Battlecry: StarFight Series, #3

CHAPTER ONE

Jacob had never liked it when his father the admiral dictated what he should be doing every waking moment of his younger life. He liked it even less now, when as an adult he had saved the Battlestar Lepanto from destruction at the hands of deadly wasp-like aliens. But this time his father’s orders were exactly what should be done, after the defeat and near total destruction of the wasp fleet that had invaded Kepler 10 with the aim of destroying its human colony world. Which fact made his guts churn as he listened to his father’s new commands.

"Attach the disabled wasp ship to the Lepanto, head out to this system’s magnetosphere and return to Kepler 22, there to release the wasp ship and its people as a gesture of friendship from humanity," said Gordon, his manner tense as Jacob sat in his father’s conference room on the Midway, the only other Battlestar ship in the Kepler 10 system. Forget about the slingshot toss of them out to the magnetosphere. It will work better to attach them to your hull and have direct control of their ship.

He told himself to show patience with his father’s manner. After all, the man had saved the colony world of Valhalla from nuke bombardment by the wasps when he inserted the Midway between wasp nukes and the planet’s atmosphere.

What happens after I arrive at Kepler 10 and release the ship of Support Hunter Seven?

It should be obvious, his father said, sounding impatient. Use the pheromone signalers captured by your Marines. Propose an armistice. And on my own authority, offer them a mutual trade of worlds. It’s the Mutually Assured Benefit scheme I talked about following the last battle. And what you proposed in the cartoon videos your people produced. The man paused, looking intently at Jacob, then leaned forward. We will allow the wasps to settle on this system’s third world if they allow humans to settle on a one gee world in one of their colonies. With the same arrangement for future systems we each discover. The man sat back, still appearing tense despite being out of his vacsuit and wearing fresh NWU Type III Woodland camos. Surely one of the wasp ships in orbit above their colony world will come out and take Support Hunter Seven’s ship in tow. Seven’s ship is no threat to you or anyone. Correct?

Correct, Jacob said. Its two fusion pulse engines are melted down and the middle and front weapons rings are also dead. It can only enter Alcubierre space-time for transit to another star. It has no normal space motive power except what we provide. Or a fellow wasp ship provides.

Good, his father said, his expression becoming less tense as he saw Jacob was not going to argue over his change in orders. Any questions?

Yes. Being an errand boy for Earth’s only five-star fleet admiral did not sit well with Jacob. Still, his father had orders from Earth Command to seek an end to the deadly fighting between humans and wasps. An objective he supported. His original battle group of ten ships was now down to six, thanks to the loss of four ships in fighting at Kepler 22 and later here at Kepler 10. While his ships and his father’s larger battle group had destroyed 35 or so wasp ships, still, neither of them wanted to lose more men and women and ships. "Returning to Kepler 22 could be dangerous. That is where the new wasp fleet came from. What if the wasps ignore my offer and come out to the magnetosphere to attack us? I want more ships with me. The Lepanto is not a magic wand."

True. What ships?

Jacob licked his lips. "The Chesapeake, the Philippine Sea and the Aldertag should suffice."

A heavy cruiser, a destroyer and a frigate? his father mused, a touch of humor showing in his expression. You plan to capture a planet somewhere?

I’ve learned not to underestimate the wasps. Sir.

His father sighed deeply, closed his gray eyes a moment, then opened them. His look was now . . . caring, or at least empathetic. Son, you and your people did very well in fighting off that first series of attacks in Kepler 22, then later in the battles here to defend Valhalla. We were lucky to only lose the Star Navy orbital base and a few hundred people down in Stockholm city. And some ships. No one wants to lose more people or ships, let alone our colony. Taking the wasp ship back to Kepler 22 and offering it as a token of our proposed armistice is a start to stopping this war. Gordon folded his weathered hands on the table that separated them. The wasps do not know the location of Earth. We do not know the location of their home world of Nest. We each know the location of a single colony occupied by the other species. Keep it that way. But get my MAB message communicated to the wasps who are running that colony. Let them send off a ship to their home world. Wait there until you get a response. If a problem develops, send me a message using your frigate. Any more questions?

