The Star Cross Page 4

  “What about the fighters and bombers based on this shipyard?” Kurt knew there were two fighter squadrons and one bomber squadron permanently assigned to the station.

  “They’ll be going with you also. We’ll cram them into the Vindication’s bay. Captain Watkins won’t be able to launch anything until they’re unloaded. Of course that will give you a group of well-trained pilots for those three squadrons.”

  “They can help train the newbies,” responded Kurt, thinking about how to get the new pilots up to speed as rapidly as possible.

  “We’ll also be sending the fighter and bomber construction facilities along with you. We can have everything disassembled in two weeks and loaded aboard four cargo ships.”

  “Where will we put them?” asked Kurt, recalling how the station above Newton was set up. It was large, but there wasn’t much room to add anything else, let alone new construction facilities.

  “We’ll have to enlarge Newton Station,” Tomalson answered. “We already have a team of engineers designing a new addition. We’ll add a new construction bay, a large manufacturing assembly area, and a new flight bay for fighters and bombers. There were some discussions about disassembling part of this station and shipping it to Newton. It would be the quickest and easiest way to get what we need. We’re just not sure we’ll have the time to do it.”

  “We would have to dedicate a lot of cargo ships to move everything,” Kurt said, as he looked around the massive bay.

  “We have two heavy tugs, equipped with hyperdrives, which could drag the sections along with them,” Tomalson responded.

  It was one of the options they had been discussing and the easiest. All they would have to do was basically carve up the shipyard into manageable pieces and allow the tugs to haul them through hyperspace to Newton. Once at Newton, the sections could be reassembled. They would need to decide on the tug idea in the next day or two.

  After discussing a few other items, Kurt and Tomalson left the construction bay and took a turbolift to the station’s Command Center. Going inside, they saw Colonel Hayworth, who was in charge of ship construction, speaking animatedly to several junior officers.

  “Is there a problem?” asked Tomalson. He could tell Hayworth was highly excited about something.

  “I just learned we may have another ship we can recover,” responded Hayworth, turning from the two officers, who quickly went back to their posts. “Lieutenant Haley informed me that the light carrier Dante has been located and may be salvageable.”

  “Where is she?” Kurt asked with interest. If they could save her, it would augment his force even more, allowing him to launch a powerful contingent of fighters and bombers. The Dante had been crewed by fleet personnel from the UK.

  “On the far side of the planet,” Hayworth answered. “We should have a video feed coming in shortly. I’ve dispatched a fleet tug to the area to see if it’s practical to bring the ship to the shipyard.”

  Tomalson nodded. For the last twenty-four hours, they had been checking all the wrecks in orbit to see if anything could be repaired or salvaged. Most of the ships had been blown apart. Only a few had been found with the hulls relatively intact but were so heavily damaged from internal explosions that even boarding them had been considered too hazardous.

  “Video feed is coming in,” reported Ensign Paul Simmons from Communications. “I’m putting it up on the main viewscreen.”

  Everyone looked toward the screen as it flickered to life, and then an image of the battered light carrier appeared. The ship had been hit by some heavy weapons fire, as the hull was badly compromised in several areas.

  “The tug captain is reporting no indications of power from the ship,” Simmons added. “He’s also reporting several airlocks are open.”

  “Do you think the aliens removed the crew?” asked Kurt, looking intently at the viewscreen. The main airlock hatch stood wide open. He had been briefed earlier about the possible abductions.

  “Possibly,” Tomalson responded with a heavy frown. “From reports we’ve received across the planet, we know the Profiteers took several thousand people. They may have taken this crew as well.”

  “Where to?”

  “We believe they’ll be sold as slaves on a world called Kubitz,” Tomalson answered. “We picked up a lot of their ship communications and managed to decipher their language pretty quickly. The Profiteers didn’t seem too concerned about attempting to encrypt what they were saying.”

  This greatly concerned Kurt. The last time he had checked, Captain Randson hadn’t been able to locate his wife and daughter. Plus there were rumors that the aliens had abducted people from the vicinity where Randson’s home was.

