Barf made a sub-conscious connection to danger in just enough time to grasp the female stick insect he was romancing in a fierce hug. His belt shifted to a protection suit an instant later, surrounding them both. They bounced their way down several decks before splashing down in a hotel swimming pool. The suit remained, so he told his companion not to move, and wait quietly with him until danger passed. She didn’t have a lot of options, considering neither of them could move.
Jane was in her suite on Concorde. Darlene was in the Armoury, her suite, the main storeroom, and the ship's computer room. The entire dock area exploded, and the ship fell away into space, propelled in the direction the explosive force was traveling, and explosively decompressing, since the airlock had been left open as a show of good faith in station security.
"Shit!" yelled Jane, as she took control of the ship, while racing for the Bridge. "You okay Darlene?"
"I'm fine. What happened?"
"No idea, but we're falling freely in space, so at a guess, someone blew up the docking area."
"Why would they do that?"
"Someone didn’t like the dock is my guess."
"Us you mean?"
"Probably. Looks like there were other explosions inside the station as well."
"Patrick!" yelled Darlene.
"I'm okay Hun. I can't move, but I'm not hurt."
"Where are you?" asked Jane.
"Somewhere under where our embassy suite used to be."
"Stay put then, I'm sending you some help."
"What part of I can't move, did you not understand?"
"All of it. Hang tight. We have other problems."
Concorde was back under control now, Jane was in her chair, and the ship was angling back towards what was left of the dock. She came in as close as she dared. The entire dock area was destroyed, as well as parts of the adjoining docks. The whole area had decompressed, and she could see bodies floating around, both inside and outside the station.
Twenty combat droids flung their weapons down on the deck, shifted into a squad of marines in space suits, and jumped across. The six combat suits did the same. The airlock closed behind them, and Jane began the process of airing up the ship from reserves. She first sealed off the cargo deck, and began airing there. It wasn’t complete, but enough to keep people alive, when the first droids cycled back in with beings who were still alive, and went back for more.
Cargo droids began bringing in bedding, and placed injured beings on something softer than deck. Search and Rescue droids began launching out the droid airlock to search for survivors out in space, or to collect bodies.
Darlene raced out of the Armoury and began checking beings for severe injuries, giving orders to cargo droids to take those who needed immediate help to care units, and ordering all the portable care units brought to her as fast as possible.
Jane observed, but was paying more attention to the combat suits. The bulkheads for the adjoining areas had all sealed, but there were several holes between them, where the station air was rushing out. The combat suits dived through one of them. Jane sent repair droids to seal the gaps, using portable airlocks, which would allow rescuers to come and go from the station more easily.
On the other side, they found a dozen Owls with rifles. They started shooting immediately, but the combat suits ignored the hits they took, as the metal bounced off them without leaving a dent. The suits split up, each taking two Owls, and within a minute there were twelve dead Owls, each with its face bashed in. The combat suits started running for Walsh's location.
Jane located Barf's tablet, and was relieved to find it responding.
"You okay Barf?" she sent it.
"It's cold, it's wet, and I'm hugging a female inside your protection suit. I’d say I'm doing very well Admiral."
Next she located Pink. Its tablet was also responding.
"Pink thinks some very good friends are now dead, and working for you has saved my life. Get me out of here, wherever I am."
"Help is on the way."
The combat suits split up into three groups. Beings of all kinds reacted in varying degrees of fear as these huge, solid, human looking things, rushed past them. They breathed a sigh of relief after they were gone, and began speculating as to what they were.
Two of them dug Walsh out. As soon as he could stand, one of them opened at the back, and he stepped inside. They used sensors to locate trapped beings, and started moving debris off them. They were soon joined by station rescue and security beings, the area was quickly searched, and the wounded rushed to hospitals.
Pink was pulled out of the hole he was at the bottom of, and set down in the remains of a corridor. Its suit shifted back to a belt, but it wasn’t able to do much more than sit there. There was no sign of either its friends, or its bearers. Jane noticed its helplessness, and asked if it would like to be carried somewhere.
"Pink wishes it could help with the search for survivors."
"I think we can manage that."
One of the combat suits picked up Pink, while the other turned around and the back opened. Pink was stuffed inside. It was a bit tight in there for it, but the suit changed to hold it in the torso area. A hollo screen appeared in front of it, and Pink wiggled itself around so it allowed it to see what was going on outside.
"Just give the suit voice orders," Jane told it through the suit coms. "It will do whatever you tell it to."
"Find the nearest survivor," said Pink.
The suit immediately moved off, followed by the second one.
The remaining two combat suits pulled Barf and companion out of the water. The suit shifted back to a belt and they both fell over. The combat suits left them there, heading for the nearest trapped being.
"Station Control to Concorde, what is your status?"
"Control," said Jane, "we've had an explosive decompression when the dock was blown, but the ship is undamaged. We suffered no casualties, but the dock area has. I have several dozen wounded beings on board now, but no medical expertise for most of them. We are also collecting the dead. Can you direct me to an undamaged dock close by a medical facility?"
