the process has some hope of unifying us.
“Beyond that, two items of significance come immediately to my mind. The first is that our energy production is, in most cases, carbon based. We’re drilling all over the planet to bring petrochemicals to the surface where we convert them to energy to power our cities, factories, and transportation systems. In the process, we’re not only polluting the planet, we’re fighting over the resources. The Empire has moved beyond this technology, and Earth needs that technology.
“Second, if you have the means to somehow neutralize nuclear weapons, we might just survive whatever conflicts arise while we adjust to the knowledge that we are not alone. Can you do that?”
“I don’t know. Chandrajuski might. The Rebels used a nuclear weapon at the Palace to instigate the coup. It was a weapon that did not destroy buildings, but the radiation killed everyone.”
Trexler nodded. “We have similar weapons. I’ll discuss it with him.”
“Do we have time to settle our differences with the Rebels before we address the problems on Earth? My resources are quite limited at the moment.”
He stared at her for a time as he considered. “Probably not. From what Mike tells me, you’re not going to defeat the Rebels without defeating the Chessori, and if my forces from Earth are successful, the Chessori, and maybe the Rebels, are going to focus on Earth as soon as they figure out what’s going on.”
She nodded, frowning. “The Chessori appear to be another empire in and of themselves. We have no idea whether their resources are limited or massive, nor do we have the means to take this war to them. Not yet.”
He stood up to pace. “Can you isolate the Chessori that are already here, keep them from being reinforced?”
She shook her head. “No. Space travel doesn’t work that way.”
“Then you have to isolate the Rebels, defeat them in spite of their Chessori partners. Without local assistance, the Chessori would have no bases.”
“We’re working on a plan to do just that. Defeating the Rebels militarily means all-out civil war, and I won’t allow that. I plan to defeat them politically.”
Trexler’s eyebrows raised. “How?”
She grimaced. “I’m not certain. We’re working on a plan. It will, most likely, require me to address the Imperial Senate in person. It so happens that the Imperial Senate convenes on my home world, a world that is now Rebel headquarters.”
Trexler blinked, several times. “And you’re going to speak there? How? Is it possible?”
She stood up to face him. “I don’t know. The very thought terrifies me, but I will do whatever is necessary to prevent civil war. Train your men well, Ray. I’m going to need their help.”
Chandrajuski assigned Admiral M’Coda, a Schect and the best tactician he knew, to mentor Trexler through his training. In addition to mentoring Trexler, M’Coda constantly evaluated the other candidates from Earth for command positions. He and Trexler would select the individuals who were best qualified to command squadrons, and a select few would go on to further training as fleet commanders responsible for multiple squadrons. Fleet tactics were still under development, and these few individuals would become part of that development.
Chandrajuski, Jeffers, and M’Coda met with Admiral Trexler and two of his senior staff to determine the minimum battle staffing of Terrans for each ship, assuming the scree disabled all regular ship’s personnel. A typical squadron consisted of fourteen ships: a cruiser, one frigate, and twelve fighters. Heavy squadrons included a second frigate, and light squadrons had no frigates at all and only six fighters. Cruisers alone normally sailed with a staff of some 1,500 officers and sailors, and another 500 were needed to staff the rest of the ships, more when the squadron was augmented with the second frigate.
A cruiser mounted over a hundred weapons, all controlled by twelve batteries of multiple weapons through the net. Each weapon needed a gunner. Additionally, the bridge required an absolute minimum of three officers, one in command of the squadron, another commanding the ship and monitoring damage control, and the other flying the ship. Repairs by Terrans during battle would be limited, falling to the ship’s normal complement subsequent to the battle or during a respite if one occurred. A cruiser needed 30 of Trexler’s men all by itself just to permit a minimal level of offensive capability. The Operations Center, at least initially, would not be manned by Terrans. There just weren’t enough Terrans to go around. The Terran squadron commander would lead from the bridge of the cruiser.
The smaller ships each needed a captain, a pilot, and a gunner for each gun. Total minimum staffing for these ships came to 60.
Ninety men for each squadron meant they could only field eleven squadrons, not nearly enough. Discussion became heated, but Chandrajuski made the final decision. Each squadron would receive one-half of the necessary complement of Terrans. They would just have to make it work. Aboard cruisers and frigates, one Terran would have to operate a battery all by himself. They would be going up against Empire ships, but those ships, too, would likely be operating with reduced staffing. As soon as the Chessori activated their scree, only the Chessori would be available to fly and fight the ship.
No one was certain how many Chessori were aboard Rebel ships, nor did anyone know their levels of expertise, but it seemed reasonable to count on a significant reduction in capability. After all, the Chessori’s primary weapon was the scree. They would anticipate easy pickings from any attackers.
Trexler knew and understood the odds. He also knew that the Chessori’s best defense would be to keep the Rebel ships fully functional by not using the scree. If the Chessori had that level of discipline, his men and women would face a fully operational opponent and would not stand a chance. They would have no option but to back out of the net and let the Empire crews duke it out. If the scree was used, the odds were very much improved and his men had a chance.
He would have liked to think that everything depended on the skill levels of his men and women, but in reality everything hinged on the abilities and discipline of the Chessori. In his favor, his crews were all warriors, and they were, in effect, defending their home. They would be effective if given the slightest chance.
Chandrajuski fielded 22 squadrons consisting of some 270 ships. Still not nearly enough, but it would have to do. Initially, their only purpose was to rid the Empire of ships taken over by the Chessori. It soon became apparent, however, that other demands would be made on these squadrons. One minimally trained squadron was dispatched to Brodor at Mike’s request. Three more squadrons would be used for picket duty at Parsons’ World, and one squadron would be assigned to travel with the Queen. Engineers were converting as many ships as they could into fast ships, but it was a slow, tedious process. Clearly, if Struthers discovered that Parsons’ World was Ellie’s headquarters, he would attack in overwhelming numbers. They had to keep a reserve of ships there.
Trexler was now wishing he’d brought two or three thousand more sailors with him. It was an unreasonable wish, but he wished for it anyway. After much soul searching, he dispatched an officer back to Earth with a request for more help: any combination of pilots and gunners for the fleet and more special operations ground troops for Waverly. The new troops would be months away, but it was his responsibility as commander to ensure a steady stream of reinforcements and replacements.
K rys
Chapter Ten
“No Chessori,” Stven muttered to himself as Rappor’s screens filled. The great, purple dragon felt a puff of noxious gas coming on, but he swallowed it. His pilot, M’Sada, simply could not suffer the pain it caused him. “That’s a bit unusual.”
“Thanks for swallowing, Captain. It’s not the normal pattern, I agree.” M’Sada’s two upper hands, almost never still, finished preening his whiskers and moved on to his two long antennae. His remaining eight short legs jerked from time to time as his conscious mind, mostly disconnected from his body, roamed the net. “I’ll keep an eye out, though. They seem to find us no matter where we go.”
Sangia IV lay three weeks ahead. It would be their twelfth stop on this remarkable, clandestine voyage, a
