The Hope Island Chronicles Boxed Set

by PJ Strebor

  “Damn, that was huge,” Moe said. “I didn’t sense a thing.”

  He felt no danger from ahead. Eddies were undetectable to the naked eye and only the most aggressive ones showed up on scans. The smaller eddies presented the greatest problem due to their covert nature.

  “Tactical, did you pick up anything.”

  “No sir.”

  Better and better.

  The Pruessen pilots were good, but that was an eddy unlike anything Nathan had encountered. Tied into the stern feeds he saw the light carrier plow into the invisible eddy. The attack boat followed. He waited on Willet.

  “Captain, both enemy boats have been damaged. I can’t get exact readings through the interference but it doesn’t look good. For them, sir.”

  “Very well.”

  Nathan pointed the boat due north. He would change course a few times before rendezvousing with Deception. Activating the hyper generator, the attack boat disappeared from the universe.

  CHAPTER 29

  Date: 8th August, 326 ASC

  Position: Pruessen Empire. Imperial Pruessen Navy base Virtus.

  Status: Training.

  The slave withered to little more than a husk by the time Orson finished feeding on his life-force. First feedings, as Oscar Draeger remembered, were a profoundly cherished experience. The feeling of bliss and absolute power almost overwhelming. And there were plenty of slaves for Orson to practice on.

  “How do you feel?” Oscar asked.

  Orson’s face took on a euphoric expression. “I feel like a God.”

  Commodore Oscar Draeger chuckled. Yes, associates and advocates of the Family were like Gods.

  “Good. Now return the energy to the slave.”

  Orson hesitated. “He’s dead, sir.”

  “This is an exercise, Orson. I have told you that before. Get on with it.”

  Draeger could sense his resentment but he complied nonetheless. It would leave him drained but that also was part of the lesson.

  Orson’s solution to the Talgarno issue, four years ago, was as fine a piece of strategic deception as he had ever seen. Tens of thousands of Pruessen servicemen owed him their lives. Then at the last minute the advocate assigned to the Cimmerian mission had been stupid enough to get himself killed. An air car accident of all things. Orson was the only operative close enough to take his place and activate their asset, the Bretish Captain. With minimal instruction he accomplished that mission also.

  Then, everything on Cimmeria went to hell. One young naval officer had destroyed the ninth fleet and prevented the planet’s destruction. A rookie on his first deployment. Oscar knew of this troublemaker well before the incident. He had tried to acquire him when he was a boy living on Kastoria. That mission had also gone badly and cost the life of a very promising advocate.

  Returning from Talgarno, filled with rightful pride at his outstanding accomplishments, Orson had been treated poorly by the Family. It shamed Oscar to think of living Gods in that manner but their refusal to recognize this man’s extraordinary talents baffled him. For the first time in his life he defied them. Defied? No he would never do that. Exactly. He’d assigned Orson to lesser tasks and couldn’t promote him from associate to advocate. But he could train him for the day when the family would finally acknowledge his potential and reward him appropriately. Naturally, he kept the arrangement hidden from the Family. Over the past four years Orson had shown a brilliant adaptability to learning what it meant to be a white-level Advocate. He had a raw talent that could see him achieving greatness.

  Orson groaned as he returned the last of the slave’s life force to the emaciated carcass.

  Draeger steadied him as he threatened to keel over and guided him to a nearby couch. He gave him time to recover then handed a mug of strong coffee to aid in his recovery.

  Draeger could sense the anger rising within the young man. After years of training Orson still struggled to control it. Always questioning, always thinking his way was the best way. The only way. Perhaps that’s what makes him exceptional? Perhaps, but it still stood as an obstacle to his elevation to Advocacy level.

  “How do you feel now?”

  His face hardened. “Sir, I feel like shit.”

  Oscar sighed. “Moreover you don’t see the point of the exercise, do you?”

  For once he had the good sense to say nothing.

  “Do you think I’ve put you through this and many other trials for no good reason?”

