Star Crusades Nexus: The Second Trilogy Page 14

  Rear Admiral Lewis watched the planet from his seat in the CIC during a rare moment of calm. All around him buzzed activity from the Navy crewmen, but for now they had their own tasks to take care of, and none of these particular duties required direct intervention by Admiral Lewis. The crew’s diverse tasks included managing the ships, coordinating the fleet’s fighter cover while also assisting General Daniels with the ongoing operation on the ground. He leaned back slightly and breathed slowly, enjoying the moment of respite.

  “Admiral!” cried out Lieutenant Rola Ryante, the ship’s tactical officer. She was in her early thirties, tall, and rather manly in appearance.

  “What is?” he replied in an almost bored tone. There was little excitement to break the monotony of running a blockade, and the most exciting thing to have happened so far was watching the many Hammerheads, Lightnings, and Maulers as they dropped down to the surface.

  “We have incoming ships from the ninth moon. They have only just activated their engines. It is a stealth course, and they are making for an orbital course with Helios. The Narau ships are too far away to intercept.”

  “Stealth course, why?”

  “They aren’t civilian ships, Admiral. I’m detecting unusual weapon configurations.”

  Lieutenant Ryante almost seemed confused as she examined the details coming in from each of the ships. A stealth course was simply that the ships were operating on limited power and coasting, rather than using their engines. It wasn’t easy detecting such traffic unless you knew exactly where and when to look. Luckily for these ships, there were many pieces of debris, dormant stations, and thousands of vessels, tugs, and cargo modules to hide them from active scanners.

  “Put them on the main screen, Lieutenant.”

  The image from one of the long-range optical mounts showed a force of at least twenty vessels of various configurations. They were spread out over a modest area of space and moving fast. Several were quite clearly bulk cargo ships, but they were all fitted and equipped for combat. Some carried layered armor but all seemed modified for war in one fashion or another. What really stuck out the most was the ship in the middle of the formation.

  “That’s a Khreenk warship,” said Lieutenant Ryante.

  The vessel’s size was difficult to gauge in space, but the ship’s computers had already performed a number of calculations, and it was clear the ship was closer in size to Conqueror Alliance ships than anything else. Admiral Lewis shook his head angrily before pointing to his communications officer.

  “Get me Admiral Lanthua of the Narau fleet, now!”

  He paused and then added, “Hail that ship as well. I need to speak with her captain.”

  Lieutenant Ryante had already run detailed analysis of the approaching ships and put all the data she had accumulated so far on the main screen. It included everything from size and mass to approach vectors, velocity, and power configuration.

  Admiral Lewis looked at the number with surprise.

  “You’re certain of this? This fleet of ships is heading directly to Helios, at that speed?”

  She nodded, as the face of Admiral Lanthua, the Khreenk commander of Narau forces in this part of space appeared. He was the very same Admiral that had been attacked by the Biomech forces in Anicinàbe territory. The alien spoke, and Admiral Lewis was forced to wait a few seconds for the translators to do their work. He noted the form of Alliance liaison officer, Captain Tory Campbell to his side.

  “Admiral Lewis, how may I assist you? I understand you have concerns with this force of vessels?”

  “Concerns? My officers tell me this is an armed fleet, and they are making for low orbit around Helios. Who are they, and what do they want?”

  Again there was the short pause.

  “These ships are one of the private operations in Helios. They are licensed to travel and to provide security services to companies. Their ships were cleared on the moon before leaving.”

  Lieutenant Ryante shook her head.

  “According to the reference database the T’Kari gave us, that ship is an obsolete Khreenk battleship. Apparently, the class is around seventy years old, and they were all marked as scrapped.”

  Admiral Lewis looked back at the alien who had heard the same information. He waited, but the commander of the Narau forces said nothing. It was evident the Khreenk Admiral had no intention of giving up any information of significance. In that moment, Admiral Lewis’ opinions of the Narau were confirmed.

  They’re just a force for politics and show. They have neither the skill nor the will to fight any real enemy. Anderson was right. We need to drive events here, not the other way around.

  “Well, can you explain why you are letting an uncharted Khreenk warship and the rest of the ships head to the warzone? The Narau are supposed to be here to prevent escalation of this crisis.”

  The alien’s face changed slightly, and he wondered if he could see a hint of amusement.

  “Khreenk warship? My database flag this ship as an obsolete state vessel, sold for scrap, and now used as a transport. It is no Khreenk warship, I promise you.”

  Promises, what the hell do you know about them?

  He thought of the three Alliance ships serving with this Khreenk Admiral and felt a glimmer of concern for them. There was nothing he could do though, not yet, but he would need to make contingency plans. The Helions had already managed to nearly destroy one Alliance ship in the terrorist incident against ANS Conqueror.

  “These ships are on no civilian mission. I suspect they are smuggling arms, supplies, and potentially mercenaries.”

  Again there was the translator delay, and it gave him time to look at the ship disposition. It was easy to see how they had been arrayed to look like a merchant convoy, yet the low electronic emissions and limited radiation from their hulls suggested they had taken great risks in keeping their vessels cold and hard to detect. He wouldn’t be surprised if they had even sustained casualties, due to the extreme nature of their journey.