Jacob mentally ran through the needs of the hundreds of people in the six ships, plus the Aldertag, that he still commanded. We need to send some LCAs down to Stockholm to stock up on fresh foods. Our Park Room, Forest Room and our hydroponics chamber can’t keep up with the needs of 321 people. It’s been months since we left Earth. He looked down at his tablet, tapped the List icon on it, then looked up. "Also, I need two Darts to replace the boarding ships our Marines lost in the attack on Support Hunter Seven’s ship, and later above Valhalla. The Chesapeake needs replacement crew for the 15 people they lost. He paused, thinking over the three spots on his Battlestar’s hull that had been punched through by the enemy. The repairs to the armor hull gaps on our belly, nose and rear spine will work until we get to an orbital shipyard, somewhere."

His father nodded slowly. I’m familiar with those repairs. O’Sullivan was a genius to squash a shuttle to fill the belly hold, do the same with aircars for the nose hole and then use that observatory dome to plug the rear spine hole. It should be almost as good as two meters of armor metal.

"It should be. But those are three vulnerable spots on the Lepanto. Which is why I want the other three ships to go with us. Their captains have proved themselves in combat. I trust them."

A serious look replaced the empathy. Trust among ship captains is vital. You’ve earned that, I can see. The admiral looked down at the tablet in front of him, then up. "My Marine warrant officer will send you two of his Darts with a few Marines to bring your complement up to full strength. I’ll also send some Midway people over to replace those lost by the Chesapeake. Her captain is Rebecca Swanson, right?"

Jacob nodded. Lieutenant Commander Swanson, sir. She put her ship between the wasp laser and lightning strikes and our frigates, saving several of them.

So I observed in the video records of the Kepler 22 battles that you shared with me on our arrival at this system’s magnetosphere. And in the battles here. Promote her to commander, with my approval.

Jacob felt surprise, then relief. Earlier his father had approved the rise to ship command of the staff officers on the other ships of his battle group, and his own takeover of Lepanto command. And he had endorsed the promotions of Daisy, Lori, Carlos, Kenji and Quincy that he had proposed. Now Rebecca would be one step below full captain. Well, she had earned it. Will do, sir. Thank you. Uh, would you also approve the promotion of Joy Jefferson to Lieutenant Commander? Her ship was beyond deadly in every engagement.

"I do. And tell Captain Sunderland of the Aldertag that when she retires back to Earth I will endorse her for promotion to rear admiral. She’s earned that star."

Jacob was shocked. Admiral ranks of any level were rare in America’s Star Navy. Most Stellar Academy graduates felt lucky to make captain and have their own ship to run. Why was his father being so generous? But he’d never been good at deciphering his father’s moods. Best to accept the man’s positives and hope he did not decide Jacob needed a verbal spanking before he left for the Kepler 22 star system.

Yes sir, thank you sir. I will advise her of your intent during our journey out to this system’s magnetosphere.

His father nodded absently. Then he looked over to a flat image that was attached to the Food Alcove wall. It was a picture of Jacob’s mother Sarah. He looked back. Wish your mother was here to see how you’ve taken to command. I’m sure she would be proud of you. As I am.

Discomfort filled Jacob. Earlier his father had complimented him for getting most of his battle group away from the Kepler 22 system, after the sneak attack on the captains and XOs of the battle group. That was old history to Jacob, though it was just weeks in the past. He sat up straight, recalling how his father had always told him to sit that way when at the dinner table in Binghampton. I hope so. Time to move from the personal to the functional. Three ships from my battle group will stay behind. They will add strength to your fleet. Will you seek more ships from Earth? Just in case?

The man blinked. "I will request more ships. The Unity bastards will likely hold on to the other three Battlestars once Atlantic returns. I might get some heavy cruisers and destroyers. But it will take two months for my message frigate to get there and return with any extra ships. I expect word from you well before then."

You will hear from me once the wasps respond to our armistice and MAB offer, Jacob said, glancing down at his tablet to see if he had forgotten any other needs or supplies. We’re not that far away from Kepler 10. Just 65 light years. I’ll stay at Kepler 22 until I get a response, one way or the other. Is that all?

His father swung his seat sideways and stood up. His Woodland camo uniform had a cluster of five stars on each shoulder tab. His multiple campaign ribbons filled the left side of his shirt. On the right, above the pocket, was a plastic tag that read G. Renselaer. His expression moved to the familiar I Am In Charge look that Jacob had lived with all his life.

