Sector Capital, Sigma Sector
Admiral V’x’z’z’ll woke from his
customary four hours of sleep and stretched slowly. He moved each limb
individually, a ritual he had worked out in his youth as a form of meditation.
Once the task was complete, he moved
out of his nest and to the deck. His AI brought up the HUD and nothing new
jumped out to his attention so he went through his morning absolutions.
Once he was sitting in the wardroom
having his breakfast, he sipped his honey and scanned the reports. Two more
cruiser divisions had arrived at their intended destinations and had taken
charge of their star systems. That was good. He was pushing the perimeter out
further than Second Fleet had in order to take and hold more territory and deny
it to the pirates.
If Second and Tenth Fleets were as
successful as he assumed the sector was going to become a lot quieter in the
ensuing years. That was good and bad. Good for the people, bad for him since he
would eventually grow bored.
Hopefully, he would be able to swap
out for another commander in the future. He wouldn’t mind an assignment closer
to the action.
He did wish that Admiral Harris had
been more successful in getting better yard facilities. There were three repair
yards in the sector, one in Tortuga, another here in the sector capital, and a
third in the western reaches. There were no construction yards. That seemed poor
planning.
Then again as a Bekian, he
understood the logic of his people in wanting to keep ship construction in
their own hands. But he also knew that there was a finite amount of resources
in Bek A and B. Eventually they’d run out. Besides, the people in each sector
did not like it that their needs and desires were being ignored.
Whatever the decision, it was above
his pay grade for which he could be happy. He checked the status and the
schedule and then decided to make the rounds in his flagship and then pop in
for the afternoon tactical exercise.
<<(O)>>
Delphi Station
Lieutenant Hermione checked the
status board. Her principle was not going to be happy about the lack of
progress but it was not surprising.
“Anything?” Admiral Montgomery
asked.
“No, sir,” the AI stated.
“Damn.”
“Yes, sir. We are still in the early
part of the window for the assault.”
“Yes, sir. I’ve found my patience
eroding I guess,” Monty replied. “I wish we had an ansible in Eureka. We could
have them do a deep gravitational scan and get a report back.”
The AI did the math. “The ansible to
Eureka is still outside the window. By the time it arrives, we may know
something by courier,” she reported.
“I see,” Monty said with a sigh as
he tossed his tablet onto his blotter. “I’m starting to regret not moving
further west.”
“Further west would have been
exposed. There are fewer ansible links there as well,” the AI reminded him.
“I’m aware,” the admiral stated
gruffly.
“Are you still considering an
assignment in Beta sector after this wraps up?” Hermione asked carefully. Where
he went, she did because they were literally joined at the hip. Or, more
pointedly, she resided in his implants.
“Let’s wrap this up first. Then
worry about the future.”
“Yes, sir.”
<<(O)>>
“We have one new tidbit,” Admiral
Montgomery said to Admiral V’x’z’z’ll.
“Oh?”
“It looks like there was an intruder
on 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 in
Delphi station had been processing the video and sensor files over and over
again to confirm the arrival and departure. He was dismayed that it hadn’t been
caught earlier.
“Damn. When?”
“Eight months ago. Right around when
Second and Tenth took off.”
“So, it was a spy and it ran to warn
the battle moon?”
“Most likely.”
“So, they might go to where we think
the ship is and turn up empty handed?”
Monty frowned and then shook his
head.
“You don’t think so? Why?”
“Even if they have a faster route
than we do to the target, our ships are faster in hyperspace. They’ll get there
within a day or less. The window is tight but I believe Dwight can still pull
off a victory.”
“Good to know,” the Veraxin stated.
“Where else are they scouting?”
“I would assume Tortuga.”
“I will alert the picket there to be
on the lookout.”
“Yes, sir.”
<<(O)>>
Eureka
Commodore Nunjen, commander of CruRon
2.1.4, found his new assignment much to his liking. The people were great. They
were 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 the
basics of the changes to the ship design.
Initially he’d thought he’d regret
coming to the remote star system. Eureka was another El Dorado; however, a star
system from the golden age of the Federation trapped in time until it had
dropped out of its time bubble. The world was a “nerd’s heaven” according to
the natives. Most of the planet’s population had at least one PHD. That was …
surprising.
They had already started work on a
repair yard and support infrastructure for his cruisers. A small production
line for parts had also been started, all out of in-system resources with their
local budget. That he appreciated greatly as well.
He had only visited the planet once
briefly but he had admired what he’d seen. He was looking forward to visiting
again sometime next month, schedule permitting.
<<(O)>>
In Hyperspace
The troop transport convoy continued
its movement to the 192 star system. The troops remained in stasis for the time
when they would be needed.
The transport of law enforcement
personnel followed several weeks behind.
<<(O)>>
In Hyperspace
The ansible transport that had been
designed to drop the ansible at the anchor point continued to move to the last
known location of Second and Tenth Fleet warily. Her escort kept a keen eye out
for trouble.
<<(O)>>
SR134-177
The ansible transport headed to
Eureka reported into the hidden ansible platform with her escort. The crew
waited 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 their
precious cargo intact.
<<(O)>>
In Hyperspace
Captain Can’t-sit-still buzzed
softly, twitching in the captain’s chair. His courier was en route to the
nearest ansible, which happened to be the 251 ansible with news of the first
phase of the battle of the battle moon. The T’clock was looking forward to
reporting in but wished he had better news. It would have been nice to have
been the bug who reported the end of the threat, but that was for someone else.
Hopefully soon, he thought as he
scanned 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 shell
should be easier now that his ship was blazing the trail to the established
jump line. From there it would be smoother sailing along the known route to the
hidden 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?”
Admiral
Harris slowed his stride as he entered the flag bridge. They were going on
their eighth day. He looked around, and his eyed fell on a gremlin. The other
officers didn’t see the imp but he did.
The gremlin
seemed to examine the commander and then turned to look at the admiral and
shake his head meaningfully.
“Something
or someone tells me that isn’t the case here,” Dwight drawled, eyes locked on
the gremlin.
“Well,
if it isn’t loyalty, what is it?” the commander asked.
“I’m
not sure. Possibly the fact that their families are in the battle moon, though
I doubt that,” Dwight mused.
“Oh?”
“It
might be that they just don’t have another plan. So, they are sticking it out,”
Lieutenant Carr stated.
A hand
with long fingers and wicked claws appeared in front of the gremlin. The hand
was flat out and waggled a little.
“Close,”
Dwight interpreted.
“Given
the efforts that they put into security to protect the location of the battle
moon 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 stated
from where his holographic avatar was.
The
gremlin turned to the AI, stuck his tongue out and then cackled and pranced
about. The admiral turned to watch it caper around like a jester before it
climbed a pipe and then took a swing at him. He ducked instinctively and then
turned as it danced out the hatch.
“I’m
guessing that was an affirmative,” Dwight drawled as the staff looked at him in
concern.
“I take
it there was a spirit here, sir?” the AI asked.
“Gremlin.
And it more or less confirmed your hypothesis, which means this could get
ugly.”
“Uglier
than it already is?” Commander Montoya asked as looks were exchanged between
the staff. “Honestly? If they fight to the death, I’m okay with that. Less
paperwork.”
Dwight
snorted.
<<(O)>>
