Solbidyum Wars Saga 5: Desolation (22 page)

“I don’t believe I know Wang,” I said. “Is Slater any good?  I mean I know he would have had some training as a Marine back on Earth, but I’ve never seen him work out.”

“He has a different style from what you use, and his movements are stiffer and more controlled.  Yours seem to flow where his … well, I’m not sure how to describe them.  They are more aggressive in that he attacks where you seem to wait for an attack and then act.  Padaran has managed to take the three methods and blend them together into a style all his own.”

“Three methods?  I take it than that Wang’s style also is different?”  I asked.

Kerabac grinned.  “Wang’s movements are comical to see but deadly to ignore.  He calls it
Zuì hóu
, Rose says it means
drunk munchee
or something like that.”

“Drunk monkey,” I said helping his pronunciation, “I’ve heard of it but never seen it.”

“When he does it, Tibby, I swear I laugh so hard I can’t breathe.”

“So tell me, how is Padaran working out as head of security?  I would imagine that some of the older men, which is just about all of them, wouldn’t like having someone as young as he is telling them what to do.”

“The first day he was in command, there were some that didn’t put forth much effort at his orders and seemed disgruntled about him being put in command.  Padaran made a challenge of it; he told them if they didn’t like it, they were welcome to challenge him in hand-to-hand combat, and if they beat him, the job was theirs.  He had four challenges the first week and defeated his challengers easily.  After that there were no more challenges.  Padaran works them hard, but he is right there in the middle with them doing exactly what he is telling them to do.  His team respects that, because they know he is not demanding of them something he can’t or won’t do.  I think they would follow him into a sun if he asked them to.”

“I can’t get over how much muscle he has gained and… well, just look at him.  Do you remember how skinny he was when we went to Goo’Waddle?” I said, “I almost didn’t take him because he looked so thin and pathetic.”

“Yeah,” Kerabac said, “and he was the one who ended up saving us all.”

“I know,” I said as I gazed at Padaran as he laughed and joked with Jenira.  “And Jenira, when you think about how small and petite and seemingly helpless she was when we found her in that brothel being forced into child prostitution.  I never in a million lifetimes would have imagined that she would turn out to be the beautiful and strong warrior that she is.  I tell you, Kerabac, it’s not good to judge a person too quickly or based solely on their appearance or first impression.”

As I looked about the dining hall, I noticed a table with an empty chair.  “Who’s missing?”  I asked.

Kerabac looked and replied, “I’m not sure.  Piesew would know.”

Piesew, as majordomo was of course responsible for the event and was scurrying about making sure everyone was being properly served.  I saw him across the room and signaled to him.  A moment later, he was by my side at the table.  “First Citizen, may I be of some service?” he asked in his formal manner.

“Yes, Piesew.  That empty chair over there.  Who is missing?”

“Ah, that would be Regata.”  He was most excited and pleased when he heard you had been found.  However, I have not seen him since we arrived in orbit around Desolation.  Is there anything else, First Citizen?”

“No, that is all, Piesew, and may I say I am most pleased to be back and see you again.”

“You are most kind sir,” he replied as he backed away.

“Kerabac, can you have someone check and see where Regata is?”

“Certainly, Tibby,” he responded and then he used his wrist com to contact the bridge and ask them to check the computer as to Regata’s whereabouts.  A moment later, the reply came back that Regata was in one of the observation ports on the sun sides of the ship, and that he appeared to be meditating.

“Hmm, I will have to seek him out when we finish here.”  I said.

A’Lappe and Cantolla were sitting at the table with us.  Cantolla was chatting with Kala about the twins and our events on Desolation, while A’Lappe pushed his food around his plate and fidgeted nervously.  “A’Lappe,” I said, and immediately he was alert and focused on me with an eagerness that let me know he was dying to tell me something.  “What new things have you been up to that you have to report?”

“Tibby,” he began excitedly just as the servers were removing our salad plates and placing the entrée before us, “You are going to be so amazed at what we have discovered and accomplished.”