That covers it. Get your supplies from the planet. Get your O’Connor working on integrating the two new Darts and Marines. Return the four captive wasps to the custody of Support Hunter Seven. And figure out a way to work with Hunter One. You might start by putting him on your Bridge once you arrive at Kepler 22. His father turned thoughtful. That big wasp could be the key to getting an armistice. He was in charge of the wasp ships that set up the Kepler colony. He made the sneak attack on your battle group’s officers. See if he feels any kind of regret for being a duplicitous bastard. Might give you a handle for getting his cooperation.

Jacob stood up from his chair and saluted. As you command, admiral. I expect to leave for the magnetosphere within a day. I’ll send you a neutrino vidcom just before we go Alcubierre. And thank you, sir, for the Darts and people support.

His father half-smiled. Helping out is one of the luxuries of command when people are not shooting at me. Get to Kepler 22. Release the wasp ship. Find a way to get that armistice established. Make the MAB offer. Who knows, maybe the wasps will take you to one of their colonies that has a one gee Earth-like world in it? Since they prefer half gee worlds, sharing a world with us is no skin off . . . damn! They don’t have noses, do they? Anyway, a mutual trade of worlds could work to the advantage of both peoples. Make it happen.

I will, Jacob said, lowering his hand and heading for the titanium slide door that gave access to the Command Deck hallway of the Midway. Door open.

The door opened, his voice having been added to the ship AI’s voice recognition module as someone with authority to move about his father’s Battlestar. Briefly he wished Daisy was piloting the Landing Craft Assault that he’d taken to get to his father’s ship. No such luck. Master sergeant Linda Mabry had flown him to the Midway. Daisy, as XO, had stayed behind on the Lepanto, making sure everyone on all seven decks was focused on getting back to fighting trim. Well, the woman who was also his lover would be in his sight soon enough. He just hoped she had enough energy left from juggling the needs of the giant Battlestar to give him a smile and maybe a hug when he returned on the LCA. Her love and support had been freely given to him. But it was her understanding of how he still felt at sea, an ensign newly minted as Battlestar captain and leader of a battle group of American Star Navy ships, that was vital to his ability to be the leader his people deserved.

They were no longer ensigns. They were people responsible for ships and crews in a dangerous interstellar void. At least the trip back to Kepler 22 would give everyone time to decompress, relax and enjoy a Dance Night. It was what happened after their arrival at the edge of that star’s magnetosphere that now filled his mind with worry.

CHAPTER TWO

Daisy watched the curving front wallscreen in front of her. It was filled with the grayness of the Alcubierre space-time bubble in which they traveled at a speed of 25 light years a day. Faster than light travel to other stars had been a fact ever since the CERN geeks learned how to generate the intense gravity needed to wrap a bubble of space-time around a ship, then make it pinch the outside space-time in front of them so the ship would be drawn forward even as the space-time at the rear was expanded by the Alcubierre effect. The result was FTL travel in a mode that did not violate Einstein’s equations. Or so the profs at the Stellar Academy had taught her and other cadets from across America and from around the world. Soon that grayness would vanish as they exited Alcubierre and arrived at the edge of the Kepler 22 magnetosphere, which lay 42 AU out from the yellow star. Their arrival would provide a distant view of the system’s four planets, its asteroid belt and the outer Kuiper Belt of comets. More vital were the number of moving neutrino sources that might be orbiting above the wasp colony on the fourth world, a place the wasps had named Warmth. Would there be another wasp fleet preparing to head for Kepler 10? In six minutes they would know the answer.

She looked to her right. Chief Warrant Officer Richard O’Connor sat in his padded seat, dressed like her in a vacsuit with accel straps crossing his muscular chest. His gray eyes looked intent and focused. The man’s flexible helmet was pushed back so he didn’t have to rely on the vacsuit comlink to communicate. It was a dress arrangement followed by her and everyone else on the circular Bridge that lay deep inside the Lepanto, toward the front of the kilometer-long ship. Daisy lifted her head, seeing beyond the Marine leader. Seated next to O’Connor was Commander Alicia Branstead, chief of the Science Deck and boss of her friend Lori Antonova. The mother of three girls back on Earth had been of vital assistance to her and Jacob during their wasp battles. Now, she leaned forward as far as her accel straps allowed, watching the wallscreen, clearly eager to learn the neutrino news that the ship’s sensor arrays would pick up as soon as they emerged into normal space-time.

