The Return: The Conglomerate Trilogy (Volume 1)

by William S Frisbee Jr

  “Lots of happy people,” Gray said.

  “Yea,” Luke replied. It felt strange, something this ship had never seen. Luke liked it but thought about the battles to be fought where more would die and it soured his mood.

  “Why aren’t you?” Gray asked.

  “I’m happy,” Luke said watching Leonessa talking with Bebchuck and Carmichael. There was an energy there. All three of them were smiling and laughing. Other crew had formed their own little groups. Luke saw no one sitting alone. Droids moved around making sure everyone had food and drink, giving people someone to talk to and otherwise making sure nobody was left out. Which made Luke look at Gray and then Leonessa.

  “You don’t fool me,” Gray said. Luke shrugged and looked at Gray when Leonessa looked his way.

  Brita came in, looked around, nodded toward Luke, and then went to sit by Leonessa. Everyone greeted her with a smile and moved over so she could sit.

  Musashi came in and made eye contact with Gray before stationing himself by the door.

  Gray motioned over toward Carmichael. “She’s looking bored. I will go get her life story.”

  Luke nodded to Gray and then found himself alone again as his droid went to talk with Carmichael.

  Musashi stared at Luke, unblinking, his face emotionless.

  Luke got up and gave Musashi the finger before heading over to the table with Leonessa and Brita.

  “Mind if I join you?” Luke asked the group.

  “Not at all!” Leonessa said and she and Brita moved apart so Luke could sit. Had he not felt so uncomfortable he might have enjoyed sitting between two attractive women.

  “This is great,” Leonessa said but Luke could hear a sadness in her voice, something in the shoulders perhaps. He hadn’t noticed it back when he was sitting with Gray. “This party is a great idea.”

  “I’ll let Jeeves know,” Luke said, wishing he had thought of it or at least known about it beforehand. “It was his idea. I’m not used to hearing laughter and joy on this ship.”

  “Why?” Leonessa asked. “I know you have a small crew, but is it bad?”

  “Usually my crew only consists of droids,” Luke said looking around and trying not to stare at Leonessa.

  “That’s sad,” Leonessa said and Luke did not know what to say so he shrugged.

  “Why do you have a crew now?” she asked looking at Brita and then Luke.

  “I think our prime minister thought Luke had been a lone wolf too long and wanted him to rejoin humanity,” Brita said with a smile.

  Leonessa looked at Luke.

  “How long have you been a lone wolf?” she asked. Luke wanted the subject changed.

  “Long enough,” he said, might be better to steer things toward more comfortable and productive grounds. “What can we expect when we get back to Sol?”

  “I don’t know,” Leonessa said. “The task force that attacked us had a wormhole drive and followed us. That is terrible for a couple reasons. It means the Caliphate has advanced and has functional wormhole technology, or at least a spy in the Jupiter Alliance. It also means they will follow the Athena when she transitions to the new system, and we weren’t counting on that. They were fielding a new ship we have never seen before. I hope it is the only one but I can’t bet on it. Jupiter Intelligence said the Caliphate has been dealing with an internal rebellion, but now I’m not so sure. I’m thinking they were preparing for a new offensive.”

  “You don’t have forces to defend the wormhole?” Luke asked.

  “No,” Leonessa said. “Not readily available. The people of Athena want to escape like the New Alamo did. Most of our resources have been tied up preparing Athena and building the wormhole drive to pull us through. The rest of the Jupiter Alliance has provided protection, but it is all about politics and they have withdrawn protection. The Alliance prefers to invest in those members who contribute to the overall defense, not those trying to run away. They are all about ‘the common good’ now the Jupiter Socialist Party is in charge.”

  Luke nodded. It made sense. New Alamo had been too far from Jupiter to be a full member of the Jupiter Alliance but they had shared discoveries and information with the Jupiter science teams when they could and for a while a mutual defense pact had been in place.

  “Nelson,” Luke transmitted. “See if you can get the combat logs from the Chonka patrollers that engaged the Caliphate ships. Anything and everything you can. Pay for it if you need to.”

