The Terran Gambit (Episode #1: The Pax Humana Saga) (21 page)

The XO snorted. “Like hell they will. It’s gonna be a hell of a show.”

The Captain smiled wryly, but motioned for the XO to be quiet. Captain Titus continued.

“And Admiral Trajan wishes to extend his warm welcome to the newly crewed battleships. As many of you know, most of the ships now joining our family are crewed by former Earth Resistance members, and in the culmination of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission they are now formally joining our ranks as welcomed family members. To the
Raven,
the
Falcon,
the
Phoenix,
the
Eagle,
the
Hawk,
the
Cockatrice,
the
Griffin,
the
Roc,
and the
Firebird,
we extend our warmest welcome. Titus out.”

“All one big, happy, fucking family,” said the XO, before breaking into a gruff snicker.

“Helm,” the Captain said, “is the course laid in?”

The young helmsman nodded eagerly. “Yes, sir.”

With a brief, sly nod, he pointed a finger in the Ensign’s direction. “Be ready, at my signal.” Keying open the commlink to engineering, he said, “Commander Xi, bridge. What’s the status of our gravitic drive, Commander?”

Xi’s voice sounded over the speakers. “Can’t say for sure without a test flight. But as far as I can see, they’re operating normally. Gravitic thrust has worked like a charm the past few days, and all my tests indicate the long range shifting field generators are in normal operating parameters. I say go.”

Watson continued. “Engines?”

Xi’s voice came over the speakers again after what sounded like a momentary discussion with someone nearby. “Power plant is working beautifully. The anti-matter crystal matrix is humming along at optimum efficiency. Currently operating at five point two percent load, and capacitor banks are fully charged. And Lieutenant Bernoulli here has added a few modifications of his own… some stuff his CERN buddies showed him. Says we could do about ten in-system shifts, or two long-range shifts before the capacitor banks run out.”

The Captain nodded. “Very good, Commander. You know the drill from here on out. Stay tuned. Watson out.” The Captain looked back at Po. “Commander? Status of weapons systems?”

Po glanced at her readout. “Railgun turrets report optimal electromagnetic efficiency and are completely stocked with slugs. Ion beam control reports ready, torpedo crews report ready, and our quantum field disruptor missiles are locked and loaded, ready for targeting.”

Captain Watson continued making his rounds through the bridge crew, inquiring on the status of all critical systems, until it was Jake’s turn. “Commander Mercer. I trust your team is ready? When we shift, things are going to get interesting very quickly.”

“All flight teams and deck crews ready for action, sir. Just give the word.”

“And your super-secret tactics you’ve been drilling the pilots on?” Watson noticed Jake’s wide eyes, “Don’t look so surprised, Commander, I have a better handle on what happens on this ship than you think. And there’s only one reason for a fighter crew to do drills out of visual range of their carrier, and that’s to stay away from prying eyes. Lucky for you, I gave you approval without you even knowing it, and as a result our XO here didn’t shut you down. Let’s just say I'd better pleasantly surprised.” He glowered at Jake momentarily, who decided to give the Captain more credit in the future.

 Fifteen minutes later every department had reported in, and the waiting began, which the Captain used to make his pre-battle pep speech. He glanced at the young communications officer and said, “Pipe me through on the ship announcement system, and make sure it’s secure from listening ears.”

“Aye, sir. Encrypting now.”

Watson cleared his throat and stood up from his chair. “All hands, this is the Captain. As most of you know, we are about to embark on a dangerous mission, one that will have lasting consequences, for good or for ill, on the long-term status of Earth-Corsican Empire relations. For those of you who have not heard, those of you who are not former Earth Resistance members, I ask for you help. In fact, you were assigned to this ship because you were recommended by Resistance fighters for your skill, your loyalty, and your devotion to freedom. I would not have any other person on board this ship. None. Only the best on the
Phoenix
.”

