Free Fleet Box Set 2

by Michael Chatfield

  Yasu saw that everyone was looking to her to say something.

  “Welcome to the training team. If you have any issues don't hesitate to ask one of the veteran training staff. I would like to get reports from all of you on your readiness to teach, what you need in order to get started and such. Does anyone have any issues at this time?”

  There were no nods in the positive or raised hands so Yasu rolled on.

  “Get yourselves acquainted with your areas. Before long this place will be crawling with trainees and Free Fleet personnel.” The faces around the table looked eager.

  “I say we call this meeting to a close and you can get to checking out the facilities and your paperwork,” she smiled at the groans. Yasu tapped her fingers to her forehead, the others doing the same as she left, the training team devolving into chatter before she had got through the auditorium.

  She went to Ms. Li's a tea shop, I was hidden away in the entertainment district. Hidden away wasn't quite accurate tucked away was more accurate, but it was a place where most commanders went, or people wanting their own space. Ms Li made sure her patrons weren't disturbed and had purchased a holographic screen, which made it appear as if it was perched on the edge of space a video of the moons around Telhalra, a pleasure planet played on that screen. The red, blue, grey and purple moons passed in a relaxing manner as people read books, sipped their tea, or did work, or just watched the holographic vista. Yasu greeted a few people loitering around the café with silent gestures as she got to the serving counter. Ms Li looked up, a smile blossoming on her face. “Same old?” She asked, moving to the counter

  “Please.” Yasu said, some of the tension bleeding away.

  “So how is it going Yasu?” the woman asked. She was one of the older first generation recruits. Even though she was only twenty two and had the body of a Free Fleet commando she was a motherly figure to all of those that came into her establishment.

  “Not bad. Just wished I was there instead of hanging back here,” she said, Li nodding as she understood Yasu's want to be at Parnmal.

  “These trainees need your skills though, Yasu,” Li said, Yasu made noises of agreement.

  She was a warrior, and not being with her people when they were in battle made her feel as if she'd let them down in some way.

  “I understand,” Li said as she put a cup under a receptacle, pressing different buttons and mixing different liquids from a variety of bottles. “Sitting here making tea while my old squad mates go off and fight at Parnmal makes me want to re-enlist,”

  “Why don't you?” Yasu asked, as Li handed over a large mug as well as a few snacks on the side.

  Li got a faraway look as Yasu passed her hand over the payment sensor, it beeped that it had taken the funds for her tea. That noise seemed to break Li out of her daze.

  “I was in the Aslarr district on Chaleel. We had to kill so many Sarenmenti that didn't believe that the Syndicate were really the syndicate. We had come to know them in our time there, and I had to kill them. It was either that, or they would've killed me and my squad mates, and maybe people on Earth. It scared me how easily people can be convinced to believe something. Human's aren't the only ones that are easily turned by lies and gestures of those trying to gain power,” Li looked to Yasu.“It's scary, but it's the universe we live in. We just have to understand that people want power for themselves, no matter what. I'm happy that the Free Fleet, yourself and your husband and all of my friends included, are out there and showing people what happens when they mess with the little people.”

  Li's smile softened Yasu's tension, she allowed her self to smile.

  “Well I best get to doing some work,” Yasu sighed.

  “Good luck,” she said as Yasu's smile turned to a look of dread.

  “Hopefully I won't need it, but paperwork.” she shuddered, making Li laugh. Yasu smiled at her in goodbye, finding a seat and took a sip of the tea, finding it full of subtle flavours that soothed her tongue, body and mind. The aroma wafting from it was heavenly as she breathed it in and looked over the moons of Telhalra.

  After a few minutes she looked to the entrance of the Cafe, feeling eyes on her. She found Takahashi standing there, looking at her. He walked in, heading straight for her table, she tried to push the automatic tension that increased with every step.

  “I know the things that I did are inexcusable, but I want you to know that...” His voice caught as he looked to the ground before continuing.

  “At one time I was your teacher, we became friends and I followed you into Mecha Assault. We trusted one another completely. I screwed up and acted without thinking. I want to see if we can at least try to be amicable to one another.” His eyes locked with hers as she saw the pleading behind them. Takahashi had lost everything when the Syndicate had bombarded Japan. She was the only person he had really called a friend other than her father and his other students. She was the only one left now.

  She stood, seeing that pain in his eyes and felt that tension flow away from her as she let her mask fall and grabbed him, hugging him.

  His powerful arms wrapped around her as she felt the relief run through his body.

  “Yes,” She stepped back, a finger leveled with his chest. “But now it's your job to socialize the Sato sisters,”

  Takahashi's look of joy faded into one of foreboding.

  “But..,”

  “While we trained them in the ways of war, we did not help them in the ways of the world. It's about time we did, before all they are is two lost girls who know nothing but how to kill,” Takahashi's confusion and his attempt to back pedal stopped. Before he would have said that there was nothing but being a warrior. Now he knew differently, the more someone lived, the harder they would fight for that life. He has changed because of the Free Fleet too.

  Video gamers and actors might think they were hardcases and all, with their action movies and such, but real warriors, the ones stories were told about, were made from flesh and felt the pains everyone else felt. They weren't superhuman, they were driven.

