by James Rosone
“My military advisor will tell you about the ship we will give you,” the Emperor said as he nodded for the person to speak.
“We will give you a Gallentine Titan,” the advisor explained. “This ship is equipped with a wormhole generator. It will enable you to move entire fleets at a time to battle the Zodarks and Orbots. The weapons on the ship are more powerful than anything the Zodarks or Orbots currently possess. The Titan is the largest capital-class warship in our fleets. This ship turned the tide of the war against the Collective in our favor. If a Collective ship ever did attack inside your galaxy, the grand Titan would be more than capable of destroying it.
“Giving you this ship will immediately change the balance of power in the Milky Way. In addition, we will give you the designs to build our standard battleship and destroyer-class ships, so you can build them for your own purposes. It will take you years if not decades to build these warships and learn how to use them properly, but they will turn the tide of the war in your favor.”
Miles couldn’t believe what they were offering. He didn’t know how to respond. Based on his interactions with the Altairians, he hadn’t expected a response like this at all. He stammered, “I-I don’t know what to say. I wasn’t expecting such a gift as this from you, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor stood. “I like to believe I am a good judge of character. I have listened to you speak and answer questions for nearly six of your hours. I believe we have found the warrior class we’ve been searching for to conquer the Milky Way. Admiral Miles Hunt, I am charging you and the people of Earth with defeating the Zodark Empire and the Orbots. I am charging you with consolidating power in the Milky Way galaxy. The Altairians will work with you. They will administer and manage the galaxy for you. They have the technology, infrastructure, and ability to do these tasks exceptionally well—but you will lead the war council and the military force for the Empire in the Milky Way.
“I am going to issue you one of my imperial seals,” he said. He made a sort of snapping motion with his hand, and an aide came running up with a box to hand to Miles. “You will speak on my behalf in the Milky Way, and all military matters and decisions will now reside under your command and control. You will be answerable only to me and my war council from now on.
“You will be required to send periodic updates on your operations and provide us with reports on the outcomes of your military actions. From time to time, we may summon you back to Cobalt for in-person meetings. These are nonnegotiable.
“I need you to understand something, Miles. I am entrusting you with a lot of power—that power comes with responsibility. You and the people of Earth are answerable to us, the Gallentine Empire, now. I am your Emperor; I am your supreme ruler. You may keep your governing systems in place, but know that your people are now and forever going to be my subjects. You will fall under our protectorate, but you also fall under our rules. Do you accept this position?”
The Emperor expectantly waited for Miles’s response while patiently gazing through him to his core. The Emperor’s offer caught Miles off guard. Miles didn’t believe he had the authority to commit to this, but he didn’t feel like he could say no, either.
Sheepishly, he turned to Ambassador Chapman. “Nina, a little help here. Can I even say yes to this?”
She seemed flustered by his question. Finally, she nodded, apparently not sure what else she could do at this moment.
Miles turned to face the Emperor. “Your Majesty, on behalf of the people of Earth and the Republic, I agree to your request and proposal.”
The Emperor smiled softly. “Very well. You are now Viceroy Miles Hunt, the Supreme Military Commander of the Milky Way’s Imperial Army. We will now head over to the state dinner and announce this deal to the others. Special instructions will be sent back to Altairius Prime with Pandolly.”
This is going to make for an interesting war council back on Altairius Prime, Miles mused. He wondered how he should handle this with his two new bourbon-loving friends. There were so many angles to this game of 3-D chess. One step at a time, he told himself.
“The three of you humans will be staying here on Cobalt a while longer,” said the Emperor, breaking into his thoughts. “We have much to still talk about and teach you before you take command of your flagship and return to Altairius Prime. When you return, you will need to reorganize your local war council how you see fit—we can talk more about this later.
“Come, let us dine and enjoy each other’s company as we announce our newest Viceroy.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rise of the Republic
Cobalt Prime
Imperial Palace
When the dinner had ended, the Emperor asked for Pandolly to stay behind. The humans left to return to their quarters back inside the city.
Ambassador Velator took Miles, Nina and Ethan aside and explained, “Starting tomorrow, you will move to a different facility where you’ll spend the next several weeks learning more about the Empire and the Collective. You will also receive some advanced training on how to use and operate the Titan ship being given to you. This is not a ship that humans can readily operate. It is too advanced and too complicated; you’ll need to receive specialized neuroimplants and training on how to use them with the ship itself.
“When you travel back to the Milky Way, a crew of Gallentine naval officers will accompany you. They’ll gather the humans on the Altairian home world that aren’t staying behind and take them back to Earth. From there, they will work with our new partners to train a human crew to man, repair, and fight the ship—this will take at least a year of intense training.”
Ambassador Velator continued, “The plan will move rapidly once you return to Earth. A lot of technology will be given to you, along with a lot of training on how to use and implement that technology.
“A total of four thousand Gallentine advisors will be traveling with you on the ship and will remain on Earth for the foreseeable future. These advisors will assist the humans to prepare to take over military command of the Milky Way forces. Until further notice, no further military campaigns beyond the Harran campaign to liberate the Sumerian people will take place while the military and Alliance reorganization are underway.”
