by D. J. Holmes
“You will find no thanks here ambassador,” Representative Kapoor responded. “Not for attacking one of our neighbors and provoking them to seek revenge. The Flex-aor attacked us five years ago, that is true. However, according to Vice Admiral Somerville’s report on his attack on their worlds, they were making no preparations to launch a second attack. It may be that their first attack was a mistake. It could have been that a diplomatic solution could have been found. We will never know now. Thanks to Somerville and Admiral Ya’sia’s attack on the Flex-aor’s homeworld, they have all but guaranteed that another war will be fought with the Flex-aor. Now you tell us you have attacked them as well, further enraging them. This is not the action of a potential friend. Your species has endangered Humanity.”
“I thought ignorance was the problem here,” Haloar replied, his voice trembling as he looked around at the Representatives. “Now I believe your insults are intentional. You have greatly dishonored the Varanni people. We offer help and military aid and you turn it down. Varanni warships and Varanni lives have been lost to keep you safe and you revile us. Nevertheless, I’ve been sent here to offer a trade deal to you.” Haloar paused to gather his thoughts. Though he knew he had to say it, what he was about to say turned his stomach. “We are willing to offer you our most advanced weapons technologies in exchange for your ECM capabilities and your miniature inertial compensators. Never before have the Varanni given away their most secret technologies, however in the face of the threat from the Invaders, we are willing to do so now.”
“You have not been listening ambassador,” Kapoor replied. “We have no interest in fighting in your wars, or in helping you to start one. We will make no weapons technology trades with you until we know more about your species and these supposed enemies you have.”
Haloar had heard enough. “You’re a fool Representative. You have failed your people. Your civilization will rue this day. When the Invaders come, do not look to us for aid. You have chosen your fate.” Without waiting for a reply and without a farewell, he spun around and slithered out of the chamber. Not bowing at the end of a formal conversation was the greatest insult a Varanni could give. Haloar didn’t even care if the Representatives on the Human council understood that, he simply wanted to get away from them. He was sickened by their behavior.
*
Suzanna and Fairfax looked at each other with horrified expressions on their faces. Suzanna had returned to Earth to drum up more investment for Haven and she had attended the UN Interplanetary Committee. She had brought Fairfax as a guest. It was the only way he could get in given the long list of people who had been invited at such short notice. Now they were in an apartment Fairfax rented just a short walk from the UN buildings. Neither could quite believe what they had witnessed.
“There is really no other way?” Suzanna asked. “What if I tried to contact this Ambassador Haloar? He might listen if he knows I am James’ wife.”
Davenport shook his head. “I don’t think that will work First Councilor. Can you imagine how many different news agencies and other groups will be trying to contact that Varanni cruiser? The cruiser will be rejecting thousands of attempts to open COM channels with it. If anyone has half a brain they will try and pretend they are you or someone else close to James to get the Varanni to trust them. You can try, but I can’t see it working.”
“He’s right,” Fairfax said. “My way is the only way we can accomplish something. There is no way it won’t be traced back to me though. And they will find me pretty quickly. As soon as I get the information I’ll transmit it to you. You will have to do with it what you can.”
“We’ll have to leave here pretty quickly ourselves,” Cynthia said. “Even quicker than we did last time. Whatever means Fairfax uses to sends us the information, it will be traced back to us.”
“Then we better make the preparations now,” Suzanna replied, accepting they had no other choice. “Are you sure you can do this?”
“Yes,” Fairfax answered. “Doing it will be pretty easy. It’s getting away with it that will be harder. I don’t think the Interplanetary Committee will want the public spectacle of putting a former Prime Minister on trial, but they will want to punish me in some way or another.”
“Well let me thank you once again,” Suzanna said as she stood and squeezed Fairfax’s shoulder. “You are proving to be a true friend.”
“A friend of Humanity,” Fairfax responded. “I’m not just doing this for you and James don’t forget.”
“No, of course not,” Suzanna replied with a wink, then she leaned in and kissed his cheek.
“Well,” Fairfax said after a moment’s pause. “I better go at once. There is no time to waste. I’ll leave everything else in your capable hands Lady Somerville.”
“Good luck,” Suzanna called as he turned to leave. She turned back to her staff with a serious look on her face. They had work to do.
*
“Prime Minister of the British Star Kingdom Fairfax to see Captain MacArthur,” Fairfax said to the attendant at one of the side entrances to the small guardhouse adjacent to the UN buildings. Fairfax was gambling that there hadn’t been time to move MacArthur anywhere else yet.
“Former Prime Minister,” the attendant replied as she read the identity card Fairfax had handed her.
“Yes, and barrister for Hopkins, Thirlwall and Johnson. I represent Captain MacArthur and wish to speak to my client.”
“There is no prisoner with that name being held here I’m afraid sir. I cannot let you in.”
