“Colonel, will you show the senator and his party to their quarters.”
“Yes, sir,” Colonel Sheen replied in her best professional-sounding voice. Then turning toward the senator, “Senator, if you and your party will follow me, I will show you to your quarters, as well as where the officer’s mess is located.”
“We will take our meals in our own quarters if you don’t mind,” Senator Jacksom spoke sharply. He wanted as little contact with the military as possible.
“That can be arranged,” Colonel Sheen replied calmly, not surprised by the request. She suspected that the senator wasn’t one that enjoyed being around the military, even for a meal.
Admiral Streth watched as Colonel Sheen led the senator and his party off. Shaking his head in exasperation, he turned to make his way back to the Command Center. He just hoped the senator didn’t screw up this first contact situation.
-
Returning to the Command Center, Admiral Streth gave the order for the StarStrike and her four escorts to prepare for an immediate FTL jump. The escorts consisted of four light cruisers of the same class as the Avenger. Currently the fleet was operating in two separate battle groups. The battle carrier Victory was on an inspection tour of several permanent outlying mining settlements, along with two more light cruisers and four escort destroyers. For a few moments, Hedon contemplated calling in the other battle group, but if the reports from the Avenger were accurate, the StarStrike should be able to handle the alien if this first contact situation became volatile. It might also be wise not to show all of his trump cards at once.
Admiral Streth was interrupted from his thoughts when Colonel Sheen walked back into the Command Center. He could tell from the strained look upon her face that she wasn’t pleased.
“Did you get our guests settled in?”
Colonel Sheen looked at the admiral trying to keep the disgusted look off her face. “Senator Jacksom doesn’t care for the military. He doesn’t like his quarters, and he has already requested special food that we don’t normally carry.”
“I thought that might be a problem,” responded Admiral Streth smiling. “That’s why I had the senator’s food stores transferred over from the destroyer Astral. The commander of the Astral had made sure he had the senator’s favorite foods on board so as to make the senator’s time on the destroyer less disruptive."
“Fleet is ready to jump, sir,” the navigation officer reported over the mini-com.
“Very well,” Admiral Streth replied. “Colonel Sheen, implement the first jump. Let’s go find out what these aliens want.”
-
Nearly thirty-six hours later, the StarStrike exited the swirling blue-white space vortex and moments later, its four escorts appeared out of similar vortexes around it. Due to the science behind FTL technology, a space vortex couldn’t form next to another object of mass. This prevented ships from materializing inside one another or too close to a star or planet.
“Escorts moving into screening positions,” Colonel Sheen reported as she looked at the large sensor screen above the plotting table. “Awaiting further orders.”
“Have Senator Jacksom come to briefing room two,” Admiral Streth ordered. “It’s time I told the venerated senator what I have in mind.”
“We’re not taking the StarStrike into the Stalor System, are we?” Colonel Sheen spoke with dawning realization on her face. “That’s why we exited FTL in this system.”
Admiral Streth nodded his head. He was pleased that his second in command had figured that out. That’s what made her such a good executive officer. “That’s correct. I’m taking the light cruiser Vindication into the Stalor System. I don’t want these aliens to see the StarStrike and the rest of the battle group. It prevents them from knowing we have warships like the StarStrike. That way if this turns into a shooting match, I can call the rest of the battle group in. If the aliens have ulterior motives, by meeting them in another cruiser it might force them to show their hand. If they hadn’t shown up in a warship, I would feel differently.”
“That could be dangerous,” warned Colonel Sheen not caring for this idea. The admiral would be much safer on the StarStrike. She didn’t like the idea of the admiral putting himself in unnecessary danger. It was part of her responsibility to keep her commanding officer safe.
“It’s a command decision, Colonel,” Admiral Streth replied evenly, understanding Colonel Sheen’s concerns. “This is a first contact situation, and we can’t risk screwing this up.”
The fleet was Hedon’s life. He was dedicated to his career, and he had been trained to handle first contact situations. He would do everything in his power to make sure this first contact with aliens went smoothly.
Colonel Sheen stepped closer to the admiral and spoke in a lower voice. “You don’t trust Senator Jacksom to handle this properly, do you?”
Admiral Streth hesitated briefly and then spoke. “No, I don’t. That’s why I have to go. This is too important to the Federation.”
-
A few minutes later, Admiral Streth was in the indicated briefing room waiting for the senator. There was a large conference table in the room and Hedon was seated at the head of it. He could hear angry voices outside the door and watched as it opened and the senator and his party entered, followed by an aggravated looking Colonel Sheen. He let out a deep sigh. It was becoming obvious that working with Senator Jacksom was going to be a challenge for everybody.
Seeing the admiral, Senator Jacksom spoke in a loud and demanding voice, “Just what is the meaning of this Admiral? Why did we jump into this worthless system instead of the Stalor System? Can’t the military do anything right?”
“Have a seat, Senator,” Admiral Streth replied calmly, indicating a nearby chair. “I have no intention of taking the StarStrike into a situation as unknown as what this alien ship represents. We will be transferring over to the light cruiser Vindication and then jumping into the Stalor System, where we will rendezvous with the cruiser Avenger. Once there, you and your team can begin negotiations with these aliens.”