“I get the feeling by your actions that your trip was a success?”  I said smiling.

“Not in the way you think,” he replied.  “I was hoping to find a new source of solbidyum, but I ended up finding something else, something almost as good.  However, we should discuss that privately after the banquet.  What Cantolla and I have to show you, will thrill you immensely.  Do you remember the little demonstration we put on for you in the lab moving an object from one side of the room to another?”

“I certainly do, but you said it had problems concerning its power needs.”  I answered.

“Yes, well, we have sort of resolved some of those issues.”  A’Lappe said as he assumed one of his mysterious poises.

“Does that mean you have it working on a larger scale?”  I asked with anticipation.

“Well enough that at any time you wish you can just walk through a portal here on the ship and into a room outside Admiral Regeny’s office.”  A’Lappe said in a low voice so only those immediately around us could hear.

“WHAT?”  I exclaimed, louder than I wished.  By now, Cantolla had picked up on what A’Lappe was saying, and she sat attentively grinning as well.  “You’re not serious, are you?” I asked, looking at them both.

“Yes, he’s quite serious,” Cantolla said.  “We were supposed to wait until tomorrow to show you, but A’Lappe is so pleased about it, he couldn’t contain himself.”

“So you’re telling me we can go straight from this ship, located anywhere in the universe, directly to a room in the Capitol?”  I stammered.

“Precisely,” A’Lappe said with a grin.

“I don’t believe it!”  I said.

“Well, you better believe it.”  I heard a familiar voice behind me.  I turned to see Rear Admiral Regeny standing there.

“Admiral,” I said jumping to my feet, “how long have you been here?”

“I just arrived a few minutes ago actually, using the method that A’Lappe is telling you about.”  As soon as I got word that you had been rescued, I started taking care of a few details that needed immediate attention and then headed straight here.  I’ll tell you, Tibby, this invention of Cantolla’s and A’Lappe’s is going to save us.”

“Admiral, please take my chair,” Kala said.  “I need to go and check on the twins and see to their needs.  I’m sure Piesew will see that you are served.”

“Ah, First Citizen Kalana, I am sorry for not addressing you sooner.  I was just so pleased to hear that you both were safe that I forgot my manners.  Please forgive me.”

“Oh come now Admiral, we have known each other far too long and too well to go on formalities.  Please, have my seat.  I’m sure I will get to see you later.”

“Very well, and I thank you.  I’ll want to see those twins of yours before I leave.” he said as he turned to watch her leave.

“Well, Admiral,” Regeny said as he turned to me with a mocking tone.  “Seems to me, you’ve been taking it easy far too long, I think it’s about time to put you to work.”

“Just what is the situation, Admiral?”  I asked.  “I was brought straight to the banquet hall from the surface, and I’ve not even been to my quarters.  I’m afraid I am very much out of touch with what has happened in my absence.”

Admiral Regeny’s face took on a serious look as he began.  “Things are not going well I fear.  We’ve lost a number of the outer worlds over the past few years without even knowing about it because the news traveled so slowly.  The Brotherhood was careful in selecting some of the remoter and seldom visited worlds to conquer.  They had already taken over several of our starships in those sectors and were using them to subjugate these worlds.  They enslaved the inhabitants and used the planets to produce their illicit drugs and to set up shipyards to produce their corvettes and patrol ships.  We even understand they have conscripted many of their troops from these outer worlds and control them with drugs and slave collars to ensure their loyalty or service.”

“I’ve been giving it some thought while I was marooned on the planet below, and I have several ideas.  The first is we need more ships, which you already know.  However, we don’t need any more huge starships like the Federation has been using.  We only need ships about one-quarter of that size which will act as mother ship carriers for fighters and troops.  The quarters will be smaller but still comfortable, and there will be ample spaces for recreational facilities.  They won’t be hauling around thousands of civilians, diplomats, and senators either, though there will be some space for a limited number if they serve some function vital to the mission.  We’re going to need a lot more corvettes and frigates.  That’s what the Brotherhood is using to conquer their worlds, and that’s what we need to defeat them; that, and lots of fighters.  We’re also going to need more ground troops from all the worlds to provide planetary defense, and that means new bases with the bulk of the facilities underground where they can’t easily be hit from space by the Brotherhood.  Make them come to the surface to fight, and you have a better chance of beating them off.

