Derelict 3, Chapter 33.

Chapter 33.

Slater grumbled at the delay as messages were sent to SAC command. Guzman exhorted him to keep his patience, fighting his way through human space to get to Earth would be worse than counterproductive. After twenty-four hours had passed, Slater was ready to go it alone when Guzman finally called in.

“Commodore Slater, I apologize again for the delay. Sadly, the admiralty is reluctant to allow you to continue through our space. Despite my confirmation and the confirmation of the other officers in the system, they choose to dither and debate while our homeworld is at risk. I have been ordered to keep you here in the system until a delegation is assembled to assess your claims,” Guzman said.

“Fools, they want to play politics while Earth itself is threatened. I’m sorry, I cannot accept their terms. The Franklin is proceeding on a least time course to Earth, and I suggest your forces do not try to stop us,” Slater advised, his patience completely gone at this point.

“I agree with your decision, and I have already surrendered my commission in protest. Tell me Slater, do you have need of an old ship’s captain aboard the Franklin, I find myself out of work,” Guzman asked. Slater could see a gleam in the man’s eyes that made Slater think there was still some fight in the old man.

“It would be an honor to fight alongside the son of Julio Guzman. Come aboard, we’ll leave as soon as you are here,” Slater said. It took Guzman about an hour to gather his things and board a shuttle from one of the defense stations to the Franklin.

“Welcome aboard Captain Guzman,” Slater said as the old sailor boarded. An honor guard of his MOBS was there to greet his guest.

“Thank you, Slater, I’m sorry for the delay, it seems my actions have caused quite a stir and I had several fires to put out. It also seems that several of my officers and men were foolish enough to also tender their resignations. Do you perhaps have a need for any additional crew?” Guzman asked.

“The more the merrier,” Slater replied, watching as more SAC sailors and marines left the shuttle, a second shuttle also left the station, bringing another load of personnel. All told, Slater picked up a crew of twenty-eight SAC navy personnel and a reinforced detachment of marines, all would be welcome aboard, but that didn’t prevent Slater from taking his usual precautions.

The false core was rebuilt and placed in his core room, Slater lowering himself into the armored shell of the avatar until he could be sure the new arrivals were not a threat to him. His MOBS were also placed about in strategic locations, ready to repel any internal threat from those aboard. The newcomers seemed in awe of the ship they were on, ready to help in the defense of Earth and willing to throw away their careers to do so.

Slater wasted no time, as soon as the last human was aboard, they burned hard for the jump point leading deeper into SAC space and eventually to Earth. The remaining gunboats didn’t bother them, instead, the captains of each sent a message wishing them success. Pixi took over to guide the crew to their quarters on deck three. The facilities there could handle ten times their number, the space still feeling too open even with some MOBS wandering around as a security patrol. The humans were a bit freaked out by his creations, not sure what to think of them, or the Chixturax kids.

“Commodore Slater, my crew is getting settled in, what can we do to help?” Captain Guzman asked.

“I’d like to have you help me with the ship. By having you aboard, it frees more of my focus up for other things. I’ve installed simulators on the bridge so your crew can learn our systems. I don’t think they’ll have any problem picking things up quickly. For your marines, I’d like to get samples of their gear to see I can improve my own, and then they should get a good feel for the ship they will be defending,” Slater said.

“I will make it happen, Commodore,” Guzman replied, pulling up his tablet to assign the available crew to different tasks and training.

“Please, Captain Guzman, just call me Slater. Your father and I were friends and I hope we can be a bit more informal on this voyage,” Slater replied.

“There is one person, in particular, I would like you to meet, Slater. The commander of our marines,” Guzman said. Slater had been too preoccupied to go into introductions with each of the new crew, but he supposed he might need to at least have a good relationship with the officers. A middle-aged man walked up and stood next to Guzman. Slater almost ordered his MOBS to attack when he saw the man, he looked eerily similar to the traitor Diaz.

“I’m Commodore Slater, nice to meet you Major,” Slater said flatly, noticing the man’s rank and that his name tape also read Diaz.

