Insurrection: The Athena Lee Chronicles, #5

By TS Paul

Athena Lee and her planet are still reeling from the revolution that swept their part of the galaxy. The Space station has new management and Athena's ship has left without her on board. The Empire ship Paney is still on patrol and is being threatened by the Bad Penny Pirate clan. Mutiny, piracy and general mayhem seem to follow her as she discovers that a secret plot threatens the known galaxy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: TS Paul
• Release date: Apr 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781386342342

TS Paul

Three full years of writing, seventy- two titles, and a ton of fun! All three of those things describe my writing career to date. I have both a Culinary and Retail background that helps me write better books! So much to do this year and so little time.  Follow me on my website www.tspaulbooks.com or track me down on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/ForgottenEngineer/

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title Page

Table of Contents

Legal Stuff

Dedications

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Author - T.S. Paul

Insurrection

T S Paul

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Legal Stuff

Dedications

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Author - T.S. Paul

Legal Stuff

Copyright © T.S. Paul, All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any kind is strictly prohibited unless written permission granted by the editor of the anthology and the individual author.

Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Cover designed by Heather Hamilton-Senter

Re-Editing by Diane Velasquez, Dorene Johnson, and Kat Lind

Dedications

Special thanks to my wife Heather who keeps me grounded and to Merlin the Cat, we are his minions.

Chapter 1

Staring out the observation port, Captain Hugh Pigot tried to work through his problems. He was worried. His ship the EOM Paney had been on patrol for over a week with no communications from either the fleet or the sector government. While that was not unusual for the fleet, not hearing anything from the governor’s office was very strange. In the past, there was always some crazy request or demand for information or something coming down the pipe.

To top that off his new XO, Commander McCoy was acting a little strange. Crew changes are always hard, especially when it involved more than half the ship. Hugh was still unsatisfied with the explanation he’d received for stripping out half his crew and replacing them with these poorly trained ones. His orders said it was a training experiment, but Hugh wasn’t sure of that. Several of the ‘replacements’ have what looked like mercenary or pirate tattoos. They barely knew how to take orders and have zero military habits. If he didn’t know better, he would almost swear that they had just hired a mercenary company and dumped them on his ship. Fleet didn’t do things like that. He had sent a ‘back channel’ communication to a friend he had at Fleet HQ. But his friend should have gotten back to him by now. The current orders for the ship were to patrol the outer edges of the sector eventually looping back to the station.

The captain looked down at his console display. Navigation’s current estimated time of arrival was almost exactly three more days until they reached the planet Hong Kong and the government station. Hugh decided he would send another request for clarification to fleet again. The next navigational course correction took them into the range of a Communication satellite. He would use one of the priority codes and contact his superior directly.

Captain on the bridge.

As you were Captain Pigot walked on the bridge. He turned to the XO and ordered, Go ahead and get some lunch, Commander I’ll take over here. The XO started to say something, but when Commander Glatkowski on weapons shook his head, he changed his mind.

Thank you, Captain I will. The XO turned and left the bridge.

Seeing this exchange, the captain made a personal note to keep an eye on this other new officer, Commander Alvin Glatkowski.

Lieutenant Allendale, plot a course to the nearest communications satellite, there should be one close to the next navigational point. This Allendale was yet another of the new crew.

Uh, yes sir, Captain Sir. I will get right on that. The stuttering lieutenant rather inadequately acknowledged the captain.

<<<>>>

Sitting in his chair, Captain Pigot stared off into ‘space’ as he thought about the crew he was surrounded with. His Chief Engineer was an old friend as was the head of medical Lt. Commander Smith. All three of them had been on the old Jupiter together in the last war. He could trust them implicitly. Only the crews in engineering, food preparation, and the marine force had remained unchanged. And he only had five marines on board. This was a destroyer, not a cruiser. Hugh shook his head as if to clear it. He was just over thinking things, but he made a note to have his friends meet him for dinner. Seeing plots and problems before they happened was not a healthy preoccupation. Hugh began putting his message to the Admiral together. As a side note, he would mention his fears and observations of the new crew. They could laugh about it later.

A soft ding roused the captain from his musings. On his console was a notification that the ship was in the range of the nearest satellite. Carefully inputting the override code, the captain accessed a little-known emergency fleet channel. This was a direct line to Fleet HQ, only to be used in case of dire emergency or invasion. Even the Sector Governors did not know of its existence. If he was wrong about the situation, he would be reprimanded and could possibly lose his stripes. Knowing this, he sent the message anyway better to be fired than dead. Shutting down his system and wiping the message code Captain Pigot left his cabin and returned to the bridge.

The bridge was quiet when Captain Pigot stepped through the door. The XO was bent over the navigation station deep in conversation with Lieutenant Humphrey. Neither noticed his arrival until Ensign Carson announced Captain on the bridge.

