Coming Home (Free Fleet Book 2) (23 page)

I plotted rough vectors into the view screen connected to my seat as I talked.

“Rick, we have all of these trainees, it's about time we saw if they were any good. If a ship needs personnel they are to pull from the trainees. I do not believe that we will be having an engagement where we will be needing the Commandos to land,” I said as Rick greened up on my screen. I could see out of the corner of my eye that he was already passing on my orders as well as getting recruits funneled onto the Resilient. He truly was an extension of myself at this point.

“Nav, I have a rough course, sending to you now. Refine and pass onto the rest of the fleet.”

“Combined Arms, what do you think about the cruiser Star Thrasher?”

“Commander Sung wants to prove himself, and I think his crew can get him to green status, but I think it’d be best if they stayed behind with the rearguard.”

“I concur, cut orders to the affect. They are to assist with PD of the Hachiro. If the station is badly damaged, they are to be an escape vessel. Nav, do you have a course?”

“I have the preliminary, doing the numbers, sir!”

“Comms, Eddie.”

“Commander?” Eddie said, his southern drawl at a minimum.

“Is that generator online? If not, I’ll be leave Resilient behind.”

“Working on it, need ten,” he said in a gruff manner.

“We're connecting directly to the Hachiro generators to kick start the fourth. There might be a momentary loss of power.” Eddie rolled over my lapse before he ended the channel; he had other things to do, so did I.

“Signatures recognized by sensors, we have approximately thirty ships incoming, three are factories attached to an unidentified structure. One dreadnought, a class below the Resilient, seven battles cruisers, three destroyers, seven cruisers, and fourteen corvettes. Thirty two ships in total,”  the sensor commander relayed to the entire fleet and station.

“Shit,” I said as I pulled up the table of my forces.

I knew my forces by heart, but I was hoping that I could pull something together; they doubled us in ships, and quadrupled us in tonnage. Other than Resilient, my next heaviest were two destroyers.

The bridge was quieter as people digested the news but continued on, nonetheless.

Well, we're just going to have to hit them as hard as possible. Trickery might be the best option. That way they just think we're being stubborn bastards, instead of the enemy.
It would give us the best chance, I knew, as I opened a channel.

“Eddie?”

“Not now,” he said, cutting off my channel. I pulled up a diagnostic of the ships power plants. I could see it directly linked into the station as a highly concentrated burst of energy was passed from the station to the ship, routed through plasma lines into the warmed reactor. The magnetic bottle strained to contain the miniature sun created by the massive power outflow. The bottle looked like it was going to destabilize as the engineers fought to contain the power of the reactor while increasing the inflow of hydrogen to stop the reaction from dying. They didn't do anything as they left it up to Resilient to control her own furious heart, which seemed intent on ripping her open. Finally, she balanced the bottle, containing the miniature sun that had come into creation as the reactor stabilized.

Systems across the ship came online. Data banks that had been dead came alive. Weapons relays surged as gunners powered up and down while propulsion did the same, checking that we could out run them at the same time. Tactical went through their checklist as the Resilient hummed. I rubbed my armrest.

“Good to have you back with us you, tough biddy.” I smiled, hoping that one day I might be able to get her up to full fighting trim, and what a sight she would be!

'Why, thank you, that was rather rough going, balancing that bottle. Next time I hope we can do it properly. The thought of blowing up from my own power plant is more than a little nerve wracking.”

“I bet.” I grinned as Eddie opened up the channel to me.

“What?” he said, his voice strained, the work with the reactor showing it's pressure in his voice. I didn't have the time to give him to relax.

“Eddie, I want you fixing any problems that came with that power surge. Reroute if possible or shut off, we don’t have time for repairs.”

“Understood.”

“Good job, let your crew know that, I haven’t seen a better group of engineers in my lifetime and that I'm proud to call each and everyone of them mine.”

Yes, sir!” I could hear even through the raggedly tired voice the pride of the chief engineer.

“Now, get my ship working and we’ll show these bastards what she can do.”

“They’ll know when they’ve been kissed by the Resilient, you can be sure of that, commander!”

“I don’t doubt it.”

“Resilient, Shrift,” I said, Comms was busy routing a massive overload of other communications.

“Shrift, have we got extra sets of Mechas?”

“Yes, sir, a lot more than we’re going to need. Why?”

“I'm putting the trainees to work early,” I said, my voice reflecting my un-surety of the plan, but also the necessity.

“Gotcha.” A chime sounded in my ear. I checked my HUD.

“Got to go. Henry’s calling me.” I switched channels. “Henry?”

“Sir, I don’t have enough men.” He sighed, not sounding pleased, but he knew I needed the facts.

“I know. I'm pulling the trainees onto the ships. Though, they need to be trained up,” I said.

“We’ll have three days.” His voice made it sound like I was crazy while also trying to figure out how to make it work.

“Yes. Tell me what you need.” My tone was soft but undeniable.

“Damned crazy, man. If I see a normal battle plan once in this outfit I'll be surprised.” He laughed before becoming serious again. “You're not going to like it, but I need Takahashi,” Henry said.

I became annoyed. The man's heart had been in the right place, but the way that he had manipulated Yasu was something I couldn't get over yet. “Why?” I couldn’t hide the edge in my voice.

“I know your feelings about the man, but he can get people trained faster than any other person I know. His people on Chaleel were the best group that I had. Combine him with Yasu and I think we might be able to get something that could do some damage.”