  Maybe it's time to savour what kinship we have, instead of focusing on the past. It's not like I know how long we're going to survive in this universe. Or how many people I'm going to lose, Yasu thought soberly as a sad smile passed over her face, her eyes seeing those that had already been claimed by the light. She closed her eyes, a happier smile coming to her face as she looked at Takahashi.

  “So which manga’s have you been reading?” she asked as Takahashi's somber looked turned into an impish smile.

  “Gurren Lagan again.”

  “Of course, I should have guessed.” Yasu said, taking a seat, Takahashi taking the other as they talked and forgot the troubles of the universe if only for a moment.

  Chapter Final Preparations

  Silly had spent a full day in the intelligence department understanding how contracts worked. While it had taken him away from Nancy, it had been time well spent, especially with the load of absolute crap he was getting from Earth contractors.

  He was looking straight at the CEO of GloboMine, who was explaining how the loaning of tools would be paid off at minimum interest over a decade of time, while still being able to return any particular item. How canceling the balance owed on the tool and getting the newest replacement while not paying any extra was in Silly's best interest. With all the damned stupid words that he used to cover it up.

  Silly sat and listened until the CEO flashed a stunning smile.

  “Same rates as everyone else,” Silly said, cutting the channel on the blabbering CEO.

  “Damned weasels,” he said before looking to the yards on his monitors, his foul mood lightening slightly as he grinned.

  “Best get some work done,” he said as he whistled, getting into his yard mecha and walked to the nearest transport. “How's it going Chum?” he asked one of the dock leaders who got on the transport, looking like proverbial crap.

  “LaRe keeps on changing the plans of what he wants done. I swear that
ship is going through puberty,” the man said, his manipulating hands moving in tired excitement.

  “I'll have a talk with him,” Silly suggested as Chum's hands moved in amusement.

  “Be my guest.”

  “What else have you got in your dock?” Silly said. He knew what was there, but small talk did pass the time.

  “Two of those Corvettes from Parnmal, and we've got a merchant freighter with her engines getting fixed up. She's a Wolunti freighter. Surprised the Chaleelians were able to keep her going as long as they did,”

  “I heard they traded for the fix and check over?” Silly asked. He just cared about fixing what Salchar told him to. What Salchar got out of it he didn't much care.

  “Rations, some parts actually made on Chaleel. Plus they also had credit for transporting parts made by the Free Fleet in Chaleel.”

  “It's always good to get something useful.” Silly made an appreciative gesture.

  “I heard that we're going to be nearly fully automated in a year,” Chum said, his hands excited at the new ways of manufacturing and creating that they'd taken from Earth.

  “I hope. It'll make us a lot faster,”

  “I heard that Earth was complaining that we were taking away their jobs.”

  Silly made a rude noise at this.

  “Yes there'll be less employment, but it's not like the Earthies have the jobs already. Anyone can apply for them, from any system.” Silly shook his head as the transport stopped at Chum's dock and they walked off towards an airlock.

  “Human's on Earth are strange,” Chum commented as Silly agreed. “They make cars mostly with machines. Yet when it comes to ships, they're nearly all made by thousands of people. I don't understand why they don't just automate them all.”

  Chum took a call as they entered the airlock, exiting out into the yard, and using their thrusters to head for LaRe. Chum came back onto the Close Area Frequency, or CAF which connected all people within a fifty foot area to the same comm channel.

  “I've got to go, the freighter's got some more issues cropping up,” he said.

  “Good fixing. I'll have a look at what’s going on with LaRe.”

  “Appreciate you trying to talk to him,” Chum said, firing his thrusters to take him to a transport line within the docks scaffolding that would whip him to the freighter.

  “No issue,” Silly said to himself as he continued on his way, admiring LaRe's outer body, it was scarred and scuffed, blotches of where patches had been covered over. Burnt out weapons as well as sections open to space could also be seen. Silly climbed through one of these gashes, finding himself inside a shuttle bay.

  A few shuttles were intact but whatever had pierced the ship’s hangar had practically gutted the interior. Debris floated everywhere in zero g. Thankfully Silly's yard mecha easily glided through the debris as he reached an airlock, quickly passing through it as a voice came through his CAF.

  “Hello Shipyard commander Silly,” the slightly electronic voice said as Silly grinned. Not my fault I find new and crazy things interesting as hell, he thought with glee.

  “Hey LaRe! What's up, my AI?”

  “Nothing is up. That is a relative term,”

  “Uh huh.” Silly was still loving it, even if LaRe was acting like a snobbish child. “Well then I heard you had some issues with the renovation of yourself,”

  “Yes, first of all..,” Silly walked through LaRe, noting faulty systems and logging what should be replaced, LaRe detailing to him a list that Silly didn't think he could memorize if his hide depended on it. He remembered a few key issues as he supplied non-committal noises and assurances.

  “When do you think you'd be able to get that completed by?” LaRe's petulant tone making Silly raise an eyebrow in annoyance.

