Authors: Dave O'Connor
Tags: #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #Science Fiction, #Space Opera, #Book 4 of Warner’s World, #space, #Military, #Romance, #Adventure, #World, #opera, #sci-fi, #Warner's
Chapter 2. Nova Vista 0033, 26 June
Chapter 3. Aukland over Polaris 0035, 26 June
Chapter 4. IRS Mailon over Polaris 0037, 26 June
Chapter 5. Aukland over Polaris 0038, 26 June
Chapter 6. IRS Mailon over Polaris 0040, 26 June
Chapter 7. Aukland over Polaris 0042, 26 June
Chapter 8. IRS Mailon over Polaris 0046, 26 June
Chapter 9. Resolute over Tumos 0047, 26 June
Chapter 10. Nova Vista 0048, 26 June
Chapter 11. Tumos 0050, 26 June
Chapter 12. Butros Alia 0051, 26 June
Chapter 13. Aukland over Polaris 0052, 26 June
Chapter 14. Tumos 0053, 26 June
Chapter 15. IRS Mailon over Polaris 0054, 26 June
Chapter 16. Resolute over Tumos 0054, 26 June
Chapter 17. Phantom over Polaris 0057, 26 June
Chapter 18. Tumos 0058, 26 June
Chapter 19. IRS Mailon over Polaris 0058, 26 June
Chapter 20. Resolute over Polaris 0059, 26 June
Chapter 21. Tumos 0100, 26 June
Chapter 22. Nova Vista 0100, 26 June
Chapter 23. Tumos 0101, 26 June
Chapter 24. Resolute over Polaris 0102, 26 June
Chapter 25. Tumos 0103, 26 June
Chapter 26. IRS Mailon over Polaris 0104, 26 June
Chapter 1. Nova Vista 0115, 26 June
Chapter 2. Tumos 0200, 26 June
Chapter 3. Sierra 271 over Polaris 0210, 26 June
Chapter 4. Resolute over Polaris 0330, 26 June
Chapter 5. FFS Mailon over Polaris 0430, 26 June
Chapter 6. FFS Mailon over Polaris 1930, 26 June
Chapter 7. FFS Mailon over Polaris 0600, 27 June
Chapter 8. FFS Mailon over Polaris 1600, 27 June
Chapter 9. Washington DC 2330, 27 June
Chapter 10. Resolute to Chelora 0430, 28 June
Chapter 11. Washington DC 1115, 28 June
Chapter 12. Washington DC 2230, 28 June
Chapter 13. Resolute over Chelora 0920, 29 June
Chapter 14. Resolute to Chelora 7 1030, 29 June
Chapter 15. Resolute over Chelora 7 1545, 29 June
Chapter 16. Washington DC 1600, 29 June
Chapter 17. Resolute over Chelora 2105, 29 June
Chapter 18. Resolute over Chelora 7 0700, 30 June
Chapter 19. Washington DC 0830, 30 June
Chapter 20. Resolute over Chelora 1315, 30 June
Chapter 21. Washington DC 1615, 30 June
Chapter 22. Resolute over Chelora 1700, 30 June
Chapter 1. Beijing, Earth 1910, 5 July 2513
Chapter 2. Nova Vista, Polaris 1800, 5 July
Chapter 3. Nova Vista 2240, 5 July
Chapter 4. Nova Vista 1115, 7 July
Chapter 5. Konkorda to Qwantum 1300, 23 July
Chapter 6. Konkorda Pod 2 in Qwantum, 2000, 25 July
Chapter 7. Resolute over Chelora 2300, 1 August
Chapter 8. Phantom to Sturam 0200, 2 August
Part 1
Aftermath
When the firing stops and the screams subside
Fear once more retreats inside
Frazzled nerves recover and tired minds assess
The outcome of the battle and whether it was success
But either way comrades have died or suffered
Lives lost and aspirations smothered
Where to from here
Do you retreat from fear
Or regird your loins and sally forth
Striving to the next objective with all your worth
Chapter 1. Resolute over Assam 1400, 25 May 2513
Captain (Capt) Dave Warner, commander of the Federation Fleet Ship (FFS) Resolute, sat in his chair in the command centre. He rested his chin in his right hand and leaned his torso and head to the right pondering his next move. It had been a big day by any standards.
In conjunction with the two frigates FFS Sydney and Washington, they had defeated the remains of the Rogan 10
th
Fleet. But he had to resort to using nukes to destroy their huge invasion fleet, something which never sat easy with him. The Resolute had been hit by a series of EMP waves from the nuclear explosions. These had fried impulse engines three and four. Subsequent overheating caused a fire which ripped through the aft section of E deck. The fire KO’d several life support systems and the ship’s most important capability, its ability to cloak and remain invisible to all enemy non-visual detection. It had been this capability which had allowed his small force to defeat the numerically superior enemy fleet.
The fire was now out and he had just received word from his engineering officer, 2
nd
Lt Gunter Rapperberg, that they had brought back on line the life support systems. At least that would enable him to maintain station over Beta Phi for another five days when the much larger Ark Royal group would arrive.
While all this had been mulling over in his mind his eyes stared at the main holo display which occupied a large circular area in the centre of the bigger circle which made up the command centre.
Around the holo display was a walkway in which the watch officer could roam. Lieutenant Commander (LCmd) Aubrey Bellard, the ships Operations Officer had the watch. She stood in the walkway, hands on hips and scanning the rest of the command staff. She turned her head and her blond ponytail swished to the right as she caught sight of Dave’s demeanour. She knew he was about to say something.
