The Khruellian Encounter Read online

  Back on Newhope, he and Annika spent as much time together as their duties allowed. News spread that it would be thirty days before an operational strategy would be ready. Crew members were granted limited leaves to take care of their personal affairs. No one ventured a guess as to how long it would take to halt the Khruellian expansion in their direction. It could take their entire lifetime. Jon and Annika arranged for their leaves to coincide. They hitched a ride with the Senior McKinnahs to Islandia. Jon wanted Annika to know where his ancestors had come from and how they had lived. After touring the planet for two weeks they decided to get married in the island village of New London were Jonathon McKinnah Sr. and Marcia Lewis had been married sixty years earlier.

  The decision to get married had been a sudden one, but both Jon and Annika knew they were in for long periods of separation. That, plus the unspoken possibility of one or both of them being killed in battle made it important in their eyes to legalize their union. The simple ceremony had been attended by Jon’s parents, grandparents, and friends from Gruenwald. Annika regretted that none of her family had been able to attend, but the threat of war and the circumstances made it impossible. They had a two-day honeymoon on the McKinnah clanboat and endured all the good-natured ribbing by Jon’s distant cousins. After five more days on Islandia, they returned to Newhope with the reality it might be a long time before they would be able to live as man and wife.

  Once on board his ship, Jon reviewed the log to catch up on any activities he had missed while away. Thirty minutes into his examination, his office com buzzed and the deck officer told him his wife was aboard and wanted to speak to him. Jon was both puzzled and pleased by the announcement. They had just separated less than an hour earlier. Before he could leave his wardroom to see what she wanted, his com buzzed again with the announcement that Admiral Dexter wanted to see him in his office at once.

  He met Annika at the entrance port and asked her, “What’s up, Hon. Is everything okay?”

  “Admiral Dexter wants to see me at once,” she said, trying not to be nervous.

  Jon smiled and said, “Well, he wants to see me also.”

  “Really?” she said examining his face. “We’re not in trouble, are we?”

  “I hardly think so, Captain McKinnah,” Jon said, relishing the sound of calling her Captain McKinnah. “Let’s go find out.”

  Jon signed out and then he, Annika and Talor took the personnel carrier waiting at the foot of the ramp.

  Ben King, the admiral’s aide shook both their hands and congratulated them on their wedding. He kidded Annika saying that half the bachelors on base had gone into mourning when they heard the news.

  “A cold shower and combat will cure that,” she said taking hold of her husband’s arm.

  After a short delay, they were admitted to the now familiar office. Admiral Dexter looked harried. As commander-in-chief of CSF forces, the burden of preparing for war had fallen on his shoulders until a supreme commander could be named. Admiral Dexter had taken his name out of consideration for the job, saying he felt he could make a better contribution by managing the CSF, the largest segment of the ADO. Who would be named the ADO’s Supreme Commander hadn’t been determined yet, but an announcement was expected soon.

  The admiral greeted them warmly, which dispelled any anxieties Annika might have had about being in trouble. “Congratulations to both of you, Captains. I only wish I could grant you enough leave-time to have a decent honeymoon.”

  Jon shook he admiral’s extended hand and said, “Thank you, Sir. We were able to make good use of the time we had,” which drew a sharp look from Annika.

  Admiral Dexter concealed a smile and went on. He turned to Annika and said, “This task is normally handled by the chief-of-operation, Captain McKinnah, but I asked him if I could have the pleasure of giving you your first CSF command.”

  “My command, Sir?” Annika said, dumbly, her mind not grasping what the admiral meant.

  Admiral Dexter smiled broadly and said, “That honeymoon must have been affected your hearing, Captain McKinnah. I’m giving you a ship to command.”

  In spite of ten years of military discipline and training, her hand flew to her mouth. She quickly recovered and said in as calm a voice as she could muster, “Thank you, Sir, I’m ready. May I inquire as to what type of ship I will be commanding?” Secretly she didn’t care if it was a tiny, destroyer escort; it would be her own ship.