  “Aye, aye Commander," Nelson replied.

  “So,” Luke said sitting back. “My mission is to you back to the Josaka system, or Sol and assist you. The theory is the Topa may then provide additional instructions, or not depending on their mood. I’m guessing you need help returning to Sol?”

  Leonessa nodded.

  “I wonder what they aren’t telling us,” Luke said looking at Brita and Leonessa. “Bastards are probably enjoying this.”

  Leonessa smiled, “If New Alamo helps, we might have a chance.”

  “It will happen,” Luke said. “If I have to beat Mark into submission. The Caliphate has payback coming and I know most of the NADF would like to test out our ships against the Caliphate.”

  “How far away is New Alamo now?” Leonessa asked.

  “About a month fast travel,” Brita said. “That is a long supply line all things considered, but doable I’m sure.”

  “What happens if the Caliphate comes back and attacks the Conglomerate?” Leonessa asked.

  Luke’s blood froze, and he looked at Brita. Her eyes widened, and he knew she was thinking the same thing.

  “If the Conglomerate believes the attack to be intentional and genocidal, they will attempt to eradicate the human race,” Luke said. “If the local Conglomerate races cannot assemble a sufficient force, they will call on the Tal who will respond. It is within their right, especially if they are attacked by a race in a dark system.”

  “Dark system?” Leonessa asked.

  “A solar system not officially a Conglomerate member system,” Luke said.

  “Even New Alamo?” Leonessa asked.

  “Possibly,” Luke said. “I don’t know a Conglomerate battle formation would care about the difference between the Jupiter Alliance and the Caliphate. They wouldn’t care since Sol is not part of the Conglomerate. The Human race would be classified as dangerous, then marked for eradication.”

  “Wouldn’t the Topa help you?” Leonessa asked, getting alarmed.

  “They could,” Luke said. “Traditionally they don’t. If the Conglomerate is decisive enough, the Topa accept it. In a case like this, the Topa would not interfere. They could exert pressure, but I’ve never seen them do so, or haven’t seen it in any history over the last several thousand years.”

  “We have to make sure a Caliphate task force doesn’t come back and attack the Conglomerate,” Brita said.

  “You think that is what the Topa Suresh was talking about when he visited?”

  “Nelson,” Luke transmitted. “Have you been listening?"

  “Yes sir,” Nelson replied.

  “Prepare a fast drone for New Alamo. Full data dump. Let them know exactly what could happen. We need reinforcements to make sure the Caliphate doesn’t come through and attack the Conglomerate. We need to start the diplomatic engine and make sure the Conglomerate sees New Alamo, the Jupiter Alliance, and the Caliphate as separate entities.”

  “Aye sir,” Nelson said.

  “We also need to increase speed,” Luke said. “Notify Amanda and Jeremy to hurry. We will have to get what we need from the Shrike sooner rather than later. Leave it there and lay claim to the derelict on behalf of New Alamo.

  “Nelson, I also need the patrol data on the battle ASAP,” Luke said getting up to head to the bridge. There was work to be done. The party and being social would have to wait.

  “This changes a lot,” Luke said to the others. “This could be a serious problem.” There were many legal ramifications to review. Now Suresh’s words took on a mo
re sinister warning, and it chilled Luke’s blood.

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  The Talk

  The next party, when the salvage crew returned from the Shrike, was more subdued but Luke did not attend. He was too busy going over the data from the battle between the Conglomerate and the Chonka patrol ship and putting it into the simulators. So far, it looked good. The Ultio could take on several patrol cruisers if it had to and Luke was feeling more comfortable about taking on the Caliphate task force. The new cruiser seemed tough, but they hadn’t used plasma lances.

  Brita was there as well, and they spent a lot of time talking about options. Gray, Nelson, and Musashi stood nearby to discuss certain aspects.

  “I think we have a chance against the task force,” Luke said. “If that is all they have.”