Beyond Alicia sat the yellowjacket shape of Hunter One, former leader of the wasp fleet that had killed their line officers and then attacked the battle group. The red and black-striped giant insect rested his abdomen on a metal bench that the ship’s AI had caused to rise up from the floor. Four legs touched the floor while two arm-legs stuck out from its upright thorax. The creature’s brown wings flapped slowly as two black antennae moved slightly above its head. Below the antennae were a line of black eyes. Three small eyes were flanked by two larger compound eyes. Below the eyes was a mandible mouth that served mainly for eating. Breathing came through holes in its thorax and abdomen that, she recalled, were called spiracles. The presence of the former enemy was the reason Bridge gravity had been lowered to a half gee. A little more than the gravity on Mars. It was the gee level of the wasp home planet. Jacob had ordered the change as part of his decision to invite the giant wasp to be present on the Bridge during emergence. The wasp presence was also the reason for the square block of a pheromone signaler that stood in front of the critter. The device converted its pheromone speech into normal human English. And vice versa. So weird. Daisy shivered and focused back on her station and her duties.

She, Richard and Alicia occupied the central pedestal that overlooked all parts of the Bridge. Behind and above them sat Jacob, his chin resting on his right fist, as shown by her ceiling video view that filled the holo on her right. The image of her lover made her heart thump extra a moment. Then his intense command expression, so similar to the look often shown by his father Gordon, reminded her of her duties. She looked to her left front holo, which showed a cross-section of the Lepanto’s seven decks. At the back end of Command Deck lay Engines Deck. The three fusion reactors and three fusion-pulse engines that filled the rear of the deck were all showing Green Operational. The left side holo that usually showed a system graphic and her right front holo that often held a true space image of wherever the ship happened to be, they were empty. They would not go active until Alcubierre exit.

Telling herself to quiet her nerves, Daisy looked ahead, fixing her gaze on the nine Bridge crew persons who sat before control pillars. Half circles of holos hovered before each of the pillars. The nine crew posts followed the Bridge’s curving wall around to her left and right. Everyone was clearly alert and ready for normal space entry. She looked back to the ceiling video holo. Behind her, partly filling the rear curving wall were observation seats. The seats flanked the hatch that gave access from the Command Deck hallway. Sitting there were Lori their exobiologist, Carlos the programmer superior, Quincy the laser gunner and Kenji of the Mess Hall. The four of them and herself had become friends with Jacob on the long trip out from Earth to Kepler 22. Since the wasp attack on the battle group’s former captains and XOs, the five of them had moved to quarters on Command Deck, at Jacob’s insistence. Though each of them had worked on different decks, it was nice living on this deck. Nicer still were the promotions granted to each of them. No longer ensigns, they had moved up to higher rank and better pay. Lori and Carlos were now lieutenants jg, while Quincy had jumped to petty officer second class. Even Kenji, a Spacer who worked at feeding multiple shifts of ship crew, had advanced to petty officer third class. It was something each of them was still adjusting to, along with the frequent space battles that had—

Alcubierre space-time modulus emergence in five minutes, said Louise Slaughter from her Navigation post.

Status of our fellow ships? called Jacob.

"The Chesapeake, Philippine Sea and Aldertag all report they are ready for emergence, according to neutrino com signals from each ship’s XO," said Andrew Osashi from Communications.

She liked the quick response of Andrew. The man had resisted Jacob’s decision to assume command upon loss of comlink with their former captain and XO. But he, like everyone else in the battle group, had learned that Jacob had the daring, ruthlessness and determination to lead a fleet of combat starships.

Put the images of their captains at the top of the wallscreen. I want them aware of all that happens here, Jacob said. Osashi, activate the All Ship vidcom so that every crew person is informed on the actions we take.

All Ship vidcom activated, Osashi said.

Jacob looked down at her. XO, status of ship stations and functions?

Captain, all are Green Operational, she said, telling herself to relax the tenseness of her hands. At least they were covered by the gloves of her vacsuit. The three spots with deep punch throughs are covered by steel sheeting that is ablative coated and with functional adaptive optics lenses for laser deflection. Sir.

Good. Tactical, initiate neutrino targeting cross-linking with the Tactical officers on the other ships, Jacob said. Prepare to target any wasp ship that might be present at our emergence point.

Cross-linking with Tactical on the other ships, Rosemary O’Hara said. Established. Emergence of all four ships should be simultaneous, assuming the ship AIs coordinate.

Agreed. Melody, cross-link with the other ship AIs, Jacob said.

