, and athird in the western reaches. There were no construction yards. That seemed poorplanning.

Then again as a Bekian, heunderstood the logic of his people in wanting to keep ship construction intheir own hands. But he also knew that there was a finite amount of resourcesin Bek A and B. Eventually they’d run out. Besides, the people in each sectordid not like it that their needs and desires were being ignored.

Whatever the decision, it was abovehis pay grade for which he could be happy. He checked the status and theschedule and then decided to make the rounds in his flagship and then pop infor the afternoon tactical exercise.

<<(O)>>

Delphi Station

 

Lieutenant Hermione checked thestatus board. Her principle was not going to be happy about the lack ofprogress but it was not surprising.

“Anything?” Admiral Montgomeryasked.

“No, sir,” the AI stated.

“Damn.”

“Yes, sir. We are still in the earlypart of the window for the assault.”

“Yes, sir. I’ve found my patienceeroding I guess,” Monty replied. “I wish we had an ansible in Eureka. We couldhave them do a deep gravitational scan and get a report back.”

The AI did the math. “The ansible toEureka is still outside the window. By the time it arrives, we may knowsomething by courier,” she reported.

“I see,” Monty said with a sigh ashe tossed his tablet onto his blotter. “I’m starting to regret not movingfurther west.”

“Further west would have beenexposed. There are fewer ansible links there as well,” the AI reminded him.

“I’m aware,” the admiral statedgruffly.

“Are you still considering anassignment in Beta sector after this wraps up?” Hermione asked carefully. Wherehe went, she did because they were literally joined at the hip. Or, morepointedly, she resided in his implants.

“Let’s wrap this up first. Thenworry about the future.”

“Yes, sir.”

<<(O)>>

“We have one new tidbit,” AdmiralMontgomery said to Admiral V’x’z’z’ll.

“Oh?”

“It looks like there was an intruderon our perimeter.”

The Veraxin looked surprised.

“A battlecruiser was watching from well outside the established perimeter.It departed. We picked up the departure and just confirmed it.” The AI inDelphi station had been processing the video and sensor files over and overagain to confirm the arrival and departure. He was dismayed that it hadn’t beencaught earlier.

“Damn. When?”

“Eight months ago. Right around whenSecond and Tenth took off.”

“So, it was a spy and it ran to warnthe battle moon?”

“Most likely.”

“So, they might go to where we thinkthe ship is and turn up empty handed?”

Monty frowned and then shook hishead.

“You don’t think so? Why?”

“Even if they have a faster routethan we do to the target, our ships are faster in hyperspace. They’ll get therewithin a day or less. The window is tight but I believe Dwight can still pulloff a victory.”

“Good to know,” the Veraxin stated.“Where else are they scouting?”

“I would assume Tortuga.”

“I will alert the picket there to beon the lookout.”

“Yes, sir.”

<<(O)>>

Eureka

 

Commodore Nunjen, commander of CruRon2.1.4, found his new assignment much to his liking. The people were great. Theywere very technical minded; they were deeply curious about his ship’s new tech.Most held high security clearances so he had no problem with showing them thebasics of the changes to the ship design.

Initially he’d thought he’d regretcoming to the remote star system. Eureka was another El Dorado; however, a starsystem from the golden age of the Federation trapped in time until it haddropped out of its time bubble. The world was a “nerd’s heaven” according tothe natives. Most of the planet’s population had at least one PHD. That was …surprising.

They had already started work on arepair yard and support infrastructure for his cruisers. A small productionline for parts had also been started, all out of in-system resources with theirlocal budget. That he appreciated greatly as well.

He had only visited the planet oncebriefly but he had admired what he’d seen. He was looking forward to visitingagain sometime next month, schedule permitting.

<<(O)>>

In Hyperspace

 

The troop transport convoy continuedits movement to the 192 star system. The troops remained in stasis for the timewhen they would be needed.

The transport of law enforcementpersonnel followed several weeks behind.

<<(O)>>

In Hyperspace

 

The ansible transport that had beendesigned to drop the ansible at the anchor point continued to move to the lastknown location of Second and Tenth Fleet warily. Her escort kept a keen eye outfor trouble.

<<(O)>>

SR134-177

 

The ansible transport headed toEureka reported into the hidden ansible platform with her escort. The crewwaited to download the latest news and then the two ships headed out once more.They still had a long journey to get to their intended destination with theirprecious cargo intact.

<<(O)>>

In Hyperspace

 

Captain Can’t-sit-still buzzedsoftly, twitching in the captain’s chair. His courier was en route to thenearest ansible, which happened to be the 251 ansible with news of the firstphase of the battle of the battle moon. The T’clock was looking forward toreporting in but wished he had better news. It would have been nice to havebeen the bug who reported the end of the threat, but that was for someone else.

Hopefully soon, he thought as hescanned the ship’s system displays. So far so good. They were making good time.The return flight to the former parking spot with the remains of the shellshould be easier now that his ship was blazing the trail to the establishedjump line. From there it would be smoother sailing along the known route to thehidden 251 ansible.

<<(O)>>

“My,you’ve got to admire their persistence. Stubborn. Stupid, but stubborn,”Commander Montoya stated. “I didn’t know that pirates had such loyalty.Apparently, the code is just a suggestion?”

AdmiralHarris slowed his stride as he entered the flag bridge. They were going ontheir eighth day. He looked around, and his eyed fell on a gremlin. The otherofficers didn’t see the imp but he did.

The gremlinseemed to examine the commander and then turned to look at the admiral andshake his head meaningfully.

“Somethingor someone tells me that isn’t the case here,” Dwight drawled, eyes locked onthe gremlin.

“Well,if it isn’t loyalty, what is it?” the commander asked.

“I’mnot sure. Possibly the fact that their families are in the battle moon, thoughI doubt that,” Dwight mused.

“Oh?”

“Itmight be that they just don’t have another plan. So, they are sticking it out,”Lieutenant Carr stated.

A handwith long fingers and wicked claws appeared in front of the gremlin. The handwas flat out and waggled a little.

“Close,”Dwight interpreted.

“Giventhe efforts that they put into security to protect the location of the battlemoon it wouldn’t surprise me if there was something nasty in those ships.Something that was forcing them to remain on station,” the ship’s AI statedfrom where his holographic avatar was.

Thegremlin turned to the AI, stuck his tongue out and then cackled and prancedabout. The admiral turned to watch it caper around like a jester before itclimbed a pipe and then took a swing at him. He ducked instinctively and thenturned as it danced out the hatch.

“I’mguessing that was an affirmative,” Dwight drawled as the staff looked at him inconcern.

“I takeit there was a spirit here, sir?” the AI asked.

“Gremlin.And it more or less confirmed your hypothesis, which means this could getugly.”

“Uglierthan it already is?” Commander Montoya asked as looks were exchanged betweenthe staff. “Honestly? If they fight to the death, I’m okay with that. Lesspaperwork.”

Dwightsnorted.

<<(O)>>