Solbidyum Wars Saga 5: Desolation (47 page)

“Tibby, as Fleet Admiral, I would like for you to conduct the service and give the oratory.  Leader Tonclin will be here personally, but he will not be seen on the vid anyplace that is recognizable as the ship.  We want a special backdrop set up so that, to people of the Federation, it will appear he is still at the Capitol, when he is actually on the
SOKAIA
speaking to the troopers.  It’s his wish to do this, and you don’t say
no
to the leader,” he smiled, “He’ll leave immediately after the ceremony, so he can appear back at the Capitol, and no one will realize he’d ever been gone.  The Senate would like the ceremony to be in two days so it corresponds to the anniversary of the memorial service for the deaths of those who died on the
DUSTEN
five years ago.”  The last caught me off guard, as I had not realized it was an anniversary of that event.

Regeny continued, “It’s important we keep the people focused upon the fact that there is a war going on, and that it is a prolonged war and will be going on for a long time.”

After the meeting, I returned to the
NEW ORLEANS,
told Kala what was going on and then sequestered myself in my study for two days working out a speech.  Finally, dressed in my formal whites, I stood in the damaged hangar bay on the
HAPRIN
, soon to be named the
SOKAIA,
waiting for the signal to begin speaking.  The hangar bay still displayed a lot of damage from the fires and explosions, but all the debris had been cleared out, so all the destruction one saw was bent plates and scorched marks on the bulkheads.  Before me stood five thousand troopers, some from the first fleet and some from the third fleet who had transported over specifically for the service.  They all stood at ease, though so smartly that it looked mechanical and surreal.  I knew at times during my speech the camera would pan out over the troopers and at times would focus on some of them.  To my right and out of the view of the camera focused on me was a second stage, set up with the official Federation logo mounted on a wood panel backdrop; it would give the illusion of being back on Megelleon.  Behind that podium, Leader Tonclin stood ready to give his speech.  On the stage behind me stood the officers who served under me; Admirals Kophious, Stonbersa, and Captains Wanoll and Marranalis.

Behind the troopers stood four lines of drummers; I knew from experience the role they would play during the ceremony.  Finally, I received the signal and I began to speak.

“Citizens of the Federation, we are gathered here today to honor those who have sacrificed their lives to protect and defend the Federation against the enemies who seek to destroy and enslave us.  Five years ago today, we gathered together to pay honor to those who died in the battle to recover the starship
DUSTEN
after it had been taken over by the Brotherhood.  Today we add to that list those brave men and women who have died in two major battles fought against the enemy at Kendrop, Gochian, and Spellhes.

In recent years, a number of planets within the Federation have been captured and taken over by the Brotherhood, and the inhabitants killed or forced into slavery. This information has been slow in reaching the inner worlds.  The Federation has stepped forward to push back and defeat this enemy, and in recent weeks, we have had two major encounters with them, and they have lost, but not without the cost of lifes of brave Federation citizens. 

A few weeks ago, we received word that the Brotherhood had attacked the planets of Kendrop and Gochian in Sector 1, out near the rim of the Federation.  Fortunately, we had ships close enough to be able to rush to the vicinity and confront the enemy firsthand.  Though we were outnumbered, we still could disable this ship, the
HAPRIN,
and
detained the exodus of the Brotherhood from the sector.  This ship, the
HAPRIN,
is the same ship taken over by the Brotherhood, and was used to attack the Capitol a year ago when Roritat and numerous senators turned against the Federation and defected.  The
HAPRIN
was considered a great prize by the Brotherhood.  We lost a number of troopers recapturing the
HAPRIN
, and later more troopers lost their lives when a bomb left behind by the Brotherhood exploded, killing a number of troopers, including Captain Sokaia, who headed up the special operations group of the Federation Military.

