From the Black (Free Fleet Book 4)

by Michael Chatfield

Smith stepped off, seeing the mountain of a man that Bregend was, talking to a cargo master by their battle suit.

  Smith caught his eye as he made his way towards him.

  Bregend finished his conversation with the cargo master before turning to Smith.

  “It's good to see you Commander,” Bregend said, putting out a hand, cutting off Smith's Free Fleet styled salute.

  “You too commander,” Smith said, smoothly changing from his salute to offering his own hand. Bregend's hand, while powerful, was thankfully not tight as some larger men put a bit more effort in than was needed with shaking hands.

  “Well let’s get some food and talk about what plans I have for you and your jump ships,” Bregend said, turning and leading the way.

  Smith followed as Bregend raised his hand to a few people in acknowledgement, marshalling his thoughts before he talked.

  “We've been using our jump ships here to seed systems with sensor missiles, this is great in systems where we have FTL relays as we can have practically real-time information on what the Kalu are doing. In other systems we need a jump ship to grab the data from their sensor missiles and then bring it back to us. It's a bit longer but it keeps us in the loop. To date we've put Eighteen thousand Star-warriors and four thousand Star-destroyers out of action. This means that there are a damned large amount of pissed of Kalu in those systems that we have cleared of ships. Though we've barely made a dent, from our reports, the other systems, combined, have around forty thousand Star Warriors and sixteen thousand star-destroyers,” Smith's mind reeled with those numbers, but Bregend barely paused as he kept on talking.

  “It is our mission to make sure that as few of those ships as possible make it to the battlefield. Salchar's fleet and Foshunti's Squadron are just limping back towards Parnmal now. The way Ashota puts it, this war will not be like the battles from before. If this Orshpa wins, who owns most of the ships we've been hammering. He will hit every planet he can. The Kalu don't really have children as we know them. They're similar to say an antelope in that regard, well probably a wolf would be closer,” Bregend's tone thoughtful, before shrugging, his fatigue showing through in that moment.

  “Anyway, they're born and they can already walk. They can also understand on an instinctual level, what is going on. It is why they work so well as fighter pilots and have uncanny coordination on the battlefield. Talking and reasoning take, time to develop. Fighting is the first thing that they learn as they fight nearly constantly for their first year, and then they challenge others for mating rights, then leadership roles and such. Progression is learnt through fighting. Talking and articulating is only used by leaders as they are the ones that dictate what will happen within their clan, rather than just how to fight a battle,”

  “How is this important?” Smith said, trying to see if there was a point to Bregend's rambling.

  “Yes, sorry, high gravity maneuvers and wake-up can twist the mind some. Anyway, the Kalu have no real concept of children, they see other young that will be raised to fight them. Orshpa will see no problem in attacking any world and eliminating anyone on it, no matter who they are. There are no rules of engagement,” Bregend said, stopping and looking around to make sure no one could hear him before he turned to Smith.

  “This next system will be the last system before we hit manned ships, these will be clan home-worlds and systems transporting Kalu to the front lines. I'm going to need you to show my people to think like jump ship pilots. We're going to accelerate, go through the wormhole at speed, releasing our asteroids and then jump back out,” Bregend said.

  “Why do you need to transit into the system?” Smith asked as Bregend gave him a peculiar look.

  “Well...wait, could it survive?” Bregend held his elbow as he cupped his face in thought of a man that enjoyed figuring out a problem.

  He let out a huff of air.

  “Well aren't I just the smartest commander ever,” He growled, even his self-admonishment wasn't enough to dim the new light that had entered his eyes.

  “I only figured it out after some talking with Dev, coupled with my time spent in a jump ship,” Smith said, shrugging to show that he too wasn't the genius behind the plan, merely the one to suggest it.

  “Fine work that Smith,” Bregend said with a look of pride as he slapped Smith on the back. The force of his blow exercising Bregend's excitement, and nearly bowling Smith over.

  Smith stayed upright unable to get rid of the mischievous grin on his face.

  “Well we're going to have to change our tactics, talk to Nav and see how long we could keep a wormhole open and time dropping an almighty payload into it,” Bregend's eyes clouded in the expression of a man running through multiple scenarios through his mind.

  “Or putting the wormhole inside the yard,” Smith said quietly. His eyes admiring the ceiling before coming down to look at Bregend's thoughtful nod.

  “It seems that I should be the one listening,” Bregend said, looking to Smith in a new light. Even though Bregend was technically Smith's commander. He, like other commanders had learnt when to listen and when to talk, it was probably why they had so many damned insane ideas from all of the ideas they got from the lower ranks.

  “But food first!” Bregend said, as if remembering why they were talking in the hallway.

  “Why is it that I have a feeling we're going to be bent over a planning table as soon as we've drained the chefs of everything they've got?” Smith said with a wry grin.

  “Because I don't know a person in the Free Fleet that doesn't like real/ food. And because commanders must always be working on planning tables, if only to have others roll their eyes and wonder what crazy damned plan we've come up with,” Bregend said seriously as he walked towards the mess, his wink belying the seriousness of his voice.

