Rising Star

by Donald Nicklas

  “I have discussed the battle plans the reconnaissance fleet came up with, thanks to Captain Slone and some of the fleet personnel. I like the plan but would make two changes. The first change concerns the four centuries of serpents landing on Petrovia during the space combat. First I feel that is too risky and second we will need them for boarding actions. I plan to transfer them from the Invicta to the Rising Star. Lt. Col. Teplov, I do not foresee any ground combat until the system space is secured. The second change I want to make is to give Commander Elaine Price a field promotion to full captain’s rank and transfer her and her bridge crew to command of the Invicta for the duration of this mission.” This came as quite a shock to the Slones and they looked at each other. Lorenzo could see their confusion. “As for the present command crew of the Invicta, Captain Christopher Slone and his bridge crew are to take command of the Battleship Rising Star. The scout vessel Gladius will be transferred to the Rising Star as its primary station. Are there any questions?”

  Slone had one, “Consul, when would you like us to transfer commands with the battleship?”

  “I would like to get underway within two hours of the end of this meeting, which should be enough time to do the transfers. Your crews have already been informed and your personal items have been packed. This change is temporary, except for Captain Price’s promotion.”

  “We will be ready,” Slone responded.

  The Consul then continued. “Now we have the matter of our agent from the Lagarde Corporation,” Consul Lorenzo then looked at Jack Dalton. “I understand from the information sent to us that you were hoping to talk with a corporate vice president. We do not have any of those for you. However, I am the second Consul of the Republic of Nova Romae. That rank is equivalent to a corporate CEO in your space and I have the authority to speak for the Republic. From what I understand, your corporation is interested in some type of alliance with our Republic. Is that correct?”

  Of all the people Jack Dalton thought he would have to deal with, he never expected it to be the leader of the government with whom he was seeking an alliance. He knew it was important for him to measure his words carefully. He had dealt with a lot of corporations in his role as a back channel diplomat, but he felt like a fish out of water dealing with these people. “Thank you for hearing me and it is an honor to deal with a government leader. As I am sure you are aware, the corporations are at war and Lagarde is very concerned over the actions of the Sinclair Corporation, which is a danger to us since they annexed Petrov Corp. We would ask your government to consider an alliance with us consisting of mutual protection.”

  “I am not sure the Romani are in need of protection, but the future is always uncertain. Whereas wars are easy to start, they are very hard to finish. The Senate of Nova Romae has considered your request and it is willing to speak with your ambassadors. Before we leave this system I will ask that you dictate a message to your government asking them to send ambassadors to New Wales. From there they will be transported to Nova Romae to speak with our Senate. We will notify New Wales to be on the lookout for them. Is that agreeable?”

  “Thank you. That is more than I could have hoped.”

  “Good. Now we have the problem of your safety. I cannot spare a ship to take you out of harm’s way. As a result, your fate will be tied with ours. We have a difficult fight ahead of us. You can take shelter in the sickbay area, which is heavily shielded and can survive the destruction of the Invicta.”

  “Consul Lorenzo, if it would be allowed, I would prefer to be given a weapon and allowed to join Captain Slone on the Battleship.”

  “Captain Slone, do you have any objection to this?”

  Slone answered, “No Consul.” The Slones had come to like Dalton and enjoyed his company.

  “Very well, after you finish your message, the Slones can take you over to the Rising Star.”

  “Thank you, Consul,” Dalton responded in his most capable diplomatic manner.

  There was one more matter. Lorenzo looked at Lt. Col. Teplov and said, “Lt. Col. Teplov, I would like you to join the Slones on the Rising Star. Before we enter the Petrovia system, I would like you to go along with the Gladius on her scouting mission to assess the enemy fleet. At that time, I would like you to contact General Golov and ask her to await our communication before rallying the troops. If she goes too soon, we will not be able to help her and she will be in dire straits. If we lose the battle, she will then be no worse off than before.”

  “Yes, sir. I will convey the message.”

  At this point Dalton asked to be recognized. “Consul is there a contingency plan for the leaders if the battle goes badly. What is the escape plan and may I join you, since it would not be healthy for me to be captured.”

  Lorenzo looked at him and had to smile. “Well, Mr. Dalton. If we lose I will not be able to help you, because I will be dead. The Romani do not surrender, so a loss only occurs when there are none of us left to fight.”

  Dalton kept his composure, but inwardly he was shocked. He also knew if the Sinclair fleet were to win, then it would have to fight harder than corporate fleets are trained to.

