The Price of Liberty (Empire Rising Book 4)

by D. J. Holmes

  The rebuilding process had been going quickly. Suzanna and Councilwoman Pennington had assumed control of the colony and they were working tirelessly to put things right. James was supremely confident that once Suzanna was officially appointed as Haven’s governor, and once Pennington was elected to the new Haven Council, as she no doubt would be, both of them would use their new positions and powers to even greater effect. Haven’s long-term future was still a mystery to most, but in the short-term James had no doubt that the people of Haven couldn’t be in better hands.

  *

  As darkness closed in around the Council Chambers’ gardens more tears streamed down Suzanna’s face as she and James stood together. Throughout the day they had hardly left each other’s side. They had enjoyed a meal with Johnston and Clare and the rest of the wedding guests and the evening had been spent dancing and visiting with other guests. Now James led Suzanna outside so he could speak with her alone. In the background a shuttle was waiting to take James back to Endeavour. Lieutenant Becket was already in the shuttle waiting for her Captain.

  “Can’t you just stay one more night?” Suzanna pleaded.

  “You know I can’t,” James replied. “I have already delayed our departure so Becket and I could attend the wedding. The Admiralty will be expecting Endeavour back in the Sol system as soon as possible.”

  “I know,” Suzanna sobbed. “But I can’t stand the thought of not knowing when I’ll see you again. It could take months to repair Endeavour. And then who knows where you’ll be assigned. I’m not sure I can do this without you.”

  “Of course you can,” James said as he placed both his hands on Suzanna’s cheeks. “If anyone can lead Haven it’s you.” Before she could protest any more, James leaned in and kissed her passionately.

  “I love you,” he said as their lips parted. “More than I imagined I ever would. I’ll write to you daily and keep you up to date on everything that is happening on Earth and with Endeavour. Goodbye my darling,” he said as he leaned in and gently kissed Suzanna.

  “Goodbye my love,” Suzanna said through her tears.

  He stepped back and turned away from her. He strode purposefully towards the waiting shuttle, not allowing himself to turn. It wasn’t hard to imagine the fresh tears that were running down Suzanna’s cheeks. If he actually saw them he might not be able to get onto the shuttle.

  As he stepped onto the shuttle Lieutenant Becket saluted him. Recognizing it must be difficult to leave, she didn’t say anything as she waited for him to make the first move.

  “Well Lieutenant, did you have a good evening?” James asked to distract himself as the shuttle took off.

  “Yes,” Becket replied enthusiastically. “I never thought I’d see Johnston this happy again. Despite everything he’s been through and everything Haven has been through, it’s amazing to see just how happy he and Clare are.”

  “And are you confident Endeavour will make it through the Gift?” James queried, talking of Johnston and Clare’s happiness was too much of a raw subject for him.

  “I’m as confident as I can be,” Becket replied. “I guess we won’t know until we try it.”

  “I guess not,” James responded. The missile that had exploded deep within Endeavour’s hull had seriously compromised her structural integrity. The g-forces Endeavour had endured the last two times she passed through the Gift would have torn his damaged command apart if they had not undertaken a significant number of repairs.

  “What do you think will be waiting for us on Earth?” Becket asked.

  “Months in a repair yard I imagine,” James answered. “After that your guess is as good as mine. If the Indians refuse to come to terms then the war will continue. I expect Endeavour will be used to raid the Indian colonies and shipping lines. Whatever happens, she is going to need a new permanent First Lieutenant. If I have my way, the Admiralty will recognize that you’re the woman for the job. You’ll have some big shoes to step into if you’re going to follow Mallory but I have full confidence in you.”

  “Thank you,” Becket replied. “I’d love to remain on board Endeavour, she has become a second home after everything we’ve been through.”

  “I know what you mean,” James said as his command came into view through the shuttle’s main viewport. “She’s the finest ship I’ve ever commanded.”