“I strongly protest, Admiral,” Senator Jacksom spoke angrily his eyes narrowing. He strolled over to stand next to the admiral looking down at him. “We will be much more comfortable on the StarStrike rather than on a small cramped cruiser. These negotiations may be very delicate, assuming there are actually aliens in the Stalor System. I will have to see them first before I believe aliens actually exist. I demand that you take the StarStrike into the Stalor System!”
Admiral Streth slowly stood up and looked Senator Jacksom directly in the eyes. “Senator, I have no intention of taking one of the Federation’s most powerful warships into the Stalor System. The less these Hocklyns know about the actual military strength of the Federation, the better. At the moment, all they are aware of is the light cruiser Avenger. The appearance of the Vindication will strengthen the appearance that our fleet is built around these light cruisers.”
“I don’t understand,” muttered Senator Jacksom, stepping back away from the admiral and looking confused. “What difference does it make if they know about our military strength? It would allow us to negotiate from a position of strength. We might be able to get more concessions from them if we actually do negotiate a trade agreement. Knowing that we have a very powerful military could be an intimidating bargaining tool.”
“Let me make myself perfectly clear, Senator,” Hedon continued in a commanding voice, his eyes drilling into the senator’s eyes. “Under no circumstances during these negotiations are you to mention anything about the military strength of the Federation. If these Hocklyns ask, all I want you to say is that we have sufficient forces to protect our worlds, nothing else. Do you understand that? If you do otherwise, I will have you thrown into the Vindication’s brig.”
“You have no authority to tell me what I can and cannot say!” Senator Jacksom stammered, his eyes showing anger. “I’m a Federation Senator; you can’t threaten me!”
“Senator J
acksom, you are incorrect in that assumption when it comes to military matters. I am the senior officer in this sector. Don’t force me to demonstrate what that means. You wouldn’t like it.”
Senator Jacksom was silent for a moment. He had never cared for the military. Their arrogance was a good reason for that. This might be an argument not to press. It didn’t sound like this admiral could be intimidated. “Very well, Admiral. I believe we can keep the military out of these negotiations. These negotiations are supposed to be about opening trade routes anyway.”
“You have two hours to get everything you might need ready to transfer over to the Vindication.”
The senator turned and strolled back out of the door to the conference room, muttering under his breath the entire time. When he got back to the Federation, he would file an official complaint against Admiral Streth. He would show this arrogant admiral who could threaten whom.
-
Admiral Streth was in his quarters packing some clothes. There was no way he was going to allow Senator Jacksom to conduct these negotiations without being close by. He sat down behind his desk and rubbed his forehead. This situation with the Hocklyn Trade Alliance made him feel extremely uneasy. If they were looking for trade, why send a heavily armed ship? He just felt there was something extremely wrong about this first contact situation.
There was a knock on his door, interrupting his thoughts. “Enter,” he said in a loud voice.
The door opened, and Colonel Sheen stepped in with a strained look upon her face. “Admiral, I still wish you weren’t going with the senator on the Vindication.” She wasn’t happy with the admiral’s decision. She had decided to try one more time to change his mind. The admiral needed to remain on the flagship for his own safety.
“I don’t dare allow Senator Jacksom to conduct these negotiations without my presence. I just don’t trust the man.”
Colonel Sheen let out a heavy sigh and then added. “I would feel better if you at least took another light cruiser with you. That Hocklyn ship might be more than the Vindication and Avenger can handle if hostilities break out. A third cruiser could make all the difference.”
Hedon leaned back in his chair and gazed at his executive officer. “If I’m there, perhaps I can ensure that doesn’t happen. Even Senator Jackson wouldn’t be foolish enough to risk starting a shooting war with an alien race.” Hedon grimaced at the thought.
“This whole thing just smells,” Colonel Sheen muttered, not happy with the admiral leaving the StarStrike. “I think you’re placing yourself in unnecessary danger.”
“Don’t worry, Amanda,” replied Hedon with a smile, trying to put his executive officer at ease. “You get to be in charge of the fleet while I’m gone. It will be good experience for you.”
“Perhaps, but if anything goes wrong I expect a message from you immediately. One word from you and I’ll jump in with the rest of the fleet.” Amanda couldn’t lay aside her worries.
Hedon leaned forward and gazed at Amanda. He gestured for the colonel to take a seat. “Let’s talk about that. If something does go wrong, this is what I want you to do.”
For the next half-hour, Hedon gave his executive officer some very detailed orders in case she had to jump the fleet into the Stalor System. She asked several pointed questions to ensure that she understood just what the admiral wanted. There were several points she certainly wanted clarified.
“You don’t think these Hocklyns want a trade agreement, do you?” asked Amanda gazing intently at the admiral. She had known Admiral Streth for quite some time and could tell when something was bothering him.
“You don’t send a heavily armed warship to negotiate a trade agreement,” responded Hedon shaking his head. “I can see an exploration ship being lightly armed, but not like this Hocklyn ship is. This is overkill, plain and simple. I just have a bad feeling that this isn’t going to end well.”
