by Tori Harris
“Of course, sire.”
“Admiral is fine, Commander Takkar. As you know, since our world’s accession into the Sajeth Collective, the dynastic houses of Graca no longer hold any real authority. Our titles are largely historical relics used for ceremonial purposes at this point.”
“I will, of course, address you in any way you wish, Admiral Naftur. But as for me and my house, you will always be Gracafürst, the one who should be king. Takkar out.”
With that, Commander Takkar’s image disappeared from the view screen, followed by stunned silence on Theseus’ bridge. Every officer in the room who could do so without completely turning around in their seats stared in astonishment at Admiral Naftur.
“Well, this is indeed a bit awkward, is it not?” he said after a few moments, smiling in spite of himself. “I will be more than happy to beguile you with tales of the ancestral Wek monarchy another time … any of you with the patience to listen to such arcane topics, that is. For now, just know that I have intentionally avoided references to this topic because it is really nothing more than an unnecessary distraction at this point.”
Nenir Turlaka cleared her throat, staring at Naftur with a disapproving expression on her face.
“Now, now, Ambassador, the only relevant context with which I undertook my mission to the Sol system was in my capacity as a Sajeth Collective admiral. I would encourage all of you to take the conversation you just heard as nothing more than a historical point of reference. I am no more and no less than the officer you have come to know over the past month. Regarding the urgent business at hand, the Baldev is the lead ship from our most powerful warship class. I urge you to ignore all other distractions and prepare yourselves accordingly.”
“Is there anything you can tell us about the ship itself in case we find ourselves in combat?” Prescott asked.
Naftur sighed audibly, once again finding himself in a morally ambiguous situation. Revealing bits of classified information to the Humans, under the circumstances, seemed like a reasonable and necessary sacrifice in the fight against an enemy of his people. In his role as a fleet admiral, however, he had no authority to make such decisions on his own. He also knew that doing so had the potential to produce unpredictable, damaging results in the future. Until just a few weeks ago, such circumstances would have seemed completely outside the realm of possibility — an interesting scenario in a leadership ethics course perhaps, but not one that would ever occur in the real world.
“I was not directly involved with the Baldev-class development program,” he began cautiously, “but I did hear rumors that, like the Gresav, the first ship in the class was used as a testbed for a special weapons project.”
Prescott stared expectantly into the old admiral’s eyes, but said nothing. He was aware of the internal struggle that must be taking place in Naftur’s mind, and knew instinctively that pressing the issue was unlikely to yield the result he was hoping for.
“I am afraid I can provide little detail, but my understanding is that she has an array of modified gravitic field emitters capable of projecting some sort of beam at enemy warships. I have no idea what the effects of such a weapon might be, but she is obviously a huge ship with tremendous power generation capabilities.” With that, Naftur’s shoulders sagged and he seemed to visibly slouch in his chair as both physical and emotional fatigue finally started to get the better of him.
“Thank you, sir,” Prescott replied respectfully, hoping to express his gratitude while at the same time acknowledging the difficult decisions the Wek admiral was being forced to make on their behalf.
SCS Hadeon, Location Dagger
(3.3 light years from Earth)
Yuli Takkar took a moment to ensure that he would not be overheard, then glanced at his second-in-command in the chair to his right. “I want you to know that, regardless of what transpires from this moment on, I will not further dishonor myself and my family by betraying Rugali Naftur. If that requires you to relieve me of command at some point, so be it,” he said, receiving a solemn nod in return.
“Captain Takkar, I have Captain Yagani aboard the Baldev standing by,” a Wek lieutenant announced from the Communications workstation. “He would like to speak with you privately, sir.”
