Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 7

by Vanessa Ravencroft

  "But how did you know, Sir?"

  "A gut feeling and a previous experience."

  Several officers turned to look and I saw true respect in their faces.

  "Captain, we are being hailed by the USS Mata Hari, NAVINT special unit."

  "This is the USS Mata Hari. Devastator, we are taking over here and will do the clean-up. Hand over all collected specimen and prisoners at once. Your involvement has ended, leave the area now."

  "This is Captain Olafson. NAVINT or not, you could address us with a little more common courtesy. When my departments are ready, requested actions will take place and we will leave when I am good and ready."

  I nodded to Harris. "Give them what they want and resume course to our original destination but wait 60 minutes before you engage and then engage very slowly. No one chases the Devi away from the kill like a rowdy Nubhir!"

  "Aye, Sir!" Harris smiled broadly. "Where will you be?"

  "On my couch catching a few z's."

  ***

  Over a week had passed since Stahl made me Captain. I was sitting in my office and reading the personal file of Lt. Carrows when Harris came in and said, "We are now approaching our patrol area, and you wanted to be informed."

  "Thank you Mr. Harris. I will be out in a minute."

  "Aye, Captain. Can I be of any assistance with the problem on your desk?"

  "I need to make a decision about what I am going to do with Carrows. His service record is very average. He does have a few reports against him and all borderline on insubordination, especially against officers who are younger in age but have a higher rank. I also noticed he entered the Academy later than most and it took him longer to get promoted. His psych evaluation sheet explains most of the reasons, but since he got transferred to the Devastator and picked for bridge duty his evaluation gets much better and his supervisor tells me he is trying hard, and he was surprised that he was suddenly transferred to the bridge only very recently. Many previous complaints conform to the conduct he displayed."

  Harris simply sat down across the desk and said, "Go on, Sir, I am listening."

  "His offences were serious and they are on record. A court martial will destroy his career. If I let him go or slap him on the hand it could be seen as weakness and others might question my resolve. Or worse he could question authority again and cause a situation that endangers lives."

  Harris nodded. "So what have you decided?"

  "You know that I have come to a decision?"

  "Yes Sir."

  "I decided when in doubt go by the book and the book says court martial and that is what will happen."

  "I will have JAG personnel handle it."

  "Thank you Mr. Harris."

  "No problem Captain."

  "Mr. Harris, could it be that the officer's predisposition was known to certain parties and he was placed at this position on the bridge during this time to see both his and my reaction?"

  "I would say that is very likely, Sir."

  INTERLUDE: ADMIRAL STAHL’S QUARTERS

  Harris sat on a couch not far from Stahl who sat behind his old desk. Captain Zezz was there and the Admiral of the Fleet, via holo presence.

  Harris was sipping on a bottle of beer. "He is doing a fine job and he did put the pieces together about you putting Carrows on the bridge for a reason."

  "He did? What was his decision?"

  "If in doubt, go by the book and the book says court martial. Those were his words."

  The old Admiral of the Fleet was sitting on a chair that, like him, was actually in his office and not here. He held a glass of whiskey. "I knew you would put him through your cruel games as soon as you had him aboard." He sipped on his drink. "I have a feeling that boy will surprise you. He did surprise me more than once and that takes some doing!"

  Zezz's holo had a glass of water because he was like a true lizard, cold-blooded, and alcohol was poisonous to him. "I wanted to put him on OPS for a shift or two, he is just a Senior Midshipman after all. I had him on OPS the entire time, growing into the challenging post very fast. None of my officers had any problems with him doing it. They all liked him; he was polite, collegial and listened to advice. I can only say he is missed aboard the Hyperion. He often appears deep in thought, even a little depressed or very quiet, so I had him take out the Hyperion and like all bridge officers he took the Con at times. Once he sits in that chair he changes, you can feel his confidence! And his age somehow vanishes, the crew follows him."

  Stahl put his beer down. "The way he handled the Kermac was as if he had years of experience. I was sitting here, ready to interfere. From watching him I now know he has the talent."