  “Agreed,” Brita said. “Even at full strength we could take them. We have a massive advantage in technology and offensive capability. The patroller got a good scan but they might have long-range torpedoes. Launching those against a Conglomerate world and civilian targets is all it would take.”

  “I’m not seeing a cause for concern,” Nelson said. “We have superior maneuverability and we could fly circles around them while we shred them with our primary plasma lances.”

  Everyone nodded.

  “Why don’t you go join the party with Leonessa?” asked Brita. “I can finish putting in the data for the simulation.”

  It sounded tempting to Luke, but he was not the type of person to let his subordinates work while he relaxed or enjoyed himself.

  “It will be quicker if we both work on it,” Luke said.

  “Suit yourself Commander,” Brita said. “But you are the Captain of the vessel. You should show the flag at least for a little. I’ll be fine.”

  Luke looked at Brita. She was an experienced officer and an experienced leader, and she was right. He should make an appearance, however brief, to show he cared at least. Damn.

  “Okay,” Luke said. “Thank you. I’ll be back in a bit.”

  “Aye Commander,” she said and turned back to her console with a smile.

  * * *

  The door opened and someone called attention on deck.

  “Carry on!” Luke yelled before anyone could get up. That was annoying even to Luke.

  Walking in, Luke looked around. So many faces looked at him and he felt like a stranger. The music had no life as it played in the background. Luke forced a smile. “Carry on ladies and gentlemen, carry on!”

  Slowly people returned to their conversations. Luke singled out Leonessa talking to Doc, Burke, Amanda, and Jeremy.

  When he approached, Leonessa turned to Luke.

  “She is a total write off?” Leonessa asked.

  Luke nodded. “It would be a lot cheaper and easier to just rebuild her. We are transferring everything we can to the Ultio. We have what we need, the bodies, wormhole data, and coordinates. The dead will be returned to Sol.”

  “Thank you,” Leonessa said. “Now I find myself a Captain without a ship, and I have many mistakes to atone for.”

  “It happens to the best,” Luke said. There was a growing sadness in her, she met his eyes less frequently, her shoulders leaned forward slightly and she refused to look others in the eyes. Something was dying. “You have brought so many back and against impossible odds. I know you will be given another vessel.”

  Leonessa looked sadly at the people around her and Luke could see the signs that survivor’s guilt was taking hold. There was a slump in her shoulders as the truth of the situation sank in. Luke saw it in her eyes, heard it in her voice. They were going home, and she had nothing left to fight for. Her battles were over and she had given her all. There was nobody else to fight for, no battle to fight. Now she was just a passenger on her way home with minimal responsibilities and so many ghosts demanding justice. It was how Luke felt when the New Alamo left the Sol system. He had no future and had lost everything he cared about. She had no ship and might never be in command again. It was hard to face a future like that and Luke knew how it felt.

  “May I speak to you privately for a few minutes Lieutenant?” Luke asked, he could feel the heat in his neck and tension in his shoulders, he tried to keep his eyes from squinting or letting the anger show. He understood what she was feeling all too well.

  Leonessa nodded, almost meekly. It wasn’t her.

  Out in the hallway Luke turned to her, livid. He stood there for a few seconds, trying to figure out why he was so angry and then he understood.

  “I know what you are going through. I’ve been going through it for the last forty-five years of my life,” Luke said. Nobody should have to deal with it like this. “I won’t lie and tell you it gets better. I will tell you that you must learn to live with and accept it. It happened. You made the decisions you did, and you survived where others did not. You have many obstacles still ahead of you, some may be tougher, most will not. You may have screwed up, too bad, deal with it. You are human, now look at what you have accomplished, and build on that. Become a better person because of what you experienced. Make their sacrifice mean something. People respect you and look up to you. You still have a duty to them. Continue to be the best person you can.”

  Luke paused and decided to slow down a bit as she stared at him, caught by surprise. Luke stared into those beautiful eyes. Those eyes so full of sadness and fear.

