Escape of the Relentless Read online

  “Very well,” he replied activated his door signal and waited for it to open.

  Stepping inside, he saw Queen Xendi sitting at the small desk in the stateroom. “My queen, I am sorry to interrupt you —” He froze when she looked up to show tears again rolling down her cheeks. “Are you okay?”

  “I am alone,” she said softly, her voice cracking. “And I don’t know how to do this.”

  Catton was operating far above his paygrade. The ruler of his entire civilization, whom he’d just seen control the officers of his wardroom with a few words, was now crying like a homesick ensign. “You do what you did in the wardroom, my queen,” he said. “Your words emboldened my men … and me as well.” He slowly, hesitatingly, placed his hand on her shoulder. “You are your father’s daughter, Queen Xendi … and we are ready to follow you.”

  She looked up toward him and he quickly withdrew his hand.

  “Have you ever been in a position where you have no idea what you are doing?” she asked.

  “I’m the captain of a warship of the Runan Navy,” replied Catton confidently. “So yes, every single day.” He let out a quick smile. “But the key is not letting anyone know you are making it up as you go.”

  She laughed.

  “If I may ask?”

  “What is your question, commander?”

  “Why did you talk to Lieutenant Talon in the wardroom?”

  “I could tell they were nervous and I wanted them to think of home … so they would think of a future beyond this situation. My father always told me that in the darkest of times to think of family —” She paused, pain of her loss weighing heavy on her. “I thought if they could think of their families then they would have something to fight for beyond having the queen onboard.”

  Catton felt humbled to be in her presence. “And in doing so, you showed them that you alone are worth fighting — worth dying — for, my queen. But,” he continued, “can I ask why the lieutenant?”

  “Oh,” she snickered. “I was aware of the family name. They were supporters of the Janis family during the War of Unification. I figured he was from the clan and that I could use him to speak to all of your officers.”

  He was impressed — even more than before. “And the Hardian?”

  “To honor a Hardian, you just need to mention their ancestors, Mount Haridak, and a feast,” she said with a smile. “That allowed me to not make it look as if I was using a parlor trick with your Lieutenant Talon.”

  “You would make an excellent ship’s captain, my queen.”

  “I’ll leave that to you, commander,” she replied, standing.

  Catton bowed slightly as she rose. “Of course, my —” His body tensed as she embraced him. She squeezed him tightly, as if she was trying to force the pain and uncertainty from her body.

  Not knowing what to do, he stood motionless with his arms gently resting on her back.

  After a moment, she stepped back.

  “Thank you, commander,” she said as she wiped the tears from her face. “I … I’m sorry for —”

  “As I said, my queen, I just wanted to thank you for the inspiring words to my officers and for your bravery and leadership.”

  She looked up toward him, having regained control of her emotions. “Thank you, commander.”

  ***

  “How many Travans does it take to fix a barrier well capacitor?” asked Chief Oda, lying on his back looking into the maze of wiring below the FTL energy well capacitor banks.

  It was no coincidence that most of Relentless’ Engineering Department came from the Trava Moon settlement. Initially established as a trading and mining post, it was abandoned for over a generation during the War of Unification. The inhabitants had little choice but to become master tinkers and problem solvers.

  “Apparently, more than three,” replied the Engineering Leading Chief, Senior Chief Danta. “Do you think it will work, Mr. Landa?”

  “I’m not sure,” replied Ensign Landa. “I don’t think this the jumper will be able to carry the current for very long.”

  “Can’t we drive it down with resister banks just long enough for the jump transient?”

  “Not that much,” replied Oda, sliding out from under the FLT panel. “If they fail mid-jump and we come out of the jump out of sequence …” He paused remembering the horror stories from his theoretical physics class about the early days of FTL travel. “… we need another option.”

  “Thyristors?” asked Landa out loud.

  “The system isn’t configured for that,” replied Danta.

  “Then we reconfigure it … if we use a diode drawer to maintain the output based off a feedback loop … it might work,” replied Landa.

