CHAPTER 17

Kvel Mavek received the report of the Hrang patiently, but skeptically. She knew as much about Alexander as any member of the Alliance and the thought of Terran assassins dispatching the Terran Overlord drew a nervous guffaw from her thin lips especially after the first failure. “You expect me to understand that you are going to continue this drive to assassinate Alexander of Terra? I can perhaps understand our lack of foresight in supporting the first attempt. That failure should only have reminded us that this is the same Alexander who was sent to die on Pantrixnia and would have ended up ruling that hellish place had he not had a galaxy to conquer! I celebrate the bravery of your people in the support of this operation, but I cannot see the logic in continuing it.”

“It was approved, Madame Pro Consul, by yourself and the council,” the Hrang Ambassador reminded her. “That is inclusive of each of the three particular occasions your Mystics provided us. In each of these instances Alexander was seen to be susceptible to such a desperate deed. We cannot prevent our present course from continuing, Madame Pro Consul. Your own Mystics have warned us that once we start upon such a desperate course in the timeline it is better to carry it through. We therefore respectfully request that you, Madame Pro Consul, ask to speak with Alexander personally.”

“That is uncharacteristically devious of you, Ambassador, I congratulate you on your ability to wheedle me into a corner,” the Pro Consul replied. She thought silently for a moment and then pointed to her own personal involvement, saying, “You know very well that Alexander considers it beneath his station to address us. He’s made his demands, and he expects obedience, or war. What shall entice him to talk?”

“Hopefully nothing, if he is dead,” the Hrang told her, “but we should at the very least be able to gain some insight into the event’s conclusion by attempting contact.”

“Very well, I will take a personal hand in this. I must say though that despite your surprising cunning and the bravery of your people I now consider this a futile and dangerous exercise!” The Pro Consul replied. “Like as not it will just make him angry. Maybe, however, even that will be to our advantage. Our intelligence from the Terran interrogations has shown that heaping difficulty upon difficulty onto the Terran psyche can have its effect. Our fleets are once again massing on the Terrans, and even Alexander can find no advantage in defending three separate fronts. Now if we pressure his person, even if not successful, we may be sowing the seeds for his demise. It is a distant hope, I’m afraid, but not an unrealistic one. Very well, Ambassador, I will play my part. Give me the time for my address so that I may prepare, and have our best analysts ready to read the Terran message!”

#

Alexander was happy to get the irritatingly ceremonial, but necessary, send-off of the colonists out of the way. New York was all a bustle with the momentous occasion, and the recent victory on the Golkos frontier only served to add to the festivity of the day and the exuberance of the crowds. Although New York was the centerpiece for this display of Terran migration, the Statue of Liberty being the perfect visual symbol of the event, emigrants were embarking on their ships all over the world. Scythian freighters were pressed into service for the emigration. In their vast hulls two thousand families were crowded together for the expected two to five day journey. Each ship carried a like complement of pioneers, entire neighborhoods with pre-established bonds and hierarchies. Each of the five hundred ships would travel to one of two hundred worlds, spreading Terrans as far and as wide as possible in these days of crisis. When each ship had deposited their precious cargo on a new, often Scythian occupied world, they would immediately return for another load. In all the initial plan called for two hundred million emigrants on over two hundred worlds, but initially Alexander and the Admiralty thought it wise to settle as many worlds as possible with viable populations.

The occasion could not pass without a few short words from the Overlord of the Empire, and the President of the Federation. Alexander kept his speech brief, but as usual pointed in reference and meaning.

“Citizens of Terra, I address you on a momentous day. Today Humankind sets off into the cosmos to stay. It is a moment, I think, for great reflection. What brought us to this opportunity, and what do we desire to accomplish now that it is here? The same qualities of Humanity which ensured that this moment would indeed happen are the same qualities we should export in this, our newest and most grand enterprise. A great opportunity is set before us and we dare not waste it. Let the colonization of the cosmos be done with the greatest qualities of Humankind, not the most petty. When you go forth remember your heritage and the roots of Terra. Remember what your ancestors have passed down in their culture, religion and philosophy. All these qualities defines us as individuals as well as Terrans and it is vital that such qualities be preserved.

