SWNOVELS Chapter 2
“Hard to port!” I yelled. “ Someone turn that damn noise off!”
The noise ceased abruptly. The ship shuddered as the helm banked to clear the wreckage in our path. I felt disoriented as the inertial dampeners kicked in causing my stomach to churn bringing the taste of bile to my throat. I didn’t wish to know how close we were but someone kept calling out the numbers.
“Twenty metres, fifteen metres. Thirty metres.”
“We’re clear,” Devseen announced. “And the shields are up.”
“Take it slowly helm.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Jinas getting anything?” I addressed the young T’Arni woman at the comms console.
“Negative ma’am.”
“Continue broadcasting our distress message and add we’ve only got comms outgoing.”
“Yes ma’am.”
I turned my attention to the view screen trying to keep thoughts of Anoxi out of mind I had to focus on the present. Several small vaguely humanoid shapes were scattered amongst the debris.
“My God are those bodies?” someone exclaimed must have been a human. Other races had different names for those deities they worshiped.
Turning to the crew I spoke. “Remain calm and show professionalism.” My voice carrying across the sudden stillness of the bridge.
The evidence was there for all to see. A piece of wreckage drifted past, the moon and star emblem clearly emblazoned on it. So the attack on us wasn’t a rogue captain we were at war with the Empire.
“Comms?” I asked Ensign Jinas.
“Yes ma’am.” There was a slight tremble in her voice.
“Open a channel to the ship I need to address the crew.”
“Channel open ma’am.”
“Crew of the Sovran. The attack on us wasn’t an isolated incident. We are at war with the Terran Empire I don’t know the details yet. But I will inform you as soon as I know, until then all hands to battle stations. Close channel.”
“Aye ma’am.”
“Sensors?” I said my eyes on the view screen. “Sweep the area for survivors.”
“Ma’am?” the human sensor operator queried me. Belatedly I remembered her name as Ensign Mira Xanders.
“Regulation 218a,” I snapped back, now wasn’t the time for someone to question my suitability for command.
“All available ships will search for survivors in the aftermath of a battle.” Devseen supplied.
Although the regs only applied to Confederacy ships. I considered that if we picked up some imperials I could at least find out what the hell was going on.
“Ma’am!” Mira cried out sounding alarmed.
“Ensign?”
“Picking up two ships on the edge of sensor range on an intercept vector.”
“ID?”
“Unknown?”
“Right. Jinas?”
“Ma’am?”
“Continue broadcasting our distress call and add our ID to that.”
“On it ma’am. To all Confederacy ships this is the Sovran ID 271213 we are damaged, comms out going only, please render assistance.” She repeated. “To all Confederacy ships…”
“Jinas put it on a loop and save your voice.”
“Sorry ma’am I wasn’t thinking.”
“Carry on Jinas.” I turned to Ensign Xanders. “ID on those two ships?”
“Medium cruisers closing in on our location, type unknown?”
“Devseen status of weapons and shields?”
“Missiles are loaded, main guns powered up and shields are up to full strength.” He hesitated and asked. “You reckon we can do it again. Trick them that is?”
“Not against two cruisers we’ll have to fight our way out.”
“Against to two cruisers! We don’t stand a chance.”
“More of a chance than if we try to run. I am in charge! I didn’t earn two Confederacy Stars for doing nothing.” I fixed Devseen a glare. “Am I clear ensign?”
“Yes ma’am, sorry ma’am ready on your mark.”
I could feel the tension rising as the two unknown ships rapidly closed distance with us.
“Wait a minute!” Ensign Xanders cried out. “They’re Confederacy, I know one of those ships it’s the Issakoi I recognise her ID signature. I served my first year training on board her.”
“Captain?”
“Captain Batates.”
“Jinas?”
“Yes ma’am?”
“Continue transmitting message. Give Xanders the comms and swap with her. Xanders ask for Captain Batates by name and tell him yours.”
There was an anxious moment as the two ensigns swapped places.
“To Captain Batates of the Issakoi, this is Ensign Mira Xanders aboard the Sovran we are damaged and need assistance.”