  “Passenger liners are preparing to depart,” reported Lieutenant Vargas.

  Another screen came to life, displaying four small space liners and two much larger superliners. The small liners could carry five hundred people each while the superliners could hold 2,200.

  “The destroyers Titan and Phobos will be escorting them from Earth and back to Newton,” Kurt said.

  The plans were for the ships to stay long enough to unload and then return to pick up more evacuees. Also two more small liners and one more superliner were in transit from Newton with a destroyer escort. Denise, Alex, and Bryan were scheduled to ride on one of those. Kurt would feel better once his sister and her family were safely off Earth. He had sensed the fear in her voice when he had spoken to her.

  “The cargo ships are still being loaded with supplies and should be ready shortly for their first trip to Newton,” Tomalson added, as he watched the liners grow smaller on the screen.

  The two destroyers join up with them, and Kurt knew they would shortly be activating their hyperspace drives. A number of cargo ships were located on a dozen small spaceports across the planet. They were rapidly being loaded with surplus supplies and other items that Newton might need, once all trade with Earth was cut off. Other cargo ships would be sent to Mars and the moons of Jupiter and Saturn.

  “How much time do you think we have?” asked Colonel Hayworth, as the ships suddenly vanished from the viewscreen, making their jumps into hyperspace.

  “Ships have successfully jumped,” confirmed Lieutenant Haley. She had a relieved look on her face.

  “It’s hard to tell,” Tomalson replied, “since we’re uncertain where their planet is.”

  Kurt studied the viewscreen to see the tug move in closer to the Dante. He knew the tug would latch onto the ship with magnetic grapples and then bring the ship back to the shipyard to be further evaluated.

  “The analysts I’ve spoken to,” Tomalson added, “feel pretty certain that the Profiteers will regroup at their home world and then return with a larger and better armed fleet.”

  “I wonder how much bigger?” Kurt said with a frown.

  He didn’t want his ships to be caught in orbit like the Profiteers had done to the Earth fleets to begin with. The only difference was, his ships were keeping their energy screens up at low power as a precautionary measure and were staying at a higher level of alert. It wouldn’t be so easy to catch his fleet unprepared, especially now that they knew what was coming.

  “We’ll know more when we finish interrogating the prisoners,” Tomalson answered. “That will start later today.”

  Kurt nodded. He needed to get back to the Star Cross and arrange for more munitions, particularly missiles, to be transferred to all his ships. They hadn’t fired any during the brief battle, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be needed later.

  -

  Entering the Command Center of the Star Cross, Kurt saw Captain Randson sitting in his command chair with a look of deep concern on his face.

  “Still no luck contacting Emily?”

  “No,” Andrew answered grimly. “I did manage to reach Emily’s parents, and they haven’t heard from her either.”

  “Here are the latest status reports, as requested, sir,” Lieutenant Mays said, handing Kurt a small computer pad. “It list
s the current ammunition levels, plus supplies for all the ships in the fleet.”

  Kurt nodded. “Make sure we requisition everything we might need for a long deployment.”

  “Already working on it, sir,” Mays replied, as she turned and went back to her console.

  “There have been rumors that these Profiteers abducted some people in the Houston area,” Andrew continued with a hint of fear showing in his eyes. “Do you think it’s possible that Emily and Alexis were taken?”

  “Fleet Admiral Tomalson is still working on getting more information about any missing humans,” responded Kurt, knowing how concerned Andrew must be. “If these aliens did take Emily and Alexis, I promise you that I’ll do everything in my power to get them back.”

  “Sir, the tug is approaching with the Dante,” reported Lieutenant Lena Brooks.

  “Put it up on the screen.”

  The Dante appeared with the tug’s magnetic grapples holding the ship.

  “She’s been hit hard,” pointed out Andrew. “It looks as if Engineering is open to space, as well as the starboard munitions bunker. From the size of the hole, I would guess there was a major explosion. See how the hull is peeled back, as if an explosion occurred inside the ship?”