  Captain Harris agreed. "I could not have it done any better, he even snapped at me for questioning his decision. Like any real Captain, I know he already has a certain style and I must say I like it. Zezz is right, once he sits on that command chair you can feel his confidence and you forget his age and actual rank. He already thinks of the Devi as his ship."

  Stahl giggled like a boy. "Transmission energy at maximum, I bet we smoked a few receivers in those Kermac ships and they heard him clear to the other side of the Kermac Hegemony."

  Harris grinned deeply. "I think I will do that too, occasionally; there isn't any chance of misunderstanding. He was heard for sure and I truly liked how he dealt with those arrogant snobs from NAVINT."

  McElligott put his glass down. "I would have no problem giving him a permanent command over a ship right now."

  Stahl raised his eyebrows. "Are you thinking what I believe you are thinking?"

  "I am."

  ***

  I went back on the bridge and while I was walking up the ramp I said, "Tactical, put a situation map of our deployment area on the screen. Display all pirate and insurgence activity for the last five years."

  "Aye, Sir, I anticipated your order and prepared Intel reports as well and correlated them into the map."

  "Very good Mr. Deberaux, I appreciate that!"

  I leaned back in my seat and studied the map that popped up on the main screen when Comm. reported, "Sir, two new reports just came in. A Dai fleet was sighted near coordinates 456.455.122 three days ago."

  A new red dot appeared on the map. There were two possible targets in equal distance: the Nepomuck System and the Pleasure Pasture Colony in the Aldoor System. Both systems are at the fringes of Union space and only 25 light years from unclaimed space. In the last five years I saw there were dozens of reports of Dai activity around Nepomuck, but there was not a single one near Aldoor.

  I pulled up the Galactic Encyclopedia and read about both systems.

  "Helm, lay in a course for the Aldoor System. Flight deck: launch four long-range Gazelle scouts to the Nepomuck System. Scouts are to remain at sensor distance from any enemy contact."

  "Aye, Sir."

  "Comm., Contact Nepomuck III and advise them of a possible Dai attack and see if you can verify the report and talk to the person who reported the sighting."

  Harris clasped his hands on his back. "Why the Aldoor System? It does not seem to be of interest to the Dai."

  "The Nepomuck System is well-developed and three planets are owned by Schwartz Industries. They can afford the best long-range sensors and that, in my opinion, explains all these reports. Pleasure Pasture is a relatively new colony started by an artist and an agricultural co-op. I doubt they have the money or the foresight to purchase any long-range scanner assets. So it doesn't mean the Dai have visited the area less, it just means no one noticed them. There, the insert over that system shows that Pleasure Pasture requested technical assistance to mine a newly-discovered and supposedly rich find of tourmaline and that is a source of boron."

  Boron was among the most valuable elements and no ship reactor was without boron shielding. Boron fibers got used in spacesuits and armor and an endless array of other products vital for any spacefaring civilization.

  Harris smiled. "Something the Dai would love to have."

  "It wo
uld certainly make it a valuable target for a space-born society and I doubt they want to make Schwartz Industries too angry. After all, corporate security fleets can go into Inter space just fine and go Dai hunting."

  "Sound reasoning."

  "Sir, the report came from a Ranger patrol and I have him on."

  Only recently did I learn about the United Stars Ranger Service and everything I heard about them impressed me. The Ranger Service was a paramilitary organization under the control of the Federal Justice Department. The Rangers patrolled the fringe worlds, the outer reaches of Union space. They provided mail service, first aid and medical help, dispensed law and justice when necessary and did pretty much everything in between. A jack-of-all-trades, a Ranger was usually all by himself or, rarely, in teams of two, with a small very specialized spaceship, hopping from planet to planet and asteroid mines. A Ranger, so I had heard, was on patrol for a year before he returned to base. Everyone I talked to about the Rangers talked with deep respect.

  "Put him on, Lieutenant."

  "This is Peter Baker, Union Ranger Service."

  "This is Acting Captain Olafson, USS Devastator. We are on our way in your area of space to check on your Dai sighting. Do you need anything?"

