Battle Wagon

By Robert Thomas

The defense of our Home World Alliance is failing. We are vastly out-gunned and out-numbered two-to-one. Our only chance lies with a weapon of legend, our only hope with a renegade captain.

In one last desperate gamble to turn back the Lorilon invasion, Fleet Captain Stuart Joseph commandeers the frigate Repulse in a desperate attempt to find the resting place of the ship he has searched a lifetime for. Hidden away long ago in an attempt to cover up the squandering of countless resources and the deaths of hundreds, he knows time is running short.

Can he find the weapon that can save the Alliance? Does it even exist? Are there those who don't want it to be found even if it means the fall of the Alliance? Find out as the third book of the Home World series gets underway. Grab your copy and get reading today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Thomas
• Release date: Apr 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463426357

Robert Thomas

I welcome all to my world of writing and authorship. I am a husband, father and grandfather and I have been writing for many years and have published several fantasy works available through most major ebook retailers. I have tried to give the tales a feeling of place and circumstances that, although fiction, all readers who enjoy fantasy can relate to. In the past three years I have veered from the fantasy genre that started me down my writing path, with the release of The Home World Series. It currently contains three books, Star Eagle Six, Ghost Fleet, and Battle Wagon. It is a rip-roaring space opera that romps across the galaxy. The Last Elf Prophecy series stands at two books with the release of Decimation of Allingaard. It begins where book one, Sands of Nevertime ends. The series takes the reader through a world of discovery as an aging wizard tries to fulfill his life's dream; revive a long-lost world of elves.The third book of the series is being written; Awakening of Lillestrom. Look for it in the coming year. Also look for my trilogy; The Crystal Point Legacy: The Dream Valley, Silent Watcher and Death of Kings. If you are a fan of short stories, I have partnered with a group of authors on three anthologies: End of the Road, The Kiss, and The Bitten. Look for my works in those as well. I also welcome all to follow along with my blog, Ramblings of a 50 year old man; http://rambling50.blogspot.com. It is just my thoughts on life as I journey along to the fateful end. I also have a blog, http://sheimas.blogspot.com which is an on-going, first-person prequel to The Crystal Point Legacy. I hope you join me in my writing as we discover new worlds together.

Book preview

Prologue

Captain’s journal: Theta 10- 5

"We have begun our trek home as ordered by Admiral Duley Connor, Fleet Main. We have both succeeded and failed in our tasks. Though we did not discover the origin of the Lorilon weapon, we believe we destroyed one of its major components, however, it came at a significant cost with the loss of the destroyer Valiant. With that we are reduced by a third of our original number. Our success is not noted in the official orders as we have recovered Captain Joseph from the Lorilon."

"This mission has given me a new insight into what it takes to command a starship, to command a fleet. As the second in command of the Parras under Captain Joseph I was confident that all my decisions were always correct, that my advice to Captain Joseph was the first to be heard. I would become infuriated if my suggestions did not measure up to his actions. I was headstrong. I had experience, more than nearly any other first officer in the fleet, in most of the nine Home World fleets in fact."

"What I have found is, I know nothing. Everything I thought I knew about command pales in the face of reality. The daily routine of life on a starship, of life aboard any ship is not command. Most crew go about their business because it has been drilled into them. Many could sleepwalk through their routines and at the end of the cycle, nothing would be the worse for wear."

"No, that is not command. Command is the pinnacle where there is nowhere else to look, no shoulder to turn to, no sage wisdom to rely on. It looks back at you with eyes that can pierce your soul. You are the final word when it comes to life or death, life of a crewman or death of a starship. It is a decision made in the blink of an eye. Right or wrong, it is your fate. Command is the single most lonely place in the universe. It is a place I have been, it is a place I want nothing to do with. It is a place I long for."

"Close journal."