“This is the grandson of Commander Diaz, who briefly served under you. He is a well-respected officer and friend of my family. When I was assigned to the station, I requested he be transferred here to command my marine detachment,” Guzman said. The man had a look of concern on his face, obviously worried about Slater’s reaction.

Guzman had mentioned not reporting Diaz’s treachery in his reports, wanting to protect his family, but Slater had no idea a relative was actually stationed aboard the station. Anger warred with logic inside Slater’s mind. This man was not his father and should be judged on his own merits which, given Guzman’s recommendation, seemed to be honorable. He would keep his guard up, though, and this Diaz proved to be cut of the same cloth as his father, Slater would have no qualms in ordering his MOBS to gun the man down.

“Thank you, Slater, should I place your existing crew into the training roster?” Guzman asked, indicating the Chixturax kids.

“Yes, they’re here to learn how we do things, so that will work out perfectly. They’re still what we would consider teenagers, so take that in mind when you interact,” Slater replied. He didn’t want the kids to be treated differently, but he also didn’t think they needed the whole boot camp experience at this point. They had come a long way in their training and having a fully trained human crew to work with would only further their education.

“Jump is commencing,” the officer at the helm announced as they moved into the next system. Their path took them through four SAC systems before reaching Earth.

“We’re through, sensors coming online. Wow, these sensors are much better than we had on the station,” the human on sensors announced, impressed at what Slater had done with his systems. Slater was happy to have a crew aboard again, he felt complete, but he was also reluctant to get too close. Other than Guzman, he hadn’t spent any time conversing with the others yet.

The comments from several of the crew about the advanced state of his ship’s systems gave Slater hope that he hadn’t somehow fallen way behind the rest of humanity in his tech development. True to what he had learned on Sarton Station, humanity had stagnated during the time he had been away. The one area in that humanity had surpassed him was drone development. Before they left, Guzman had provided Slater with one of the drones at the defense station. Breaking it down, Slater was able to research solid improvements in his designs.

Efficiencies in the power plants enabled him to improve range by twenty percent while also improving the carrying capacity of the craft. Additional armor was added, improving the drone survivability and the structural reinforcements allowed him to mount even more missiles on each craft, the count going up to six from the two the old design carried. The missiles themselves also saw improvements in range and firepower. The AI interfaces for his drones were streamlined, improving overall performance. Slater was currently focusing his research on further AI upgrades to his drones, wanting them to be vastly superior to the ones the Gargonth used.

“We’re being hailed from the defense fleet,” comms announced. Slater sent Guzman a private message telling him to respond to the hails. It might work out better for them to see someone familiar. They were going against what the SAC leadership wanted, and he couldn’t afford a shooting war with a human nation at this time.

“USS Franklin, you are violating SAC space, please state your intentions,” the nervous-sounding officer aboard the defense station that covered the jump point said. This system was lightly patrolled, and Slater’s course through SAC space would only place him in a heavily inhabited system on the last jump before reaching Earth.

“This is Captain Guzman, recently retired from the SAC navy. We are proceeding through SAC space to engage the Gargonth threatening our home planet. You should be joining us to do the same,” Guzman said.

“You have no permission, heave to, power down your weapons, and prepare to be boarded,” the nervous man said. Slater’s sensors could tell the station was armed with an array of modest-sized railguns and point defense weapons. The armor and shields they had wouldn’t stand up to his main battery of eighteen-inch guns.

“What is your name lieutenant,” Guzman asked in a fatherly voice.

“I am Lieutenant Castro, sir,” the young man said, reflexively addressing Guzman as sir, despite his somewhat dubious status among the SAC navy. Slater didn’t think that the SAC would allow navy personnel and marines to just quit when they wanted to, for all he knew, the crew aboard the Franklinwere all listed as deserters.

“Son, you are following your orders, but I know you realize that Earth is threatened. Even if you could stop us, which you cannot, would you want to see our home planet destroyed by a monster?” Guzman asked.

“I have my duty,” the young officer said.

“Sir, drones are launching from the station, their weapons are targeting us,” sensors announced.

