Stone and the Ravens (Guardian Stone Book 3)

by Don Koch

  Crystal's skills in appearing and acting as a human fooled everyone and had anyone suggested that she was not human, they flatly would not have been believed. She also had the ability to slightly change her appearance so she could adopt an appropriate persona for any particular occasion. Because she found the work interesting, she also offered to assist Charles with forensics when needed.

  Since Lorena was reasonably well off, there was nothing to create cash flow issues. Crystal utilized the guest room at the Sanders home to avoid gossip and other annoyances when in Harris.

  They had several projects underway that should produce some items of interest for Malone and for the Fleet. Crystal's wide range of topics of interest made her a fascinating conversationalist.

  Chapter 36: Back to Gnuxet

  Station 161 at Gnuxet –

  Station 1 in en route to Gnuxet –

  May 1 – C Day 610

  “Emil, this is Hank. We are on our way out to Gnuxet. I am sending Station 110 and 166 your way from Gorth. I have asked Station 166 to scan for and impound any Rotan ships they find between Gorth and Gnuxet. If they find any, they will place the occupants in stasis for later delivery to Gnuxet. Their sweep will take a few hours. After that they will lay off outside the Oort cloud and do some long range scanning to see what the Rotans are up to outside of their own system. Station 110 is coming direct so they should be there within the hour. I have an increasingly itchy feeling about this. What have you been seeing from your end?”

  “There has been considerable chatter on the Rotan FTL communications channels, particularly on their channels for out of system. We have been trying to ascertain where these messages are coming from and we have identified at least 5 systems where contact was initiated. It appears that they have some kind of operations going on in all of them. We have been able to locate all of the systems from which the communications originate. I am sending you coordinates for all identified systems. The closest is about 90 light years from here. Our scans show what appears to be a conflict underway there with at least three fleets but that is not yet certain. We have started conducting an inventory of their warships but that is far from complete since we are trying to remain undetected. So far we see vessel sizes ranging from 4 man attack fighters to 10-mile long dreadnaughts with 4,000 man crews. I was planning to send a full patrol out there to see what is going on and get a decent count on the ships but it sounds like Station 110 may be in a better position for that. We are going to need more Stations for those other systems. I have launched all of my cruisers and all of my battleships to maintain full surveillance of this system. I am also sending four of my battleships and forty of my cruisers to back up Station 110 or whoever else you decide to send out there.”

  “I think you are correct. We need some eyes on that conflict so I am rerouting Station 110 out there to get some direct intel. We need to see what is going on in those other locations as well."

  # Several hours later – Raas System #

  “Hank, this is Sean Callahan on Station 110 in the Raas System. We have been observing this mess out here for a few hours and there are some things you need to know. This conflict appears to have been underway for some time based on the damage we can see and the space debris we are seeing. Both sides have sizeable fleets. The Rotans are clearly the aggressors. The defenders are unusual. There are two species living on the planet Raas. They are Gar and Glarin. They have joint crews. They appear to be holding their own even though the Rotans appear to have more ships. The Rotans have two fleets here of distinctly different design. Its almost as if they did not build both. That sounds slightly familiar.”

  “The reason that the defenders appear to be holding their own is that they have some really hefty orbital fortresses and satellite based defenses that are keeping the Rotans at bay. We have scanned their weapons and they have some pretty high-powered stuff. My real concern is that the Rotans have six dreadnaughts in the system and they each are carrying an inventory of planet busters. It looks to me like about 5 per dreadnaught. If they use those things, this will be all over.”

  “Planet busters, well that hacks that. Can you disable those planet busters without the Rotans knowing it was done by an outside force?”

  “Purnima and I were talking about just that and she feels that we could fry the circuits on those things so they can’t work and it will be difficult to remove them because the frying of circuits, as we will do it, will weld them to the ship. We can actually do the same thing with their missile and rocket launchers.”

  “I like it. Can you do it in a sequence that will lead the Rotans to think that the defenders may have been the cause.”

  “Oho, that is devious, Purnima says yes and that will be fun. It should be particularly easy with the help that Emil has send our way. I will call back when that is done.”

  # An hour later #

  “I love this job. Hank, you would be amazed at the impact of your suggestion. The entire Gnuxet fleet has backed off almost to the Oort cloud. I have posted up about a light day above the plane of the elliptic. Gives us a birds-eye view so to speak. They are bickering with other. Seems like they are trying to decide what to do next. We have also fried their FTL communications. They have been trying to contact Gnuxet but they can’t get through. Purnima has identified the commander of the defenders. I would like to suggest that we open a contact with them to see if we can determine what started all of this.”

  “Good thinking Sean. Why don’t you ask Purnima to do a feed to Barana so you wont have to keep repeating what is happening. I like where your train of thought is taking you. I am not yet ready to let the Rotans know we are here but I think our invisible presence may be a good for the morale of the defenders along with some prudent and surreptitious intervention. Play it by ear and proceed as you feel best. You are the one on site. That said, there is no reason to not start removing crews from those ships and place them in stasis. They will not know how they got there. They will not even know they are in stasis. Tag any ship that has been emptied for later pickup. I will back your decisions. I expect to get quite a bit more open about our actions shortly. I gather that you like those new toys we sent you.”

