NO TIME FOR GLORY (SOLBIDYUM WARS SAGA Book 8)

by Dale Musser

  I took a deep breath. “Order all warships with a clear line of sight to open fire on the planet when I fire from the FAZTA’MINA,” I said to Marranalis.

  I was trembling. Glomar Rosa stood alone in the vid screen before me. The precious lives of billions of men, women and children would be snuffed out in a split second at the press of a button. Fiery tears flooded my eyes as I silently asked for their forgiveness. I clenched my teeth in outrage over what I was being forced to do – all because a foolish admiral was blinded by his pride and his lust for fame and glory. As my trembling finger met the button, I prayed to a deity I wasn’t sure existed; but at that moment I hoped with all my heart that he did and that he would have mercy on the souls of the people below.

  I closed my eyes and pressed the button.

  Choked sobs and gasps filled the War Room. I opened my eyes to see the PLABE beam and streams of laser fire converging on Glomar Rosa. Within seconds the planet had become a glowing red ball as clouds of smoke and vapor filled its atmosphere.

  Then, without warning, the entire planet exploded.

  I was frozen before the screen as molten chunks were ejected into space. Sobs and gasps gave way to screams of horror; yet I couldn’t even breathe to make a sound. I could only stare in disbelief at the spectacle that was unfolding before me – but it was undeniable. What I saw through my streaming tears was the scene illustrated in the damaged fresco at Eh‑Netta.

  “By the stars…” exclaimed Admiral Windangar as he walked up beside me. “The entire planet is gone.”

  The red-hot debris expanded outward with such force that the planet’s moons became indistinguishable from the fragments of planet. The forewarned Federation fighters retreated successfully from the deadly projectiles, but the Brotherhood was completely unprepared for this turn of events. Hundreds of Brotherhood warships were consumed in fiery collisions with the fragments that began to overtake them.

  I forced myself to break away from the vid screen. “Marranalis, what are the remaining Brotherhood ships doing?” I asked quickly.

  “Nothing, sir. They’re all at a standstill.”

  “Order all ships and fighters to attack immediately!”

  “Admiral, why did they stop?” asked Admiral Windangar.

  “I imagine they’re as stunned as we are by the destruction of the planet and don’t know what to do. In a moment they’ll either return to fighting again or, if we’re lucky, they’ll turn and run.”

  I discharged my control of the firing console and returned to the 3D display. “Now, Admiral, if you would kindly instruct your captain to determine the coordinates of the asteroid-ships, beginning with the largest, and use the PLABE to blow those bastards up.”

  “Yes, sir,” responded Windanger.

  Everyone in the war room stood in awe before the display as the FAZTA’MINA began targeting and destroying one asteroid-ship after another. The destructive power of the PLABE was beyond belief.

  The battle lasted about another twenty minutes before Marranalis announced, “Admiral, it looks like the Brotherhood ships are splitting into groups and retreating from the battle.”

  My shoulders relaxed and I breathed out a sigh of relief. “Thank the stars. I think we may survive. Tell the fighters to fire at any threats, but to otherwise let their ships leave. We need to focus on locating any fleet personnel that may have survived and figuring out what to do with our dead ships. We may just have to destroy some of them to prevent the risk of the Brotherhood returning to salvage any technology or mine any data.”

  Marranalis leaned over near me and whispered, “Admiral, are you alright? You’re trembling and sweating and I see you’ve taken a hit to your body armor. You’re favoring that shoulder.”

  “I took a laser hit on Domagota. I’m burned, I’m sure, but nothing serious. And no, Marranalis, I’m not alright. I just killed billions of innocent people. I will never be alright again. However, if you mean am I having problems related to the other condition, the answer is no.”

  “Yes, sir. I understand, sir,” he answered. “In any case, I think you need to have that shoulder looked at. I'll call you a medic.”

  As we waited for the medic to respond, we watched the Brotherhood ships as they continued to collect into defensive formations and leave in various directions. I could tell that Marranalis was still keeping a concerned eye on me.

  “Sir, why do you think the planet exploded?” he asked. “I mean, you said when A’Lappe demonstrated the weapon’s capability, it just burned a hole through the test asteroid.”