Takkar breathed deeply and tried to gather his thoughts. Much had transpired since the inept Damaran Commander Woorin Miah had been placed in command of the four-ship detachment tasked with guarding the Resistance task force’s original rally point. Takkar knew, however, that the question foremost in Captain Yagani’s mind would be precisely how four Sajeth Collective cruisers ended up on the losing end of a skirmish with a single Terran ship — most likely classed as a mere destroyer, given her size — along with a smattering of fighters. Takkar also found himself in the uncomfortable position of needing to explain why he had removed Commander Miah from command — particularly since he had been hand-picked for the role by the Resistance task force commander, Commodore Naveen Sarafi, after having served as his executive officer.
“I will take it in the ready room,” Takkar said, nodding to his second-in-command to let him know that he had the bridge. Takkar then squared his shoulders and headed aft with a renewed sense of confidence he had not felt for some time. In spite of the potentially career-ending situation he found himself in at the moment, a single thought filled him with new hope: Rugali Naftur lives.
As Takkar entered the ship’s ready room, the Hadeon’s AI recognized his presence, secured the room, and emitted a warning chime to indicate that his vidcon was standing by. “On-screen, please,” he commanded, while seating himself at the room’s ornately carved conference table. Seconds later, the scowling face of Captain Ditanu Yagani filled the display screen.
“Good evening, Captain Yagani, I am Commander Yuli Takkar, acting captain of the Hadeon,” he began, thinking this was as good of a way to begin a difficult conversation as any other.
“And to you, Captain Takkar,” Yagani answered, offering the younger officer the courtesy of referring to him as a fellow captain. “That is, I hope it turns out to be a good evening for the both of us. From what I can decipher of the situation outside, however, it is not at all clear to me exactly what has been happening here today. Would you care to provide me a brief update? Please begin with the status of the cruiser Babayev. She is obviously heavily damaged, and I can see that rescue operations are currently underway.”
“Of course, sir. Yes, the Babayev was heavily damaged in a brief battle with the Terran ships, but she has been stabilized … for the moment, at least. Her life support systems and structural integrity fields are operating on emergency reserve power. Unfortunately, she is unlikely to be capable of moving under her own power again without significant repairs.”
“So I assume you are in the process of evacuating her crew, then.”
“Yes, sir. We are utilizing every available shuttle and should have everyone safely aboard the other three cruisers within the hour. Captain Prescott aboard the Human warship Theseus has given his word that they will not interfere with our efforts along those lines.”
“Let us hope, then, that he is a man of his word. Now, please briefly tell me of the events that led up to this point.”
Takkar took in a deep breath as his mind raced to piece together a summary of the past twenty-four hours — hopefully in a manner that would not result in his joining Commander Miah in the brig.
“Shortly after the task force began assembling at this location,” he began again, “we were discovered by a formation of two Terran scout ships. The new perimeter defense drone system performed well, allowing the Hadeon to destroy the two vessels at something approaching the maximum range of our energy weapons. Shortly thereafter, Commodore Sarafi communicated that the bulk of the task force would be moving to the secondary rally point, which I assume your AI has at this point …”
On the display screen, Yagani looked to his right for confirmation that the command and control systems aboard the Baldev had successfully sy
nchronized with those of the Hadeon. In addition to the location of the secondary rally point, Captain Yagani and the crew of the Baldev now had access to virtually every event that had taken place aboard all of the task force’s ships over the past several days. Though, in theory, this rendered their current conversation somewhat redundant, there was still no substitute for a face to face briefing from a competent, on-scene commander. Returning his attention to Takkar, Yagani simply nodded in reply.
“Very good, sir. Commodore Sarafi also ordered that our detachment of two Shopak-class cruisers and two Keturah-class BD cruisers would be assigned to guard the original rally point and direct additional ships to the secondary location as they arrived.”
“Guard it? I am not sure I understand your meaning. In situations such as this, data transfer is typically handled by deploying a simple comm buoy. As I am sure you are aware, their data streams are encrypted, and they do not transmit at all until they receive an interrogation signal from a friendly ship. That, coupled with their small size, yields a highly secure means of transferring critical data — particularly something as simple as a routine change of orders. In fact, information such as the coordinates of an alternate rally point is precisely what the system was designed to handle. Sarafi must have had something else in mind when he elected to leave four of his ships alone at this location. He provided no additional information?”
