by Tori Harris
TFS NAVAJO
The Terran Fleet Command Saga – Book 3
*****
Tori L. Harris
ISBN: 978-0-9961796-5-2
TFS NAVAJO
THE TERRAN FLEET COMMAND SAGA – BOOK 3
VERSION 1.1
Copyright © 2016 by Tori L. Harris
All rights reserved. This eBook is licensed for the personal enjoyment of the original purchaser only. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.
This is a work of fiction. The characters and events portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarities to real persons, events, places, or organizations are purely coincidental and not intended by the author. Any references to actual places, people, brands, or other works of fiction are also fictitious.
Written and Published by Tori L. Harris
AuthorToriHarris.com
Edited by Monique Happy
www.moniquehappy.com
Cover Design by Ivo Brankovikj
https://www.artstation.com/artist/ivobrankovikj
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
War is the continuation of politics by other means.
Major-General Carl von Clausewitz
Chapter 1
TFS Theseus, Location Dagger
(3.3 light years from Earth)
“Don’t even think about it, Admiral,” Doctor Chen scolded as Rugali Naftur attempted to rise from his grav chair to return the salutes being rendered on the bridge view screen. “You’ve been out of emergency heart surgery for … what? Just a few hours at this point?” Both her tone and the firm pressure of her hands on his shoulders left little room for argument.
Naftur scowled, then softened his expression and glanced at Captain Prescott, clearly seeking both an ally against Doctor Chen as well as permission to respond directly to Commander Takkar aboard the Hadeon. Even with Takkar and the ten other Wek visible on the view screen still kneeling after having addressed Naftur as “Your Highness,” this was still Tom Prescott’s ship — and the Hadeon, for the moment at least, was still an enemy combatant with which they were engaged in an official parley.
Prescott, still taken aback by the Hadeon’s response to Admiral Naftur’s appearance on his bridge, started to reply, then checked himself as the implications of the rapidly evolving situation unfolded in his mind.
“Sir, the Baldev has been designated as Bravo 1,” Lieutenant Lau announced from Tactical 1. “She’s still headed in this direction with shields and weapon systems powered up.”
“Will they honor the parley already in progress?” Prescott asked, still staring at Admiral Naftur.
“If it is indeed the Baldev and she is still under the command of Ditanu Yagani, I am confident that she will not open fire without warning. Bear in mind, however, that Captain Yagani is not obligated to participate in our negotiations, and since he is now the senior Resistance commander on the scene, it is within his prerogative to order the other vessels to end their participation as well. If that is his intention, it would be appropriate for him to inform us accordingly and allow us to withdraw from the immediate area before taking any hostile action.”
Prescott shifted his gaze back to the spectacle playing out on the bridge view screen before looking back at Naftur. This is what we came here to do, so let’s see how this plays out, he thought … and quickly, I hope. With an upturned palm, he gestured from Naftur towards the view screen. “Please,” he said, inviting the Wek admiral to proceed.
“Thank you, Captain Prescott,” Naftur began again, his voice surprisingly strong given what he had been through over the past twelve hours. “Commander Takkar and crew, please rise. You honor and humble me with your gesture. I apologize for not rendering a proper response, but I must remain seated under the explicit orders of the two surgeons who saved my life earlier this day.” On referring to the two doctors, Naftur had nodded towards Nenir Turlaka while at the same time reaching back to place his huge hand over that of Jiao Chen, still resting on his shoulder. Caught somewhat off guard by the admiral’s gesture and the odd sensation of his touch, she jumped involuntarily at first, then squeezed his shoulder gently in reply.
“Your servant, Gracafürst,” Takkar replied, still obviously a little overwhelmed by Naftur’s presence, “but you should be aware that the news of your death at the hands of the Humans has been widely reported throughout the Collective for several months. In fact, I believe most Wek who have joined the Resistance, myself included, would cite your death as one of their primary motivations for doing so.”
Naftur’s leonine face had taken on an uncharacteristically troubled expression, his eyes dark with a mix of concern and barely controlled fury. “Thank you, Commander Takkar,” he growled. “We must content ourselves for now with addressing the results of this treachery. We can also take heart in the knowledge that deceit on such a scale invariably leads to the deceivers’ undoing.
“Here is what I want you and all other Wek to know regarding the Terrans. While I have studied them for years, it is only over the past month that I have finally had the opportunity to spend time with them. During that time, I have spoken at length with many of their leaders, sharing frank conversations concerning the strengths and weaknesses of both their people and ours. I have fought by their side, and found them to be formidable warriors who fight with bravery and a cunning audacity I have rarely seen equaled on the field of battle. Finally, I had the honor of saving the life of one of their most senior military leaders earlier today, and in turn had mine saved through the tireless efforts of a great many Humans. They came to my aid — not because of who or what I was, but because I needed help. This they did without hesitation, simply because they recognized a need and it was in their nature to do so.
