Around the two Hammer ships but pulled well back out of harm’s way in case a missile exploded, were the Fed ships, their hulls visible only as bottomless black shapes cut out of the stars. Now they were home to a small team of defense scientists and engineers laboring desperately to try to work out how the Hammers had done what every Fed scientist would have sworn was impossible.
Hope they’re dispensable, Michael thought. It seemed to him that poking around antimatter was the quickest way to get a one-way ticket straight into the great unknown.
Michael closed his eyes as a sudden wave of tiredness broke over him. Antimatter was going to change a lot of things, and space warfare would be one of them. What those changes were he would be happy to wait to find out.
Soon he was asleep.
Thursday, April 20, 2400, UD
FWSS Eridani, berth Bravo-10, Comdur Fleet Base Repair Facility
“Well, well, well. Look what the cat’s dragged in.”
“Lieutenant Kidav, sir!” Michael sounded hurt. He crossed the bow and saluted the ship. “Is that any way to greet the allconquering hero fresh from his latest triumph over the forces of darkness?”
“Hero, my ass,” Kidav replied affectionately, returning the salute. “Lucky is what you are. Lucky, lucky, lucky, and here I am, five years older-”
“Seven, actually.”
“Pig!” she conceded good-humoredly. “All right, seven years older, and do I have anything to show for all my years of devoted service? No, not a damn thing.”
“Not my fault. You should have stuck close to me. How was your temporary command?”
Kidav scowled, her bantering mood evaporating in a flash. “Well, we got there okay. The poor old Sunfish was a mess,” she said with a frown. “Really gruesome up forward. Horrible. Those damn ship designers need to take radiation impulse shock a bit more seriously than they have been.”
Michael nodded somberly. It had been a bad week, what with the Hammers firing antimatter missiles toward the home planets every few days. The hidden message was so obvious that even the dumbest politician must have gotten it by now. Pretty simple, really: Surrender or we incinerate your home planets.
Michael finally broke the silence. “What’s next for us? Any orders?”
Kidav shook her head. “No, not yet. We undock tomorrow as planned. Back up into parking orbit. That’s all we know right-”
“All stations, this is command. Stand by for an announcement from the Flag Officer Commanding, Comdur System.”
Michael and Kidav stared at each other. “Oh, shit,” Kidav muttered. “Please, God, not one of the home planets.” Michael could not speak. He stood there, paralyzed by fear.
“All stations, this is Rear Admiral Malhotra. I have received a message from the commander in chief, Space Fleet, which message I am directed to read to you. It goes as follows:
“ ‘To all Fleet personnel. The governments of the Federated Worlds and the Worlds of the Hammer of Kraa have agreed that an armistice will come into effect today at 1200 Universal Time. At that time all military operations will cease, and all forces will disengage and withdraw. Detailed orders specifying how the terms of the armistice are to be met together with revised rules of engagement agreed to by both governments are being sent to all units and commands. The governments of both systems have further agreed that all prisoners of war shall be repatriated together with a full and complete accounting of any deaths in custody by no later than one week from the commencement of the armistice. Upon completion of that repatriation, the two governments have agreed to convene on Scobie’s World to negotiate and agree on the terms of a lasting peace, terms that will address the enduring concerns of the peoples of the Federated Worlds and the Worlds of the Hammer of Kraa.
“ ‘Signed, Martha Shiu, Admiral, Commander in Chief, Federated Worlds Space Fleet.’
“That is all.”
Thursday, May 4, 2400, UD
FWSS Eridani, Commitment planetary nearspace
“Commitment command, this is Federated Worlds Warship Eridani with heavy scouts Van Maanen and Groombridge in company inbound from Comdur system calling on 32, over.”
“Eridani, Commitment command. All ships maintain current vectors. Transmit vessel identities, approved flight plans, and confirmation that all weapons systems are disabled. Over.”
The operator looked bored, eyes looking off-holocam at something much more interesting than the command crew of a Fed heavy scout. His right hand was fiddling absentmindedly with the old-fashioned headset and boom mike perched on his head.
“Roger, Commitment command. Stand by.” Tanvi Kidav threw a backward glance across Eridani’s combat information center at Michael. She rolled her eyes theatrically.
Michael smiled. “Concentrate, sir,” he mouthed silently.
Kidav nodded, squinting for a moment as she commed the information Commitment command had asked for down the link. It took a while. The datastream had been slowed down to comply with the Hammer’s antiquated data transfer protocols.
There was a short pause as the Hammers checked and double-checked that Eridani and her sisters were not in fact an entire squadron of Federated Worlds heavy cruisers about to drop in-system to lay waste to Commitment.
“Eridani, this is Commitment command. Ship identities, flight plans, and weapons systems status confirmed. Maintain current vectors until final approach plan authorized. Contact Commitment nearspace control on vidcomm channel 55, over.”
“Eridani, vidcomm channel 55, roger, out.”
Kidav looked at Lenski, who was sitting silently alongside her. “What do you reckon, skipper? The Hammers are being uncommonly polite, don’t you think?”
“They are, Tanvi. I hope it doesn’t mean they are saving things up for us. Right, go to 55 and let’s see what they’ve got in store.”
“Sir.” Kidav commed the channel change.
Michael, tucked away safely out of sight of the holocam and under strict instructions to stay that way, shivered at the sight of the unlovely features of the Hammer’s duty controller for inbound traffic. An arrogant-looking man, he had an unblinking stare that was extremely disconcerting. Michael took a deep breath. The high-necked black uniform and the Hammer of Kraa sunburst picked out in gold thread on the left breast brought back memories he had spent a great deal of time burying.
Kidav flicked a glance across at him. “Fuck ’em,” she mouthed.
“And the horses they rode in on,” Michael mouthed back.
“Concentrate!” Lenski growled.
“Sorry, skipper,” Kidav mumbled, turning her attention back to the holovid. “Commitment nearspace control, this is Federated Worlds deepspace heavy scout Eridani with heavy scouts Van Maanen and Groombridge in company inbound to Planetary Transfer Station Zero Three per flight plan. Request approval for final approach, over.”
“Eridani, this is Commitment nearspace control. Stand by. Transferring final approach plan for PTS Zero Three. Acknowledge receipt.”
Kidav and Lenski looked at each other in relief. Michael shared the sentiment. Despite all the agreements and planning that had gone into this mission, it would not have surprised either of them if they had been put into a parking orbit for days on end for no good reason other than some imaginary slight against the might and majesty of the Hammer.
Fortunately, not this time.
The Hammer controller continued. “You are reminded that deviation from this plan without prior approval from Commitment nearspace control will be met with the immediate use of deadly force. No warnings will be given.”