“That should do the trick.” At least that was what I’d hoped but I wasn’t going show any doubts in front of the bridge crew they were counting on me.
“Both ships slowing major.”
“Thank you Jinas. And Xanders continue repeating message.”
“Aye, Aye ma’am.”
One thing I had insisted after the crew kept referring to me as the captain, that I wasn’t. I’m a major in the GF and wasn’t contemplating a career change. The two ships halted just outside missile range the bridge crew shifted uneasily waiting my instructions reluctant to fire on their own ships.
“That’s odd?” Jinas queried sounding confused, “the searchlight on the second ship seems to be malfunctioning.”
Contrary to belief space is actually dark most ships rely on sensors to alert them to danger but occasionally a ship will deploy searchlights to observe an object. I watched the blinking searchlight fascinated by the light. There seemed to be a pattern emerging.
“Idiot!” I growled to myself. “That’s morse code.”
“Morse code? Ensign Jinas asked the T’Arni sounded puzzled.
“An ancient form of communication before radio and LADAR.”
I replied not wanting to say that it originated on Earth especially if we were at war with the Empire. “Ask them to repeat the message.” I was glad that at least someone on the other ships was thinking. Slowly and carefully I pieced the message together letter by letter. “Xanders send this, message received and understood, permission to board granted, Major Locke out.”
“Yes ma’am sending message.”
I turned to Devseen would was regarding me open mouthed. “You understood that ma’am.”
“Yes, get Sergeant Adams and his squads to meet me outside the main airlock.”
“At once ma’am.” Devseen hesitated. “And ma’am?”
“Yes?” I replied mildly.
“Thank you from all of us.” He saluted, as did the rest of the bridge crew.
I paced the small corridor outside the main airlock in my combat armour and an AR32 assault rifle slung across my chest my hand resting on top of it. I felt comforted by the weight of a heavy kinetic coil assault rifle. Sergeant Adams and his counterpart Corporal Hanks had set their squads up either side of the corridor facing the airlock weapons cradled in their hands. The green and grey camouflage patterns of their armour looking out of place beside the washed out blue of the bulkheads. Despite Xanders identification of one of the ships the other was unknown even though it displayed Confederacy markings. It was better to be safe than sorry a lesson we learned from the Orsini. They were well known for using captured ships in sneak attacks.
There was a hollow sounding clung as the docking clamps attached to the outer hull then an agonising wait as a docking ring was extended. A series of bangs sounded on the outer hull.
“Devseen open the outer airlock,” I spoke into the comms unit on my wrist I wasn’t relying on my faulty implant.
I heard a hiss as the pressure between the docking ring and the outer airlock equalised. My hand tightened on the trigger grip as my other hand loosened strap that held my rifle to my chest. All around me the GF and the Marines readied. The beacon light above the inner airlock door flashed and slowly the door opened.
Three figures stepped through the door only one was in armour his weapon as with ours was, held at the ready. The other two a man and a woman both human were in dress greys sidearms strapped to their sides. The two humans were looking smart in their high collared tunics and pants. With gold buttons down the front of the tunic and gold trim on the collars and cuffs. I had a set like it back at the academy. You were expected to wear at all times while on duty, which at the academy was virtually every day. The insignia on the high collared tunic of the male indicated he was the captain while his female companion ranked lieutenant both naval officers. The third slightly taller than me had commander’s insignia on the breast of his armour the same dull green as mine was.
“Attention!” I snapped lowering my weapon. To my pride the squad reacted with military precision. “Major Sandra Locke 43rd Division GF.”
“Major,” The captain responded. “Captain James Hanyard of the Alpha Crucis.” He flicked his hand to his companions. “Lieutenant Jane Masters and Commander Dicythel Gorana.”
The commander’s name came as a bit of surprise since it sounded T’Arni yet most T’Arni didn’t reach above 168 centimetres and the commander seemed a lot taller than that.
I slung my rifle and took off my helmet handing both to Sergeant Adams. “Stand your squad down Adams.”
“Yes ma’am,” Adams replied with a salute that would have done any officer proud.