“No sir, he did not. He also sent his executive officer, Commander Woorin Miah, to take command of the detachment.”
“I know of Commander Miah. He is a Damaran, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
Captain Yagani furrowed his brow and gazed deeply into the younger officer’s eyes. “Well, Captain Takkar, this story grows more puzzling and disconcerting by the moment. Where, pray tell, is Commander Miah now?”
“Regretfully, I was forced to relieve him of command and confine him to quarters.”
“Hah! I doubt very much you regret it, although you may yet live long enough to do so, young Captain,” Yagani laughed. “He is a fool, as you have obviously discovered for yourself. Let me see if I can guess the remainder of your story. The Human warship arrived and requested a meeting under a flag of truce. Miah ostensibly agreed, then manufactured some sort of excuse for opening fire after attempting to lure the enemy vessel into optimum weapons range.”
“All correct, sir. His excuse for doing so, however, is one you probably would not expect. The Humans claimed to have Admiral Rugali Naftur aboard. Commander Miah accused the Humans of lying, then opened fire shortly thereafter — an unprovoked and cowardly violation of the rules of war.”
“I see,” Yagani said evenly. “Based on the state of the Babayev, I surmise that the ensuing battle did not go well.”
“No, sir. The Human ship has highly effective shielding of a type that we have not encountered previously. In addition, their ships appear to be capable of rapid, consecutive hyperspace transitions … as do their missiles.”
“Their missiles? Are you certain of this, Captain?”
“I am. We detected a salvo of twenty-four missiles launched from their fighters at an initial range and velocity that should have rendered them easy targets for the Hadeon and Keturah’s battlespace defense systems. Just before the fire control AIs plotted solutions and opened fire, all twenty-four missiles transitioned to hyperspace. As best we can tell, they reemerged into normal space inside the Babayev’s aft shields, completely destroying her propulsion section. Even before the missile strikes, the Human destroyer had already caused a great deal of damage with kinetic energy weapons fire.”
“So I am to understand that the Terrans appear to be much farther along in their integration of Pelaran technology than our intelligence apparatus has led us to believe,” Yagani said, stating the question as a fact.
“Yes, sir, to say the least. I have read everything I can get my hands on regarding the Pelaran cultivation program, but I have never seen any references to the capabilities I have witnessed firsthand today.”
“Humph,” Yagani grunted. “Yet another triumph of Damaran intelligence gathering. I wish I could say that I am surprised. How many more Resistance vessels are we expecting?”
“Two more Baldev-class battleships, the Zhelov and the Serapion. As far as I know, the two of them are still traveling together. Based on the most recent data I have seen regarding their estimated position, I believe we can look for them to arrive shortly.”
“Excellent. Once they do, Captain Takkar, I hope you agree that we will enjoy an overwhelming advantage … in spite of the surprising capabilities the Humans seem to have acquired. We will capture or destroy their warship as well as their fighters and then proceed to the new rally point for the attack on Terra.”
“What I have not yet told you, Captain Yagani, is that during the aftermath of the battle, I was able to confirm that Rugali Naftur actually is onboard the Theseus … as is Ambassador Nenir Turlaka. Sir, if I may be so bold, I recommend that you speak with him yourself. You can do so privately, if you wish. He spoke highly of you after the Baldev arrived, and surely you know him to be an honorable man with the best interests of Graca foremost in his heart.”
Yagani simply stared at Takkar for what seemed like a long time before glancing down at his desk — a look of fatigue mixed with sadness clouding his normally proud features. “Their presence aboard the Human vessel is unfortunate, Yuli, but I am afraid that having a conversation with Admiral Naftur at this point would change nothing. I do believe that Naftur is an honorable man, but he and his kind are nothing more than remnants of a bygone era that will never return. Graca cannot stand alone against the Humans and their Pelaran masters. Our very survival depends upon all of the Collective’s worlds uniting against their systematic form of aggression. Bringing about that alignment is the reason for the Resistance movement, as you know very well, and the reason we find ourselves here today.”
