Spinward Fringe Broadcast 11

by Randolph Lalonde

  The Revenge was also shorter. Building a new shield system for the burnt out forward section was impractical, so while they were in the wormhole, teams of volunteers cut armour from the vulnerable forward section so it could be used to patch major breeches. One of the hangars was abandoned and its interior was stripped as well, giving the crew more than enough hardened metal to armour the hull breached sections. The engineer in Jake was thrilled at the damage control efforts.

  In the time they spent within the wormhole, all critical repairs were completed under the direction of Finn, Agameg, and Frost. Direction came from elsewhere as well, but to a lesser extent.

  Jake focused on leading rescue teams though the ship for what seemed an endless time. Remmy was his number two for that entire endeavor, leading a secondary team through the damaged areas of the ship. At first following life signs, and when they could detect no more, he and Remmy lead their teams into difficult to scan areas that could have bodies or survivors. Zac, their only medical technician was the last one. It was a good way to end the rescue effort.

  He emerged telling him that he should have a conversation with his first officer, and if they weren’t both so busy, he would have approached Commander Stephanie Vega right away, but other duties took him away from that. It was the middle of her duty shift and the beginning of his when he approached her flight command seat. It was launch prep day, she was coordinating the final work necessary to have all the support Samurai Squadron needed to operate. It was one of the biggest advantages the Revenge had: an experienced and ready squadron of heavy attack fighters.

  “Captain,” she said, turning her seat towards him. “The deck crews are doing final testing and scanning. We’re ship shape and fully operational in two hangars.”

  “Good, I never had a doubt,” he said. “Zac is settling into his new med bay. Most of the injured are treated.”

  “I saw that. He’s fast, and most of his patients are returning to duty with smiles on their faces.”

  “I know.” Jake hesitated for a moment before going on. “He told me you had something important to talk to me about.”

  Any levity Stephanie had drained away. “I’m sorry, Sir,” she whispered. “I blocked a medical detail before boarding the Revenge. There was a high chance I was pregnant, and it turns out that it took. Sorry, Jake,” she said in a low whisper.

  “Don’t apologize for being pregnant,” he replied, keeping his voice low as well. If anyone in flight control heard from their stations all around them, they didn’t make any indication.

  “I’m not,” Stephanie scoffed. “I’m sorry for lying about it. I couldn’t pass this post up. I needed to be here in case you needed me, and I’m glad I came.”

  “We needed you, but there’s good intent behind the regulation that we don’t put an innocent life at risk.”

  “I know,” Stephanie said. “It was unplanned, I haven’t even told Frost yet.”

  “Unplanned? How? Contraception either works or it doesn’t now,” Jake knew he was overstepping the moment he said the words. Some commanders believed that everything the people under them did was their business, but he wasn’t one of them. Everyone had some personal choice. It was the repercussions that generally remained the same. What Stephanie did with her body, and how she conducted her relationship with Frost wasn’t his business as long as she could do her duty. “From someone who has known you for a long time, I’d just like to know what’s going on.”

  “Haven Shore, Frost, and his bloody family,” Stephanie hissed. “I went off prevention on purpose for one week. Maybe I went a little baby crazy after seeing how amazing and safe Haven Shore looked, and there were so many kids there. I hadn’t seen kids just playing and growing up in a safe place for a while. Then Shamus starts talking about how he should check on his brother and his nephew core ward, and I felt him slipping away. I turned the prevention meds off.” She leaned onto her console and rested her forehead on her arms. “It was one week, Jake. It wasn’t even like I was trying to trap Shamus with a baby. It was more like I love him so much that, if he’s going to go off for a while and leave me behind, then I want something from him.”

  Jake put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Leave you behind? I’m sure he would have taken you with him if he went to check on family.”

  “He never mentioned me going with him once, and even if he did I would tell him that I was staying here because this is where I’m most needed. If he went anyway, I’d follow him. I’ve had time to think about it, but I’d make sure he didn’t see it coming.”

  A few of her staff definitely heard her, some couldn’t avoid seeing that something dramatic was going on. “I’d miss you, but I’d understand.”

  “Would you though? Your daughter, and well, your Ayan are both in the Haven System. You sent Ayan back for her own good, but I don’t know if I could leave Shamus if I were in her place.”

  “It was for the good of the Fleet. She wouldn’t have gone otherwise. I could see you doing the same thing,” he said.

  “Now what happens?” Stephanie said. “I’ve looked through the regulations, I know what could happen, what’s supposed to happen, but a lot of it is up to you as my commanding officer.”

  “Step into my office,” Jake said, nodding in the general direction of his quarters.

  “You have the hot seat, Apanowicz,” she said as she stood and strode out of the flight command deck. It was no larger than the bridge, and relatively untouched by the salvage operations. Jake’s quarters were less than twenty steps away.

