Commander Henry Gallant (The Henry Gallant Saga Book 4)

by Alesso, H. Peter

  “In what way?” he asked glad to step off of the emotional rollercoaster they had been on.

  “Just before you left, we threw out the political party and cronies of Cyrus Wolfe, Sr. I was elected President of the Elysium Council because of our success. Since then a group surrounding Cyrus Wolf Jr., has coalesced into a solid block of opposition. I’m sure they’re already discussing how I failed to provide adequate security for Elysium and left the planet open to threat, even though I’ve done my best to prioritize defense against their strongest protests about raising the taxes.”

  ***

  Gallant didn’t find a welcoming delegation, or decorative banners, on the streets and buildings when he reached the town hall. There were no congratulations or “Thanks a bunch for saving our planet.” There were however, leading citizens gathered in the town square with angry looks on their face. The town hall was packed with political figures and supporters of Cyrus Wolfe’s clique. Everyone appeared ready for a rollicking confrontation. When he entered the town hall, there were no guards and few staff members were about. He climbed the stairs and passed through the double doors. A hot fragrant tropical breeze flowed throughout the rooms, but the heated greetings of the politicians were not so welcoming. He went directly into the conference room and took a seat before the long council table already filled with the council members. Alaina walked ahead of him and sat in the chair at the head of the table. In front of her were a high pile of documents and reports. The council members seated around the table were ready to begin the meeting.

  It might seem presumptuous for someone as young as Alaina to be president of the Elysium Council, even on a planet with a colony of only twenty four thousand people, but she had earned her position through an election after her heroic deeds the previous year. However, she was not the bureaucratic type and had not fared well against a powerful group of political operatives. Now, day-to-day business affairs were weighing on her.

  Several councilmen introduced themselves and greeted Gallant including Cyrus Wolfe Jr. who had an unpleasant history with him. Several others who were unknown to Gallant were prominent businessmen and landowners. Each of the many old gray men had a decrepit look and mean squinty eyes. Together their overindulged bodies might have weighed several hundred kilograms. They shifted from side to side in their chairs. Then some men and women at the table did acknowledge that they were pleased with the Warrior’s action, though clearly Gallant wasn’t their favorite UP officer because of his implicit support of Alaina.

  Gallant waited patiently for the meeting to get underway.

  Alaina began, “Thank you all for attending. Let me start by thanking Henry Gallant, captain of the Warrior, for his ship’s heroic intervention on Elysium’s behalf.”

  There was a polite, careful murmur of agreement.

  She rose and clapped along with a ragged applause that gathered steam as more members stood and joined the accolade. It was an acknowledgement they could hardly refuse, after the danger and loss the ship had endured. Nevertheless, many seemed reserved.

  “I’m speaking for the people of Elysium when I express our heartfelt joy at your arrival.”

  “Thank you, Madam President.”

  “Thank you, Commander,” She smiled broadly. “I know that you and you crew are anxious to enjoy the bounty of our table so may I invite you and as many of your shipmates as you deem appropriate to give liberty, to come to a celebration feast in Halo in the coming days, to show our true thanksgiving to you and your crew.”

  Gallant said, “Thank you. My crew will be grateful to share the abundant fresh food of Halo.” He thought briefly of the ship’s almost empty food storerooms and paused. He added, “The Warrior destroyed the Titan ship and we have no indication of any other ships in the system, but we haven’t heard from the Achilles task force which is expected in this system and is now overdue.”

  Councilman Reverend Thibodaux, a corpulent man with a pinched face and balding head, spoke up and said, “Ah, yes. We should consider the implications of that and do some planning to be better prepared for another attack.”

  Alaina said, “By better prepared, do you mean we were lacking in preparation this time?”

  “Yes, absolutely.”

  “We’ve been over this before,” she said.

  “I am afraid there is more to it than that,” said Wolfe. “Think of it as a needed additional layer of defense.”

  “I’m not prepared to discuss this topic at this meeting,” said Alaina.

