Warrior One - Fleet Action Pt. 07

"I'm not scolding you, dear. Just keep her from watching our debates, please."

"I will, I promise." Gillian was glad Thesses wasn't angry with her, she rather liked the old lady.

"She asked me to cut the connection," Cass said.

"Question: How much of the ship can you and Fain see into?"

"All of the compartments that aren't damaged and some of the damaged ones, Ma'am."

"Good. Have you found any more bodies?"

"A few, in damaged sections of the ship."

"How many?" Gillian asked. When Cass used 'a few' she usually meant more than three.

"Twenty-three, Ma'am."

"That's a bit more than a few, dear."

"It is, Ma'am."

Gillian finished her breakfast, tossed the dishes in the sink and headed back to her pilot's chair. She was definitely going to need new padding. She sat, with her elbows on the edge of the console, face in her hands, thinking. She listens to her ship. All the usual noises were there. Nothing new, nothing unusual. She wondered then, why did she feel such dread. A foreboding of terrible things. She shook her head to clear it.

Chapter 134

"Lieutenant Saraid, are you available?" asked a strange voice coming out of the speaker.

"Yes. Who is this?"

"This is Lieutenant Dwyer, Sensor Office on Warrior One, Ma'am."

"What do you need Lieutenant?"

"The three Gar scouts we are tracking look like they have changed course. The Admiral wonders if you could, along with Seeker take a look about twenty light years out?"

"Cass?"

"War-One will listen."

"Affirmative. Leaving in five minutes. Get us ready Cass."

"Yes, Ma'am. Preparing for departure."

The ship began to rumble as Cass got it ready to leave.

"Can we leave without killing anyone?"

"Yes. Now that the deck is pressurized, there is a lock effect at the main bay doors."

"Oh. Okay then let's go."

Caster lifted off the deck and headed for the doors. There were Marines out and about the deck. They watched as Caster approached the doors. As there was no klaxon to alert them they didn't scramble for their shuttles. When the doors started to move they all started to run. But, when there was no whistle of escaping air, they stopped and watch Caster dart out the door.

"Has Seeker launched?" Gillian asked.

"No, Ma'am."

"Set up the jump."

"Jump set, Ma'am. Seeker is leaving Warrior."

"Jump."

"Jumping. We're there."

"Shit that was fast."

"It was only twenty light years, Ma'am."

"Start your scan."

"Scanning."

For several minutes there was nothing on Gillian's sensor screen. Then three blips showed up.

"They are turning. Their AI must have sensed Warrior and Tór."

Gillian typed. "How long until they get here?"

"Ten years.".

"They aren't accelerating?"

"Yes, Ma'am, but even though they are, they won't get here for ten years."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, Ma'am. When have I ever been wrong?"

"Never."

"But there is always a first time."

"I wasn't thinking that I swear."

"Yes, Ma'am." What sounded like a giggle came from the speaker.

Gillian ignored it as she slowly typed her report and pressed send.

"Get us back to Progenitor, please."

"Jumping."

And they were slowly gliding toward the big ship.

"Caster, come in."

"Caster here."

"Got your report Lieutenant. Are you sure you're correct?"

"Yes, sir. Cass checked it twice. She's never been wrong. Ten years, I stand by that Admiral."

"Very well. Oops. Just got Seekers report. They say twelve years."

Gillian didn't say a word.

"Anything to say, Lieutenant?"

"No, sir. I stand by the ten years."

"Very well. Let us know when the Progen's are ready."

"Yes, sir. Cass, take us in."

"Yes, Ma'am."

The ship slowly approached the shuttle bay doors. They opened slowly. When they were wide enough, Caster slipped inside, went to her parking spot and settled to the deck.

Chapter 135

It was two days before Gillian heard her name come over her speakers. Then Thesses said the word bridge.

"Cass, call Staff Sergeant Glen, tell him we move out in five minutes."

"Yes, Ma'am."

As Gillian step out of the hatch, Staff Sergeant Glen and his men were waiting. She smiled as she climbed down the ladder. She was suited up in all her combat gear just as the Maries were. They probably didn't need it but it was protocol.

"Let's go," Gillian said leading off.

At the elevators, she pressed the up button. The doors opened. It was the same car they came down in. Looking at the panel, she pressed the button marked bridge. There were ten levels above the bridge. The doors closed and they were whisked up at a fairly fast clip. As the door opened, Gillian stepped out and turned toward the bridge. They were the first there. About half an hour later Thesses and Eliot came in.