  “I don’t know. I suppose the PLABE beam could have struck a large deposit of underground water. The superheated water could have expanded rapidly enough to initiate the process; but then again, it could have been something else altogether. We may never know.”

  A medic arrived moments later. I wasn’t about to leave, so I sat shirtless and looked over the incoming status reports, while the medic examined my shoulder and a few of the more significant cuts and bruises I suffered during my scuffle with the goliath in the tunnel. The laser injury turned out to be little more than a second-degree burn. The medic cleaned up the cuts, treated the burn with an analgesic and told me I would be alright in a day.

  Over the next hour, I received several calls from the other admirals, who offered congratulations on saving the fleet and thanks for coming to their aid. I stoically accepted their thanks; but deep inside, the congratulations and praise cut into my soul like a sharp knife stabbing me in the heart. I felt the weight of the lives this victory had cost and I wondered how I would live with the knowledge that they had died at my hand.

  I went into an office to be alone. The moment the doors closed, I began to sob uncontrollably. What I had just done had to be the most egregious act against human life in all of history. Weighing those lives against the trillions more that had been saved did little to ease the very real pain I felt in my chest.

  A few moments later, Marranalis called me to say that Admiral Wabussie wished to see me.

  “Wabussie is here?” I stammered as I tried to compose myself.

  “Yes, sir. He came through the FAZTA’MINA Cantolla Gate a few moments ago.”

  “Alright,” I said, taking a moment to adjust my clothing a bit and dry my tears. “Send him in.”

  When Wabussie arrived, he was visibly taken aback at my condition. “Admiral, are you alright? You look terrible,” he asked.

  “How should one look after just murdering several billion innocent people?” I asked bitterly.

  “I’m sorry, Admiral. I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re feeling. I know it was the only solution, but I don’t think I could have done what you did. Fortunately, it worked and the Federation survives to fight another day. What happened to your body armor? It looks like you took a laser hit.”

  “It did,” I said. “On Domagota.”

  “Domagota! So you did go after Ming! I thought you might. What happened? Did you get him?”

  I quickly related the events of what happened right up until he arrived and then asked, “So what brings you here, Admiral?

  “Official business, I’m afraid. There will need to be a full investigation of this event. News of the destruction of Glomar Rosa had barely reached the Senate before I received orders to launch a thorough FSO investigation into every detail of what happened. They have issued the same orders to the FOI. Apparently they want to compare the reports for consistency. The news is just now breaking in the Federation news broadcasts and people are in a panic. Some of the Brotherhood ships that passed through the stellar Cantolla Gates before they were ordered closed have wreaked havoc on Federation planets in every sector. With most of the Federation fleet ships tied up here, they were left to their planetary defenses to fight off the Brotherhood attacks. The entire Federation is in tumult, and you can be sure everyone is going to want answers.”

  “I imagine so,” I said sadly.

  “One thing more, Admiral," he said stiffly as he cleared his t
hroat. “By order of the Senate, you are suspended from duty until everything is resolved. I’ve been ordered to escort you back to the Capitol, where you are to remain until the investigation is completed.”

  “Yes, I more or less figured as much,” I replied quietly. “Will I be imprisoned, or will I be allowed to stay at my estate?”

  “You’re free to go where you wish, so long as you stay on Megelleon,” he said. “You will be called in periodically during the investigation for questioning before the Senate.”

  I expected to be called in before a Senate tribunal as soon as we returned to Megelleon, but I wasn’t. I was simply told to go home and stay there until summoned. I was given a document detailing the senatorial order, complete with official signatures and seals. Nothing more. I was back at the estate only about twenty minutes before Kala showed up. I had just showered and was about to dress when Kala entered the bedroom in a rush.

  “Tib, are you alright? Marranalis contacted me and told me what happened. Oh, my! You’re all bruised! What happened to your shoulder? Is that a burn? By the stars, Tib, what happened?!” she blurted through her tears so rapidly I didn’t have a chance to answer. Finally, she calmed herself enough for me to speak.

  “I’m alright – or at least, I will be. I took a laser hit on Domagota. My body armor took the brunt of it, but I did get a bit of a burn. The rest you see is the result of hand-to-hand combat with a guy about the size of a drodoceal.