“The Terrans have done nothing to indicate that they pose a threat to the Collective, Yuli, and treating them as enemies out of some misplaced sense of fear would forever veil our alliance within the pale gloom of cowardice.”
“I understand,” Takkar replied, inclining his head briefly with his eyes closed as if offering his own heartfelt apology for his actions. “Sir, Captain Yagani is hailing us. With your permission, I will explain the situation to him. I am sure he will want to speak with you once he realizes that you are … here.”
“Be cautious, young Commander, and do not assume that the motivations of other members of the Resistance movement are the same as your own.”
“Of course, sire.”
“Admiral is fine, Commander Takkar. As you know, since our world’s accession into the Sajeth Collective, the dynastic houses of Graca no longer hold any real authority. Our titles are largely historical relics used for ceremonial purposes at this point.”
“I will, of course, address you in any way you wish, Admiral Naftur. But a
s for me and my house, you will always be Gracafürst, the one who should be king. Takkar out.”
With that, Commander Takkar’s image disappeared from the view screen, followed by stunned silence on Theseus’ bridge. Every officer in the room who could do so without completely turning around in their seats stared in astonishment at Admiral Naftur.
“Well, this is indeed a bit awkward, is it not?” he said after a few moments, smiling in spite of himself. “I will be more than happy to beguile you with tales of the ancestral Wek monarchy another time … any of you with the patience to listen to such arcane topics, that is. For now, just know that I have intentionally avoided references to this topic because it is really nothing more than an unnecessary distraction at this point.”
Nenir Turlaka cleared her throat, staring at Naftur with a disapproving expression on her face.
“Now, now, Ambassador, the only relevant context with which I undertook my mission to the Sol system was in my capacity as a Sajeth Collective admiral. I would encourage all of you to take the conversation you just heard as nothing more than a historical point of reference. I am no more and no less than the officer you have come to know over the past month. Regarding the urgent business at hand, the Baldev is the lead ship from our most powerful warship class. I urge you to ignore all other distractions and prepare yourselves accordingly.”
“Is there anything you can tell us about the ship itself in case we find ourselves in combat?” Prescott asked.
Naftur sighed audibly, once again finding himself in a morally ambiguous situation. Revealing bits of classified information to the Humans, under the circumstances, seemed like a reasonable and necessary sacrifice in the fight against an enemy of his people. In his role as a fleet admiral, however, he had no authority to make such decisions on his own. He also knew that doing so had the potential to produce unpredictable, damaging results in the future. Until just a few weeks ago, such circumstances would have seemed completely outside the realm of possibility — an interesting scenario in a leadership ethics course perhaps, but not one that would ever occur in the real world.
“I was not directly involved with the Baldev-class development program,” he began cautiously, “but I did hear rumors that, like the Gresav, the first ship in the class was used as a testbed for a special weapons project.”
Prescott stared expectantly into the old admiral’s eyes, but said nothing. He was aware of the internal struggle that must be taking place in Naftur’s mind, and knew instinctively that pressing the issue was unlikely to yield the result he was hoping for.
“I am afraid I can provide little detail, but my understanding is that she has an array of modified gravitic field emitters capable of projecting some sort of beam at enemy warships. I have no idea what the effects of such a weapon might be, but she is obviously a huge ship with tremendous power generation capabilities.” With that, Naftur’s shoulders sagged and he seemed to visibly slouch in his chair as both physical and emotional fatigue finally started to get the better of him.
“Thank you, sir,” Prescott replied respectfully, hoping to express his gratitude while at the same time acknowledging the difficult decisions the Wek admiral was being forced to make on their behalf.
SCS Hadeon, Location Dagger
(3.3 light years from Earth)
Yuli Takkar took a moment to ensure that he would not be overheard, then glanced at his second-in-command in the chair to his right. “I want you to know that, regardless of what transpires from this moment on, I will not further dishonor myself and my family by betraying Rugali Naftur. If that requires you to relieve me of command at some point, so be it,” he said, receiving a solemn nod in return.
“Captain Takkar, I have Captain Yagani aboard the Baldev standing by,” a Wek lieutenant announced from the Communications workstation. “He would like to speak with you privately, sir.”
Takkar breathed deeply and tried to gather his thoughts. Much had transpired since the inept Damaran Commander Woorin Miah had been placed in command of the four-ship detachment tasked with guarding the Resistance task force’s original rally point. Takkar knew, however, that the question foremost in Captain Yagani’s mind would be precisely how four Sajeth Collective cruisers ended up on the losing end of a skirmish with a single Terran ship — most likely classed as a mere destroyer, given her size — along with a smattering of fighters. Takkar also found himself in the uncomfortable position of needing to explain why he had removed Commander Miah from command — particularly since he had been hand-picked for the role by the Resistance task force commander, Commodore Naveen Sarafi, after having served as his executive officer.