  “You have to take this more seriously,” said Wolfe.

  “No. Not right now. There will be time, later.”

  Gallant leaned back in his chair, crumpling his uniform. He noticed that Alaina’s eyes wrinkled a little, a characteristic of hers when she was ready to burst out in anger.

  Reverend Thibodaux said, “The Titans should be harshly dealt with. They need to be taught not to terrorize our citizens.”

  There was silence as Alaina formulated a response. “I . . . I,” she said. “I look forward to meeting with you to go over more details of our mutual defense in private when time permits.”

  Gallant was about to start discussing his ship’s needs when several councilmen began to grumble.

  He wondered . . . Perhaps, they’re looking to garner some political advantage.

  Wolfe was the first to give proof to Gallant’s thought. “That is all well and good, Hepburn, but . . .”

  “President Hepburn, if you please Councilman Wolfe. I feel I’ve earned the title,” interrupted Alaina.

  “Huh . . . Aah, certainly, certainly,” he said, but he failed to actually address her as such. “I was only going to say that we need to establish a committee to investigate the failure of the state to be prepared to defend this planet.”

  “All in good time, Councilman, but first we should hear from Commander Gallant.” With a pained look, she turned her head once more toward Gallant.

  He could see her hesitation and uncertainty about how to handle the meeting. He would have to wait for an opportunity when they were alone to find out what was hidden inside all the political drama.

  A cup of coffee was placed before Gallant. He raised it to his lips and took a large swallow before realizing how hot it was. It burned his throat, though he managed to stifle a grunt. After a moment he began, “I was hopeful that the good people of Elysium would turn their mining, fabrication, and production facilities to our use in order to accomplish the many tasks we need to repair our ship. When the Achilles task force arrives, they will also provide much needed help and some spare parts. Our schedule will cover several months of work.”

  Wolfe interrupted, “These are matters for the new government. They’re peripheral issues.”

  Alaina asked, “New government? What are you talking about?”

  “We want to call a new election. The people have lost confidence in you, Hepburn. We want new leadership. I ask for a council vote to hold new elections within thirty days.”

  Aghast, Alaina didn’t reply immediately.

  Then Reverend Thibodaux seconded the motion and called for a council vote to approve the measure.

  “This doesn’t make sense,” said one of Alaina’s supporters.

  “What doesn’t make sense?” asked Reverend Thibodaux.

  “I don’t know exactly. I’ve got to think about it.”

  “A vote! A vote. We want a vote.” They shouted.

  Alaina’s supporters shouted back, “No! No.”

  The meeting degenerated into a bitter shouting match.

  Finally when Alaina managed to restore order, the council voted against holding new elections.

  Gallant was relieved that Alaina had prevailed—for the time being.

  CHAPTER 3

  Achilles

  “Sir, ships approaching Elysium,” reported Midshipman Stedman, after knocking and entering the captain’s cabin.

  “Ships? What ships?”

  “The cruiser Achilles and four destroyers are es
corting a convoy of supply and transport ships, sir.”

  “Mr. Stedman don’t you think you should have been included those details in your initial statement? If I hadn’t been monitoring the status screen, I might have assumed that you were reporting enemy ships were about to attack us and hit the battle station’s alarm.”

  “Ah . . ., oh . . ., yes, sir. Pardon, sir, I didn’t think . . .”

  “Exactly. What is their ETA?”

  “Ah . . .”

  “I’m certain the Officer of the Deck told you before he sent you. Didn’t he?”

  “Yes, sir. The estimated time of arrival is three hours, sir.”

  “Very well, Mr. Stedman. In the future, think about what your assignment entails before you proceed,” said Gallant. He didn’t wishing to badger him, but hoped to make the most of the learning experience for the young man.

  “Aye aye, sir.” The midshipman was flushed when he left.

  As soon as Gallant reached the bridge, he looked at the view screen.