  Kurt nodded in agreement. The six-hundred-meter-long light carrier had been badly damaged. They wouldn’t know if the ship could be repaired until the shipyard personnel took a closer look. However, before that could happen, some technicians would have to board it to ensure it was safe to bring into the shipyard.

  “We can’t stay at a high level of alert continuously,” Kurt said, looking over at Andrew. Ever since their arrival, the fleet had been at Condition Two. “Have the Vindication and the light cruisers Alton, Blair, and Sydney stay at Condition Two with energy shields at 50 percent. The rest of the fleet will go to Condition Three, so the crews can get some rest. After twelve hours, we’ll switch, and the carrier and the three cruisers can go to Condition Three while the rest of us take their place at Condition Two.”

  “What about the destroyers?” Randson asked.

  Kurt nodded. With the one that had been destroyed and the two that had just left with the passenger liners for Newton, that left three more, still here orbiting Earth.

  “We’ll pull them in close to the shipyard, in case they’re needed to help defend it,” replied Kurt, rubbing his brow with his right hand as he thought over what still needed to be done. “We’ll need the three to escort more passenger liners and cargo ships to Newton. We may have to send just one destroyer with each convoy.”

  “How long will we continue evacuating people from Earth?”

  “Until the Profiteers come back,” responded Kurt evenly. They had a tremendous job ahead of them and probably not enough time to get it done.

  Ever since they had driven the enemy from Earth orbit, Mars, the asteroid mining settlements, and the colonies on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn had been screaming for evacuation. The colonists on the Moon were already further securing their underground cities. Though Kurt didn’t know what good it would do them. If the Profiteers wanted to destroy any of the settlements or colonies in the system, one well-placed missile would do the job.

  “Admiral, what is Fleet Admiral Tomalson going to do? Is he returning to Newton with us?”

  “I don’t know,” answered Kurt with a sigh. “We haven’t discussed that yet.”

  “What will we do when the Profiteers do return? Will we fight or jump straight out?” Andrew asked.

  Kurt knew Andrew was trying his best not to worry about his wife and daughter.

  “We’ll leave,” answered Kurt somberly. “We can’t afford to take any more losses to the fleet. If we get the Kepler back to Newton and finished, and the Dante repaired, we’ll have a pretty solid fleet. Two more light cruisers in the shipyard were undergoing updates when the Profiteers attacked. We can add both of them to the fleet in another four days.”

  “Don’t forget the Johnas,” added Randson. “She’s in the repair bay at Newton now.” He faced Kurt. “We’re putting together a pretty powerful task force.”

  “I know Captain Owens will be glad to get his ship back.”

  “Admiral, we have several cargo ships coming up from Earth,” Ensign Pierce reported. “They’re asking where you want them.”

  “Put them in orbit at ten thousand kilometers above the planet,” Kurt ordered. “We’ll have one of the light cruisers move over to cover them, until the convoy is ready to depart.”

  “And when will that be?” asked Randson.

  “I want a convoy leaving every seventy-two hours,” Kurt replied. “We need to get those ships to Newton and unload them, so they can return. We’ll send one destroyer along with each convoy.” It was a two-day trip to Newton with one day to unload, check ship systems, and then return. That would be five days for a complete turnaround.

  Looking at the main viewscreen, he could see several shuttles docking with the Dante. The shuttles would carry suited-up technicians to check the light carrier. Leaning back in his command chair, Kurt knew a lot of work needed to be done in the next few days, if the human race wanted to stand any chance at all of prevailing against the Profiteers.

  -

  In the underground presidential bunker in Canada, an argument ensued.

  “Why are my people being denied access to the ships going to Newton?” demanded Stroud with a dark scowl on his face. “No one I’ve suggested has been approved.”

  “I’m sure it’s only a misunderstanding,” answered Anne Roselin, attempting to placate the angry secretary of labor.