“Now, now,” Fairfax said in a condescending tone. “Let’s not take each other for fools. Everyone in the Sol system just saw Captain MacArthur arrested and carried out of the Interplanetary Committee chamber. I was Prime Minister for ten years. I have appointed Representatives to the Interplanetary Committee, I have addressed it many times. I know how things work around here. You may not have officially logged MacArthur into your system, but you are holding him. I know your regulations on withholding legal counsel from a prisoner. Your job is at stake here Miss and so I would advise you to think carefully about what you say next.”
Three minutes later a guard escorted Fairfax and his two associates into one of the lower levels of the guardhouse. When they rounded a corner, they came to a cell that had two guards standing in front of it. They both stiffened at the sight of Fairfax.
“We have strict orders not to let anyone see this prisoner,” one called as Fairfax approached.
“This is Captain MacArthur’s legal counsel,” the guard escorting Fairfax said.
“We have no orders making an exception for legal counsel. You cannot enter until we get specific permission,” the other guard replied. As he spoke he fished a COM unit out of his pocket.
Fairfax gestured to his two aides. Neither knew anything about legal matters. They had other skills though. Within a matter of seconds all three guards were on the ground incapacitated. Reaching into one of their pockets, Fairfax pulled out the key card for the cell. Opening it, he quickly assessed MacArthur’s condition, his face was covered in bruises, but otherwise he didn’t look too bad. Moving over to the Captain, he raised him into a sitting position as he spoke. “Quickly, we don’t have much time. I have some questions for you.”
*
Scimitar, high Earth orbit.
“We’ve got it,” Davenport said as soon as Scimitar’s COM unit picked up the transmission from Fairfax. “It looks like Sparrowhawk came in from German colonial space. We have the exact coordinates. MacArthur says that is the most likely route James will take home.”
“Good, get us out of here,” Suzanna said to her pilot.
*
Hauptman Station, X-32 system, 7th February 2479 AD.
Vice Admiral Lightfoot was both angry and relieved. He had just finished reading the most recent report from Earth. The UN Interplanetary Committee had finally denounced Somerville as a mutineer. That meant he could use whatever force he deemed necessary to apprehend Somerville whe
n he finally returned to Human space. For months now, he had been fretting over what he would do if James returned. Lightfoot didn’t trust himself around Somerville. Somerville had betrayed everything both he and Lightfoot had served and fought for over the last twenty years. Lightfoot feared he would have lost control and let his anger get the better of him. Now he didn’t need to worry. When he next encountered Somerville, he would have the full authority of the UN to use whatever force necessary to arrest him. That would make up for the months Lightfoot had been left with nothing to do but relive how Somerville had used their friendship to betray him. He had done everything he could to help Somerville and yet the arrogant Duke of Beaufort had spurned Lightfoot’s trust and rubbed his face in the fact that Somerville thought himself better than Lightfoot, the UN Military Subcommittee and the Interplanetary Committee. Where once Lightfoot had held nothing but respect for Somerville, now there was only contempt. He had thought the UN Military Subcommittee had been making a grave mistake when it had relieved Somerville of command, now he knew they had seen something in Somerville he had missed.
What’s this? he thought as his eye was drawn to another intelligence report. It was attached to the report on the denouncement of Somerville. The initial summary detailed how the risk of an immediate Flex-aor invasion was being downgraded. As Lightfoot read, his emotions were turned upside down. James had been right about the invaders, the Varanni had sent a fleet to fight the Flex-aor, and a diplomat to Earth. A diplomat that had been turned away. Lightfoot felt lightheaded. His world was spinning. For the first time in decades he was unsure of himself and everything he believed in. His anger for Somerville was still very much there. Yet how could the UN act as they were? Had Somerville been right all along? Had he seen something in the UN that he hadn’t?
Setting his datapad down, Lightfoot knew all his relief was gone. Now he was left with anger. Anger at Somerville’s betrayal of their friendship and anger at the UN he wasn’t so sure wasn’t betraying him and the fleet. Were they ignoring a clear and present danger to Humanity? Lightfoot’s anger was joined by confusion. Confusion about what to do with the UN, about what to do with his fleet, and above all, about what to do with Somerville if he tried to return to Human space.
With the Flex-aor threat reduced, he, along with elements of his fleet, was being recalled to Earth, and if the Outer Defense Fleet did return, he knew who would be tasked with taking all its senior officers into custody. The question he had no answer for was what would he do if he was forced to intercept the Outer Defense Fleet?
The End.
The story of James’ return to Earth and the rise of the Karacknid threat will be continued in Empire Rising book 8.
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As a bonus below I’ve included the first four chapters from The Voyage Home, the first book in my second series. If you haven’t picked it up yet you can read these first few chapters for free and see if you might like it. I hope you enjoy.
The Voyage Home
Prologue
Earth, 2503 AD.
“They’re here,” Captain Edwards projected into High Admiral Hanson’s mind.
“On my way,” Hanson replied without opening his mouth.
This is it, he realized, as he walked from his quarters to the bridge of HSF Defiance.
