Free Fleet Box Set 2

by Michael Chatfield

  “I will see to it commander,” Min Hae said, his channel to Baldabuh still open. “Baldabuh..,”

  “Bring the prisoner, I heard,” Baldabuh said, anticipating his commander's request and question.

  “I was just hoping you weren't reading my mind,” Min Hae said appreciatively, Baldabuh made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a snort.

  “Trust me when I say, I would never wish to be in that head of yours,” he said. Min Hae couldn't stop the peal of laughter escaping his from lips.

  “Very well, see you in a bit then,” Min Hae said, Baldabuh let out some non-committal noise as he cut the channel.

  “Well then I think I will leave it to you, it looks like Rosho's cannons are going down,” Cheerleader's voice came over the main comms, her tone brisk and business-like.

  Min Hae looked over to Gogs, indicating to the screen with a sideways nod. Cheerleader appeared on the main screen moments later.

  “Good luck to you and yours Cheerleader,” Min Hae said, holding her eyes.

  “Ah, we don't need luck with the amount of damned crazy we have running around this fleet!” She said, a grin appeared, if only slightly forced.

  “Hopefully we can stop any reinforcements getting to you,” Bregend said.

  “Much appreciated.” Cheerleader didn't have to force the relieved look on her face.

  “Talk soon,” Bregend said, throwing a two-finger salute out, Cheerleader and Min Hae reciprocated, the channel going dead. Min Hae looked out on to the prison planet of the Kalu that had desired to live in peace instead of waging a war that had killed billions and only left each side weaker than they had been entering the war.

  The tell-tale noises of Ashota's chair coming closer made Min Hae look at the Kalu as he entered. Edvasho had been a figurehead. Ashota had given him power through his love for his battle-brother. That love had been twisted by other's that made Edvasho believe the best thing for Ashota was to free him from his frail body, going back on traditions and killing him.

  Ashota might have thought that way when he went off to fight in the great Kalu-Union war. Now he knew that while he had lost the abilities of his natural body, he had gained something much more powerful, the power of his mind. Min Hae had spent years studying creatures now. He saw that strength in Ashota's eyes. Underestimating him was the worst thing the Kalu ever did.

  Min Hae still didn't trust Ashota, but he did see that if they could work together, then Ashota was going to be one hell of an ally.

  “Show him the planet,” Min Hae said, Chrys changed the screen, Ashota leaned forward in his seat, studying everything. Baldabuh stood to the side of Ashota, holding a rail pistol, one could never be too safe.

  “I would assume that you would like to talk to them?” Ashota asked, his chair turning so he could look to Min Hae.

  “There are no signatures of communications systems capable of passing through the atmosphere,” Min Hae pointed out.

  “Right now there isn't, if we send a transmission on all frequencies with the right codes then they will know it is okay to start up their communications systems,” Ashota said.

  Min Hae weighed the possibilities.

  “Gogs, see to it,” he said finally, typing out a quick message to Bregend, informing him of what Ashota was going to do.

  Ashota talked into a microphone, relaying code words, Min Hae trusted that Gogs would run an analysis on it to see if he could break it. He also trusted that Ashota would probably never use the same code again.

  Nothing happened for a while.

  “We're getting an incoming transmission, activity on the planet has changed,” Gogs said, forwarding images from the planet. To have enough activity to gather the attention of Gogs, it made Min Hae’s stomach tighten.

  “Council leader Ashota, this is leader Kalvin, preparations are underway. Thank you brother,” the Kalu said with feeling, Min Hae's stomach dropped as he pressed a control to connect him to Bregend.

  “Prepare for attack, I'm not sure what is going on but I don't have a good feeling about this,” Min Hae said.

  “Understood,” Bregend said, cutting the channel as he began barking orders to his command staff.

  Baldabuh, had a restraining hand on Ashota as Min Hae's eyes fell on him.

  “What did you tell him?”

  “I told him that the time has come for the Independent Kalu to cut out the disease which has become our race,” Ashota said, his disgust clear.

