The Star Cross (34 page)

There were
unconfirmed rumors that the last two survivors of the Special Five were working
with the Altons on a rescue mission. No one could verify if this was true or
just a wild hope that something was being done. Many felt, even if the swirling
white light had been a spatial vortex, that Admiral Strong and his fleets had
been transported so far away that there was no conceivable hope of rescue.

Race let out a
deep breath, leaned back, and closed his eyes. So many good people had been
lost at the battle in the galactic center. Everyone who had been there knew
Admiral Strong had saved the Federation by his brave act. All the Federation
fleets would have been destroyed by the AIs, but, instead, by destroying the
AIs’ Hypertranslation Station, Admiral Strong had paralyzed their enemy,
allowing the Federation to be victorious. Every child was now taught that Fleet
Admiral Hedon Streth had saved the Human race from the Hocklyns, but Admiral
Jeremy Strong had saved everyone from the AIs.

-

Admiral Kalen
was busy in his office on his flagship, the battleship
Ceres
, as he read
the latest dispatches from Allied fleets and diplomats scattered across the
former Hocklyn Empire. The most interesting was from Senator Jalen Arden, who
was currently at New Providence in the Old Human Federation of Worlds. As had
been expected, new and thriving colonies were now well established on all the
former Federation worlds, which had been devastated by the Hocklyn and AI
attacks. She was reporting the completion of the final planetary defense grid
over New Eden in the Cantos System and the quota of immigrants from the New
Human Federation of Worlds that would be allowed to settle there. He looked up
when Colonel Ackerman joined him.

“New Providence has come a long way,” commented the colonel, who had transferred to the
Ceres
after the defeat of the Hocklyn Slave Empire. “Many of the fleet personnel who
were in cryosleep for so many years have retired there.”

“Yes,” Kalen
responded with a relaxed smile. “I recently received a message from former
Fleet Admiral Streth with an invitation to come to Maken to visit him and
Janice if I’m ever in the area. I know it meant a lot to them to return home.”

“How does he
like retirement?”

“He loves it,”
Kalen responded with a sigh, wishing he could do the same. “Hedon says he
spends his days fishing and taking long hikes around his private lake. In the
evening, they sit outside on the porch, watching the sunset.”

“How’s Admiral
Sheen doing on Aquaria?”

“She and
Richard are having a child,” Kalen said, grinning. “Amanda always wanted
children, but she wanted the Hocklyn and AI threat to be over with first. In
four more months, a new member will be added to their family.”

“That’s
great!” spoke Ackerman, nodding his head approvingly. “So many things have changed
since the end of the war.”

“There are
still the Borzon and the other two Slaver Races,” replied Kalen in a more
serious tone. “Admiral Tolsen just battled with a small Borzon fleet deep in
former Hocklyn territory. He sent them packing with only minimal losses to his
own fleet.”

“We’ve had a
number of minor skirmishes with them over the last two years,” commented
Ackerman with a frown. “It’s evident they want to expand their empire into
former Hocklyn space.”

“We can’t
defend all of it,” Kalen said with a heavy sigh, as he leaned back in his
office chair. “We just don’t have the ships to cover such a large area. We’ve
set up a safe corridor four thousand light years across that extends from the Alliance all the way to the Hocklyn home worlds. The Old Human Federation of Worlds plus
Careth are included in the safe area.”

“Plus several
thousand inhabited planets, which were formerly Hocklyn slave worlds,” added
Ackerman, thinking about the massive task the Alliance had taken on, bringing
those worlds out of slavery.

“Fortunately
the Altons are heavily involved in rehabilitating the people and reconstructing
these former slave worlds,” Kalen said, recalling what he had been told at his
last briefing with Fleet Admiral Nagumo. “They have hundreds of ships with
thousands of crewmembers working with these planets, and, in a few years, some
of them will be ready to join the Alliance.”

“We’ll need
them,” Ackerman said, folding his arms across his chest and gazing across the
large desk at Admiral Kalen. “Sometime in the future we’ll have to take on the
Borzon and other Slaver Races. We can’t allow tens of thousands of inhabited
worlds to be enslaved and to live in the conditions their conquerors demand.
We’ll need their help in freeing them.”