Remember also the mistakes, prejudices and crimes of the past. Remember the agonies that millions upon millions of your brethren have suffered to get you to this moment in time. The tragedies of our ancestors must not be repeated. If you remember the glories of your once and future Homeworld, Terra, then remember also that she has blood on her hands. The memories of children murdered by war, lives undone by greed or prejudice, potential never realized through ignorance; all these crimes and more must remain a poignant memory. They are lessons from which to learn, but they are consequences that do not bear repetition. You are at the threshold of a new age, and you shall pass the threshold onto a new world: your world. Pride in your accomplishments, pride in your new world will come naturally and with great facility. Cherish and protect your worlds. See to their growth as equals, for Terra will not and should not rule from afar. You are, even as we speak, members of the Terran Empire with equal representation in the Senate. View such an occasion with the merit it deserves. You know my mind. I wish you all well in your endeavors.”

The idea was grand, the logistics vast and rushed, but despite the uncertainty, the complexities, and the crisis which propelled it the departure of the Scythian ship was breathtaking. When she took to the airs amidst the blaring of horns, confetti and exuberant crowds Terran time stood still, and a long awaited dream became reality.

Alexander left New York for Newport News shortly thereafter. The tour of the shipyard was less emotional, and did not require a speech, so he enjoyed it that much more. Plus, Admiral Augesburcke had a surprise for him. He brought Alexander and Nazeera to a dry-dock where the huge hulk of a battleship sat on blocks. The design meant nothing to Nazeera’s eyes, beyond her surprise that the Terran’s did not accomplish the construction in the relative ease of a space-dock. To Alexander, however, the sight was as strikingly familiar as it was unexpected.

“I thought our battleships had been completed long since, Admiral. Is this new construction or simply repairs?”

“Oh it’s quite new, Alexander. Don’t tell me you don’t recognize her? After all it was your suggestion which prompted us to go get the old girl.” Augesburcke grinned at Alexander’s perplexed stare. The Overlord thrust his fist on his hips and examined the ship minutely, as if his manner would force her identity into the open. There was no name or registry on her sharp prow. The ship had been stripped to bare metal. Though he thought he should know it, he finally he shook his head, unable to answer the riddle.

“You disappoint me, Alexander, it’s the Bismarck.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No, the deep water preserved her well and we put back together what the Brits broke. I reiterated your comment to Doctor Hashimoto; the man has a damnable way of turning the most impossible schemes into something practical. He took off on his own and had the Scythian’s tractor her out and fly her here; no small task I tell you. It took three of their ships to do it. You may wonder why we’ve gone to the effort, but after our victory on the Golkos frontier we’ve investigated some of our secondary plans with more vigor. We were finishing off the last of the destroyers, corvettes and frigates out there, but there were absolutely no more big guns and as you pointed out that is what we really need. This is an experiment. Currently we have the Bismarck, the Ostfriesland, the Graf Spee, the Mutso and Nagato in various stages of refit. It’s not an entirely new idea. The Norwegians and the Danes beat us to the punch years ago. The Danes raised three German battleships from Scapa Flow in 1920, and the Norwegians did the same in 1946. The Norwegian projects were newer, the old Tirpitz and Blucher, now Thor and Odin respectively. It’s not a great number, but it is something. With the Alliance coming and our fleets scattered all over the cosmos we need every ship we can get. Next door to the Bismarck you can see the “Ostfriesland.”

“The ship Billy Mitchell sunk in his proof of air power,” Alexander nodded.

“Exactly, she’s our shallow water test project,” the Admiral told him. “Unlike the Bismarck the Ostfriesland was in warmer shallow water. We want to see how she takes to the Tritium bath process after that much more punishment. The Bismarck seems to be holding up just fine. We expect her to fly tomorrow. Come on up, then you can see our other projects from the bridge. I think you’ll approve.”

