by Francis, Ron
Deep Space Endeavor:
Book one: Saving Kaldor
By: Ron Francis
Special thanks to:
Tom, Jo Ann and Mike for all of the help and input you gave me for this project. Laurie and Dad, for your input and encouragement. Brian for your editing skills and Mike for a great cover. Of course, thanks to God for enabling me to think creatively.
Disclaimer: While there are military elements to this novel, I do not consider it to be military science fiction. To avoid confusion, I have included the military ranking systems of the three branches of the Coalition Armed Forces; The Coalition Army (which controls the individual planetary defense forces), the Space Marines and Naval Command. These are similar but not exact replicas of the ranking systems of the United States armed forces. Some ranks have been skipped, while ranks that do not exist in our military have been added. Some of the ranks listed here may not appear in this novel.
Army/Space Marines
Commanding General
General
Brigadier General
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
Master Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Officer
Specialist
Crewman
Private
Naval Command
Fleet Admiral
Admiral
Vice Admiral
Captain
Commander
Squadron Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant
Lancer
Ensign
Midshipman
Officer Apprentice
Chief Petty Officer
Petty Officer
Recruit
Personnel
Colonel Jesse Marcos: Endeavor's Commanding Officer
Lieutenant Josiah Jackson: Endeavor’s First Mate
Doctor Susanne Baker: Endeavor’s Medical Officer
Lieutenant Collin Torrensede: Endeavor’s Pilot and Engineer
Officer Kimiko Tamanorra: Endeavor’s Weapons Officer
SAMMI: Secure Artificial Man-Made Intelligence
Reece Gavin: Private Protection Specialist,
Captain Cassyanna Reed: Captain of the Catamaran
Wennagal: First Mate of the Catamaran
Kora: Sensors Officer of the Catamaran
Enso Reed: Engineer of the Catamaran
Tarrick Valinor: Mayor of Kaldor City
Agent Sandstorm: Kaldorian Government Special Agent
Mighty Garrinoras: Pirate Leader
Captain Janus: Pirate Captain of the Pillager
Eliphaz Topanar: Kaldor City Sub-Mayor
Captain Joldas Topanar: Captain Kaldor City Law Enforcement
Prologue
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Twenty-five thousand years ago a great war raged in the Kalephi galaxy. During the battle for Kaldor, a phenomenon was discovered in the outskirts of the Kaldorian system. Several ships retreating from battle disappeared into the phenomenon, never to be heard from again. After several hundred years, it was discovered that this phenomenon occurs every one hundred thirty-six years. In a daring experiment, a scientist began sending probes through the event, knowing that he would not live to see the results, but that his descendants might. When three of the probes returned one hundred thirty-six years later, scientists decided there was something on the other side of the event. Over the next thirteen hundred and sixty years, ten pilgrimages were made through the phenomenon. Eventually, some of the ancestors of these people began to come back. They were known as star jumpers. Shortly after the return of the star jumpers, however, war once again consumed the galaxy and the star jumpers were eventually lost to legend.
Four hundred eight years ago, Dr. Stephen Hightower unexpectedly found himself in the Kalephi galaxy. The planet Polisia was being scouted by his exploratory vessel, Archimedes, as a potential site for colonization when the accidental detour occurred. All of the planets in the Polisian solar system aligned to create a phenomenon which Dr. Hightower later called a matter conduit though space. For reasons unknown, the planetary alignment induced an event that caused instantaneous travel to the Kalephi galaxy. Archimedes' computer was able to identify the energy signature preceding the event, which made it possible for Hightower to load the specifications into Archimedes sensor array to alert him if the same or a similar energy reading would ever be detected again. During his time in the Kalephi galaxy, he made frequent trips back to the Kaldorian system where his ship had first emerged from the event. His diligence was rewarded fourteen months later when the sensor array picked up the same energy signature building up. Eight days later, the matter conduit opened and Hightower was back in the Polisian system. Earth and all of her colonies were understandably excited about the return of the Archimedes with Dr. Hightower aboard, but many doubted his accounts of what had happened. When he claimed he had met both humans and aliens and that they spoke a language similar to ours, people began to think his ordeal had driven him insane. When he claimed that humans from the Kalephi galaxy had originally settled Earth over twenty thousand years ago, most of the scientific community ceased seeing him as a credible source for anything. His accounts of where he had gone and what had happened seemed to be long on hyperbole and short on proof. Still, there were some that believed his claims and continued his work. One hundred thirty-six years later, the energy readings were back in the Polisian system. Sure enough, the same readings were back once again, one hundred thirty-six years ago, when the planets in the Polisian system aligned.
Chapter one
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“Is everyone alright? Can anyone hear me?” Jesse called into the darkness. Where are we? he wondered as the warning klaxons blared in the background. He tried to stand, but dizziness quickly brought him to his knees. He found himself contemplating if it were possible to see a room spinning in complete darkness.
What happened? He was dizzy and confused. He knew he was still aboard Endeavor by the distinct sound of the klaxons shooting new streams of pain through his throbbing head. He did not, however, know where Endeavor was, what had caused its current situation, or what that situation was.