  “I have orders from Khreenk homeworld...to...let these ships pass.”

  Admiral Lewis stood up and banged his fist down on the console to his right. Half the officers in the CIC turned to see what the commotion was about.

  “You are in direct violation of the Narau agreement. You do not operate on the side of the Khreenk. Your duty is to all the worlds that provide a tithe for the fleet. Now, I suggest you do your job, and stop those ships before they escalate the situation on the ground. Equipment of war could be used against the legitimate Helion government.”

  The alien stood calmly as the circuits did they job. After a couple of seconds, he bared a broken tooth before speaking.

  “Legitimate? I am sorry, Admiral. The Khreenk do not recognize the rebels as the state government. Justitium Lyssk is the official leader of Helios, and during these troubles, we will provide whatever assistance is requested by his government.”

  There was a tiny delay as one of his comrades spoke with him.

  “The Narau Fleet will of course assist in any way we can to keep hostile forces and equipment away from the crisis on Helios.”

  Admiral Lewis did his best to keep a straight face and turned to his executive officer, Commander Lisa Sonels. She was in her early forties, short and with graying short cropped hair. Her face was marked along her chin where she’d been badly burned in a skirmish the year before out on the Rim, deep in Alliance territory.

  “Get me the fleet on the horn. I want them ready to intercept this rogue fleet. They should be ready for combat operations.”

  He said it slowly and loudly enough that most of the officers in the CIC could hear him, as well as Admiral Lanthua. The alien’s expression changed to a peculiar mixture of anger and pleasure, one that he hadn’t seen before.

  “These ships have full authority from the Khreenk Federation to travel through this sector. My government will not allow you or any other person to interfere with their legal progress.”

  Admiral Lewis wa
s now starting to lose his patience.

  “Legal?”

  “Yes, I have received important and classified information from the homeworld concerning these ships. There is no need to go any further.”

  The grin on Admiral Lewis’ face suggested otherwise.

  “I have a dozen warships enforcing a blockade here that disagrees.”

  Lanthua snarled at the insult.

  “I do not take kindly to threats, Admiral. I have over sixty ships in my fleet, including a dozen Khreenk Federation cruisers.”

  He paused before lowering his tone, as though trying to be conciliatory.

  “Listen to me, please. The flotilla is a private enterprise, chartered by a Khreenk businessman to supply humanitarian aid to Helions. It has been paid for in good faith for non-military reasons.”

  He leaned in a little closer so that his head enlarged on the screen.

  “I am powerless to act on your behalf. The Narau are here to protect from external threats. The Khreenk are friends of the Helions. We have been since before your people learned to travel in space. I suggest you and your dozen ships stay out of the way. A confrontation between my fleet and your little gathering would be…problematic for your…Alliance.”

  The video feed cut off abruptly and should have left Admiral Lewis fuming. Instead, he was actually calm. The Narau fleet was indeed large, but it was fractious. He seriously doubted any of the other Powers would be happy with allowing their ships to be used by a Khreenk Admiral to his own ends. The tactical assessment back on the Admiral Jarvis Naval Station had given a low threat score to all of the aliens’ vessels, with the exception of the Klithi. Even as they had been talking, he had been examining the detailed information on the Khreenk fleet. Though total numbers were secret, the Alliance had run into several of their ships over the last months and had even seen a small number in action. Admiral Lewis had grave doubts these ships could match a Crusader class warship, let alone his new flagship. He nodded privately, imagining for the briefest of moments what a clash between the Alliance and Khreenk might be before brushing it aside.

  Victory or not, I don’t think Anderson, or High Command for that matter, would be particularly impressed if I started a war with these people.

  He turned his head to face his communications officer.

  “Get this information back to Admiral Anderson and fast. Can you reach Captain Hampel? His ship is part of the Narau fleet.”

  “I’ll see what I can do, Admiral.”

  He looked back at the formation of ships and the numbers alongside them. If Lieutenant Ryante were correct, this fleet of ships would be in orbit over Helios within seven hours. If, and it was a big if, they were bringing military forces, then the plan that had been so carefully laid out would fall apart. The marines, though well equipped and trained, would never be able to end the conflict in the decisive manner imagined. The only reason they’d intervened in the beginning was to put a stop to the crisis. He forced himself to stay calm, but it was almost impossible.

  How the hell did that group of ships travel for a day and a half without anybody noticing? This Khreenk Admiral must be colluding with them.

  A video link of Captain Hampel as well as the other two Alliance Captains appeared. They were the official representatives of the Alliance in the combined Narau fleet in this part of space and the survivors of the deadly Biomech attack in Anicinàbe space.

  “Gentlemen, I take it you have seen the scans of this new fleet?”

  Captain Hampel, the temporary commander of the small group of escorts nodded.

  “We brought it to the attention of Admiral Lanthua twenty minutes ago, but he said it was legitimate traffic operating with the protection of the Khreenk Federation. My engineers have been assembling an assessment of their capabilities. I assume this is not the case?”