Chapter One

Homeward

The expanse was as fascinating as it had ever seemed. Jason Tully, acting captain of the Starship Parras stared blankly out the forward view screen. He let his fingers fall to the smooth surface of the command console in the center of the bridge. At light speed the points of starlight streaked past as the Third Fleet began the long slide home. He felt a sense of relief at mission’s end, a release of tension and emotion that comes with the journey home. But it was also with a growing sense of dread. He was escorting his mentor back to New Caledonia and Fleet Main to a hearing that would decide Stuart Joseph’s fate as captain, possibly his career. He let his gaze fall to the console as streams of data he did not see flooded past.

Captain, all ships report repairs are nearly complete.

Thank you Commander. Jason paused as his eyes began to read the reports. Sinna, what is the status of the Invincible?

Com, signal the Invincible. Sinna DuClair stepped to the side of the command console as she finished her order. What is her status?

Aye sir. The answer was returned moments later. Captain Murnane signals they have not been able to repair their cloaking screen.

Com, pipe the channel down here.

Aye sir, channel open.

Horace, is there anything we can do for you?

No Captain. Our injectors are still off line. Nothing we do seems to make a difference. I’m about out of ideas.

Jason stabbed at the com panel selecting the link to the engineering section. This would likely be the only place his chief engineer would be, off cycle or not.

Commander Smithe, report to the bridge.

Bridge aye, Smithe here.

Colin, I need you to take a team over to Invincible and see if you can get their cloak working again. Take whatever and whoever you need.

Aye Captain. Several are off cycle. I’ll put ‘em back to duty.

See to it. Bridge out.

Horace, I’m sending a team over. We’ll see if they can help.

I hope so. I’d hate to be the only odd duck in the entire fleet.

Parras out. Jason Tully turned toward his con giving the next order. Mr. Price, drop us out of light speed. Com, signal the fleet.

Aye sir.

I wish we could transfer people and equipment ship to ship at light speed.

Some day Sinna. Jason looked back up at the view screen at the front of the bridge.

All ships acknowledging Captain.

Thank you Ensign. Jason leaned against the command console as he addressed the second officer of the Parras. Remember Sinna, this technology is so new we haven’t learned to work around all the issues we face with it. Breaking through the light speed barrier was a groundbreaking feat. Think how much different this war would have gone had we not been able to do this.

It’s likely this war may never have begun if we hadn’t, she replied with a smirk.

Commander, Tully said with a grin, you may have a point there.

Ship has dropped to space normal speed Captain.

Thank you Mr. Price. Jason turned and headed for the lift at the back of the bridge. Commander, he said as he stopped in front of the door, you have the bridge. Inform me when Smithe’s team is ready to depart.

Aye sir.

Captain off the bridge.

* * *

The cabin lighting was just enough to let her see the dark outlines of the built in furniture along the far wall of her cabin. She stretched, letting the soft fabrics caress her as she tried to shake off the last vestiges of sleep. She was ending her off cycle and would have to report to the science lab within two hours. It was a place she no longer relished, a job she no longer cared for. No, the job she did, the company it brought was another matter. She felt a nudge against her leg and she rolled up against the warm lump buried beside her.

‘Lieutenant Andren Cork, report to engineering.’

What now? Andren sighed as the voice from the ship’s com receded into the darkness. So much for a nice breakfast.

Do you have to go?

You heard the order Frank. It’s not like I can just ignore it. Smithe isn’t one to tolerate anyone not punctual.

He’s a stickler for details it would seem. Frank stretched letting his legs slide up against hers. I don’t know him all that well but…

Frank! she exclaimed as she pushed herself up off the bed.

What?

Your legs. They moved.

Moved?

Moved, damn it. What don’t you understand about the word moved?

I think it’s all the therapy Dr. Jenner has ordered. I have a lot more sensation than even a few weeks ago.

Why the hell haven’t you told me?

"It’s no big deal really.

No big deal? she screamed. Two months ago you couldn’t walk. You couldn’t even feel your toes. She grabbed her pillow and plowed it over his head. You jerk!

I’m tired though. That’s a lot of work to do when you haven’t done it in months. And the lack of sleep.