  “That will ruin the warranty,” laughed Oda.

  “We’ll have to bench test it first,” added Danta.

  “I can probably draw up the plans and a test procedure in four or five hours,” said Landa.

  “As long as we have the parts, my guys can have a prototype set up for a bench test a few hours after that,” added Oda.

  “I’ll brief the CHENG,” said Danta. “This might just work.”

  ***

  Lieutenant Pi-ce sat at the wardroom table shoveling a steak into her mouth. The pain from the wasps’ venom had finally began to subside and she was hungry. Her thoughts flashed to the bodies of the Qua-la soldiers scattered throughout Thunder … then to the bodies of her fellow Marines. Her stomach tightened and she shoved another large piece of meat into her mouth.

  She looked up as Lieutenant Junior Grade Banda walked into the wardroom.

  “How are you feeling, lieutenant?” asked Banda.

  “What?” she asked, sill chewing her food.

  “The wasps ... that had to hurt.”

  “Pain is just another challenge to be overcome, Lieutenant Banda,” replied Pi-ce.

  “Well, it looks really uncomfortable.”

  “The key is to become comfortable with being uncomfortable,” replied Pi-ce matter-of-factly. “How is the FTL?”

  “It sounds like they might have a fix,” replied Banda. “Hopefully we can get out of here before we have to take on any Qua-la capital ships. I’m not looking forward to Coldblooded Catton deciding if I live or die.”

  Pi-ce placed her fork and knife on the table. “He doesn’t choose, lieutenant. You are going to die.”

  “What?” huffed Banda.

  “We all die … or did you think you would live forever?” replied Pi-ce. “You just might not get to choose the time.” She smiled. “But you can always choose what kind of death you have.”

  “I don’t get you Hardians,” replied Banda. “And aren’t you concerned with the rumors about the captain?”

  “You don’t get us,” said Pi-ce to confirm Banda’s statement as she stood. “And I’m not concerned about the captain. He gives orders and I follow them. If I die, I choose to die well serving my captain, my queen, and the warrior’s code.”

  Banda shook his head. “Maybe the captain should have born a Hardian.”

  “Maybe,” said Pi-ce, stepping in close to Banda.

  Banda involuntarily stepped back as the Marine towered over him. “But you could never be a Hardian.” She placed her hand on his shoulder. “And if I ever hear you challenge the chain of command again, I might just show you how we maintain discipline on my planet.”

  “I … I’m sorry, lieutenant,” stammered Banda. “I was just talking shit. I didn’t mean anything … we just do that to lighten the mood.”

  “Enlisted, maybe. But not officers. And the only thing that lightens my mood is victory and drinking to a death while leading brave men in a desperate battle.”

  “I’ll do my part if we have to fight,” replied Banda. “I’m no coward.”

  “Excellent,” laughed Pi-ce. “Then we’ll both have a good death.”

  ***

  Fourteen hours had passed since the attack and most of the officers and Engineering department hadn’t sleep. Forcing down anothe
r cup of coffee, Catton sat at his desk looking at Lieutenant Commander Braca, Ensign Landa, Senior Chief Danta, and Chief Oda. With four Travans in front of him, he hoped they had a solution.

  “I think we can do it, sir,” said Braca.

  “What’s the plan?”

  “Let’s just say it is an alteration that won’t get approved by any of the design guys back at Fleet Headquarters,” answered Oda.

  “And you’re sure it will work?” asked Catton.

  “The math works,” replied Landa.

  “And the bench test of the rig allowed us to stabilize the system long enough for the jump,” added Oda.

  “How long did it last?”

  “About two hundred milliseconds, sir,” said Oda.

  Catton knew the answer to the next question, but he asked anyway. “And what is the normal window for an FTL jump?”

  “One hundred fifty to two hundred milliseconds,” said Braca.

  “So maybe it will work, maybe it won’t … or maybe we’ll just disappear into a gravitational fold for eternity.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Braca.

  “Any more good news?”

  “We only have enough parts for one rig,” added Danta.

