Captain John 1: A Galactic Coming of Age

by Krystyn Dean

  I replied, “Anne You have done some great work and I think everyone realized you had earned Your rank.”

  “Now, let’s get right down to business. have you learned anything from the Eldirelian ship?” Anne said, “the cannon they used was a laser plasma combination. A simple design now that I look at it. It uses a shaped laser that acts somewhat like a cannon barrel. The Plasma bursts are fired down the laser “barrel” and the barrel increases the velocity of the plasma charge, concentrating it on the target. Rather than having the plasma charge attenuate as it normally would, it concentrates the charge at the Point of impact.”

  “That is why they could hit us so hard?” I asked, “can we duplicate it?” Anne said, “yes we can, I think I can have a couple of the new cannons, which we are calling Laser Pulse Plasma or LPP’s, aboard the Ronald Reagan by the time the repairs are complete.” “We are also going to upgrade the remainder of the big laser cannons on all the ships in First Carrier Group to LPP’s.” She went on to say, “but that is not the most important thing I found.” “Admiral, they also have transporters!”

  “Transporters? Exactly what do you mean by transporters?” I asked. She replied, “they use transporters to move equipment and material between designated stations. Each ship has a designated station. I have found no indication that they use the transporters to transport personnel yet, and I would be afraid to use them for that purpose until we have a full understanding of just how they function.” I replied, “Anne I don’t need to tell you that would certainly be a welcome tool if it can be developed. I would ask you to put a priority on it except that everything we are doing must be a priority. Let’s get Dr. Garrett involved in the transporter project, so you can concentrate on the new cannon and the shields.”

  “I also want my ships to be able to use a stealth field like the Eldirelian ship. Can you do that?” “We are working on it Captain,” said Dr. hiller, “it’s a variation on the shield Generators. I can’t promise to have it ready by the time we deploy, but if we can we will. “By the way,” said Anne. “Congratulations on your promotion.”

  “Thank You, Colonel.” “I also want you to give your people my thanks. All of you are doing an outstanding job. Tell your people that I appreciate the effort they are making.”

  I had lieutenant Jenson ask Colonel Finnerty to join me. Jamie came in to my office and came to attention. I said, “at ease Jamie. Admiral Miller has agreed to bring Diviak Y’shol on as a marine staff Sergeant under your command, but it has to be OK with you first. What do you think”. Jamie said, “Captain I have no problem with that, in fact I like the idea. The guy has proven himself to me and my people. He is well liked and none of my people will have a problem with it. He has been studying the Corps, its structure and how it works. He will fit in well.” I said, “OK Jamie, he will be working for you so you explain it all to him.” “Aye Sir.” Said Jamie.

  “And Sir, congratulations on the stars, I just noticed them.” “Thank You, Jamie, Admiral Miller just pinned them on. Let me get Diviak in here so you can fill him in.”

  I called the outer office and asked Lieutenant Jenson to send in Diviak Y’shol. As soon as Diviak came in Jamie said, “Diviak, you have been accepted in to the Marine corps as a staff Sergeant you will be working for me.” The smile on the big aliens’ face was huge, “I am thanking you Colonel Jamie” he said. Jamie said, “Admiral, if you don’t need us for anything right now, I’ll take Sergeant Y’shol down to Marine country, swear him in, get him kitted out and help him set up a duty roster. I will also assign him some instructors to help him get up to speed on rules, regulations and training. I want to train him on the job, I don’t think the Marines are ready for Diviak on Earth yet.”

  I replied, “Make it so Colonel, I think we have covered everything we need to talk about. You are both dismissed”

  I needed to see what the time table was on the rest of my ships. It appears we may be going to war more quickly than we had thought. That is not unusual, it seems that the Navy has always been short of crews, ships and time, but we somehow manage to persevere.