  The Consul officially swore in Elaine Price as a full captain and all in the room congratulated her on her promotion. All present were given copies of their battle orders and then left for their respective ships. The fleet was put on full alert and the ships were filled with the hustle and bustle of war preparations. Slone and his bridge crew were moved over to the battleship and they began to familiarize themselves with the consoles. The bridge was a bit smaller than they were used to, but it was comfortable. Before the fleet got underway, four boarding skiffs containing the 400 serpents assigned to the eighth cohort came over to the battleship from the Invicta. The skiffs would remain aboard if needed for boarding actions. Along with the four centuries of serpents came their Special Forces commander, Centurion William Marshal. He and Tavia had been spending all of their free time together and they were both glad that the Consul had decided to use the serpent Special Forces on the battleship. Slowly the pieces were being placed on the board for the liberation of Petrovia. Tavia and Hatch moved back into the honeymoon suite and the Slones moved into one of the other suites. They took very little with them, since the passenger portion of the ship was not armored and would take the most damage in a fight. Some of the other high priced staterooms went to the Gladius crew. The serpents and Centurion Marshal where drilling in the rear hangar deck. When on rest cycle, he also took a suite on the VIP deck. The serpents were divided into two groups; one group consisted of the 400 who handled the operation of the ship and the weapons. The other group was the Special Forces centuries, also numbering 400. They would jump in to help with ship operation as casualties developed. In the event they needed to repel boarders, all of the serpents would take part in the defense. All serpents were remaining in the military portion of the ship and on the gun decks. All was ready for departure when the order was given. The Slones and the Gardners had said goodbye to their toddlers on the Invicta, and wondered if they would ever see them again.

  At 1100 hours, orders were received from the Longinus for the Rising Star to break orbit and move towards the outbound slipstream. Since the battleship was unable to become invisible and did not have the equipment aboard to sense invisible ships, it was thought safest to let it go first. This way there was no risk of colliding with the rest of the fleet. Slone looked in the direction of Paul McMann, “Paul, take us out of orbit and move to the outbound slipstream.”

  “Yes Captain.”

  The Rising Star glided silently out of orbit and moved flawlessly through the fleet. When she was clear of the final ships, Paul brought her to standard speed and she handled beautifully. After the battleship was clear of the fleet, Captain Lorenzo ordered the fleet invisible and from the bridge of the Rising Star, Slone could see the fleet vanish. Suddenly, it appeared the Rising Star was the only ship in the system.

  The third slipstream towards their destination, the ship was
at rest and the Slones were in their suite. They took turns with the rest of the bridge crew to stand the slipstream watch. At the moment it was Paul McMann on duty. There was a knock on the Slones’ door and Alaya told the computer to allow entrance. When the door opened, Tavia and Bill were standing on the other side, with Hatch behind. “May we come in, if it’s not too late?”

  Something told Alaya this was serious, so she told them to enter. “You two look nervous. Is there something wrong with the ship?” Now Christopher also perked up.

  “No nothing like that. We have a favor to ask.”

  “Ok Tavia, I’ve never known you to shy away from speaking your mind. What’s going on?”

  Tavia looked at Bill, who seemed to prefer to remain silent. “I am very concerned about the coming battle. Not that I am afraid or think we won’t win, but Bill and I would like to make sure that we are able to present each other at the Mountain of Remembrance, should one of us die.”

  Now the Slones knew this was serious. Tavia never seemed concerned about dying before. “If you make your intentions known in a computer file, it will be registered and you will not need to worry about it.”

  Tavia now began to carry herself normally again and Alaya figured she must have been satisfied with the response. Then Tavia said, “Bill and I would like to get married before the battle.”

  Of all the things coming out of Tavia’s mouth, this was the last thing the Slones expected. Alaya immediately went over to Tavia and gave her a hug, and then she hugged Bill. “It’s about time. I have been waiting for you two to realize you belong together for the past two years.”

  Tavia flashed a big smile, “Bill was concerned I was too young.”

  “Tavia, you may be young in years, but you have already seen more than most in a lifetime. Since you are both in the military, we will need to clear this with Captain Lorenzo as the fleet commander, but I think he would like to start this latest adventure with a happy event. Now go and get some rest. We still have 11 hours in the slipstream.”

  The young couple left and the Slones were relieved. “When we leave the military, we can become matchmakers,” Alaya said.

  “I wasn’t sure this day would come. I’m just glad they finally realize what everyone around them could see,” Christopher said. “Do you know even the serpents asked me if they were married. Sad when an alien race can see what is right in front of you and you can’t.” The Slones had a good laugh about that as they prepared for bed.

  When they entered the next system, they found it uninhabited and free of enemy ships. Tavia and Bill’s request was forwarded to Captain Lorenzo and the Second Consul of Nova Romae not only approved the request but also insisted on performing the ceremony himself. This was an honor beyond the young couple’s dreams. Captain Lorenzo ordered the fleet visible to allow guests to transfer to the Rising Star. Word of the coming nuptials had spread rapidly through the fleet and all of the ship’s captains and primary centurions wanted to attend. Transit time through the system was 18 hours, more than enough time for a wedding. Five hours into transit, the shuttles began to arrive on the hangar deck. Everyone was dressed in their finest dress uniforms and even the serpents put on colorful sashes. The entire serpent Special Forces were present. The ceremony was held in the cavernous dining room of the starliner portion of the battleship. The Nova Romae wedding service was very simple. Tavia asked Hatch to be her maid of honor and the serpent was honored to do so but a bit confused about what it meant. She was fine when she realized all she had to do was walk down an aisle and stand next to the human she loved the most. Christopher Slone stood up as Bill’s best man. On Nova Romae, marriage was just between the bride and groom, therefore they said their vows and Consul Juan Lorenzo pronounced them husband and wife to the applause of the crowd.

