by Clark Graham
“Yes, Sir.”
Soon a shuttle headed out of the cargo bay of the Ederic.
The Marines flew directly into the enemy’s open bay. As soon as the shuttle stopped, they donned their gravity suits and headed into the ships interior, blasters poised for any threats. The lead Marine stopped the group in one of the corridors. Pointing, then motioning, the men backed up.
“What was it?“ the sergeant asked.
“Proximity mine.”
He positioned the men around a corner, then aimed his blaster and fired. The explosion flashed fire and debris down the corridor. The Sergeant was knocked off his feet. His men checked his suit for leaks. A little one let out a small amount of air. It was soon patched.
“We could have gone around, Sarge.”
“All the access is probably booby-trapped. I want to get to the flight deck.”
“Away team, this is the Ederic, we are picking up an explosion onboard.”
The Sargent stood up. “Everyone is safe, Captain. Ran into a small problem, but we’re able to get past it.” He clicked off his communicator. “Let’s go, men.”
The gaping hole appeared where the mine went off. The Marines were able to get over it by running, turning the gravity off on their suits to sail past the hole, then turning it back on when they were clear.
Further up the way, the lead Marine stopped the group again. “Tripwire, Sarge. Don’t blast it. We can step over.” Each Marine did so. Soon they stood in front of the access door to the bridge.
“It’s a trap, Sarge. If we open it, it will explode.”
“Torch,” the sergeant motioned.
The Marine at the end of the line brought up a torch and cut a hole through the thin metal of the door. Soon all five Marines were in the bridge.
“Download all logs and computer data,” the sergeant bellowed. He needn’t have bothered. The Marines knew their tasks.
While they were doing that, the lead Marine pointed up, “Sarge, there’s a hatch.”
While looking up the sergeant said, “Shuttle pilot relocate to forward hatch, topside of the ship.”
“Relocating.”
Turning to the Marine, the sergeant said, “Check it for traps before he gets here.”
“I’m on it.”
A few minutes later, after the hatch was checked out, it opened and a ladder dropped down. Five Marines scrambled up it, data files in hand.
“Sir, the away team is back, all accounted for.”
“Good, send some mechanics to cut that gun off the ship. I want it examined by the shipyard.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Merken watched out of his view screen as the torches cut around the gun. The thin skin of the pirate ship made easy work of it. When it was safely stored aboard, the frigate made its way to Andaria Major.
Chapter 29
Andaria Major
Keldar Sector
The space dock was very busy as the frigates shuttle made its way to the surface. Pieces of a new destroyer were lifted up to space for final assembly. They were built in three sections. Each section was then lifted. The weight of a completed destroyer would be impossible to tow out of the planet's atmosphere.
When they landed, they were hurried out of the shuttle. It soon took off to make room for the next ship to land.
The sergeant looked around. “Wasn’t this a backward planet just a few decades ago?”
“A few years ago,” Captain Merken corrected.
“Wow.”
The Sergeant had the data logs, and the lead Marine followed him and the captain. He pulled a hover tug that had the gun neatly packaged on it.
They were met by Zedra, a lieutenant, and five Marines. Zedra walked past the group to examine the gun. He sighed, looking disappointed that it was wrapped up so well. “Take it to my lab.”
“Welcome to Andaria Major.” The officer said. We’ll take it from here. Corporal Janikan will show you to your quarters.”
Merken felt he was being dismissed. It was he who had gathered all of the data. He wanted to see it. He let them lead the way though. A soldier does what he is told.
His quarters were in a high-rise that looked out over the spaceport. He could see the mountains where the local army held off four divisions of Imperial troops. The room had a bed off to the side, with couches facing the large window, a table and chairs next to a serving area. It was much larger than his quarters on the ship. The Marines were taken to a different part of the building.
He sank onto one of the plush couches to enjoy the view, but was soon asleep.
A buzz at the door, three hours later, woke him. “Enter.” The door swung open. An admiral stepped inside.
Captain Merken smiled. “Father it is so good to see you.”
“Son, you are doing great things out there in Null Space.”
“It wasn’t me, it was one of my roc’fis that stopped it.”
“A roc’fi and mini carrier you ordered to the sector. Don't be so modest. I’ve told Emor all about it. He was most impressed.”
“Um, thank you.”
“I have a surprise for you.” He turned to the door and said, “Come in.”
Moore stepped through the door. He was wearing a lieutenant’s uniform. “Reporting for duty, Sir.”
“Your executive officer is now your first officer because, Judd, your old first officer has been given a new ship. You now have two frigates in your command, Son.”
Merken stood up and shook Moore’s hand. “Welcome to the fleet. I thought you were paroled.”
“With the war basically over, I reenlisted. My family has been in naval service for generations. Serving whatever navy controlled our sector at the time.”
“The captain smiled. “I’m glad you’re here.” He turned to his father. “I was hoping to get destroyers down there, or maybe some capital ships. We still have a lot of holes to plug.”
