The Awakening: Book 1 of Warner's World

by Dave O'Connor

  Chapter 20. Niku 1000, 17 May.

  Three days later the same protagonists gathered again.

  “Madam Council Head I have sought guidance from Federation Council and Fleet HQ regarding your government’s provisos. I am pleased to announce that the Federation is willing to comply with both but with some modifications.

  Justine Packer duly nodded her head so he could continue and Pious did. “Regarding the issue of shared command arrangements, the Federation Fleet is prepared to accept a suitably qualified Alliance officer to be the XO on each of the three Federation frigates to be based at Klaster. Further, the Federation Council is prepared to accept a suitably qualified person to be the Deputy Mission Head on Klaster for the summit. Such arrangements are to be maintained until a more comprehensive settlement is reached.”

  Packer considered in silence for a moment. She knew that the Federation Fleet would not accept an Alliance commander being appointed to control one of their ships. So she was prepared to concede on that point but she wanted a quid pro quo on the diplomatic front. “The Alliance Council accepts your commitment regarding the XOs. However, the Alliance Council insists that the diplomatic roles be reversed, ie the head of mission should go to the Alliance and the Deputy to the Federation.”

  “Agreed” came back the Commodore as quick as a flash.

  This took Packer by surprise. She had anticipated opposition but Pious and Art had discussed this earlier and deduced it would be their counter claim. They also agreed that if it came to a choice then it would be best to opt for the military capability.

  “Oh good” she said at last after receiving a slight nudge from Jade Moon.

  Pious noted the effect and continued “Regarding the secure comms protocols, Lt Kiralenko has brought along the required communication equipment and will provide instruction on its use to your designated staff.”

  Packer nodded again.

  “But the Federation believes that this alone does not adequately address the need for, how shall we say, regular and frank exchange at an appropriate senior level. Hence we propose that until a more permanent integration is achieved regular consultations should be held here in Niku every three days.”

  “Indeed Commodore” said an intrigued Packer “and what would you recommend is the appropriate level?”

  “If I may be so bold I would like to suggest that a Fleet Commodore and Colony Council Head would be just ideal” and he lightly bowed his head and gave her a warm smile.

  Packer noted the smile and the brightness of his eyes and responded “Yes I think that would be ideal.”

  Jade Moon was both intrigued and somewhat amused at the look on Justine Packer’s face. Never in her day would she have thought it possible for the ice maiden of Niku to present such a soft demeanour. After observing Packer she turned to Art who gave a half shrug and a smile as if to say ‘who’d have thought’.

  “Excellent” replied Pious and there were smiles all round.

  Part 4

  Endeavour

  Some toil to profit, some strive to impress

  For some of us more is less

  With proper motive and good intent

  This endeavour bears fruit we won’t lament

  Some be on guard, some be on edge

  Others just sit content on the ledge

  Detachment’s the key, easier said than done

  But with a little grace the prize can be won

  Chapter 1. Shangri La 1400, 20 May.

  The combined officers of the 17th Flotilla were gathered in the large conference room at Shangri La. This included the officers from the newly arrived FFS Washington and FFS Sydney plus the three new Alliance XOs. The Commodore was in attendance but it was Warner’s show. Also there were Jade Moon, the new diplomatic head of mission and her deputy Art Simons.

  It was a packed room. There was almost no talk as the attendees filed in. The officers of the Washington and Sydney had yet to be informed of the rapprochement and impending summits. So they viewed the Alliance officers and representatives with a mixture of alarm and suspicion. The Alliance personnel could feel the heat but they looked either to the chair or with disengagement at the far wall.

  Warner sensed it too. He was expecting it. His order of business was to welcome the new officers from Washington and Sydney; introduce the Commodore, who would give a brief summary of the recent developments and announce the rapprochement; introduce Jade Moon as head of mission who would outline what was going to happen at each of the summits; introduce Rihan as the new Base Commander who would outline the intensive development activities underway; and then he would introduce the new XOs. It was the latter, which Warner knew had to be handled carefully and to which he expected the most opposition. In the end this was a Government directive and they would have to comply. But he knew this had the potential to divide his officers at a time when they needed to knit together given the imminent prospect of combat.

  Warner was wearing his new badge of rank. It fitted him like a glove. When he stood and began his welcome all could see a confident commander. The new officers already knew of his exploits on Alpha Phi and they were glad to have a real warfighter leading them.

  Pious kept his address short. He didn’t describe how things had unfolded but instead focussed on what the outcomes were, namely that the Federation was convinced that the Alliance had not attacked New Hammersley, that there was an as yet unknown foe out there, that the Federation and Alliance were prepared to draft a peace treaty and would join forces to defeat this common threat. He said that this would involve the holding of two summits, one secret in a few days and the other open which hopefully would draw out their foe. Before he introduced Jade Moon he concluded with these remarks.