What about sleep? You sleep like a log.

Not lately. I’ve been tossing and turning. I’m having dreams that come and go, flashes of things I can’t put my finger too. It’s like a memory I can’t place."

Have you talked to Miles about it?

No, I’ll be fine. I just need some rest.

Lieutenant Andren Cork. Report to engineering, on the double.

Damn you Frank, she said as she let herself be pulled down toward him. She let her hands caress his chest and felt a soft kiss upon her cheek. We’re not done with this, she said as she pushed herself away. I’ve got work to do.

Frank Turner watched her nearly sprint out the door then rolled back over and pulled the thick blanket back over his shoulder. It was his off cycle.

* * *

The captain of the Parras leaned back into his seat, laid his hands on the desk and stared at the com panel in front of him. He was getting used to using the bridge conference room. He could see why Captain Joseph liked it. He punched up his last communique from Fleet Main and listened to it again.

"From Admiral Duley Connor, Fleet Main. To, Captain Jason Tully, Third Fleet. You are hereby ordered to abandon your mission and immediately return to the Caledonia system. You are to rendezvous with the Sixth Fleet in the Meritue system where Captain Johansen will take command of the combined force. We believe the Lorilon are massing for an attack. Elements within Fleet Main are looking to negotiate an end to this war. To many, that means capitulation. Godspeed Captain. End message."

How could it have gotten to this so quickly? If the telemetry readings were correct then it was possible New Caledonia, and by extension Fleet Main was no longer in existence. It was possible the message he received predated whatever happened there. Were they on their own? Was there anything to go back to? If Fleet Main was destroyed where would the military services report to? To whom? He pushed himself away from the desk letting his hands fall to his lap. For all he knew he had no superior to report to, at least in a formal manner. If New Caledonia was no longer standing, how would the fleets coordinate their movement, their tactics? He turned and looked again out into the star field as the Parras sat motionless, dead in space.

Captain?

Yes?

The shuttle has made its way over to Invincible.

Very well Sinna. Resume course and speed.

Aye sir. Sending orders to the fleet. Bridge out.

Jason Tully felt the slight vibration ripple through his frame as the main engines spiraled up and heard the almost imperceptible hum of the inertial dampeners as they engaged. The points of light sprinkled about the blackness of the heavens blurred as smeared streaks of white paint across an artist’s canvas as the Third Fleet approached the speed of light and again started on their journey home, if indeed it still existed at all.

* * *

The stars receded from his vision as he watched their travels from the viewer of his cabin. It was a sight he never tired of in all his years of service. He pulled himself away back into his new reality. The light within was slightly above subdued. That’s the way he liked it. Now that his command was in limbo, Stuart Joseph somehow found he preferred the relaxed atmosphere. Gone was the harshness of the bright lights that encompassed nearly every common area of the ship. Only the crew cabins were regulated to personal preferences.

He was a student of books, something that was a throwback to the days of his youth. The technological age was swift and electronic screens filled with words, photos and art swept the worlds and the minds of the populace. The young were particularly adaptable. But that wasn’t how he learned from his father. He wrapped his hand around the bound spine of the notebook and placed it on his desk.

He studied the brown notebook he had kept from the days of his service aboard the Arrow class destroyer Imperial. It was his first assignment as an ensign. He let his hand fall to the leather cover and he opened it slowly, its pages nearly filled with notes of his quest. His quest; nearly a quarter century of exploration, of riddle solving, of ghost hunting. At one point his search for information almost took over his every waking minute when he wasn’t on duty. Even then it would silently intrude into his thoughts. This volume, this diary of his research matched the rhythm of his pulse every time he touched it. His eye caught a word from his own hand, ‘Nakamura’, and it brought back the memory of a failed opportunity.

Come. Joseph looked up at the chirp that signaled someone outside his cabin door. He nodded as his former first officer walked into his quarters.

