The Burden of Command, page 33
part #14 of Empire Rising Series
“We have to spell something out,” Jonathan explained. When he told her the phrase, Lydia frowned. “Look at the transponder for Oblivion, my father is commanding. Trust me, send it immediately. There’s no time to spare!”
*
“Admirals, a secessionist warship has just jumped into the system,” a sensor officer called out. James heard her, but left the report to Davenport. One secessionist ship hardly warranted his attention. In the background though, he heard her reply to Davenport’s query. “It’s carrying out a prearranged Imperial Navy signal maneuver. It’s strange though, it’s only spelling out a phrase.”
Davenport didn’t reply immediately. She was more focused on keeping her fleet’s formation as it advanced. “What is the phrase?” She eventually asked without even glancing at the sensor officer.
“The burden of command,” the sensor officer answered.
James’ head suddenly whipped around to the sensor officer. “Repeat that,” he ordered. “What is going on?”
“It’s the newly-arrived secessionist destroyer, it’s using the gravitational waves from its engines to send out a signal. It has spelled out ‘The burden of command.”
“Show me!” James demanded. In response, the main holo display switched away from showing New Delhi, and instead focused on a small image of a single secessionist destroyer. James’ heart swelled within him. It couldn’t be, could it? He asked himself. Hope said yes, but logic told him otherwise. It was far more likely to be a ruse. News of his son’s disappearance had reached New Delhi ahead of him. Varma or someone else could be trying to play a trick on him. Yet how many people knew he used that phrase? James only ever shared it with his closest friends. And with Jonathan, he knew. Most of all, he used the phrase with his son. It was something he had tried to drill into him from a young age. It’s just the phrase he would use to get my attention, James realized. He nodded as he put himself in his son’s position. If his son was on that destroyer, how would he convince James he wasn’t a secessionist? James would immediately be suspicious of any kind of message, even a holo recording sent to Oblivion. “What else is the destroyer saying?”
“We haven’t received any COM transmissions yet,” the sensor officer replied. “It would take another forty-five minutes for anything they have sent to reach us. Wait… They’re carrying out another signals maneuver. They’re saying, ‘Enemy Sighted.’” James’ mind began to whirl. If it was Jonathan, what was he trying to say? Was it a warning?
“Admiral, we’re thirty seconds away from the point of no return on our attack,” Davenport said hastily.
James hesitated. If he ordered the fleet to reverse course, it would bolster the morale of New Delhi’s defenders. He would look weak and scared. The chances that they would surrender to him would be severely reduced. Yet it had to be his son. With every second, his certainty grew. “Reverse course immediately!” he ordered. “Break off the attack.”
“At once Admiral!” Davenport replied. The holo display snapped back to Home Fleet and New Delhi. Within seconds, every Imperial warship began to fire their maneuvering thrusters as they turned their noses up and away from New Delhi. Pointing their engines instead towards the colony, they began to decelerate as hard as they could. Ordinarily, James would be imagining the glee on his opponents faces as he retreated from them. This time however, his mind and heart were directed towards the secessionist destroyer. He so desperately wanted to be right about Jonathan being on board.
“Admirals,” the same sensor officer called out, “we’ve got more ships coming out of shift space near the secessionist destroyer. It looks to be civilian freighters and pleasure yachts. There is a constant stream of them.” James didn’t understand what he was looking at as the holo display changed again. It looked like the secessionist destroyer had brought a squadron of mismatched ships with it. “The destroyer is sending another signal. It is spelling this one out as well. “F, L, E, X, A”
James face went white. He didn’t need to hear any more. The pieces had already fallen into place. He shook his head in disbelief. Fear gripped him. Not for himself, at least not yet, but the secessionist destroyer had just come from the Chennai colony. A dark sense of foreboding overwhelmed him. He couldn’t help but feel the colony was gone. His mind was taken back to the Farnsworth colony. He had seen the devastation there after the Flex-aor had ‘cleansed,’ it. Next, images of Earth flooded upon him as mushroom clouds filled the atmosphere from the Karacknid attack. The mismatched ships told him they had all fled the Chennai system. If they had fled from the Flex-aor, then the colony was already likely dead, consumed in its own wave of mushroom clouds.
