Lens of Time (15 page)

“According to my scans, there’s no radiation from the reactor’s destruction. Nothing remains!”

“This kinda brings tears to a military man’s eyes.”

“It brings tears to a mother’s eyes at the danger it represents.”

“I guess I can see that.”

They were silent for a moment and RV suddenly said, “Are you crying?”

“I am.” RV stared at her and she said, “I’m due in six months.”

RV couldn’t move. She got up and sat in his lap. She put her arms around his neck and waited for him to get his bearings. This changed a lot of things for RV.

• • •

“Dot, you look troubled.”

“George, you’ve given our allies just enough of our technology to get them killed in a real battle.”

“Dolly, we’ve learned that today’s ally may be your future enemy. There is some technology that we just can’t trust giving to anyone that could use it against us. Their ships are hundreds of times more powerful than before and they can hold their own against most of the Majors.”

“What about the other sector?”

“What about it?”

“How many advanced civilizations reside there?”

George stared at her and leaned back in his chair and looked at his display. He made several entries and stared at the screen.

“I’ve already done that inquiry. You don’t know?”

George looked at her and said, “No, I guess we don’t.”

“Why don’t you ask that white civilization or the Nexu how many are in their sector?”

George stared at Dolly and then said, “There’s some history involved in these decisions that you’ve missed.”

“George, stop patronizing me. I’ve been through all the data storage and know more than most of the ones carrying out these decisions. You haven’t done the right thing because you’re afraid of taking a risk. Do you sit there and think that we’ll have time to build our forces if we can just weaken the Majors when they combine against us? Do you thing that other sector won’t be watching what’s going on and recognize just how big a threat our civilization is to them if they don’t do something about it quickly? They will make it a priority to find our home and destroy it. You’re just not seeing the big picture and we had better wake up soon or we’re all dead.” Dolly grabbed her bag and stormed out of the office.

George sighed and knew he just couldn’t release the new technology on the universe. He stayed in the office until Meisa came and made him go home.

Chapter Eleven

“T
he Communication Board has requested you share the scans of the battle about to take place in the other sector.”

“Do we have to honor that request?”

“If we want to make sure there are future generations of Ramst, we’ll do it. That Board speaks for every civilization and it wouldn’t be good to get on their bad side. They have the ear of every civilization in the sector.”

“I was just hoping we would be able to acquire new technology by scanning those ships being used by the Minors. I didn’t want to share the information if we discovered anything we could use.”

“You’re reading the mind of every civilization in the sector. We all make sure no one gets an advantage that would decrease anyone’s chances of survival.”

“But we’re the ones with the best scanning systems. Why should we be forced to share what we find?”

“Because we don’t want them to combine against us and then come and take it from us by force.”

The Scanner scowled, showing his frustration, “I’ll send the video to the board and they can distribute it.”

“No, you’ll broadcast the scan where everyone can get it.”

“Are they that frightened?”

“Their request was made quite forcefully. It seems everyone has seen what one of those ships did to a small combined fleet. The main civilizations are nervous about it.”

“What are they going to do?”

The Commander sighed, “I’m not certain who scares them more; the Majors or those rebelling Minors. No one can agree on what action to take, which is business as usual, but some of them are posturing to possibly assist the other sector against the Minors.”

“That could never happen. The resulting attacks on the weakened civilizations would go on for hundreds of cycles.”

“That’s where most are putting their credits. However, there’s a lot of tension in the strongest civilizations. They’re worried.”

“Should we be as well?”

“If the equilibrium is upset, no one will be safe.”

“I’ll move the scanners.”

“That would be good.”

• • •

“This is not good for our friends.”

“If the two sectors combine against them, they have no hope of survival. They probably won’t survive the combined fleets of the Majors.”

“We need to think about this.”

“What do you mean?”

“What happens if our new ships are revealed?”

The Second was silent.

“If they are this frightened by the ships in the hands of the Minors to the point where they join the Majors, they will waste no time coming against us.”

“What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

“Should we continue building them?”

“By all means; our friends will lose to the combined fleets but we will be left with the strongest fleet in the sector. We’ll just have to wait and see how it all plays out.”

“We owe them.”

“I’m aware of that! But we also owe our people survival.”

The Second stared at the First and turned to leave. Before he left the room he turned, “What good is survival if it costs you your soul?” He closed the door behind him.

• • •

“Kenny, you and Bob know your assignments?”

“We do, RV. One of us will attack from the left side of the Major formation with the Hive forces and the other will attack from the other side with the Horde. I’ll let you know which one we’re fighting with as soon as they decide which side they are going to attack.”

“Try to protect them as much as possible. They don’t have the ultrabeams or penetrators. See what you can do to minimize their losses.”

Kenny stared at RV and said, “Why have we withheld our higher technology from them?”

“Do I really have to answer that question?”

“I’m afraid you do. I’ve watched them sacrifice themselves to save our ships during the last battle. Do we still not trust them?”

“We’re taking the long view, Kenny. You know how things can change quickly. They have a million year history of being predatory. That’s hard to forget.”

“I’ve looked at the forces we’ll be facing and we may be taking a view that’s not nearly as long as we’re going to be given; this just feels wrong, RV.”

RV sighed, “This is not the military’s decision. We have to trust our leaders.”

Kenny stared at RV and said, “I’ve never seen you deliberately try to mislead me until this moment. Everyone knows who the real decision maker is when it comes to military decisions. Please don’t do it again.” Kenny disappeared from RV’s display.

Cyanna kept her attention on her console. She could feel RV looking at her but she couldn’t look at him. She agreed with Kenny. She took a deep breath and began checking on the position of the fleets.