“I do have three more mini-carriers too, but that’s all we can spare. The Empire made a lot of enemies as it expanded across the galaxy. Some of them were not completely destroyed. They are rising up against us. Prince Yorgis has stirred up the Trilians. We have two fleets in that area of space to counteract any invasion attempt. Your roc’fis and tiny fleet have to hold the gap for now.”
“Yes, Sir.” He knew he sounded formal to his father, but he didn’t care. He was disappointed.
“Well, Zedra will have the results of the data and cannon you have recovered by 1600 hours. I’ll meet you down at the conference room then. Meanwhile you two catch up, on old times.”
When the admiral had left the room, Merken was the first to speak. “So, I heard that your uncle was arrested.”
“Yes.” The lieutenant stiffened. “I was there and helped bring him to justice. He’s been executed for his murders. I’m only sad to say that he got away with it for so long.”
“You will be fighting pirates in Null space. It has been a mundane assignment for me so far, but I believe it’s going to get a whole lot more exciting.”
“I could do with some action. I was in Admiral Iderious’ fleet when the invasion happened. We never got a chance to fight. He left the sector so fast. The whole fleet feels ashamed. Many have enlisted in Emor’s navy, asking to be put in the fleet of your father. He never backs down from a fight.”
“Yes, he never backs down, but it did get a lot of his men killed, and he’s now sporting a peg leg.”
“A robotic leg, Sir. Most of those who survived have re-enlisted into his division. They are bathed in glory. The talk of the galaxy.”
The captain cleared his throat. Not wanting to quell the enthusiasm, he dared not discourage him. “Yes, the talk of the galaxy.”
When the lieutenant walked out on his way to his own quarters, Merken stretched out on the bed. He had just nodded off to sleep when a knock came on the door. “Come in.”
An ensign walked in. “Sir, the admiral requests your presence at the lab.”
Chapter 30
Andari
a Major
Keldar Sector
Zedra smiled at the captain as he entered. “You have given us a lot of good data.”
“Thank you.”
“Come sit down.”
He led Merken to a conference room inside the lab. There, sitting down, were Admiral Merken, Emor, two lieutenant commanders, and a commander. Merken sat down by his father.
Zedra motioned to two men in lab coats and they wheeled in the weapon that the captain had cut off the pirate ship.
“This, gentlemen, is a fremax repeater. It is an energy weapon, like our own phase fire cannon, only not as powerful, but it can rapid fire. The Empire has faced this weapon before. It's Trilian.”
The admiral stiffened. “They are on the other side of the Empire. I still don’t see how they are getting weapons to this side”
“We still haven’t figured that out. It gets worse though.” Zedra continued. “The pirates are doing the Trilian’s bidding. There are seven space stations. I guess you can call them that. They are a group of captured freighters all bolted together. It is a custom among the pirates living in Null Space to do that. Only now, they are arming these stations with Trilian weapons.”
Captain Merken shifted in his seat. The presentation made him nervous. The enemy now had modern arms.
The far wall turning into a map of space. Z edra pointed to it. “Here are the star charts we downloaded from the pirate ship. You can see that we now have the location of seven starbases in Null Space. Each starbase supports fifty to a hundred ships. The pirate problem, as I told the admiral, is much worse than previously known. “
Zedra pointed to a small dot inside the Keldar Sector. “They are also building a station here. It's an empty spot, not near any planets. Some freighters used it as a shortcut in the past, but the pirates are so active in that area, the freighters go around it now.”
“They have a station in Keldar space?” Captain Merken blurted out.
“Yes, the pirates were towing another ship to add to it when they were attacked by the roc’fi. That area has at least seventy-five pirate vessels operating from that station, and all of them operating with some type of Trilion weapon.”
The admiral cleared his throat. “We had no idea of the scope of this operation. Obviously, we can’t control this area with one, soon to be two, frigates and a few mini-carriers. This is Commander Finch, Lieutenant Commanders Waller, and Fox. They are the captains of three old imperial destroyers. They are now under your command. The mission has changed from trying to prevent the pirates coming into our space but also destroying the ones that are already there. It seems an inadequate force for the task at hand, but it is all we can spare at this time.”
“Thank you, Admiral.” Merken wanted to be formal in front of his new command. He was already known as a daddy’s boy across the fleet.
The meeting adjourned and the captain went back to his room to finish his nap. He had just laid down when there was a knock on the door. Sighing, he said, “Enter.”
He stood up quickly. There, walking through the door was his old first officer, now a ship’s captain, along with the captains of his new command.
“I was telling these guys what a hard nose you were,” a smiling Judd said.
“Thanks.” Merken gave a half smile.
“Sir, are we going after that station right away?” Commander Finch was dressed smartly in a recently pressed uniform. His curly black hair slipped out from the sides of his cap.
Merken pushed the button on the communicator sitting on the table. “Lab, please. Can you send to my room all the information you have on that pirate space station in the Keldar Sector?”
“Right away, Sir,” A pleasant female voice replied.
Merken turned on the wall-size screen to see a picture of the station. He counted the guns. “Twenty-three freemax repeaters. They would slice us to pieces. Computer, playback the gun camera footage from the roc’fi of the pirate encounter.”