I turned to the three officers from the Alpha. “This way if you please we’re heading to the briefing room.” And added. “With your permission.” I led them to the briefing room.
The briefing room wasn’t that far from the main airlock and situated off the same corridor that led from the elevator to the shuttle bay below the briefing room. Ever since the attack I had been wondering why the captain had assembled all his officers on the bridge instead of the briefing room. The thought had troubled me and I couldn’t think of a way past the reasoning. The door slid open and we entered. The briefing room was a rectangular space with a large view screen at the end opposite the door. A large rectangular table dominated the room surrounded by benches. All of which could be recessed into the floor turning the briefing room into an exercise floor. I walked across and stood beside the screen while the Alpha’s officers settled on either side of the table.
The captain and the lieutenant on one while the commander sat on the other. He reached up a removed his helmet revealing his face. Several things slid into place in my mind I understood now. The commander was a ’Brid a blending of both human and T’Arni genes. ’Brids or to give them their proper designation Hybrids were a combination of human and other compatible alien species. They were supposed to be common but he was the only the second I’d met. The other was my secretary Olga at the academy. He was handsome with his straw coloured hair and the perfect combination of human and T’Arni facial features. He smiled seeing the admiring look I was giving him. Nodding in appreciation I slipped onto the bench in front of the view screen and activated the terminal built into the table, a datapad lay next to it. A hologram of the ship appeared above the hologram projector at the centre of the table.
“Just over thirty-six hours ago we exited from hyperspace and a Terran Empire ship was waiting for us. Its first volley took out the bridge killing everyone there and damaged the comms relay. Luckily the shields were on automatic and went up before their next strike.” The holographic display changed to show a second ship.
“Where were you when all this was going on?” Lieutenant Masters demanded.
“That’s ma’am to you,” I growled my curt reply to the lieutenant who seemed to be questioning my competence to command.
“Where were you then ma’am?”
“Captain Hanyard do you let all your junior officers talk this way?” I snapped back.
“Lieutenant you are out of line!” Captain Hanyard barked. “Sorry major, Lieutenant Masters had a brother aboard this ship, one of the bridge crew. Andrew Masters flight officer.”
“I’m sorry for your loss but we didn’t stand a chance. I was on my way up to the bridge had I been there then none of us would be talking.”
“Sorry to interrupt!” Commander Gorana said. “Did you say thirty-six hours?”
“Yes sir.” I knew the commander out ranked me.
“Captain?” Commander Gorana sounded uneasy, “they hit us twelve hours ago.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “Twelve hours?”
Captain Hanyard frowned. “It was bad although it could have been a lot worse. I don’t think they were expecting the eighth fleet to be here. As it was half our crews were on shore leave. We had to intercept the enemy with what we had. A number of cruisers were operating with skeleton crews. We lost five medium cruisers and a number of support ships including several frigates.”
“How many enemy ships?” That sounded bad to me having to fight with under crewed warships.
“A full battle squadron, fifty ships.”
I almost gasped. A fleet consisted of three squadrons. So the Empire had sent a third of a fleet to attack Aurelis Prime. “That doesn’t make any sense Aurelis Prime isn’t a strategic objective?” I protested.
“We’ve still trying to figure that out ourselves,” Captain Hanyard replied.
“The enemy ships?”
“Nearly all of the attacking ships were destroyed. Unfortunately their flagship escaped. Naval intelligence is interrogating the survivors.” Captain Hanyard grimaced. “I really wanted that bastard, not one of those we have interrogated so far knows why they attacked Aurelis Prime.”
“Have there been other attacks?”
“Yes, all have been repulsed thank God for planetary defences.”
I nodded thoughtfully if Anoxi had had planetary defences then my father might still be alive. “We’ve been a peace with the Empire for the past forty years. Constantine the VI would have never done this.”
“Oh you wouldn’t have heard, we‘ve only just learned it ourselves Constantine’s dead. Someone calling himself Augustus II succeeded him,” Commander Gorana said.
That explained much. “I see.” Father had often spoken of Constantine and his policy of reformation and reconciliation in glowing terms. I hoped that Com Ops would over look this when came to my re-instatement to active service.