“Someday,”
Kalen acknowledged with a nod. “But right now I need to visit Ceres for a
meeting with Governor Barnes. It seems a Carethian delegation of Bears has
arrived, and they’re demanding an immediate audience with the governor.”

“The Fourth
Fleet and the Carethian Fleet,” speculated Ackerman, his eyes growing a bit
wider. “They’ll want to know what we’re doing about the missing fleets.”

“I know,”
Kalen replied with some anguish in his voice. “Governor Barnes’s daughter has
been just as demanding.” Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes had been at the galactic
center battle and had witnessed what had happened to the missing fleets.

“Do you think
they survived?”

“That’s the
big question,” Kalen answered, his eyes taking on a haunted look. “I’ve seen
the videos of the battle and what happened. Most of the people in the
Federation have watched them. It was terrifying and magnificent. The
Avenger
flying into certain death, destroying the Hypertranslation Station, and then
vanishing along with part of the Fourth Fleet into the swirling white vortex.
Then Grayseth leading his Carethian ships into the vortex with Admiral Susan
Marks following close behind.”

“And they were
never heard from again,” said Ackerman in a subdued voice.

“There were
hundreds of AI ships drawn into the vortex as well,” Kalen added with a heavy
sigh. “Even if Admiral Strong and the Fourth Fleet did survive, they would have
had a huge battle on their hands on the other side.”

“Do you think
we’ll ever know?” Ackerman asked, his eyes focusing on the admiral.

“I don’t
know,” Kalen replied, as he stood up. “To the Carethians, Admiral Strong and
the rest of the Special Five are heroes who saved their world. Those crazy
Bears are willing to commit their entire fleet to a rescue effort, if we can
just tell them where to go—and, of course, that’s the problem. We have no idea
what happened to the Fourth Fleet or even if it survived.”

-

Governor
Barnes drew in a deep breath, as the door to his office opened, and four
Carethians entered. The four Bears towered over the two Humans in the room, and
their massive bodies gave off an aura of strength and fortitude.

Standing up,
the governor indicated for the four to sit down in the large chairs provided.
“I welcome our allies from Careth.”

“I am
Santell,” spoke the largest Carethian, as he sat down. His fur was a deep dark
brown, and his eyes gazed intently at Governor Barnes and Admiral Kalen. “We
have come to speak of a matter of grave importance to my race and our honor.”

“It’s about
Admiral Strong and Grayseth,” spoke Governor Barnes knowingly, sitting back
down in his chair. He had been governor for two years since former Governor
Malleck had decided to retire and not run for reelection.

“Yes,”
answered Santell, nodding his large head and blinking his eyes. “I am of
Grayseth’s clan, and Admiral Jeremy Strong is an honorary clan brother. For
four long years, he and Grayseth have been missing. Our people yearn to know
the fate of our missing brothers.”

“We all would
like to know,” answered Governor Barnes with a deep sigh. “My own daughter was
at the great battle at the galactic center and scarcely a day passes where she
does not send me an inquiry asking the same thing.”

“We have tried
to ask the Altons, but they refuse to give us an audience,” Santell added. “I
believe our physical form frightens them.”

Governor
Barnes nodded and smiled. “Highly probable,” he replied. “Most of the Altons
are a very pacifist people and are only interested in research, while the more
daring are involved in exploration. Only a few fought in the war, and, even now,
most of their warship crews are augmented by Humans trained to operate their
ships.”

“I believe
only the great science of the Altons can discover what happened to my clan
brothers,” Santell continued. “We would like for you to arrange a meeting
between my people and theirs to see what can be done. We are willing to equip
and send ships to the nearer galaxies in search of the missing fleets. We are
aware such a journey will take years and be extremely dangerous, but we must
know what happened. Our honor demands it.”

“There are
many who believe the ships, which entered the white vortex, were destroyed by
the rampant energy released when the Hypertranslation Station was destroyed,”
Admiral Kalen pointed out. “There may be nothing to find.”