“But we’re sending an armed ship,” countered Amanda sounding confused. “Both the Avenger and the Vindication are warships.”
“That’s different,” replied Hedon taking a deep breath. “They initiated this contact. If we had more time, we would be sending a diplomatic mission on a civilian ship.”
Colonel Sheen nodded her head in understanding. She knew she wasn’t going to change the admiral’s mind. “Be careful Admiral. The StarStrike will be waiting for your safe return.”
Chapter Two
Two hours later, Colonel Sheen was in the Command Center watching the Vindication maneuver away from the fleet. Senator Jacksom had been extremely unhappy when he discovered that Admiral Streth would be going to the Stalor System on the Vindication with him. Looking around the busy Command Center, Amanda took in a sharp breath. If the admiral called, it was only a forty-minute jump from their current position to the Stalor System. The jump coordinates were already in the navigation computer and would be updated hourly. If the admiral called, she would be ready.
Looking at the main viewscreen, a blue-white vortex formed in front of the Vindication and the ship quickly entered it. Moments later, there was no sign of the Vindication or the vortex. Amanda knew that, in another forty minutes, the light cruiser would exit a second vortex in the Stalor System. The game was about to begin. She just hoped everything worked out and it wasn’t necessary to summon the StarStrike. Sitting down behind the command console, Amanda prepared herself to wait. She wondered if there was anything else she could do in order to come to the admiral’s aid quicker if the situation became deadly.
-
On board the Vindication, Admiral Streth was standing in the Command Center watching the main viewscreen. In hyperspace, the screen only showed a swirl of dark colors dominated by deep purple. He let out a long breath and looked over at Commander Wisthom.
“We’re on our way,” spoke Commander Wisthom watching the admiral. “It’s hard to believe we’re going to meet aliens.”
“I know,” Admiral Streth replied with a nod of his head. He hoped he hadn’t made a mistake in leaving the StarStrike behind. “After all these years instead of us finding them, they found us.”
“The Stalor mining operation is the farthest out from the Federation,” commented Commander Wisthom arching an eyebrow. “I guess it’s not too surprising that the aliens stumbled across one of our mining operations. We haven’t explored too far out in this area.”
“There must be twenty mining operations out past or on the edge of Federation controlled space,” Admiral Streth responded in agreement. “That’s why the fleet has regular patrols to check on them. We just never expected a first contact situation to come about. We have become too complacent in our explorations in recent years. This just goes to prove that we need to push the Federation Council for more exploration funds, or this won’t be the last time this happens.”
The two became silent as they watched the viewscreen. Time passed quickly, and soon the navigation officer informed them that they were nearing time to exit the jump.
“Two minutes from jump terminus,” Lieutenant Geth reported.
“All systems optimal,” reported the executive officer Major Garner as he checked the plotting table and the screens above it. “Should we go to Condition One upon exiting the vortex?”
“No,” replied Admiral Streth shaking his head. “Go to Condition Two. Weapons ports closed, but I want the crew in a state of combat readiness. We don’t want the aliens to think we’re looking for a fight. This is supposed to be a peaceful meeting.”
“I hope so,” spoke Commander Wisthom watching his crew. They all seemed to be doing their jobs as if contacting an alien ship was a normal everyday occurrence. It was a good group, and he was extremely proud of their professionalism in the face of this unexpected adversity.
A few moments later, the Vindication exited the vortex. Admiral Streth felt a queasiness in his stomach as the ship reentered normal space. Seeing the front viewscreen clear of static and switch to a view of open space, his eyes instantly went to the main sensor scre
en above the plotting table.
“Two hours to Stalor Four,” Major Garner reported as the Vindication’s position appeared on the holographic plotting table. “Sensors show the Avenger and the alien still in orbit around the moon.”
“Avenger is hailing us,” the communications officer reported.
“Inform Commander Standel that we will be at Stalor Four in two hours,” Admiral Streth ordered. “Let him know that we have Senator Jacksom on board, and the senator will be conducting the initial negotiations.”
The communications officer sent the message and then turned around and looked at the admiral. “Messages have been sent and acknowledged.”
Looking around the Command Center, Admiral Streth could sense the tension and excitement in the crew. They were about to make contact with the first aliens the Federation had ever encountered. This would be a moment forever remembered and talked about in Federation history. Hedon just hoped that the future reports of this first contact were positive.
-
Commander Standel felt immense relief when he saw that the Vindication had jumped into the system. He glanced up at the main viewscreen, which showed the Hocklyn ship. For nearly two days, the Vindication had orbited this airless moon of Stalor Four with the crew watching the alien. There had been no communication between the two ships as they waited for the civilian negotiating team to arrive.
Commander Standel knew that the miners at the mining site were extremely nervous about the situation above them. The leader of the mining operation, Martin Stent, had contacted him several times demanding to know what was going on. The miners felt helpless, as they were powerless to do anything. They were totally dependent on the military to solve this unprecedented situation and to protect them if necessary. They were spending most of their time deep within the mine.
“Admiral Streth is on the Vindication,” Lieutenant Arcles reported from Communications, looking over at the commander.
The Slaver Wars: Alien Contact Page 3