“None of this explains why you are alive and my brother is dead!”
I could see Lieutenant Masters was going to have issues with me. Captain Hanyard spoke before I could intervene.
“Lieutenant Masters you are dismissed. Consider yourself on report,” Captain Hanyard growled at her.
Master stood her face bright red her eyes narrowed. “This isn’t over Locke!” she shouted and stormed out.
“Is the Lieutenant going to be a problem?” I asked mildly.
“Not any more,” Captain Hanyard sighed. “I hate losing a talented officer but she over stepped the boundaries.”
“She’ll cool down,” I replied. I reflected that I hadn’t when my father died. We had been close and his death had hit me hard. I hit the bottle for sixth months after coming home from Anoxi and could have been court-martialed for that. Luckily I sobered up in time. Instead they put on a biannual psych report and sent me to supervise the Rosewood Academy on Aurelis Prime. “I do understand how she feels my father was killed on Anoxi. She’ll calm down after a time?” I said hopefully knowing all too well that I hadn’t. Just thinking about it made me shiver as I suppressed all thoughts of Anoxi.
“What was your father doing on Anoxi?” Captain Hanyard asked.
“Trying to broker a deal with the Commonwealth.”
Commander Gorana sat forward. “We seem to be straying from the point here. Masters was a problem but we need to know why you were attacked?”
“That’s what I’ve been thinking on since the attack. There was no reason for that Terran ship to be there. The Direkki system has only one habitable world and we use that as a training ground nothing grows there and it has very little in exploitable minerals.”
“I know Marines do a lot of training on Farakas,” Gorana said with a nod to me.
“Com Ops sent us there on a joint training mission between GF and Marines.”
“Your role?” Captain Hanyard asked.
“Evaluation and reports. Com Ops wanted my input as to a feasibility study.” Although I was surprised that they had considered me for this after my drinking but I hadn’t done that for the past two an a half years. I had stopped myself before others would have done it for me. I still had the occasional drink now and again but not enough to get drunk. I was on the wagon and determined not to fall off again.
“I know how it goes,” Gorana said with another nod to me. He seemed to be hinting at more than he said.
“What exactly happened when you were attacked?” Captain Hanyard asked.
“As I said I was on my way to the bridge.” I detailed my feelings on the attack. “The first in knew about it was when I went to the second bridge and took command. I must recommend Ensign Devseen for promotion.”
“Noted Major Locke.”
“We were in no condition to fight we had to take a chance and jump to hyperspace.”
“You took a great risk there,” Captain Hanyard remarked.
“We launched a missile salvo at the Terran ship and jumped when they detonated.”
“You did what?” Captain Hanyard sounded shocked.
“Fired a salvo of missiles at the enemy ship and jumped.” I tapped a few keys on the terminal and the images changed showing the salvo and the jump.
Captain Hanyard took a deep breath. “Damn risky.”
“Risky?”
“That trick’s so old that any first year trainee knows what to look out for.”
It was my turn to suck in a breath. “Bugger!” I said aloud turning off the display.
“The important thing is Major Locke got away with it,” Gorana defended me. “Look at the ships that attacked us they made so many basic mistakes.”
“Yes you are right Commander we’ve seen it here.”
“We tried to get the comms system working but we couldn’t get it repaired. The best we could do was get it outgoing.”
“Didn’t you try the comms on the shuttle?” Gorana asked.
“The shuttle comms are tied into the relay on the ship and the parts weren’t compatible. It was the first thing we checked when exited hyperspace after evading the Empire ship.” Well it wasn’t the first thing but with what was going on it was worth the try. “We took a short jump and assessed our damage and once we calculated the distance to the nearest base we jumped again.” The weight of the last three days started to press down on me I tried hard to stifle a yawn I wasn’t used to this. Time at Rosewood had made me soft. “Excuse me?” I apologised. “I haven’t had much sleep in the last three days.”