  “Kala, Admiral Regeny is dead. As I feared, the Brotherhood got word of his plans for Glomar Rosa and was prepared with a huge ambush when the fleet arrived. The fleet is in shambles. I have no idea at the moment how many ships were lost – over a third at least. Kala, I had to blow up the planet to save the fleet and the Federation. Several billion lives, Kala – innocent people who were just prisoners.” I started to sob as I collapsed onto the bed.

  “Oh, Tib,” Kala exclaimed as she cried with me. “Tell me what happened.”

  “Ming got away is what happened; and just as he was escaping, I received a call from Admiral Windangar that Regeny was dead, the fleet was in chaos and was being decimated, and they needed me. I transferred using the Cantolla Gate on the MAXETTE to the FAZTA’MINA. Kala, it was bad. Really bad.

  “As soon as I got there, I took command and got the fleet into some semblance of order. The MAXETTE was still at Domagota and it would take hours for it to get back into Federation space. Regeny, like a fool, left all the stellar Cantolla Gates open when the fleet went to Glomar Rosa and then the Brotherhood maneuvered their forces between the gate and our fleet. They were trapped, Kala. To make matters worse, the Brotherhood used the open gates to send their ships into other Federation sectors where there now was only a handful of Federation ships left as defenses. I still have no idea how bad that is.

  “I transferred as many fighters as I could muster between the MAXETTE and the FAZTA’MINA via the hangar launch tube gates. That, of course, included our private fighters and new ships piloted by the androids. The only way I could see to rescue the fleet and protect the Federation was to fire heavily on Glomar Rosa and hope the Brotherhood would flee. The entire planet exploded, Kala. Everything is gone!

  “So now I’m more or less under house arrest until the Senate decides whether they’re going to imprison me or just strip me of all rank and leave me in disgrace.”

  “Oh, Tib,” Kala cried. “I know that whatever you did it was the only thing that you could have done. I’m sure the Senate will see that.”

  “Don’t be so sure, Kala. I’ve been called before them too many times now and it's starting to look like I’m really guilty of something, just because it keeps happening. Sooner or later, they were bound find me to blame for something and this time they have solid ground to stand on. There’s no denying that I disobeyed Regeny’s orders, as well as the Senate’s, by going to Domagota and by forming an alliance with the androids and bringing them into the battle. I don’t think I’ll get out of this one. I just hope that Lunnie and Reide will understand.”

  “I have no doubt that they will. They idolize you, Tib. I don’t think there’s anything you could do that they would see as wrong.”

  After I dressed we went into the living room and turned on the vid screen to see how the news media was reporting the events. As soon as I turned on the screen, I saw a male reporter standing in front of a background scene of damaged spaceships scattered amidst the floating debris from what was left of Glomar Rosa.

  “…still unclear what happened or why Admiral Tibby wasn’t with the fleet at the time the battle began at Glomar Rosa. Unnamed sources within the military hint that, for reasons unknown, Admiral Regeny ordered Admiral Tibby not to participate in the planning or execution of the offensive, which involved an armada consisting of nearly the entire Federation fleet. Apparently, Admiral Tibby had been ordered to restrict his movements to Sector 1 and maintain security around the Capitol for the duration of the conflict, which Admiral Regeny originally anticipated would conclude swiftly.

  “However, we have conflicting information that indicates Admiral Tibby’s flagship, the MAXETTE, was not in Sector 1 at the time of the attack. The exact whereabouts of the MAXETTE and Admiral Tibby during that time is yet unknown. It was not until after Admiral Regeny had been killed that Admiral Tibby responded to Glomar Rosa to take command of the battle. Current reports imply that he transferred to the combat zone from an unknown and undocumented location.

  The reporter paused briefly to listen to his earbud com. “We have now confirmed with our sources on Megelleon that Admiral Tibby has been temporarily removed from command as the Senate investigates the matter. It’s unclear just why the Senate has taken this action, as our sources advise there is a consensus among all military personnel involved in the battle that the Federation’s fleet would have been completely destroyed without the intervention and actions of Admiral Tibby. Without the surviving fleet, the Federation would now be left virtually undefended against further attacks from the Brotherhood.