If only I knew what was going on. Emergency life support was holding, and that was a good sign. Nothing else seemed to be working though, and he knew he couldn't just sit around. I need to get up and find the emergency lighting.
He tried again to stand, this time a little more slowly. As he began to walk gingerly, he noticed that his knee was not responding to his subconscious command to bend. He also felt liquid streaming slowly down his face. He couldn't see it, but he knew it was most likely blood. I’ll need to have Suzy take a look at me once I get this situation sorted, he thought.
As he began making his way slowly through the darkness, he tried to recall what had happened. He remembered leaving Earth aboard Endeavor on a voluntary exploration mission to the fabled Kalephi galaxy. He remembered dropping out of light space at the planet Polisia to meet up with his sister Nina, her husband Serge and his cousin Ariel. As the haze began to clear from his mind, the facts began to clear up as well. His thoughts drifted back to three days earlier
______
Three days earlier....
Colonel Jesse Marcos entered the bridge of his new ship, Endeavor. He and his crew were getting ready to make history or at least attempt to make history. The Jarlevian War had finally ended, the Pack had long since been defeated, and now it was time to find out once and for all where humanity had come from. Was Earth their birthplace or had they traveled here from another galaxy some twenty thousand years ago, as Dr. Stephen Hightower had claimed? Jesse's
sister was convinced Hightower had been right, and Jesse had volunteered for the fourteen month mission through the matter conduit. He and his crew would be traveling to the unknown galaxy, but they did have Dr. Hightower's notes to guide them. Even though there was no guaranteed way home, he trusted his sister's gut feeling enough to try. In reality, there was no way his adventurous spirit would let him pass up an opportunity of this magnitude.
Endeavor was by far his company's greatest achievement. Maybe he was biased since he and his brother-in-law, Serge had created her, but he couldn't think of another ship he would rather command. It was now three hours before the scheduled departure, and three of his four crew members had already arrived. His former Special Forces second-in-command and current first mate, Lieutenant Josiah Jackson was present. Another one of his former Special Forces soldiers, Lieutenant Collin Torrensede, was onboard and Officer Kimiko Tamanorra was also present. Right behind him was the last crew member and close friend, Dr. Suzanne Baker.
“Hey, Suzy, I can’t help but notice you are exceptionally early this morning.” He remarked. “You couldn’t sleep either?”
She just smiled and shook her head. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into going to another galaxy for fourteen months. I must be crazy. Do I have time to see a psychologist before we leave?”
“I know you're just as excited as I am. Besides, if you weren’t here, who would take care of Collin when he drops a heavy piece of equipment on himself?” He joked to a loud mock protest from Collin. “I’m going to send a transmission to Nina and Serge on Polisia and let them know we will be arriving a few hours early. Let’s take about fifteen minutes to settle into our quarters, and if there are no objections, we’ll be on our way.”
After a short transmission to his sister Nina, they were off to Polisia.
Fifteen hours later, Endeavor re-entered real space near Polisia, They spent the next two days going through the data and theories on the matter conduit. All of the preparations were made and they were on their way to the coordinates of the matter conduit. Nina had decided that it would be best to get to the location a day early to give them time for any last minute details that might need to be worked out. As they reached the coordinates for the conduit, they dropped in on a Jarlevian raiding party that was assaulting a supply convoy and its two military escorts – Polisian Hope and Winter's Edge. The Jarlevian were the aggressors in Earth's second interstellar war and had lost, badly. Even after the defeat, several of their Battleships still remained in Earth’s sector. They were usually accompanied by cruisers and gunships. Jarlevian battleships were boxy and rectangular, not pleasing to the eye at all. Whoever designed them went for functionality over style. Their ships were bristling with weaponry, and large conical engines were affixed to each side near the rear of the ship.
Endeavor cloaked at the first sign of trouble. Josiah was stationed at the sensor array and was the first to notice the battle. It was going badly for the convoy. Winter's Edge had taken significant damage and was venting atmosphere. It was only a matter of time before Polisian Hope followed suit.
Endeavor streaked towards battle with the plan being to take out the two Jarlevian cruisers first and then set sights on the battleship. The cruisers were smaller, less powerful versions of the battleships.
He had hoped the element of surprise would win them the battle. The plan was to fly cloaked between the two cruisers; release Endeavor's torpedoes at one cruiser while the ship's primary weapon, the plasma beam, would be fired at the other cruiser. Endeavor’s torpedoes were energy weapons that fired in powerful bursts as opposed to the more elongated energy lines of a laser or plasma beam. Torpedoes possess the power to rip a ship in half if it was not sufficiently shielded. Jarlevian Cruisers usually were not. The plasma beam was also a powerful weapon, not as powerful as the torpedoes but still quite formidable. The plasma beam does not require nearly as much power as the torpedoes which is why it was considered the primary weapon. Endeavor positioned itself between the two cruisers, de-cloaked, and fired both weapons at once. The first torpedo took out the cruiser’s shields and the second torpedo obliterated it while the plasma beam needed several shots to destroy the second cruiser.