  “When you return to the Jupiter Alliance, you will be hailed as a hero,” Luke said more slowly and calmly. “Use that platform to talk about the ones who didn’t make it. Give their life meaning again. You will see them worship you as a hero, but let them see you worship the dead, and there you make your peace. Understand?”

  “Yes sir,” Leonessa said. His speech would not have mattered to himself so long ago. Had she lost a lover on the Shrike?

  “And stop giving me that ‘sir’ bullshit, especially in private,” Luke said. “I hate it. I started out enlisted and that means both my parents were married, I’m no bastard.”

  Leonessa smiled, but Luke could see it was forced.

  “Thank you,” Leonessa said.

  “If you need to talk, day or night, regardless of hour, you call me. Understand?”

  “Yes, thank you Luke,” she said.

  “Promise?” Luke asked. He didn’t want her to eat a bullet. He didn’t think she was the type but you couldn’t always tell.

  She nodded, almost shyly. Luke felt better. She wasn’t the type.

  Luke nodded and stared at her for a couple minutes. Was she Elena? What had he told Elena when she lost one of her squads in an ambush in the Philippines? It had helped her she told him later.

  “This is war,” Luke said gently, remembering the conversation from long ago. “It happens. You would have given your life for those that died but they have given their life for you. Their decision was easier, we both know that. Now you must live with their decision, respect their decision, and give them something to be proud of. You didn’t get the choice like they did, but you and I both know you would have made the same decision.”

  Leonessa’s head dropped and without warning she collapsed against Luke. A sob escaped. Luke closed his eyes, refusing to let his tears flow, her emotions were his. Nobody had told him that until now, and he had spoken as much for his benefit as Leonessa’s. Actually, that wasn’t true. Mark had said that to him frequently but he hadn’t wanted to listen. He hadn’t been ready. Hopefully, Leonessa was ready. Luke understood that that perhaps now he was ready.

  Luke held her as she cried on his shoulder and whispered softly it would be okay. He did not want to let go, but standing in the hallway was not a place to have a mental breakdown and finding two senior officers in a hall crying would not be a big winner for morale or discipline.

  Leonessa pushed away first and Luke fought it briefly before relenting.

  “Thank you,” she said looking up at him. Luke did not trust his voice and nodded.

  They both looked at the door to the Galle
y, expecting it to open any second.

  “We should go back in there,” Leonessa said, she did not sound convincing.

  “Yes,” Luke said and looked over Leonessa. He wiped away her tears and adjusted her collar. She reached up and wiped away one of his own, staring at it. Luke did his best to ignore that.

  Luke stood straighter and offered his arm, putting more distance between them. Leonessa looked up into his eyes and Luke saw something there now he had not seen before, hope. She looked more presentable Luke thought, crushing any other thoughts that might threaten the situation.

  “Milady?” Luke said raising his arm slightly, bringing attention to it.

  Leonessa smiled and slipped her arm into is and they went back into the mess hall to rejoin the others.

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  Josaka

  “Exiting wormhole in five minutes,” Nelson said.

  Officers seemed to crowd the CIC. Leonessa sat in an observer chair next to Luke while the other officers of the Leonis Ultio and Shrike stood or sat nearby. The enlisted members of Leonessa’s crew were in the captain’s meeting room watching the monitors since there was not enough room on the CIC.

  When the Leonis Ultio exited the wormhole, the four frigates detached and moved into formation. Luke launched his fighter wings and waited. Sensors reached out to look for any Caliphate ships and probed possible hiding locations.

  The Josaka system held no habitable worlds, it was an ancient red dwarf, lost in the darkness of the system. There were plenty of minerals and resources in the system but nothing unavailable elsewhere. Even after thousands of years the Conglomerate had found no use for the system and nobody had been interested enough to colonize or build there. Topa and Conglomerate star charts showed it as a dead-end system, at the mercy of the Chonka system government and any transit restrictions they applied. Charts listed this as a dark system because the light of the Conglomerate did not shine here. There was another wormhole listed on the Topa charts, but it was listed as a highly unstable and dangerous when Luke checked. According to Leonessa it was not the one leading to Sol.