"You got here quick," Thesses said when she saw Gillian and the Marines were there first.

"We'll show you how when we leave. Anyone else coming?"

"No. A decision has been made, no need for anyone else to come."

"Let's sit," Gillian suggested.

Thesses nodded and sat in the comm console chair. Gillian took the chair to her left.

"We have decided to return to Earth. The pictures of the island clinched it. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"When can they start work on the ship?"

"As soon as I notify them, they will have people swarming over this ship to get that hyperdrive installed and to make sure the ship can handle it. There are some things we will have to explain to you. When we are in hyperspace, you can't look out a port. If you do you will go crazy. The human mind cannot handle what hyperspace looks like. Our ships automatically close shields over our ports to keep people from looking out."

"Then how do you navigate your ships?"

"With our sensors."

"I see. We have a group of people in the forest... "

"We know. They will have to move to someplace in the interior of the ship. It's only for three days."

"I will take care of it. Who will fly the ship?"

"We will have one of our command androids on the bridge, he will fly the ship."

"Won't the hyperspace drive him crazy?"

"No. They can filter out the harmful effects. He will be fine."

"Will you be on board?"

"I can if you wish."

"I'll let you know. It would be wonderful to have someone who could explain things that will be going on."

"There will be plenty of people who will be glad to explain things, much more knowledgeable than I."

"Why don't you notify your Admiral of our decision."

"Okay. Cass?"

"Online. Is the Admiral there too?"

"No, just me."

"Will you put us through to the Admiral?"

"Of course, Ma'am. Admiral online."

"Lieutenant?"

"Yes, sir. A decision has been made, it's back to Earth. You can start sending the people and equipment over anytime."

"That's good news. Thesses, you will love Earth. It's quite beautiful."

"So I've been told.

"I will be over later today, I think you and I should at least meet," Admiral Nichols said.

Gillian nodded to Thesses. She smiled back at me.

"I look forward to meeting you. I must warn you though, I am a married woman."

Gillian was giggling as Admiral Nichols sputtered.

"Don't worry Admiral, I'll chaperone," Gillian said, still giggling at Ezra. "Although if you run into Brela you're on your own, sir."

Thesses burst into side-splitting laughter. The Admiral groaned. Gillian suppressed her laugh.

"Well, I must be going Thesses, I am really looking forward to meeting you and your people."

"Thank you, sir," Thesses said. The speaker clicked Cass' way of telling Gillian the connection had been cut.

"Thesses, would you like to meet Caster?" Gillian asked.

"May I?" Thesses asked wide-eyed.

"Sure. Come on, no point in hanging around the bridge," Gillian said standing and leading the way out the hatch.

"Wait, the ramp is over that way," Thesses said pointing to her left as they came to the first cross corridor.

"They are, but I promised to show you how we got her so fast."

"You did." Thesses continued with Gillian and the six Marines, Eliot in tow.

When they came to the elevator doors, Gillian pressed the down button. The doors opened.

"No, we shouldn't. It's not safe. There are compartments with no air to breath."

"This one is safe. We rode it down last night and up this morning, Thesses."

"Well if you say so, but I'll take the long way home, later."

"Okay. In we go."

Chapter 136

Gillian made sure Thesses was at the back of the elevator when the doors opened. The two Marines on duty were on their toes as always. Everyone exited the elevator. Thesses and Eliot oh's and ah's filled the air as they caught sight of the shuttle bay.

"Right this way Thesses," Gillian told her leading the way to Caster.

"She's a small ship," Thesses said.

"She's just right for doing what she does so good."

"And what is that dear?"

"Scouting. She is a one-man scout. We fly ahead of the fleet and look for enemy ships."

"Enemy ships? Is Earth at war?" Thesses asked

"No, not now."

"How long ago?"

"Less than a month," Gillian answered.

"My goodness, just out of war and you come here to help us?"

"Yes. If it hadn't been for the war, we wouldn't have been looking in this direction."

"Well, then I guess I owe something to this war. How many of your people were lost?"

"I really don't know... a lot. I was far away from the fighting. Cass will know."

"No need. But I would love to meet Cass."

They were at the hatch. Gillian gave it a tug and it opened slowly. She climbed up the short ladder and stepped inside, turning around to assist Thesses.

"Okay, it's a little cramped in here, so watch your head and where you step," Gillian said stepping over to the pilot's chair. "If you come over here the both of you can stand behind the chair and see what is what."

"It is cramped for more than one person. How do you stand this?" Thesses asked.