  “How long will it take?” asked Catton.

  “We’re isolating systems now and should have the rig installed in two hours,” said Braca.

  “Operational tests?”

  The engineers looked at one another.

  “You can’t op test it?” asked Catton.

  “The test rig only made it through one test before it fried out. We will do continuity checks, but we can’t run it at full power,” said Danta.

  “We’ll only have one shot,” added Braca.

  “Do it,” ordered Catton. “But keep looking for other options.”

  “Yes, sir,” replied the group in unison.

  “CHENG, you stay behind,” said Catton as the others left the room.

  “Yes, sir,” said Braca.

  As the door to his stateroom closed, Catton leaned back and exhaled heavily. “Is this worth trying, in your opinion, CHENG?”

  “I think we definitely need to keep looking for other options but this one might work.”

  “What odds do you give it?”

  The chief engineer ran her hand over her short blonde hair and took a deep breath. “Fifty-fifty, sir,” replied Braca.

  “Well, those odds aren’t very good with the last member of the Royal family onboard.”

  “No, sir. It’s not … but that’s what we have.”

  “And are we close to coming up with any other workable plans?”

  “Not really, sir.” Braca sat in the chair in front of Catton’s desk. She rested her elbows on her knees and lowered her head, the sleepless night weighing on her. “We just don’t have the equipment … unless you have a set of barrier well capacitors hidden somewhere.”

  “I’m pretty sure there are none of those in this system,” replied Catton. “Except on —”

  “Thunder,” said Braca, raising her head. “Thunder will have them.”

  Catton rose in his chair. The Qua-la might even be less likely to expect them to return to Thunder than moving further in-system. “It might work.”

  “Dreadnoughts should have a primary and secondary FTL system,” added Braca. “And even if they don’t, they have to have more in their stores.”

  Catton leaned back again and looked up toward the overhead. With a sigh, he looked toward Braca. She was leaning forward in the chair, anticipating his answer.

  “Alright, CHENG. Get the rig connected and ready to go in case we need it, but we won’t jump unless we are in trouble.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And pick a salvage team to go in with Lieutenant Pi-ce’s Marines when we get back to Thunder.”

  “Yes, sir,” replied Braca as she turned to leave.

  “And CHENG,” added Catton.

  “Sir?” asked Braca, turning back toward him.

  “Try to get at least three hours sleep before we get there.”

  Braca laughed. “Yes, sir. Three hours. As soon as my men get their three.”

  Catton returned her smile. Neither of them would get more than a few cat-naps and he knew it. “Of course, CHENG.”

  Chapter Four

  Lieutenant Pi-ce looked around the briefing room.

  In addition to her Marines, Chief Oda was talking with Engineering Technician First Class Beacon and Second Class Mali, her arm still bandaged from the burns received on Thunder. Another group had formed around Ensign Landa and included Communications Technician Elan and another survivor from Thunder, Technician First Class Brada.

  “You ready to go back to that wreck?” asked Lieutenant Junior Grade Erin, the transport pilot.

  “If it will get the queen to safety,” replied Pi-ce.

  “Hard to believe the safety of our entire empire rests on us,” said Erin, shaking his head.

  “But it does,” said Pi-ce, a smile coming to her face. A Hardian that dies protecting the queen is sure to be sung of in both this and the afterlife. There would be no better death — “Attention on deck!” boomed Lieutenant Pi-ce as the XO stepped into the briefing room.

  “At ease, everyone,” ordered Lieutenant Commander Halstrom. “Everyone gather ‘round.”

  Pi-ce and the others formed a semi-circle around the XO.

  “Here’s the plan,” continued Halstrom. “We’ll be in range of Thunder in approximately one hour. Your primary goal will be to retrieve the parts needed to repair our FTL and, if possible, get the card needed for our electron spin suite. Chief Oda, your team will retrieve the capacitors. Ensign Landa, you and your team will try to find the card. Lieutenant Pi-ce will provide security.”