  ***

  Min Hae stood on the command deck of a Star-destroyer. It was one of a fleet of four hundred ships. All of them manned by the Kalu Independent's.

  Ashota rested in his chair beside Min Hae. He had pledged himself to the Free Fleet, but he had been spending the majority of his time liaising with Kalvin and his warriors.

  They were better fighters than the Kalu Traditionalist's instead of just using their instincts, they were a trained force. They had tactics, which was why they were in the system Pofochura, it was home to the clan Chulari, a clan allied with Orshpa.

  Hopefully for not much longer. Min Hae thought as Independent's fighters started deploying into the swarm like formations of the Traditionalists.

  For Min Hae and Ashota's plan to work, Kalvin's forces had to act exactly like Kalu Traditionalists. Well at least like Orshpa's clan, which was why a pre-made message of Farova, one of Orshpa's leaders seemed to be talking to the Chulari clan.

  “For too long we have carried your carcass of useless and weak warriors. Orshpa has deigned to end your existence, so that only the strong may be part of the new great clan,” Farova's simulated creation tossed its head in disgust, as if talking to the Chulari stained him somehow.

  “We will grant you the last honour of falling before the Oltuli clan,” Farova said, the disgust clear on his Kaluian features as the channel was cut.

  “That should get a response,” Min Hae said, looking away from the main screen, it would be hours before the Chulari could respond.

  “That message alone would have incited a blood feud between the two clans,” Ashota said calmly.

  “The power of words is not something to be underestimated,” Min Hae said, raising his voice slightly so Kalvin could hear.

  He had wanted to use his new tactics and ships to bring battle onto the Kalu Traditionalists. Using them to incite blood feuds between the clans, rubbed him somewhat of the wrong way.

  Even he couldn't deny that if this went according to plan, it would cause a schism between the clans. Those that supported Edvasho would attack Orshpa, even if he came home and tried to prove that Edvasho died in battle, he wouldn't be listened to.

  Min Hae could see
dark happiness in Ashota's eyes.

  Yes it is rather nice to use their own system against them. Min Hae thought savagely. Plus if Smith, Devastahli and Bregend's plans for wormholes worked...well Min Hae did love when Murphy's designs were for his enemies.

  ***

  Evelyn Sparks looked out from her office in Parnmal. Well looking out was a general term, she was looking as the vid screen display of space, which was a hundred meters of rock and armored plating away from her.

  She and some of her closest friends had been the first reporters attached with the Free Fleet. Since the Kalu had arrived and Salchar's first engagement with those forces, reporters had been unattached to those ships heading into combat.

  Losses were too high and the Free Fleet didn't want to have a dead reporter on their hands as people asked questions. They had a war to fight.

  Yet Evelyn made it clear that she and the team she had built around her would take on those risks if allowed. Monk had given her a gentle but firm no.

  It wasn't as if she didn't have enough content coming in from all over the known galaxy which was just begging to be reported.

  It was the fact that the people of the Free Fleet were the only thing stopping the Kalu from attacking civilized planets, and it seemed that no one had caught on to that yet.

  There seemed to be a general belief that the Free Fleet would deal with it while everyone else got to living on with their lives.

  The battles were in another system, away from people's home world’s they didn't affect trade routes and could be largely ignored.

  There had even been some that said the Free Fleet were making it up, so as to increase their taxes.

  Evelyn wanted to point out the fact that the Free Fleet's 'taxes' were barely making up the amount of resources the fleet had dedicated to every planet. Something that she made clear with graphs on all systems, the money and resources the Free Fleet had put in, against what that system had given back.

  Politicians kept on saying it was propaganda, but the people were not having it.

  They had been under the control of others for so long that a lot of politicians were realizing they had damned well better represent the people, or they would be removed from office.

  Evelyn didn't know if it had been the intention of Salchar, but the people loved the Free Fleet. It offered education through the newly created Awakened academy where the Avarian priests had largely renamed themselves teachers instead of priests. People from across the known galaxy went to Avar Interim Hermanti to learn at the academy, they were then offered positions across known space as researchers, teachers and within their field.

  Many went to Mars to get practical training with the massive facility that was growing on the red planet. Millions of trainees of all disciplines, from civilian to Free Fleet personnel attended the Free Fleet select trades school.

  The most educated people were thankful to the Free Fleet for opening their minds, the normal people were thankful for the jobs, training and feeling of security the Free Fleet offered them.

  Right now that wasn't the reason for the excited mood on Parnmal. The station had its own academy and select trade’s school, but it had been left free for today.

  It had last week as well, when Marhtu's sentence had been handed down by the council of Daestramus.

  He had faced a firing squad, Evelyn remembered the hatred in the eyes of those that Marhtu had made slaves as they watched as rounds ripped through the man that had tortured them into submission.

  The rest of the crowd had grimly watched, none of them saying anything. As soon as Marhtu security chief Narvu, who had been a customs officer and rallying point in the rebellion turned from his post as commander of the firing squad.