"I grew up in the wilds of the Directorate, in a one-room cabin not much bigger than this. During the winter, which is eight months long, it wasn't safe to go outside. During the spring, summer, fall I only went out to gather food for the next winter. So being in Caster is comfortable for me. She has a gym for me to exercise and all the comforts of home. And I don't have to leave to gather food."

"Haha," Thesses laughed out loud.

"Cass?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Thesses is here to meet you," Gillian told her ship.

"So I hear. Welcome, Thesses and Eliot."

"So good to finally meet you in person," Thesses responded.

"You too dear lady." Thesses giggled at that.

Gillian sat in her chair. Looked over the readouts and control settings.

"Everything ship shape Cass?"

"Ship shape, Ma'am."

"Thesses, would you like to go for a ride. Just a small jaunt of the ship. We'll look over the outside. You can see... "

"Yes, yes, I was hoping you would take us to look over the Progenitor," Thesses responded.

"Cass?"

The ship rose, then glided over to the bay doors. When they were open enough, Caster slipped out into space. Thesses and Delvin gasped when they rose up the front of Progenitor. Then they were looking over the bow at the length of the ship.

"What are those black marks?"

"Those are holes in the ship, Thesses. That is why there are compartments without air. There was nobody to seal them so the ship closed off the affected compartments."

"My god, that hole is huge?"

"And someone was around to fix as much as they could. We believe that happened long before you started to come this way. If you look out past the ship you will see the arm of the galaxy where Earth is."

"That's looks far away."

"It is, over twenty thousand light years."

"And you transitioned that in three days?"

"We did."

"And it took us one hundred and ninety-eight years?"

"Yes. And we don't understand how that could have happened without hyperdrive."

"There is a very old tale, passed down from my great-grandmother, about a ship even bigger than Progenitor. They took Progenitor inside. Did some things to the ship and made some repairs. Then dropped the ship and were gone. Like a dream she said."

"Hmmm... that might explain how you got here. We haven't run into a race with ships bigger than the Progenitor." Gillian was scratching her head at that one.

"Oh, the forest. We might want to think about cutting some of that down. You can't even see out from in there."

"This is truth, my Princess," Eliot said, surprising Gillian.

"It is," Thesses acknowledged him. "Can we see the bottom of the ship?"

Without telling her, Cass moved the ship so they were looking up at the bottom. Not much to see here. A few black holes, thruster nozzles and what looked like landing pads. It had started on the ground on Mars, but Gillian wouldn't bet it could ever land anywhere again.

"Lieutenant, we have a problem," Cass said. Gillian knew it was serious as she hardly ever called Gillian by her rank.

"What is Cass?"

"That thing we did yesterday morning... "

"Yes."

"We might have been mistaken."

"Shit! How far off?"

"It's now showing twenty-eight days and decreasing, fast," Cass told her.

"Jump, five light years, go."

The ships disappeared. Thesses and Delvin both gasped.

"Where are they?" Gillian asked her ship.

"Two o'clock moving fast. I don't know how they increased their speed."

"Message Warrior One, send it in the clear. Gar ships have increased speed. How, unknown. Will arrive in less than twenty-eight days. How much sooner unknown. Send."

"Sent."

"Can we add speed with the hyperdrive?" Gillian asked.

"Yes."

"When can we jump to come up behind them?"

"Five minutes. Answer from Warrior."

"Let me hear it."

"Warrior One to Caster, stop ships at all costs, Seeker will join you. Ezra out."

"You heard the man."

"Yes. Three minutes."

"Thesses, can you a Delvin go back into the bedroom. There are straps in the two chairs there. Please belt yourselves in."

"Of course. Who are the Gar?"

"They are who we were fighting around Rigel. These ships were launched long before we won."

"Oh, my. We are belted in dear."

"Thank you."

Chapter 137

"Jump when ready Cass," Gillian told her ship.

"Jumping, Ma'am."

The port snapped shut for an instant, then opened with the backend view of the last Gar ship in view.

"Shields up. Kill it," Gillian said.

Two plasma bolts shot from the barrels of the gun mounted right next to the pilot. The ship burst into small bits that sparkled against the shields. The next Gar scout was farther ahead.

"Can we increase speed?" Gillian asked.

"Throttle is full open. We are going faster than them, we will be in firing range in ten minutes."

"Damn," Gillian said. "I hate waiting."

Giggling from behind her reminded Gillian, she had passengers.

"Sorry. My language must have... "

"No worries dear. I was right there with you," Thesses cut in quickly.