  The kitchens still had much of the food for the cruise guests. Some had been distributed to the rest of the fleet, but there was still plenty left. Live food had been brought over for the serpent crew. As the party progressed, Slone took the opportunity to chat with both the Consul and the resistance representative.

  “Consul, we need some guidance as to what to do with the prisoners that are still in the holds below decks. I have serpents guarding them and they remain docile, but when we go into battle, they could become a nuisance.”

  “Truthfully, Christopher, I had forgotten about them. How many are there?”

  “We have about 1500 mercenaries and just over 1500 cruise staff. The latter had no idea this was a Q-Ship, so we consider them innocents and have treated them accordingly.”

  Lorenzo gave the problem some thought. “The mercenaries knew what they were doing and are culpable in the destruction of our destroyer. I am not concerned about what happens to them. I am concerned about the non-combatants.” Lorenzo then looked at Lt. Col. Teplov. “Are there any resistance controlled bases or stations on our route able to handle this many civilians and get them to their homes.”

  “The route I gave you was meant to avoid habitations. If we move one jump off our course, there is a resistance base large enough to handle the problem. They can also take the mercenaries off your hands.”

  “Ok, we will do that, but Christopher, the mercenaries will remain with us. I don’t want them to become a problem for the base. If they die in battle, so be it. They knew the risks. Lt. Col. Teplov, please let Commander McMann know the location of this base. We will go in invisible with only the Rising Star making contact. When we are ready to engage the fleet, lock the mercenaries in and let them know if they attempt to break out, the serpents will be told to show them no quarter. It helps to remind them that serpents like their food live. Now, no more shop talk, let’s enjoy the festivities. I want to dance with the bride.”

  Lorenzo left and asked Tavia for a dance, with which she gladly complied. For the first time, humans also had a chance to see how serpents dance as they played their own music. To say it was interesting, would be an understatement and any human trying it would be subject to severe injury. The party finally broke up when they were three hours from the slipstream and everyone returned to their ships. The newlyweds moved into the honeymoon suite they had while undercover and Hatch made her bed on the bridge. She knew enough to give them their privacy.

  The rest of the journey was routine. The Sinclair Mobile Fleet must have felt secure in their conquest of most of Petrov space, since the Romani did not run into a single picket ship as they moved to their destination. Before leaving rebel controlled space, they dropped the civilians off at the mining base. With those worries gone, Slone could relax more. He hated putting innocents in danger. Slone loved the way the battleship handled and was both impressed and disturbed by the leap forward taken by Sinclair Corp. Just over two weeks after leaving system P-038, they entered the last system before reaching the Petrovia system. It was now time for Alaya and her scouts to do their job. They left the battleship and went invisible. They entered the slipstream for Petrovia. Their orders were to enter the system invisible, count the ships and check their formation, as they headed to the outbound slipstream. It would take them three jumps to get back to the fleet, so the fleet was going to sit at the Petrovia slipstream until they returned with the information. It would take approximately two and a half days.

  Chapter 12 – The Sinclair Mobile Fleet

  Admiral Frank Wilson sat on the bridge of the dreadnought SS Vermont, flagship of the Sinclair Mobile Fleet. The Sinclair corporation was the most traditional when it came to fleet command. The Vermont was captained by Captain Alfred Wainwright. It was Admiral Wilson’s job to plan the battle and Captain Wainwright’s job to fight the ship. The only problem was for the past four years there had been nothing to fight. The ships were just sitting in orbit with constant movement to the planet for shore leave. However, the planet was not yet secure. Sinclair regular ground forces had been removed and replaced by mercenaries. They held the major cities but they did not hold the countryside. As a result, shore leave was limited to the cities only and s
ome of the most beautiful parts of the planet were off limits. The corporate government thought everything was going well here, but they were dead wrong. The mercenary troops were dragging their heels, even though they outnumber the resistance almost three to one. Admiral Wilson was thinking that should not come as a surprise. As long as they didn’t win the war, they kept being paid. Field reports indicated the home fleet was guarding the boarder of Sinclair space with Shin Nippon Corporation. They were allied with Highline and that was Sinclair’s target. Admiral Wilson had no idea what Horatio Sinclair wanted with Highline, but then he had no idea what he wanted with Petrov Corp. At least Highline made sense, since they were wealthy, but Petrov was poor and a wasteland after five years of war. From the chatter they had been picking up, their Q-Ship had eliminated all but two of the remaining Petrov Cruisers. That was a good thing, but that also meant there was no need for the Mobile Fleet to remain. A small squadron should be all that was needed. Already Admiral Wilson had to send eight of his dreadnoughts to the Home Fleet. His fleet was diminished. That would not normally bother him, but an unknown force was out here that defeated the Petrov Home fleet. That Fleet was almost as large as his was, and that concerned him.

  “Captain, we are picking up a small mass vessel coming out of the inbound slipstream from the Spinward marches,” the sensor tech suddenly reported.