*******
The following day, Pandolly met with Miles and Nina for an hour. He went over his conversation with the Emperor. Pandolly said he’d convey the personal message from the Emperor back to his own leaders. The group then separated, with Pandolly going back to his ship and the Earthers staying on Cobalt for a while longer.
Miles wasn’t sure if Pandolly was mad or relieved that the Altairians would no longer be in charge of the war. The Altairians rarely showed any emotion, so it was hard to read him. Miles suspected the Altairians would be more than mildly put off by the idea of the humans taking over the war function of the Galactic Empire.
Some of the other members on the council might also feel they would be better suited to lead—but at the end of the day, Miles didn’t care what they thought.
They had their chance to end this war, and they blew it, he thought.
Miles was the one who wore the ring with the imperial seal on it. He was the Viceroy and the man with the commission from the Emperor. Come hell or high water, Miles was going to push this Galactic Empire hard. He was going to listen to his Gallentine advisors and spend the next couple of years building and preparing. He’d institute a complete top-down retooling and training of the Alliance. When he was done reorganizing the fleets and battlegroups, the Zodarks and Orbots wouldn’t know what hit them.
*******
Two Weeks Later
“Are you ready to see your new ship?” asked Ambassador Velator as their shuttle climbed up into the sky.
Miles nodded and a wide smile spread across his face. He felt like a little kid being told he could finally open his Christmas presents.
Ethan was joining him for this trip as well. They were taking a small shuttle up to the ring station. The ship they
were being given command of had just come out of the shipyard, so it was brand-new.
“How big is this ship?” asked Ethan, clearly also excited. “What size crew does it take to man and operate?”
Velator turned to the younger Hunt. “The Freedom is the seventh ship in the Titan class. The ship’s operations are largely automated, so it can theoretically run with a very small crew—at least that’s what I’ve been told. When we land on the ship, you will meet the ship’s captain. He will work directly for you, Viceroy Hunt. He will take orders from you as if you were the Emperor himself, and so will his crew. They will spend as long as it takes to train a human crew to take their place, and they will stay on as your crew as long as you want them to.”
Miles nodded in approval before asking, “How many Gallentine crew will I have on the ship?”
“The minimum number I was told would accompany you is five hundred. The ship itself, however, can carry substantially more. The captain will explain more to you when we dock.”
As their shuttle rose out of orbit and approached the ring station, Miles and Ethan saw dozens, maybe even hundreds of starships and warships of different sizes and styles docked there. Some were undergoing repairs while others were clearly shells still under construction. Still, many appeared to be ready for battle.
When they came around a bend in the station, Miles saw three massive extensions on the station that didn’t quite make sense. Just as he was about to ask Velator about it, one of them began to separate from the station. It wasn’t an extension of the station at all—it was a ship—one so enormous it resembled a small station in its own right.
Miles turned to his Gallentine friend. “Velator, what kind of ship is that? It’s as big as a space station.”
Velator smiled and his chest slightly puffed out with pride. “That, Viceroy, is the flagship of the Milky Way fleet. It is your new ship. This, Miles, is the Freedom.”
Miles’s eyes got a little wider as he shared a glance with his son, Ethan, who was as wide-eyed as he was.
“How big is this ship?” Miles managed to gasp out.
“In your units of measurement, the Freedom is fifteen kilometers in length, one kilometer in width, and one kilometer in height. As to further specs of the ship, I again will defer to the captain, who we’ll be meeting once we dock.”
A minute later, their shuttle pilot said they were receiving a message from the ship’s captain, who had granted them permission to land in the port-side shuttle bay. As their shuttle neared the landing bay, all Miles could do was marvel at this monstrosity of a ship. It was enormous, far bigger than any starship he’d ever seen. As a matter of fact, this ship was larger than the John Glenn Orbital Station above Earth. It was larger than any station he’d ever seen.
How do you even get around on a ship this size? Miles thought in awe. He imagined that it would take more than an hour to just travel from one end of the ship to the other.
As they approached the entrance, Miles saw a yellowish shimmer in front of the landing bay. Then they were inside the ship.
Miles gazed out the front window, taking it all in, while the pilot maneuvered them to one side of the landing bay. The inside of this ship was overflowing with rows of shuttles, starfighters and other spacecraft as far as the eye could see.
“The captain and some of his officers are here to meet you, Viceroy,” Ambassador Velator said as he pointed to a row of Gallentine military personnel lined up on deck.
Miles felt a bit awkward about all of this. It seemed odd that a superior species like the Gallentines would have placed hundreds of their own sailors under a human’s command. Hell, him being made a Viceroy felt strange. He couldn’t imagine what people were saying on Altairius Prime and the war council. Miles anticipated an uncomfortable conversation in a few days when they arrived.
The pilot deftly landed the shuttle, making sure to place the entrance in front of the military formation that was waiting to greet them.