  “Thanks Hank, I sure do, I will be glad when we have our own full complement. The crews are having fun. These things are amazing. Purnima has the feed established. So here we go.”

  Sean then hailed the defenders on a frequency that the Rotans could not monitor. The response, when it came was unsurprisingly testy, “Who is utilizing this frequency? This is a secure frequency and its use by unauthorized persons is a violation of law.”

  “My name is Lt. General Sean Callahan of the Antoran Fleet, may I please speak with the commander of your defenses.”

  “This is captain of the second watch. We see only our own ships and those of the Rotan invader in our system. We see no other ships.”

  “Captain, it would not be very smart for us to enter a system where we are unknown and where there is active conflict if we are visible. We are cloaked and undetectable, essentially invisible. We currently have more than 90 cruiser and battleship class vessels not counting 20,000 of our destroyer class ships in your system keeping a lid on things. Now may I please speak with your Commander.”

  “Wait one general.”

  After almost a minute, “This is General Griz Haddor, may I have a visual please. I am very busy and have no time for games.”

  Sean provided the requested visual from the lodge deck and had a number of his officers with him including a Glarin, several Gar, a Linan, a Saban and several humans. This was intended to lend credibility to the comments he was about to make. “General Haddor, my name is Lt. General Sean Callahan, commander of Station 110, Purnima of the Antoran Fleet. We recently became aware of the conflict underway in this system so we came to see what is going on. We arrived a few hours ago and found that the Rotan invaders were preparing to launch planet busters against you. Their dreadnaughts were each carrying five of these weapons. We could not
allow this so we have disabled each of the weapons and welded them to their launching bays. We did the same for all vessels carrying rocket or missile launchers. We did this in a manner to have them think that your defense was the cause. Their reaction was interesting. Currently they have withdrawn to the area of your Oort cloud but they have not left. They are bickering amongst themselves and trying to understand what has happened and how it has happened. We would prefer at this point that they not learn the cause.”

  “General, if what you say is true, then we are most grateful. The respite will allow us time to repair some of our damage. I must say that what you have told me is a bit hard to credit. Yet yours is a species that I have never before encountered and I see at least two more species that I do not recognize. Also our scans indicate that the Rotans have moved back to our Oort cloud. What is your purpose?”

  Sean thoroughly understood the fleet’s usual response to that question and delivered it. He went on to describe what the Rotans from Gnuxet had done to the Gorth and the solution to that issue. He noted that the Rotans would not be allowed further gains in this system but wanted to know how the current situation had come about.

  “General Callahan, I am having a difficult time accepting that you have effectively halted the conflict so readily. I am happy that you have halted our loss of life. This conflict started about eight months ago when the Rotans invaded our mining operations on our fourth planet. They just came in and shot the place up and took what they wanted. We attempted to negotiate with them but they just continued to take, so we had to defend ourselves. They have a prodigious fleet and it seems that they keep finding more ships to throw at us. So far we have managed to keep them at bay but it has been a close thing. I find it disturbing that they would even consider using planet busters on us. That is evil.”

  “My commander and I agree. That is why we are here. That fleet is about to start having unexplained mishaps that we hope will convince them to return to their home system. We are growing weary of their acts of piracy."

  ”Piracy, what is piracy?"

  "Piracy is an act of criminal violence or robbery at sea, in the air or in space. The Rotans have tuned it to a new level in space. It has been a crime on my planet of origin for centuries usually punishable by death. This is the first time we have seen it in space and the scale is appalling. We need to get these people out of space. For the moment we expect to return them to their planet and quarantine them.

  “One more point, some of the warships they are using are very much like those belonging to our trading partners on Nardo. We have been worried about them since we have heard nothing from them for about 10 months. That is most unusual. They are about 20 light years from here.”

  “Would you give me their coordinates and we will check to see if they are ok.”

  General Haddor provided the coordinates and Sean dispatched 2 battleships and 10 cruisers to check it out. Ten minutes later they reported that the system was a mess and it looked like the defense was about to fall. There was a large fleet of Rotans there.

  “Hank, this is appalling. We need to do something and now. I recommend that we engage. Also I am a bit worried about those other systems."

  “Sean you are correct. Tell your ships on site they may engage. It is time to do something about this. I am sending you some help. Tell the Rotans to surrender immediately or they will be fired upon. Give them a demonstration of some real firepower. Repeat the surrender demand. Tell them that any ship firing after that will be destroyed. Start disabling any Rotan ships you see. These Rotans are pirates and it is time to start treating them as such. Talking nice to them clearly is not working. Meanwhile send in another 2 battleships and 10 cruisers to assist the force you have there already. Send your stasis ship with them to collect the Rotans. That should be more than sufficient.”