  His face took on a genuinely shocked expression. “No sir, of course not.” He licked his lips. “To be instructed by the greatest of all black level Advocates is an honor. I have learned so much from you. I don’t have the right words to express my respect for you or my gratitude for everything you’ve done for me.”

  Oscar nodded. Orson had done well in his limited studies, worked hard, obeyed instructions, even when he resented it or didn’t understand the point of the lesson. His stubbornness however had not abated in the least. And his anger still simmered just under the surface.

  “I want you to try the mind exercise.” He keyed his comm. “Jannel, step into my office would you?” Oscar didn’t wait for a reply that was clearly redundant.

  The hatch slid open and his assistant snapped to attention before him. Females in the male dominated workforce were frowned upon. Draeger had made an exception for this gifted young woman. She’d worked out well enough.

  He sensed her fearful anticipation. Orson had been none too gentle with her last time.

  “No rough stuff this time, Lieutenant Commander Saxon,” he said to Orson.

  “Aye, aye, sir.” Orson ran his eyes over her firm young body. “Jannel, please come here.” She complied. No choice. Her apprehension grew. “Take my hand.”

  Draeger sensed her every emotion.

  She hesitated for a moment before presenting her hand to him. Gently this time, he began to slowly insinuate himself into her mind. Her shoulders slumped with relief.

  “What are you sensing, Commander?” Draeger asked.

  “Fear, sir. But I sent her an image to relax her. She’s feeling quite wonderful now. Aren’t you, Jannel?”

  “Yes.” Her tone was dreamily calm.

  Jannel’s body trembled and she gasped. Draeger shook his head. Young people. There would be bed play between them tonight, nothing surer. Orson liked women and women always liked the bad boys. The ones who reeked of unpredictability with the lingering hint of menace. They came no more dangerous than Orson. He released her hand. She smiled at him, a knowing smile, a sexually-charged smile.

  “Thank you, Jannel, that will be all,” Draeger said.

  When the hatch shut he turned to Orson. “What did you get from her?”

  He smirked. “She wants me so bad she’s ready to burst.”

  Draeger rubbed his forehead.

  “Also, she’s fanatically loyal to you, sir,” he added with haste. “An intelligent young woman with a strong heart.” He snorted. “I thought they’d stopped making them that way after the war.”

  “Yes, the reformation has come at a price.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “That’s enough for today. Practice those techniques I taught you yesterday, get some rest and I’ll see you back here tomorrow.”

  Orson snapped to attention. “Aye, aye, sir.”

  Draeger watched his retreating back. Barely thirty yet he showed more potential than any associate had displayed in many a year. Draeger sighed.

  “I hope I don’t have to destroy him.”

  CHAPTER 30

  Date: 20th August, 326 ASC

  Position: Dead space, ten light-years from the southern frontier.

  Status: Monitor Adroit at alert stand down.

  Nathan examined the three dimensional image floating above the briefing room table. Reaching out with his senses he detected danger all along the frontier. The Pruessens had a hard-on for his boat and must have diverted massive resources t
o cover such an enormous area. “I could run the gauntlet,” he said. “Might make it through in one piece.” Unlike the worlds that constituting the League of Allied Worlds, the square heads had no compunction about crossing the border. Despite the condition of his boat they’d pursue him into league space. If Adroit took damage, their chances of making it home would be greatly diminished. No matter how much he rubbed at the bump above his right eyebrow he couldn’t find a solution to his dilemma.

  “You’ve got to do something, Captain,” he told himself. He’d toyed with a number of extreme notions and had dismissed them all. All, except one. An outrageous idea which fermented and without a sensible alternative it stood a crazy chance of working. He laughed. “Yeah, crazy is what you do, Telford.” The boat trembled.

  Stepping onto the bridge he waited for the relief D-O to report.

  “That’s a hyper bump, Captain,” Lieutenant Rudderman said. “There shouldn’t be any shipping in this area, sir.”

  A vessel in hyperspace had just passed close enough to their position to give them a rattle. Two objects could not occupy the same area of space, even if one was in hyper and the other in normal space. They would have felt the bump too.

