by G. P. Hudson
Book 6 of The Pike Chronicles
G.P. Hudson
© 2016
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The Pike Chronicles:
Sol Shall Rise – Book 1 of The Pike Chronicles
Prevail – Book 2 of The Pike Chronicles
Ronin – Book 3 of The Pike Chronicles
Ghost Fleet – Book 4 of The Pike Chronicles
Interstellar War – Book 5 of The Pike Chronicles
This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in the book are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form, other than for review purposes, without the permission of the publisher and copyright owner.
Cover art by Justin Adams
Chapter 1
Former freighter captain, Roderick Seiben, sat comfortably on his back deck, overlooking the calm ocean waters. He was becoming increasingly concerned with the diminishing ale he held, and how he would inevitably have to get up and get himself another. Soon he would have to fire up his grill and begin cooking some of that fine seafood waiting inside.
“So much work to do,” he said, chuckling to himself.
He couldn’t think of a better way to live. No stress. No struggles. Just good food. Good drink. And plenty of time with his family.
It certainly beat the hell out of the years he spent doing those damn long haul freighter runs. Nope. All that was behind him now, and all he cared about was settling into a comfortable early retirement.
And getting another ale.
He leaned back in his lounger, with a content smile on his face. His mind drifted to his friend Jon Pike. He began to ponder over their many adventures together. A part of him even missed the excitement of it all, except maybe the part about being shot.
“Never a dull moment with Jon Pike, that’s for sure,” he said to himself.
“What did you say, Roderick?” came his wife Darla’s voice from inside the house.
“Nothing honey,” he answered, laughing. “Damn, I’m starting to talk to myself like some crazy old fool.”
“What?”
“Nothing dear. I was just saying I need another beer.”
“Then get up and get it yourself. I’m not your servant.”
Seiben laughed again. “That’s what we’re missing. A servant to get me my beers, then everything would be perfect.”
“Didn’t I just tell you to get your own damn beer?!”
“Yes dear. Don’t worry, I’ll get it myself.”
As Seiben moved to get up, a flash of light caught the corner of his eye. Turning, he began to focus on the fiery objects streaking toward the surface.
His smile vanished.
Seiben jumped to his feet, still staring upwards as the beer slipped out of his hands and shattered.
“Roderick, what in the stars are you doing out there?” shouted Darla from inside the house.
“It can’t be,” he muttered. “It can’t be.”
But as the blazing objects drew nearer, bolts of light shot up from the surface crashing into them. Seiben put his arm up, shielding his eyes from the blinding detonation, as he stumbled backward.
Looking back up, the fiery plumes racing toward the surface had multiplied.
He had seen enough.
Seiben ran into the house. “Darla! Darla!”
“What is it Roderick? Why are you shouting?” said his wife.
“Where are the girls?” Seiben said urgently.
“In their rooms. Why? What’s wrong?”
“Otka! Alina! Come down here right now!” Seiben turned to his wife. “We have to go. Now!”
“Go where? You’re scaring me. What in the stars is going on?”
Seiben seized his wife by the shoulders and locked onto her panicked eyes. “They’re bombing the planet. We have to get out of here.”
Seiben’s daughters appeared and he picked up Alina, his youngest, and ran for the door. “Come on!” he yelled over his shoulder.
Darla, grabbing Otka’s hand, ran after her husband.
Outside they headed straight for the vehicle parked in front of his house.
“Doors open. Engine on,” he yelled, and the vehicle’s doors slid open in response, while its engine quietly began to hum. “Computer override, switch to manual control,” said Seiben as they jumped inside.
He grabbed the control stick and pulled the craft up and into the air. Darla searched the sky franticly while both little girls whimpered with fear.
The craft wheeled around accelerating rapidly toward the sea. It quickly surpassed its pre-set ‘safe speed’ limit, and streaked further away from shore.
Seiben had hacked the craft’s navigation system early on, overriding its pre-set safety features. A lifetime pilot, and ship captain, Seiben could not tolerate the idea of a computer telling him how fast he could fly.
“Oh no,” said Darla, looking back toward shore.
“What’s wrong?” said Seiben. “What do you see?”
Darla looked at her husband, her face filled with terror. “Mushroom clouds.”
Chapter 2
Flanked by two guardsmen, Governor Sallas stepped onto the massive deck. A security detail had already disembarked, sweeping the hangar bay before allowing Sallas to exit the shuttle. They were joined by a third group of guards who had arrived earlier to ensure his security on Colonial One.
Captain Markus, the ship’s commanding officer, stood in front of him in salute, while a contingent of the ship’s Marines stood at attention behind him.
“At ease, Captain,” said Sallas He returned salute and began to survey the cavernous hangar bay. The ship’s size and armaments were impressive on approach, and from inside he found himself in awe.
It was a familiar feeling. The pace of change over the past year seemed to be accelerating, although he couldn’t quite understand how that was possible. Since the activation of the Sol-Amboss jump gate, everything moved at light speed. Warships and munitions were coming off the assembly lines almost daily. All colonial industry, once only serving the corporations, now solely served the war effort.