  “Commander, look,” Gogs said, his voice filled with confusion quickly turning to understanding.

  The Skyscrapers which seemed to dominate the planet, were moving. More than that, they were flying.

  “The Kalu had never seen a skyscraper before, but you had, and so did Edvasho. Though Edvasho did not want to see the peaceful planet of Kalu, he couldn't see that your sky scrapers were actually ships,” Min Hae said, his eyes not leaving Ashota's.

  “Very well, you are more than you seem,” Ashota said.

  “What is your prerogative Council leader?” Min Hae asked.

  “To look out for my people, and wipe out the scourge of violence and destruction that the rest of my race have dedicated themselves to,” Ashota said simply.

  “What machinations do you have towards us?” Min Hae asked as Baldabuh and another crew-member secured Ashota's chair to the wall and made it inoperable to him.

  “I hope that we can become allies, but precautions have to be made for the survival of the independents.” Ashota's eyes blazed with, purpose and belief.

  It was then that Min Hae realized that Ashota was completely devoted to his people.

  “So you call yourselves Independents?” Min Hae asked.

  “Yes,” Ashota said slowly, as if he was trying to figure out what angle Min Hae was using. Min Hae simply nodded, letting Ashota stew as he watched towers and sky-scrapers lifting off of the planet.

  The first ship-towers made it to space. They were cigar shaped, their lower sections being hidden in the ground. Sections of the tower moved, while these ships were an unknown danger, Min Hae thought them rather, beautiful. They were like the modern towers of earth, they looked to be made of glass and chrome. They twinkled as their intricate designs were bathed in sunlight.

  They were at clear odds with the Kalu Star Warriors and Destroyers, where as those machines had been made with almost painful similarities. These ships had been made with affection, with care. They weren't just ships, they were homes.

  Min Hae's eyes went wide as he looked at Ashota with new clarity.

  “An exodus,” Min Hae half-whispered, there was no missing Ashota's flinch. Min Hae laughed, admiring the ships in a whole new light.

  “Fighting the Kalu right now is a damned impossibility. So you did the next best thing, you built ships to carry you far away, to somewhere that you could look to build lives, and a fleet to beat them,” Min Hae said in growing understanding.

  Ashota's face became dark, his eyes like faraway stars in the cold of space.

  Min Hae stabbed Bregend's channel open.

  “They're voyager ships,” Min Hae said, his brain still reeling. “The Independents knew that they couldn't defeat the Kalu in their current state, so they made ships to carry themselves to a system where they could build up a military, a force that could take on the Kalu.”

  “Safe all weapons,” Bregend barked to his command staff. “So what are we going to do Min Hae?” Bregend asked, clearly unsure of how to proceed.

  “Well I think we might ask if their council leader would be willing to put some words in for us, so that we might actually have a talk with them. If they still want to leave, they leave. Hopefully they can give us enough information to hurt the hell out of the Kalu. If nothing else it's a win for them. Either we destroy the Kalu and they're safe wherever they go. Or we're destroyed and they can avenge us and they get their council leader back,” Min Hae said.

  “It sounds like you have a plan. I'll follow your lead,” Bregend said. Min Hae nodded his
thanks, Bregend had been a commander for multiple fleets even though he still thought himself as quite junior compared to those that had stormed Parnmal. The fact that he was willing to follow someone else, instead of trying to forge ahead and prove himself, spoke to how he had matured.

  “Thank you commander, hopefully it will just be a lot of talking,” Min Hae said.

  “Ah, then they won't even know what hit them when the commander of the Intelligence department is on the job,” Bregend said, looking darned confident.

  “Thank you Commander,” Min Hae sighed, these commanders seemed way to damned excited for everything.

  Cheerleader was right about the amount of crazy we have running around here!

  “Well if you don't mind I would rather like to keep my identity hidden, if only for appearances,” Min Hae watched as Bregend's eyes said all.