  I called Sudeer, and asked him to join me in a sit down with the Yard master for Titans orbital dockyard. Sudeer, and I met with Richard “Rick” Hill and his Egolari counterpart Biber. The primary question was, what is our schedule. Rick and Biber agreed that the Ronald Reagan would be ready, complete with the new guns, beefed up shields, and a couple of items Colonel Hiller had specified, by the end of next week. Meaning about twelve more days. The balance of the Carrier group would be ready to deploy by the twenty first of the month, which meant we had twenty-six days left before The First Carrier Group would be ready to deploy. Twenty-six days did not seem like a lot of time, but the ship yard was running like a well-oiled clock and Rick was sure about the timeline. He guaranteed the First Carrier Group would be ready on time. Then work would begin on Carrier Group two.

  I asked Sudeer to join me in my ready room after we returned to the Reagan. I began by saying, “Sudeer, what can you tell me about the Krayari?” Sudeer said, “Admiral the Krayari are a very isolated race. They are from a planet called Consileen in the Zeta Andromidae System. The Zeta Andromidae System is located outside of the Scutum Centaurus arm, just barley in the Milky Way Galaxy.”

  “The Krayari are almost xenophobic in their relations with other races, but they have a well-developed system, are a very intelligent, very old race. Although they do trade with Federation worlds on occasion, they are not members of the Federation. Their word is inviolable and they are loyal and honest to a fault. There is some speculation that they might have some ESP powers, but nothing concrete on that. Other than that, we don’t know much about them. We do know that they do not welcome visitors in to their system and though we only rarely encounter them, they are intrepid explorers. It is said they probably have a greater knowledge of the Milky Way Galaxy than any race we know.”

  “As you know Sudeer, we rescued a Krayari when we captured the Eldirelian ship. I have not had an opportunity to speak to Qobrun at length, but he indicated to Fritz Baker that he might ask to stay on board the Reagan.” Sudeer replied, “if he agrees to stay Admiral, His knowledge would be a huge advantage. However, it would be a first. The Krayari are not a race that get involved in others affairs.”

  “Well Sudeer, I have asked him to come by and I would like to have you here when we talk.” “Of course, Admiral, it will be my honor.”

  A few minutes later Jenson came through the open hatch and said,” Admiral, Qobrun is here to see you.” “Please show him in Jenson.” I stood as Qobrun entered my ready room. “Welcome Qobrun, please join us. I have asked Sudeer to join us if you don’t mind.”

  “Sudeer will be a welcome addition to our conversation Admiral.” Said Qobrun.

  After we had all taken a seat, I asked Qobrun, “Exactly how did you wind up being in a cell with Diviak Y’shol?” Qobrun said, “poor timing Admiral.” I was checking out trading possibilities for our trade consortium.” “We had decided that the Rheaganese people could be a good source of raw materials and crops. My assignment was to see if the products they had to offer were a good fit for us. I was involved in talks with the Rheaganese when the Eldirelians attacked. There was no opportunity to escape and when the Eldirelian troops landed they attempted to enter my space vehicle. The attempted intrusion of my vehicle resulted in the activation of the self-destruct system. As a result, several Eldirelian military personnel lost their lives.”

  “I managed to hide out for a while with the resistance. That is where I met Diviak Y’shol. When Diviak Y’shol was betrayed, I was captured as well. The Eldirelians wished very much to interrogate me for information, however their attempts were rather clumsy and without results. That is why I was aboard the ship you captured. I was being taken to Grenushania for a rather unpleasant mind probe.”

  ” Very interesting Qobrun,” I said. “I am surprised you would venture to Apsis Prime. Didn’t your security people anticip
ate the Eldirelians would attack the planet?” Qobrun replied, “Admiral, in hindsight it was probably a poor decision, however our opinion was that the Rheaganese were not sufficiently advanced to be a target for the Eldirelian military. Now I believe the Eldirelian attack had more to do with an attempt to force the Federation to act or back down. It was almost certainly an attempt to destabilize the Federation. The Eldirelians were quite aware of the propensity of the Federation to avoid violence. They anticipated a capitulation. In my opinion If the Federation allows the Eldirelian invasion to go unanswered it will lose a great deal of stature in the Galaxy. The Eldirelians miscalculated. They never imagined that if the Federation acted it would take the form of uplifting a species such as yourself. And they could never have anticipated just how successful that uplift was going to be.”

