Gray Panthers: Dixie (26 page)

New Richmond, planet Dixie

19 November 2128

General Black sat at the table with the Dixie General Staff. They explained how they had lost the initiative, from the beginning of the battle, when the Libra attacked.

When the initial attack commenced, the staff was able to get underground, along with the majority of the population. Communications from the underground facilities were knocked out by the Flem forces.

When the invaders surrendered, only then did it become clear that they had been keeping the Dixie forces from breaking out.

General Black knew he was going to have problems with the proud, hurt officers before him. But, he knew it was what Dan would want.

“Gentlemen, you have your planet back, and it’s time for me to take the remains of my command home. Rather than send a message and wait for transport to come to us, can I request transport for my people so I can get them back to their families?”

“General Black, we have transports that will return your people in comfort. It’s the least we can do,” Colonel Carson replied, beaming. He was eager to have the reminder of his men’s failure gone.

“I also would like to take all of the Red Coats with me, unless there are any that have committed war crimes you wish to prosecute.” Black could see the discomfort on the faces of the staff before him.

“We appreciate all that you and your command has done, General. We need to take care of the Red Coats ourselves. Our people want vengeance, and they will have it.” Colonel Carson appeared adamant.

Scotty Scholl, now wearing a suit, gestured to the president to follow him from the meeting. He knew what had to be done so that the deal would go through.

“Mr. President, even though I am an officer from Earth, I feel compelled to help Dixie. One day I would like to call Dixie home. I understand the need to have retribution on the Red Coats. I also understand the need for society to advance. I have the material you need to get your AI back online again. The value your AI represents to your society outweighs the need for revenge. You have the Flem themselves. The Red Coats were nothing more than a tool.” The sincerity on Scotty’s face as he spoke made him look like a seventy-two-year-old schoolboy.

“Scotty, for us to rebuild, we need to put the past behind us. I will have the Red Coats put on the transport that carries the troops back to Earth. When the AI is restored, it will be interesting to see how it can contribute to our society.” The two shook hands and then re-entered the meeting side by side.

“Gentlemen, the Red Coats will be returning with the troops to Earth,” the president stated. “This is not a military matter, but a political matter. I have negotiated this matter with Ambassador Scholl in good faith.” He made a point of turning and once again shaking Scotty’s hand. He was surprised to find a small jar in his hand after the handshake. The Earth ambassador only smiled when he looked back at him.

“Major Scholl, what did you do for them to release the Red Coats to us?” Black looked suspicious.

“I’m sorry, General Black. You do not have a need to know. Now that the fighting is over, I am once again the ambassador until I am relieved. I got you what you and Dan wanted. Our allies are happy. Soon, you can go home.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to return with us? I can have you on my staff as a lieutenant colonel. You did a good job and deserve recognition for it.”

“Sir, I have all the recognition I want here. There’s a captain I plan to ask to marry me. If she agrees, we’ll settle down after the war and start a family.”

“I envy you, Ambassador. You get to do your life over.” Black thought he might want to come back one day but decided there were too many ghosts there for him.

Flem home world, League of Planets space

19 November 2128

Captain Young had the shuttle Major Rogers drop him and half his team a half-mile from the repair facility’s entrance, and the rest of the team a half-mile on the other side of the entrance.

The weather was cool, with light snow flurries. The air was crisp and clean. A few small plants and bushes showed buds starting to come out, and tiny tracks showed that small animals had recently been in the area, though there was no sign of any activity now.

“Looks like the way we left it. Anyone have anything?” Young was happy to be on the ground again and was having a hard time concentrating as he knew he should.

“We’re clear as well. Ready to check out the inside,” SSgt. Polanski said, eager to get inside. He hated any type of cold weather.

“Major Rogers, please input the entrance code so we can investigate further inside.”

“Code being sent, Captain Young.” The ground vibrated slightly as the huge door opened. The interior lights were quite bright. Everything was as it had been left earlier.

“Beater, Young.”

“Go ahead, Captain.” Johnson was hoping for more good news.

“Facility is clear. Plenty of parking room.”

“Great news. We’re on our way down.”

Gray Panthers headquarters, Arizona

19 November 2128

“Dan, we should keep the Libra ships until we have our own ships built and in service. We’re still an easy target, with only four ships protecting our planet.” Admiral Bad wasn’t happy, especially as he realized he was going to lose the argument.