“Captain Sokaia was no ordinary trooper.  She served the Federation well, often going above and beyond the call of duty, and many of her exploits are not known publicly.  First Citizen Kalana and I personally went on clandestine missions with Sokaia, and we can attest to her skill and bravery.  She was never one to shirk duty or step aside and let others shoulder the burden.  She was without a doubt one of the finest troopers I ever knew.  Those who served under her, some still living and some who died with her, are the very best.  Their dedication to duty and honor unwavering, they are the standard we all must look up to so that this government and Federation shall survive.  Now I believe that Leader Tonclin has an announcement to make.”

I watched the vid screen that was visible behind the troopers and saw the scene switch to Tonclin, who though he appeared to be light-years away was, in reality, only about 100 meters away.

“Citizens of the Federation,” Tonclin began in his high-pitched voice, “in consideration to the service and dedication shown by Captain Sokaia, some of which is known and some classified; the Senate has voted that the ship
HAPRIN
will undergo a name change and will from this day and henceforth be known as the
SOKAIA,
in honor of this great warrior.  I wish that I were able to tell you fully of her exploits, but I cannot, as some of the information is still classified.  However, suffice it to say that what she did in the past for the Federation put her in great danger and risk, and that she put the needs of the Federation above her personal needs and desires.  No nobler name can be given to this ship than the
SOKAIA
.  May all who serve aboard her serve with the same dedication and purpose that Captain Sokaia did.”  The screen faded and then my image returned to the screen.  Before me and in front of the troopers sat a long coffin like those used by the Federation for funeral services in space.  I stared at it a moment before I began to speak.

“About the time the battle here at Kendrop and Gochian took place, we learned that the Brotherhood was planning a major offensive at the planet Spellhes in Sector 3.  For those of you who are not aware of it, over a third of Sector 3 is currently in the hands of the Brotherhood.  Had they succeeded in taking Spellhes, they would have controlled over half the sector and been in a good position to take over the entire sector quickly.  We assembled an armada of ships and fortunately were able to beat the Brotherhood to Spellhes and set up an ambush for them.  This was not a small skirmish with a few ships.  Thousands of ships ranging from starships, frigates, corvettes, patrol ships and mirage fighters were involved on both sides.  Because of our advanced knowledge and stealth, we could catch the Brotherhood off guard, and they lost thousands of ships and men in the battle.  The Federation fared much better, but we still lost lives of good men and women who answered the call when they were needed.  Today we honor those men and women along with the men and women who died here at Kendrop and Gochian.  Because so many of their bodies were totally destroyed, it is impossible to have their remains individually placed into personal caskets, therefore, the remains of all those who died have been cremated together and placed in this single capsule you see here today.

“We now say our final farewells and send these men and women to their final glory.”

Marranalis stepped forward and shouted, “Attention!” Abruptly there was a sound like a clap of thunder as 5,000 troopers snapped to attention, and softly at first the drummers began to beat out their funeral dirge.  At a specific drum cadence everyone placed their right hands on their left shoulders in the traditional Federation salute.  The drums rolled into a slow crescendo as the drummers slowly began to move their way forward between the troopers.  As the drummers passed the troopers, each line of troopers turned in unison and marched to the sides of the hangar where they resumed formation facing back in toward the center of the hangar.  I was amazed that they could accomplish this, for even though the hangar was quite large, it seemed it was completely filled with troopers, yet somehow they managed it.

By now, a black curtain had been pulled across the platform where Leader Tonclin had stood before so it would not be visible to any cameras recording and broadcasting the event.  The drummers continued their slow movement forward, with cadences echoing from one group of drummers to another as they alternated their descant and grew slowly in volume until it became a roar of sound to my ears.  When the drummers reached the casket in the front, I and my officers left the stage and walked past the casket, each of us touching it in a final farewell.  I was the last to pass the casket, and I noticed a trail of tears along its jet-black surface as my own joined them.  Then, as the drummers continued to pound out their rhythm, a contingent of Sokaia’s surviving special ops troopers came forward, and removed the casket.  They carried it to a torpedo launch tube in an adjoining torpedo room and placed it inside, as we all watched on the vid screen.  The drummers switched to a unified beat that increased in intensity.