  The Achilles was in the van of a column of destroyers. The ships had the newest FTL drive, but lacked the stealth technology of the Warrior. The sixteen auxiliary ships were arranged in a square—four to each side. After several hours, the convoy reached the planet and the auxiliary ships entered low a synchronous orbit while the warships took station high above them.

  Gallant waited patiently until a signal from the flagship called the captain of the Warrior to report on board. When it arrived, he turned his thoughts to what the messaged signified. The rendezvous with the Achilles task force was behind schedule and its leader was not likely to be in a cheerful mood.

  Since he had met with the Elysium council, Gallant had been relentlessly working on repairing his ship. Each day’s overcrowded schedule required his personal attention. The plain truth was, he was tired. Regardless, he had to perform his duties. Now he had to report to the captain of the Achilles, Commander Anton Neumann.

  When Gallant reflected on his career, it wasn’t possible to see it in isolation—his relationship with Neumann played too large a role. He let his mind wander over the perplexity that was his strange relationship with this man—a rival in so many ways.

  Our meetings are never pleasant.

  Commander Anton Neumann was a quintessential genetically engineered officer—in direct opposition to Gallant’s Natural talents. Since they were midshipmen, Neumann had often been petty, vindictive, self-centered, vain, churlish, malicious, intolerant, and mean-spirited—but in battle, he could also be resolute, determined, bold, brave, and audacious. These unabridged differences made him appear as if he were twins.

  Neumann’s motives were more transparent now—witheringly terrified of his father, he was forever seeking that man’s approval—as if it were his sole purpose in life. He would stop at nothing to keep the reins of the family’s financial and political position both strong and powerful. The family’s influential mining and shipping dynasty dominated the Solar System and now, apparently they had ambitions for Elysium.

  More perplexing to Gallant, was Neumann’s marriage to Kelsey Mitchel. Why Kelsey had found him attractive was no mystery. Neumann was handsome, rich, with radiant blue eyes, and accomplished in every aspect of social grace. And although Kelsey was beautiful and talented in her own right, why Neumann picked her, out of all the girls he could have had, remained a mystery. Did Anton hope the respected name of Mitchel might lead to political advantages? Or was it possible that there was a touch of spite against Gallant, who also pursued Kelsey? Could even Neumann have been that petty—to destroy a young woman’s dreams, just to . . . to what?

  If Neumann was Gallant’s ultimate puzzle to solve, then he had best accomplish it, or suffer the consequences.

  The task force of supply and transport ships carried nearly twenty thousand colonists and technicians, all employees of the NNR Corporation. They were to be new colonists for Elysium and work to establish the NNR business in the Tau Ceti system. In addition, Gallant noted another problematic issue; most of the new arrivals were genetically engineered whereas nearly all of the current Elysium colonists were Natural born.

  The shuttle that Gallant flew to the Achilles was a less responsive craft than the fighter he was trained for, but he enjoyed the short trip. The shuttle quivered slightly as its tractor beam reached out to the cruiser, slowly drawing alongside and tethering the ships together. When he reached the docking hatch, he transferred to the warship and made his way to the bridge. He took the opportunity to look around the meticulous ship with its numerous marine guards at strategic posts. The glossy varnish of the bulkheads reflected more spit and polish than he had ever witnessed.

  “Welcome aboard, Mr. Gallant. I’m the OOD,” said a young thin woman of average height with sharp-angular facial features.

  “Thank you.”

  The OOD said, “Mr. Gallant. I remember you. Do you remember me sir?”

  “Yes, I do. You were a plebe when I left the academy.”

  The OOD nodded. Satisfied, she turned to one of the bridge’s junior midshipman and ordered, “Midshipman take the commander to the captain’s cabin.”

  They proceeded along a well-lit corridor, and after a few twists and turns, they arrived at the captain’s stateroom—a far more lavish affair than the tiny cabin Gallant occupied in the Warrior.