Dave was focussed on the holo’s representation of the radiation cloud that was expanding as he watched. He used the control on the station in front of him to get a data readout on the radiation cloud. It would enter the lower atmosphere over Beta Phi in the next two hours.
“Jasmin, hail me General (Gen) Kirkland at Alliance HQ in Assam” he ordered.
“Of course Sir” replied Second Lieutenant (2
nd
Lt) Jasmin Morales, the deputy communications officer.
Gen Harry Kirkland was an Alliance officer. He was senior in rank to Dave but he was not his superior per se. Dave’s orders came from Admiral Yomoto head of Federation Fleet Special Operations on Polaris. Dave was to cooperate and assist the Alliance forces in the defence of Beta Phi, but he had discretionary power to decide in the best interests of the Federation.
“Control says he must be still in the shelter” advised Jasmin “they’ll keep trying.”
Dave nodded. He took a deep breath in and sank back into his chair. The sight of the radiation cloud on the holo display brought back memories. ‘Was it only fifteen months ago?’ he asked himself. He was thinking about how he had lost his first wife Amy and his two kids to the first nuke attack of the civil war between the Alliance and the Federation. ‘What a waste.’ It had all been part of a rogan subterfuge to get the humans to fight amongst themselves. ‘And it had worked’. Well up until his best friend LCmd Art Simons had found out otherwise.
He recalled the attempts to link up with Art, first on Josker and then on Alpha Phi, how they had been betrayed and ambushed by the Alliance. He and Art had played a big part in bringing about the rapprochement between the Alliance and the Federation so they could unite against the common foe. That foe had then been the sleth but they had been blackmailed by another alien race the rogan.
Dave had mixed emotions as he recalled how they had discovered that fact. It had come at the cost of his then XO, LCmd Ella Appel, and that had led to his fall from grace. ‘But grace did shine upon me’ he thought as he recalled the battles over Fulmar to protect the sleth from rogan retribution and their desire to capture the rogan resistance leader Evie Plentun.
‘Mmm...’ thought Dave and he smiled as he recalled how throughout all this he had fallen in love with his second wife Cmdr Rihan Kabel. She was now his XO and down on the surface of Beta Phi having led the assault on the spaceport at Assam.
‘So much danger, so much risk, so much loss.’ Dave’s facial expression changed to anger as he thought about how much of this had been brought about by the duplicity of that bastard Kyle Bane. He had sided with the rogan and it had been his dirty tricks which had brought about the insurrection in Niku and Assam. Bringing Bane down had nearly cost the life of his best friend. Art now lay in a recovery theatre down in one of Assam’s hospitals. Dave felt real bitterness towards Bane. ‘But I must watch that’ he counselled himself.
“He’s online now Sir” announced Jasmin.
“General, it’s Capt Warner here” hailed Dave.
“Captain it’s good to hear from you” said Gen Harry Kirkland, commander Alliance Army HQ, Assam. He was still in the operational bunker, two floors underground in the western suburbs of Assam, from where he had been controlling operations to defeat the rogan expeditionary force and put down the insurrection that had temporarily wrested control of Assam and Niku the two biggest cities on Beta Phi. “I’ve been meaning to call you but things have been particularly busy down here.”
“Understood Sir. I’m afraid I’m going to be adding to your task list.”
“Yes?” said a wary Kirkland.
“A good portion of the fallout from the nukes is headed your way, I’m afraid. It should start entering the lower atmosphere in two hours’ time. You had better take precautionary measures and limit exposure for the next week or so.”
“Blast… I was hoping it would miss us. But better this problem than having to deal with a division of rogan warriors” said Kirkland.
“I’m sorry Sir” said Dave. “There was no other way.”
Kirkland sensed the anguish in Dave’s voice. “You did the right thing Captain. We are in debt to you and to your forces down here. By the way, you know that Simons and Williams are going to pull through, don’t you.”
“Yes Sir I heard.”
“They did a fine job bringing down that traitor, Bane. If they were under my command Captain I would be recommending them for an award.”
“Yes Sir I’ll see to it. One other thing right now Sir. As you know we have captured the rogan capital ship Kunter. Admiral Soola is dead but his deputy, a Cmdr Draag, had offered to assist a peace overture.”
“Does he indeed” said Kirkland. “Why would we do that now?”
“That’s a valid question Sir, but I am duty bound to hear him out. In any event, nothing will be binding. All we can do now is talk and refer any matters to our respective governments.”
“I suppose” said Kirkland begrudgingly.
“As the senior Alliance commander on Beta Phi I was hoping you might be present when we talk with him. Also any Alliance leaders are welcome too. I can have a shuttle to you in 30 minutes.”
“You want to do this right now?”
“Yes Sir. I would like to report back to Federation Fleet HQ this afternoon.”
“There are no surviving political leaders in Assam – only Ms Packer in Niku.”
“Gee I didn’t realise it had been that bad in Assam.”
“Yes those that survived the initial bombardment were rounded up by the rebels and shot and you know what happened to Packer and your Commodore (Cdre) Pious.” Kirkland’s left eye twitched as he recalled these horrors. ‘Packer and Pious were the lucky ones’ he thought to himself. “So you see there’s not a lot of goodwill to the rogan down here at the moment.”