Good evening Captain, Jason said as he strode casually into the room. He noted the subdued lighting and smiled as Captain Joseph closed the book in front of him.

What can I do for you Captain?

You know sir, that just doesn’t sound right coming from you.

But it is the truth Jason. You earned that post.

No sir, I took it from you. Jason let his head fall slightly.

I took it from me. It was my decision alone that led to my relief from duty. As captain you will need to understand how your decisions rest squarely on your shoulders. It is not something that can be pushed off to others. You accept that risk when you accept the captaincy.

I just came to see if there was anything you needed, Jason replied quickly. You have kept yourself sealed away since you removed yourself from medical.

Solitude is a pleasure from which I have long abstained. Joseph leaned back into his seat and folded his arms across his chest. Besides, I do not wish to be a distraction to your command.

I appreciate that sir, however I do not believe you would be.

Oh, but I would be. Out of habit they would look to me where I no longer command. A ship can have only one captain, one voice. That voice is now yours. Joseph slipped the leather notebook off the desk letting it come to rest on his lap.

I have seen that book before Captain.

I’ve not been very good at hiding it, have I?

But you have, Jason replied with a nod and a grin. I’ve only seen glimpses of it here and there. I’ve always been curious but I had no wish to intrude. He inhaled slightly and held his breath hoping the long hidden secret might at last be revealed.

It’s not so much a secret as it is, well, a personal quest of sorts. Joseph brought the book back up and laid it on the desk letting his hands obscure the cover.

If you don’t mind my asking, is it a journal?

No, not really. Joseph looked up with a shy smile. It suddenly felt as if all the pressure in the world were lifted from his shoulders. The duties of command and now a quest he had held so private as to be the very secrets of the Home World defenses themselves were peeled away one by one and laid bare. He looked down at the back of his hand as it slid away, the book now open to the light.

What is it sir?

It is a journal of the hunt for a ghost.

A ghost, Jason said smiling. I didn’t think you believed in that sort of thing.

Not that kind of ghost Jason. He leaned forward and opened the worn cover revealing the yellowed pages filled with handwritten notes. Joseph took the open edges in his fingers and let them slide past his thumb as they fanned across to the other side.

What kind? Jason’s eyes narrowed as he cocked his head to the side. I don’t get it.

Have you ever heard of a story of a ship that doesn’t exist? Joseph leaned back and let his hands come to rest on his stomach.

Can’t say that I have sir.

Have a seat. Joseph stretched out his arm pointing to a chair across the desk.

Thank you. The new captain of the Parras sat down across from his mentor and leaned forward. What’s this about Captain?

Many years ago when I started out in the service of the fleet I heard a rumor about a starship.

Your ghost ship.

Yes. But it didn’t have a name. That was the curiosity of it. At first I thought it just an oddity and I never heard about it again, at least for a year. Then, as I was doing some historical research I came across a brief reference to this unnamed vessel again. It was vague with no supporting details. For days I combed the record trying to pull some other reference or detail out of the writings but I could find nothing, at least nothing I understood.

Intriguing sir. And this book?

It is all the notes and details I have scribbled and written over the years in my quest to find out more about this starship.

Are you sure that’s what it is Captain?

Positive. Joseph stood and looked down at his book. He turned and faced the viewer watching the stars recede into the blackness. I finally realized that at my level of commission I had limited access to any data I would need to track down my ghost ship. So, I began to take notes of anything that remotely referenced this starship no matter how insignificant, no matter how trivial. As I rose in rank I had access to more and more research and high level documents, yet still, any mention of it were nearly non-existent.

Then it seems you truly were chasing a ghost, Captain. Jason stood and walked up beside his mentor. It seems I have fallen into the trap of captains.

And that is?

The pull of the stars. I find myself letting my thoughts empty as I watch the stars from aboard the Parras.

It does seem to be an occupational hazard, Joseph replied. I have found it is about the only time my mind is at rest.

How long before we reach the Home Worlds?