  He waited inside the open hatch while Neumann remained seated with his back to him reviewing military orders on a computer tablet. Clean-sHaven with close-cropped hair, Neumann rapidly slid his finger across the screen seemingly uninterested in his visitor. The room was furnished with extravagant trappings far beyond the means of an ordinary military officer.

  It was painful to continually fall under Neumann’s authority where no mistake was too small to be overlooked and no success so significant that he would share credit.

  Gallant wondered . . . Frustrating—will we ever find a way forward without antagonism?

  Finally, Neumann dropped his air of impenetrable reserve and turned his attention to his visitor. He said, “I’ve read your preliminary battle report with the Titan destroyer. Please oblige me with your assessment of the current military situation.” “Though I doubt they have any other ships in the system right now, I suspect there are bases and satellites on the outer planets. I have no assessment of their strength, though I think we would do well to eliminate them as soon as possible. Fleet Command would naturally want to gather more intelligence from them.”

  Then Gallant launched into a summary of the Warrior’s status; sub-light engine had reactor core damaged, support systems for stealth technology were damaged, the ship’s hull had several leaks, personnel replacements were needed, and weapons systems needed an overhaul. He expressed his hope that Elysium’s facilities would be made available.

  Neumann said, “I’ve brought you a new two-man stealth ship, a Wasp, to replace the one that was destroyed near Saturn.”

  He paused a moment, then added, “Will you be able to perform your mission to infiltrate the enemy’s home planet in the Gliese 581 system?”

  “We can leave on the mission in about two months once repairs are completed.”

  An awkward silence followed. Once again, as so often over the past years, Gallant wondered why they could never find common ground.

  After a few minutes, he asked, “How are you and Kelsey finding married life?”

  Neumann looked as if he had been struck. His brilliant blue eyes began to freeze. He gave Gallant a cold look. All the light left his face. He did not answer the question.

  Gallant wondered . . . What has happened?

  Neumann said, “I’ve also read your report on the divided Elysium council. I have just finished an interesting radio communication with the leader of the opposition party—Cyrus Wolfe. I will be able to use him to my advantage, I think. He wants to hold a new election on Elysium. That works perfectly with my plans to replace the current government.”

  Gallant asked, “A new government? I don’t underst
and?”

  How like the man to withhold crucial information.

  “They want to call a new election. The people have lost confidence in the council’s current leader, Alaina Hepburn. I will encourage that idea in order to get a government more pliable to my wishes.”

  Troubled, Gallant realized . . . He’s formed an alliance with Wolfe.

  They ended the meeting abruptly—on an even more unfriendly note than when it started.

  CHAPTER 4

  'First' Date

  After a fitful sleep filled with disturbing visions of violence and dark figures, Gallant woke in ill-temper. He spent several minutes in bed stretching his aching muscles before he gathered himself to face the day. He rubbed his temples, then pushed himself upright and swung his feet to the ground. A cold shower somewhat revived him and he extended his normal military allotment of water to several extra minutes. Slowly, his scowl changed to a more neutral acceptance of the day. He dressed and smiled when he remembered he was going to see Alaina. He couldn’t get to Halo fast enough. He regretted the chill that had come between them and that she was not as open to him as before. He longed for her laughter and the instant understanding that their relationship had once afforded them.

  Soon he was enjoying the fresh air of Elysium as he bounded along the narrow cobblestone streets with their overhanging shade trees and quaint colonial cottages—always a pleasant change from his metallic ship-board life.

  His good humor swelled as he approached Alaina’s home. The Hepburn house was a simple colonial style two-story structure resting along a road with similar wooden cottages. The flat-pitched roof was covered with shingles and overhung a veranda with surrounding garden and well-pruned shrubbery. Standing on the verandah, Gallant saw several women passersby in summer dresses and gentlemen in gray work clothes. They waved a pleasant greeting to him.

  Despite its rustic appearance, the house had sophisticated in-home AI technology, for when he reached the entrance; the door scanned him, recognized him, and automatically opened while announcing his presence to the resident.