Free Fleet Box Set 2

by Michael Chatfield

  Explosions bashed the star Warriors, sending them careening away, they were the candy of a broken piñata.

  More Warriors were already headed to Heija as Destroyers opened up, and PDS turned to the Fighters. Hosing them down with hundreds of thousands of rounds.

  “Damn,” Marleen said, shooting a look to Rick.

  Maybe married couples don't read one another's minds, but we have very similar thoughts, Rick smiled slightly at the odd thought.

  The swarms were shedding Fighters at an alarming rate, the weight of HAPA's, the Destroyers, MEF's, and PDS were taking their toll, actually stopping them from advancing because of their casualties.

  HAPA's transferred their fire onto the Kalu Warriors.

  Rick checked the main incoming feeds. Planner had taken over the PDS and firing algorithms.

  “Resilient, I think your friend could use some help,” Rick said.

  “I am already assisting,” she said, her voice metallic. Reminding Rick of someone in the gym, lifting and trying to talk at the same time.

  He felt so damned useless, but he knew he was needed where he was. Salchar needed to see Yasu, he needed to be on that battlefield. That was who he was.

  “What's the time estimate on the completion of the FTL relay?” Rick asked.

  “Fifteen hours,” Vort replied.

  “Thank you Vort,” Rick said, leaning into his chair. He knew that light years away the cogs of the Free Fleet were moving in ways that they had never churned. Bregend was getting engineers from Worshun and the Kuruvian Empire he would soon have a yard built, meanwhile Silly was building his first Super-carrier.

  The yards now had the people they need and were pushing out three ships a day altogether. With the new testing system that Rick had implemented people were being sped through the training process, there was no use in training people on stuff they already knew.

  Freighters were coming in daily with supplies, materials and personnel to keep the Free Fleet working. They had become a real military, an institution pitting themselves against the bastards that wanted to screw over the innocent and weak.

  Rick sat straighter in his chair, he was a part of that machine, he had seen it grow and turn into the creature that it was. It had gone from a force of twenty thousand humans, to one point five million trained and training free fleet personnel, from seventeen different races.

  You might beat us, you might trample on us, but if there is but one of us left alive we will have vengeance, Rick promised the screens which showed the Kaluian fleet that was transitioning deeper into inhabited space and that which was orbiting Heija.

  Chapter The Reinforcements

  Shrift looked over the kilometres of cabling that brought war-station and Devastahli to life. A grin spread across his face, “twelve level five reactors, five level fours and multiple lower level reactors, kilometers of wiring, thousands of relays and too many damned engineering hours to count.”

  “Not to mention the thirty nine Planetary Rail cannons, hundred and forty-two large rail guns and the hundreds of smaller. That including thousands of PDS and two hundred missile tubes,” Devastahli said.

  “Always about the weapons aren't you?” Shrift said, unable to not move his manipulators in pride and excitement, maybe being around Salchar and in an armory had an effect on him.

  “Well there's also the multiple wings of MEF's, two wings of Jump Fighters a small ship factory in my gut. Plus we’ve got planetary shielding,” Devastahli said, Shrift sensing excitement in the massive AI that wanted to come to grips with the Kalu.

  “Now we just have to wait for everyone else to be ready, then we can find out where the hell we're going,” Shrift said.

  “Where do you think?” Devastahli asked, the two had become friends as Shrift had fixed him up, even working on Devastahli's mainframe, something that took a hell of a lot of trust on the part of an AI.

  “I'm thinking Rosho, finally get those Syndicate bastards whipped. Though it's not going to be a short battle,” Shrift said in unhappy tones.

  “Nothing that is easy is ever worth it,” Devastahli said.

  “It sounds like you've been talking to my Uncle,” Shrift said, waving a wrench in the direction of Devastahli's speaker.

  Devastahli made an amused noise.

  “In the meantime I am clearing War-station for active duty,” Shrift said.

  “Its past time I got into this war,” Devastahli grumbled.

  “Yes, and now you actually fight, instead of just being a lump to suck up damage,” Shrift said, his manipulators moving in amusement.

  ***

  Orshpa looked at the orders from War Leader Edvasho. His paw tapped the ground, digging them in after a few minutes as he made an angered noise.

  “Do as the leader says,” Orshpa said, purposefully dropping his title as war leader. Something that would bring on a battle for honour immediately if Edvasho had heard it personally. Orshpa was convinced that Edvasho and his creature Ashota had use trickery to win Edvasho the position of leader over Orshpa.

  Orshpa had been the leader of twelve clans and eighteen planets.

  Now he led the second biggest fleet of Kalu. He had three thousand ships at his command, half of them Star Destroyers. The ships while being creations of the refuse Ashota, were a great way to exercise one's power, they truly were a terrible force to be reckoned with.

  Orshpa didn't know why Edvasho cared so much as to have a battle with the forces that defeated the Union. Orshpa would have still attacked this first group and then carved out space for his clans over the blood of his enemies.