“Of course Major Locke it looks like none of us will be getting much sleep from now on.” Captain Hanyard rose. “I’ll get back to my ship and organise a relief crew for you. They’ll get you back to Aurelis Station. Although not I’ll not assign Lieutenant Masters, I’ll talk to the psychs when we return to base.” He paused. “Do you have a dataslice of your report?”
“Here captain,” I replied picking up the datapad at my side. At the base was a small black square about two centimetres long. I pulled the black square out and handed it to the captain. “A dataslice containing both my report and that of the bridge crew.”
“Thank you major,” Captain Hanyard replied placing it in the pocket of his dress tunic. He glanced across to Commander Gorana. “You coming?”
“Not just yet Major Locke and I have a few matters to discuss.”
I raised an eyebrow in query at that. “Matters?” I said neutrally.
“See you later captain.” Gorana saluted. He waited until the captain was gone before speaking again. “I have a confession to make.”
“Oh yes?” I didn’t like the sound of that. “What is this confession that you didn’t want to the captain to hear?”
“I was scheduled for this mission but I recommended you.”
“You recommended me why?”
“Anoxi?”
The chill of the hearing that name made me cold inside again it always did. “Anoxi?”
“I was there watching through image intensifiers as you took out that MRECV.”
I had a pair of image intensifiers in my locker at the academy, mine were combat issue with a target identification program.
“You were watching me?”
“Our task was to take out the AS towers blocking the landing of more troops.”
I remembered the Anti-Ship batteries on Anoxi we lost dozens of drop ships to them. The handful that made it through my company included was tasked with bringing them down. Ours was to breach the Orsini lines allowing a Marines unit to destroy the batteries it proved to be near impossible to achieve the objective. That was until I pulled my crazy stunt.
“Watching me?” I repeated with a glare.
“I saw you cross open ground under fire from the Orsini and take out the MRECV it was incredible to see we were cheering you all the way.”
Commander Gorana’s comments made me feel embarrassed I hadn’t known I had an audience but then I hadn’t done it for them. “I don’t know about incredible, a little luck may be and a lot of stupidity. I didn’t expect them to open the hatch like that.”
“But it was still amazing. You destroyed that MRECV and then led your troops in assault even though you were wounded.”
I couldn’t remember much after destroying that vehicle I think the rest of the time seemed to be a blur. I vividly remember being hit although with all the wounds I sustained that day I can’t remember where. I must have been running on pure adrenaline again just like Hyren Shai. We punched a hole though their lines and I recalled seeing one of the AS batteries explode while our assault force tackled the second. I must have passed out for the next thing I could remember was the medic stripping my blood soaked armour from my body and being carried to an evac shuttle. “You took out the other tower?”
“We couldn’t have done it without your heroics, your Confederacy Star was well earned.” He paused a bleak look on his face. “Not without losing nearly everyone in my company. You saved a heck of a lot of lives that day mine included.”
I shivered a little on hearing that. I wasn’t thinking of anyone else at the time just my burning desire for revenge. “Thank you for noticing,” I replied lamely.
“I’m the one that should be thanking you if it hadn’t been for your actions I might not have been here today.”
Now I was really embarrassed it must have shown on my face. “So?” I remarked calming myself down, “that was the reason you recommended me for this mission?”
Gorana smiled. “Partly.”
“Partly?”
“When this came up I asked for your service records. I know I was taking a liberty.”
“Damn right!” I replied hotly.
He held out his hands in a placating manner. “Hold on I never recommend anyone lightly just on one sighting. I needed the details and from what I’ve read you always put your men first.”
“That’s true,” I admitted. “I’d never ask anyone under my command to do something I wouldn’t do myself.”
“You done everything that’s been asked of you and never said it couldn’t be done. I would have expected you to have any choice of post. Yet according to your records they sidelined you and shoved you into the post of principal of a training academy.”
I was surprised he hadn’t mentioned my heavy drinking perhaps he was just glossing over the facts. “You did read the whole of my file?”
“From front to back.”
“But you didn’t mention my heavy drinking?”
“Heavy drinking?” There was a stunned silence before he spoke again. “There was nothing in your file about that, nothing at all.”