The party entered the maze of the Bismarck. Workers were everywhere bolting in equipment, tuning visiplates, and running tests. The party tried to stay out of the way, but the presence of Alexander himself was too much. Some tried to snap to attention, others just stared. Alexander had a word for all of them, accompanied by a curl of a smile and a pat on the shoulder. Finally they reached the bridge and Alexander was rewarded with a the one place on the ship that was devoid of activity. It was eerily quiet compared to the chaos in the rest of the ship.

“The new boards will be going in this afternoon,” Augesburcke told him. “The layout is complete and so we have the place to ourselves for the time being. Here’s what I wanted to show you. Some view, eh?”

Alexander followed Augesburcke to the transparent aluminum that served as the bridge windows and viewers. Beyond was the bustle of the dockyard. Destroyers, frigates, and the like were all lined up; each with its swarm of machinery and humanity crawling over their bulk like crabs on the carcass of a whale. The Admiral pounded his fist on the new metal of the bridge.

“She’ll work out just fine. There’s nothing like the bridge of a battleship. We’ve been lucky, Alexander, extraordinarily so. Look on the other side of the dockyard. You know how we talked about using the carriers as nuke platforms? Truth to tell it always seemed like a waste of a big proud ship. After re-addressing the issue with our present needs in mind we came up with one better. Remember how the first carriers were actually converted from cruiser hulls? Well, we reversed the process. It’s taking longer than we hoped but I think we’ll have them done on time. Look out there just beyond the old Graf Spee. Recognize her?”

Alexander looked across the harbor. Rising enormously over the superstructure of the pocket battleship he saw the rakish lines and gleaming flat top of what could be nothing but the Enterprise. Her old phased array superstructure was amidships atop new tiers of steel. Upon the raw platforms turrets were being built. Even now there were three in place on the foredeck and Alexander could see two more being readied aft of the bridge.

“The superstructure and platforms are the big jobs. The turrets are the simple part. We manufacture rotating turrets for cranes all over the world. It was no big thing to find some on a scale consistent with our needs. The rifle barrels of our old guns were stressed for powder discharge. Nice but unnecessary for their new use. They’re just part of the mounting and focusing process for the projectors now. We didn’t have to go into an extensive milling process to produce new rifle barrels. We did lose the capability to mass launch the nukes, however, but we’ve got an idea for that. That construction is taking place in California. We’re lifting oil rigs into space, Alexander. Crazy, but the rigs are to be used to launch the nukes en masse. Where there’s space for a missile we are strapping it on.”

“Ingenious, Admiral. That is a truly outstanding scheme. I must say I like the carrier concept. If there’s one thing we need its battlewagons. How many projectors will the Enterprise mount?”

“Fifteen level forty-three blasters.”

Nazeera shook her head. “Level forty-three? You cannot be serious. Level thirty-seven is as large a projector as exists. The Scythians are not being wholly honest with you if they sold you blaster projectors rated at anything over level thirty-seven, Admiral.”

“Oh they sold us level thirty-seven blasters, Elder, but we’ve made some improvements. These are still force nine projectors, so they generate the same amount of power as they standard Galactic projector, but Dr. Hashimoto and his team have improved the efficiency from level thirty-seven to level forty-three. That’s roughly twenty-one percent on the curve, I believe. The modifications are being implemented fleet wide of course.”

“That is sobering, Admiral,” Nazeera sighed. “Your new ships will triple the broadside of any Galactic battleship. That, Alexander, is awe inspiring. You cannot rightly call such a warship a battleship. It is absolutely incredible. I almost pity Khandar.”

“That should even the odds somewhat when the Alliance fleets get here,” Alexander mused. “I assume we’re doing this to all of our carriers? How many of the super-carriers like the Enterprise are there? The American fleet had thirteen active I believe. It’s something, but probably not decisive.”