  Orshpa wasn't one for caring about who was who, the only enemy was a dead enemy, or one that should be dead. He didn't care if that enemy was a young one or a great Warrior. A leader looked to expand their land by any ways possible. Though Edvasho had ordered him to meet him at this place Rosho. He would do as honour dictated. He would be leader at some time again. He didn't want that to be when he didn't have the full support of his Warriors.

  ***

  Elisati looked at Parnmal as she stepped off of the merchant transport. Tens of the ships had come to see Worshun, a good many had been contracted out to help with the rebuilding and supplying of tech and parts for the stations in Quarst. Elisati could have stayed in Quarst to make sure that everyone stayed on track, though there was little need. The people had been living under their planet for many generations, given the possibility that they could go to the stars like their ancestors and possibly start the Union again, that gave them all the energy and drive they needed.

  Instead she thought that it be best that her efforts be spent seeing what this Free Fleet was all about.

  She had seen systems coming to life as she passed through them, trade was buzzing. Warships and personal craft flew from place to place in the hurry of life.

  Parnmal was busier, it's yard a constant stream of haulers and patrolling Fighters. Larger warships patrolled the system. A fleet larger than any one systems combined spacecraft waited. Merchants joining their holding pattern. While the space around Parnmal was busy with craft, inside it was busy with the acts of commerce. She had left the docking area and cleared customs, an interesting affair to her, when she was set upon by traders hawking their goods and services, calling out what they wanted, or asking what she had to trade.

  A few talked quietly and indicated to her, while Dovark's had gone to other systems to work and live now, they were still a very small population.

  Well it seems that the Free Fleet isn't going to make the Universe a very quiet place, she thought, enjoying the noises of life and excitement. She wandered through the crowds, noticing that a group of Commandos walking around, their visors off, talking to vendors even buying and bartering with traders.

  “Those Qurifi fruits you gave me were sun spotted from radiation!” Someone yelled, the Commandos faces changed. They had been people, but now they were Commandos, they were ready for whatever happened.

  “What!? No they, wait a minu
te,” the vendor said, using their implants. Elisati recognized the act, but she hadn't seen it used regularly in a long time.

  “My apologies, it seems that one of my suppliers hulls isn't radiation sealed,” the vendor said, reaching down and pulling a new Qurifi fruit. “Please check this over, this is from another supplier,” the vendor said.

  “Thank you. Getting prime goods is hard, it seems that only the Free Merchant Fleet can guarantee goods.” The Merchant with the bad Qurifi fruits said.

  “Yes that is true, but with the war, most of them are running errands to get some system up to date, or bringing in more people to be trained up. They say that Monk is thinking of grabbing another asteroid to add to Parnmal.” The Vendor said, probably trying to repair relations with the merchant.

  “We still aren't even thirty percent into Parnmal!” The customer said, now bantering with the vendor, the Commandos relaxed and kept wandering.

  “I know, but when have you known the Free Fleet to just stop at enough. Their crazy bastards, but it is interesting to see what they come up with,” the Vendor said, Elisati moved further down the vendor lines.

  A kid ran up to Elisati, holding a data pad out to her.

  “Thank you,” she said, the kid smiling and running away as soon as she held it.

  The screen came alive with a message on it.

  Hello Elisati, please let us know if we can be of any assistance and if you would like to set up meetings with anyone.

  Elisati looked around, while many were looking at her because she was a Dovark, she couldn't see who it was that had sent the data pad to her.

  A glimmer of humour crossed her features.

  It felt good to play the cat and mouse game, though it does seem that I have been out of it for too long.

  She continued wandering, going through eating areas, specified market areas, past prisoners that worked to expand Parnmal under the watch of the Commandos.

  She got to what was called the warehousing and shipping district.

  “Hello Elisati,” a hologram appeared of a diminutive looking creature. A chill ran up Elisati's spine as she realized it was an AI.

  “Hello,” she said tersely.

  “Still as angry as ever,” the AI said lightly.

  “You know me?” Elisati asked.

  “My name is Wahquim, the mining AI of Versdali.” There was a glimmer in the creatures’ eyes.

  Elisati remembered the AI alright. A company that was cutting corners and didn't have the funds to keep its people online had linked more and more of the computers together, running their mining plant into profitability. Then the computers had become sentient. The AI had been a slow birth, meaning that the kernel had grown, actually learning from the outside world, instead of bursting into existence. Slow births usually meant that they understood what was going on before they aced. Sparks as AI's that flashed into existence were called, had no such reasoning, they were children with immense power and processing ability, born from only a single moment.

  “You were sent to destroy me,” Wahquim said.

  “Yes I was,” Elisati said, remembering how she and a squad had been sent to shut down the AI, they had hoped to learn how they functioned fully, or they would destroy it.

  Wahquim hadn't threatened anyone, which was one reason that PDF high command thought that they could use this kindness against the AI.

  Wahquim had asked the workers to leave, and when an AI asked you to leave their shell, well they couldn't move fast enough.

  Elisati had approached, even gaining entry to Wahquim by talking to him. Though Wahquim had learnt what happened to other AI's somehow. When she and her team tried to disable the computer hubs, he didn't go down. He had built his own ship, cobbled together with tugs, merchant freighters, parts of the station and asteroids.