“Castro, look at the ship in front of you, our main battery consists of eighteen-inch railguns. A single shot would destroy your entire station. I know you have a duty to perform, but you are not required to be suicidal. If you face a foe you cannot resist, you have the option to surrender. You have a responsibility to the men and women under your command, don’t throw their lives away on a futile gesture,” Guzman said.

There were several tense moments where Slater waited for the nervous officer to fire. The weapons that the station could employ wouldn’t cause him any harm, and Slater decided he would not fire on this station even if they engaged him. His ship would be out of range long before they could burn through his shields. If the drones followed, they would be swatted down, which, at least, didn’t involve any loss of life.

“Captain Guzman, it appears we have a fire control situation here on the station. We’ll have to try and stop the Franklin on another day, sir,” Lieutenant Castro announced. Slater could hear the relieved sighs from his crew.

“We’ll have to schedule our battle for another time, you’ve done the right thing, son,” Guzman said.

“Thank you, sir, Godspeed, and good hunting Franklin,” Castro said, saluting Captain Guzman, who returned his salute before cutting off the comm channel.

“Let’s hope the rest of our encounters with my navy are as bloodless as this one is,” Guzman said. They made their way through the system, the SAC forces ignoring them for the most part. The next jump could be a problem if the fleet there was warned. According to Guzman, the next system had a small colony world and several fleet installations, including a repair yard.

The jump went smoothly, the work that Slater had put into his jump drive system enabled him to jump with less delay, but it would still require some time for the drive to recharge, preventing an immediate jump back if he faced too big a threat. Slater watched as the sensors went to work, slowly revealing what this system contained. A small defense station guarded the jump point and one of the worlds was just on the fringe of being habitable. It would be a cold life for those choosing to live there, but it was doable.

Orbiting the habitable planet was a large dockyard, where several ships were in various states of repair. According to Guzman, the ongoing fight with the Russians had forced the SAC to take some older vessels out of mothball. The last of those were currently in this system, getting ready to be pushed back into the fight, despite their age. In addition to the mothball fleet, several damaged ships were being worked on. The war with Russia had primarily consisted of border skirmishes, the major fleets of each nation not willing to risk everything just yet on a major engagement. Even skirmishes caused casualties and it grieved Slater to see that humanity was fighting among itself when another threat was out there.

“Slater, we may have a problem here, it looks like our arrival was anticipated,” Guzman advised. A small flotilla was pulling out of the dockyard, escorted by a half dozen gunboats. The ships on the intercept course consisted of a battlecruiser, two light cruisers, and three destroyers. With the gunboat support, it was a lot of firepower, even if his sensor readings showed that all the vessels were damaged or still in the process of begin reactivated from mothball. It didn’t take long for a call to come in.

“This is Captain Rios of the Gomez Roca; you are violating SAC space. You will power down your drives and weapons. Heave to and proceed to the designated station where you will wait until we can bring officials onboard to determine your true status,” the SAC captain ordered.

“Captain Rios, this is Captain Guzman on the Franklin. We only wish to pass through SAC space to reach Earth and engage the Gargonth. Please allow us passage, it helps no one if you try to stop us, and it just might doom our homeworld,” Guzman argued.

“My orders are clear; your ship is to be interred and your crew are to be taken into custody until a trial for desertion can be arranged. You have all neglected your duties and will be held accountable,” Rios said. Slater wasn’t getting a good feeling about this guy; he came across as someone who was much too proud of their position and the authority it gave him.

“Captain Rios, this is Commodore Slater. I have returned to help defend Earth. The Franklin is a neutral vessel and has no part in your foolish war with Russia. In fact, you should be joining us in defending Earth against our true foe,” Slater said.

“No, my orders are clear, if you refuse to comply, we will be forced to engage,” Rios said. Their ships and the nearby defense station launched drones while targeting systems swept the Franklin.

“I think this one means to fight us, Slater,” Guzman said.

“He’s a fool, even though we’re outnumbered, we vastly outclass their entire fleet. I wouldn’t be surprised if half their ships break down before we enter main gun range. We will defend ourselves; can I count on your crew to fire upon their fellow countrymen?” Slater asked. This is where things could get sticky, just days ago these crew were in the same navy.