"Sending you a docking assignment."
The map popped up, showing a blob not too far around the station from where she was. She checked sensors and found all the living were now aboard. She called back the combat droids.
As soon as they were all aboard, she backed Concorde away from the station, twirled her around, and set out for the new dock. Shortly after, the ship was once again docked, and medical teams streamed onto the ship as soon as the ramp stopped moving out.
Walsh arrived back on board as the last of the corpses was being removed, having seen Pink and Barf to safe locations. Darlene met him at the top of the ramp, pulled him out the back of the combat suit, and they hugged. The six combat suits walked into the Armoury. The ramp retracted, and the airlock closed.
"There's no time for that," said Jane over the coms. "Get up here, we have a new problem."
"There's always time for that," said Walsh.
"There's always a new problem," said Darlene.
But the two of them ran for the access shaft. By the time they reached the Bridge, Concorde had undocked, and was now moving out towards Concorde's Ride. Walsh checked the HUD.
"Did we plant a comnavsat on all the jump points in this system?"
"Yes. I sent a Lightning around after we arrived. I don’t like being blind. This is why."
The HUD was showing a large fleet jumping in from one of the other two jump points.
"Are they hostile?"
"What do you think?"
"I'm not sure what I think, but I see a dozen system defense warships heading towards the jump point. They look a bit overmatched."
They were also spread across the whole system, and only two of them were anywhere near close to the jump point the enemy was using.
"And at the jump point?"
"Not Owl ships, but similar configurations. An ally?"
; "Could be."
"What do they want?"
"I'll give you one guess."
"Us."
Sixty
A channel opened from the lead warship. It was broadcasting wide across the whole system. An Owl stood next to a being which looked rather like a Bat. Walsh remembered one of them being a few seats down from the Owl in the council chamber.
"The Galactic Council of Sector Ten has committed a grave error in accepting the Human terrorists as members. We demand the immediate surrender of the Human ships, any Human survivors of the bombing of the station, and the beings who have allied with them. Failure to comply by the time we are in orbit will result in the destruction of the station, and we will take the Human ships by force."
The channel closed abruptly.
"Why are the arrogant always so stupid?" asked Jane.
"You really want an answer?" asked Darlene.
"No. Just mouthing off."
Concorde reached her Ride, and began docking in the hanger.
"Is that who I think it is?" asked Walsh.
He was pointing to the HUD, where a Cruiser sized ship had detached from the station and was now accelerating towards the same jump point as the other defense ships.
Another channel opened. Red face looked defiant. A stream of orders went out to the defense ships, and instead of attack profiles for single attacks, they changed directions and speeds to join up as a fleet, with red face's ship to be in the vanguard.
"Interesting," said Walsh. "They included us in the transmission of orders, but didn’t give us any."
Jane didn’t get time to comment.
Another channel opened, this time from the station. Ganshura looked the worse for wear, but was at least alive. A slow trickle of yellow-orange dripped down his trunk, and he absently wiped at it with a cloth.
"I am relieved to see you all unharmed," he said. "The explosions targeted every ambassador in the top twenty ranks, but you in particular. They used about ten times the amount of explosives for the ones for your embassy, dock, and the two places hit where your employees were. They wanted as many of us dead as possible, but were not taking any chances of you surviving. How did you?"
"Body armour," said Walsh, managing to keep a straight face.
"I will accept that for now, but there are too many rumours going around about you at the moment, to accept it in the longer term. One of them suggests there were a lot more people on your ship than you had us believe."
"So it would have appeared," said Jane. "How can we help?"
"Are you able to help?"
"Yes."
"Are you prepared to join our forces in repelling this fleet?"
"Sorry no."
Ganshura looked shocked.
"You should recall your forces before they get hurt, and I'll take care of it."
Shock turned to confusion.
"They're fleet numbers over fifty ships now."
"Not a problem. The only question is if you want them damaged, or dust?"
"Which is easier?
"Dust."
"You're serious?"
"Overkill resulting in dust is easy. Surgically taking out each ship to minimize casualties, while neutralizing the ship itself, takes a lot more effort."
"Dust then. It will solve more than one problem."
"Who are they?"
"Allies of the Owls. They distribute their drug all over sector ten and beyond. Also hired muscle for systems the Owls want addicted, which try to resist. The Owls main problem is they are too remote to deal with most species and systems themselves. What your translator calls a Bat, is their biggest supporter, and as a species, are little more than hired thugs."
"Seventy five ships now," said Walsh.
"Are you sure you can handle them all at once?"
"No problem," said Jane. "All I need is the authorization."
"Admiral Jane Hunter, you are temporarily appointed to the Sector Ten Defense Force, and charged with the defense of this system in general, and this station in particular. As senior officer in system, you will take charge of the defenses, and are authorized to destroy enemy ships as you see fit. Do you accept the appointment and charge?"
"I do. Do you want the Owl on the flagship?"