"Seeker is coming... is here. Four points off our port bow," Cass said.

As Gillian watched the view screen, Seeker launched a torpedo. On the sensors, it was there then not there. Then the next Gar scout in line collapsed in upon itself.

"What the... " Thesses whispered.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Gillian replied softly.

"Yes," Thesses hissed. "How do they work? And what are they?"

"Long story, but I suspect they have something to do with Caster's new hyperdrive. Seeker is firing another torpedo. Kind of far away, but it might work. Caster, jump, one light year up," Gillian said.

The port closed for an instant, then opened to dark empty space.

"Did you see what I saw Cass?"

"I did, Ma'am."

"Did Seeker get new torpedoes while we were in Warrior One?"

"She did. It would seem there is something wrong with that batch?"

"It would. Let Seeker know."

"I have, she will not fire another. The last ship has just been destroyed. The same anomaly exists where it was."

"Have either of you informed Warrior?"

"Both of us."

"Good."

"What is wrong, Gillian?" Thesses asked.

"Oh. The torpedoes shouldn't have done what they did."

"What, destroy the ship?"

"It's complicated... I'm sorry. Let's get back to the ship, then I can explain."

"Okay, dear."

"Cass?"

They were floating in front of Progenitor the next instant.

"Are you getting faster?" asked Gillian.

"Yes." That was all the ship said.

"Take us to Warrior, please?" Gillian asked.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Oh good. Ever since I saw it out the ports on the bridge I wanted to go over," Thesses said.

Caster, moved slowly over to Warrior, taking it's time, letting Thesses get a good look at the warship. They finally arrived at the shuttle bay. The doors opened and there was a group of the crew standing at attention.

"Cass, you told them we were coming, that's why you took so long," Gillian scolded.

"Sorry. I was ordered not to let you know."

"Damn," Gillian growled. "You can unstrap now. You can also expect some polite pomp and circumstance, Princess."

"Fugh, I really hate that stuff."

The ship slid nicely up next to the group of men. The Admiral was there as was his first officer. Gillian scrubbed her face and swore softly. Getting up she went to the hatch and pulled on the lever. The door opened inward, so she had to back up to drag it open. Thesses slipped right past her and out the hatch. Gillian shook her head and nodded to Eliot, who smiled and followed his wife out of the ship. Gillian followed him, slowly going down the ladder so she could watch as Thesses met the Admiral.

"You didn't tell me he was so good looking Gillian," Thesses yelled from the deck of the bay.

Ezra was turning all different shades of red as Thesses took his arm and pushed him toward the exit. Commander Beckett was waiting for Gillian.

"Report," Phinn told her.

"Seeker fired two torpedoes, both hit their target, both left an anomaly of some type where the ships were. Both anomalies are traveling at the last known speed of the ship. Which means... "

"Which means they will intersect the path of Progenitor unless we speed it up, slow it down or move it up or down."

"Yes, sir."

"Beckett to bridge."

"Bridge aye."

"Message all ships, do not fire the new torpedoes until further notice."

"Aye, aye, Sir."

"Now, we're going to a little party," Commander Beckett said. "The Admiral told me to tell you 'Good Job'."

Gillian just groaned.

Chapter 138

The party didn't last long even though Gillian's mind screamed "get out" the whole time. She made it to the end and even had a good time. The tour of Warrior, long and boring for her, was over. Thesses seemed to love the whole thing, yet Gillian could see the dread in her eyes as they all suffered. Three very tired people climbed back into Caster in the shuttle bay. Gillian flopped down into her chair and sat for a minute. Thesses and Eliot were in the chairs in her bedroom. Scrubbing her face in her hands, she turned to the console.

"Cass, back to Progenitor please."

"Yes, Ma'am. Are Thesses and Eliot staying the night? It might be a long walk back to their quarters."

Gillian hesitated, turned and looked back to the bedroom. Thesses waved a smile on her face, but Gillian could see the fatigue in her eyes.

"What ships are in the shuttle bay?"

"There are two large transport, twenty shuttlecraft, fifty fighters and four of our shuttlecraft. And what I assume would be the Captain's Gig."

"Captain's Gig?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Does it have a bed?"

"It does."

"Land us near it please."

"Yes, Ma'am. I have the code and have locked out the controls."

"You're a smart girl Cass."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

Caster floated above the deck plates on its way to the Captain's Gig. It was at the back of the bay, in the back corner, nestled under one of the large transporters. As Cass touched down, Gillian unbelted and went to the bedroom. Both Thesses and Eliot looked up at her.