Redemption: Book 2 of Warner's World Read online

  REDEMPTION

  Book 2 of Warner’s World

  DAVE O’CONNOR

  Version 1.0

  WARP DRIVE PUBLISHING

  Cover –Courtesy of NASA - Clouds and sun glint as seen during the STS-96 mission from the Space Shuttle Discovery

  Published by Panther Games Pty Ltd Trading as Warp Drive Publishing

  ABN66 008 609 541

  3 Valli St Chapman ACT 2611, Australia

  Copyright © Dave O’Connor 2015. All rights reserved.

  The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  For Garry – all is possible.

  Contents

  Prologue. Hermes in warp to Chelora 1430, 20 June 2512

  Part 1 Resolve

  Chapter 1. Hermes 0955, 21 June 2512

  Chapter 2. Hermes 1000, 21 June

  Chapter 3. Hermes 0700, 22 June

  Chapter 4. Hermes 0800, 22 June

  Chapter 5. Hermes 0920, 22 June

  Chapter 6. Chelora 0926, 22 June

  Chapter 7. Klaster 2350, 22 June

  Chapter 8. Hermes over Doban 1110, 25 June

  Chapter 9. Hermes over Doban 1240, 25 June

  Part 2 Downfall

  Chapter 1. Hermes over Doban 1500, 25 June

  Chapter 2. Hermes in Warp to Zuon 2130, 25 June

  Chapter 3. Hermes in Warp to Zuon 0450, 26 June

  Chapter 4. Klaster 0840, 26 June

  Chapter 5. Hermes in Warp to Zuon 1430, 26 June

  Chapter 6. Hermes in Warp to Zuon 1610, 26 June

  Chapter 7. Hermes in Warp to Zuon 0612, 27 June

  Chapter 8. Klaster 0645, 27 June

  Chapter 9. Hermes in Warp to Zuon 0730, 27 June

  Chapter 10. Hermes in Warp to Zuon 1145, 27 June

  Chapter 11. Klaster 1530, 27 June

  Chapter 12. Hermes in Warp to Zuon 1600, 27 June

  Chapter 13. Hermes in Warp to Zuon 1900, 27 June

  Chapter 14. Hermes over Zuon 2003, 27 June

  Chapter 15. Hermes over Zuon 2105, 27 June

  Chapter 16. Hermes over Zuon 2300, 27 June

  Chapter 17. Hermes over Zuon 2330, 27 June

  Chapter 18. Whisky 1 descending to Zuon 2345, 27 June

  Chapter 19. Whisky 1 descending to Zuon 0340, 28 June

  Chapter 20. Whisky 1 at DZ on Zuon 0400, 28 June

  Chapter 21. Zuon 0500, 28 June

  Chapter 22. Zuon 0520, 28 June

  Chapter 23. Zuon 0710, 28 June

  Chapter 24. Hermes 0830, 28 June

  Chapter 25. Zuon 0910, 28 June

  Chapter 26. Hermes 0915, 28 June

  Chapter 27. Zuon 0922, 28 June

  Chapter 28. Hermes 0924, 28 June

  Chapter 29. Zuon 0925, 28 June

  Chapter 30. Zuon 0940, 28 June

  Chapter 31. Zuon 1020, 28 June

  Chapter 32. Hermes 1115, 28 June

  Chapter 33. Whisky 1 1120, 28 June

  Chapter 34. Hermes 1245, 28 June

  Chapter 35. Hermes 1400, 28 June

  Chapter 36. Hermes 0500, 29 June

  Chapter 37. Hermes 0715, 29 June

  Chapter 38. Hermes 0830, 29 June

  Chapter 39. Zuon 1233, 29 June

  Chapter 40. Hermes 1800, 29 June

  Chapter 41. Hermes in warp to Klaster 1630, 30 June

  Chapter 42. Klaster 1100, 13 July

  Chapter 43. Shuttle over Klaster 0840, 16 July

  Chapter 44. Nova Vista 0700, 24 July

  Chapter 45. Nova Vista 0820, 24 July

  Chapter 46. Nova Vista 1010, 24 July

  Chapter 47. Nova Vista 0910, 25 July

  Chapter 48. Nova Vista 1230, 25 July

  Chapter 49. Nova Vista 1615, 25 July

  Part 3 Penance

  Chapter 1. Nova Vista 1520, 27 July

  Chapter 2. Nova Vista 1400, 9 August

  Chapter 3. Hermes 1500, 9 August

  Chapter 4. Nova Vista 1000, 12 August

  Chapter 5. Nova Vista 2000, 23 August

  Chapter 6. Hermes over Raleigh 0400, 20 September

  Chapter 7. Chester Control 0930, 20 September

  Chapter 8. Chester 1115, 27 September