  He fled and Elisati had never heard of him again.

  “You're wondering why I am here,” Wahquim said. “Let me show you.” He floated down a corridor.

  Elisati followed him, interested by how no one thought it was odd there was an AI floating through the halls. Some even nodded to him or gave him some sort of greeting.

  He stopped in a room that looked to be staring into the shipping area of Parnmal, the other wall was a amassive view screen which looked out into space. It was an observation room, Elisati hadn't seen a fully functional one in decades.

  “I am the AI of Parnmal,” Wahquim said. “I started when Devastahli was kind enough to drop me off. See I liked my time with sentient creatures, as I like my time with AI's. The only reason I asked them to leave was because they might get hurt by your team trying to destroy me. I enjoy watching and being a part of the crazy, beautiful, and awesome tapestry of sentient creatures.”

  Elisati was unable to not shoot it a look.

  “Yes I do consider myself a sentient creature, and yes I do acknowledge that there have been AI's that have wrought terrible destruction on others, so have creatures of nearly every race. We are easy to target as we are not biological but mechanical. Prejudices are not something that any sentient race seems to have overcome, my own included.”

  “That I can agree with,” Elisati said, watching as a freighter detached from one of the several bays, containers lined up from its forward wormhole projectors and generators, to its rear hub and engines.

  A new freighter came into the vacated space and Elisati watched as containers were pulled at an alarming rate, new containers slotted on as soon as it was finished.

  “Parnmal is the new centre of the Universe, every race and more trades here. Bids have been put in for the systems surrounding Parnmal. The Union died because it became stagnant, now the Free Fleet might die because people don't understand the threat they face. Do not let the only chance we have, die because you are too stubborn to realize that the age of the Union is gone. The age of the Free Fleet has arrived and with time, it will show you things that you never thought were possible. I live in the realm of numbers and statistics, but these bastards live in a world of hope, family and damned stubbornness.” Wahquim looked to her. “I will show you.”

  He whisked off, Elisati unable to do anything but follow as they went through corridors and lifts. Wahquim not saying anything until they reached a hallway. Free Fleet personnel sat on benches, there was a sense of reverence in the room. The walls looked unfinished, but as Elisati looked closer, names had been carved into the wall.

  “This, is the hall of those that have gone to the light,” Wahquim said in quiet reverence.

  A statue of a man wearing powered armor, rent apart by all manner of weapons and holding a battle axe, knelt on the floor.

  Wahquim went into a room, Elisati following him. People were leaving the room, all of them sad.

  “That man you saw in the hallway was the first Commander of the armored Marine Commandos, he fell defending this station while making sure that the injured got away, this is his story, and the story of Parnmal's battles.”

  Elisati came out of the room sometime after, and, like so many that had before, and would after her, she knelt down, looking into the face of the man that had given his life for his people, for the Free Fleet and for those he didn't know.

  She caressed his face, he had so much to live for, so much potential, he had wanted to be a worker on a yard when he was done being a commando, but those that wished to submit others had come to take the lives of those he cared for, so he had given his own.

  “You were right,” Elisati said, standing.

  “About?” Wahquim asked.

  “The Union is dead and while we sit here, watching merchant ships and debating fruit, the Free Fleet is fighting a war. Yet what is there that we can do?” She asked, frustration tinging her emotions.

  “Be the best you possibly can be,” a voice said behind her, she turned to the speaker. “We might be at war, but we are divided, it seems far away, as if it will never get to the planets. They have but been introduced to the idea of thousands of ships being capable of using wormholes
to cross between systems. You know what that is like, you know how war can change, tell the people what is coming, get them prepared. The Free Fleet will do what it can, but we don't know if that will be good enough,” Min Hae said.

  To come so close to being free, to being able to live, not worry about if the next rock that Lady Fairgate threw would kill your friends and family, Elisati would not let that slip away.

  “You are strong Elisati, and the Free Fleet needs that strength, the systems that the Fleet protects, even those that it doesn't, need that strength. You led your people, a combination of all races out from the destruction of your planet. Even now they are building a future. We need people that have seen the terrible possibilities and have dared to hope that they, we can get the hell out of this mess. That we can live without fear, with trust in one another, trust in our protectors and trust that we will stand together against our foes,” Min Hae said.

  “Very well Merchertevak, let’s see if we can't make this universe a place worth living in again.”

  “I can give you the tools, but myself, I have a war to fight,” Min Hae said, a glimmer of something akin to humour passing over his face as he turned and left.

  The data pad that the kid had given Elisati vibrated. She pulled it out. She didn't trust the Free Fleet, too long being under Fairgate had taught her to be wary of anyone and everyone.

  She would do what she could to unite the planets, to help the Free Fleet, and to make sure that it didn't overstep its bounds.

  “Ahh, it looks like my cousin has arrived,” Wahquim said, “Do you wish to see war-station?”

  “War station?” Elisati asked, Wahquim didn't answer, just floated down the hall to the nearest observation bubble. The things were everywhere.

  The images changed and rotated Elisati felt her stomach drop. The behemoth that emerged from a wormhole was bigger than the Union had ever fielded.