A Faded Star 3_The Battle for Lashmere

by Michael Freeport

  With most of the fleet gone, their defensive posture was strained. Fortunately, the fleet could be back within a few hours thanks to the drive upgrades installed by the Woduur. Several people were waiting to address this public session of the council. Ktenu was moving from one routine task to another as they presented themselves, but his mind dwelled on the situation in Lashmere. There hadn’t been any news since the fleet departed. Unfortunately, the Lashmere system was well beyond the Alliance’s sensor range. Ktenu believed this was probably good news, but it still worried him.

  Near the end of the morning, Ooto, the Woduur ambassador, came into the council chamber. Ktenu waved aside the next person waiting to make a presentation. He wanted to hear the good news of humanity’s surrender immediately.

  “Ooto, I call on you to speak. What news is there of the invasion of Lashmere?”

  “The news is less than optimal, Commander. Our combined fleet arrived as scheduled and began a systematic infiltration of the Lashmere system. Strong resistance was encountered at every point as the fleet advanced towards Lashmere itself. The Alliance fleet was destroyed.” Ooto stood motionless on his long, slender legs. The lights of the council chamber reflected dazzlingly from the precious metals adorning Ooto’s entire body.

  Ktenu’s head suddenly felt like it was stuffed with heavy cloth. He heard his voice say, “Destroyed? What happened?”

  “Our combined forces were met at the edge of the Lashmere system by the human fleet. In addition to the ships, the humans placed several thousand torpedo launchers in the area and simultaneously launched them all. Most of the weapons impacted harmlessly on the hardened armor sections of our dreadnaughts, but many of them hit, and caused the destruction of the Alliance fleet.”

  Whispers and murmurs could be heard in the observation gallery of the council room. Ktenu stood from his chair and said, “Why did your ships not protect the fleet? The other four members of the military council were on those ships. Why were they, at least, not protected?”

  Ooto spread his hands in a gesture of placation. “The attack was far in excess of anything we anticipated from the humans. The Woduur Consortium has also lost ships and people. A partial accounting of Alliance indebtedness will be forwarded to your office for recompense.”

  Ktenu felt rage flush through his awareness. “Ambassador Ooto, you’ve just informed me of the deaths of more than half of the Alliance military and your next statement is about providing you with compensation for your losses. I find this to be distasteful in the extreme.” He knew the Woduur didn’t have a sense of morality like most other intelligent species and that they tended towards cold, some would say ruthless, calculation in their actions. This seemed almost incomprehensible to him. “Once the humans have been pacified, we can consider any compensation due to the Woduur. Not until that point.”

  Ooto waved from side to side slightly while he listened to Ktenu. “The Alliance agreed to compensate the us at a rate of one point two to one for any Woduur losses as part of our pact. There is no reason for negotiation at this time.”

  Ktenu goggled at the Woduur ambassador. “We must have suffered thousands of losses. Our ability to defend our territory has been vastly reduced. How can you come here and in the same breath ask us to give up more of our citizens as a part of this agreement we’ve foolishly made with you? Your forces were supposed to guarantee the safety of our fleet, not elicit its complete destruction!”

  Ooto looked over both of his shoulders and then raised his hands in agreement before responding. “We expected nothing less than the instantaneous surrender of all human forces when we arrived, Commander. The humans have refused to cooperate with our expectations. Their insistence on taking their own course of action rather than abrogating their wills to obviously superior beings is unfortunate. Nonetheless, the pact we’ve struck with you is not currently open for debate. What timeline can you offer for materials and personnel to be placed at our disposal?”

  Ktenu’s mind worked furiously. There was simply no way he was going to send thousands of his people to be lifelong indentured servants of the Woduur. Those cold-blooded cyborgs would work them to death and then come back asking for replacements when the ones they’d been given wore out too quickly. “Ambassador, let me change topics briefly. I will discuss compensation in a moment.”