“The Flex-aor?” Davenport asked when the sensor officer had finished her report. “But how Admiral? Their planets are being watched.”
James turned to Home Fleets commander. His face was still white. He shook his head slowly. “I do not understand how. But if there is a Flex-aor fleet out there, then some must have escaped, and they have come for revenge.”
“What are your orders then?” Davenport asked.
“Pull the fleet back from New Delhi,” James ordered. “Taking it is not important now. And order that destroyer to rendezvous with us immediately.”
For James, the next forty minutes seemed like the longest forty minutes he had endured for many years. Whilst everyone else on Oblivion’s bridge had duties to occupy them, he had nothing to do but wait as whatever COM transmission the secessionist destroyer had sent reached them. When it finally did, his greatest hope and fear were both confirmed. Within minutes, he had scanned through his son’s report. Joy had filled him upon reading the first words indicating that it was indeed his son who commanded the secessionist destroyer. Yet by the end, only anguish remained. Chennai was destroyed, the Flex-aor had wiped out every single human on the colony. And they are coming here, James thought as he got to the end of the report and read Jonathan’s breakdown of the enemy fleet’s strength. He was certain of that. New Delhi would be their next target, and if he didn’t stop them, its billion citizens and all of the military industrial complex nodes he had come to win back would be destroyed.
Chapter 28
‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’ is an ancient proverb just as applicable to modern interspecies diplomacy as it was when it first referred to relations between waring Human factions.
-Excerpt from Empire Ascendant 3015 AD.
“Get me a direct COM channel to Varma,” James demanded. This secession has to end, he said to himself. Varma and Teal’s folly have almost doomed New Delhi. If his fleet had have engaged New Delhi’s just an hour earlier, all hope of protecting the colony from the Flex-aor would already have been lost. His anger at Teal, Varma, and the others hardened his heart. He knew Christine would hate him for it, but at this very moment, he didn’t care.
“Varma has responded Admiral, she is willing to speak to you,” one of Oblivion’s COM officer’s responded.
James nodded for her to put the COM channel onto the main holo display. “Varma,” he said by way of greeting, intentionally not ascribing her any kind of title. “You will have received reports of the Flex-aor from your own ships that have arrived. I promise you, this is no ruse. Chennai has been destroyed, and you know the Flex-aor are already on their way here. New Delhi will be next. Here are my terms. The secessionist movement will end immediately. Every politician or public figure who has supported it must renounce their views. You must also publicly vow never to seek public office in the Empire again. Do that, and I will pardon all of you. If we survive this, there will be no criminal charges. That is, all of you but Teal. I want him handed over to me at once. He will not be getting off the hook. If you accept these terms, then Home Fleet will stay and defend New Delhi with your forces under my command. If necessary, we will fight and die to protect your people. If you refuse, then you will be sealing their fate, for I will not sacrifice my own people for a colony that does not desire our protection.”
“You’re bluffing, you would never abandon so many of your own people,” Varma hissed. “Even you, Emperor, are not that heartless.”
“Wouldn’t I?” James retorted as he waved a hand towards New Delhi. “How can they be my people if, as you have said so many times in your propaganda, they have rejected me? You seem to forget that though I am an Emperor, I am also a strategist. There are twenty human colonies within striking distance from this system. It is my duty to protect them as much as New Delhi. In fact, now that you have expressed your wish to secede, I owe them my protection, not your colony. I will not sacrifice my fleet protecting traitors when there are many loyal colonies I could risk my fleet to protect. My terms are fair. If you do not take them, New Delhi will be wiped out. You can give your colony a chance to avert complete disaster, and all it will cost you is your own political future. You call me heartless; I say that if you reject my deal, you will reveal your cause to be nothing more than a phony idea you concocted to exploit your people for your own political gain. Surrender now, hand over command of your forces to me, and you will face no criminal charges. This is fairer than you and your fellow traitors deserve.”