  Admiral Dexter was genuinely enjoying himself. He admired the two captains standing in front of him and knew they would someday be running the space force long after he was out of the picture. He pointed at Jon and said, “Ask your husband. He’s already been aboard her.”

  It was Jon’s turn to be surprised. He had traveled to Fairworld where he had inspected the second copy of the Islandia class frigate, the space forces’ newest warship. “The frigate under construction?” he asked in surprise. He and Annika would have identical ships.

  “That’s the one. Congratulations, Captain McKinnah,” he said and shook Annika’s hand.

  The only thing that came to Annika’s mind was the name of the ship. “What is she to be named, Sir?” she asked. The name of her first ‘child’ was very important.

  Admiral Dexter nodded in understanding. He had been just as concerned when he had received his first command. “Our frigates are usually named after war heroes. The CSP Islandia is the one exception. The board decided to name your ship after a group of heroes from Earth’s distant past, The heroes at the battle at Thermopile. Her official name will be the CSF Sparta.”

  Annika was aware of the role the Sparta had played at the battle of Thermopile and the subsequent impact it had on the development of Earth’s first democracy in Athens. She was very pleased with the name. “When can I board her, sir?” she asked, suddenly anxious to take command of her own ship.

  The Admiral again nodded in understanding. “You are immediately relieved of your position on the CSF Enderson. Vice Admiral Estes agrees totally with the board’s decision to promote you so I would suggest you start with fleet personnel to select a crew. Vice Admiral Estes has also agreed to let you pick from his crew, so long as your selections result in a promotion for the people selected.” He looked toward Jon and Talor and continued, “I’m sure your husband and Talor can make suggestions for your senior personnel. When you’ve got your crew together, the CSF Islandia will provide transportation for you and your crew to Fairworld.”

  Jon gave Annika a hug. This was a big moment in every space officer’s career, their first command. An ‘ahem’ from the admiral broke up their hug.

  His smile got a little wider when he said to Jon, “Now just to prevent any confusion as to whom we’re addressing when we say ‘Captain McKinnah, I am promoting you to Group Captain McKinnah.”

  Jon’s look of surprise was matched by the look of pride on Annika’s face as the admiral handed her a pair of gold falcons to pin on Jon’s shirt collar.

  Admiral Dexter’s face took on a serious expression as he addressed both of them. “This upcoming war for survival will claim many victims. I pray to God you two will not be among them. You and your ships are my swords, and I am expecting you to cut deep into the Khruellians’ will to conquer our confederation.”

  Annika and Jon stepped back as if on cue and saluted their commander-in-chief. Jon’s emotion seeped through his words as he said, “We and our ships stand ready to serve in any capacity you ask of us, Sir.”

  Admiral Dexter returned their salute and then shook both their hands. With some emotion of his own, he said, “Now get out of here and celebrate. Ben has arranged a little party for you at the officer’s club.”

  Chapter 34

  Newhope

  Three weeks later Admiral Barbara Chen-Warren was appointed the supreme commander of the Allied Defense Force. It was a logical choice and one that most of the CSF officers approved. However, some of the Terran Confederation officers felt a Terran commander should have been appointed conside
ring the size of Earth’s population in proportion to the rest of the CSF. Admiral Dexter had been quick to point out that the majority of the ships in the fleet were built by the CSF before Earth had become a member, and that most of the experienced officers were from the CSF.

  The simmering dispute bothered the admiral, and after an investigation, he discovered the objections had originated with Annika’s old nemeses, Hector Andres Gavito, who had risen to the position of Minister of Alien Affairs in the Terran World Government. The admiral decided to confront the problem head-on, and he knew just the people to do it.

  “Captain McKinnah and Group Captain McKinnah reporting as ordered, Sir,” Jon said as he and Annika stood at attention in the admiral’s office.