“I will take it in the ready room,” Takkar said, nodding to his second-in-command to let him know that he had the bridge. Takkar then squared his shoulders and headed aft with a renewed sense of confidence he had not felt for some time. In spite of the potentially career-ending situation he found himself in at the moment, a single thought filled him with new hope: Rugali Naftur lives.
As Takkar entered the ship’s ready room, the Hadeon’s AI recognized his presence, secured the room, and emitted a warning chime to indicate that his vidcon was standing by. “On-screen, please,” he commanded, while seating himself at the room’s ornately carved conference table. Seconds later, the scowling face of Captain Ditanu Yagani filled the display screen.
“Good evening, Captain Yagani, I am Commander Yuli Takkar, acting captain of the Hadeon,” he began, thinking this was as good of a way to begin a difficult conversation as any other.
“And to you, Captain Takkar,” Yagani answered, offering the younger officer the courtesy of referring to him as a fellow captain. “That is, I hope it turns out to be a good evening for the both of us. From what I can decipher of the situation outside, however, it is not at all clear to me exactly what has been happening here today. Would you care to provide me a brief update? Please begin with the status of the cruiser Babayev. She is obviously heavily damaged, and I can see that rescue operations are currently underway.”
“Of course, sir. Yes, the Babayev was heavily damaged in a brief battle with the Terran ships, but she has been stabilized … for the moment, at least. Her life support systems and structural integrity fields are operating on emergency reserve power. Unfortunately, she is unlikely to be capable of moving under her own power again without significant repairs.”
“So I assume you are in the process of evacuating her crew, then.”
“Yes, sir. We are utilizing every available shuttle and should have everyone safely aboard the other three cruisers within the hour. Captain Prescott aboard the Human warship Theseus has given his word that they will not interfere with our efforts along those lines.”
“Let us hope, then, that he is a man of his word. Now, please briefly tell me of the events that led up to this point.”
Takkar took in a deep breath as his mind raced to piece together a summary of the past twenty-four hours — hopefully in a manner that would not result in his joining Commander Miah in the brig.
“Shortly after the task force began assembling at this location,” he began again, “we were discovered by a formation of two Terran scout ships. The new perimeter defense drone system performed well, allowing the Hadeon to destroy the two vessels at something approaching the maximum range of our energy weapons. Shortly thereafter, Commodore Sarafi communicated that the bulk of the task force would be moving to the secondary rally point, which I assume your AI has at this point …”
On the display screen, Yagani looked to his right for confirmation that the command and control systems aboard the Baldev had successfully synchronized with those of the Hadeon. In addition to the location of the secondary rally point, Captain Yagani and the crew of the Baldev now had access to virtually every event that had taken place aboard all of the task force’s ships over the past several days. Though, in theory, this rendered their current conversation somewhat redundant, there was still no substitute for a face to face briefing from a competen
t, on-scene commander. Returning his attention to Takkar, Yagani simply nodded in reply.
“Very good, sir. Commodore Sarafi also ordered that our detachment of two Shopak-class cruisers and two Keturah-class BD cruisers would be assigned to guard the original rally point and direct additional ships to the secondary location as they arrived.”
“Guard it? I am not sure I understand your meaning. In situations such as this, data transfer is typically handled by deploying a simple comm buoy. As I am sure you are aware, their data streams are encrypted, and they do not transmit at all until they receive an interrogation signal from a friendly ship. That, coupled with their small size, yields a highly secure means of transferring critical data — particularly something as simple as a routine change of orders. In fact, information such as the coordinates of an alternate rally point is precisely what the system was designed to handle. Sarafi must have had something else in mind when he elected to leave four of his ships alone at this location. He provided no additional information?”
“No sir, he did not. He also sent his executive officer, Commander Woorin Miah, to take command of the detachment.”
“I know of Commander Miah. He is a Damaran, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
Captain Yagani furrowed his brow and gazed deeply into the younger officer’s eyes. “Well, Captain Takkar, this story grows more puzzling and disconcerting by the moment. Where, pray tell, is Commander Miah now?”
“Regretfully, I was forced to relieve him of command and confine him to quarters.”
“Hah! I doubt very much you regret it, although you may yet live long enough to do so, young Captain,” Yagani laughed. “He is a fool, as you have obviously discovered for yourself. Let me see if I can guess the remainder of your story. The Human warship arrived and requested a meeting under a flag of truce. Miah ostensibly agreed, then manufactured some sort of excuse for opening fire after attempting to lure the enemy vessel into optimum weapons range.”