Varma looked away for several seconds. When she turned back, she visibly deflated. “This is not fair. You are a monster. You are bargaining with the lives of a billion people.”
“You bargained with them when you tried to secede without even holding an election,” James countered as his anger grew. From the look on Varma’s face, he knew she had already made up her mind. “Now, you’re wasting my time. Give me your answer.”
Though it hardly seemed possible, Varma’s body shrank more. “Fine. We accept. Our forces will fight alongside yours. But let me make it clear, the people of New Delhi wish to be free. Shoving us to the side-lines will only delay the inevitable.”
“Your concerns may be mute if we fail to defeat the Flex-aor fleet,” James replied. “And if we do, I hope the people of New Delhi, including yourself, will be more appreciative of our efforts. In any case, I accept your surrender. You may retain your positions for now until we fight the Flex-aor, but if we win the battle, I will expect all of your people to step down from whatever official or unofficial roles they hold.”
“We will do as you say,” Varma said with a nod. “But I cannot make any promises regarding Teal and his people. I doubt he has any concern for New Delhi, and nor do I have any control over him.”
“My terms were very clear,” James said, not in the mood to compromise on Teal. “He is on your side. You are responsible for him. I expected him handed over to me.”
Varma took a deep breath and sighed. “We will do what we can.”
“See that you do,” James replied harshly. “Now, instruct all your battlestations and ships to follow the instructions my ships will give them. I’ll also be sending some of my own people to command most of your forces. If we are going to fight this enemy fleet, we must fight as one, and I need my people to be in charge for that to happen.”
“I will send the instructions Emperor,” Varma promised. “And whether you believe it or not, I do wish you the best of luck. I realize you are risking your life for ours. As strong as the differences between us are, I appreciate that.”
“And I appreciate that you can put your personal political views aside for the sake of your homeworld,” James responded, deciding that he had shown enough anger. If Varma was prepared to offer him an olive branch, he was going to take it. “Perhaps we are not as different as each of us thinks.”
“Perhaps,” Varma said slowly. “If we survive what is approaching, maybe we can discuss that in person.”
James wasn’t sure he wanted to take it that far, but he nodded nonetheless. “I’ll contact you again if I need anything from you,” he said. Giving her a final nod, he cut the COM channel. He turned to Davenport to speak to her.
“Movement amongst the New Delhi warships,” a sensor officer called out before James could begin to speak. “Multiple ships breaking orbit!”
James knew right away who they were. Before the COM officer could give an update, the holo display zoomed in on the ships. Teal’s yacht was easily identifiable. It and five other secessionist destroyers were pulling up and away from the colony. From their heading, it was clear they were fleeing in the opposite direction the Flex-aor fleet was expected to arrive from. James opened his mouth to order ships dispatched to intercept the cowards. Again, the same sensor officer stopped him.
“Look! Those battlestations’ energy readings are spiking!”
James saw it too. The energy spikes meant one thing. Sure enough, more than thirty plasma bolts were fired by the three battlestations. They crossed the short distance to Teal’s yacht in just three seconds. Though the yacht tried to evade them, there were far too many. James felt nothing but satisfaction as they smashed into the lightly-armed civilian ship and ripped it apart. So much of the ship’s hull and innards were melted by the plasma that no secondary explosions followed. What was left of the ship simply broke apart into hundreds of small pieces. And with it goes the secessionist movement, James hoped. Deep down, he knew that was wishful thinking. Yet he could still hope. As he examined his feelings, he was surprised to see he didn’t feel even a slither of sorrow for Teal. The man’s conniving had threatened the very unity of the Empire and the future of their entire species. If anything, the sudden reappearance of the Flex-aor only reinforced the importance of Human unity. James just hoped new Delhi and the others would come to see that.
“What now Admiral?” Davenport asked.
“Now we get our people onto those battlestations and ships. We need to take a full inventory of New Delhi’s defenses and assess what capabilities we have. Let’s not delude ourselves. Even with the secessionist forces added to ours, we are going to be heavily outnumbered. We need to take stock of what we have and figure out the best way to protect this world.”
