He Who Dares: Book Three (37 page)

He could even see why they kept coming and exploding in the debris. It wasn’t
out of hate or anything like that. Once the warriors were awakened, they couldn’t be put back to sleep so they kept coming until by some unknown signal no more would wake up to attack. The queen and everyone else thought about balance in everything hence their name, and they lived in harmony with their surroundings putting as much in as they took out. No planet was ever overpopulated or forced to produce more than it was capable of supplying, nothing was wasted, no pollution, no strife or warfare, just their never ending search for perfection and harmony within themselves and everything around them. Each planet or star system had its own queen or princess that watched over its inhabitants and through them connected to the senior queen. He also understood how close the
Harmony
had come to destruction if he and his ship hadn’t come to their aid. It also explained their gratitude. For a while, Mike felt his mind drift within the thought stream until it faltered. As it did, a door opened and a stream of drones entered and clustered around the queen.

“It is time for you to go Michael Gray, as my time is short now.”

“Short?”

“Yes. The new Queen is stirring within me and I must .”
At least that’s the way he understood the thought. He guessed that meant she was about to die or something, if that was the word, and be reborn as the next Queen.

“Fare well until we meet again, Michael Gray, and may the stars guide your path.”

With that farewell the wall slid silently back in place, and the humanoid being motioned him to follow. After that his exit was just as quick as when he’d arrived, and it wasn’t long before he was back on the bridge of the
Hemlock
still a bit bemused about what had just happened. Even so, somewhere in the back of his mind he could still feel a sort of connection with the queen, distant, but still there, like a whisper.

“Skipper, I’m not sure what’s going on, but all those attack ships have clustered around the big ship as if protecting it,” Jan reported.

“They are while the new Queen is being… well, born you might say,” he answered absently.

“You okay, Mike?” Pete asked.

“Yes. I’m fine, just trying to make some sense of everything. Cooper, send to all ship to head for the warp point event horizon. It’s time we got out of here.”

“You going to tell us what happened, Skipper?” Adam asked.

“Yes, once I get it all sorted out myself. Oh, by the way, we can come into
Harmony
space as much as we like now.” He smiled as he said it seeing the puzzled looks. “That’s as long as you are with me, that is.”

“How come?” Pete asked.

“Easy, I’m part of the
Harmony
now.”

They exited from
Harmony
space to Winchester three days later, entering to find the place buzzing with ships many of them Royal Naval vessels as promised by Admiral Rawlings all looking to jump to Christchurch. Even Mike’s priority call to the port captain took three hours before he got a reply.

“Captain Gray. I have your request, along with all the others to jump to Christchurch.”

“That is correct, Captain.”

“I’m sorry to tell you that’s not possible. Until I receive orders from Christchurch, or Avalon itself, everyone will have to wait here.” Mike looked at the older man, sympathizing with his problem. Usually he only had to deal with a few merchant ships at a time seeking transfer to Christchurch not this gaggle of warships. He hated to go over the man’s head, but it was imperative for him, and his three merchant ships, to get to Avalon as soon as possible. There was one protocol in place he could use that covered this situation, but even so it was still going to piss the port captain off.

“Skipper, that Free Trader,
Orion Dawn
just dropped in system.” Jan reported.

“Well I’ll be damned. There is a god after all. Cooper, get me a line to Captain MacManus.”

It didn’t take long, and the Captain gave him a cheery greeting, “How was your trip, Captain Gray?”

“Um… interesting would be the appropriate word.”

“Oh? Had a little action huh?”

“More than I would have liked. I take it your next stop is Christchurch or Avalon?”

“Yes, why do you ask?” Captain MacManus’s eyebrows pulled down into a frown, giving Mike a suspicious look.

“Oh, nothing really… but, I was wondering if you had a little more free space on that wonderful ship of yours.”

“Why is it that I get the feeling you are about to ask me for something that’s going to give me another headache?”

“Would I do that to you, Greg?”

“Ar har! I knew it! You Tregallions, always trying to squeeze another credit out of us poor free Traders… you’re worse than the Voss… what do you want?” he sighed, very theatrically.

“You wound me sir. And I might remind you that my name is Gray, not Tregallion.” Mike couldn’t help smiling. Poor Free Traders indeed. Most of them were richer than Midas.

“Tregallion, Gray, a rose by any other name. What do you want?”

“The poor Port Captain has an interesting problem. We need to get all these men and women to Christchurch as soon as possible. There aren’t enough ships’ pilots to ferry all those ships through the
Rift
. Then again it’s not the ships we need but the crews. Therefore, I was thinking that you might ferry them on your ship.”

MacManus looked pensive. “You’re right. It will take weeks to get all these ships to Christchurch, and there’s no telling how soon the damned Sirriens will turn up here. If that happens we’ll lose the lot.”

“It also means we won’t have a lot of strange warships running around in Avalon space.”

“Good point. I don’t think your grandfather or Andy Anderson would be very happy with you if that happened. It’s not as if we need those ships. They can be left here and ferried over as needed. How soon do you want this to happen?”

“That’s a good question. I’ll have to clear it with the port captain, and get all the ship captains to agree.”

“Yes, I see. If they don’t want to go, they can stay here and take their chances.”

“Good point. I’ll comm the port captain next and get things in motion.”

“You want to do what!” Was the first response from thing the port captain. “I can’t authorize that… Captain MacManus would have a fit if I tried to order him to take on that many non-paying passengers.”

“I’ve already spoken to the captain and he has agreed to transport all the crews to Christchurch.”

“Have you indeed? And who gave you the authority to do that?” It was a fair question.