“We have the Jacka as our new ally. They have at most a couple dozen old patrol ships. When the Libra realize they’re losing a good part of their army, they won’t be happy. They’ll be even less happy when they learn it’s going to be used against them. They’re going to attack the Jacka hard as a message to their other allies to toe the line.”

“I have the warriors selected for the ships. Do you think the ten days it will take to get to my home world will be enough time to train them?” Blade looked toward both men for the answer.

“We can send the ships with a full crew of humans and Jacka. The first five days, the Jacka can observe the humans and ask questions. The next five days, the Jacka will run the ships with humans watching and assisting as needed. Remember, between the AI and the droids, no crew is really needed. The AIs have the records of all the battles to date for them to understand tactics and strategy.” Admiral Bad relaxed, accepting defeat for ownership of the ships.

“We will send a ship for the human crews three days after they leave. Thirteen days should be sufficient, since the AI can also train the crews in any tasks. Colonel Blade, do you want to accompany the ships or coordinate operations from here?”

“I will go with the ships. Discipline here will not be a problem. I am sending all the families and civilians with the ships. The return of the families will also be appreciated.”

“Colonel Blade, your son is about to be commissioned. When do you want him returned? He will make an excellent ship’s captain, I believe.” Dan smiled as he gave his friend the news.

“I do not want my son with the Fire Warriors.” People will say he did not earn his rank or awards. There would be fights. Even if he were accepted, he would still be challenged as a leader. He has honor and respect with your people. That is good enough for him.”

Flem home world, League of Planets space

19 November 2128

Captain Young and his detail moved away from the open door of the repair facility. They watched as the Beater went from being just a tiny dot in the sky till it almost filled the sky. The noise was thunderous, and they clasped their hands to their ears while turning away from the huge draft of air coming from the ship.

“Good job driving there, Commander Poland. Let’s shut her down and check out this place,” Young said. “Beater, tell the local AI to remove the shuttles and unload their cargo, then to remove the stasis pods and move them to an area where they can be locked up and powered.”
Good. Now, time for fresh air and to see what we got.

With the facility door still open, the air inside was fresh and cold. Johnson was amazed at the complexity of the engineering that must have gone into building the repair facility. As two huge machines larger than shuttles rose from a far corner and began to fly toward Johnson, he realized he wasn’t armed. Backing up toward the Beater, he looked to see if the marines or anyone else was armed. The machines continued toward him but rose higher as they approached a shuttle on the Beater, effortlessly picking it up and moving it to an open area.

Johnson walked over to the shuttle and looked at the hatch. There was no keypad or scanner of any type, nor did there appear to be any manual handles.

“Beater, how do I access the shuttle?” Johnson commed as he continued to stare at the hatch.

“The hatch can only be opened by remote control or by speaking to the door with the right message. The Major Rogers tried numerous combinations before opening it. Do you want me to open it for you?”

“No, Beater. I thought I’d stand here in front of the shuttle with my thumb up my…. Yes, please open the shuttle.”

The hatch opened instantaneously. Johnson jumped in through the hatchway and immediately turned around, scrambling out as quickly as possible. The overwhelming feeling of his lungs and eyes burning panicked him. Ten seconds of fresh air reversed the sensation. He glared at the shuttle.

“Beater, is there anything I should know before I enter the shuttle?” Johnson was furious as he bent over, trying not to rub his eyes.

“The shuttle may have a scent that includes a lachrymatory agent. The scent is not dangerous but may have the effect of tear gas on human physiology.”

“Why the hell didn’t you warn me before I entered?” Johnson barked, not hiding his anger.

“Sir, you jumped into the shuttle before I could say anything.”

“Shsss, how long until the shuttle airs out enough for me to get in?” Johnson felt himself gaining control of his anger.

“Current air circulating throughout the facility should make it possible to enter in five minutes, Captain Johnson.”

Gray Panthers headquarters, Arizona

19 November 2128

Abby poked his head through the open doorway. “Dan, do you have a minute?”

“Come in, Abby. You did a shit hot job while I was gone. What can I do for you?”

“I’ve been going over everything we’ve done to build a fleet, and I see that we missed a very important item.”