  “At ease, gentlemen,” the admiral said and motioned toward the stuffed leather chairs. It was a clear signal that he wanted to talk about something informally. Talor moved to his normal position behind and to the left of Jon. The admiral looked at the android and said, “This involves you too, Talor. Take a seat,”

  Admiral Dexter turned to Annika and said, I’m having a problem with your old boss, Annika and I need you two to help me solve the problem.”

  Annika’s puzzlement must have shown on her face, because the admiral said, “Hector Andres Gavito.”

  A dark cloud crossed over Annika’s face and in a tone that conveyed what she felt about the former Secretary of Future Human Welfare, she said, “He was never my boss, Sir, only someone I was assigned to by my superiors in the Terran Space Force.”

  Admiral Dexter was not surprised at the captain’s reaction. The man had tried to ruin her career after she failed to carry out his orders to spy on the Confederation. “I understand Captain McKinnah. That’s one of the reasons I want you two to accompany Ambassador McKinnah to Earth for a meeting with the new Minister of Alien Affairs, the same Hector Andres Gavito. You can give her some insight into how he thinks.”

  Seeing the doubt on her face, the admiral explained, “He has been agitating for a Terran admiral to be in command of the newly formed Allied Defense Organization. If that’s all he was doing it wouldn’t be a problem, but he has managed to get some support for his idea in the Terran government and space force. They are threatening to block arm’s shipment until we agree. Earth is still the largest manufacturer of weapons in the Confederation, and we need her full support and cooperation to have a chance of holding off the Khruellians. I want you to accompany the CSF’s outgoing ambassador to Earth, your aunt Samantha McKinnah to help her convince the Minister to get over his objection and get on the bandwagon.”

  Jon spoke for both of them when he said, “We will do our best, Sir, but I’m not sure how we can influence a Minister in Terra’s government.”

  Admiral Dexter shrugged his shoulders and said, “I’m not completely sure myself, Commander, but I believe your presence will help Ambassador McKinnah. Perhaps Talor can help you. Besides, with three McKinnahs coming at him, he won’t stand a chance.”

  Outside the admiral’s office, Ben King could add little to what they heard from the admiral. Ben handed them their orders and said, “If he has a trick up his sleeve, he didn’t tell me about it. I’m as mystified as you are on how he thinks you could influence one of Earth’s ministers.”

  Before Annika or Jon could question him further, Talor interrupted them with a mental message, “The admiral is correct, I can help you influence the Minister.”

  They both looked at Talo and knew this was not the place to question him on what he meant. In the personnel carrier, they pounced on Talor. “What do you know that we don’t know?” Jon asked.

  “A great deal,” the android answered.

  When Jon and Annika laughed at his answer, Talor made a very human gesture and said, “Even after sixty years I sometimes struggle with expressing myself too literally. What I meant to say is I have inside information on every facet of the Terran government, including the minister’s personal life and activities.

  In spite of a lifetime of familiarity with the multiple versions of the original Ares, Jon was surprised at Talor’s answer. “How is that possible, Talor?”

  Talo paused for just a fraction of a moment, which was unusual for the android, who usually answered Jon’s questions immediately. It was one of the features of working with the AI that took some getting used to. “What I’m about to tell you is known to less than five people in the CSF and to no one on Earth.”

  Jon immediately understood the implications of Talor’s warning. “Are you sure we should be privy to what you’re about to say.”

  This time the android answered immediately, “I’ve considered that Jon and in my calculations one day you and Annika, providing you survive the upcoming war, will be in a position of leadership in the CSF and will have to know this information anyway. I’m merely telling you now instead of later.”

  Talor’s chilling words about surviving the upcoming war was a grim reminder of the dangers they would face. As the admiral had said, they were the “edge of his sword,” and such weapons had a tendency to get broken in combat. But, for now, they had the Minister of Alien Affairs to deal with, and Jon wanted all the weapons he could gather to win this conflict. He looked at Talor and said, “Go on.”

