The Assassins Guild II: Defending the Colonies Read online

  Allison walked up and smiled, “I believe a General can command us to do pretty much anything, Sir.”

  Tal looked at Allison and she rushed in and hugged him. His eyes widened, and she quickly said before he could speak, “I’ve never thanked you for saving my son and me from the Colony Assassin. Thank you, Sir.”

  Tal gave her a hug, “Is he doing ok?”

  “Yes. I think JJ witnessing his torturer die helped a lot.”

  Tal looked at Jee and Jan “Well, let’s take a break and go to the cafeteria.”

  Jee quickly asked, “Is it all right if Allison joins us?”

  Tal looked at Allison and saw her face turn red. “Sure. I’ll let Colonel Sato know I’m taking you out for a while.” Tal led them across the lab, informed Col. Sato of what was going on, and walked through the security gate with them.

  As they walked through the checkpoints Jee asked, “What are you up to now, Tal?”

  “I’m having another ship built and I’m going out to let some aliens know I don’t appreciate them killing your father and my wife.”

  Jee looked at Tal and said in a flat tone, “I’m going with you.”

  Tal stopped dead in his tracks and heard Jan say behind him, “So am I!”

  “Whoa!! Hold on a minute!! Neither of you are trained to operate a warship and Ka would kill me if I even thought about taking you out with me, which I am not doing.”

  Jee smiled, “Let’s discuss it in the cafeteria.”

  “There’s nothing to discuss!!” he insisted.

  “Tal, you aren’t the only one to lose someone on the Epy.” Tal turned and saw Jan’s determined look. Jee quickly said, “Why do you have to do it, Tal?”

  Tal stared at him in silence and finally said, “You know why I must do it.”

  “Then quit being an ass and recognize that we share the same reason,” Jan retorted.

  Tal looked at Allison, “What do you think about this?”

  “We’ve discussed it and I don’t want him to do it. He intends to join the navy if he must to get revenge against the aliens. He doesn’t sleep well, Tal. I suspect you don’t either. If he must go out, I’d prefer he do it with you. Ste and Sha would still be alive if you had been there.”

  Tal’s eyes moistened, “How do you know that?”

  “I know you.”

  Tal lowered his eyes and wiped them with his sleeve, “Ka will never…”

  “We’ll handle Ka, Tal,” Jan interrupted. “Leave that to us.”

  Tal blew out a breath, “Let’s talk about this in the cafeteria.” He turned and headed toward the elevator.

  • • •

  After going through the serving line. They sat down at a table off to itself and Jee looked at Tal, “Jan and I will take my father’s and Sha’s place as your crew.”

  “You’re assuming I’m going to do this, Jee. I haven’t made that decision…yet. What benefit would there be in taking you instead of two-trained sailors?”

  “Because we’re incredibly intelligent, talented, and good-looking to boot,” Jan said beside him.

  He turned to look at Jan and Jee said, “We learn quickly, and we’ve watched the Epy in action. We’re ahead of any sailors you might choose!” Jee said on his other side.

  Tal turned to him as Jan said, “And Jee is one of the best software scientists in the colonies. He might make the Epy Better.”

  Tal turned back to her just as Jee said, “And Jan was the head of the electrical generator development in one of the Colonies biggest industries.”

  Tal threw up his hands, “ENOUGH!! The two of you are going to give me whiplash. Jan move and sit beside Jee!” Jan picked up her tray and moved around the table beside Jee. Tal stared at Jee and said, “I do remember you telling your father that you had recently been promoted. What was that about?”

  “I was promoted to write the software for self-flying air-transports.”

  Tal’s eyebrows came down, “Say what?”

  “The current self-flying air-transports in the colonies are fast but can’t come close to the speed of air-transports controlled by the drivers. I was developing software to increase the speed of self-flying air-transports to better than ten-thousand-miles-an-hour.”

  Tal stared at him and thought about a missile’s guidance system. Was Jee someone he could use? Tal began telling them about the new missile he envisioned, and they listened quietly, occasionally asking questions. At the end, Jan looked at Jee, “The missile he’s describing would only work against an alien warship in orbit above a planet. Using it in conjunction with the ship taking out the alien’s phase field in open space would be dangerous.”