  Chapter 9. Chester 1830, 27 September

  Chapter 10. Chester 1600, 29 September

  Chapter 11. Hermes over Raleigh 0845, 30 September

  Chapter 12. Chester 0900, 20 October

  Chapter 13. Chester 1600, 25 October

  Chapter 14. Chester 2000, 20 October

  Chapter 15. Hermes over Bellan 1300, 11 November

  Chapter 16. Chester 1000, 10 December

  Chapter 17. Chester 1030, 20 December

  Chapter 18. Chester 1430, 21 December

  Chapter 19. Chester 1640, 22 December

  Chapter 20. Chester 1650, 22 December

  Chapter 21. Chester 0920, 23 December

  Chapter 22. Chester 0210, 24 December

  Chapter 23. Chester 0720, 24 December

  Chapter 24. Chester 1900, 24 December

  Part 4 Strive

  Chapter 1. Chester 0930, 25 December

  Chapter 2. Chester 2239, 27 December

  Chapter 3. Chester 1400, 28 December

  Chapter 4. Chester 1100, 1 January 2513

  Chapter 5. Over Raleigh 1000, 3 January

  Chapter 6. Hermes over Fulmar 0930, 8 January

  Chapter 7. Hermes over Fulmar 1300, 8 January

  Chapter 8. Redneck 45 in Warp to Turga 0410, 14 January

  Chapter 9. Wallacia 0630, 14 January

  Chapter 10. Wallacia 0935, 14 January

  Chapter 11. Wallacia 1700, 14 January

  Chapter 12. Wallacia 0750, 15 January

  Chapter 13. Redneck 45 over Xizu 1950, 15 January

  Chapter 14. Wallacia 0900, 16 January

  Chapter 15. Wallacia 1530, 16 January

  Chapter 16. Wallacia 1700, 16 January

  Chapter 17. Xizu 2015, 16 January

  Chapter 18. Wallacia 2030, 16 January

  Chapter 19. Hermes over Fulmar 0700, 24 January

  Chapter 20. Soln 1130, 24 January

  Chapter 21. Hermes over Fulmar 1315, 24 January

  Part 5 Danger Close

  Chapter 1. Wallacia 0430, 30 January

  Chapter 2. Redneck 45 over Xizu 1600, 30 January

  Chapter 3. Bane Metal Complex 1650, 30 January

  Chapter 4. Bane Metal Complex 1710, 30 January

  Chapter 5. Hermes over Zimar 1800, 30 January

  Chapter 6. Redneck 45 in Warp to Fulmar 1700, 31 January

  Chapter 7. Soln 0300, 1 February

  Chapter 8. Soln 0900, 1 February

  Chapter 9. Chester 1500, 1 February

  Chapter 10. Redneck 45 in warp to Fulmar 2230, 3 February

  Chapter 11. Soln 0510, 4 February

  Chapter 12. Soln 0700, 4 February

  Chapter 13. Chicago over Fulmar 1205, 4 February

  Chapter 14. Soln 1315, 4 February

&
nbsp; Chapter 15. Redneck 5 over Fulmar 1330, 4 February

  Chapter 16. Drakush over Fulmar 1400, 4 February

  Chapter 17. Soln 1440, 4 February

  Chapter 18. Redneck 45 over Fulmar 1500, 4 February

  Chapter 19. Soln 1510, 4 February

  Chapter 20. Redneck 45 over Fulmar 1520, 4 February

  Chapter 21. Chicago over Fulmar 1530, 4 February

  Chapter 22. Soln 1530, 4 February

  Chapter 23. Chester 1710, 4 February

  Chapter 24. Soln 1745, 4 February

  Chapter 25. Soln 0410, 5 February

  Chapter 26. Chester 0600, 5 February

  Chapter 27. Soln 0611, 5 February

  Chapter 28. Chicago over Fulmar 0655, 5 February

  Chapter 29. Chester February 0700, 5 February

  Chapter 30. Soln 0710, 5 February

  Chapter 31. Chester 0750, 5 February

  Chapter 32. Drakush over Fulmar 0830, 5 February

  Chapter 33. Chicago over Fulmar 1015, 5 February

  Chapter 34. Whisky 1 over Fulmar 1100, 5 February

  Chapter 35. Chicago over Fulmar 1105, 5 February

  Chapter 36. Soln 1140, 5 February

  Chapter 37. Whisky 1 over Fulmar 1250, 5 February

  Chapter 38. Romeo 3 over Fulmar 1335, 5 February

  Chapter 39. Chicago over Fulmar 1430, 5 February