“Understood Admiral, we will begin immediately,” Davenport replied.
James nodded to her; she could handle everything without his interference. Instead, he turned back to the holo display. There was something else he wanted to do before the demands of readying New Delhi’s defenses drew all his attention. The secessionist destroyer Neptune was still approaching Oblivion. She would be close enough to dock soon. Unbuckling himself, James stood. “I’m going to the docking hatch,” he announced, knowing he didn’t need to give any further explanation. “By the time I return, I expect to have a full inventory of the forces at our disposal. Then we will begin to draw up our plans.”
“We will be ready Admiral,” Davenport promised. “Before you go though, I was thinking…” From Davenport’s command chair, a holo image appeared. James frowned. He knew what Davenport was suggesting, but it seemed too much to him. “I have read through his full report. I think he deserves it,” Davenport insisted. “Unless you intend to overrule me, I am going to write up the orders now. You did say I would remain in command of Home Fleet for this mission.”
Instead of irritation, James couldn’t help but be filled with pride. He smiled at Davenport. “You’ve been spending too much time with Scott and Emilie.”
Davenport smiled back. “You’ll have to take it up with them then.”
“If we make it out of this, I might just do that,” James promised. He waved a hand dismissively. “If this is your decision, then I will not stand in your way. Not least, because I’d never hear the end of it if we survive this.” Before leaving, James shared one last look with Davenport. It said quietly what he couldn’t say out loud. Thank you, my friend.
*
Consciously, Jonathan looked down at his uniform. It wasn’t quite in tatters, but there were several grease marks, a couple of tears and it had been a long time since his tunic or trousers had been washed. For most of the last few months, he had been wearing clothes scavenged from Python’s and then Neptune’s former crews. He had been trying to keep his naval uniform as pristine as possible. Now that he was looking at the fruit of his efforts, he decided he had failed. If he been about to step on board any other ship but the flagship of Home Fleet, and meet any other naval officer but his father, he wouldn’t have been so worried. For certain, Jonathan knew that if his mother saw him in the state he was in, she would be clucking her tongue at him in disapproval. But Dad will understand, Jonathan assured himself. It might have been thirty years ago, but he knew his father understood the hardships of a long cruise in a small warship. Still, that didn’t stop him feeling self-conscious.
“Docking clamps are secure Lieutenant, you’re ready to go across,” a petty officer informed Jonathan.
Jonathan turned to Lydia, Onoda, Becca, and McKay. They had all joined him. He knew his father and Home Fleet’s senior staff would want to debrief them all. “Are you all ready?” He couldn’t help but smile at the nervous expression on all their faces. “Don’t worry, they won’t bite. And even if they were tempted to, they’ve got bigger problems on their hands at the moment. They’ll want to pull every piece of information out of us they can about the Flex-aor fleet, and then, we’ll hopefully get some well-earned R&R.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” Becca replied, “no one is going to bite you, no matter what you’ve done.”
Jonathan raised an eyebrow. “Really? I seem to recall you had no problems giving me a good thumping for the right price. Tell my father about it, and he might even give you a bonus.” When Becca’s cheeks reddened, Jonathan smiled wider. It was rare he got one up on her. “Let’s go,” he said as he waved for them to follow him. As soon as he stepped up to the hatch, it swished open. Eight steps took him from Neptune onto Oblivion. The change was immediate. Neptune’s dusty deck and grimy feel gave way to an immaculately clean hangar bay. The ragged petty officer who had overseen attaching the destroyer’s docking clamps couldn’t have contrasted more with the well turned-out naval crew who were working throughout the bay. Jonathan couldn’t help but hesitate, for he knew he looked just as out of place. Movement directly in front of him brought his eyes back to the officers who had come to greet him. His hand twitched as he prepared to salute whatever Lieutenant had been sent to bring him to his father. When his eyes fell on the naval officer in front of him, he stopped mid-step. He just managed to get his hands up as the officer crashed into him and pulled him into a hug.