Once they’d docked, the shuttle door opened with a slight hissing noise. As Miles prepared to walk down the ramp, he took a deep breath. He appreciated that the Gallentines’ biological bodies functioned best in the same atmospheric conditions as a human. He didn’t have to wear a breathing device or keep using one of those inhaler-like contraptions he’d have to keep near him on an Altairian ship.
Ambassador Velator leaned in. “Don’t be nervous, Miles,” he said softly. “They are professional soldiers, just like you. They know their duty. They were given personal orders by the Emperor himself a week ago. Each of them considers it a great honor to have been selected to serve under you, the Viceroy and military commander of the Milky Way forces.”
Miles smiled. Velator’s comments did make him feel a bit better. He didn’t want them to feel like he was somehow usurping their chain of command or like they had been placed under the command of an inferior species.
Ambassador Velator walked down the shuttle ramp toward the formation of soldiers. There were probably two hundred of them on either side of the path leading to the captain of the ship, who was standing at attention with a couple of his officers near him.
When the ambassador reached the flight deck, he stood to the side and waited for Miles to join him.
“This is it, Dad. Don’t trip on your way out. It’d make for a bad impression in front of your new command,” Ethan jested as he attempted to calm the butterflies in his dad’s stomach.
Miles snickered. “I look that nervous?” he asked.
Ethan shrugged. “Kind of. I figured you could use a little levity right now. Go on, you don’t want to be late to your own party.” His son had a big grin on his face. This was exciting for him, too. They were the first two humans to come aboard any Gallentine ship, let alone command one.
Miles lifted his head a bit as he walked down the ramp of the shuttle. As he left the ship, the entire assembly of troops came to attention. As Miles came abreast of Ambassador Velator, the two of them walked to the captain and his leadership team. When they got within a few feet, the captain snapped off a crisp Gallentine salute, a closed hand brought to one’s chest and then extended forward. It almost resembled what Miles knew to be the Nazi salute from World War II history. He made a mental note to talk with them about that later.
“Viceroy Hunt, my name is Captain Wiyrkomi, of the clan Ishukone. It is a great honor for us to serve you, the Viceroy, in this grand war. I look forward to working with you and teaching your people everything there is to know about this warship,” he said confidently as he puffed his chest out a bit.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Captain Wiyrkomi,” Miles replied. “I am honored by the Emperor’s selection of you and your men to serve on this ship with me. The Emperor has sent only his best soldiers and sailors to serve with us. I am confident that together, we will make the Emperor proud.”
They spent a few more minutes talking as the captain introduced some of his senior officers. He then led them down two rows of the soldiers standing in formation, while giving Miles a short introduction to some of them and explaining what some of their jobs were. In addition to the five hundred sailors, one hundred and ten Gallentine soldiers were accompanying them to act as personal security for the Gallentine sailors until a human crew and security forces could be trained.
When the introductions were done, Captain Wiyrkomi led them up to a small briefing room. Miles, Ethan, Ambassador Velator and the senior leadership of the ship spent a bit of time getting to know each other before they got down to business. Hunt wanted to make sure they knew he was serious about ending this war with the Orbots and the Zodarks. He also laid out his expectations of the crew and of the captain as well.
Aside from operating the ship, for the time being, they were to spend as much time as possible with their human counterparts to impart as much knowledge and information as possible. For now, Miles was intent on running a dual-species crew. He wanted them to all work on learning from each other and strive to get along.
&n
bsp; Miles then asked for the captain to provide him and Ethan with a detailed overview of the ship, how it worked, and what made this ship so special in comparison to the rest of the Gallentine fleet. There had to be more to this ship than just its sheer size. Miles wanted to understand the strategy behind why the Gallentines had built a ship so massive as the Freedom.
“First, I need to show you how we get around on a ship as large as this one,” said Captain Wiyrkomi. Miles had been curious about this, especially after he’d learned that the ship had more than thirty-two decks in some sections of the ship. In addition to the elevators and stairs, a series of tram lines ran along the entire spine of the vessel. The system ran like a subway system on Earth. The ship had four color-coded sections denoting specific sections. Depending on which area someone needed to travel to, they would get on a specific-colored line. If they were at the front of the ship and needed to get to the rear, they hopped on one line, and if they needed to get to the middle, they hopped on a different line.
The tram system functioned very similarly to how a hyperloop system worked on Mars, the Moon, Earth, and now New Eden. One could travel from the front of the ship to the rear in under two minutes, which greatly reduced the travel time needed to move from one end to the other.
As the Gallentine captain finished showing them how to move about the ship, Miles decided to get back to business. “Captain Wiyrkomi, can you explain what makes this warship so different and so much more powerful than other Gallentine warships?” he asked.
“The Freedom is more than just a battlewagon or a weapons platform—although it has plenty of weapons,” Wiyrkomi said with a smirk. “What this ship offers that many others do not is that it acts as an orbital base when it jumps into a system.
“On either side of the ship are two extendable platforms that can extend as far as half a kilometer from the ship. These four platforms are mobile docks: other warships and freighters can dock there to transfer people or equipment between the Freedom or each other.”