  "Is Richard still aboard that ship? I mean Admiral Stahl?"

  "Yes Sir."

  "I'll catch up with you one of these days then. I haven't seen that Ol' buckaroo in ages. Them Dai moved a gaggle of ships including a Mother into Union territory about an hour ago. I didn't want to tango with them. My Betsy is a good ship but no match for an entire Dai fleet."

  "Do you know where they’re heading?"

  "Nope, I don't have as far-reaching sensors as you Navy guys. I saw them on the very horizon of my sensors and hauled ass the other way. As I said, I am not equipped to deal with many Dai fighters. However I bet my best pair of boots they're heading to Crazy George's place, that Ol' goofball found more boron than you could haul away in that big ship of yours and bought himself a boron refinery. Now he's broadcasting it all over the place."

  "Do I assume correctly that Crazy George is one of the residents on Pleasant Pasture?"

  "Pleasant Pasture? Oh right, that's what it is still called in the catalogs. It's simply called the Pitts locally. The pasture thing didn't work out when the imported cows were eaten by local flesh worms. If you go there, wear boots I tell ya!"

  The Ranger was a big man, even looking at him via main screen, and he talked in a very peculiar way.

  "Thank you Ranger Baker. We are headed that way and I’ll make sure I have boots issued to eventual landing parties!"

  We arrived in the nick of time. The Dai fleet was immense and already in the system approaching the 3rd planet. Several Dai units had already engaged a convoy of civilian freighters, also heading towards the second planet! It was an entire clan: hundreds of destroyers, battleships, two carriers and a 15km-long Dai Mother, a huge ugly ship. It looked as if someone had stuck soap bubbles made of metal and of various sizes together in a random fashion, smaller bubbles to the bow and bigger ones towards the aft. The bubbles bristled with weapon turrets and the Mother was surrounded by a swarm of frigates and fighters.

  "Battle stations, red alert! Full shields! Tactical, arm all weapons, you are authorized for Exo Loads!"

  My entire body prickled with a strange sensation. This would be a real battle and, as big as the Devastator was, we faced an entire fleet!

  "Hail the Dai!"

  "Maximum output Sir? So they hear you for sure?"

  "You got that right, Lieutenant! Dial it up to max!"

  "This is Captain Eric Olafson of the Union Starship Devastator. Dai-Thaan you are to cease any and all hostile activities at once and stand down. This will be your one and only warning!"

  A red-skinned humanoid that looked very much like the classical Terran image of Satan appeared on the screen. It had space-black hair framing distinct, sharp-cut facial features and a mouth with pronounced canine fangs and long pointed ears. The only thing missing to complete the demonic look was a set of horns. He laughed. "Even if that mighty ship of yours was commanded by Captain Harris, or by that demon Stahl himself, we would not stand down! We are Dai and we will fight!"

  I made the motion to cut him off. "Flight deck, launch all fighter wings, circle around to the other side of the system and attack the Dai from there. Launch all Thor gun boats and destroyers! Deploy for half-moon formation and attack from the Z plane. Helm, all ahead full! Tactical, open fire with all weapons as soon as targets come within fire range. Main batteries to target that Mother, bring all Translocators to bear! Exo Loads, salvo tact! FIRE!"

  The Devastator shook and then shook again, right after the first tremor.

  "OPS damage report, deploy damage control teams. XO, casualties! Tactical you are authorized to fire Loki Torpedoes at any available target!"

  "OPS here! No damage. Shields are at 98%. No casualties! The tremors came from all main guns discharging Exo Loads at the same time, Sir."

  The Dai Mother was suddenly patterned with bright white lines all over and it was as if the metal bubbles expanded and then, in a blinding fireball, a new sun appeared where the Dai Mother was, and that fireball kept on growing and swallowed other Dai ships nearby. A constellation of a hundred new suns flashed to life all around us.

  I glanced over to the tactical officer and he was leaning back in his seat.

  "Tactical, do we have a technical problem? Why aren't we firing?"

  "Sir, there are no targets."