  Jee nodded, “How would you do it?”

  Jan thought a moment and then said, “I’d install a pulse cannon in the nose of the missile and have it take out the phase field before arriving at the target.”

  “WHOA!” Tal exclaimed. “Our missiles don’t have room for a pulse cannon and the reactor needed to power it. It’d have to be three times larger than its current size.”

  Jan smiled, “I’m not so sure about that, Tal.”

  Tal stared at her with a surprised expression and managed to say, “Do tell?”

  Chapter Two

  Tal entered the lab the next morning and quickly glanced around. Jee and Jan were at their normal places, but he didn’t see Ka; he breathed a sigh of relief. Jee told him the previous day that they would discuss their plans with Ka that evening. He turned toward Colonel Sato’s desk and then glanced at Dr. Meier’s desk; Ka was standing up and headed his way. Dr. Meier was blocking his view of her when he entered the lab, but by her expression, he knew he was in for a rough time. She stormed up to him and Tal said with a smile, “Good morning, Ka.”

  “DON’T GOOD MORNING ME, ADAM TALENT! KILLING MY DAUGHTER WASN’T ENOUGH FOR YOU; NOW YOU WANT TO KILL MY OTHER CHILDREN!!”

  Tal’s expression turned angry, “You need to back off, Ka!! I told them that if you say no, then no it is!”

  “Why would you even consider doing this after Sha’s death!! You know how dangerous it is!!” Tal looked over Ka’s shoulder and saw Jee and Jan walk up but remain at a safe distance. Ka saw him looking and turned around. Their expressions said everything that needed to be said, “You’ve come between me and my children!”

  “Your children?” Tal asked.

  “You heard Ste tell me to take care of them. They’ve been living in my quarters and I consider them my family!!”

  “Then tell them no, Ka! That will put an end to this.”

  “Why have you put me in a situation where I have to do that?!”

  “I didn’t.”

  Ka put her hands on her hips, “YES, YOU DID!”

  “Ka, they told me they were going with me and wouldn’t accept no for an answer. I told them I wouldn’t allow it without your permission, did they tell you that?”

  “So, you put the onus on me to turn them down. Why didn’t you do it?”

  “Because I happen to believe it would be better if they did go with me.”

  ‘How can you stand there and say that?! Look at what happened to Sha!”

  Tal’s eyes revealed his hurt and then anger at her comment, “If you care to think about it for a moment, without saying something to cause me sorrow, you’ll realize I wasn’t with Sha when she died. If I were, she’d still be alive. Did they tell you they’ve been planning to join the Navy?”

  “Last night was the first I heard about it!”

  “That’s because they know you’ll do everything in your power to prevent it happening.”

  “Damn right, I will!”

  “Ok. You need to resign from your position here in the lab and spend your time raising your new children.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous! They’re fully grown adults.”

  “Who you won’t allow to make decisions about the direction of their lives. You told me that you are going to develop the tools to kill the aliens; you said that was your mission in life, were y
ou lying?”

  “What do you think?!”

  “Ka, you and I aren’t the only ones that lost someone we loved on Epy. They lost their father and they are driven to make the killers pay. Are their feelings less true than your own? In the short discussion I had with them, I saw they will join the Navy and if you try to stop them, you’ll lose them. Don’t tell me you don’t see that.”

  Ka glanced at Jee and Jan and saw the determination on their faces and the tension in their bodies. “Tal…”

  Tal interrupted, “Ka, would they be safer on one of Earth’s warships or on my ship?”

  “You’re getting another ship?”

  “You told me to get off my backside and get into the fight. Of course, I’m getting another ship. We must make the aliens believe it was another civilization that was scouting them. If they don’t see any more ships like Epy, they’ll figure out Earth built it. This has to be done.”

  “They don’t know anything about operating a warship.”