  “Very well, I'll be your mouth piece.” Jackass, I wanted to get to my battle reports, not be some damned emissary! Bregend’s eyes seemed to say. Min Hae felt the corners of his mouth trying to pull into a smile.

  Twenty minutes later, Bregend was broadcasting on all channels to the independent Kalu.

  “My name is commander Bregend of the Free Fleet. I wish to talk to the council of independents. I want to see what we can do about working together to eliminate the true Kalu threat. We also look to return council leader Ashota to your care. Thank you.” Bregend cut the channel, the main screen resolving just to his face.

  “How was that Min Hae?” Bregend asked.

  “I have a feeling that we'll see soon enough,” Min Hae said, looking to Ashota. The Kalu was staring at the screen, obviously thinking.

  ***

  Ashota was, annoyed. He had fully expected to lose his life in trying to get the independents free of the Kalu oversight. While they had been able to do a vast number of things even with the Kalu orbiting their planet. They had been severely limited. They cared for one another in a way that normal Kalu would never understand. Normal Kalu adhered to strict guidelines on what they were allowed to do and what not, traditions governed them.

  Independents had led the Kalu to getting to the stars, they had led to better weapons. All of their pursuits had been in an attempt to get the majority of the Kalu to realize what was around them.

  Independents were chaotic, they argued, they had ideas, they acted on impulses not driven by anger, or natural fighting habits.

  This had made them dangerous and got them exiled to this system. The Independent's thought about more than just themselves. They didn't see females as just creatures to supply more Warriors and breeders. Each Kalu had value, it seemed that they placed a lot of value in Ashota. He was flattered as he was pissed. They should have just left; he would see if these Free Fleet creatures had any ability to destroy the Kalu.

  Ashota had made it clear that Min Hae was coming, it gave him a hostage something that Min Hae knew as soon as the words had come out of Ashota's lips. Min Hae might have been silently cursing him, but he'd agreed, so had Bregend.

  They both needed allies and this was the best way to go about getting them, and information on their deadliest enemy to date.

  Now Ashota watched as Bregend's shuttle landed at Verslva's airlock.

  Min Hae pushed Ashota aboard. The shuttle released from the ship. Bregend was even bigger in person than over a viewscreen. He moved in his powered armor as if he was born inside its mass.

  “Good to see you Min Hae,” he said the two of them coming together in a crash of armor and smiles.

  “You to brother,” Min Hae replied, they beamed at one another with the expressions Ashota had shared with Edvasho and his other battle-brothers. These men had gone through battles and war together. They might not be related by blood, but they were every part the brothers. Ashota felt anger and jealousy well inside of him, Edvasho's betrayal while not unforeseen, still hurt.

  Min Hae secured Ashota as he and Bregend grabbed two seats facing one another and strapped in.

  “So whose idea was it to create a council?” Bregend asked, though the man was large, actually bigger than some Avarians, there was no missing the calculating look in his eyes.

  The Free Fleet had shown time and time again that they did not have idiots in their ranks. Bregend had to have done much more than be the strongest man around to get and hold his position.

  “Mine,” Ashota said, not seeing how it could do any harm.

  Bregend nodded to himself as Min Hae watched the exchange.

  “Why did you give Edvasho the plans for the Star Destroyer?” There was a hard edge to Bregend's voice, but he was clearly interested as to Ashota's motivations.

  “I had to, I wanted to see how well it would operate, I however told him to train his people to follow their instincts, this makes the Fighters effective when engaging ground forces, but against ships, they present a massive target and are so tight together that explosives act as if they were in atmosphere, throwing swarms into disarray, easy picking for properly trained Fighters,” Ashota said.

  “Why did you have to?” Bregend asked again, it was clear that he knew Ashota was not telling the entire story.

  “I didn't think that another Kalu would put agents near me. Orshpa was smart enough, he came to me, asking me of my plans on Star Destroyers. He obviously saw their abilities as a boon. I said that I was still developing them and would release them to Edvasho.