  “It behoves all of us to put aside recent animosities and to unite in common purpose. The power which was our enemy is now our friend. From this moment on there should be no ‘them and us’ just ‘we’. Union does not occur automatically; it requires commitment, discipline and vigilance to ensure that we are aligned as one in the common goal. Our foe has sought to divide and conquer us and they will if we let them. The Councils of the Federation and Alliance are determined that this shall not happen and you all must play your part. The future of humanity depends upon it.”

  It was delivered in a strong serious manner and hit its mark for most of those attending. But there were some who had their doubts.

  When Jade Moon took to the floor, there was deadly silence. She took a moment, after thanking the Commodore for his introduction, to scan the faces before her. Some were apprehensive, others a little shocked, a few doubters but on the whole most were just intrigued. Jade wasn’t daunted, not one bit. She relished the challenge. From past experience she was cynical but she had been undergoing something of a transformation these past weeks. She was now convinced of the need for union. There was no other way to avoid destruction. She had no beef against the Federation people as such. She was after all a professional.

  “I won’t delude you or insult your intelligence with false words of praise. You can count on me to talk straight. There is a lot to be done in an extremely short space of time. There will be little time for pleasantries or to get to know each other before we have to make some momentous decisions and take some decisive actions together.”

  “I extend the hand of cooperation today and pray that it will be in friendship soon. If I and my fellow Alliance colleagues fall short in any way I beg your understanding now. If we mistakenly offend, know that it is in the pursuit of a shared aim and forgive us now. We likewise will endeavour to show tolerance and accept any shortcomings on your part. Rest assured that we are committed to this mission as one with you.”

  There was a moment’s silence and then the Commodore began clapping. Warner and Art followed suit and there was a ripple of clapping. It wasn’t enthusiastic or full of gusto but on the whole most appreciated the sentiments uttered. But there were a few doubters.

  After Jade had finished her short outline of t
he summit schedule she handed over to Commander Rihan, the new Base Commander, who outlined the changes underway. She covered a number of immediate concerns like where the new crews would be quartered and messing arrangements.

  As she handed back to Warner she noted a slight apprehension on his brow. He stood and said “In the spirit of what has been said new command arrangements are to be brought in. The XO positions on each of the flotilla’s three frigates will be assigned to Alliance officers.”

  Warner deliberately paused and noted the reaction. He looked at Aubrey Bellard, who he knew had probably expected to be appointed as XO on the Hermes. Her disappointment was great but she held it together. She was every bit as professional as Jade Moon. She could accept this bitter pill. She saw Warner looking at her and knew he was looking for her reaction. She nodded acceptance.

  Warner was grateful. He looked across to the Washington and Sydney officers. The rising animosity to this announcement was obvious but no one spoke. So Warner continued. “I realise this has come as a shock but so has the news that we face an unknown foe that must be met by a combined force. If we are to be a truly combined force then we must embrace this.”

  “This arrangement will be a temporary one for the duration of the summits and any ensuing conflict that should arise. Permanent arrangements to integrate the commands will be formulated at the summit.”

  “I will be discussing the details of the staffing arrangements with the captains of the Washington and Sydney. I appreciate that there will now be two surplus officers. They will be assigned to command the ground defences here on Klaster. Make no mistake no officer will go idle these coming weeks.”

  “If the enemy accepts the bait we are laying then we all will be in for one hell of a fight. It will be a fight to the death. There will be more than enough action to go around and every officer will have to stand and be counted.”

  “Are there any questions on these arrangements before I outline the defence plan?”

  One officer from the Sydney motioned to speak but the officer on his left pulled him down and so no one challenged or offered comment.

  Warner was relieved. “Thank you for your understanding. Now we have a battle to prepare for.” The large central display was lowered so all could see.

  “The Alliance will position their Wasp Group at Alpha Phi, just one day’s jump away. The Federation will position the Enterprise Group to Centaur, which is three days away and the Arc Royal Group at Polaris which is a whole week away. We don’t dare move these Groups any closer for fear of showing our hand. We have to assume that this enemy has us under surveillance even though we cannot detect it.”

  “Our flotilla will be based here on Klaster. We will offer point defence but we are under no delusion about our ability to withstand a major attack. Our role will be twofold. First, we must hold the ground here till the Wasp, Enterprise and Arc Royal Groups intervene. Second, we must find the staging location from where the enemy comes. It is imperative that we find out where the enemy is based so we can bring the fight to them.”

  Warner looked around the room. He had their absolute attention now. That was good. “Now here’s how I see the battle unfolding…”

  Chapter 2. Shangri La 1600, 20 May.

  The briefing had gone well thought Warner, better than he expected. At the conclusion Warner asked the other two frigate commanders to stay behind. Rihan had left straight away. She had never been busier. Jade and Art along with Sue went to the adjacent conference room to discuss security arrangements for the summit delegates. The three Alliance XOs were asked to wait in the lounge area.

  Seated with him were Commander Reina Suzuki of the Washington and Lt Commander Herb Debeck of the Sydney. Warner had only been introduced to them a couple of hours before.

  Reina was shorter than average and had to work hard to avoid putting on weight. Her black hair had a natural curl and she wore it swept back and pinned. She had a serious demeanour, very professional and business like but Dave suspected that she would show a softer side to her family and friends. He hoped that in time she would relax a little with him.