He paused, letting the words sink in for a moment. “So now the time has come to reveal to you all our plan. When the Empire announced that the Nine would be all launched at once, in a ceremony commemorating the reconciliation of Earth with the Empire, the Resistance High Council felt it was an opportunity we could not pass up. Nine advanced warships, with capabilities that far surpass any other capital ship in the Imperial fleet, was too much to turn down. And so, over the past two years we have made meticulous preparations for an attack on the planet Corsica itself. When the Nine launch, and we make our shakedown cruise around the moon, we will use the moon’s gravity well to shift to Alpha Centauri, and from there we will make a series of shifts to the Corsican system.”

He took a deep breath, knowing that the news would come as a shock to even his senior staff. At least, it did to Jake, who couldn’t believe his ears. A strike at the heart of the Empire? The Resistance High Council’s balls were far larger than he’d given them credit for.

Captain Watson continued. “We intend to strike fast, and strike hard, using some of the advanced capabilities of this new fleet. Not just military installations, but political and industrial sites will be targeted as well.” His voice had steadily risen throughout the speech, and now reached a crescendo. “With this strike, we intend to decapitate the head of the Empire, and in the chaos that follows, we will take the opportunity to achieve our primary objective. The liberation of Earth!” He pounded his command console for emphasis, and the entire bridge crew erupted into cheers, and Jake, through his own cheering, could imagine the answering cheers from the rest of the ship, and on the other eight new starships.

Watson held up his hand for silence. “I know all of you are concerned, maybe even a little afraid. Afraid for your families we’re leaving behind on Earth. Afraid for reprisals against other Resistance brethren serving elsewhere in the fleet. Afraid for yourselves, because unless you haven’t been listening this will be an incredibly risky proposition. But know this. I’ve served in the Resistance and Imperial fleets my entire career. I’ve been a captain, an XO, a navigator, a soldier, a chef, a lover, a painter, and a gardener, and in all my time in this sphere, I’ve yet to rub shoulders with people as fine as the ones you serve with today. I asked the High Council for the best, and they gave me the best. Remember that as we take the fight to the enemy. We fight not for conquest, but to liberate the heroes you see around you, their families, and the very birthplace of civilization. Godspeed. Watson out.”

The bridge crew erupted in applause once more, which continued until a message appeared on the comm officer’s console.

“Sir, the
Fidelius
is commencing an open broadcast. Shall I display?”

Captain Watson nodded. “On screen.”

The view of the sprawling shipyards, with the Earth as backdrop gave way to the interior of the
Fidelius’s
shuttle bay, the only space aboard the moderately sized light cruiser that could host the gathered people.

A rostrum had been set up in front of the giant, transparent wall of the bay, behind which several ships were visible. Jake recognized the newly elected president of the United Earth League, an oddly-pale Senator Galba of the Corsican Imperial Senate, various other Earth dignitaries, including the president of the Asian Republic and a host of senators and other lawmakers from a variety of smaller states within the large federal republics that comprised the majority of Earth’s surface and population. Jake’s eyes flitted back to Galba—perhaps the man was sick. He certainly looked thinner than he had just hours before.

In addition, a section of the rostrum seating was filled by citizens—survivors from Dallas, Jake could tell by the orange ribbons pinned to their coats—and the audience facing them included athletes, intellectuals, authors, artists, and other dignitaries from across the globe. The entire audience faced the huge, transparent wall that made up one side of the shuttle bay, affording a view of the floating shipyards beyond, and scattered around it, the Nine. Nine dull-black starships, brightly lit viewports pinpricking the ships’ surfaces like a field of dense stars, as if creating their very own starfield to compete with the actual one behind them.

Senator Galba rose from his seat and approached the podium set up on the raised dais in front of the transparent wall. His voice sounded deeper than it had earlier. Perhaps the man had just caught a cold. “Dear friends. People of Earth, and the Empire. It is my pleasure to come before you, with all the humility and dignity of my rank as a spokesman for the people of our glorious, galactic Republic …”

Jake snorted audibly. “They’re calling themselves a republic now?”

“Cut it, Mercer,” the Captain barked, drawing a finger across his throat.

“… and in the presence of those who lead us, those who inspire us, and those with whom we mourn.” At this point he turned to the survivors section of the dais and bowed low. “As a united people, we again beg your forgiveness and your mercy, and declare our undying friendship …”

The XO grumbled and let loose a caustic snort. “Wow, the bastard’s really laying it on thick, isn’t he?”