  Admiral Lewis was forced to bite his tongue before answering.

  “I want all three of your ships ready for a rapid extraction from the Narau fleet. There is a strong possibility the Khreenk are letting ships slip through the blockade and down to the surface.”

  Captain Hampel did not seem particularly surprised at this suggestion.

  “I see. ANS Mantic and Narwhal intercepted a single Khreenk transport yesterday, but Admiral Lanthua overruled us and sent them on their way. Instead, we were ordered to board a civilian transport that contained nothing but Helion locals. They must have been tipped off because when we arrived they had an armed party waiting for us.”

  “What happened with the Khreenk ship?”

  Captain Hampel blinked slowly in frustration.

  “The last information from our scanners showed the transport entered the Helios atmosphere. I thought nothing of it at the time, just another procedure that is unfamiliar to us. If we argued with every decision made by Admiral Lanthua, he would have booted us out days ago. After all, the Narau ships have been stopping and checking hundreds of ships.”

  “I see. Well, get your people ready. I suspect we will need you to rejoin the fleet at a moment’s notice, and Admiral Lanthua and his forces will not be happy when this happens, I can assure you.”

  “Understood, Admiral, just give us the signal, and we’ll return to the fold. Our posting to this fleet has proven less than inspiring.”

  As the image vanished, Admiral Lewis was convinced he could almost make out a degree of relief on the face of Captain Hampel. It couldn’t be easy operating under the command of an alien Admiral, but it was the price they’d been forced to pay if the Alliance wanted to play in the Narau club.

  Just be thankful that Captain Campbell had the wit to save the fleet in the Anicinàbe sector.

  Lieutenant Ryante had already added the rest of the ships' captains to the tactical network, and images for each ship showed up on his display. He tapped the button on his console, putting him in direct contact with the captains of the other eleven ships in the fleet. With his hand, he sketched out the shape of the fleet that he wanted. It was a very wide dispersal and would be perfect for offering mutual gun support, as well as plenty of space for the smaller vessels and fighters.

  “This is Admiral Lewis. There is a potential threat to this force. All ships are to prepare for battle. I want fighter escorts and bombers loaded and ready. Medics on standby, and all weapons charged and ready to go. We will discuss specifics shortly; in the meantime, get your ships in order for ship-to-ship action, and keep an eye on every single object in the sky. As of right now, you will consider all ships a threat.”

  He sent the course changes, fleet layout, and rules of engagement to each of them in seconds. It was efficient and required no wasted personnel in the loop. Each captain acknowledged the orders before signing off. The final mention of ship-to-ship action would galvanize them like no other. Many of the captains had seen battle, but it was a rarity for an officer to have ever served aboard a warship in an actual fleet engagement. He’d been on board CCS Crusader in the Great Uprising where she had fought a classic battle of broadsides using kinetic railguns. It had gone on for a long time, many hours in fact, and with massive casualties on both sides. It was a decision he would not come to lightly. The face of Admiral Anderson finally appeared on the emergency channel to the Naval Station in T’Kari space.

  “I’ve seen the information sent over by your tactical officer; this is worrying, very worrying. You might be surprised to find it is exactly what we expected to happen, though. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Rivers has already suggested to me that the military government on Helios might look outside for support. Even so, if this flotilla is in fact a mercenary force, it will be more overt than I would have expected. It could destabilize the entire situation for us, and that is something we cannot afford.”

  Admiral Lewis looked at the data while wiping his brow. His position was a difficult one. The Alliance had already moved troops down to assist the civilian population, but on the understanding that it would allow the Zathee to end the military takeover of the planet and the rep
risals against civilian areas. The arrival of mercenaries would cause a seismic shift on the planet.

  “The Khreenk have a long history, it would seem, of providing equipment and military services for those who will pay.”

  A series of images from Alliance files appeared around him, each outlining important information from the T’Kari and Alliance archives. Admiral Lewis noticed one describing an incident with a moon dispute between the Khreenk and T’Kari. It showed that a Khreenk trader had supplied arms and even mercenaries to fight on behalf of the T’Kari. Admiral Lewis shook his head at this piece of information. He looked to the next room where the marine officers were busy conducting the ground operations. They had their hands full already in trying to provide support to the Zathee. The arrival of mercenaries was something General Daniels would not be happy about.

  “My orders for this sector are clear, Admiral,” said Anderson.

  Admiral Lewis knew immediately that he had something significant to say.

  “Helios cannot fall under the control of a military dictatorship with a population waiting to revolt. The planet must be stabilized, and a representative system of government returned to power. The President has been in discussion with the Joint Chiefs for the last three days about this. There was to be an announcement in a week, but your report is going to accelerate the process. You’re the first to know.”

  Here is comes, he inhaled slowly, waiting for the ticking time bomb.

  “This comes right from the top; it follows negotiations with the Helion government in exile, specifically the Helion called Naglou, one of the officials your forces helped rescue has been sending us daily messages. Now that he is under our protection, we’ve been able to firm up an agreement, one that will see them support Naglou and his council of representatives.”