  “Thank you for your insights Qobrun. I am afraid I can’t spare a ship to give you a ride back to Consileen, but we will do all we can to make your stay with us as pleasant as possible until we can find a way to get you back to.”

  Qobrun replied, “Thank you Admiral. I should appreciate an opportunity to contact my consortium. Would it be possible to send a message drone to one of our outposts, I can give you the coordinates?” I replied, “yes we can do that.” Qobrun replied, “I will compose a message for you to include in the probe.”

  “For the time being, I believe I would prefer to offer my services to you and the SOL/FED Navy. I believe I can be of help. I am very familiar with the Galaxy and many of the people in it. I have some military training thanks to my worlds requirement that we all participate in the defense or our home. I am also a trained scientist with many years of experience specializing in the makeup of the universe and some of the mysteries associated with our galaxy. It would give me a certain satisfaction to oppose those who held me as a prisoner. Please understand Admiral, Krayari do not seek retribution. We do appreciate the opportunity to right a wrong. The Eldirelians, and those associated with them, chose to make an enemy of the Krayari. That was a mistake.”

  Although Fritz had told me Qobrun had expressed an interest in associating with the SOL/FED Navy, his statement was a bit of a shock. Per Sudeer, the Krayari were not “joiners.” I replied, “Qobrun, I will need to consult with Admiral Miller and the SOL/FED committee. I should have an answer in a few days. In the meantime, please compose your message and we will send it off as soon as possible.

  After Qobrun had returned to his quarters I looked at Sudeer and said “what do you think of that?” Sudeer replied, “I am shocked. The Krayari have never taken a side. There is no precedent for his action. And I can assure you Admiral, this action was not taken independently. Krayari do not act on their own at this level. The decision to take sides, even in a small way, is one that was made at the highest levels. This is no coincidence, and it is unparalleled.”

  I had recorded the entire conversation. I forwarded it to Admiral Miller. An hour later he called me on my private channel. “John, I am sending this recording to the Federation committee. I will give you a call when I hear something.”

  I contacted Fritz and asked him to prepare a message drone and that I wanted a copy of the message and the coordinates it was being sent to. To my surprise, Qobrun sent me a copy of his message and the coordinates to which the drone was being sent. The coordinates were in the middle of nowhere, and were almost certainly a remote automated station that sent the message on to a network. The message was in English and simply said: “I hope everything is satisfactory in the consortium. By now I am sure you know I was captured by the Eldirelians. I was being taken to Grenushania on one of their warships. That ship was in turn captured by the SOLAR/FEDERATION Navy and I was subsequently released. I am currently on board one of the SOL/FED Navy ships. Tell Mother and Father that I have asked to become a member of the SOL/FED Navy in some capacity. I feel that I can accomplish something worthwhile here. You can contact me via message drone at Titan Station, I have included the coordinates.” It was signed Qobrun.

  A few days later a message drone dropped out of FTL and transmitted the following message. “Qobrun, Mother and Father approve of your plan to aid the SOL/FED Navy.” The message drone immediately jumped in to FTL and disappeared.

  I am sure the message was code and Sudeer agrees. This must fit in to the Krayari plan.

  Unfortunately, that plan is a mystery. Never the less, The Federation Council and Admiral Miller believe this is an opportunity we cannot pass up. Qobrun will be my new Science officer with a rank of Lieutenant Commander.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  A FLEET BECOMES REALITY

  Carrier - SFN - Ronald Reagan

  Three Cruisers - SFN Anatoly Karpov, SFN Ellen S. Baker, SFN Allan B. Sheppard,

  Six Destroyers - SFN Monserrat, SFN Connecticut, SFN Cumbria, SFN Orleanais,

  SFN Perth Shire, SFN Ontario

  twelve Corvettes - SFN Dauphin, SFN Revenant, SFN Ptolemy, SFN Venture

  SFN Norgass, SFN Vesta, SFN Legolas, SFN Esbensen, SFN Maiden, SFN Photon,

  SFN Strogonar, SFN Bomeer

  One Troop Ship, SFN Wyoming

  One Factory Ship - SFN Armstrong

  Two Supply Ships - SFN Reginleif, SFN Angel of Orcus.