  “D-O, alert one. Helm, heading due north. Ingress promptly.”

  “Hyper egressions detected.” Lieutenant Rudderman groaned. “Five of them sir.”

  Shit. After their last encounter, his senses assured him that Captain Reinhardt was aboard the light carrier E boat. Tenacious mother fucker. Pity I can’t kill him.

  “Opening hyper perforation, now, sir,” Ensign Perrie said.

  ***

  “We’ve got a bug onboard this boat,” Nathan said.

  “Yeah, we must have,” Moe said. “Those fuckers couldn’t keep nipping at our heels if we didn’t.”

  “So we need to find it,” Grace said. “We should begin with the Pruessen.”

  Nathan had detected nothing in the way of a threat from the boat’s new doctor but felt obliged to consider Grace’s point. Two minutes later the three of them, plus Willet and his scanner, stepped into the infirmary.

  Doctor Jahn smiled, held his hands above his head and said, “It wasn’t me.” His smile faded at the cold response. Willet ran his scanner over the doctor.

  “Where is your uniform, doctor,” Nathan asked.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Answer the question,” Grace snapped.

  He pulled a sour face. “My former uniform is in my quarters.”

  “Come with us.”

  In Jahn’s quarters Willet scanned the Pruessen uniform then pulled it from the rack and scanned it more exactingly. He held up the corner of the jacket’s right shoulder. “There, sir.”

  Nathan could see nothing, but his Prep screamed.

  “It’s a tap on sir. It blends with the fabric it adheres to. Impossible to see, and only detectible with a sensor pad.”

  Jahn’s shoulders sagged. “I don’t suppose it would matter a damn if I said I had no idea about this?”

  Nathan could still not detect danger from Jahn.

  “In the brig, back on Saint Joan, where did Reinhardt sit?” Nathan asked.

  “What? Hmm, for the most part he sat, oh fuck. He sat next to me.”

  Willet snorted, a short scornful sound. “How very bloody convenient, you lying square head f—”

  “That’s enough, ensign,” Nathan snapped. “You’re dismissed. Repeat nothing of what you’ve seen or heard. Understood?”

  “Aye, aye, Captain.”

  Once he left, Moe voiced everyone’s question.

  “So, do you believe him?”

  “Yep.”

  Jahn breathed out through pursed lips.

  “So,” Grace said, holding up the jacket, “do you want me to dispose of this.”

  “Not on your life,’ Nathan said. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m sick to death of turning tail from these bastards.”

  “Oh, shit,” Moe said around a tight smile. “There’s that look again.”

  “Moe, do you remember that trick I pulled at Fighter Training School?”

  Moe grinned. “Yeah.” She chuckled at the recollection while Nathan grinned like a maniac.

  Grace looked on bewildered.

  CHAPTER 31

  Date: 25th August, 326 ASC

  Position: The Scaren Archipelago, Northern Quarantine Zone.

  Status: E boat squadron 77, at alert condition one.

  Captain Reinhardt reported. “I have them,” The squadron C-O, Captain Kramer, hovered by his shoulder. “There they are, Kramer. Trying to hide from us.”

  “Sir,” Kramer said, “I suggest that we come at him from all directions, encircle him so he can’t escape.”

  “That sounds good, Captain,” Reinhardt said. “You’re the combat professional, so do what you need to. But we take that boat, intact.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  While Kramer issued orders to his squadron, Reinhardt leaned back in his chair. “So Hans, you’ve led me on quite a chase. Soon, I will do things to you that have never been done to another human being. You will beg for death.”

  The asteroid, behind which the monitor sat, was the largest and densest in the archipelago, but not large enough to hide from Reinhardt’s advanced tech. Again, he’d taken a calculated guess as to her location, and again had found her.

  The five E boats broke apart coming at the target from five different vectors. Kramer, Reinhardt conceded, knew his job. Minutes passed as the boats took up positions. Kramer would take no chances this time. Hans had finally made a mistake. He couldn’t escape into hyper whilst within the asteroid field.