  “On your grandfather’s first visit to Earth, the Industrial Council tried to detain him and his party. When Talo surrendered himself to help your grandfather escape from Earth, he buried a copy of himself in the master Terran computer system before self-destructing. He only did so because the Industrial Council was committed to discovering the secret of the IS-Drive and he wanted to keep track of their activities.”

  Jon made the logical conclusion, “And the CSF has been using that Talo in the Terran system to gather inside information ever since.”

  Talor nodded and said, “Prudently, but yes they have been. Several times the information they gathered has kept the overwhelming power of Earth from running roughshod over the young Confederation. Today it is not as much a problem.”

  Annika had listened to the exchange without comment. She was now a legal citizen of the CSF not only by being married to Jon McKinnah but also by choice. When she accepted a position in the CSF Space Force, she had taken the additional step of applying for Islandian citizenship, which had been summarily granted to her. In spite of her affiliation and affinity for the CSF, she discovered she was slightly upset to learn the CSF had been spying on her homeworld for almost fifty years.

  Talor detected her discomfort and moved to ease her concerns. “Annika, you must know that forty years ago Earth was not a functioning democracy. It was, in fact, a dictatorship controlled by the Industrial Council. They would have killed anybody and almost any number of people to get that secret. They even had plans to let the Muhyba kill a billion people on your homeworld to force the CSF to give them the secret of the IS-Drive..”

  That information shocked Annika. She knew the Industrial Council had been a hated entity on Earth and no one missed its domineering presence. “I didn’t know,” she said in a small voice.

  Talor put his hand on her shoulder and said, “Very few people did, but Talo was able to help the democratically minded citizens of Earth overturn the Council’s grip on power.”

  It was Jon’s turn to question Talor, “How is the buried version of Talo being used now?”

  “To keep track of all Terran ships using the IS-Drive. Until Earth joined the Confederation, only unarmed Terran ships were allowed to use the IS-Drive to leave Earth’s solar system. Talo could shut down any drive that did not comply with that directive.”

  “Whose directive was that?” Jon asked out of curiosity.

  “Your grandfather’s,” Talor answered candidly. “He felt the IS-Drive was potentially the greatest boon in mankind’s history, but in the wrong hands, it could also become the greatest danger. He was convinced the Industrial Council would have used the drive to create an empire ruled by the members of the council.”

  Jon was hearing things about his gran
dfather that had only been hinted at while he was growing up in his shadow. He was very curious about one thing. “Who holds the secret of the drive now?”

  Talor said, “Five people, including your grandfather and grandmother. In time, you will inherit the secret.”

  Jon said, “When I do, I shall give it away.”

  “And I will agree with your decision,” Talor said, surprising both Jon and Annika. “The circumstances are different today than they were forty years ago. You are now aware of how widespread life is in the galaxy and how much competition there is for resources. Humans in the future will have to scramble for a place among the stars. With the IS-Drive, that will be possible.”

  Anita listened to Talor’s explanation and agreed with his assessment. Besides looking forward to their assignment of trying to sway Minister Gavito, she was also excited about visiting her homeworld. It had been several years since she had seen her family, and she wondered what they would think of her husband, Group Captain Jonathon McKinnah the Third. His name sounded delicious when she said it. She grinned in anticipation of what her father’s reaction would be to Talor. “The old man will have met his match, that’s for sure,” she thought and decided not to let her parents know of their impending visit.

  Chapter 35

  The Khruellian Palace complex

  The Absolute walked along the sweeping arcade of his private garden. The sound of water flowing over rocks blended in with the rush of air moving through the trees. He felt the breeze ruffle the crest of feathers running across the crown of his head and down the back of his neck. The sensation took him back to his childhood when his father had first taken him on a gliding flight. The Khruellian had lost the ability to fly many eons in the past, but the desire to soar freely remained in their DNA. The most popular sport in the empire involved flying with artificially assisted wings where teams of players or individuals attempted to catch elusive drones in midflight.