  “Neither did I before we took the Epy out,” Tal responded. “One thing I know, they are extremely smart, and it won’t take them long to learn. However, tell them no, so I can stop hearing you yelling at me. The entire lab is staring at us and I’m over this, you are embarrassing me and them!!” Ka looked around and saw he was right. Tal continued, “Do you think I want them to go with me? I didn’t, because I knew how you’d feel about it. Will they be safer with me than in a large warship? Yes, they will! I’m not as stupid as you think!”

  “I know you’re not stupid!” Ka quickly replied.

  “Then freaking start acting like it and think about what’s best for them, instead of yourself!”

  Ka lowered her head, “You could have told them no.”

  “That would only delay the inevitable, Ka. Then you’d have to tell them no, to joining the Navy. Of the two choices, being with me is the better one. I was hoping you’d see their determination and think it through.”

  ‘I’m not thinking anything through, Tal!”

  Tal sighed, “I understand why, Ka. I miss her so much, too.”

  Ka looked in Tal’s eyes, “Will you promise to keep them safe?”

  “I can’t do that, Ka; war is never safe. But I will promise to protect them; I won’t make the same mistake again.”

  “Mistake?”

  “I should have never allowed Sha to go out without me. That won’t happen again.”

  “You’ll protect them?” Ka asked.

  “With my life. Ste deserves it and so do you.”

  Ka turned from Tal and looked at Jee and Jan, waving them over. They walked up, and Ka put her arms around them, “Is there any way I can persuade you to not do this?”

  Jee shook his head, “No, Mom. We’re determined to make the aliens pay for killing our father.”

  “Then I won’t stop you from going with Tal.”

  Their smiles were instant, and they hugged Ka tightly. She held on to them and looked at Tal, “Please…keep them safe.”

  “I’ll do everything within my power, Ka.” Ka nodded and walked away.

  Jee turned to Tal, “What do we do now?”

  “Let’s go have a discussion with Admiral Montana, you’re not on my ship yet.” Tal led them out of the lab and through the security gates.

  • • •

  Duncan’s noticed the three of them walk into his office and waved them forward as he was speaking on the communicator. They heard him say, “This takes priority over every other project! Get it moving and don’t give me any excuses!!” Duncan ended the contact and turned to Tal, “We’ll have your ship built within six weeks.”

  Tal’s head jerked back, “How is that possible?! Epy took two years to complete.”

  “The first ship always takes longer to get things sorted out. Once the first ship rolls off the line, the next one is much faster. I’m hoping three Epy-Class warships will be ready in ten weeks. Yours will be the first one completed.”

  “That’s great, Duncan. I want to talk to you about the missiles we’re going to carry with us.”

  “What about them?”

  “Has Ka or Dr. Meier told you about putting a phase field in them to accelerate them.”

  “They have.”

  “And?”

  “There’s no way we can change the assembly lines in time before you shove off.”

  “Then could you hand modify some missiles.”

  “Tal, those missiles would only be effective with an alien warship in normal space. They wouldn’t affect one inside a phase field. They’d just pass right through it.”

  “Admiral.” Duncan turned to Jan. “I believe that it’s possible to modify the missile to take out the phase field before impact.”

  Duncan stared at Jan, glanced at Tal and saw him shrug before turning back to Jan, “I just said we couldn’t modify the missile assembly line. If you’re suggesting putting a pulse cannon in a missile, it can’t be done.”

  “Admiral, how large is the power system used by the missiles?” Jan asked.

  Duncan raised his left shoulder, “It takes up most of the space. There’s certainly not enough room for a reactor to power a pulse cannon. Why do you ask?”

  “I think I can show you a lot better than telling you. Will you go with me to the lab?”

  Duncan looked at Tal, “Couldn’t hurt, Duncan.” Duncan stood up and followed them back to the lab. Ka saw them enter and stood up, what were they doing back? She walked over and looked at Tal with raised eyebrows. Tal raised his hands, “I have no idea. Jan wants to show Duncan something.” They followed Jan past the force field scientists as she led them to a storage room, where they saw a large plastic covered box on a table.