  As soon as the door closed, Jake faced her and realized they were almost nose to nose. “One of us has to sit,” he said, gesturing to the bed that was a little too big for the space. It was a suspended membrane bed that adjusted to the user, the same technology as the beds and bunks on the Triton used. Stephanie sat down. “Okay, so you’re keeping the baby?”

  “Yes. That’s the only thing I know for sure,” she replied.

  “Congratulations. Are you going to continue serving in Fleet even if you have to do it from a land base?”

  “I plan on serving my three years at least. I was hoping to go career long term,” Stephanie said. “Oh, God, how didn’t I think about the maternity suspension. I’m going to be out of the loop for one to five years.”

  “They call it ‘maternity leave,’ I’m pretty sure,” Jake corrected quietly.

  “Unless you report me for blocking critical medical information,” she said.

  “No, I’m going to report that I ordered you to block the information so you could be my first officer on this trip. If there’s a reprimand, I’ll take it. It’ll be less severe for me than it would be for you.”

  “What? How?”

  “I can tell them that I needed you too much, or that I wasn’t sure if the pregnancy would take because it was so early, or I can just say; ‘oh, but she was only a little bit pregnant,’ and pretend I’m an idiot. I’ve got a little more latitude to play with because I’m your commanding officer. If you admit to blocking critical information they could say you were emotionally compromised and start watching for a trend.”

  “Which they wouldn’t find,” Stephanie said. “You know that, right?”

  “How long have we been serving together?” he asked. “I know. I’ll take the heat, either way, it’ll be a slap on the wrist. It’ll look like I went to bat for one of my crewmembers to a lot of the fleet.”

  “It would look like I was just serving myself, if I took the blame,” Stephanie said. “All right, I’m convinced. You did it. Wait, not the pregnancy, you made me lie about it.”

  “I’ll make sure that’s clear,” Jake said.

  A light ping from the doorway announced that someone wanted in and Jake opened it. Shamus Frost leaned in. “I heard something was going on and I might want to know about it?”

  “Who told you?” Stephanie asked. “It was Olden, wasn’t it?”

  “I won’t be revealing my sources, lass.”

  “Come
in,” Jake said. “I should go.”

  “I’m pregnant,” Stephanie blurted. “Oh, thank God, I said it. I was sure I would lose my nerve and you’d have to tell him.”

  “That would have been awkward,” Jake said.

  Frost was stunned, standing between Jake, the bed and Stephanie. There was just enough room to walk around the queen sized intelligent membrane mattress. He looked to Jake, who put his hands up. “I had no part in it,” he said.

  “Is it mine?” Frost asked Stephanie.

  Stephanie lashed out with an open hand so quickly that Jake heard the slap before he realized what happened. “Of course it’s yours, you idiot!”

  Frost shook his head, then resumed staring at Stephanie, open mouthed with her staring back with a stormy expression. “What? Say something!” she shouted after a long moment.

  Frost lifted her off the bed and held her up, laughing joyfully. “I’m the luckiest man in the galaxy!” Her head grazed the ceiling, but by some miracle, Frost managed to spin around once with her up in his arms without bumping into anything or bashing into something.

  “It’s going to change things,” she said, smiling down at him, holding his broad face in her hands.

  “I love ya, you’re having our baby, that’s all that matters,” he said, looking up at her.

  “You have the room,” Jake said as he finally exited. One glance back at the pair smiling at each other as he’d rarely - if ever - seen was enough to keep him smiling for the rest of the day.

  Eight

  Orders

  * * *

  The details of Alice’s new commission came through as Yawen and her troops finished their equipment and armour check aboard their combat shuttle. The ship didn’t look like anything special. A long slug with extra passenger space and a broad main deck. There were three turrets and thick armour made from the new type of advanced plating that the War Forge was building most of the new ships with. The section they were settling into was behind the cabin, could convert from seats to bunks in minutes, and had lockers for all their gear.

  Alice was settled into heavy armour that had interceptor thrusters and a shield package added before anyone else had a chance to finish checking theirs. She wanted to check the details of her orders and commission more than anything, but she knew she had to get herself set up for the mission of the moment first.

  “I’ll make sure the rest of our people are set up and ready. They’re not qualified on Interceptor Armour though, so we won’t be able to set them up with more than emergency thrusters,” Yawen said. “You look your file over.”

  Alice nodded and stood beside the door leading to the passenger and cargo area. The shuttle jostled slightly as it left the deck. She could see the hangar surrounding the ship disappear through the transparent sections of hull, revealing a field of distant stars. They were just outside the Haven Solar System, near the end of the hyper speed deceleration zone, where ships that travelled at speeds faster than light were supposed to slow to normal transit velocities. She couldn’t see them, but she knew that there were two whole squadrons of fighters out there already along with a small fleet of rescue ships already meeting the incoming refugee crafts.

  Alice settled into her armour, letting it stand for her and leaning her weight on the inside of its shell. It was a trick she learned during suit week - when she had armour with its own strength augmentation systems, she could trick it so it stayed still while she used it as support - and it was a great way to conserve energy. At her mental urging her command and control unit started using the systems inside her helmet as a display. “Read me my orders, please,” she requested.