  Chapter 40. Drakush over Fulmar 1450, 5 February

  Chapter 41. Hermes over Fulmar 1500, 5 February

  Chapter 42. Drakush over Fulmar 1505, 5 February

  Chapter 43. Hermes over Fulmar 1515, 5 February

  Chapter 44. Drakush over Fulmar 1520, 5 February

  Chapter 45. Hermes over Fulmar 1525, 5 February

  Chapter 46. Whisky 1 over Fulmar 1535, 5 February

  Chapter 47. Soln 1700, 5 February

  Chapter 48. Drakush over Fulmar 1900, 5 February

  Part 6 Deliverance

  Chapter 1. Soln 1300, 6 February

  Chapter 2. Chester 1130, 12 March

  Chapter 3. Chester 1230, 12 March

  Chapter 4. Chester 1000, 13 March

  Chapter 5. Chester 1730, 15 March

  Chapter 6. Chester 1800, 20 March

  Chapter 7. Chester 0828, 21 March

  Chapter 8. Chester 2345, 21 March

  Chapter 9. Chester 0930, 22 March

  Chapter 10. Chester 0855, 23 March

  Before You Go

  Acknowledgements

  Book 3 of Warner’s World

  Warnerpedia

  Extract

  Prologue In warp to Polaris 2330 hours, 16 April 2513

  Part 1 Bliss

  Chapter 1. Nova Vista 1800, 21 April 2513.

  Chapter 2. Nova Vista 1930, 21 April

  Chapter 3. Nova Vista 2200, 21 April

  Chapter 4. Nova Vista 0610, 22 April

  Chapter 5. Nova Vista 0720, 22 April

  Chapter 6. Nova Vista 1430, 22 April

  Chapter 7. Nova Vista 0930, 23 April

  Chapter 8. Nova Vista 0820, 25 April

  Prologue. Hermes in warp to Chelora 1430, 20 June 2512

  Lieutenant Commander (LCmd) Art Simons sits at his small desk in his small cabin aboard the Federation Fleet Ship (FFS) Hermes, where he is the political officer. The former Special Forces soldier and spy kicks off the video yet again. The head cam footage jerks about but that’s to be expected. His eyes focus on the image of the blast doors at the end of the tunnel. Beyond the doors a shaft leads to the Klaster facilities entrance, which had just been overrun by the sleth.

  He watches the image of First Lieutenant (1st Lt) Sue Chalker, his fiancé, running forward to the first portable shield, which was embedded into the floor of the tunnel not 30m from the entrance. Despite the fact that he has seen this before, he still jerks his head back and holds his breath as the doors are blown out and a large chunk of metal hurtles towards her.

  He exhales and comes back upright as it whistles past her head. His breathing quickens in anticipation and he finds himself gripping the desk in front of him as the shock wave from the blast lifts her body and flings it like a rag doll twenty metres into the side wall of the tunnel. He feels tortured but compelled to watch as her body slumps to the ground completely motionless.

  The pulse cannon fires from Tango 4, the battlewagon in support of Sue’s group. It tears across from somewhere back behind the camera and then slams into the gap in the blast doors.

  Art leans forward now paying particular attention to the hole in the doors and the stream of air and dust that is being sucked out of the tunnel by the decompression. He can feel his chest tighten. He knows this is adding to his stress but he is determined to see this through for he must confirm whether his beloved has a chance of survival.

  The vision is marred by all the debris. ‘Is that dark blob her body?’ he asks himself. ‘It looks like something rolling end over end.’

  “Tango 4 cease fire” hails someone.

  “Oh shit”.

  “Stop firing for fuck sake.”

  “Christ we’ve lost Chalker.”