  Herb Debeck was more loquacious. He seemed keen to make a good impression. His easy manner was short of charming. It didn’t seem put on like others Dave had met. He was of average height and build with a shock of thick brown hair that he would struggle to control if it got too long.

  Warner now had the difficult task of working out the staffing arrangements on board his flotilla. Most commanders are reluctant to break up a good working team and so Warner expected some difficulties. “We need to confirm the new staffing arrangements.”

  Reina nodded.

  Herb said “Yes Sir”.

  Warner continued “I will appoint the senior Alliance officer, Lieutenant Commander (LCmd) Ella Apell as XO of the Hermes. If you have no objections Commander Suzuki I would like to appoint 1st Lt Gennadi Petrik as your new XO.”

  “No Sir that will be fine. Do we have a file on these officers?”

  “Yes we do. I’ll ensure you get it this afternoon.”

  “Thank you Sir.”

  “That leaves 1st Lt Tariq Murro to be assigned to you, Commander.”

  “No worries Sir. We’ll make it work” said Herb.

  “I’m glad to hear that” said Warner. He looked to Reina but she wasn’t giving anything away at this stage.

  “Now we need to work out which officer from each of your ships is to be assigned to Klaster defence duties. The new batteries will be unloaded tomorrow. It would be desirable if one of these two was a battle systems officer.” Warner looked at each in turn. He could see that neither wanted to give up their battle systems officer. So he continued. “For the other I would like a comms officer.” Again both remained silent.

  “Look, I realise that this is tough but we need to do this and we need to it now. I could just choose for you but I would prefer if you two work it out between you. I’ll be back in ten minutes.” Warner promptly left them to it.

  He wandered down to the lounge area and the three Alliance officers stood to attention. He told them to relax and they all sat down. He outlined their assignments and then said “Look, things are going to be difficult as we make these adjustments. For it to work I trust I can count on your cooperation and forbearance?”

  Ella Apell responded “Sir, we’re here because we volunteered. We appreciate that we are going to be making waves amongst the crews. But we are here to defeat the enemy. You can rely on us.” She turned to her colleagues and they both agreed saying “Yes Sir”.

  “Good. Please wait here a little longer.” He rose and returned to the conference room. As he entered he saw his subordinate commanders sitting there like two kids who had to give up their favourite toy. Neither looked happy.

  “Well?” said Warner.

  Reina was the first to regain composure. “Sir I will offer up my Battle Systems Officer (BSO), 2nd Lt Omar Hussain. He’s very good Sir.”

  “He’s going to have to be” said Warner and Reina nodded.

  “And I will provide my Comms Officer, 2nd Lt Julie Bennet.”

  “Thank you both. I know you have a difficult job ahead of you announcing these changes and incorporating these new XOs. But you must set the example here. Don’t encourage any griping and stamp down hard on any member of your crew who is going to undermine the smooth working of your ship. We don’t have much time and I need your ships fully functional by this time tomorrow.”

  “Reina, may I call you that?”

  “Yes Sir.”

  “Reina you will transport the Commodore to Niku tomorrow. Wait around while he conducts talks with the Niku Council Head, Justine Packer. You will have to supply one of your officers to act as his escort. Once he’s concluded, get back here pronto. Use this opportunity to test out your new XO and crew arrangements. I would like you to report to me on your return. Any questions?”

  “No Sir I’m good.”

  “Herb...”

  “Yes Sir.”

&
nbsp; “I want you to transport a new radar to Alpha Phi. I understand they’re in need of one” and Warner gave a wry smile.

  “Yeh I heard that too” responded Herb with a smile.

  “Do the same as Reina. Work your crew during the trip, see how the XO and crew perform and report back on return. You only have two days to setup the radar station. So you’re going to have to cut some corners. See Jade Moon, the Head of Mission, for your contact on Alpha Phi.”

  “Yes Sir.”

  “Do either of you have any questions or comments?”

  “Sir, speaking for myself” said Reina, “it’s an honour to be here. You have a fine ship in the Washington. We won’t let you down.”

  “Same here Sir” chipped in Herb.

  “Excellent” said Warner and then he realised he was starting to sound like the Commodore. He shook his head and said “I have got to stop doing that”.

  “Sir?” said Herb

  “Nothing. Make sure you collect your respective XOs from the lounge. If there is anything you need by way of provisioning see the Base Commander. Welcome to the Flotilla.”

  “Thank you Sir” and they headed out.

  When Warner made his way to the lounge area only his new XO remained. Warner observed Ella Apell from down the corridor. Her straw blond hair was pulled back and pinned in a French bun. Her ice blue eyes were reading something. She turned her head as he approached and he could see that she was very attractive. He reminded himself that he was a soon to be married man and resolved to conduct things in a very professional manner, friendly but business like.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting Commander” he said as he entered the area.

  She stood and came to attention “Sir.”

  “Let’s sit for a minute” and they did. “May I call you by your first name?”

  “Please do” she said relaxing a little and with a bit of a smile.