  “Today we finally end the shadow that Marhtu cast over our planet. Now we must work together to show the universe just how magnificent we as a people can be together. As Salchar has said, we must look to one another in these times, look to change the world and the universe to be something that we want to be in, to say that we are the change that made us great. As we will not forget the darkness that Marhtu left over us, we should not forget those that died in order for us to come back into the light,” He said, before turning to his firing squad, moving them out of the way as Marhtu's corpse was removed.

  Evelyn's camera woman showed her how many people were watching their feed of the proceedings, both of them looking to one another in shock.

  It seemed the entire known universe wanted to see Lady Fairgate's sentence carried out.

  It had been made clear that she had pretty much lost it when the Kalu came to Rosho, she looked half-dead as someone read out the main charges. The full list was damned long.

  She was escorted into the airlock like some zombie.

  A wicked smile passed over her lips as the door closed.

  “They'll come for you all! All of you! The Kalu will get you all, all of you. Yes,” Lady Fairgate said with a crazy gleam in her eye as the airlock sealed.

  Monk stepped up to the button, not even pausing as he pressed it and Lady Fairgate's face had a moment of panic before she, and the air in the airlock was evacuated in seconds, her body flying out into the black of space.

  So the time of the Syndicate ended.

  But whose time will it be next? The time of the Kalu? The Free Fleet? The people of the Union?

  “Shall we move to the interviews?” Her camera woman said, jostling her into reality, as she'd stared at the airlock. She wasn't the only one that had kept staring at the airlock, it was hard to believe the Syndicate was dead.

  Focus on the here and now Sparks! Time to find that story. She heard one of her first editor's say in her head as her face became harder.

  “I suppose we should,” Evelyn said, helping her camera woman store her gear.

  While the old Union was gone, planets were already picking three planetary governors. One to be on their planet, the other to be with planetary governors that worked with the other planetary governors on matters that pertained to them all, and the third to make sure that there wasn't a tie between the other two. All three would rotate through their offices after a selected time and then come up for re-election.

  Even though there hadn't been any official announcement that a new Union was going to be created. One of the governors was always on Parnmal.

  This station really has become the centre of civilized space. Or at least one side of the trading highway.

  Parnmal was the conduit of the corridor's (the nickname given to AIH Chaleel and Earth) products to the rest of known space, as well as on the opposite side of the Kuruvian Empire.

  Trade ran nearly straight from the Empire to Parnmal. Ships arrived on a nearly hourly basis from across jump limits. A system had been put in place so as to make sure that ships didn't wormhole into one another. Another system made sure that they didn't run into one another as they travelled to inspection stations and onto Parnmal actual.

  The Yard had grown from a single dock to five, mining had exploded as the yards ate up everything it could. Manufacturing had grown in a big way, making parts for the Free Fleet as well as merchants. Everything was bought and sold on Parnmal, with only a slight tax, something that everyone was willing to pay to trade there and be under the Free Fleet's protection.

  Even with the Kalu fighting, there was two constant squadrons that protected merchant freighters that travelled from Parnmal to the Kuruvian Empire. Over the sixty or so systems that contained planets and people that had survived the fall of the Union and the Syndicate after it, fifteen to twenty squadrons of three or more ships patrolled thirty nine systems that had signed the Free Fleet on as a protection force.

  More Free Fleet ships were being processed through the corridor and put into fighting order by the week. Lady Fairgate's home system was still sending ships to Parnmal and the other yards to be readied for the Fleet. Trainees were finishing off most of their training on the ships, stations and yards that they would be serving on until they got promoted
or transferred to another position.

  “We live in interesting times,” Evelyn said, shrugging a pack onto her back, her camera woman grabbing another pack as they followed the last groups that were leaving the airlock behind.

  ***

  Felix pointed his data pad's camera at the floating mass of what had been the Lady Fairgate's personal carrier Elshurvum.

  Its interior was nothing like what it had been. Felix and his people had gutted it, it now had sixteen large nodules on its surface with a spire affixed to them. PDS sprouted from every single space there wasn't something in the way.

  The mass of weaponry had been replaced with places for rail cannons, the bays had remained the same on the outside. Inside they had the Free Fleet launch and recovery system.

  Storage had been practically removed as massive capacitors had been inserted. Five in total lined the carrier. Reactors had been pulled, and replaced with upgraded versions and added to.

  The biggest changes were to software.

  As the carrier was supposed to be dealing with massive gravitates, new command and control features that integrated with a user’s implants had been added.

  While people couldn't move physically, their nervous impulses could still be read and translated into real-time changes.

  “Well it looks like she's ready,” Silly said through Felix's earbud, Nancy's commander was on the other side of the camera, and one of the many people that had come up with the damned insane ideas that had gone into Hammer.

  “Its tests do agree within our set parameters,” LaRe said, Felix thought that he was going through his last teenage years as an AI. He was showing maturity, but sometimes he tried a bit too hard to seem actually mature.

  “She's a beaut,” Felix said happily. Pressing a button so the camera faced him and he saw Silly and LaRe looking back at him through the screen.

  “So you're serious about going to see what you can do with these Kalu carriers?” Silly asked. Min Hae had sent information on the massive shipyard and the Star-destroyers attached to it straight to Felix, with the offer to come on Hammer and get to work as soon as possible.