“I don't need them to damage; I need them to be able to put the ship back together. This battle's going to be one of ships, not Commandos.

“Still, he can do it.”

I thought on it for a second, but I didn't have a choice. I had picked Henry because of my faith in his abilities. If he said he needed Takahashi, he needed Takahashi. “Shit, alright do it, Yasu will be his commander.”

“Yes, sir, thank you, I know how hard this is for you.”

“I trust your judgment, Henry, and when needs must, we put everything on the table.”

“Seems that it happens all too often.”

“That it does, that it does.”

“Good luck!” he said.

“I should start buying stock of Wake Up,” I grumbled, Henry laughing as he cut the connection.

“Combined Arms, inform Heston that he is to be the last line of defense for Earth, and as such he will be a missile net for the planet.”

I didn't need a reply as I checked my data pad for what else needed to be done.

***

A now formally retired Captain Connolly was sitting on a shuttle as it headed to Hachiro. He had no idea where the rest of his men were going or who else was trying to infiltrate the Free Fleet. He was completely alone and amongst the very people he might have to turn on.

His thoughts were interrupted as the speakers crackled to life and there was a slight sideways movement.

“We're now headed to the Resilient. Syndicate forces have been detected entering the system.” That was all the pilot said as the speakers went dead.

So what the heck are we doing going to the ships? We don't know anything of use yet.
Connolly thought as many of the people in the room reflected the same thought audibly.

It was some time until the shuttle seemed to slow and then connect with something. While still moving, five Commandos walked in through the exit doors, one of them yelling as they entered.

“We are your training cadre. Regardless of your rank, you are now nothing. This is space. It is nothing like you have encountered before. We are to turn your sorry fucking asses into something that is worthy to be called a member of the Free Fleet and can put us back together. You fuck up and it's Earth that's getting hit.” Their tone made it clear that the trainees were nothing until they proved themselves, and for now they were just taking up their precious time.

It reminded Connolly of his first gunnery sergeant.

This is going to suck,
Connolly thought as he doubted he was going to enjoy the next three days at all.

The shuttles stopped moving altogether as the Commandos moved outside except for the one barking orders.

“Get moving, junk! Shuttles weigh three hundred tons, and they will not stop landing because there is some junk in the way!” They were ushered through corridors to a massive medical bay where screams could be heard.

“Since you have enlisted into the Free Fleet, you will all receive basic implants and nerve ports. It is not pleasant, but you will need it to be of use. I will remind you, you signed up for them in your contract.

“Two ranks either side of the door. Move, junk! Or you will fucking die!”

Connolly was hustled into the med bay and quickly strapped down to a chair, which turned into a bed, as a woman stared at him with clinical eyes before typing in something and Connolly passed out. He awoke to pain and being pulled out of the chair/ bed contraption. His spine was sensitive as was his hand and neck.

He looked around the med bay and he saw limbs darting into peoples arms and backs as if they were lambs at a slaughter house. Then he saw another person wake up as the arms were done mangling his back and ushered out as he was. Dull metallic ports visible in his back.

He was ushered out as another person came in, yelling as she saw his back.

Connolly felt his back, finding those same ports as a Commando pushed him out of the room. Outside of the room, there were mirrors which showed him his back with the new ports.

Everyone was ushered into the room, Commandos pulling people out from the stream coming from the med bay. Connolly was no exception as he was herded into a group of people he didn't recognize.

He looked around, realizing he was in the shuttle bay he had assaulted through.

Commandos wearing Mechas went through the ranks, studying them individually, silently. Some flinched away, some stared back or did a variety of things.

The Commandos didn't seem to care.

Connolly remembered the Mecha that stood in front of all the groups. It was Salchar. Behind him was his entire protection detail, Krom, Shreesht, Calerd, Dave, and Janice. Connolly had memorized every piece of information about the man. He doubted the United States would want the man alive when they assumed control.

Two other Commandos stood with him. One was slightly smaller and, from it's armor plating, Connolly thought it to be a woman instead of a man. The other looked to be a man. Both of them had a lot more scarring on their Mechas than Salchar did.

It was some time before everyone was done being processed through the med bay.

As the doors shut, Salchar took off his helmet.

“There is a Sarenmenti fleet heading towards us and Earth.” He let this sink in as his eyes seemed to weigh the quality of the people in front of him without coming to a clear decision.

“As such, the Free Fleet is mobilizing to meet them. As you may have heard, the Free Fleet is understaffed. As such, Commandos will be taking over roles as ship personnel, and you as well will be taught how to keep Resilient's systems running and us in the fight in order to give these bastards a world of hurt.

“Now, I know that you might be upset with the quick way that we put the most recent of you trainees through implant's. For that I am sorry, but we don't have much time. Yasu Cook, and Takahashi will be in charge of getting you ready to be of use to us in the oncoming battle. It's going to be quick and fast. Learn as fast as possible, and if you don't understand something, ask. There will be no time when we are engaged in battle.” He looked over them all again, his red eyes eerie.

“I wish you good luck. Now, let’s show these Syndicate bastards what happens when we're on a level playing field.” He nodded, replacing his helmet as he marched off the elevated platform. Yasu and Takahashi walked forward as they took off their helmets.

Takahashi spoke first.

“My name is Stone Warrior. I have the displeasure of teaching you in three days the finer points of being a Mecha user and how to keep this ship running as she is damaged in battle.

There is no option to fail. Otherwise, Earth and everything you know so far will be destroyed.” Takahashi's face was emotionless as he looked over everyone.