Linking up, beautiful human male, the AI said in a musical voice that came from the ceiling.

Daisy winced. The growing personal familiarity of the ship’s AI and its focus on treating Jacob as if he were the AI’s date or buddy had sent Carlos into a dither as he did a systems diagnostic on Melody’s modules. Nothing errant had been found. Nor had Alicia been able to determine why their ship AI acted this way. It did not mean the AI was self-aware. Or so Daisy hoped. But its algorithms allowed it a wide range of response modes to humans and other bioforms. Maybe Jacob’s assumption of command over the battle group was the reason for the change. She had certainly never heard the AI talk this way to admiral Johanson or to former captain Miglotti.

Jacob’s image showed him wincing, then looking to the front of the Bridge. Tactical, feed me the neutrino sensor data ASAP, once we emerge.

Ready to report, called Rosemary.

Their leader looked to a new crew post. Weapons, get the antimatter cannon online and ready to fire.

As you command, said Oliver Diego y Silva. Sending orders to AM chief Billy Linkletter. The AM reservoir has a full eight shot load.

Four minutes, called Louise.

Daisy looked at the front wallscreen. Below the images of Rebecca Swanson, Joy Jefferson and Joan Sunderland there would shortly appear multiple imagery. A true space image of the charcoal black space at the edge of the star system would be one. Neutrino sensor imagery and a system graphic would fill the left and right sides of the wallscreen. What else showed up was yet to be discovered. She reminded herself of her duty, her training and her absolute determination to protect and defend her crewmates.

♦   ♦   ♦

Richard told himself to relax. The next few moments were unlikely to involve live fire combat. While the arrival spot for ships coming from Kepler 10 was known to the wasp aliens, it was unlikely they could repeat admiral Renselaer’s close bracketing of the wasp arrival point at Kepler 10. He doubted their ability to put the four ships of their fleet in range of wasp lasers and lightning bolts. The only wasp ship that worried him were the giant ones with gravplate hull sections that were able to generate a black hole effect. The range of that weapon was just under 4,000 kilometers. The wasps might be that close when they emerged. But young Jacob had shown himself to be a fine student of fast combat maneuver. The pursuit of blitzkrieg in space was something the young man had shown a talent for. Their small fleet would move quickly out of range of any wasp weapons before circumstances became deadly.

Three minutes to emergence, called the second redhead on the Bridge.

He’d come to know and value Louise Slaughter. While the married woman had no children, she was an excellent pilot who during the several space battles had moved the Lepanto as if the giant ship were a wasp itself, nimbly shifting vectors and angles as if it were a much smaller frigate. Richard respected that.

Melody, move ship from Alert System Entry to Alert Unknown Enemy, Jacob said firmly from above.

Moving to Alert Unknown Enemy, the AI said, its tone changing from playful to deeply intense.

Above him yellow ceiling lights went to blinking and low hoots echoed off the Bridge walls. The lights and hoots were also happening on every deck and room of the Lepanto.

Just right. Prepare for the worst and cover your buddies. That was what Richard had learned at Camp Lejeune, long years ago. It was a motto his DI had drilled into him and his fellow gyrenes. It was a motto he had reinforced among the Marines under his command. He had spent the two and a half days of their transit time to this star focused on reinforcing that combat alertness. He’d especially worked on the pilots and marines who had arrived on the two new Darts. They replaced the two Darts that had died in the Kepler 10 battles, costing him two fine pilots in Chao Lee and Aaron Jacobs. Those losses had left him with the Darts Chapultepec and Chao Lee. The new Darts had been renamed as Tarawa II and Fallujah. The new pilots and Marines were good people. They had integrated well. Now they had four fully operational assault Darts and the marines and Shinshoni hard shell suits to mount a forced entry of any alien spaceship. He looked ahead, eager to see what faced them in the wasp system.

♦   ♦   ♦

Support Hunter Seven flew above his bench in the Flight Chamber of his flying nest, feeling both depressed and eager. Sadness filled him at the condition of his nest. Its two propulsive devices were molten heaps of metal, while its three weapons rings were dead and empty of the ability to send off sky light beams or lightning strikes. And half his fellow Swarmers who had once lived and flown through its tubeways were now dead from the horrendous biting of Soft Skins wearing white hard-shells that carried deadly weapons aplenty. He had the two-legged Soft Skins to thank for such a wounded nest. Seven fluttered his two wings, then sent forth a calming pheromone