  Ooto said, “Agreed.”

  “Good. How were our ships destroyed?”

  “As I have already informed you, the humans placed a series of automated torpedo launchers throughout their system. As our forces approached, a single massive launch of more than ten thousand torpedoes was fired at the combined fleet. Our dreadnaughts stopped many of the torpedoes, but hundreds still made it through to explode within the Alliance fleet formation.”

  Ktenu’s eyes widened in shock. “So, you mean to tell me that not only was the fleet destroyed, but it was obliterated in a single attack?”

  “That is essentially correct,” Ooto replied.

  All four of the other members of the council were certainly dead. Without their interference, Ktenu would be able to appoint new commanders with more traditional viewpoints, but that was a consideration for later. First, he had to find a way of keeping his people out of the hands of the Woduur.

  Ktenu, while he had reluctantly agreed to the pact, would never have thought there would be so many casualties, especially on the part of the Woduur. Their ships were supposed to be as close to indestructible as anything built by sentient beings could be. He would have to force the Woduur to reopen the negotiations. An idea started to crystalize in his thoughts. Perhaps he could lead the Woduur to the same conclusion that he had already reached.

  “Ambassador,” Ktenu started, “I would like to first ask you where the weapons that destroyed our ships come from?”

  Ooto seemed puzzled by the question. “We have no direct verification, but the sensor readings and analysis of the launch platform indicates it was manufactured by Woduur technology.”

  “And how did the humans obtain this technology in the first place? Was it leased to them through a valid contract with the Woduur Consortium?” So far Ooto was cooperating with Ktenu’s line of thought.

  Ooto again raised his hands in supplication. “It was not. A single manufacturing ring was stolen from us a very long time ago. We had thought it was either lost or destroyed after all this time. Unfortunately, it found its way into the hands of the humans.”

  “Why was the ship allowed to remain functional for so long after it began active operations, ambassador?”

  “Many of the built-in safeguards against unauthorized use have been stripped out of the ship in question, Commander.”

  “Was the ship destroyed in the battle over Lashmere?”

  “It was not. We recalled the ship manually once we found it was not following the security protocols. That ship is now back under Woduur control.”

  “So, the humans somehow managed to have uncontrolled and unrestricted access to Woduur manufacturing technology for quite some time.”

  “Again, that is essentially correct, although some parts of Woduur faster than light and weapons technology appear to have been safeguarded by the internal computer before the humans managed to take full control of the systems. The advanced FTL system and all of the built-in weapons systems were disabled when the ship returned to us.

  “Our manufacturing technology, while powerful, has never been allowed to leave Woduur hands without restrictions in place. These restrictions are usually quite severe. The speed, level of technology and types of constructs are all standard limitations negotiated for when leasing any portion of this technology. While the alliance has contracted for a few ships, they have all been restricted to mining and material reclamation with manufacturing ability restricted to replacement parts and maintenance functions.”

  “But the humans had access to all of the defensive technologies, unlimited manufacturing speeds and unrestricted building protocols while the ship was in their hands?” Ktenu tried to
keep his fear of the developing situation out of his voice.

  “This is true,” Ooto agreed.

  “So, this ship is one that was misplaced by the Woduur and was improperly secured, thus giving a very dangerous species access to your technology.”

  “I do not disagree with that at this time,” Ooto said, he seemed to be starting to clue in that Ktenu was driving towards some point he might not like.

  Ktenu decided he had enough to go on the attack. “I propose the destruction of our fleet and your ships is, in fact, the fault of the Woduur. Your technology was left for savages to take and use. Your technology was abused in a way that gave them the ability to attack and destroy our fleet. Your uncontrolled factory ship is what killed our people and yours. This is no fault of the Alliance, and we demand you renegotiate the pact to send your ships to Lashmere as a result.” Ktenu felt his hearts pounding in his chest.

