by Jeff Sims
Dolen said, “Belay those orders. I am going to the conference room for a moment to think.”
Dolen left the bridge and walked across the hallway into the conference room. This was his favorite room by far and he spent the majority of his time here. He sat in his favorite chair at the head of the table, took a deep breath, and rubbed the inlaid wood that rimmed the table
On the far wall was a large viewer that slowly scrolled through a myriad of famous pictures from Advranki’s three inhabited planets. It was currently showing the sun glimmering off of the sea moss beds in Advranki Prime. He watched the scene for a few minutes. The room’s beauty and tranquility temporarily relaxed him.
His mind clear, Dolen said, “Computer, display the fleet on the conference table.”
…The fleet is now displayed in 3D on the primary table monitor…
Dolen reviewed each ship present. Since the fleet had been hastily assembled at Advranki Prime, it was exclusively Advranki ships and almost all of them were from the Advranki Prime home fleet. The crews were also overwhelmingly Advranki. There were only two Altians and two Solarians participating in the mission.
Dolen swiped his hand across the table, rearranging the units as best he could. He said aloud to no one in particular, “The best option would be to leave the fighters on the Sunflower and have it stay in Opron to perform the rearguard duty. Then I could send the Vigilance to investigate Trilon. Simple.”
Dolen thought about the new plan for a moment, but sadly rejected it. Senator Frank had specifically suggested that the Sunflower go to investigate Trilon. He had even given valid reasoning that the Sunflower worked very well on independent missions. After all, the Sunflower was the most decorated ship in the fleet and had succeeded against nearly impossible odds.
Dolen rearranged the ships a second time and came up with a plan that wasn’t as good as the first, but he supposed would work. He said, “Computer, contact Commander, correction Captain, Arean aboard the Dandelion on a private channel.
A moment later Dolen saw Arean’s face on his communication pad. Arean spoke first and said, “Admiral, to what do I owe the pleasure of your call?”
Dolen said, “You’ve worked with humans. Can you trust them?”
Arean answered, “To a point I suppose. This crew transferred directly from the Sunflower. We certainly have experience dealing with them. Besides, we have put force fields throughout the ship. The crew is confident we can control the humans and I personally feel that the humans are better pilots than Advranki. Why do you ask?”
Dolen: “Unfortunately, I am going to have to delay the transfer of human pilots to your ship until after the mission is completed.”
Arean simply asked, “Why?”
Dolen: “We cannot let the Hiriculans find out that we have human pilots. If we take the humans to Influenla, the Hiriculans will scan our ships and possibly find them. Therefore, I am going to hide them as best that I can.”
Arean said, “Then I request that you leave the Dandelion in Opron to perform the rearguard duties. We should be inconspicuous here.”
Dolen said, “No. I have decided to keep all of the ships in the fleet together. There is no reason to leave a ship in Opron. I have decided that the humans will ride on the repair ship instead. The repair ship will remain beside the hyperspace gate and will jump back to Opron if anything untoward happens to the fleet.”
Arean answered “Understood” and broke the connection. Dolen thought that Arean looked like he wanted to protest further, but did not.
The decision made, Admiral Dolen walked back onto the flag bridge and said, “Chief, tell the crew of the repair ship Exemplar to lock themselves in the control room.”
Chief: “Did you say lock themselves in the control room?”
Dolen: “Yes. Just have them lock the control room section of the ship so that no one can enter. If some of the members have an issue with the order then they can come to the flagship Guardian.”
Chief replied “Okay,” but the word sounded perfunctory.
Dolen: “Next have the 40 pilots transfer from the Sunflower to the Exemplar. The Vigilance will accompany us on our mission.”
Chief: “That still leaves 2 cruisers without fighters. What if we need them?”
Dolen: “Each battleship has 80 fighters, the two destroyers have 20 each, and the 9 cruisers have 140 between them. That means that this fleet has a total of 340 fighters. I doubt having 380 will make any difference to the outcome of the mission.”
The chief sighed, but issued the new set of orders. He announced a few minutes later, “The fighters are now transferring to the Exemplar. The crewmembers have agreed to stay on the ship and barricade themselves.”
Dolen said, “There is no reason to wait for the pilots to transfer. Order the fleet to increase speed .08 light and jump to Influenla. When the pilots have successfully transferred to the Exemplar, it is to follow us to Opron.”
Dolen then said, “Chief, the jump from Opron to Influenla is 7 hours, correct?”
Chief nodded affirmatively.
Dolen: “Tell the staff to take a break for the next 6 and ½ hours. I imagine we won’t get a chance to rest once we arrive.”
Time is relative; especially when one is dealing with a 10 to 1 time dilation when jumping through hyperspace. For the beings aboard the main fleet, 7 hours had passed. For the traffic control beacon sitting in isolation beside Opron hyperspace corridor, 70 hours (3 days) had passed. For the crew of the Sunflower, 14 hours had passed.
Roughly 20 minutes before the scheduled exit time, Dolen left his quarters and moved to the flag bridge. He contacted his 3 staff members and had them report as well. He wanted everyone to be alert and ready for rapid action the moment they arrived.