  Hank then alerted all Stations in the region. “I am activating Battle Status on all Stations in Divisions 3 and 6. We have an active conflict underway in at least two systems and the culprit is again the Rotans. It appears that there are at least another three systems impacted but we are not yet sure of the conditions in those systems. They have initiated actions against at least two peaceful systems and that stops today. It all stops today. Sean Callahan has used our new cruisers and battleships to great effect. I want a sweep of as many systems in the region as we can reach that have Rotans. I want to know if there are any other systems suffering under these brutes and we will intervene immediately. You are to stop any further aggression by the Rotans. You may engage."

  Hank then proceeded to give assignments to the various Stations. His orders were the same throughout. All Rotan ships were to be captured or destroyed. Commanders were to give any ship encountered a choice, surrender or be fired upon. They were to remove to the stasis ship in the core, any prisoners, or slaves found as well as all Rotans encountered. Any dreadnaught appearing to make a kamikaze run on a planet was to be destroyed.

  Sean Callahan gave the orders to his ships on site to engage the Rotans and protect the beleaguered planet, Nardo. One of his battleships ordered the Rotans to cease-fire and withdraw or be fired upon. A Rotan dreadnaught commander laughed at him and prepared a planet buster for deployment. The battleship hit the dreadnaught with four of its super cannons and there was nothing left of the dreadnaught. The battleship then hailed the rest of the Rotan vessels and said, "OK, who is next? I told you to cease-fire and you refused. Surrender now or we will continue to take out your entire fleet. Power down your weapons and cut your drives now. In ten seconds we will commence firing." One destroyer tried to make a run for it and was disintegrated with a single blast from one of the cruisers. With that, the remaining Rotan ships, powered down weapons and drives and then surrendered.

  The battleship commander reported back to Sean that their intervention at Nardo had been successful and that the Rotan fleet in system had been defeated with a Rotan Dreadnaught and a destroyer class vessel destroyed.

  Sean then followed suit with the Rotan vessels in the Raas system with only one Rotan vessel destroyed. He then moved all Rotans to the stasis ship, flagged the now empty Rotan vessels for later collection. He then hailed General Haddor and reported the results. All Rotan ships and crew in both the Nardo and Raas system had been captured. He then asked if the General wanted to come aboard to discuss what had transpired and he readily agreed. Sean offered to have as many of the General's staff as he wished to accompany him. A few minutes later General Haddor and five of his staff were seated at a table on the deck at the lodge relaxing while Sean gave them a detailed explanation about what was going on and where the Antoran Fleet hoped it would lead.

  General Haddor was impressed and noted that he would be a strong supporter for Sean's proposal. Purnima prepared vids for the visitors from Raas to show to their government leaders. Sean indicated that they would provide a protective cover for Raas to prevent further incursions and to allow time for the discussions that would follow. They then returned to Raas in a considerably happier frame of mind.

  # An hour later – Station One in Gnuxet orbit #

  Hank gathered his T-Raptor team together and called up a hundred more teams. The Gorth were part of each team as were about a dozen Sabans from Pared. Hank was curious to see what additional talents they brought to the mix. It turned out that they were very good at detecting and locating all kinds of electronic storage media. His instructions were to look for any records that indicated raids on other worlds. He wanted to know where those worlds were and would dispatch a Station to clean up what it could. He was going to officially declare action against the Rotan and quarantine the planet. He also wanted a scan of the planet for sentient life forms because he suspected that the Rotan had a slave population. His intent was to remove all slaves from the planet. Before the teams could enter rapport, Barana informed them,

  "Just to be on the safe side,
broadcast the symbiote destruction sequence and then start extricating those slaves. I want each gently interviewed. Find out where they are from and get them needed medical care and food. See if we can find out where the Rotan ships were built. Now T-Raptor teams, time to go to work."

  Hank and his team entered rapport and went to Kangx office. This time there was no attempt made with weapons. Kangx stated in a belligerent tone, "What do you want."

  "Funny you should ask. We want you to go away but that likely won't happen through any action of yours so we will help you. As of now this planet and all Rotan on it are quarantined. You may not enter space until the day we tell you that you may. All of the stolen technology you have will be removed. You all had best learn how to work with each other because you will have to grow your own food and work for a living instead of rob and steal. All of your slaves have been freed. They will be returned to their home worlds. We are returning you to pre space travel condition. Frankly I do not believe you can survive such a condition but maybe you will surprise me."

  "You can not do that to us."

  "Correction Kangx, we are already doing it to you. I am sure that this is a novel experience for you, but that's life. You had best learn to trade and work. The dismantling of your space pirate civilization starts now. You have a sufficient food supply to last for a few years but when that is used up, you will need a steady new supply. This planet is easily capable of supporting the population base you have, so, you had best get busy and figure out how to grow your own food. We are removing as much of the work product stolen from the Gorth as we can find, since it appears that may have impacted your health. You will no longer have slaves from other planets to do your work for you. You are likewise not permitted to make slaves of your own people."