  Looking down at the box, Jan started to explain, “I’ve been here more than a month and I’ve been bored to tears. To pass some time, I started a little project and finished it about a week ago.”

  ‘What is it?” Ka asked.

  “It’s the newest generator development in the colonies. I was working on it when Dad came and picked us up. Jee help me uncover it.” Jee and Jan pulled the plastic cover off and Jan used a packing blade to cut the box from around a small machine. Jan stepped back and held her hands out toward the machine, “Ta-da!”

  “What exactly is it?” Duncan asked.

  Ka examined the machine and looked up, “Jan, there’s no electrical conduit to power it.”

  Jan nodded, “Mom, don’t you have some small gravity units stored around here.”

  “Yes, but why do you need one?”

  “Pease, have one brought here.” Ka’s eyebrows were down but she lifted her communicator and began speaking. Jan looked at the others and smiled, “Admiral, how are our warships powered.”

  Duncan snorted slightly before answering, “The tried and proven method of using nuclear reactors to heat an expansion fluid to turn the turbines in multiple generators. Those generators power everything from the ships internal systems to the pulse cannons.”

  “So, the heat from the reactors force the heated fluid through conduits to turn the turbines in a generator, thus producing the power needed to operate the ship. Right?”

  “That’s what I just said!” Duncan replied testily. “Is there a point here?”

  Jan saw a cart roll up with a gravity unit and she said, “Excuse me a moment while I get this hooked up.”

  Duncan turned to Tal, “What’s this all about?”

  “I don’t know. But this generator is one-tenth the size of the generators used on the Epy. Let’s give her room and see what she has. You know the colonies are far ahead of us technologically.”

  Jee went over and helped Jan move the cart as she moved the gravity tube into an opening on one end of the generator. She got it in place and looked around at numerous scientists that had gathered around them, “Does anyone have the instruments to measure high electrical output?”

  Dr. Meier spoke out, “I do. I’ll bring it over.” Dr. Meier walked away and quickly returned with a la
rge suitcase. He opened it and took out two cables. Where do you want these?”

  “Connect the positive cable to the orange lead and the ground to the black lead,” Jan instructed. Dr. Meier made the connections and turned on the power scanner in the suitcase. Jan looked around, “What is the maximum power a generator on a warship can make?”

  Duncan answered, “More than a hundred-thousand-volts.”

  Jan looked at Jee standing beside the gravity unit, “Turn it on, Jee.” Jee flipped the switch and everyone heard a loud whine that turned into a high frequency squeal. Jan shouted, “Give it a moment to catch up.” Everyone had their hands over their ears. After about twenty seconds, the loud squeal disappeared. Jan turned to Dr. Meier, “What’s does the scanner have on it.”

  Duncan walked over and looked at the dial. His head went back slightly, “This isn’t possible!”

  Ka walked over and studied the display. The power needle was moving past two-hundred-thousand-volts and was still climbing. She jerked her head around to Jan, as she turned to Jee, “Reduce the gravity push.”

  Jee turned a rheostat and the power reading began leveling off at three-hundred-thousand-volts.”

  Duncan stared at the reading and turned slowly to Jan, “How is this possible?”

  “In the generators you’re currently using, an extremely hot fluid rushes through the turbine housing under pressure. It exits and begins the cooling process before it’s routed back to the reactor to be reheated. There is a tremendous amount of friction in a fluid system. In this generator, the turbine is anchored in a frictionless coupling and is exposed only to the push from the gravity unit. The turbine turns at speeds thought theoretically impossible and isn’t degraded over time by the hot fluid used in current generators.”

  “What’s the upper limit on this generator, Ka asked.

  Jan shrugged, “This generator could generate more than half-a-million volts. And please note that it’s being powered by a gravity unit using a hundred and twenty volts.”

  “This defies about every law about conservation of energy!” Dr. Meier said firmly.

  “Those laws were written with friction and electrical resistance as part of them, Doctor,” Jan responded. “This generator doesn’t use electricity to power it and the turbine operates without friction. Gravity turns the turbine and that force is immune to friction.”