  “All boats report ready, Captain,” Kramer’s exec said.

  “Very well,” Kramer said, “all boats ahead, one-quarter.”

  Reinhardt’s smile faded. Something didn’t add up. Hans had proved to be not only elusive but extremely crafty. Would he really allow himself to get bottled up like this? Reinhardt’s readings said yes, but a small part of him had doubts. The unmistakable signal from his bugging device subdued his concerns. It had to be the monitor.

  “Captain,” the exec said, “E 783 reports contact with the enemy.” He held his hand to his ear. “The comm is breaking up sir, but I think he said something about a landing boat.”

  “Are we still in line of sight with E 226?”

  “Aye sir. Ah, yes, I get it sir, she will be in contact with E 783.” He keyed his comm.

  “E 226, did you receive comm from E 783?”

  A short pause while the attack boat replied. The exec’s forehead creased. “Captain, she’s saying that E 783 has a visual on the signal. It’s a landing boat sir. No sign of the monitor.”

  Kramer sat bolt upright. “Exec, signal to all boats. Pull back.”

  “Aye sir, signaling to all boats to pull –”

  Then the universe went mad. A massive explosion lit up dark space as the asteroid blew apart. Reinhardt averted his eyes from his screen as the nuclear blast wave followed.

  “All power to forward shields,” Kramer ordered.

  Sixteen million tonnes of dense asteroid were flung into space by the massive explosion. The high velocity debris had a fearsome kinetic discharge.

  “Sir, all boats report severe damage,” the X-O reported. “Hold. E 783 is gone. She just blew up. Oh, no, E 226 is gone as well. The shock wave will hit us in three seconds.”

  Reinhardt couldn’t believe what was happening. How? He seized the edge of his console as the avalanche fell against the boat’s forward shields. She shook violently and tumbled end over end. Thrown from his chair, Reinhardt landed hard onto the deck. Systems blew out, while high speed debris tore at her shields and hull. A maddening number of alarms blared warnings as the boat continued to be pounded by the rocky deluge. Finally, the storm passed. His V suit saved his life as the boat was opened to the airless wastes of space.

  Reinhardt breathed a sig
h of relief. “Captain Kramer, what the fuck happened?” he asked.

  “We got suckered, is what happened.”

  “Sir,” the T/O yelled, “contact from astern.”

  “What!”

  ***

  With all emissions, including life-support, turned off, Adroit maintained her covert hiding place while the Pruessen squadron passed her by. Nathan waited for the enemy boats to close with his little surprise before acting.

  “Helm, like we discussed.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Moe replied.

  Adroit rose from behind the asteroid till she sat just above it, in direct line of site with the E boat squadron. And the largest asteroid.

  “Do it,” he told Grace.

  With crossed fingers she hit the activate key. It had taken three hours for Adroit’s single pulsar to penetrate to the asteroid’s core, place the three fifty mega-tonne warheads, and, very carefully, seal the fissure. The sensor pickup may not have been powerful enough to read the execute key. Nathan’s instincts detected little danger of that happening.

  The asteroid could not have blown apart better. Moe hid Adroit from the shockwave, behind their smaller asteroid. The crew had been at alert condition one for an hour. Nathan waited till his Prep stopped aching.

  “D-O, shields up.”

  “Aye, Captain, shields are up, energy buffers firming. Fifteen seconds to full shields.”

  “The big one first, helm. Take her engines only. Understood.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Moe said, from the combat sphere.

  “Captain, I’m reading two attack boats gone,” Rudi said from tactical. “They just blew up. The others are badly damaged.”

  “Very well.” Nathan contained his smile. This wasn’t over yet.

  “Sir,” Rudi said, “I’m reading active stern weapons from the light carrier.”

  Everyone lurched into their harnesses as Moe took severe evasive maneuvers. Evading the enemy fire she closed with the largest of the E boats firing into her engines as she did so. The starboard engine went first, quickly followed by the port. She took out her stern pulsars for good measure.