“Please check protocol ALPHA-ALPHA-ALPHA-King Three.”

“What?” Captain Carlson blinked. “I don’t know what that is…” His eyes flicked to the side as he brought up the file on his monitor.” I’ll be damned… you’re Michael Tregallion.”

Mike stiffened slightly hearing himself called that, but not so much as he did before. “Guilty as charged.”

“Then why are you pretending to be Captain Gray of the Royal Navy?”

“I’m not pretending to be, I am Captain Gray and a serving officer in His Majesty’s Royal Navy.”

“I see.” Not that he did. “But I guess you do have the authority to do what you suggest.”

“I’m attempting to solve a problem for you, Captain Carlson. When the Sirriens get around to sending a fleet here, how long do you think that motley collection of warships would last and you for that matter?” The port captain gave him a long look and then nodded.

“You’re right. Not long. Moreover, it makes me think that I should be looking to my staff and getting them the hell out of here as well.”

“Good point. Now all I have to do is convince all those ship captains to leave their ships behind and board the
Orion Dawn
.

“Good luck with that, Captain Gray. Most would rather give up their daughters than give up their ships.”

“I know the feeling. Talk to you later.” With that, he signed off and started signaling the warships. He started with Chris Longmire, as they had a history, and he might be a help in convincing any of the others who didn’t want to go.

Chris Longmire echoed Captain Carlson’s response. “You want me to do what!”

“I know what I’m asking, believe me. On the other hand, what choice do you have? You know as well as I do that all of you put together, if that’s possible, wouldn’t stand much of a chance against a full Sirrien battle fleet.”

Chris scrubbed his face with both hands. “Damn it, Mike…” he sighed. “You’re right. We wouldn’t last long, and what then?”

“Do you want to fight or die in a useless battle that wouldn’t help your home system one bit?”

Chris looked at him with haunted eyes. “I want to blow those mother loving assholes to dust! So, yes. I’ll get on that ship and go to Avalon or wherever if it means I get another ship and some payback.”

“I can promise you both.”

“Your best bet would be to get all the ships’ captains together in one place and lay it out for them. Doing it piecemeal would take days, time we don’t have.”

“Good point. I’ll get on that next and comm you the time and place when I have everything ready.”

“I’ll be standing by and inform my crew, but they aren’t going to be happy about it.” He gave Mike a half salute and signed off.

“I was just thinking, Mike. If you asked Captain Carlson to send the message from his office and just tell all of them there will be a meeting at such and such a time and place, you could save yourself a lot of headache by trying to convince them individually.”

“That’s a good idea. I’m glad I thought of it.” He smiled at Pete. Pete looked over at Jan who was listening in.

“Is it March yet, Jan?”

“Sadly no, but soon, XO, very soon.”

“Et tu, Brute!” He shot back at Jan. She fluffed her hair out looking pleased.

After a lot of shouting back and forth, Captain Carlson managed to get the captains to agree. Two ships pulled out of orbit and headed out to parts unknown, unwilling for whatever reason to come to the meeting. Mike suspected their sympathies lay more with the Sirriens than elsewhere. A day later shuttlecraft started landing at the port facilities and within an hour they’d all gathered in the base movie house as it was the largest structure and could hold that many people. As Captain Carlson and Mike walked onto the stage, the murmur of voices died down. In all there were twenty-six captains present ranging in age from the mid-twenties, to a couple who had to be in their fifties.

“Thank you all for coming at such short notice. I’ll now turn the meeting over to Captain Gray as he is the one that called for the meeting in the first place.”

Mike stepped forward, and from the muttered comments guessed that his apparent youth didn’t sit well with a lot of them. Most were accustomed to getting briefings and orders for senior officers, not a lowly first leftenant.

“I’ll get straight to the point as I don’t think sugar coating what I’m about to say will make it any easier.”

“So, what is the point, young man?” one of the older captains responded.

“To be blunt, there is no way Avalon can get sufficient pilots here in time to ferry your ships to Avalon space nor would they want them.”

“Why not just give us the co-ordinates and let us jump there?” another shot back.

Mike smiled thinly. “You should know the answer to that question already, but to clarify. Avalon has no need for your outdated ships.” That started a buzz of conversations, and he held his hand up and waited for the talking to die down. “What Avalon needs is your experience and your crews.”

“That’s a bit harsh.”

“I don’t think so. Most of you are the remnants of your system’s home fleet or in the case of the Royal Naval ships sent here under orders from Admiral Rawlings, commander of the home fleet.” He saw several people nod in agreement. “Put together I doubt you’d put up much of a fight against a full Sirrien battle fleet.” That remark didn’t sit well with many of them.

“Your choice is simple. Leave your outdated and outmoded ships here, go to Christchurch, and get new, up to date warships to fight the Sirriens. Stay here and take your chances. Or, leave and go somewhere else.” That was as plain as he could say it.

One Royal Navy captain stood up. “As senior captain of the Royal Naval contingent, I can speak for all of us. We’ll do as you ask, Captain Gray, as per our orders.”

“Thank you, Captain.” That only left sixteen ships.

Then Chris Longmire stood. “Speaking for the Confederate and the United States units, we’ll also go with your suggestion, Captain Gray.” Mike breathed a sigh of relief. That only left four ships undecided. He could see their captains looking at each other, some not on the friendliest of terms.

“Speaking for the two Scandinavian ships, we’ll go along as well.” Two to go…

“In light of the circumstances I feel we can put aside our differences with other nations and go along with you, Captain Gray.” Mike kept a straight face, not wanting them to see the relief he felt.