  With only eighteen days till launch, I needed to spend time with the Captains in my carrier group. I needed to get to know those I didn’t know and renew acquaintances with those I did. The first one was easy. Mary Carpenter Irons had finally gotten the command she deserved. She was the skipper on the cruiser Allan B Sheppard. The Captains of the other two cruisers, the Ellen Baker, and the Anatoly Karpov were also known to me. Although not close friends, Maria Twain Captain on the Baker and Mikhail Berzenski on the Karpov were solid Captains with whom I had worked before. I knew Captain Liam Oxford on the destroyer Connecticut and Captain Joe Peterson on the destroyer Ontario, all the other destroyer captains were new to me.

  I had already reviewed the service records of all the officers on the Reagan, now I needed to review the service records of the ship captains in the First Carrier Group. The task was simple enough with the American, British, French, Japanese, Canadian and Australian officers, but with the officers from some of the other countries, information was somewhat sparse.

  After reviewing all the records, I had a better feel for most of the officers under my command, there were a couple of wild cards however. The French captain, Chason Velions of the destroyer Monserrat was a bit of a mystery. He came from a wealthy family and his rise through the ranks was nothing short of spectacular. My hope is that he was an outstanding officer, but it is rumored that the French Navy could, at times, succumb to the pressures brought by influential families. I certainly hope that is not the case. The other Officer that I found interesting was captain Amber Cordev on the destroyer Orleanais. Her record seemed outstanding, and yet it seemed incomplete.

  I would have to watch both officers to see how they performed.

  All the Corvette captains were either Commanders or Lt. Commanders and although I only knew a couple of them, their records were top quality.

  I decided to have a staff meeting the following day with all the ship commanders on board the Reagan. Admiral Miller was on Titan base so I asked him to join us. He suggested that he listen in from my office. He felt that his presence in the room might be a distraction.

  Shuttles began to arrive at the Reagan at seven a.m. ships time. Ships time is set and maintained by computer to Earth Zulu time. For convenience, all ships in the SF Navy maintain Zulu time. By nine a.m. everyone was aboard, except for captain Chason Velions of the destroyer Monserrat. I elected to begin the meeting on time rather than wait for Velions.

  “Good morning everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, I am Admiral John Anderson, commander of the First Solar Federation Navy Carrier Group. Welcome.”

  “Many of you have probably heard scuttlebutt that we will be setting out for our first sweep on the twenty first of this month. In this particular insta
nce the scuttlebutt is true.” A soft murmur spread through the ward room. “That only leaves us seventeen days before we leave and it is precious little time to get ready for war. And have no doubt about it, we will be fighting a war. The enemy is a race called the Eldirelians. The Eldirelians have proven to be a race that has no compunction about firing the first shot.”

  “Some of you may have heard about our encounter with the Eldirelians on our shakedown cruise. And again, it is true.” “The Eldirelian ship we encountered carried some powerful weapons, some of which we have been able to duplicate and even improve on, but make no mistake, they are a powerful and intelligent species that seems to have a cruel character. In a few minutes I will introduce you to someone who’s race has extensive experience with the Eldirelians. Before we do that, I would like--.” Suddenly there was a disturbance at the door. One of the marines at the door stepped in and said, “sorry to interrupt Admiral, there is a Captain Velions and his staff and he demands that we allow them entry. I replied, its OK Sergeant, Captain Velions may join us, but send his staff to the galley, they can wait for him there.” “Yes, sir Admiral,” said the Sergeant. Captain Velions entered the wardroom and immediately spoke up. “Captain Anderson, I demand that my staff be included in this meeting. How am I to plan and execute a proper battle plan without my staff?”