Weapons of War

Published by Quirky Algorithms

Seattle, Washington

This novel is a work of fiction and a product of the author's imagination.
 

Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by M.R. Forbes

All rights reserved.

Cover illustration by Tom Edwards
 

http://tomedwardsdmuga.blogspot.com

About Weapons of War

In the year 2280, an alien fleet stole our Earth.

For fifty years they enslaved us.
 

For fifty years they hunted us.

For fifty years we lived in fear.

Nothing lasts forever.

They can try to quell us.

They can try to break us.
 

They can chase us to the ends of the Earth.

They can chase us to the ends of the Universe.

We've won our first battle.
 

We've earned our first taste of hope.

What was theirs will soon be ours.

We are the rebellion.
 

Our story continues...

Contents

 
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About Weapons of War

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About the Author

There was nothing in slipspace. No stars. No planets. No dust. No light. There was only pitch black, pure and perfect in its simple depiction of nothingness. A place positioned somewhere outside of reality, where time and space changed meaning, and sometimes it seemed as if anything were possible.

Gabriel had flinched as the Magellan had reached the surface of the Earth. He had felt his stomach clench, his body reacting to his sudden fear and tension. He had thought that he was going to die. That everyone on board the starship was going to die.

He thought his father had failed him. Had failed them all.

And General St. Martin would have had Gabriel not reached the bridge when he did. He didn't have to think it. He knew it, as sure as anything.
 

The ship had made it into the aether, riding the waves of phased distortion through the planet and out the other side. Maybe his first thought should have been to jostle his father, to remind him to command Maggie to get them out of this place and back into realspace, to keep them from riding the crest too far, too fast. Maybe he should have given the command himself, and hoped the starship's intelligence would obey, even though he already knew it wouldn't. Maggie only listened to one person, and that was the General.
 

Besides, it was so peaceful here. So quiet. So calm. After the chaos and fury that had seen him escaping from the planet with one of the Dread's weapons only to nearly crash back to the Earth, he was anxious for the break and eager for the suggestion of possibility.
 

He welcomed this place outside of time where he could believe his mother was still alive, and his father was still fit for duty.
 

He wished at least one of those statements were true.

He counted four heartbeats. Five. Six. He wrenched himself from his inner dialogue, his eyes casting out around the bridge, to the men and women manning their stations, the same look of fear and surprise on their faces that he was sure was written all over his.
 

It had been that close.

"General," he said at last, remembering what Reza had said.
 

The Earth's gravity would intensify the strength of the stream, and in turn, would send them further, faster. The Magellan had means to sustain them, but not forever. And besides, they had woken the sleeping giant, drawn one of the Dread's massive, city-sized starships to leave its moorings on the surface and give chase. Maybe they had escaped. Maybe they hadn't. Either way, they had gained an advantage against Earth's usurpers that they had never held before. They had captured a weapon that could defeat the enemy's shields. A weapon that could damage them. A weapon that could kill them.
 

Retaliation, no matter what form it took, was inevitable.

"General," Gabriel repeated, loudly this time.

His father jerked as if taken by surprise. He was as lost in his thoughts as Gabriel had almost been. His eyes darted to Gabriel, an embarrassed expression crossing his wrinkled face. It vanished in an instant as he gathered himself. The fact that Gabriel had seen the emotion at all told him he wasn't wrong in his assessment that his father was losing it. Was it his age? The pills? A momentary lapse? He had been concerned when he saw Theodore bent over and vomiting in his quarters. Their near death had proven that the General's judgment was impaired. Hadn't it?

Could he afford to risk that he was wrong?

Could the crew?

The Magellan shuddered suddenly, a warning tone sounding across the bridge. It was a sound Gabriel didn't recognize, but he could tell by feel what was happening.
 

The ship was coming out of slipspace of its own volition.

"Maggie?" Theodore said softly.
 

"Slipstream velocity lost," Maggie said. "Quantum phase generator powering down."
 

The stars expanded in front of them until everything looked normal once more.

Except nothing was normal. Nothing would be the same. They had scored their first victory against the aliens who had stolen their home world. He had seen a clone of his mother among the rebels on the ground. He had witnessed a Dread gun cutting through Dread armor like cloth. They were alive.

Thank God, they were alive.

The bridge was silent as the starship came to a full stop. Nobody moved. Nobody dared to breathe. Gabriel stood next to his father, waiting for orders. He would have to confront him, he knew. He would have to challenge him on his lapse, and on the potential for future lapses.
 

Not now. Not yet. He was a good soldier and a good son. Some things were better discussed in private.

"Damage report," General Theodore St. Martin shouted, breaking the silence as he finally leaned back in the command chair. Gabriel caught the grimace of pain as he did.
 

"Data is still filtering in," Abdullah said, watching his screen. "We had a hull breach on Deck 17. The emergency bulkheads have sealed it, but we lost a power conduit. We won't know how that will hurt us until we have a better picture of our overall status."

"Understood, Sergeant," Theodore said. "Casualties?"

"None reported, sir," Spaceman Miranda Locke said.

"Only 'cause the old girl is four-quarters empty," Theodore said softly to himself. Gabriel still heard it. "That was close. Too damn close." He looked at Gabriel. "You saved all our bacon, son."

"General-" Gabriel started to say. Theodore put up his hand.
 

"I'm tired, son. Suddenly so damned tired. Came at me like a snake in the bayou."

"General-" Gabriel tried to speak again.

"Colonel Choi, you have the bridge," Theodore said.

"General?" Choi replied. "What about-"

"Captain St. Martin, I'll expect you to provide the Colonel with a full debriefing," Theodore said, ignoring her protest. He leaned forward on his hands again, his arms shaking from the exertion. "The rest of you, thank you for a job well done. Especially you, Mr. Mokri. For a civvie, you sure have a big set of balls."

"Uh, thank you, sir," Reza said.
 

Gabriel could feel the tension on the bridge, and it only grew as the General swung himself into his wheelchair and rolled away without another word.

Gabriel looked at Choi. Her face was hard, her lips a taut, thin line.
 

"I should go talk to him," Gabriel said.

"No, Captain," she replied. "Give him some time. He's never been in this situation before either."

Gabriel looked back the way his father had gone. He knew Choi was right. Even so, it was hard for him to stand there.

"Colonel Choi, I've got an update from engineering, ma'am," Abdullah said.