by Ava D. Dohn
* * *
Planetee and Trisha strode along the fighting bridge of the IronStone, a newly commissioned ‘class A’ frigate soon bound to join the First Fleet. Between them ambled Admiral TaqaEsem, Commander of the Tarezabarian Fleet, who was preparing to depart for the frontier regions of the Trizentine. For three months, the crews of the admiral’s ships had worked, feverishly converting their old homes into formidable ships-of-war. The final touches having been finished, they were in a hurry to join up with an undisclosed number of Tarezabarian ships already skulking passage into forbidden territories.
When they entered the forward section of the bridge, Planetee suggested they tour the command center one deck above them. From there the trio was able to view the busy Crontiriny Navy Depot, floating just above one of the small moons of HaserSar, the next planet in the star system out from their home planet, EdenEsonbar. HaserSar, meaning ‘Castle of the Prince’, had long been populated, albeit lightly. It was rich in natural resources - iron ore, copper, manganese and other valuable elements. And its relative closeness to their sun permitted the use of solar furnaces to smelt the metals. For these and other reasons, it had been selected as a navy hub for building and refitting ships.
TaqaEsem was pleased to see how quickly Special Forces had managed to put together its first in a series of small hunter squadrons. Taking advantage of Mihai’s ‘Constraints of War’ proclamation, permitting the seizure of goods and property if needed for the war effort, Sarah was nearly ready to launch the first of her Wolf Pack fleets. At Crontiriny and several other naval yards in the EdenEsonbar star system, over three hundred ketches and luggers were being outfitted for their new roles. No longer would these small, sleek ships haul freight. When finally released again into the depths of space, they would be heavily armed killers, hulls of blood-red and midnight-black, each one bearing an insignia of a skull and crossbones on its forecastle.
As the trio looked at a huge wall monitor panning the northern portion of the depot, Sarah expressed her added satisfaction. “Our man, Jebbson, has come through for us. Already, in the dockyards of HaserSar, over a hundred keels have been laid for the ninety day wonders he promised us. If all goes well, in less than four months the first of the Mosquito Class fighting sloops will be launched. New facilities are being constructed to build many more of these little ships. Within a year, production may well be up to one thousand a month, reaching a peak production in three years of twenty-five hundred a month.”
When Sarah saw the shock and disbelief on TaqaEsem’s face, she was quick to offer more information. “Admiral, these ships are very crude and quite small, many not being larger than some of the heavies that the Navy currently uses. Their difference is in the design. While heavies are built for massive payloads of ordnance, their range is limited to the general vicinity of the fleet. It is rare to find them alone in deep space.”
“On the other hand, these fighting sloops have been designed for long sojourns into the galaxy. Their sleek, narrow hulls and relatively big engines leave little room for creature comforts. The wardroom serves as galley, crew mess, and officers’ quarters. Only the captain has a private cabin, and a very little one at that. The crew sleeps at their guns, so to speak. But the ships are very tough, well armed, and fast…real fast. Their size makes them easy to hide from enemy eyes. Their speed makes them good raiders, but allows for rapid escape if necessary. And they have enough firepower to take on cutters or even a small barks. Why, I believe a brigantine or light class frigate would be hard-pressed in a contest with two or three of the little brutes.”
Sarah smiled. “As for your wonder at the amount that we plan to produce… HaserSar is only one of the shipyards being readied for the production of these fighting sloops. Already, throughout the safe-havens of the Empire, hundreds of new yards are being constructed…or soon will be. We will need thousands upon thousands of warships of all classes before this contest is finished. Even now, over half of all volunteers joining up are being funneled into manufacturing and construction, and that percentage, I think, will soon rise.”
Trisha confirmed Sarah’s statement, adding, “When the war turns into an offensive campaign, there will be need for thousands of transports. We will require enough battle fleets able to not only deliver our advancing armies quickly to strategic locations, but to also protect our military operations. To be successful, we must not be dependent on home bases, but be able to carry the battle in full measure to our enemy’s lands. The one hundred huge transports you have loaned us are a generous gift, but there will be need for a thousand times that number if we are to drive Asotos and his people from these worlds.”
TaqaEsem shook his head in disbelief. “If all the fires in the midnight sky gave hand to offer strength, how can such things be possible? We spent nearly six centuries preparing for our own journey to faraway kingdoms. How does one find belief in what you say is to be done?”
Trisha reached out and patted the admiral on the arm. “My friend, I would not believe it myself if I had not studied the histories of my old people. They have done well at making the tools of war and quite quickly, if I may add. If they can do such a thing even when so few are of proper age and health to deal with the demands of conflict, then your people, who never grow old or sick, nor are tied down with little children… your people should be able to do much more and even be faster at accomplishing your task. By the time our Army has risen to full strength, we hope to see one hundred million battle-ready soldiers and nine hundred million more serving in support fields.”
TaqaEsem again shook his head in awe and bewilderment. He understood that Ma-we had birthed many children, but the thought of billions overwhelmed him. Yet to have a war needing a billion on one side to win, it meant that there was nearly as many on the opposing side, and they were all the children of Lowenah. He expressed his wonder.
Sarah asked, “Admiral, how old are you?”