“We’re better off than that, Alexander. There are actually twenty-one big carriers, including the Enterprise and the French carrier Clemensau which we’ve classed together. They’ll all host fifteen blaster projectors. There are, however, another forty-two mothballed carriers, the old Forestall class and the like. We’re loosely classing them by the ship’s length. The smaller carriers will be modified in the standard battleship layout of nine level forty-three blasters and be re-classified accordingly. You can see one of them just on the other side of the Enterprise. It’s the old Enterprise from World War Two. She’s was supposed to be scrapped along with the majority of our other ships after the war but through CIA and DOD front companies she found her way to Cold War storage in Baffin Bay, Canada. We’re not quite certain what do about the duplicity of names. No one has the heart to rename either of them”

“Keep them as they are, Admiral,” Alexander smiled. “They can be distinguished by their nicknames. In World War Two they called her the “Big-E.” She took more damage than any other carrier and still survived the war. I believe the crews of the new girl call her the “Starship Enterprise.” Now that’s fitting.”

“Good enough. Now, with the other projects I think we can put up a total force of forty-two additional battleships and twenty-two super-battleships for the Seventh Fleet. That will give the Seventh Fleet seventy-eight heavies. By last count we’d knocked the Golkos-Seer’koh fleet down to seventy-three. That should even the odds a bit.”

“Excellent, Admiral! Excellent! But correct me if I’m wrong; twenty-two of the heavy battleships? I thought we had twenty-one.”

“We have twenty-one super-carriers that will become super battleships,” Augesburcke answered, biting his lip. “The extra is the Ark Royal. She’s not near the size of our other supers, but the Brits weren’t about to let the French have one without matching it.”

“Politics as usual. I can’t say I’m surprised. Oh well, I suppose there’ll be more of that before it’s all over.”

“As a matter of fact there is,” Augesburcke winced. “There are a significant number of nationals who are, how shall I say it, less than pleased that the flagships of our fleets are comprised almost entirely of American named ships. Its petty I know, but it is a point of jealousy. I wouldn’t have brought it up, but Dr. Koto seemed to think it important.”

Alexander bit back a politically incorrect remark and folded his arms. After a moment of reflection he asked, “Does Dr. Koto have any suggestions?”

“He never comes to the table without suggestions, that I’ll give him. In fact this is really rather well thought out. He suggests we rename the super-battleships for each continent with the emphasis being on great military leaders of the past. This way we can bring about a more homogeneous effort, satisfy our personal needs for representation and remind the Alliance that we have a well documented history of conquerors. The idea has been well received by all our member nations, although the American Navy was rather lukewarm.”

Alexander took the proffered list from Augesburcke and scanned the names. “Truth to tell, Admiral, I would have had you rename the Stennis and the Vinson regardless. Who ever heard of naming a carrier after a politician and letting names like Yorktown, Lexington, Hornet and Wasp languish? Well, this is interesting. The French renamed their ship Napoleon—obviously we need to pair it with the Iron Duke! We keep the Lincoln, but replace other registries with Shaka Zulu, Cyrus the Great, Caesar, Ramses II, Zhukov, Inca, Zhu, what’s this—Anzac? Now that’s odd. It’s got to be the Aussies, eh Admiral?”

“We don’t have a very old military history, though it is a proud one. We chose our common soldier as our representative instead of a specific leader.”

“I heartily approve, Admiral, but don’t be surprised if you see your name on this list one day. Alright, you don’t have to twist my arm, but I don’t know about this one. I see Alexander the Great on this list. I can’t help thinking a ship with that name would attract an undue amount of attention in battle? Somehow I can’t see this as one of Dr. Koto’s suggestions.”

“You cannot name a ship after Cyrus of Persian without satisfying the Greeks—politics.”

“Very well, you don’t need my approval, but I’ll give it my John Hancock anyway. I have only one condition. Let’s not call them super-battleships. That is just plain irritating.”

“We should stick with an appropriate nautical term. I would suggest we go with dreadnoughts after the ship of the name. When the Royal Navy launched the original Dreadnought she was as far beyond the battleship of the day as the Enterprise will be beyond the Iowa. She gave birth to what we call the modern battleship.”