Twenty minutes later the Alliance armada exited hyperspace in Influenla. Admiral Dolen said, “Let’s go team, I need a passive scan now. Also, start the active scan.”
Chief replied, “We have a momentary pause while or sensors recalibrate from being in hyperspace.” After a minute, Chief said, “Okay, we are now getting preliminary information.”
Chief displayed the initial passive scan on the main monitor. The passive scan showed exactly what they expected, their best case scenario. There was a lone frigate providing traffic control for two outbound freighters. The freighters continued on their path past the Alliance fleet, but the frigate began accelerating hard away from both the space station and the Alliance fleet.
Chief announced, “The frigate has seen us and is changing course away from the station. It was a little better situated than we expected.”
The communications officer said, “I am detecting a series of communication flares. The frigate has alerted the station that we are here.”
Dolen said, “Give me a best time plot on the frigate.”
The communications officer said, “Sorry Admiral, the fleet cannot catch the frigate unless we change direction away from the station.”
Dolen replied, “Computer, analysis.”
…The fleet has emerged from hyperspace at .07 light and is already braking hard to reach the station at zero velocity. The enemy frigate was patrolling in a standard oval pattern at .01 light. Its flight path was perpendicular to ours, allowing it to increase its distance relative to the station. The frigate increasing speed to at least .03 light…
Chief summarized for the computer, “Meaning that we can either chase the frigate or proceed directly to the station.”
Dolen: “How long until we reach the station?”
Chief: “Admiral, recall that in this system the exit to the hyperspace lane is very close to the system’s gravity. We have now been in system for 4 minutes. At our current rate, we will pass the edge of the gravity in 2 minutes, pass the large asteroid in 11, and reach the station in 12 minutes.
Dolen: “I think the frigate wants us to chase it versus going directly to the station. That will buy the Hiriculan fleet enough time to launch from the station. Besides, there is nowhere
for it to go.”
Chief responded, “Why don’t we have 4 cruisers break off from the main fleet and independently pursue the frigate. That way the main fleet can continue to the station.”
Dolen: “No. Inform the other captains to let the frigate go. We will proceed as a battle group to the station without delay.”
The flotilla decelerated over the next few minutes and came to a full stop between the large asteroid and the front of the station. The station was located approximately 900,000 kilometers from the asteroid.
While this sounds like a great distance, it really isn’t. Light travels at the rate of roughly 300,000 kilometers per second, so light would only take 3 seconds to travel from the asteroid to the station. A ship traveling at a stately speed of .05 light would take 1 minute to complete the journey.
So far, there had been no movement in the station. The secret doors remained closed and the enemy fleet apparently remained hidden inside. The lone frigate had turned and decelerated and was now stationary on the opposite of the station well outside of missile and ion cannon range.
Dolen turned to his staff and said, “Well, this was certainly unexpected. Every scenario we rehearsed had the enemy coming out of the station and meeting us. Suggestions?”
The conversation went back and forth for several minutes. Captain Koner, the captain of the Guardian and his bridge crew came up to the flag bridge and joined the conversation.
Olova eventually summarized, “Admiral, you are going to have to contact the station and tell them that they are in violation of the treaty.”
Dolen contacted traffic control at the station. A Hiriculan answered and immediately put him on hold for 6 minutes. When the Hiriculan finally returned, he appeared to be chewing on something.
The Hiriculan spoke in his native language, forcing the computer to translate. He said, “Sorry for the delay, you called during our lunch break. What can I do for you?”
Dolen replied, “We are here to force the Hiriculan naval presence located aboard the station to surrender. According to our jointly signed and ratified treaty, any naval presence stationed here is illegal.”
The Hiriculan replied, “There are no military ships inside the station.”
Dolen temporarily cut the connection. He looked at his team and said, “Now what do we do. Traffic control is denying that their navy is here.”
Chief: “We could threaten to blow up the station.”
Dolen: “And kill civilians. This is a military action, not a slaughter. Other ideas?”
Koner: “We could land troops on the station and investigate. We have a detailed map. We know exactly where they are.”
Dolen reestablished the connection and said, “We are going to land troops on the station to verify the veracity of your statement.”
The Hiriculan responded, “If you land troops on this station, you will be in clear violation of the treaty. I will report this lapse of ethics and downright common decency to the Hiriculan government. I imagine they will issue a strongly worded response to this breach of protocol.”
Dolen wondered if the Hiriculan’s speech was rehearsed. Either way, the Hiriculan made a valid point. If the Alliance landed troops on the station, they would violate the same section of the treaty they were trying to catch the Hiriculans violating. However, if they don’t verify, then the Alliance navy just went on a 4 week cruise for no reason.
Dolen again cut the connection and said, “I need an update. Has the active scan been able to penetrate the station?”
The communications officer replied, “The scan is inconclusive. There appear to be ships on the other side of the door, but we cannot positively identify them as Hiriculan warships. They may very well be freighters or even sensor echoes.”
Dolen said, “Everyone, computer included. Scan the treaty. Find something in some sub paragraph that we can exploit to allow us to legally enter the station.”
“Here’s something,” Captain Koner said a few minutes later. “Look at section 47.9.11 sub-paragraph 4. We may be able to use this. Computer.”