“How many?” Hanson thought towards Edwards after stepping onto the bridge.
“See for yourself,” Edwards replied as he nodded towards the flagship’s main display screen.
So many, Hanson thought in despair, careful to keep his thoughts to himself.
“Have we received any new transmissions?” Hanson projected to Defiance’s bridge crew.
“No,” one of the flagship’s officers replied.
“Nothing has changed then,” Hanson projected to everyone on Defiance. Every one of them would remember the feeling of the last Collaboration. Almost everyone on Earth who was connected to the Planet Cognizance, including the delegations from humanity’s four colonized worlds, had been of one mind. They would refuse the demands of the Elders. “We will not give up our way of life, nor will we back down. Whatever happens now, let us face it together.”
Though he wasn’t consciously aware of the thoughts of each of Defiance’s one thousand crewmembers, Hanson still sensed their mood. They were all as committed as he was.
“What have the invaders been doing?” Hanson asked his bridge crew.
“They haven’t moved into the system yet. They are sitting on the edge of the mass shadow,” replied Defiance’s sensor officer.
“They’re waiting for an answer,” Captain Edwards guessed.
“Yes,” Hanson responded. “Though our presence should be answer enough.”
“It should be,” Edwards thought back. “If they really are as advanced as they claim, then they can hardly miss our fleet.”
Ten years ago, the first Elder ship had appeared in the Sol system. Up until that point, humanity had thought itself alone in the galaxy. Though only the nearest thousand star systems had been explored, the fact that no sign of intelligent life had been detected anywhere had given humanity a false sense of security.
Without opening any form of communication, the Elder ship had approached Earth. The planetary government had scrambled what limited warships it had to confront the threatening ship. In the blink of an eye the Elder ship had obliterated all of them with some type of directed particle weapon. Then, after settling into orbit over Earth it had delivered its message.
An alien from the ship had projected its image using COM technology similar to that used on Earth. It had informed humanity that it was a representative of a race calling themselves the Elders. It also claimed the Elders were the rulers and guardians of the galaxy. They had many thousands of species under their care. Earth, its colonies and the other alien species who inhabited this sector of space were all about to receive the privilege of joining the Elder Empire.
The benefits it had said, were great; Earth would obtain access to all of the Elder’s Tier One technology, would be able to freely trade with all non-Elder worlds within the Elder Empire, its citizens would be able to freely travel to all other Tier One worlds and the Elders would commit to protecting Earth from all hostile threats. Most importantly, Earth would have the opportunity to advance to become a Tier Two and even Tier Three world. If that happened, the alien claimed humanity would have access to unimaginable technology and standards of living.
The only caveats were that Earth must submit to the rule of an Elder Overseer who would be placed on Earth, and Earth must recognize the Elders’ ban on all neural, genetic and nano technologies. All three branches of scientific endeavor were forbidden on worlds within the Elder Empire.
After getting over the initial shock of discovering they were not alone and that their future was under threat, humanity had set about debating what to do. The Planet Cognizance that allowed everyone on Earth with a neural implant to communicate with each other also allowed a planet wide Collaboration. In a Collaboration, every mind coalesced into one as the thoughts from billions of people came together. In the end, the decision had been almost unanimous. Humanity would not bow to anyone.
Hanson hadn’t been surprised by the outcome. The same nano technology running through his body keeping him perfectly fit and healthy also ran through Defiance, just as it did almost all of humanity’s creations, holding them together. The neural implants that all but a few humans had, were first and foremost for communication. More importantly though, through the Planetary Cognizance they produced a sense of unity and purpose that humanity had never had before.
> The Elder ship had given humanity ten Earth years to remove all banned technologies from the Sol system and to prepare to receive an Elder fleet which would arrive to take possession of the system. Instead Earth, and her four colonies, had prepared for war. Never before had Earth needed to design and build designated warships to operate in space. The ships that confronted the first Elder ship had simply been freighters armed with small weapons in order to deter pirates.
Now Hanson stood on the bridge of humanity’s largest warship. Defiance massed over half a million tons, was layered in nano carbon armor and carried hypervelocity missiles, laser cannons and mass drivers. Alongside her, more than a hundred smaller but still deadly warships stood in formation.
“Move us forward,” Hanson thought.
As Defiance and the fleet advanced towards the outer edge of the Sol system, Hanson moved over and sat in his command chair. Reaching up behind him, he pulled down his battle helmet. With a click, the helmet’s neural interface locked into his spinal column and his awareness of Defiance’s crew faded into the background. It was replaced by many new minds as Hanson’s thoughts were projected to the other Captains in his fleet. Once the familiar feeling of Captain Edward’s mind joined the neural network, Hanson began to give orders. With a few simple thoughts, he ordered his ships to swarm around Defiance. No one ship stayed in the same position for more than a couple of seconds. Hanson had designed the formation to protect his ships from mass driver rounds. It would also allow him to try a trick or two he had planned.