“We recognize
that possibility,” conceded Santell. “But no wreckage from any of the ships
that entered the vortex has ever been discovered. We've taken our pleas to the
New Human Federation of Worlds, but they seem convinced a search for the lost
fleets is a pointless waste of resources.”

“I can
understand their perspective,” Admiral Kalen replied. “The New Human Federation
of Worlds and the Alliance have a huge job on their hands, exploring the former
Hocklyn Slave Empire and keeping all those worlds safe. The Borzon are still
out there, as well as the other Slaver Races.”

“We
understand,” Santell replied with a nod. “We respect their great concern for
those worlds that suffered under the rule of the evil ones.”

Governor
Barnes was silent as he contemplated what needed to be done. There was a secret
project that Ceres was working on with the Altons. It had been kept a secret as
they didn’t want to give out false hope. After a moment, he reached a decision.
“The Special Five have always been very important to the people of Ceres,” he
began, pressing a button on his desk, activating a large viewscreen on the wall
behind him. “As you know, Kelsey Grainger Strong and Katie Johnson Walters were
not with the Fourth Fleet when it entered the vortex. They were aboard the
StarStrike
with Fleet Admiral Streth.”

“We were
relieved to hear they survived,” Santell replied. “We had hoped they would
return to live upon our world.”

“They
couldn’t,” Governor Barnes said, as he manipulated a small computer console on
his desk. “They were working on this.” He turned around and pointed at the
viewscreen behind him.

On the
viewscreen was a massive starship, the largest any of them in the room had ever
seen. A substantial globe on the bow easily identified the ship as being of Alton design.

“What’s that?”
uttered Admiral Kalen, as he looked at the huge ship on the screen. Just from
seeing the obvious weapons systems, he knew he was looking at something special
and fantastic. He was not aware of such a ship being built.

“That is the
exploration dreadnought
Distant Horizon
,” Governor Barnes answered with
a wicked smile. “It’s the most powerful warship ever built by the Altons or the
Federation. The ship is 2,600 meters in length with a crew of over five
thousand. The government of Ceres provided the resources and credits to cover
the expenses for building this ship.”

“How was this
built with no one knowing?” asked Kalen, glancing over at the governor. “What’s
it for?” To build a ship of such size would have been a massive undertaking and
extremely expensive.

“It was built
at the Altons’ main shipyard under the direction of both Human and Alton scientists,” Governor Barnes explained. “It was constructed for one purpose and one
purpose only—to find out what happened to the lost fleets once and for all.”

“How?” asked
Admiral Kalen, confused. “We don’t know where the fleets went.”

“That ship is
capable of finding out,” Governor Barnes answered with a pleased glint in his
eyes. “There will be a large contingent of Alton scientists and technicians
aboard, and some very special sensor equipment. It’s capable of generating a
spatial vortex that can reach another galaxy, once they know their
destination.”

“I would like
to go on the ship,” Santell spoke, his eyes focused intently on the massive
starship. “I will go in search of my clan brothers.”

“I’m sure we
can arrange for a few of your people to be added to the crew,” replied Governor
Barnes. He was not surprised by the Bear’s request.

“This is what
Kelsey and Katie have been working on for the last four years,” stated Admiral
Kalen, realizing now why the two girls had seemingly vanished after the
ceremony honoring the fallen at the Fleet Academy.

“Yes,”
answered Governor Barnes with a nod of his head. “They also had the help of
Clarissa.”

“I’m surprised
the Altons allowed Clarissa to be involved, since she’s an AI,” Admiral Kalen
said, his eyes widening.

“Katie can be
quite convincing when she wants to be,” replied Governor Barnes, recalling how
Katie had convinced Ambassador Tureen to allow the AI to enter Alton space.

“Who will
command the ship?” asked Admiral Kalen, as he thought about the officers who
might be qualified for such a command.

“That
decision’s already been made,” Governor Barnes said with a concerned look
spreading across his face. “The commander of the
Distant Horizon
will be
my daughter, Rear Admiral Kathryn Barnes.”

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