  *

  22nd January 2458 AD, Buckingham Palace, London, Earth.

  “I bring good news,” Fairfax said to the two men who were waiting for him in one of the palace’s reception rooms as he walked in. “Prime Minister Devgan has fallen,” he announced. “The Indian Parliament called a snap no confidence vote in Devgan an hour ago. He was ousted as prime minister within thirty minutes.”

  “You did say he wouldn’t last long after rejecting our last peace settlement offer,” King Edward XI replied. “I guess you haven’t lost any of your political shrewdness. You have only been back a week and already you’ve toppled a foreign government.”

  “Sometimes I surprise myself,” Fairfax said as he shot a grin towards his sovereign. “More importantly, a coalition of Indian representatives from their Parliament has contacted us. They have offered us terms for a peace negotiation.”

  “And?” Admiral Somerville, the third man in the room prompted.

  “They want to return to a pre-war status,” Fairfax elaborated. “They won’t lose any colonial territory. In return, they will agree to recognize the Haven vote and accept the British Star Kingdom now controls Haven and its surrounding systems.”

  “That’s everything we wanted,” Somerville said. “Their economy must be hurting more than we suspected.”

  “That’s not too hard to believe,” King Edward responded. “Despite our losses in the New Delhi colony your warships still inflicted a lot of damage when they raided Indian space. My question is,” Edward continued as he turned to face Fairfax, “should we push for more? We have the Indians at a disadvantage. We could force terms on them that will ensure they could never threaten us again.”

  “No,” Somerville answered instead of Fairfax. “The fleet is in no position to back up any threats we make. We have new ships coming out of the yards every month now. Yet they were ships laid down after the Chinese war. They were meant to replace the losses we suffered in the Void. Now, because of this war with the Indians, nearly half of our fleet has either been destroyed or is laid up in a repair yard. We need time to rebuild and repair.”

  “Yet their fleet can’t be any better off,” Edward replied. “Surly we can still find a way to put more pressure on them.”

  “Their fleet has been crippled,” Admiral Somerville replied. “But their stationary defenses around their colonies are still intact. We don’t have enough warships left to continue to defend our own colonies and put together a fleet that could take on an Indian battle station. If the Indians have any sense they will know that. At best, all we could put together is a small raiding squadron. They could be sent to raid Indian shipping. But even then we would be risking them.”

  “More importantly,” Fairfax said, “the longer this war drags on the more harm it is doing to our economy. Trade is down all across our colonies. Foreign shipping companies are avoiding our quadrant of the Human Sphere more and more. We have a lot of ships to repair and if we are going to be able to afford to recommission the captured Indian warships and expand the fleet then we need to restore confidence. Peace is the only way to do that.”

  “If you are in agreement with Somerville then I am more than happy to see an end to the fighting,” Edward replied.

  “I am,” Fairfax responded. “There is just one more demand I’m going to insist upon. The Indians are going to pay reparations to Haven to help rebuild Liberty. Much of the city was destroyed in the fighting. I’ve seen as much first-hand. I won’t accept any peace that doesn’t recognize the Indians have some responsibility for rebuilding what they destroyed.”

  “I can agree to that,” Edward replied.

  “Goo
d,” Fairfax said. “In that case I need to take my leave for a few minutes. I need to speak to a few subordinates to get the ball rolling on these negotiations. The sooner we can agree to terms, the sooner the markets will stabilize. I’ll return momentarily.”

  “We will not go too far,” Edward responded. “I’ve been wanting to speak to Admiral Somerville in any case. I think after these two wars and the sudden appearance of two alien races we need to rethink the fleet size. Our fleet has fought bravely time and time again despite almost always being outnumbered. It’s time we started giving Somerville’s captains the ships they need to even out the playing field. Who knows what we’re going to have to face in the future.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Fairfax said. “You two can play around with some numbers and we can discuss this at a later date.”