“How old am I?” His face contorted in puzzlement, like a schoolboy searching for an obvious answer to a question he had not been prepared to hear. “How old am I?” He fell into deep thought. After seemingly endless silence, he confessed, “If you are asking how the years are on me, I do not know. Many ages I remember. Planets I have seen born and die. I do not know.”
Sarah responded, “Admiral TaqaEsem, I have seen fewer than sixty winters, yet I perceive the width and breadth of matters in this place better than you. In my old world, we had to accomplish our task quickly. That included our child bearing. It was not uncommon for a woman to give birth to eight, ten or even twelve children, all in a matter of fifteen or twenty years. We were always in a hurry.” She went on to explain, “Lowenah was in no hurry, so I perceive you saw few children born before you departed this place. Let me ask you, how many ships have your people built since leaving here?”
The admiral scratched his head, thinking. It was a perplexing question and took him a great deal of time to reply. After much thought, he answered, “Our ships are strong. They will last many times your life. And we would only build new ones when a desire for departing to discover other worlds would fill our hearts. Still, I suppose that our hands crafted many thousands over the ages.”
Trisha interrupted, “Time, my friend, time... It is what you’ve had an abundance of. You have not bothered to keep track of time because, for you, it never ends. For us, it was - it still is the only thing we can contemplate, while to you, it has mattered little. Truth be told, there has passed enough time for Lowenah to have birthed billions upon billions of children. Why, from all I can understand, our new king, Michael, has lived well over three billion of our years, and she is considered only a child in the eyes of most of her siblings.”
Considering the matter their way helped the admiral grasp what was being brought to his attention. Some things were subtle, others not so. The not so obvious ones dealt with the need to start thinking in elements of time - very small pieces o
f time. It would be the swift in this war who would win the day. Those who took too much time to consider things would lose. The more apparent fact was that enough time had passed to allow him to have many more brothers and sisters than he realized.
Lowenah had always kept secret the complete number of children born to her. Asotos’ mind could recall all the women because they had been given as gifts to him at their coming of age. Tolohe could recall all the males, because she had gifted to them her wisdom. But no one else had any knowledge regarding the matter, Lowenah leaving secret the number of inhabitants there were in the First Realm.
Trisha’s eyes glowed with gentle warmth as she joined in other banter the three soon busied themselves in. Although still straightforward and unmovable in her resolve and determination to accomplish her goals, and often off-the-cuff blunt when it came to expressing her opinion about war preparations, the woman had changed during the past weeks. Gone was the hard-edged callousness, like the kind she demonstrated at the Prisoner Exchange. Dissipating also was the inner bitterness she had carried for so many years - the bitterness of feeling she had been cheated out of a future life promised her so long ago. A new fire burned within her bosom, one of hope and determination to make the very future she had often dreamed of a reality - not just for herself, but for those gone before her, those standing with her, and those yet to come.
Along with that new warmth came a cheery glow that could be seen in her hazel eyes. It drew people to her, as it was doing with TaqaEsem. He addressed her, reaching out to hold her hand as he did so. “Commander Trisha, my desire would have so much been to spend more time in your company. To share our thoughts in dreaming would have been a great pleasure to my heart. Alas! The hour will soon come for our parting. May our paths join without much distant time.”
Trisha glanced at Sarah, who appeared oblivious to the meaning of the admiral’s statement. She returned TaqaEsem’s gaze, pondering the admiral’s words. There was no question to what he referred - the dream-share that was commonly practiced by these people. For her years here there had been great resistance to such a thing, a refusing to bend from her former traditions. Zadar had broken down some of the painful walls that life’s past experiences had built. The charge of adulteress had burned for many years in her breasts. The fear of a resurgence of that old guilt had caused the woman to distance herself from most men.
Now, as Trisha gazed back into the admiral’s eyes, the woman remembered her own words spoken to Zadar not so long ago, ‘It is I who now live in your world, not you in mine. You create much joy, and you give it to many. Please, do not take that away from them.’ Yes, she now lived, not in a world filled with rules and laws, but one with freedom from fellow dictators. These people were innocent of heart, their actions caring and loving. Who was she to stand as a resister against a culture much more honest and ancient than any from her earlier life in the Second Realm?
Trisha squeezed TaqaEsem’s hand. “The IronStone leaves on the evening shadow and I travel with it, for my business is with the captain of the Navy. The night is not a book for me to write down destinies, but there still remain fleeting afternoon hours with empty pages upon which we can scribe our marks. What shall you say? Is a sip of wine better than none at all? If you agree, then I offer you leave to join me for some in my cabin.”
TaqaEsem smiled, closing his other hand over hers. Sarah instantly grasped the meaning of Trisha’s statement to the admiral and she offered an excuse for her departing their company. After affectionate hugs and warm goodbyes, she exited the command bridge, eventually leaving for a conference with some of her junior commanders.
Trisha led the admiral away, somewhat nervous but satisfied with the decision she had made. Here was one of the Ancients, willing to share dreams with her, a child having little to offer in return. During the following years, in the lonely hours, when sleep fled her eyes, the woman would fondly recall that day. Then tears flowed, as bittersweet memories waltzed through her mind, remembering a gentle man, gone from their lives, but never forgotten.
