Alert Status
© 2021 by Walter Reimer


Thumbnail art by  rabbi-tom


The Support Department of the Combined Services had received prior notice of the Empire-wide alert, and a swarm of small, very fast courier ships and gigs had fanned out from all bases and stations. The small ships were tasked with gathering personnel on leave and returning them to their assigned ships and units as swiftly as practicable.

Varan had hurriedly bathed and gotten into her uniform, and emerged into the main room to find her family waiting for her.

Vorun embraced her and asked, “Are you feeling well, Varan?” She had a concerned look on her face.

“Yes, Mother,” she replied with a smile. “Although I would really have liked to spend more time here at home – “

“You’re needed,” Kunan said. Dorval and Verit both gestured agreement.

She hugged them all, and hugged her nephews, before heading out to the jumpcar that she’d hired from the port. As the vehicle rose on its artigrav, she waved at her family, and they returned the gesture as the ‘car sped away into the night.

As she signed the jumpcar back in at the rental company, an enlisted rating in Fleet gray working uniform approached her. “Gartabin g’Raf?” she asked.

Varan returned the junior vir’s salute. “I am.”

“A fast courier just outphased,” the petty officer said, “and I have a shuttle waiting for you at Pad Four. Follow me, please,” and she seized Varan’s traveling case and took off at a fast pace. Varan blinked, and set off after her.

She caught up to her in a half-dozen paces and asked, “Any idea what’s going on?”

“Ministry of Information’s released a statement,” the noncom replied. “The Terran Confederacy attacked the Kīa System several cycles ago.” She flicked an ear as Varan’s tail thumped against the floor. “Yes, Ma’am, I felt the same way. We repelled the attack, and the Sovereign issued the alert.”

“Did the Terrans get away?”

That earned her a sidelong glance from the petty officer. “Not for long.”

There were several more personnel aboard the courier; two Support, one Army Intelligence lieutenant, and three Fleet ratings. Varan outranked all of them, and she returned their salutes as she found a seat and the airlock cycled closed. The pilot said, “Strap in please, Captain.”

Varan gestured acknowledgement and secured the seat restraints around her. The other passengers were already belted in, and she found out why as the small craft practically leaped away from the station and accelerated to three gravities before the artigrav had the opportunity to compensate.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing as her heart labored. From the sounds behind and either side of her, the others were all feeling it as well.

The ship barely paused at the inphase point before the starfield flipped inside-out.

Fleet Base FR466 was less than two days away from Chadan, by ordinary transport; the courier would make the run in less than ten cycles. Few of the passengers spoke, while Varan wasn’t in the mood for conversation.

The Confed’s presumption left her seething. That they would dare to attack the Home System, and actually think they could get away with it . . .

She had been looking forward to taking command of the Bōank.

Now? She was eager.


***


Subcaptain th’Ner was waiting for her as she disembarked. “Gartabin.”

“Tabin, greetings,” and the two set off toward the waiting cruiser at a quick walk. “I was told about the attack. Do we know any more?”

“Yes,” the older kam replied. “The Terrans attacked with one hundred ships, and were met off Kirnakir with twice that number. A detachment of enemy ships attacked the dockyards and base at Tlath. Sixty-one ships retreated.”

“That’s who we’re after, then.”

“Frelen k’Jan hasn’t briefed the division yet,” he pointed out. “She’s waiting for everyone – “

“Including me, understood.” The two rounded a corner in the corridor and Varan paused at the sight that greeted her.

They had stepped into one of the station’s docking areas, and the huge panes of transparisteel overhead framed a ship far larger than her former brief command. The Bōank looked like its namesake, the head of a vast spear. “Wau,” she breathed.

“Aka?” th’Ner asked.

“Just an expression I’ve heard in Terran space,” she said hastily with an apologetic smile. “Let’s get aboard.”

There was no reason to tell him now about her relationship with Meredith. It could wait.

The rest of her officers were in the ship’s conference room when she and th’Ner arrived, and she took a seat after greeting each of them. “Captain,” th’Ner said, “we had orders to undock as soon as you were aboard, and – “ he glanced at the screen set into the tabletop “ – the Admiral will be speaking to us within a half-cycle.”

“Thank you, Subcaptain,” Varan said. “Please have the Pilot get us clear of the station and awaiting orders. I’ll conduct an inspection after we’ve all heard what Admiral k’Jan has to say.” Th’Ner relayed her orders using the intercom, and Varan could feel a slight vibration under her metal-soled boots.

Her ship (Her ship!) was underway.

The vir in charge of Engineering had sensed the vibration as well, and gave Varan a pleased smile.

Everyone sat up straight, ears perked attentively, as the holographic image of Admiral k’Jan appeared. “Zogat, everyone,” the vir said.

“At sixth cycle today a one hundred-ship force of the Terran Confederacy emerged from hyperspace at Kīa System and were engaged by forces under command of Admiral n’Lanya,” k’Jan said, using the Imperial Heir’s military title. “The main attack was a diversion for a smaller force to attack the main base at Tlath. Forces waiting for them there drove them off, with thirty-six Terran ships destroyed and three surrendered. Sixty-one ships have begun their retreat to Terran space.”

Her features hardened. “The Sovereign declared this Emergency Alert, with the intention of preventing nothing but debris returning to the Confederacy.” A star map appeared beside her. “The 119th Division is being assigned to the Eleventh Fleet, to rendezvous here,” and she pointed, “in order to begin searching for the enemy. Everyone wants to be the first to intercept and engage them, but once this is done, our task will not be done.”

“The High Admiral and the Fleet Commander have given us our orders. The Sovereign is determined to stop this now, once and for all, and it will be up to us and our fellows in the Army and Support Departments to fulfill his desire.”

“Let the enemy fear our claws.”