  "No targets?" I whispered, and looked at the tactical readout. The energy spheres slowly dissipated. There was not a single red dot left! There were the civilian freighters represented in blue, and hundreds of green symbols representing our fighters and gunboats. Dark brown dots showed obliterated, burning and completely lifeless wrecks, There was not a single red dot on the screen. I sank back in my seat beginning to realize the true power of the Devastator. My commands had eradicated an entire Dai clan, probably killing over 100,000 beings!

  I cleared my throat and said, "Maintain battle stations. Auxiliary craft and fighters, sweep system and scan for survivors. Comm., hail the freighters and dispatch medical and engineering away teams to assist."

  Harris got up and looked at me. "You sure showed them who’s boss, Sir!"

  He shook his head slowly. "Exo Loads in salvo tact."

  I noticed Stahl who came up the ramp. "He did get the job done that's for sure and perhaps holds the record for shortest space battle in history."

  Harris shrugged. "True enough Sir, our bomb magazines are probably halfway depleted but we have no casualties or damage on our side."

  The Admiral grinned. "Remind me not to make you angry, Captain Olafson."

  "Admiral, it was your choice to put me into this position. You gave me a very big ship and I did what I felt was right to protect Union assets, civilian lives and my crew."

  "I know I did, and this concludes your excursion into the Captain's realm. You are to stand down and return command to Mr. Harris. "

  "Aye, Sir!"

  I transferred command codes and Stahl verified it with his code and command.

  He then said, "Come with me, Mr. Olafson!"

  I followed him with the feeling I was in trouble.

  Outside Command and Control he said, "You did not do anything wrong. You warned the Dai and did it by the book. Harris thinks you used too much force. He might have fired a single Exo Load into the path of the Dai Mother and that might have taken the fight out of them, but you had command. Lives on the planet, aboard the freighters and our ship were at stake. You made the decisions and reached the objective, protecting Union lives and assets. If I felt you did anything wrong I would have interfered. I watched you very closely."

  I felt numb and the scope of what I had done was just becoming clearer by the moment. To be removed from command felt like a blow to the stomach.

  He did not seem to want an answer. "You are going through a roller coaster rid
e of emotions right now. I put you into shoes way too big for you and asked you to run right away. Just as you learned your first steps, I am pulling the floor away. Do you think I am being unjust or unfair to you? Perhaps you even hate me?"

  "Sir you are an Admiral, a living legend, Immortal and more god than man, especially for a Midshipman. What do you want me to tell you? Who am I to even open my mouth in your presence?"

  He grinned. "Sarcasm works just fine, perhaps you are right and I am a bit out of touch with what it means to be human. I feel human and I don't feel special but I am a realist and I know what I am and how I am perceived by others."

  He reached a door and he motioned me to follow him inside. It was the Admiral’s private quarters.

  The light was subdued and it did not come from the usual indirect light sources but from old-fashioned, shaded, brass lamps. There was a wooden desk and a leather chair that didn't seem to have any tech incorporated.

  The desk was littered with real books and the walls had shelves filled with mementos and souvenirs of a career spanning 3,000 years. I could not identify any of them. The wall behind his desk was decorated with weapons and a red flag was standing in one corner, folded so I could not see what it displayed.

  "What is your poison, son?"

  "Sir, I am from Nilfeheim, and I am pretty much human standard except for gills and improved eyesight. We are not poisonous."

  He laughed. "No, I mean what do you drink? Do you smoke? Rec. drugs?"

  "No recreational drugs, Sir, Neo Vikings frown on them. I know smoking is a Terra pre-Astro fashion, I have seen Admiral McElligott do it, but I have not tried. Well I do drink beer, ale or mead once in a while and I like a good aquavit occasionally."

  "Good to hear. Before the Galactic Ascent my people were famous for making beer and that's what I like. Over there in that cabinet are cold ones. Grab two of them and sit down for a moment."

  I took two beer bottles; they were old-fashioned glass bottles just like the beer that came from Holstein. The writing on it looked like Holstein writing too, and I had no idea what it said but I was certain it was beer.