  “No, it’s not,” Fleet Admiral Tomalson said in a loud and commanding voice. “No one you’ve suggested will benefit the Newton colony or the war effort against these Profiteers.” Tomalson decided to put Stroud in his place once and for all. He had never cared for the obnoxious man and didn’t understand why President Mayfield had appointed him to the Cabinet. “All your people have been either big donors to your political campaigns or rich people who don’t know anything else but having others wait on them hand and foot. I will not allow any such people on one of the evacuation ships.”

  Stroud stood up, shaking a fist at Tomalson. “You have no right!” he bellowed. “I will have you removed from office. I demand your immediate resignation!”

  Tomalson looked at Stroud and then did the unthinkable. He burst out laughing. “You and whose army? I control the fleet crews, and every one of those men and women are fiercely loyal. Everyone going aloft has their background thoroughly checked. Anyone not well qualified and not approved by my people will not be leaving Earth.”

  “That’s easy enough for you to say,” growled Stroud, looking around at the others for support. “Your ass won’t be here when the aliens return. We will!”

  “I’m afraid you’re mistaken,” President Mayfield said in a calm voice. “Fleet Admiral Tomalson will remain behind on Earth and will turn full control of the fleet over to Admiral Vickers. I also helped Fleet Admiral Tomalson set up the vetting process for those traveling to Newton. Only our best and brightest will be offered positions on the liners and cargo ships.”

  “Why aren’t you going?” asked Roselin, looking with confusion at Tomalson. “Why remain on Earth when you can possibly be safe on Newton?”

  “I’m too old,” Tomalson replied. “I would serve no useful purpose on Newton. Admiral Vickers is younger and a very good strategist. Upon his departure, he will be promoted to fleet admiral.”

  President Mayfield added, “I’ve spoken to the leaders of the European Union, plus the Russian Collective and the Chinese Conglomerate. They all do some trading with Newton, and both the European Union and the Russian Collective have agreed to send additional supplies and people to the colony.”

  “Why would they do that? Stroud demanded, confused. “My people can’t go, but the Europeans and the Russians can?”

  The European Union along with Australia and Japan had placed colonies on Mars, while the Russian
Collective had taken the moons of Jupiter and the Chinese Conglomerate the moons of Saturn. Only the North American Union had elected to colonize a planet outside the Solar System.

  “They realize that, if they ever want access to their colonies again, it will be up to Admiral Vickers and the people of Newton to free the Solar System from the Profiteers,” Mayfield responded. “They’re also sending additional supplies to all their colonies and evacuating some of the smaller ones that might not survive, if they’re cut off too long.”

  “What about that special help we asked for?” Fleet Admiral Tomalson asked.

  “They all agreed to your plan to significantly improve Newton’s ability to defend itself and to help Earth,” Mayfield replied. “The Chinese Conglomerate balked at first, but I finally made them understand why they should cooperate. Their donation will be going into orbit within the week.”

  “What are the two of you talking about?” demanded Stroud. “Sounds as if some deals have been made without the full knowledge and approval of the Cabinet.”

  “It’s necessary that these particular arrangements remain classified for the time being,” Mayfield responded without hesitation. “I will reveal to the entire Cabinet what we’re doing when the time is right.”

  “I don’t like this,” mumbled Stroud.

  “Neither do I,” agreed Max Sallow, Secretary of Energy. “What you’re proposing may be illegal, according to the Constitution of the North American Union.”

  “We may be facing a major crisis, but we have a Constitution for a reason, and we should abide by it,” Attorney General Maureen Roberts said with some concern in her voice.

  “I realize that, Maureen,” Mayfield replied. “But this is an international emergency, and, as president of the NAU, I have broad and liberal powers during such times. That is also clearly spelled out in our Constitution. I can assure you that what I’m doing is in the best interest of our planet.”

  “What about in the best interest of the North American Union?” demanded Stroud. “My business associates are deeply concerned about the present situation. Their profit margins are way down and, in some instances, showing negative returns on investments.”