  “Elsewhere, citizens around the Federation are in shock over the destruction of Glomar Rosa and the decimation of the fleet. Many fear that the Federation’s profoundly weakened military resources will be insufficient to defend all the worlds of the Federation from the Brotherhood onslaught.”

  There was more, but I didn’t get to hear it, as Jenira came flying through the door, signing rapidly as she rushed over to me. “Padaran told me what happened. Are you alright? He said you took a laser hit.”

  “Yes, I’m alright, just a slight burn; that's all.”

  “Padaran said you fought a giant and killed him in hand-to-hand combat,” Jenira signed.

  “Well, he certainly looked like a giant; and hitting him was like hitting a rock. He was actually winning, until I got lucky and kicked him. He fell on top of his own sword.”

  “Do you think if you hadn’t encountered him you might have gotten Ming?” asked Jenira.

  “I don’t know. By the time we fought our way through the palace, he had gained a good deal of distanced between himself and us. We thought we were catching up, but Ming used a monorail to get through the tunnel leading to his escape ship and the best we could do was chase after him on foot. Even without the skirmish with my giant opponent, I don’t think we would have been able to get to him in time.”

  “You tried. That's what counts,” Jenira signed fiercely.

  Of course, I had to repeat the entire story to Jenira. No sooner did I finish than Lunnie showed up and I had to go through the entire story again.

  I was just finishing when Kala said, “Tib, when was the last time you had something to eat?”

  “I honestly don’t know. Sometime before the battles started.”

  “Tib, do you realize that was nearly two days ago? When did you sleep last?”

  “Sometime before going to Domagota, I think.”

  “Well you’re going to have something to eat right now and then you're going to bed. Jenira, I’m counting on you to s
ee to it that he’s not disturbed. Understood?”

  Jenira nodded and marched out the door. I suspect she stayed there outside the suite until after I woke the next day.

  The next two days were strange. I had no idea what to do with my time. Mostly, I brooded over the events, wondering what I should have done differently that might have changed the outcome. Of course, Doctor Hughes was more than happy to offer his services to me. He sat quietly one morning as I described all that had happened in the weeks leading up to my decision to attack Domagota and the details of the battles themselves. He said little and asked few questions, allowing me to mingle my motives and emotions with the chronology of events. When I finally described my arrival at Glomar Rosa and the decision to fire at the planet, he began to get pale. When I told him the outcome, he said nothing. By the time I left his office, he appeared ill, and for the first time, he didn’t offer to set an appointment for a follow-up visit.

  Early that afternoon I was notified that I would sit before the Senate Committee the next day. I was also due for a treatment; so, given the circumstances, A’Lappe made a rare exception to his rule about not leaving the NEW ORLEANS and came to the estate house in the late afternoon to administer the therapy. We began the treatment a bit earlier than usual, in hopes that the aftereffects would be largely resolved by the time the inquiry commenced.

  I arrived at the Capitol Station hearing room the next morning, only to find that the inquiry was moving to a larger venue. When I found out why, I was quite surprised. The actual review board consisted of just twenty senators, but other senators were permitted to attend the inquiry as silent observers. Because of the large turnout, the event had to be moved from the regular hearing room to the main Senate Hall. From my point of view, the committee had just morphed from a conventional inquiry panel into an assembly of judges – and the situation did not appear to be in my favor.

  I was fitted with the truth band, seated in the chair and sworn in for testimony. The first question asked of me was why Admiral Regeny had excluded me from the invasion at Glomar Rosa. I related the events as I recalled them. I was asked my whereabouts at the time of the invasion and I answered honestly about pursuing Ming at Domagota, knowing that the attack at Glomar Rosa would prompt him to flee to a new hideout. I expected a lot of questions about this venture, but there were none. I related everything that unfolded after my arrival on the FAZTA’MINA in as much detail as I could remember. As I spoke, the committee and attending senators sat stoically, listening to my words and hearing the agony in my voice that I tried so hard to conceal. Again, I expected to be inundated with questions, but there were only two – both posed by one Senator.