…Treaty section 47.9.11, sub-paragraph 4 states that if an Alliance or Hiriculan vessel identifies that another vessel needs assistance, an attempt should be made to render aid if possible…
Dolen remarked, “It’s possible. That section would certainly allow us to legally board the station. So, how do we make the space station need our assistance?”
The communications officer said, “Great news. There is actually an Alliance vessel docked at the space station. We could say that it privately contacted us and accused the Hiriculans of unfair taxes, improper negotiations, piracy, illegal seizure, or unlawful detainment.”
Dolen: “What vessel is it?”
Chief: “The scan shows it a Solarian registered mini-freighter. It is called the Jackal and is registered to one Jack Dogbarks.”
Dolen said, “Unbelievable. I have actually met that gentle being. I suppose it is a small galaxy. Contact him and see if he will help us.”
Jack wasn’t very happy when a hail awoke him from a deep slumber. He mindlessly allowed the computer to complete the connection and was surprised to see the Advranki faces staring at him on his communication pad. Jack stumbled out of bed, hastily organized himself, and looked at the com pad.
Admiral Dolen said, “Jack, it is great to see you again. I was wondering if you could help us. Were you wronged on the station in any way?”
Jack replied, “Well, I was rudely awoken a minute ago.”
Dolen said, “A thousand apologies. However, it is imperative that you answer the question.”
Jack replied, “Honestly, I have been treated with nothing but dignity and respect here. One could argue that the rent on the warehouses is a little high, but I don’t think that is worth military intervention.”
Admiral Dolen tried again, “Something stolen perhaps? Is there anything on the station that you would like us to investigate?”
Jack replied, “Well, the station master did shortchange me for two pallets of Advranki sea moss. My manifest clearly shows one number, but the Hiriculan station shows two fewer.”
Dolen said, “Hmmm, so the Hiriculans stole two pallets from you?”
Jack replied, “I don’t know. They showed me the video of the workers unloading the pallets. The number unloaded exactly matches the number they say they received. I checked my primary and secondary holds and they are both empty. It is a mystery, but probably not theft.”
Jack really wanted to see a scan of the area, but that station was blocking his sensors. He had a strange feeling though that it was time to leave, even if it meant paying an extra week’s rent on a storage unit.
Jack continued, “Besides, even though my freighter is registered in the Alliance, I am hauling cargo on a contract for Hiricula. I am not sure how maritime law works in this situation.”
Dolen thanked Jack for his input and cut the connection. He said, “Computer, research maritime law for military intervention. What is our legal position?”
…Researching. The short answer is the legal contract trumps the Alliance maritime law…
Chief said, “I am guessing that we don’t want the long answer.”
Senator Figur had volunteered to go on this mission, but Admiral Dolen had politely declined the offer. At this point he was thinking that was a bad decision. He desperately wanted a civilian in a position of authority who could legally enter the station and ascertain the truth – about the missing ships, not the missing sea moss.
The communications officer suddenly announced, “I have something. This may work. Computer, recite section 48.8.84 sub-paragraph 7.
…An off-duty member of either military may enter a civilian structure in a neutral location for commercial transactions provided s/he is unarmed and has prior approval from said structure…
Admiral Dolen contacted the station’s traffic control again and asked, “May I and my staff visit the station to have dinner and go shopping?”
The Hir
iculan responded, “Control here. Your request is approved. Welcome to Spindle Station. Feel free to take a shuttle to shuttle docking bay u-1B.”
The battleship was too big to dock to the station, but they could have technically docked any of the cruisers or destroyers. However, docking a warship to go shopping seemed excessive and possibly in violation of the treaty.
Admiral Dolen wanted to go, but was finally convinced that it was best that he remain on the battleship. In the end, Chief decided to lead the mission with three others – the flag communications officer, the battleship’s weapons officer, and Dekow, a crewmember that specialized in repairing ductwork.
The foursome boarded a transport shuttle and the weapons officer shakily flew the transport the short distance to the space station. The terrible flight made Chief queasy and extremely nervous. He wasn’t entirely sure why he had deemed a weapons officer more important than a pilot.
The station’s shuttle bay doors opened and the weapons officer switched to computer override for the final landing. They lightly bumped to a landing in the hangar bay and the station’s doors closed. They exited the shuttle landing area at the bottom tip of the top spindle.
They walked down (for lack of a better term) the moving sidewalk to the point where the spies had earlier located the hidden entryway to the secret navy base. Chief verified that there was no one near them or in either adjacent corridor.
Each member of the team took out a sensor enhancer and placed it as inconspicuously as possible on the wall. The enhancers broadcast their fixed position in space, giving Guardian’s scanner four additional points for reference. The enhancer can also directionally scan a small distance and report its findings. These two abilities combined dramatically boosted the Guardian’s scanning capability and accuracy.
After activating the enhancers, they continued to the main part of the station. Their mission was essentially complete at this point; the enhancers would give the Guardian the information that it needed. However, they felt it would be rude to simply leave immediately after placing them. Besides, they had gained access to the station on the pretense of going shopping and decided that they should at least buy something before returning.