  Ooto stood silent for nearly a full minute while he considered Ktenu’s statement. The room had fallen silent as the onlookers waited expectantly. “We agree that some portion of fault does lie with the Woduur Consortium for uncontrolled use of our technology. What does the Alliance propose?”

  “We request full recompense for the loss of our fleet on a one point two to one basis to be built using unrestricted Woduur technology. We also expect that all Alliance personnel lost in the battle at Lashmere be counted against the losses of Woduur lives in that battle.” That should balance the books quite nicely, Ktenu thought. It might even fall in favor of the Alliance.

  Ooto allowed the silence to stretch again for some time before he responded. “The Woduur offer reconstruction of thirty percent of your fleet and recompense for lost personnel at point seven to one.”

  Ktenu and Ooto haggled back and forth a few times until the Woduur agreed to rebuild half the Alliance fleet and take personnel at one to one. Ktenu felt quite pleased with the deal. It would be difficult to explain why several hundred of Alliance citizens were being sent to the Woduur to be essentially indentured servants for the rest of their lives, but it was a far better alternative than several thousand.

  “Ambassador Ooto, I thank you for your understanding of Woduur complicity in this matter. The Alliance will make every effort to continue to be strong and close allies with the Woduur.”

  Ooto took two steps forward towards the council table, far closer than was normally allowed by the rules of the chamber. “I have also been authorized to share this message. The Woduur Consortium does not renegotiate agreements when they become inconvenient. We will not renegotiate another agreement with the Alliance under any circumstances. We expect your people to adhere to agreements as we do. Without equivocation and without your seemingly endless need to quibble over details. The only reason we have not abrogated our original agreement of non-violence towards the Alliance and its allies is because that pact was made with your political council and not the military one long ago. Continued efforts by the Alliance to either renegotiate or simply not comply with agreements will result in unilateral action taken against you.”

  Ktenu felt an icy fist of fear clutch around his throat. The Woduur were not given to idle threats. He hadn’t realized just how dangerous a game he’d been playing up to that point. Carefully schooling his voice to betray none of the terror he was feeling, he said, “I understand, ambassador. Thank you for sharing the Woduur’s intentions. I will ensure the political council is aware of what has been said today.”

  Ooto seemed about as satisfied as any Woduur ever did. “See that you do, Commander.”

  Ktenu sat back in his chair and said, “I thank the Woduur ambassador for his presence and participation in this military council meeting.” Ooto moved back to the observation gallery at the rear of the chamber. The remainder of the morning was filled with the banalities of most council meetings. Ktenu was glad to draw the meeting to a close.

  Ktenu did, as promised, alert the political council to the events of the morning. Although he received an acknowledgment, he also received a set of instructions he would never have believed possible a few hours later.

  The Woduur, as agreed, supplied three ring ships. The fleet rebuilding schedule was unbelievably brief. Ktenu had known, at least conceptually how fast the Woduur could construct things, but to see it in action was truly breathtaking. A few days later, Ktenu took the first constructed ship to the Lashmere system, to survey the invasion. The human ships were on the run and were not a threat at this time. Ambassador Ooto was invited and, surprisingly, joined Ktenu on the trip. When they arrived at Lashmere, Ooto joined Ktenu on the bridge.

  Lashmere hung like a glittering blue jewel in space. Nearly completely covered in water, the lone continent rose up like a green crystal from the surface of the planetary ocean. “It is a beautiful planet,” Ktenu observed.

  “The aesthetics are of no consequence. Our surface landing has proceeded within our projections. The humans are resisting as best they can, but few of them are true warriors. Once the interior of our landing area has been pacified, we can start processing the humans.”

  “What are your plans for them, ambassador?”

  Ooto paused for a long breath before responding, his cybernetic eyes whirring softly as they moved in the near silence of the bridge. “We have found that humans are a remarkably adaptable species. With the proper programming, they’re also quite docile. Unfortunately, they are also susceptible to a variety of problems, mostly neurological in nature. The Woduur need fresh breeding stock.”