The Polisian Hope took advantage of Endeavor’s ambush to destroy the gunship which was harrying the supply convoy in an effort to make sure none of them were able to retreat. A Jarlevian gunship was more of an anti-fighter ship and no match for an Earth Space Navy Frigate. The gunship looked as if it were designed by an altogether different species. It was an awkward ship with a triangular front, rounded back and bubble shaped canopies over the bridge and gun turrets. The Polisian Hope made short work of the gunship and then turned its attention to the battleship. Jesse thought they had the upper hand when suddenly; another four Jarlevian ships appeared from behind the moon to complete the ambush. If reinforcements didn't arrive soon, not only would they miss their window for the matter conduit, survival would be unlikely.
Long streaks of hard light lit up space deep in the system. The light show would have been spectacular had anyone been around to see it. Defeat seemed imminent when Captain Ariel Marcos exited light space aboard the SSE flagship, Vanguard, with Vee Fleet right behind her. They arrived just in time to change the course of the battle. As the battle was winding down, Endeavor took a direct hit before the Vanguard could destroy the last remaining Jarlevian ship.
"What took you so long, Cousin?" Jesse yelled above the damage klaxons into the bridge's transmitter. "I didn't think we were going to make it."
Ariel Marcos smile lit up the bridge as she replied, "Sorry, Jess, I stopped to pick up Jason, Manny and Zoe so they could say goodbye, too."
"Well, in that case, I forgive you," he joked. "Hey, Manny, it's not too late, you and Zoe can still join us. It'll be just like old times."
"No can do, Jess, as much as I would like to relive my days in the marines with you guys, Zoe doesn't want to spend our first year of marriage in another galaxy. I'm just here to see you off and let you know that I've got Nina and Ariel's back while you're gone."
"Thank you, my friend, you and Jason are the only ones outside of Endeavor's crew that I trust to do it."
"I know, Jess," Manny began.
"Who says we need watching over?" Ariel cut in with a smile. "Nina and I can take care of ourselves."
"Now you've done it, they will both be on about this all day now." Serge cut in as Nina smiled beside him in their shuttle. "How much damage have you taken? Can you still make the journey?"
"They have to; we won't get another chance to do this." Nina chimed in. "We'll dock with them and help with repairs," she added.
"We've got approximately sixteen hours, we'll see what we can do." Jesse replied. In the meantime, we should let Naval command know what happened here. Maybe they can increase patrols outside the core.
Serge and Collin began repairing the battle damage while Jesse checked every inch of the ship for problems. Manny, Zoe, Jason and Ariel had come aboard to lend a hand and say their farewells. Sixteen grueling hours later, it was clear that Endeavor wouldn't be at full strength when the matter conduit opened. Jesse was reluctant to enter the event, given Endeavor's weakened condition, but after being convinced by encouragement from both Nina and Serge, and Ariel, Jason and Manny, he decided to go for it. Endeavor picked up speed as she flew towards the phenomenon. As they reached the precipice of the event, they were rocked by an explosion of unknown origin causing an awkward entry into the event. He had just woken up in pain and darkness. We must have just come through the conduit, he reasoned as he moved cautiously along the wall.
______
Reality broke into his reverie as he finally came across the emergency lighting panel. The emergency lighting was dim, but bright as mid day compared to the total darkness he had spent the last few minutes in. “SAMMI, are you there?” He called out as he grabbed a portable lighting unit from under the emergency lighting panel.
There was no answer; we had to have been
hit pretty hard for our AI to go off line. I need to check the ship's computer. He turned on the portable and surveyed the bridge. The dim light contrasted with the flashing red warning lights giving the bridge an eerie feel.
His eyes began to adjust while he slowly moved across the bridge, and he was fearful for his crew. Thankful he had the portable, he swept the light across the bridge. He was still walking slowly - limping, actually - when he felt his foot hit something, followed by a soft grunt. “Who is that?” He asked kneeling down and wincing at the pain in his knee.
“It’s me,” came Kimi's scratchy reply; “What happened, Colonel?”
“I’m not sure yet,” He replied, trying not to shine the light directly into her eyes, “but whatever it is, it’s not good. Are you alright?” he asked.
Just then the emergency lighting kicked in. “SAMMI, what’s going on?” he called out to no reply.
“I don’t think the AI is functional, Colonel, and I think I’ll be fine.” She sighed as she braced herself on his shoulder to stand. She was very professional and very good at her job. They all were, but right now they were facing an unknown situation. He suspected that it would take all of their considerable talents if they were to make it home alive.
“What happened?” Josiah groggily called into the darkness. "Did we make it through the matter conduit?"
“We’re still not sure,” came Kimi’s reply. “The Colonel hasn’t figured it out yet.”
“I see Collin,” he called out. “It looks like he took a pretty good shot to the head. Has anyone seen Suzy?”
“Dr. Baker is 40 meters down the main corridor moving towards the bridge,” a feathery voice called out over Endeavor’s intercom.