  “Yes, sir,” replied Pi-ce. “I will go with the engineers. Corporal Tra-na will accompany me. Sergeant Bar-ke and Gunner Ven-do will escort the communications team.”

  “Listen to the Marines,” continued Halstrom. “Thunder’s systems are severely damaged; life support, gravitation controls … all degraded. Under these conditions, the Marines are the experts.”

  “And even if the enemy does not return,” said Pi-ce. “There still may be survivors of the boarding party onboard …” She paused. “… and we may run into boarding wasps.”

  “Boarding wasps?” asked Landa. “What —”

  “Just do as they say until you get to your assigned locations and then be quick,” said Halstrom.

  “How long do we have?” asked Erin.

  “As long as it takes,” replied Halstrom. “Or until the Qua-la arrive.”

  “And if they arrive?” asked Oda.

  “Get back to the ship as quick as you can. We’ll try the FTL rig we currently have installed and hope it works.”

  “What if we don’t make it back before you —”

  Pi-ce shot a cold glance toward Ensign Landa, silencing him. “Then we fight.”

  “If there are no other questions, I will leave the final preps to Lieutenant Pi-ce and the team leads,” said Halstrom.

  “Attention of deck!” roared Pi-ce again as Halstrom turned and exited the room. When the door closed, she turned toward the others. “I understand most of you have not fired a weapon since your basic training.” She looked around the room. She knew Ensign Landa and Chief Oda had at least some remedial training recently … she had given it. Brada, having been in Thunder’s Operations Department, had most likely been on the auxiliary defense forces. But looking at the blank stare on the others’ faces, she realized she had some work to do.

  “Everyone draw your sidearms,” she ordered. “Look at it … that red button by the trigger, if you push it in until you can’t see red, then its ready to fire.”

  “Then?” asked Mali.

  “Point it at what you want to kill and pull the trigger. Keep pulling it until whatever you’re trying to kill is dead.” Anything more complex would have been a waste of time at this point. Besides, it was her Marines’ job to keep the
m safe.

  “Now for the exposure suits,” she continued. “Who has had training on these in the last three standard months?”

  Everyone raised their hand.

  “Good,” said Pi-ce. “We’ll muster in fifteen minutes by the transport.”

  ***

  Catton sat restlessly in his captain’s chair as the RADIUS image of Thunder came into view on the bridge.

  “No RADIUS contacts other than Thunder and the damaged Qua-la ships from before,” reported the TAO from combat.

  He looked down toward the FTL panel to verify that all three lights were illuminated in case they needed to make the risky jump.

  The third light flickered and illuminated green again.

  Catton let out an involuntary sigh. “Launch Saber One.”

  “Flight Deck Control, TAO, Green Deck. Launch Saber One.”

  Catton listened as the order was repeated. Soon the RADIUS image updated to show the transport in route to Thunder. “Keep your people alert, TAO. We can’t have any surprises.”

  “Yes, sir,” replied the TAO.

  “If this works,” said Queen Xendi softly, standing next to Catton, “will we be able to return home?”

  “Yes, my queen,” he replied. “If it works.”

  “Relentless, Saber One preparing to enter Thunder Hangar Bay Two,” reported the transport.

  ‘This has to work,’ thought Catton as he glanced toward the future of the Runan Empire standing next to him.

  ***

  Pi-ce stepped from the transport onto the deck of Thunder once again. She quickly scanned the area for threats and to verify her Marines had established a perimeter. “Clear,” she spoke into the comms link.

  As the other teams exited the transport, she turned toward them.

  “Everyone perform comms checks,” she ordered.

  After the roll call of communications checks were complete, she activated her own. “Relentless, Wolf One. On deck. Proceeding as ordered.” With one last scan of the hangar bay, Pi-ce turned toward the teams. “Okay, Team Alpha, follow me. Team Bravo, with Sergeant Bar-ke.”

  Pi-ce watched as Sergeant Bar-ke’s team began to make their way toward the opposite end of the hangar. It was now time for her team to move. “Technician Mali, you will stay by me. I want the quickest path to the engineering spaces as possible.”