“One more thing,” I said turning to A’Lappe, “how big can you make the transport frames and how many of them can we produce quickly?”

“A’Lappe blinked one of his hypnotic blinks and then grinned.  “I thought you would never get around to asking that question.  I think we can make them large enough for any ship we have in the fleet to pass through. All we need to do is get them set up.”

“You have enough power to make one that size work?”  I asked astonished at his answer.

“We do now,” he said quietly with a wink.

“I see,” I said. Obviously, he had found a new source of energy, or he had found a way to make the frames work with less power.  “How soon can we have some of them set up?”

At this point, Admiral Regeny butted in, “We already have started.  It’s all top-secret stuff, but we’ve sent a crew in specially equipped patrol ships out to eight locations along the outer edges of the Federation.   If necessary, we can send ships near any of these portals to any of the other locations in an instant.”

“So I take it A’Lappe and Cantolla have been working with you on this?” I asked the Admiral.

“Yes, once A’Lappe returned and he resolved the power issue with the portals, the two of them contacted me and told me what they had discovered. A’Lappe felt it might help to make up for our shortcoming of ships and men.”  Regeny said.

“Have you actually put a ship through a portal already?”  I asked looking from A’Lappe to the Admiral.

“No, but were about to.”  A’Lappe said.  We have three patrol ships out there now getting into position to act as nodes in the frame.  Once they are exactly positioned, and they have the proper codes to produce the right sympathetic particles, we should be able to pass through it and back in Federation space not too far from Megelleon.”

You have a working frame set up there?”  I asked.

“Yes we were going to test it out when the signal from your emergency beacon was picked up by one of our starships, and the message was relayed to us using the DSC.  Oh, and that’s another thing.  Cantolla and I have figured out a way to have an instant communication system that doesn’t require a person acting as a transfer point.  I’ll tell you about that later.”

“What are you calling the portals, anyway?”  I asked.  “I’m sure you’re not just calling them portals.”

“We’re calling them Cantolla gates,” Regeny answered quickly.  “In honor of Cantolla who discovered them.”  I looked at Cantolla, who was blushing slightly now, but I knew that inside she was bursting with pride, as she longed to be recognized in science for the genius she was, and this would most likely be her crowning achievement and would carry her name through history.”

“Well I really could not have done it without A’Lappe,” she said, which shocked me.  Early on when A’Lappe first made his appearance on the
NEW ORLEANS,
Cantolla wanted nothing to do with A’Lappe and was quite jealous of him and his accomplishments.  At one point, I had to step in and reprimand her for her behavior and refusal to work with him.  However, now it seemed the two worked very well together.  Cantolla wanted recognition for her genius and inventions, whereas A’Lappe wanted none, and in fact he wished to remain unknown as much as possible.  So there was little reason for conflict.  I also suspected that A’Lappe played a far bigger role in the development of the gates than he was letting on, and he had probably fed Cantolla clues making her think she came up with the idea on her own.

“What’s the danger of these gates falling into the hands of the Brotherhood?”  I asked.

“That’s the nice part,” Cantolla began,  “Because the patrol ships that act as corner nodes have the ability to cloak, they can be stationed in a location for very long periods undetected.  The enemy would have to capture all three ships at one end of a gate to be able to figure out how a gate worked, and even then, they most likely would need to capture the three ships at the other end as well for it to make sense to them.  Even if they managed to do that, they would next need to figure out the aspect of the sympathetic particles, and then how to produce them.  My guess it would take them a hundred years to figure it out, even if they had all the pieces of the puzzle,” she said smugly as she sat back with her arms folded.