Markus dropped his hand to his side, but his body remained ramrod straight. “Welcome aboard Colonial One, Sir.”
“Thank you, Captain. Your ship is truly incredible.”
“That she is, Sir,” The captain’s eyes glistened with pride. “The Diakans have been very generous with their technology.”
That was an understatement. Diakan technology had revolutionized almost all aspects of colonial life, most importantly the production of weapons and warships.
“Good. We’re all in this together now. And the jump system?”
“The jump system has been thoroughly tested, and is running at peak performance. Our trip to Amboss Prime will take seconds once initiated.”
Sallas shook his head. “I’m still having trouble wrapping my mind around it.”
“You’re not alone, Sir. Even after the tests we’ve conducted, the concept of folding space still leaves me somewhat baffled. I’m just grateful that it works.”
“You and me both, Captain.”
Sallas scanned the hangar bay once more, his eyes landing numerous clean rows of fighters.
“Jump fighters, Sir,” said Markus. “Each one with its own little jump system. They can’t match Colonial One, but they can still jump five light years at a time.”
Sallas nodded. It was Chief Engineer Singh who’d created the fighter jump system right here in New Byzantium space. That seemed like ages ago now. So much had changed, and there would surely be more.
This move to Amboss Prime was a perfect example. When he’d agreed to be Jon Pike’s colonial governor, he had not anticipated leaving New Byzantium. However, with the opening of the Sol-Amboss jump gate, it made more sense to govern from there.
The Amboss system would become far too important, and whoever governed Amboss would quickly become very influential. If Sallas stayed in New Byzantium, how long would it take until questions were raised about his relevance?
He had always been a practical man, not to mention ambitious. He liked his new title, and knew full well that if he did not make the move to Amboss Prime, at some point in the future his position would be undermined. It was just how things worked.
But New Byzantium had always been his home. He had been through hell fighting to save it, and the democratic system he helped put in place.
His family had lived on the planet for generations, and his father had always bragged that his ancestors were among the original settlers. He had even found some proof in the planetary archives to support his claims.
Sallas enjoyed his father’s stories, and they’d probably planted the seeds for his future study of history. It was that knowledge that helped him understand the importance of this move. So he would leave for Amboss and govern the colonies from there. Perhaps one day, when he retired, he would come back and live out the rest of his days on his beloved New Byzantium.
“Colonial One has a complement of one hundred jump fighters,” Captain Markus continued. “Combined with her array of heavy guns, and our escort ships, we are ready for any nasty surprises the Kemmar, or Juttari might throw at us.”
“That’s reassuring, Captain,” said Sallas. “I understand you fought with Captain St. Clair to open the jump gate at Amboss.
A proud smile spread across Markus’s face. “That I did, Sir. I commanded one of our first jump ships on that mission.”
“Your heroism will never be forgotten, Captain.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Well then, shall we get started?”
“Yes, Sir. Right this way to the bridge.”
A squadron of Marines led Sallas and his Guardsmen in tight perimeter out of the hanger bay. The ship’s size continued to impress him. Even the corridors seemed twice the size of any warship he had ever seen. Everywhere he looked it shined, everything new and state of the art.
It wasn’t long before they’d arrived at the unsurprisingly massive bridge. As bridge crew stood at attention, Sallas quickly estimated their number at forty or fifty men and women. Catching Captain Markus’s expectant expression, Sallas nodded.
“As you were,” he said, allowing the bridge crew to return to their duties.
Markus led Sallas to the command chairs, gesturing towards the Governor’s official seal on a backrest. “After you, Sir.”
“Thank you, Captain.” Sallas, took his seat, as two guardsmen took their position just behind. The rest of his security team moved to occupy strategic positions around the bridge.
Markus then took his seat. “Helm, what is our jump status?”
“Jump system is at one hundred percent. Escort ships are synchronized. We are jump ready Sir.”
“Very well, prepare to jump to the Amboss System.”
“Contacts!” came a voice from what Sallas assumed was the tactical station on his right. “Multiple Kemmar warships have appeared in orbit around New Byzantium.”
“On screen,” said Markus. “Sound General Quarters.”
Red lights flashed as the klaxon rang out. The massive display shifted its orientation, zooming in on a cluster of Kemmar warships hovering above the planet.
“Kemmar ships are bombarding the surface,” said the tactical officer, his voice loud, yet calm. “Planetary defense forces are responding.”
Sallas turned to Markus. “We have to help them.”
“No, Sir. Our first priority is your safety. Helm, initiate jump.”
“Yes, Sir. Initiating jump.”
“Stop! Wait!”
“Jump complete.”
Sallas glared at the viewscreen, displaying the serene view of Amboss Prime slowly spinning in space.
“How dare you leave while New Byzantium is under attack. You will return this instance!” Sallas barked.