Captain Pigot waved everyone back to stations and sat in his chair. The XO approached him asking about the course change. Hugh made sure he sounded dismissive as he answered. It’s just routine, Commander. We were asked by the scientific division to check the orbits of some of the satellites if possible. A minor course correction to make the wonks happy is always a plus, especially if we have upgrades. I have a light dinner with some of the department heads this evening. I’m not to be disturbed unless it is an emergency. Wake me at the next waypoint. You have the bridge, Commander McCoy.

Aye Captain, I have the bridge. Have a peaceful evening, sir. The XO turned without further thought and walked back to the navigation station.

The eyes of the new weapons Commander, Alvin Glatkowski, followed the captain as he left the deck.

<<<>>>

The three old friends and shipmates met for dinner in the Captain’s private dining room. Commander Tadeusz Kościuszko, the Chief Engineer, was the first to arrive. Known as Tad to his friends, the commander was a large strapping man in his mid-50s. He was a proud graduate of the Kraków school on planet Warsaw. He and the Captain had been on the old Jupiter together.

The Medical Officer Zack Smith was a curmudgeonly older man with short thinning hair. He gave as good as he got and was the one that you wanted with you when the fire was the hottest. On the Jupiter, the three of them had all been just starting out their careers as young officers.

The Jupiter was an old Gemini class cruiser. The twelfth to be built in its class. The three officers had participated in many adventures before the war. Fate had put them together on this ship. Well, that and a case of scotch to the personnel clerk at HQ.

This dinner is a bit out of the blue, Hugh, remarked Commander Kościuszko.

I agree, not that I’m complaining. But just why did you bring us here tonight? The doctor turned and looked at his old friend.

The Captain stroked his mustache. Have either of you noticed anything funny or unusual about our new crew replacements?

Funny ha-ha or funny strange? Is that what you mean? The old engineer was now acutely focused on the Captain. If you mean funny strange, I agree with you. Something is not right about the crew that we picked up. They know how to do their jobs, but something is off with...

The doctor looked at the other men. Fine. Yes, there’s something off about them. I have run a few physicals and treated a few for minor injuries. I have noticed some oddities. Tattoos. They seem to all have quite a few. While that’s not remarkable, they try to hide them. That alone makes this group unusual. The other thing would be scars. They have lots of them, too. Far too many for some of their ages and ranks. One crewman, a member of the hangar crew I believe, had a colony prison implant. He explained it away saying it was a juvenile offense. Since I saw him though, none of the new crew has been to see me. The word is out I believe.

Just between the three of us and the walls—and by the way I scanned the room for bugs. He had their attention now. I sent a covert message to the fleet during the recent course change. While the orders for the crew change-out appeared to come from the fleet, I am starting to question it. He watched the faces of his oldest friends and colleagues. Other than you two, I really only trust Lieutenant Mutai our marine commander. The Marines under his command were with us before all of the changes to the crew.

Hugh, let’s get that marine up here then. Why waste time?

The Captain thought about it, then stepped out of the room and whispered to his lone security guard. Can you have your lieutenant come up here to a private meeting? Is there a way to arrange it without going out on the radio?

The marine guard looked at the captain sharply and then nodded. He held up one finger in acknowledgment. Tapping the radio communicator at his collar, the marine muttered a few words and letters on his security net, Duty NCO to Lima Tango RFI Zoomie Charlie Delta Romeo possible QRF. The marine cocked his head to one side as if listening. He replied Wilco. Turning to the captain, he held up two fingers. Two minutes. The captain went back into the dining room.

Almost exactly two minutes had passed when after a faint knock the door reopened. The Marine Lieutenant Kinno Mutai entered the room. Captain, Sir. He said coming to attention.

At ease Lieutenant. Thank you for your prompt response.

How could I not with that canny message you had sent? I take it this meeting is about the mercenary company that we have on board? The Marine lieutenant looked at the officers speculatively.

Damn. I never thought of that. Mercs, are you sure Kinno?

Yes, sir. One of my guys spotted a tattoo on one of the replacements and brought it to my attention. It was a round disc with a man’s profile on it and the letters BP on the bottom.

The captain slumped his shoulders and sighed. Really? Someone doesn’t like us. That’s the symbol of the Bad Penny Clan.

Who are the Bad Pennies? The doctor asked, bemused by the name.

The engineer mouthed to the lieutenant, What’s a ‘penny?’

The Bad Pennies are a pirate gang. The captain nodded his head slowly. That explains how they know how to operate ships but don’t know Navy procedure or terminology. I can’t believe that fleet put them on board us.

Could the orders have been faked? asked the lieutenant.

No, they had the authentication that proves they were genuine. Thinking for a moment. All of our orders go through the Sector Government first. It must be someone in those offices that changed the orders.

Sir, I think they intend to take the ship.

"Yes, lieutenant. We believe that too.