A curt glance from the Captain shut him up.

“… and it is from those ashes that we find rebirth. A rebirth, and a renewal, symbolized today by the fleet we send out in your name. A fleet to end the cruelty and the injustices of the pirates. A fleet to stand as a bulwark against the raving barbaric hordes that surround the fountain of civilization, even the worlds of Earth, and Corsica, forever united—”

With a harsh crackle, the sound cut out, replaced by static. The video continued as a new voice replaced the Senator’s, and the wary members of the bridge crew eyed one another nervously.

“People of Earth and people of the revolting planet known as New Rome. The second Roman Empire will fall, and a new, glorious, Earth-led empire will rise in its place! And with this heroic act, we scoff at you, Emperor Maximillian, you filthy son of a slave-whore, and we defy you to match our bravery and our strength. Watch as your finest burn!”

The video-feed from the ceremony had continued throughout the interruption, the Senator apparently unaware of anything wrong. But something odd appeared behind him. Something quite out of place, and quite jarring to see.

Something fast.

Something emerged from the
Phoenix
’s front bow, which was visible in the distance through the transparent wall behind the Senator. It was fast and dazzlingly bright—nearly brighter than the sun. Hardly larger than a common torpedo, it leaped away from the
Phoenix
, growing terribly brighter and brighter behind the transparent wall of the shuttle bay, until people in the audience rose slowly to their feet, mouths open, heads cocked to one side, staring upwards in unbelief. The camera jolted as the light impacted the ship, and the video cut out before Jake could see the aftermath.

“What the hell?” Captain Watson leapt to his feet as the viewscreen switched to a video feed from the bow of the
Phoenix
, revealing an
NPQR Fidelius
caught in the throes of a fiery explosion that was quickly muffled out by the vacuum of space. He spun around. “Po! Was that us?”

Jake had never seen Po’s face so white. “I don’t know sir, the only one with bridge control of the quantum field torpedoes is Smith…” she glanced up at one of her men in the tactical octagon, who had risen to his feet. “Smith?”

“A message from Admiral Trajan,” said the young Ensign, in a voice that trembled slightly, staring directly at Captain Watson. “There is no peace for the wicked.” He lifted his arm and pointed a gun straight at the Captain.

And fired.

The bullet caught the Captain in the shoulder, and as Smith fired again, the XO leaped in front, shoving Watson aside as the second bullet lodged in the XO’s chest.

Watson, his face stricken by disbelief, looked up as the marines stationed by the door to the bridge ran towards Ensign Smith. But before they could reach him, the man calmly raised the gun to his own temple, and pulled the trigger.

Gore splattered the deck as Smith fell, and in the confusion that followed, Po somehow managed to call for the medics as Ben attended to the fallen XO. Jake knelt next to the Captain, who, though pale, looked like he’d be just fine.

Po glanced at Ben, who looked at Jake, who mouthed the words, “Oh shit.”

7

A
DMIRAL
T
RAJAN GRINNED
at the viewscreen before turning to smile broadly at Captain Titus, who, seeing the destruction of the
NPQR Fidelius
, felt a knot tighten in his stomach. All those people. Senator Galba, the Earth president, the people … all dead. A grizzly image of the chief engineer’s bloody, white face reared up in his mind and he shook his head to refocus.

“Captain. It appears the Terrans have betrayed us. How very unsurprising. Please deploy a gravitic pod to Sol orbit. Signal all available Imperial fleet ships to shift immediately to high Earth orbit.”

“Sir? Are we expecting any fleet ships there?”

“Why yes, yes we are, Captain. I had an inkling something like this might happen, so I made preparations just in case. It seems I had some foresight after all.”

Indeed, thought the Captain.

“We can’t wait the eight minutes for them to receive a transmission sent directly from the
Caligula
, sir?”

“No, Captain, we cannot. The rebels have made their move and now we must act before they destroy us all.”

“Very well, sir. Ensign Evans, deploy a gravitic message pod. Signal all ships to converge on our position.”