  Chapter 8

  Simmons felt the small drive on the maintenance drone spool up under her. Her armored body was stretched out across the upper surface of the drone. She locked the servos in her gauntlets so she wouldn’t lose her grip as the drone ascended. Simmons held on for dear life. The acceleration was so brutal, she felt like she was going to end up a puddle at the bottom of her boots.

  She heard herself grunting every time she exhaled. The pressure on her lungs made it nearly impossible to breathe. As an abstract idea, maximum safe acceleration seemed completely acceptable. The reality was so much more intolerable than she had imagined. The drone pushed up rapidly through the planetary atmosphere, and within a few moments, the sky cleared to show the inky blackness of space.

  Her heart was pounding, and her eyes were watering. The drone just pushed on and on without letting up. She thought she was just about ready to start screaming, if that were possible, at the relentless force when it suddenly stopped. Several bursts of much less powerful thrust impacted her against the insides of her powered armor. So far, the suit’s integrity had held up. “What the heck am I doing?” She asked the inside of her helmet. “If only Stokes could see the adventure I’m having now, he might have sent me with permission, after all.” She chuckled at her own wit. She wondered suddenly if she was delirious.

  A few moments later, the Loki came into view. She could only see it because it passed between her and the planet. A flood of relief surged through her at the sight of the ship. The drone made a quick braking maneuver, rotated and nudged in close to the side of the ship. She was about three meters from the port airlock. She released the locks on her armored gauntlets and, holding on with one hand, twisted to face the airlock. She needed to push off carefully. If she overdid it, she could bounce off of the side of Loki and drift off into orbit. Her only option then would be to call for help from Damocles. Not a good option in her opinion.

  She firmed her resolve and then pushed off as gently as she could. Her movement was glacially slow. The ship came up before her, and she latched onto one of the grab bars next to the airlock. Her heart felt like it was going to beat straight up through her throat. She could hear the beats in a rapid staccato making a pulsed roaring sound in her ears. Sweat trickled into her left eye. She blinked furiously to try to clear the burning, but it was no good.

  She maneuvered to the other side of the airlock where the exterior control panel was located. She tapped at the keys for a moment, and an amber status light came on
. A red light came on a few seconds later, and the outer door opened silently. She transitioned inside the airlock and tapped the close/pressurize button. The space door shut, and she settled her armored boots on the floor. The ship’s gravity plating came on a few seconds later, and then Simmons could hear the sound of air being pumped into the airlock.

  The status light winked green, and she tried to open her helmet visor. It was only then she realized the shots from the turrets in the old Terran base must have damaged the mechanism. She cursed softly and grappled with the locking ring at the base of the helmet. After a moment of struggling, the ring rotated, and she pulled the helmet, and the tight neck cuff over her head. Her red hair was wildly disarrayed and got in her face. She brushed it aside and gagged at the stench of all the sticky moss clinging to the exterior of her armor. She swallowed hard to control her stomach and then said, “Computer, give me a passive scan of local space.”

  The computer beeped, and a couple of seconds later it reported, “A ship, designated assault cruiser Damocles, is thirty thousand kilometers from present location. Thirty-five drones are approaching this location. All power systems are at nominal. Passive systems are at maximum.”

  “Dammit, he must have detected me. Computer, recall the maintenance drone, and integrate the other two drones into the defensive net. Disengage all stealth systems. Attack the approaching drones with all on board weapons systems. Engage maximum acceleration away from Damocles.”

  The computer beeped again, and then Simmons could hear the sound of the defensive cannons firing in rapid succession. Several loud bangs sounded through the hull where shots had gotten through the defensive barrage. Simmons ran down the hallway to the lift that would take her to the bridge. Her suit comm started beeping at her, but she ignored it. Several more heavy shots got to the hull, and she could hear a damage alarm wailing in the distance.