  “He went to Edvasho asking if he knew, trying to drive us apart. It probably worked to some degree, as did the hundreds of other things that Orshpa, Xentar, and other Kalu brought to Edvasho's attention,” Ashota's voice was becoming harder and his thoughts confusing as he stopped, taking a breath and focusing on the original question. “Orshpa used my plans to train his people to be Fighters. He used it on the final clans that hadn't come under Edvasho's control. Probably because it made him look more like their leader than Edvasho. I brought my information to Edvasho and he started building the Star Destroyer's giving the control and training to Orshpa since he was already working on them,” Ashota said.

  “So Orshpa trained all of the Star Destroyers?” Bregend asked, his eyes intent.

  “That is correct,” Ashota said.

  Bregend and Min Hae shared a look, yet neither said anything, pulling out their data pads, clearly messaging one another in silence for the rest of the journey.

  “We will be arriving in ten minutes,” one of the pilots said.

  “Thanks Jalo,” Bregend said, standing. Min Hae did the same, they clamped on their helmets and checked one another over. They didn't have weapons, but a Commando in armor was still damned effective. Ashota had seen this a few times when Syndicate prisoners had attacked their Commando watchers.

  Commandos were highly trained and deadly. A prisoner wouldn't attack a Commando twice.

  The Syndicates that became Commandos were essentially retrained, there was little similar between their Syndicate comrades when they were finally branded Commandos.

  The Free Fleet encouraged people to grow, there was yelling and swearing, but also a focus on working with one another, rather than the old method of breaking the weaker ones down. Commandos weren't the biggest people strapped into powered armor. They were creatures that could think on their feet, and knew their powered armor like a second skin. Ashota hadn't missed how easily Min Hae changed from being in a standard vac-suit to powered armor, Bregend was the same way.

  To survive what the two of them had, they probably felt more comfortable in armor.

  Ashota remembered his old armor, parts of it were still embedded in his body. He missed the freedom it had given him, the power. Now he lived inside his broken body, with only his mind.

  Unreasonable anger at Min Hae and Bregend rose in his mind. He forced it down, the familiar anger at those that had the gifts he had lost. He needed to focus now, not be too angry to be of any use.

  It wasn't long before his own chair and its vacuum rated covering were fitted.

  The shuttle locked onto one of t
he Independent's tower ships, its airlock cycling as Min Hae moved Ashota's chair.

  “You should really think about starting a regeneration program, we pulled ours from the Syndicate and the Union. It would mean that we can get people as badly hurt as you, back up and running,” Min Hae said as if he could read Ashota's mind, or it was a distraction to throw him off.

  Ashota didn't say anything, trying to put that comment aside, yet the thoughts of freedom he had when he had been actually able to control his body ran through his mind.

  Maybe I can convince the Independents to run for it. I'm more use here, plus if they give me a body... His mind trailed off. Either he got a new body, or he didn't and still helped end the traditional Kalu, or he died.

  Not such a hard decision when it comes down to it, what do I want more, the chance to get back what I have lost and watch as the Kalu burn, or die knowing that the Free Fleet are going to do everything they can to make sure the bastards burn.

  He wasn't in love with the Free Fleet, nor did he feel a true loyalty to them. Yet if he could use them for his own reasons, he wasn't against the idea, it could be a rather, beneficial, agreement.

  He would need time to think on this, and he wasn't going to let these two know what he was thinking before the meeting.

  The airlock into the Independent's ship cycled. Two armed Kalu Warriors waited on either side. These ones had rail cannons on their backs instead of the standard lasers.

  It looks like war-leader Kalvin has been quite active, Ashota thought to himself, casting sideways glances at the Kalu armor, it looked almost identical to normal Kalu armor, yet it had more forward facing armor, the new weapons, and what looked like launchers on the Kalu's backs.

  There was probably more changes underneath but Ashota put that to the back of his mind.

  The Kalu guards dipped their heads even as their rail guns remained trained on Min Hae and Bregend.