Alexander smiled and nodded. “Excellent Admiral, I am now in a considerably better mood!” Alexander was genuinely impressed with all that Terra accomplished, and was actually less irritated with the political jockeying the dreadnoughts caused than he let on. He wanted every Terran to feel involved in the defense of their planet and this was a simple but effective vehicle. There was something about a ship that took its namesake with them. When it went into battle it carried the hearts and courage of its entire populace.

Satisfied, Alexander took the time to go down on deck, and for a while he and Nazeera walked the new steel plated decks of the Bismarck. He could not help but reflect on what it was like to be on the deck of one of the most famous ships in history, though Admiral Augesburcke informed him that there were some within and without the government who had second thoughts about reviving one of the symbols of transitory Nazi power. Alexander frowned, his mood dampened for a moment. Eventually he disagreed.

“It’s appropriate that we bring up the subject, for it would be far worse to forget it, but let’s not give up the chance to change the symbology. The old Bismarck and her crew fought without choice for an evil ideal. Let’s give her a chance to regain the honor of her name, and her namesake.”

“Can I quote you on that?”

“Certainly.”

“That’ll make a helluva sound bite!”

“Admiral I’ll never need a political analyst with you around,” Alexander smiled.

Nazeera was lagging a bit behind, examining everything about the ship closely. Occasionally she went to the rail to witness the work on the Ostfriesland. She viewed it suspiciously, as if there was something about the warship he could not accept. When Alexander asked about it she threw up her hands and confronted him.

“I have been mulling over your story about this Ostfriesland and Bismarck The immediacy of their design was at first unfathomable, but now I must believe you were serious. You mean to tell me truly, Alexander, that these ships were raised from your oceans? Impossible! Do you wish me to believe that your people built a space fleet from ocean going warships? Why Chem hasn’t had an ocean-only designed vessel on her seas in over nine hundred kicellia! How quickly did you build this fleet?”

“They’re actually modified, my dear. We could never have built this fleet from scratch. What’s it been, Admiral, considerably less than a year?”

“Considerably,” Augesburcke told him.

“Incredible!” The Chem Elder exclaimed, “and in this time you’ve learned to fight in space with the best Galactic warriors! I would not have believed it if I hadn’t known you Alexander. Yet that means when you faced me in Scythian space it was with a new untried fleet, and untried crews?”

“An untried fleet, yes; but the crews were for the most part veterans of war.”

“Yet you still would have fought us?”

“Of course,” Alexander told him evenly.

“Amazing, absolutely amazing,” Nazeera muttered shaking her leonine head. She looked at her husband and his Admiral, incredulous, and then she grinned, her sharp canines flashing in the sun and her eyes glowing with blue flame. “What unmitigated gall! I certainly married into a very worthy race!”

They left the Bismarck to the dockworkers and spent the night in the city. The next morning Alexander had a meeting with the body of the Terran Senate which largely concerned the emigration issues. Afterwards the party took a shuttle to the Iowa. Alexander’s shuttle was actually a modified Boeing 747. Its truncated wings held sub light engines now, but otherwise it was configured much the same as its atmospheric bound forefather. During the short fifteen minute trip Augesburcke summarized the tour and their situation with Alexander.

“We’ve just about tapped out the Scythian engine stock, and licensed production on Terra doesn’t begin until next month. We’ve pretty much got what we can use against the Alliance.”

“Will the dreadnoughts and your projects be ready if the Golkos-Seer’koh push forward?”

“They’ll be ready,” Augesburcke told him. “The work is progressing slower than we’d hoped initially. There’s clean-up, the replacement of machinery, a whole slew of factors we’ve discovered since we dove into the idea. The dreadnoughts also require significant additional construction. We can’t just slap them together, but they’ll be ready. Believe me, there’s no problem motivating our people.”

“So maybe another three squadrons, but the ships will be all dreadnoughts and battleships.” Alexander mused, and he shrugged. “Oh well, that’s more than I could have hoped for. It looks as though the Seventh will have to play the part of Indians on the Golkos-Seer’koh for a time. I have a feeling, however, that our schedule will be either very busy in the next week, or very empty. I’d prefer the latter, but we shall see.”