  “Second Lieutenant Alice Valent, you have been assigned to the First Special Operations Combat Unit,” announced a gentle male voice that reminded her of Theodore, the android she knew was being repaired back on Tamber. It wasn’t the same, but something in its clear, formal manner reminded her of him. “Assume duty immediately under the direction of Lieutenant Commander Robert Terran as a solitary operative with support. Your support is determined by your commanding officer and will change depending on mission requirements. Upon its completion, the Light Corvette - Clever Dream - will be remitted to your solitary ownership and will be used as your primary mission transportation system. Until then you will be provided with the temporary means you require.”

  “Stop,” Alice said. “Clarify the last passage; the Clever Dream will be my property, no matter what upgrades are made?”

  “That is correct. Notes from three superior commanders are attached to that part of your orders. All of them specifically guarantee your sole ownership of the Clever Dream. Would you like me to read them?”

  “No, I think I know what they’ll say. Continue reading my orders, please.”

  “As a member of the Special Operations Combat Unit, or SOCU, you are given the right to assume command of any personnel of a lesser rank, or to requisition any equipment if justifiable. You may also dismiss any member of your team at any time, and they will be reassigned elsewhere. The privileges and responsibilities of your rank in the Haven Shore Fleet apply as normal.”

  Astonished, Alice turned away from the small squad who were checking each other’s armour and gear in the cabin. There was nothing about the Special Operations that covered the kind of position she had been assigned in her training. Academically, she understood the need for units like SOCU, they could break off from a battle group or smaller assembly of forces to accomplish more focused tasks, perform scouting duties, and complete a broad variety of more delicate missions, but she never thought she would be assigned to such a team. The amount of responsibility that came with being an independent operative in the Special Operations Combat Unit was staggering. It meant Yawen and the troops under her were temporarily assigned to her, they could be called away at any minute, and Alice could be given a mission that she had to undertake alone or she could assemble a team of her own from a broad roster if she needed to. That idea was incredible, but at the same time, she wanted to have a more permanent team around her, so there could be a feeling of comradery amongst her core people. It only took her a moment to realize that she could have that as long as she could justify it. “What is the mission of SOCU?”

  “The Special Operations Combat Unit’s mission is to address threats to Haven Shore that fall outside normal parameters, require specialists that are not available in a timely manner, or must be handled in secret.”

  “What is my current mission?” Alice asked, already looking at it on her display.

  “To address any exceptional threats as they appear in the Haven Solar system in Arrival Zone Twenty-Eight. You are under the command of Lieutenant Commander Robert Terran. Your combat shuttle and squad are to wait for further orders.”

  Alice thought for a moment, pondering the full meaning of ‘exceptional threats’ according to regulations and nodded to herself as she felt she had a full grasp of what that meant. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind of the excitement at finally knowing her place in the military. It was a special position, filled with privileges that most officers didn’t have, and it would be challenging, but she could ponder that at another time. Thoughts of the Clever Dream, and of Theo had to be pressed away too. Finally, she sent her hopes out to her father, who she wanted to go after herself more than anything and did her best to clear her mind of worry.

  There was no way she could know what her and the green troops under her would face next. They were finished doing their checks, and already settling into the seats in the embarkation compartment. Alice took a few deep, slow breaths as she looked through their records. There wasn’t much to learn since she’d had Regan, Trang and Luu as cadets during Apex training. They were all great soldiers and had solid secondary interests that could help in different situations. Private Fritz Regan was her favourite amongst them, he made an impression on her during her training, and only required her direct help once as a cadet. Knowing how much responsibility she had been given, she’d never revea
l that, but it was good to see him anyway.

  At the conclusion of one more deep breath, she turned to face her team. They perked up and paid attention immediately. “Now that I’ve finally had the details of my command cleared up, I can tell you why we’re here,” she said in a tone that was much sharper than she intended. By the time she was finished, everyone was on their feet.

  She retracted her helmet, baring her face to her team and took a moment to relax a little. “We’re not going to help any of the ships that come in with minimal problems. If the refugees aboard are in fair condition and their ships are in good enough shape to make it to one of our screening centres, then we won’t be ordered to help. The Special Operations Units are here to address exceptional threats. That means we will be called in to board ships that may have a hostage situation in progress, or may be contaminated by a virus, one that is not responding to hails but has armed passengers, or anything that Fleet doesn’t want a regular rescue team to touch. Until we are called on, we wait here. It may be a while before we’re needed, so stay focused. On another note, I’m glad to see some familiar faces.” She let her smile slip and looked across the group of seven Privates, then to Yawen. “It’s a new career for all of us, in a new fleet in a place where we haven’t been for much more than a year at the longest. So, when I saw who I’d be working with today, I couldn’t have been happier. I couldn’t think of a finer group to hurry up and wait with. That is all.”