“Please reconsider, sir,” Takkar urged. “Admiral Naftur has spent time with the Humans and does not believe them to be our enemy. Like us, they recognize the threat posed by the Pelarans. Perhaps this could provide us with an unprecedented opportunity to ally ourselves with a world already in possession of a significant amount of their technology.”
“Unfortunately, the pattern is always the same, Captain Takkar,” Yagani said with a weary sigh. “While the Humans may not see us as their enemy today, they are clearly in the process of being offered membership in the Pelaran Alliance. The Guardian spacecraft always boast that there has never been a world that has declined such an invitation. Why do you think that is? The Pelaran’s technology … their influence … their power … act upon a world like the most addictive of drugs. Make no mistake, the Humans are not simply in possession of Pelaran technology. The entire fabric of their civilization is interwoven with it at this point. Indeed, their world has become all but inseparable from it. And even if they were willing and able to cast all of the trappings of that technology aside, do you believe the Pelarans would simply leave them in peace?”
“I suppose not. But could we not provide the Humans with an alternative via membership in the Sajeth Collective?”
“While that does sound like a reasonable approach, the Pelarans would never allow such an alliance. No, Yuli, our only hope in instances such as this is to find a means of intervening in the cultivation process — destroying their Guardian spacecraft once we are able to do so or, as a last resort, eliminating their proxy civilizations. The Pelarans do not appear to be fond of undertaking large-scale military operations on their own, so perhaps over time we will succeed in convincing them that this section of the galaxy is unsuitable for their cultivation program.”
Takkar appeared to be preparing to mount another argument in favor of Admiral Naftur and the Humans, but Yagani held up his hand to signal that their conversation had come to an end. “For better or worse, Captain Takkar, you and I have cast our lot with the Resistance. It is a profoundly unsatisfactory situation in which we find ou
rselves, to be sure. After being forced into making such a decision, I believe it is perfectly natural for us to question our own motives — to wonder if we have done the right thing — but at this stage, I believe we have little choice in the matter. We must follow the path set before us and hope for the best.”
Chapter 2
TFS Navajo, Earth-Sun Lagrange Point 2
(Combat Information Center - 1.5x106 km from Earth)
“He intends to attack,” Captain Ogima Davis said flatly. After shepherding the Navajo along with the carrier Jutland and three Ingenuity-class frigates to an assembly point at Lagrange point 2, Davis had joined Admiral Kevin Patterson in the flagship’s CIC. There was little else to be accomplished on the bridge at the moment, and over the past several days, it had become increasingly evident that the long-anticipated confrontation with the Resistance task force would most likely not occur within the Sol system at all. “Captain Yagani is just waiting for their rescue and/or salvage operations aboard Charlie 1 to conclude. Then he’ll get all of his shuttlecraft back under cover and let fly. The only question in my mind is whether Naftur is right about his providing some sort of warning before doing so.”
“Well, aren’t you a ray of sunshine this morning?” Patterson replied without shifting his gaze from the holographic table in the center of the room. “I can’t say I disagree with you, but he doesn’t seem to be in too big of a hurry for a commander preparing to execute an attack. Other than keeping his shields and weapons online, it doesn’t appear that he has done anything to prepare the remaining three cruisers for further action. Charlie 2 and 3 haven’t moved a muscle since the Baldev arrived, and Charlie 4 is still moving steadily downrange.”
“Like she wants us to think that she’s out of the fight?”
Patterson furrowed his brow as he looked up at his flag captain. “Maybe,” he replied. “Here’s what bothers me, Captain. If Yagani thinks he has an overwhelming tactical advantage — and he almost certainly does, given the size of his ship and the fact that he still has three undamaged cruisers at his disposal — why wouldn’t he just officially end the parley and demand Prescott’s surrender?”