RV stared at her and couldn’t tell her that if the fleet was going to be destroyed, he had to make sure the Horde and Hive were destroyed as well. He just couldn’t allow them to survive with the technology that would allow them to attack the human’s new home galaxy. He just couldn’t take that risk with his unborn child.

• • •

Cyanna said, “The Majors are forming up the fleet and it appears they will be ready to start the attack within twelve hours.”

RV pushed the general frequency, “Twelve hours until the engagement starts. Make sure your crews are ready and maintain your formations. We will go to general quarters as soon as we determine their time of departure.” RV pressed his panel and said, “Twelve hours until they jump in. Are your fleets ready?”

The Hive Controller looked at his panel, “They are assembling with your ships as we speak. The Horde fleets are also forming up. We’ll jump with your ships.”

“Hit them hard and take out as many as possible in the early contact.” RV said over the ship’s intercom, “The Havana will remain at station and direct the fleet’s movements. Attack craft and Needles will hold station around the ship to defend us against any attackers.”

Cyanna turned and looked at RV, “Why aren’t we going in with the fleet?”

“The scope is too large and I need a good view of what’s happening.”

Cyanna stared at RV and he said, “Notify the ships to only use the standard penetrators.”

She turned back to her console and felt her heart sink. RV saw her emotion but knew she would just have to understand. He looked at his display and saw the fleets were ready. He took a deep breath and waited.

Kenny and Bob watched the Havana hang back from the ranks of the 1
^st
fleet. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, Bob. Something is going on with RV. This isn’t like him.”

“I can understand him not taking the Flag Ship into action.”

“When has that ever slowed him down before? Something is just not right.”

“Well, we can’t worry about this right now. We need to focus on what we need to do.”

Kenny nodded and took a deep breath. He changed his display to his sub-fleets and checked on their ranks. “What’s going on, RV?”

• • •

Forty million ships jumped in and began moving in on the three lines of white ships. The Major formation was wider than the three lines facing them and the top and bottom of the Major formation moved ahead of the center. RV said over the general frequency, “They’re intending to move over the formation and prevent any escape. You may start firing as soon as they move into range. Try to take out the top and bottom of the formation. The other fleets will jump in when they arrive fifty miles from our lines. Hit them hard.”

The three lines of white ships waited and started firing energy pulses and ultrabeams at the advancing Major formation. The Majors returned fire and ships began to die in the three lines. Most of them were ships crewed by the Horde and Hive.

• • •

The Major Civilizations were all watching the developing battle and they saw that if things continued, the Minors would be defeated. The Civilizations in the other sector also watched the battle and saw the same result. It was going to take time but the Majors should prevail. Very few of the Majors had bet on the outcome of the battle. After the last confrontation, no one felt comfortable taking either side.

• • •

More than five million Major ships had been hit and damaged where they could no longer continue the fight. The White ships had lost half a million ships and the front of their lines looked like a huge beam lancing out at the advancing Major formation. The Major fleet moved in to fifty miles from the defenders and then RV shouted, “Release the small craft and hit them!”

Three million ships jumped in on each flank of the huge Major formation and launched their small craft. Each ship had 750 attack craft and Needles and the two fleets had twice as many ships as the Majors had in their formation. The entire Major fleet looked like it exploded. The three lines in front moved forward and added their small craft to the attack. Major ships were hit with penetrators and beams at an unbelievable rate. Three quarters of the Major ships were destroyed in less than eight minutes and the others were going fast.

• • •

Cyanna said, “Six Major ships have jumped in and are lining up to attack.”

“Jump us away Admiral.”

Cyanna yelled, “We can take them.”

RV said loudly, “I said jump away!”

Cyanna sent the order and the Havana and her small craft jumped away from the six incoming ships. Cyanna wondered what was going on. Those ships stood no chance against their small craft. She kept her eyes on her display and felt something was terribly wrong. She didn’t look at RV and kept her attention on her console.

• • •

The Major Fleet Commander saw his ships were being destroyed and there were only six million still able to fly. “Jump out, jump out. All ships jump away.”

The surviving Major ships disappeared and left a huge area of blasted and burning ships. The destruction was incredible. More than two million white ships had been destroyed by the advanced ships in the Major fleet and three million small craft were also killed during the short furious battle.

RV said, “All ships launch to assist any survivors. Any ships that need assistance contact your fleet control and notify them.”

The Hive Controller and Horde Leader appeared on RV’s display. The Hive Controller said, “This was a costly victory even with the numbers we destroyed.”

The Horde Leader said, “We knew it would be. I’m thankful we used all our ships or we would have lost all the ships in the center lines.”

RV said, “We need to assist the survivors now but we’ll meet and decide our next course of action in a week. If you would give me a ship count, that would help in making our future plans. Congratulations on our victory.”

The two disappeared from RV’s display and Cyanna made a fast scan of the battle scene. The Horde and Hive had lost the vast majority of ships in the battle. The Union’s losses were nowhere near as severe. She reported her findings to RV and he had a little smile. Cyanna was shocked. He planned for it to happen just that way. He was not the man she had married. Something had changed him.

• • •

Dolly turned off the feed of the battle and Jeff could see her rage. He didn’t say anything because he knew what she was like when she was this angry. She stood up and stormed off the bridge. Jeff stared at the display and wondered what has her so angry. He wasn’t going to ask her until she calmed down. He looked at the screen again and wondered what she was seeing that he missed. They had won. Hadn’t they?

• • •

The Major Civilizations watched the destruction of their fleet and felt equal part anger and fear. All of them knew that if those Minors were given time to increase their number of ships they were all in danger. The discussions began and the momentum was building to combine against the rebelling Minors.