"No. We have the Ambassador in custody now. The one on the ship is one of their nastier operators. Good riddance."
"Orders accepted Council Leader."
"I will advise all ships of the change in command. You may issue orders immediately after."
Jane nodded, Ganshura nodded, and the channel closed.
"Who's that suicidal idiot?" asked Darlene.
"Where?" asked Jane and Walsh at the same time.
She pointed at the HUD, where off to one side of the fleet organizing itself into squadrons, a single defense ship was still flying straight at them. Before they could do anything, missiles launched from a dozen of the Bat's ships, and as they watched, their target exploded. It had taken several minutes, and the defense ship hadn't even tried to evade.
"Hostile intent established," said Jane. "It appears we have a Bat droppings problem in this system. Let's go clean it up. Buckle up."
She pushed the speed slider to full speed, and Concorde's Ride began accelerating towards the enemy fleet.
A channel opened from the local's flagship.
"Orders Admiral?" asked red face.
"Stand down your fleet Admiral. There is no point in any of your people getting hurt, or your ships damaged or destroyed. You've lost one already. I see no point in meaningless deaths."
"With all due respect Admiral, we would prefer not to stand down. I appreciate your ship is superior, but you are severely outnumbered."
"It only looks that way. Tell you what, you'll be well behind us still when the battle is over. Keep heading that way, in case there are survivors worth rescuing. My ships are not equipped for them. I have the equipment for rescue, but not enough life support for more than a few."
Concorde's Ride blew past red face's flagship and left it behind. Jane saw his eyes go to a screen and back to her, showing he'd seen how fast they were going. In spite of experiencing it a few days before, he still didn’t have a full understanding of it.
"It shall be as you order Admiral. See you at the jump point."
The channel closed.
They intercepted the now one hundred strong fleet nearly two hours later. The fleet itself was a good day away from the station, and most of the defense fleet were a similar distance behind now. At their speed. Had it just been them, they would have formed into a single fleet, with the exception of two which were too far behind to get there in time, and met the enemy fleet half way. It would have been a slaughter. The last two would have gone the same way as the first one already had, when they finally caught up.
Jane put her game face on. The slaughter was about to go the other way. She wasn’t very happy about it, but she had orders now. Besides, there were dead beings calling out for payback.
"Do you want me to take some of the ships?" asked Walsh.
"No, I'm good. Once the ships separate, don’t jog my elbow for a bit. I need to plan this carefully."
"Understood. No elbows."
Darlene got up, walked over to him, and mock slapped him across the head. She returned to her seat, and buckled up again. The ship slowed.
Just outside of Battleship gun range, Concorde's Ride stopped. The six ships undocked from each other, and took up a circle formation. Turrets adjusted heights, so all of them could fire forward at the same time. Each turret was assigned a ship. Capital ship missile launchers were given specific targets.
Jane goosed the ships forward, just enough to allow the gap to close at a reasonable speed.
At Jane's longest gun range, the enemy fired first. Missiles launched from each ship. Jane smiled, and stopped her ships. She deliberately let them come on.
A single missile launched from the enemy flagship, which immediately brought up an alarm.
"They have a n
uke," said Walsh.
Jane lost her smile, and fired off a single mosquito missile. It was going five times faster than the enemy missiles, and shot past them too fast for anyone to track but Jane.
The nuke exploded, destroying the flagship, and its squadron.
"That was a really dirty nuke," said Darlene. "I'm surprised they could even build one that bad."
"Just as well the other ships are so far behind us," said Walsh. "We'll have time to clean up the area before they arrive."
The local ships didn’t have the shielding for a dirty nuke saturated area of space. Walsh was just stating the obvious.
Jane waited. The missiles came on. Still Jane waited. Finally, she let loose the point defense turrets, and every single missile died well before their shields.
The enemy fired again, still out of range of their rail guns.
Jane pulled her trigger, and sent the instructions for all turrets to fire, and missiles to launch.
She waited while the guns recharged, and fired another complete broadside of missiles as soon as the launchers were ready.
The first pulses began hitting home as the second set fired.
The second set hit home as the third fired.
The enemy missiles were again destroyed by the point defense turrets.
There wasn’t a fourth firing of the guns. The missile launchers had launched eight times.
Space in front of them was now a debris field.
"Damn," said Jane.
"What?" asked Walsh.
"I forgot to warn them."
Sixty One
"Why do you care?" asked Darlene.
"What?"
"Why does not wanting to kill them matter to you?"
"Shouldn’t it?"
"Yes, it should, but why does it? You’re not human. Yet you react like the most spiritual human I've ever met. More so even. You have more compassion than a whole university of people."
"Shouldn’t I?"
"Of course, but why do you care? Not just about what happens back home, but you care about not killing beings which are asking to be killed. You care about beings you just met, enough to give them enough protection to not be killed. You’re a robot, not a person. You've software, not a brain. Someone programmed you originally. How did caring get included in who you are?"
Admiral Jane (A.I. Destiny Book 1) Page 25