The rhythm grew into a powerful crescendo that seemed to consume everything around us.  I stood there with my companions, as the view on the vid screen changed to a view of space and the nearby sun, the echoing rhythms filled every part of us.  Finally, the drumming culminated in a single, thunderous boom that echoed off the walls and released us from its influence.  Then, in one voice made up of thousands, the troopers in the hangar all shouted,
“Hoye’ Aah!”
which means
“Forever Peace!”
and we watched as the casket containing the cremated remains of our comrades was launched into space, and headed to the sun at Kendrop and Gochian.

Once the ceremony was over some of Sokaia’s troopers invited Marranalis for drinks at one of the clubs on the ship.  I was happy to see them taking him into their circle, and while I knew there would be tears and drinks aplenty that night, I knew also it would be healing for him as well.  I was about to head to the
NEW ORLEANS
and my suite when I heard the voice of Leader Tonclin behind me, “Ah, there you are, First Citizen.  I hope you do not mind the intrusion, but I was hoping that I might have the opportunity to visit with you and First Citizen Kalana before I return to the Capitol.  I’ve not seen those twins of yours, and I would love the opportunity to do so.  Besides, I would also like to visit my daughter Chanina as well.”

“Chanina’s aboard the
NEW ORLEANS?”
I asked, perhaps more dumbfounded than I should have.

“Why, yes, I thought you knew,” Tonclin said, “Captain Kerabac hired her a few weeks ago as a trainee navigator.”  In my mind that struck me as funny, Chanina as a navigator, on her first trip to the
NEW ORLEANS
she had gotten lost on the ship, and now she was training as a navigator.

“I’m sorry, Leader Tonclin, with all that’s been going on I’m afraid I am out of touch with many of the goings on with my own ship.  I rely on Captain Kerabac to make the right decisions.  However, you certainly are most welcome aboard the
NEW ORLEANS. 
Kala
will be happy to see you.  Why don’t you and Chanina join us for dinner before you head back to Megelleon?”

“Tibby, I would be delighted, and please stop calling me Leader Tonclin, just call me Tonc.”

And that my children, is the story of your birth and how the starship
SOKAIA
got its name.

END OF BOOK 5

SOLBIDYUM WARS SAGA -Desolation

COMING SOON

SOLBIDYUM WARS SAGA – BOOK 6 – DEFEAT OF THE TOTTALAX

A year has passed since the rescue of Tibby and Kalana from the planet Desolation and the defeat of the Brotherhood fleets at the battles of Kendrop, Gochian and Spellhes.  Tibby’s twin children, Lunnie and Reidecor, are now walking, talking, and amazing him at every turn.  Since their recent victories over the Brotherhood of Light, the growing Federation fleet has added ships of new designs and expanded their military troops.  However, despite suffering a series of major defeats, the Brotherhood has continued their expansion, relentlessly raiding and occupying several outlying planets.  With the Senate’s recent approval of the War Powers Act, Tibby now has authorization to pursue the Federation’s enemies beyond Federation territory.  Tibby decides to take the war to the Brotherhood and their allies by seeking out and destroying remote enemy bases wherever they exist.  During his mission, Tibby learns from a Ruwallie Rasson trader that an exiled member of Tottalax is rumored to be living on the aquatic world of Irribis.  Tibby goes there, hoping to find this exile and learn the secret location of the Tottalax planet.  Meanwhile, Cantolla and A’Lappe continue to assist the Federation in their war efforts by creating more Cantolla gates, which make it possible to move instantaneously between two locations in the universe.  The Brotherhood tries to capture the gate transfer stations, in hopes of gaining the technology behind this strategically valuable form of travel.  Tibby, Jenira and Kerabac become trapped in a transfer hub that is under assault by Brotherhood troopers intent on capturing it. They must either defeat the Brotherhood or destroy the station to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.

Other books by Dale C. Musser

Solbidyum Wars Saga

Book 1 - BATTLE OF THE NEW ORLEANS

Book 2 - SWEET HOME ALLE BAMMA

Book 3 - THE PIRATES OF GOO’ WADDLE CANALS

Book 4 - TOO LATE FOR EARTH

Poetry

THE POETRY OF WINDWALKER