We have nearly three weeks of duty cycles yet before we enter our space. Jason Tully stepped back letting his captain stand alone before the viewer. I have duties to tend to Captain. Please call if there is anything you need.

I will be fine Josh, Joseph replied as he turned away. I require nothing. Joseph turned back to his desk as his former first officer walked out of his cabin. He leaned in grabbing his notebook and let his fingers flip through the worn pages. He pulled his hand away as the last fell and his eyes again held a single word; ‘Nakamura’. In three weeks he would have the chance he missed ten years ago. Damn this war, he muttered aloud.

Chapter Two

Ship’s Business

Captain on the bridge.

Lieutenant Commander Joshua Dunne turned at the announcement and nodded as the captain entered the bridge from the rear turbo lift. He turned his attention immediately back to the screens of the command console.

Report, Tully said as he stepped up to the console.

Fleet is dropping from light speed Captain. The first officer of the Parras stood and stretched, reaching for the overhead bulkhead. He let his arms fall back down and shook his shoulders. Sorry Captain. I pulled a long cycle to help Sinna. Just a little tired. Jason nodded and watched as the stars once again became pinpricks in the blackness as the Third Fleet slowed to space normal speed. Smithe and his team are ready to shuttle back from Invincible.

Have they found anything?

They were able to fix the problem, at least for now. Smithe thinks they should be stable until we return to Home World space.

When is Commander DuClair returning to her bridge crew?

Right now Captain. Tully turned as Sinna stepped off the lift onto the bridge. Sorry sir, I had a bit of an issue and was down in medical.

Everything okay? Jason asked.

Yes sir. Ready to relieve you Commander, she said turning to Joshua Dunne. Sinna stepped up to the command console and placed her hand on the sensor. The green light blinked to red, then back to green again. The computers voice announced the change. ‘Lieutenant Commander Sinna DuClair has assumed command of the Parras’.

* * *

The shuttle broke the shield of the force barrier entering the cavernous hanger moving directly down the center line before finally sliding to the starboard side where its runners touched down to the hard deck. The smell of the charred engine housings filled the bay with its acrid vapors which were quickly exhausted into space. The hatch opened and the gangplank fell away with a resounding metallic clank as the railings hit their mark, yet even that was drowned out by the cacophony of sounds from the hustle and bustle of the repair crews.

Andren Cork looked out into the bay as she stopped at the top of the stair. She was tired. They had worked nearly two full cycles trying to fix the cloaking screens on the Invincible. She felt tired, and dirty. She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. It felt greasy and stringy. All she wanted was a bath although on a starship, that was nothing more than a hopeless dream.

You just going to stand there? Smithe said with a tired smile. He brought his hand up and grabbed her shoulder. He was gaining a new respect for her. She wasn’t anything like he originally thought she was. His ideas of most of the science personnel were less than complimentary but her work on the cloaking screens and the time she spent in engineering had given him a new appreciation for her skills and insight. He was impressed.

Sorry, she replied with her own tired smile. I just hope I’m not on a duty cycle.

I wouldn’t worry about it. I know I’m up though. Just tell Danson you need to be off.

He won’t do that, she said as she started down the stair. We haven’t been on the best of terms recently.

Oh. Smithe slung his pack over his shoulder and started down after her. You can be excused from duty with the captain’s permission. Special circumstances and all.

I know. I just don’t want to upset the apple cart any more than I have. I suppose I can fight through one more cycle after I get cleaned up.

Suit yourself. Smithe looked up as they neared the bottom to see Frank Turner rolling quickly across the deck. Andren stopped letting his chair roll up to her. She dropped her pack letting it slide from her shoulder to the floor.

What are you doing here? she asked.

I thought I’d drop in to give you a proper welcome upon your return, he replied with a smile.

Andren let a weary grim wash across her lips as she bent down to give him a small kiss on the lips, but Frank put his hand up. Startled, she recoiled with a disgusted look on her face.

Well, that’s hardly …

She stopped as Frank held up his hand again and smiled. He reached down to the