“Sit. Now tell me what you’ve got.”

“We needed something that could be used to defend the planet. It needed to be powerful, yet maneuverable. I redesigned a shuttle, with Hercules’s help.

“The new weapon consists of the three largest beamers that we use to defend cities, all mounted on a redesigned shuttle frame. There’s no place for a crew—just the three beamers and shield generators. It’s small, fast, and packs the punch of any ship we have now. We have all the components, so we just need to set up an assembly line and start knocking out dozens a day or more. They will have their own class-one AIs.

“Initial testing of the beamers in the asteroid belts around Jupiter shows the modified design of the weapon makes it able to fire faster, since it stays cooler. A pair of droids are incorporated into the design so if there are any problems, the AI can repair itself.”

“Brilliant, Abby. We have space around Earth saturated with space mines, so if someone jumps in too close they risk a bomb in their belly. They jump into our system outside our minefield, then we send our new weapon in and start blasting them. Cheaper and quicker to build than ships, too.” Dan’s smile was genuine as he shook Abby’s hand.

“I just thought we had to have a better way.” Abby was suddenly self-conscious with Dan’s praise directed to him.

“Well, you thought right. How soon can we start to get the Abby Artillery moving?” Dan almost laughed at Abby’s reaction.

“Don’t get bashful now, Abby. You deserve recognition. It’s this, or I pin a medal on your chest in front of all the Gray Panthers, with full media attention.”

Abby gave Dan the finger and left the office, trying to not let Dan see his smile. He heard Dan laughing as he walked down the hall.

Flem home world, League of Planets space

19 November 2128

Johnson stuck his head in the shuttle and didn’t smell anything this time. The entire interior was a reddish color. Standing in front of the stasis pods, he thought the creatures inside looked like something out of a nightmare. He walked up to one of the pods for a closer look.

The alien’s head was huge for its body, and round, with a pair of antennae. Enormous round black compound eyes filled the face beneath the antennae. There didn’t seem to be any skin, but instead, a yellow armor. A pair of long slits ran from under the eyes to what appeared to be a chin with a spike. A uniform covered the body. There were two arms with hands that consisted of three very long fingers and an opposing claw where a human’s thumb would be. The body was narrow, with a pair of thick, muscular legs ending in two large forward claws and a single rear-facing claw.

The cabin darkened as a pair of droids entered. They proceeded to the back of the cabin, where they began to remove the cargo. Numerous white containers, each weighing about a hundred pounds, were child’s play for the droids.

“Beater, any additional information on the cargo or the crew?” Johnson asked.

“The cargo is transfer gel. It is used on all main ships for transferring information. The main source of transfer gel is from the Republic. They act as the sole distributor for all sales to non-Republic worlds. The amount in the three shuttles is enough for ten battleships or dozens of smaller ships. The current exchange rate with the Republic is one ounce of gold for every pint of the gel.

“The occupants of the ship are insectoid species, Finey. They are part of the Libra Alliance. They require a nitrogen-based atmosphere to breathe. The species are primarily builders and craftsmen. I’m assuming they were delivering the gel for new ships.”

“Can you access their records to see where they were delivering the gel? Perhaps we can destroy those ships before they can be used against us.”

“Their destination was their home world, Finey. There are numerous ship repair facilities there. The planet has three neighboring planets that also are inhabited. The four planets were constantly at war with one another until the Libra managed to get them to join the Alliance. They now maintain an uneasy peace with each other.

The planet Gipe, their closest neighbor, is the original creator of the Dart fighters we have on board our ship. It is still their primary fighter. The fighters they have can reach Finey and return back to their Gipe home world with no problem.”

“Thanks for the additional information and the subtle suggestion, Beater. We’ll head for their solar system after we’ve rested here. Do the facilities here offer any improvements over the equipment we have now?” Johnson was beaming at the thought of creating havoc between the two planets.

“Sensors and communications are no better than what we have already. They have a prototype FTL engine for small ships that has not been tested.”

“Could the engine be fit to a Dart?” He remembered that Dan was once excited at the prospect of an FTL-capable fighter.

“There should be no problem, but it would take a while to fit and assemble. Modification of existing engines, as well as power, would also be a consideration.”

“Have Scholl’s Dart removed from the Beater and let them have a go at it. We aren’t out anything.”