  Art slows down the replay. He swallows hard as he watches the dark blob slam into the doors. The dust settles and Art leans closer to the display. He scrutinises the next frames watching the dust and debris settle to the floor of the tunnel. Despite the movement of the camera angle Art is for the first time in this long session confident that the position she has slammed into is in fact the great whole rendered by the blast and not the doors. He leans back and nods his head emphatically. “Yes!” he says “she’s alive.”

  He breaths in deeply and says to himself ‘and I will do whatever it takes to get you back my love, whatever it takes.’

  Part 1

  Resolve

  I have seen the past and learnt from my mistake

  I know now the objective I must pursue

  I have gathered together what I think it will take

  I have the resolve to see this through

  The enemy’s plan has been dissected

  But there is still risk in what we do

  A course of action has been selected

  I am resolved to see it through

  Chapter 1. Hermes 0955, 21 June 2512

  Captain (Capt) Dave Warner left his cabin aboard the Hermes – a light frigate of the Federation Fleet. He was above average height; of solid build with thick dark hair that he kept short less it take over the top of his head. He had slightly ruddy complexion and was clean shaven. His fiancé Commander (Cmdr) Rihan Kabel would say he had rugged good looks but she was biased.

  His blue eyes glanced across the corridor and could see that Commodore (Cdre) Julian Pious’ cabin was empty. Pious and Justine Packer, the Head of the Niku Council had already left for the briefing.

  A wry smile formed on Dave’s face as he reflected how the Commodore had given him and Rihan Kabel such a hard time when they were trying to carry on a shipboard romance. Now he was the one shacking up and with a former enemy no less. But Dave’s attitude towards Pious had changed markedly since their initial frosty encounter. He would not give Pious a hard time over his apparent hypocrisy.

  In a way, Dave reflected, it was a symbol of the political union between the Federation and the Alliance. What was originally one empire, split into two camps, was now unified again by the need to face a common foe. And they had faced that foe and defeated them on Klaster. Much of that victory was down to Pious’ resolve to stand firm, his uncanny assessment of Fleet personnel and his willingness to support them so that their strengths could have the maximum impact.

  As he strode down the corridor to the battle lab, he refocussed his attention onto the matter at hand. In 24 hours they would come out of warp on the edge of the Chelora Belt, where they believed the foe was based. They needed to finalise their plan of action.

  As he approached the battle lab door he could hear voices in muted discussion. Despite days of discussion they had not settled on the best course of action.

  ‘H
ow do we make a peace overture with an alien you cannot communicate with?’ he asked himself. A lot was riding on this next encounter and not just the future of humanity. ‘How do we rescue Sue if they spurn our offer?’

  Chapter 2. Hermes 1000, 21 June

  LCmd Ella Apell, his executive officer (XO), saw him enter first and called for silence. Ella was an Alliance officer posted to his ship as part of the rapprochement between the Federation and the Alliance. She was also a very attractive woman with ice blond Nordic looks and a fit and trim body.

  Dave acknowledged his first officer and nodded towards Pious and Justine. Pious was the senior political officer in the sector having been despatched from Earth to handle the settlement with the Alliance. He was lean and always maintained an erect back and good posture. Some would say he was a martinet but Dave knew there was a lot more to him than that.

  Justine Packer was the head of the Alliance Council in Niku on Beta Phi and had been Pious’ opposing number during the settlement negotiations. Known as the ‘ice-maiden’ she could be tough as nails but since her encounters with Pious she had shown a different, softer side.

  Dave was the senior operational officer. In theory he called the shots on operational decisions. But having a senior political officer on board meant he could not simply ignore Pious’ views. Thankfully Pious exercised a deft touch and so far Dave had no cause to be stressed. But now it was decision time.

  He addressed the planning team. “Alright everyone, thank you for attending.” Turning to his Ops Officer, Second Lieutenant (2nd Lt) Chase Hanlon, he said “Chase can you please sum up where we are at?”

  Chase was a young gun, a high achiever who had disappointed his father by seeking a position on a lowly frigate. He still had his boyish looks. A wide grin and a ready smile made it easy for him to form friends. And yet he had already been blooded in combat leading the initial assault on Alpha Phi. Every now and then he would massage the wound under his right shoulder.

  “Our mission is to make contact with the enemy with a view to reaching a peace settlement. If this is not forthcoming, then we are to report back, recon and harass the enemy and wait for the main fleet.” Chase looked across to his boss, noted the nod of his head and continued. “We have an agreed course of action should the peace overtures be rejected. What we need to finalise is the course of action for making contact with the enemy.”