  “Most of the stuff you want done is items that would allow you to be a warship. Other than your current weapon situation I can't do anything for you in that regard, as you are not of Free Fleet personnel. The stuff about centralizing you I can do, shields no problem. Primary and secondaries too. You don't need more than one primary reactor and two secondaries. I'll leave in the second primary you have already though,” Silly said as he pulled up a deck grating, removing a corrupted bundle of cables.

  “Why not an extra reactor?”

  “With another reactor you'll burn more fuel and you don't have many systems to power other than yourself and the engines. Heck your two primaries aren't even really needed,”

  “What if I come into contact with the Syndicate?”

  “Well, you'll have some weapons. But with you being AI you don't need internal compensators for going at ridiculous speeds. Nothing will be able to keep up with you other than another AI in a faster accelerating ship,”

  LaRe began listing his complaints as Silly pulled up a cable and scrutinized it. He was used to people making ridiculous demands. He'd been under the syndicate for a long time. At least now I can serve them a bit of reality, he thought as he discovered the bundle of wires had melted to a section of decking. LaRe's complaints grown to a halt as Silly used a combination of tools to pull the bundle from the decking and clear the melted coating.

  “Either you take what I'm offering, or you join the Free Fleet and we give you everything. You'd also get a crew like Resilient,” Silly said, standing and drinking from his fluid hose.

  LaRe was quiet for a few minutes.

  “I want to go and see my home.”

  He sounded almost, vulnerable.

  “Me too. Though where would your home be? With the AI league?”

  “Yes,” LaRe said, like a child expecting to be denied.

  “I wish you all the luck. We'll have you set to go within a few months,” Silly said, setting back to deal with the damned burnt out bundle of wires.

  “From what I've seen of history most people who have the advantage will do anything to hold onto it,” LaRe said.

  “Is there a point to what you're saying?” Silly grunted.

  “Well, I'm a huge advantage,”

  “Yes, but we aren't very likely going to keep you here, are we?”

  “Though it would give you an advantage. Look at Resilient. She's an Imperial Dreadnought, the biggest of the Dreadnought class, and she has the crew of a Destroyer,”

  “This is the Free Fleet. It's kind of in the name that we won't make you do anything you don't want to,” Silly paused. “Well... unless you’re the bastards that are harming others.”

  LaRe remained quiet for the rest of the time Silly was there, retracing all the damned wires back to their connected systems, pulling them or leaving them and continuing on.

  Gave you something to think about huh? I'll chalk that up to a win and a discovery.

  Chapter - Disarray

  Captain Kelu was not in a good mood. Nothing had changed since the mysterious fleet had ripped through his own, and that was the reason for his current rage. The enemy Fleet hadn't been shooting randomly.

  Unlike my own captains. Kelu thought, battle hormones spiking once again.

  The enemy had picked off communications relays and crippled engines. All of which were taking entirely too long to be fixed.

  Syndicate personnel were to a large extent a lazy bunch, if they could fob a job off on someone else, then they would. They were also great at making excuses, which was why Kelu was personally overseeing his engineering officer fix a damaged communications relay. It had worked for a short period but now all communications across his ship had fallen silent, and as much as the Engineering officer raved he'd fixed them, Kelu had yet to see a result.

  The officer looked up as if to say something, and Kelu caught the Dalarr's eye as he tapped his holster. The words died in the Engineering Officer's throat and he turned back to his work. Out of his remaining fleet half of them were now using unsecured communications systems, a quarter were using secured communications, and the rest were still working to get any kind of communications online.

  Urlow broke into Kelu's audio implant, and Kelu
's temper not being the best right now, he was about to yell down the communication's officers neck when Urlow talked first.

  “We have reports of explosions coming from Parnmal There's also a transmission from Syndicate forces which were imprisoned on the station and are now retaking it,” he said as Kelu turned and stormed toward the bridge, missing the relieved look on his engineering officer's face.

  “Get that array working!” Kelu yelled back and the Engineering officer mumbled something colourful, but got back to work.

  “The Fleet is moving to Parnmal to assist,” Urlow said.

  “I didn't give any such order!” Kelu barked.

  “I know sir, but we can't transmit,”Urlow's tone making it clear he shared his captain's anger at the situation.

  “Shit.” Kelu said to no one in particular.

  “Yes sir. More and more ships are following the initial ships,” Most of those without communications are in the forward elements.” Urlow said.

  Kelu loathed being moved by forces not under his control. But he couldn’t do anything about it until he got his communications arrays back online.

  “Follow them,” he bit out, his annoyance clear. If I find someone's behind blocking my communications array there'll be hell to pay! He thought, barely catching Urlow's words.

  “Yes sir,” Urlow did the wise thing by

  Cutting the channel as Kelu ran through his ship, everyone moving out of his way as anger clouded his eyes.

  ***

  “Their entire fleet is now moving to Parnmal, Commander Salchar,” Wast, Parnmal’s Sensor commander said, watching the plot change as sensor buoys bounced their information back.

  Pre-planned explosions could be heard in the distance.

  “Very well,” I said as I tapped my metal mecha fingers against the commander's chair that Monk had insisted I use as he sat in his second in command's chair “Accelerate the mines and no one fires a PRC until I say so.” I caught Releams’ eye, Parnmal's tactical commander as he nodded.