“I’m sad to say that I cannot, Slater. Will you handle the ship for this fight? We can help with point defense if you’d like. I have no problem fighting the Gargonth, but as misguided as Rios and my government are, they are still my brothers and sisters,” Guzman said.

“Very well, I’ll handle this and try to do everything I can to limit the loss of life. We might be able to get past them without having to fire a shot. If it does become necessary to defend ourselves, we’ll try to disable their drives and weapon systems,” Slater said. He couldn’t get angry at Guzman’s decision; he could hear the conflict in the man’s voice.

Slater launched his drone fleet, which now consisted of one hundred and twelve drones. The SAC ships and installations responded with a similar number, but their attack wasn’t coordinated well. A dozen approached from behind, coming from the defense station back at the jump point. Another twenty of their drones came from the dockyard installations, they were trailing behind those launched from the ships themselves.

Increasing his thrust, Slater set a course that would allow him to almost avoid the enemy fleet entirely. They would have a brief window inside main gun range, but once past, Franklin’s superior drives would allow him to reach the jump point long before the others could catch him. What might await him in the next system, one that was supposedly highly populated, was unknown. There was every possibility that he would find the jump point covered by the most modern and powerful ships of the SAC navy.

“Inbound missiles. We have twenty-six tracking toward us. Make that twenty-five, one just lost its drive,” sensors advised. It looked like the munitions they were using weren’t front-line gear, likely whatever they had left in their magazines or perhaps old stores from the mothballed ships.

The missile AI wasn’t doing anything exciting, just heading straight toward the Franklin, which also meant they were heading right past his drones. An order was sent to the drones and each launched a missile at the incoming barrage. The initial enemy barrage was wiped out, not a single missile made it through. His drones then opened fired on the closest flock of enemy drones, firing three volleys of missiles at them before closing into gun range.

SAC drones launched their missiles soon after and both drone fleets were frantically trying to break missile locks as countermeasures went to work. The small anti-drone missiles began to hit, Slater’s ships registering a much higher hit rate than the others. It looked like the enemy drones weren’t top of the line and their countermeasures did little to deter Slater’s missiles, while his ships were mostly able to survive. Seventy enemy drones were shot down, while slater lost twelve of his own. The smaller group launched from the shipyards were taken down easily, costing Slater only two more of his drones in return.

The last dozen enemy drones tried to make an attack run on the Franklin itself, but his point defense took care of them in seconds. With space clear around him, Slater ordered his drones back the ship, using them to supplement his point defense as the attacking ships continued to cough out anti-ship missiles. Each volley was smaller than the last, and by the time their magazines were dry, Franklin was still untouched. While the missiles didn’t have much of a chance of hitting him, the gun batteries on the enemy ships would be a different story.

After implementing a random evasive pattern to throw off the enemy targeting, Slater estimated the attackers would be in range for thirty seconds. Thirty seconds didn’t seem like that long, but that battlecruiser had twelve-inch railguns that could do some damage if they hit the right spot. As the ships entered range, a flurry of incoming rounds reached toward the Franklin. Slater did his best, but hits started to occur, his shields dropping some with each strike.

His shields held, for the most part, but a pair of the twelve-inch railgun rounds were able to crack through, both hits were deflected by his nanobot-infused hull. Slater could feel a pinch as each struck, but his new ship had held up well under the brief barrage. As the range opened, the SAC ships flipped over and began to burn hard, trying to overcome the inertia of their previous course. Changing directions in space was no easy task, and given their weaker thrust profile, the SAC ships would have no chance of catching him.

“Thank you for not firing on them, my leaders are sometimes fools, but that doesn’t mean the men and women aboard those ships deserve to die for their leader’s foolishness,” Guzman said.

“I agree, we’ll do everything we can to make it home without bloodshed. Given what you said, the next system might not make things so easy on us. The ships stationed there won’t be from the old mothball fleet,” Slater said, watching as the jump point neared. He only needed to make it through the next system and then he would finally reach Earth.