Captain Markus stood his ground, showing no hint of emotion. “I am sorry, Sir, but I cannot follow that order, as it would place you in danger. Colonial One’s top priority is your safety.”
“The hell with your priorities. They’re bombing the surface.”
“I’m aware Sir, and I would like nothing more than to help New Byzantium, but that would place you in danger. The planetary defense forces are more than capable of dealing with those ships. They don’t need us.”
Sallas slammed a fist into his console. He was quickly regretting his decision to leave New Byzantium. “I want up to the minute reports. I want to know the second those ships have been destroyed.”
“Of course, Sir.”
Sallas eyed the viewscreen again, his blood boiling, just as the space in the distance began to shimmer. The jump gate appeared, and two ships crossed from Sol into the Amboss System.
“Take us through the gate,” said Sallas. “I need to speak to Admiral Pike.”
Chapter 3
“There has to be a way to break out of this stalemate.” Admiral Jon Pike, studied the galactic holomap spanning the center of the mountain complex’s Operations Room.
“The Juttari have adapted,” said the Diakan military commander, General Dathos. “Our unparalleled early gains caught them off guard, but now their positions are entrenched.”
“As are ours,” said First Colonel Brock, the top ranking Chaanisar officer. “Over the past year the Juttari have not so much as tested our defenses. They would be foolish to try.”
“You think so?” said Jon, eying the Chaanisar with skepticism. “You think the Juttari are just scared?”
“Perhaps not, but their caution is prudent,” said Brock, maintaining his stoic demeanor.
Jon frowned. Part of him hoped they would attack. At least that would disrupt the current impasse. “What do you think, Colonel Bast?”
First Colonel Brock was the high ranking Chaanisar officer in the room, but Jon had been through a lot with Bast and valued his opinion.
“I agree with First Colonel Brock,” said Bast. “The Juttari are not foolish. They will not attack unless they believe they have an advantage. With both our sides dug in, the prudent course of action for them is to adopt a defensive posture, which is what they have done.”
Jon nodded. “What about the colonies? Why haven’t we heard from the Kemmar? Our intelligence sources have reported high level meetings between them and the Juttari.”
“Yes, that is true,” said Dathos. “But the Juttari Empire has never formed an alliance with any other race.”
“There’s always a first time,” said Jon.
“The Juttari are likely trying to intimidate the Kemmar into submission,” said Brock. “It is a tactic they have employed repeatedly over the centuries.”
The symbiont inside Jon’s belly growled, expressing its displeasure. Complacent, it said.
I agree, Jon replied. We are becoming complacent.
“What do you think, Kevin?” Jon turned to Captain Kevin St. Clair, who had been largely quiet up until now. Kevin had taken an active role in the defense of the colonies after succeeding in his mission to open the colonial jump gate.
“The colonies are well defended,” said Kevin. “We’ve helped them build up their ships and fortifications. We’ve buttressed those defenses with Diakan and Chaanisar ships. They also have the jump system. They’re much stronger than they were a year ago when the Kemmar invaded. We control the jump gate between Earth and the colonies, and the one connected to Kemmar spac
e. The Kemmar don’t have many options.”
Jon shook his head. “So you think they just ran home to lick their wounds?”
“No. They’re still a threat, but they can’t just walk into the colonies like they did a year ago. We’ll see them coming long before they can bite. Our jump ships can intercept them, keeping them far away from the planets.”
Jon thought back to the kamikaze attacks the Kemmar had used in battle. The Kemmar would gladly pay the high price if they thought it would lead to victory. But a year had passed and there hadn’t been as much as a peep from them. Jon didn’t like it, but he couldn’t base his actions on feelings alone.
“Hell, if you ask me,” Kevin continued. “We might want to consider invading Kemmar space.”
“You think we should invade the Kemmar Empire?”
“Why not? We’re still at war with the Kemmar. Up until now, we’ve focused on the Juttari. We’ve only been concerned with putting defenses in place in the colonies to discourage another Kemmar attack. But our war with the Juttari has turned into a stalemate, so maybe we should go on the offensive against the Kemmar.”
“You might be right, Captain,” said Jon, considering Kevin’s words. “We have a greater advantage against the Kemmar. We should use that advantage while we still have it.”
“There is a risk of overextending ourselves,” said General Dathos. “We might unwittingly give the Juttari an opportunity to attack.”
“Yes, we would need to ensure our defenses are sufficient to withstand any Juttari incursions.” Jon looked back to Kevin. “Let’s draw up some plans. Let’s see first what an invasion will actually look like.”
“Yes, Sir,” said Kevin.
Jon glanced over to the insignia covering the near wall of the large room. UHSF, United Human Space Force. All the Space Force insignias in the mountain complex had been replaced with the new insignia. The same had happened in all human ships, facilities, and on uniforms. The new uniforms were now worn by all humans, whether from Earth, or the colonies. Even the Chaanisar wore the new emblem proudly.