Commander Finch looked on, wide-eyed, as the pirate ship blasted away at the roc’fi.
“Only the fighter’s speed kept it from being obliterated. Even still, the roc’fi was scrapped. I am lucky to have saved the pilot.”
“How are we going to complete our mission then?” Finch asked.
“With the force we have, our only choice is to starve them out. We must destroy all the ships going in and out of that station. Now, if you will excuse me, I’m going to finish my nap. Judd, put a guard on my door so no one comes in, except the admiral or Emor. I’ll make exceptions for them.”
Chapter 31
Star Base Asclepius
Keldar Sector
Merken watched with pride as the ships of his fleet arrived at the starbase. It was the largest squadron he had ever commanded. The captain of the frigate Telstar, he knew, having had him as a first officer, but the others he didn’t. Two of them were also new captains doing their first command. It was Commander Finch he worried about. The man had fought against his father during the invasion of Delmark Sector. Merken wondered if the man held any grudges.
The new docking rings that had been installed only held four ships. Merken had his ship stop and he shuttled over to the starboase. This let the other ships of the squadron dock. The spaceport was basic, it didn’t have many of the amenities that the larger ones had. In fact, the quarters on the small frigate were better than the captain’s quarters on the station. He would opt to stay there and make that his flagship. He’d been stationed on an imperial destroyer before. The quarters were cramped at best, even for the captain.
“Two freighters are on the way with dozens of the old Drottning roc’fis. A transport carries their pilots.” Lieutenant Moore reported. “Sir, all of the captains have disembarked their ships.”
“Good, have them meet me in the wardroom.”
“Yes, Sir.” Another smart salute, then the lieutenant was on his way.
Merken made his way there. Zedra had sent him more information. He had found some hidden files in the data. Now he had a picture of exactly what the enemy space dock looked like, where the guns were, and their future expansion plans. Two more engineless freighters were on the way to be added to the conglomerate of ships that made up the station. It would be thirty in all. One had already been stopped by the roc’fi. Two others would arrive next month.
The enemy must know by now. Merken examined the diagram. They have to know we have intercepted those ships.
His thoughts were interrupted by Moore walking up to him. “Sir, the captains are here.”
“Show them in.”
When all the men were in and seated. Merken pointed to the board. “Gentlemen, this is what we are up against. The pirate space dock has twenty-seven derelict ex-freighters all bolted and welded together. This is where the pirate ships rest and restock before going out on raids.
They have, among other things, a repair dock, tons of supplies, both food and ammunition, a hospital, and lots of spare crew members eager to join the pirates for a portion of the booty. It has a lot of the same type of guns we saw at Andaria Major.”
“We need some capital ships, Sir. Those guns would not be effective against capital ships.” Finch sat back in his seat.
Merken had read the commanders, file. Several words stood out to him. Hothead, rash, impulsive. That is how his previous commanders had described him. “We are not going to get any capital ships. In fact, except for a few dozen broken down roc’fis, we are not going to get any more help. There are around seventy-five ships that call that station home, not to mention all the firepower the station itself has. Our only hope is to starve them out, stop them from raiding and getting supplies.”
Merken waited for comments, but there were none. Even Finch seemed satisfied with his directions. “Okay, I want all ships at the ready in twenty-four hours. We are going to park ourselves in the vicinity of the station and capture a few pirates while they are still unaware that we know where they are.”
The men filed out, except for
Moore. “I heard Commander Finch talking to the other men. He is disappointed to be stationed under you. He still thinks you as an enemy.”
“I see. What did the rest of them think?”
“Judd reassured him that you were a fair and just leader. The others didn’t take a side.”
“One ally, one enemy, and two neutrals. It could be worse.”
An Ensign came running into the room. “Sir, the two freighters carrying the roc’fis are under attack by pirates.”
Chapter 32
Keldar Sector
Frigate Ederic
The two frigates were the first to leave for the rescue mission. Being so much faster, they arrive more quickly. Three pirate ships were pounding away at the freighters. These were military ships, not a normal, thin-skinned ones merchants used. Even at that, one of the freighters was disabled and a pirate ship was trying to take it in tow. The other one was maneuvering to keep the pirates from disabling the engines.
Intent on their task, the pirates didn’t notice the frigates until they opened fire. The Ederic went straight for the pirate ship, trying to tie on lines to the disabled freighter. Several blasts from Ederic’s guns ripped holes in the pirate. It jettisoned the line and tried to flee, but the frigate was made for speed and the next few shots took out the pirate’s engines.
The other two pirates went after the frigate Telstar, but Judd was on them quickly. The first ship in line received a full broadside of all Telstar’s guns. The second one scored some hits, but by this time the Ederic was back and pounding it. Fires broke out all over the pirate ship. Its engines stopped. The first ship was also on fire, but got off two more shots before the emergency exit pods started filling up space.
Judd came over the com. “Orders, Sir?”
“Board that first ship now that it's been abandoned. See if you can put out the fires and take it in tow. The second one is fully engulfed, so I’ll stand away from that one. It should blow soon. I’m going back to see what I can do about the one I disabled earlier.”