  “With pleasure,” Somerville said. He had been pushing for more money to be invested in the fleet for years. He didn’t know what the future held but he suspected just replacing the losses the fleet had incurred over the last two years wouldn’t be enough. Maybe I’m about to get my way, he thought.

  *

  11th February 2458 AD, HMS Vulcan, Earth orbit.

  James stepped into his uncle’s office. His uncle was already standing, waiting for him. After saluting, James shook his uncle’s outstretched hand.

  “You did it again boy,” Somerville said. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised after these last four years. I thought the odds had finally caught up to you. You know you nearly broke my heart when you didn’t come back from New Delhi. You truly have come a long way since I assigned you to Drake. Jensen would have been proud.”

  “Thank you uncle,” James said, taken aback at such praise. “I couldn’t help but think of Admiral Jensen when we were in New Delhi. Following her example was the only option I thought we had to save the fleet. I’m just sorry no one else was able to make it through the Indians’ plasma cannon fire.”

  “They knew what they were doing when they turned to follow you,” Somerville said. “You don’t need to feel any guilt. Each of those Captains and their crews have a place of pride and honor in our history. They won’t be forgotten.”

  “Now,” Somerville continued as he moved around his desk to take a seat. “I don’t have much time for you today. We can catch up more later. For now, I need to cut right to the chase. I’m giving you the Titan. She’s a heavy cruiser, but nearly thirty years old. She was due for a refit but I’ve had to call all our older ships back into full service. With the losses we suffered at Haven and in the Indian colonies, we can’t afford to have any more ships undergoing repairs or refits than strictly necessary. She is currently in orbit around Mars awaiting her new Captain. I’m going to give you a couple of days leave on Earth, but I want you to take command by the end of the week.”

  His uncle’s words sent James’ head into a tailspin. “You mean I won’t be keeping Endeavour?” he asked with a deep sense of loss.

  “No,” Somerville replied. “You’ve already proven yourself as an expert small ship fighter. It’s time for a new challenge. Command of a heavy cruiser and her flotilla of escorts is the first step towards flag rank. You may never have thought that far ahead, but I have. Your actions in the Indian colonies and in the final battle against the Indians at Haven have shown you have potential. I intend to harness that. You will hand Endeavour over to Acting First Lieutenant Becket when you return to her. She can oversee the repairs until I find a new Captain to take over the exploration cruiser.”

  “And Becket?” James asked. “She will be able to remain as First Lieutenant won’t she?”

  “I think that’s a decision for the First Space Lord,” Somerville said with a chuckle, “not a Captain.”

  “Yes,” James said, concerned he had overstepped the mark.

  “Don’t worry,” Somerville said, “I’m teasing you. It’s good to see a Captain so concerned about his subordinates. I’ve taken your recommendation into consideration. Overseeing Endeavour’s repairs will be a final test for Becket. If she can handle the responsibility then she will remain Endeavour’s First Lieutenant.

  “Thank you,” James replied. “I know she was a Sub Lieutenant just four years ago but she is a fine officer.”

  “She’s had the best of examples,” Somerville said. “Now, get back to Endeavour and take a final tour of the ship, I’m sure you’ll want to say your goodbyes.”

  “Yes uncle,” James said as he stood. His head still spinning, he turned to walk out of the office. Then another question came to mind; the first thing he should have inquired about. “Where is Titan to be assigned?” he asked as he paused almost out of the office’s door.

  “I thought you were never going to ask,” Somerville replied with a smile. “Haven. We’re going to need a permanent fleet there and I thought you wouldn’t have any objections to being stationed under Rear Admiral Hayes. It won’t be the most glamorous station, nor the most active. Even so, I’m sure you can find something to entertain yourself with.”

  “No,” James said as a large smile spread across his face and he reached up to fondle the locket that hung around his chest. “I have no objections at all. Thank you, uncle.”

  The End.

  You can follow James, Gupta and all the others in the next book in the Empire Rising Book 5, coming soon!

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