I realised I had put my foot in it. “There was nothing, would you have recommended me if it had?” I had to ask.
“No. Had I known that I would not have?”
“I’m surprised it wasn’t mentioned. After Anoxi I hit the bottle. Went on a binge for six months. I sobered up after that and have been on the wagon ever since. Although I have an occasional drink for special occasions but never to excess.”
Commander Gorana looked thoughtful. “I take back my words I was wrong you were the right choice it takes guts to bring yourself back from the brink like you did. Anyone lesser would have broken but you didn’t.” He saluted. “Honour to you,” he remarked with a smile and held out his hand to me.
I gripped it the strength of his yank pulling me to my feet. I blushed seeing the admiration in his glance.
“Come on, you look like you need a break. Captain Hanyard’s replacements should be here by now. Once they’re in place you can catch up on some rest.” He paused looking deeply into my eyes. “It looks like we’ll be around for a while longer. Soon as you are settled back on Prime may I call upon you?”
“Call upon me? Isn’t that a little old fashioned?” Despite my initial concerns I liked the commander.
“One of my many faults I’m afraid?” His smile was genuine.
Definitely a flatterer. “I can’t say yes.”
His face fell I owed him that one. “Oh?”
“And I can’t say no, but what I am doing as soon as I get back, is getting my re-instatement to active service.”
“So you’ll be free in the meantime?”
“Well I’m doing nothing important, so that’s a yes?”
“Oh good it’s a date then.” He smiled again. “I’d kiss your hand but you’re wearing armour.”
My heart beat a little faster it had been a while since I shared my bed with a man and from the looks at it I could be doing that soon. “I’m heading for my quarters I need to change out of my armour. You want to tag along?” If that wasn’t a blatant invitation to my bed then nothing was. Suddenly a need welled up inside me I could do with the relief after such a trying time.
“I can’t see why not?” he sounded hopeful.
There was a buzz behind my ear. “Got a call to make.” I said through gritted teeth.
Gorana looked at me strangely.
“I’ve got a comms implant it can be blessed annoying at the most importune moments.”
He nodded. “Thought about one of those myself.”
“My advice forget it.” The implant buzzed again louder this time. I pressed my fingers behind my ear. “Yes!” I hissed.”
“My, my, aren’t we being Princess Hissy Fit, Sandra.” Lottie’s voice grated in my mind.
“What is it Lottie!”
“You are wanted on the secondary bridge,” Lottie’s voice paused sounding almost amused, “I’ll pencil him in for an appointment later.”
“Bugger off,” I responded. I saw Gorana looking at me curiously. “I’m wanted on the bridge I’ll have to take a rain check. Perhaps another time Commander Gorana?”
“Call me Dicythel. Ok I’ll head back to the Alpha I had hoped to spend some time with you but for people like us duty always come first.”
“Another time,” I took a risk and kissed him on the cheek.
He smiled at that. “Definitely another time then.”
I watched him go my heart heavy. Once he was gone I headed to the bridge.
Devseen was waiting for me as I entered there were some others there, officers from the Alpha. He saluted smartly as soon as he saw me. “Commanding officer on deck!”
The rest of the crew followed Devseen’s example.
“The Sovran ready at your command ma’am.”
“Carry on ensign.” I nodded to an officer from the Alpha he looked like he was in charge.
“Lieutenant Carl Chivers ma’am,” the senior most officer from the Alpha said his salute as smart as Devseen’s. “The Alpha asks permission to undock.” He gestured to a large portable transmitter next to the Comms station.
“Give Captain Hanyard my compliments. Carry on Chivers.”
Chivers nodded to Xanders.
“Undocking sequence initiated,” she said her fingers tapping the keys on her console. “The Alpha is pulling away. Taking up station.”
“Very good Xanders.” I saluted Lieutenant Chivers. “I am transferring control of this ship to you.” I gestured to the crew. “Look after them these are good people the best I’ve worked with.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Carry on I’m heading to my quarters for some well earned rest.”
“Three cheers for Major Locke!” Devseen cried.
To the sound of their shouts I headed back to my quarters my bed was calling me.