Attack: The Chohish Wars Read online

  Copyright © 2022 by G. J. Moses

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  ISBN 978-1-7341152-2-2 (Digital)

  ISBN 978-1-7341152-3-9 (Hardcopy)

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  First Edition 2022

  Front cover image by Damonza.com

  Book design by Damonza.com

  War is senseless. Death and destruction of the innocent must be prevented. Diplomacy has its place in the order of the galaxy. But it is much more robust with a strong military behind them. The Royal Galactic Navy prefers peace but is ready for war.

  Signed:

  Admiral Vyncis Rythey III

  Year 4227

  Contents

  Preface

  The Return

  Change

  Unexpected Guest

  Slipstream

  Foisa System

  Ship changes

  Aheikrays System

  Puzzle

  Onward

  Unknown

  Bombers away

  Goodbye

  Surprise

  New Allies

  Slipstream

  Recovery

  Preparation

  The Battle Begins

  Reinforcements

  Payback

  Battleship

  The Oxtaria Pulsar System

  The Endaens

  Deception

  Onslaught

  Reinforcements

  Engagement

  Snooping

  Chohish Prisoners

  Epilogue

  Preface

  Sailing through space, Captain Faustina Mcnamara of the Frigate Immortalite sat in her captain’s chair in deep thought. She was sipping a cup of hot coffee wrapped in her two hands, trying to keep sleep away. She was a tea drinker in normal conditions, but now, she needed something with a bit more caffeine. She had been in her chair for over ten hours straight.

  The main screen showed one of the slipstreams that bordered the Foisa System. Near the slipstream were a few dozen warships. The warships belonged to the Chohish empire, which had attacked the two occupied planets in this system without warning. The Chohish were a race unknown to humans at the time of the attack. The Chohish had killed indiscriminately without warning or provocation. Men, women, and children had died cruelly at their hands with no compassion.

  The Chohish had finally been driven off but only after the extensive loss of life. The two RGN Frigates, Cameleon and Immortalite, had been assigned to monitor their movements in a forward observation position.

  A human reinforcement fleet had arrived over the pair of planets in the Pandora system. Still, until additional units came, they hesitated to chase after the Chohish. They did not want to leave the two worlds undefended until the RGN could finish building their defensive platforms.

  Both frigates were in stealth mode, with several more frigates further back monitoring them with even more behind them. Probes, which had been placed strategically around the entire system, were suitable for some things, but not all. Having a human added as part of the monitoring process significantly increased the accuracy of the data obtained.

  It had taken close to a month to get the Immortalite in its current position to relieve another frigate that had developed engine problems.

  Up until a day ago, the activity had been minimal. Boring would be more accurate. The Chohish would rarely move, and even then, not far, and would return to their original location after a short timeframe. Faustina believed the movement had been for engine maintenance, something they would have done typically too. The frigates had nothing new to report, and most crewmembers were bored senseless, having been assigned here for the last three months. They were close to rotating out when it happened.

  Faustina had been sleeping when the alert went off. Springing out of her bunk, she raced to the bridge without taking time to clean herself up or change out of her sleepwear. The bridge was a madhouse but organized nonetheless.

  “Status” yelled Faustina while racing to her command chair.

  Suddenly, the lights overhead changed to red. The alarm sounded an alert until the ensign turned it off as a signal from the captain.

  “We are detecting half a dozen destroyer-sized ships heading in our direction. Their speed is increasing rapidly,” a now anxious yet eager Lieutenant Brandt responded.

  If the situation were not dire, the captain would have laughed. Times like these are what personnel in frigates dreamed on. Dangerous as all hell, but usually the first to see action. They were not here to fight; they could, as they were not defenseless. But that was not their primary purpose. They were the eyes and ears of the fleet. When attacked, they ran. And few ships could outrace them.

  “Move to starboard, slowly, and stay within the speed required to maintain stealth protocol. Let’s see if they actually know we are here or just fishing. And someone, please get some coffee delivered.”

  Hours later, they had moved hundreds of thousands of miles away from their original location and the path of the Chohish warships. Faustina knew this was not as far as she liked, but moving faster would have compromised their stealth protocol.

  They sat motionless for nine hours while the Chohish warships flew past and around the area they had been near. It was apparent the Chohish had suspicions someone had been in the area.

  “Could the earlier frigate be detected because of their engine problems? They had not sent any ships to the area the Chameleon was occupying. I will bet they detected some leakage. Unfortunately, this area was the best for monitoring the slip stream section where the Chohish were patrolling,” thought Faustina. “We did not need to be this close to monitor the present ships. The probes would have sufficed for them; it is what may show up that we need to be here for.”

  Sipping on her hot coffee, she was glad she had taken the time to change out of her sleepwear and clean up. Still, she could feel the oil buildup on the skin of her face and the bitter taste in her mouth from all the coffee she had consumed. They felt grimy no matter how much she rubbed her tongue on her teeth. She could have asked for stimulants from medical, but she did not want to use them until necessary. She always believed the drugs caused some loss of clarity even though medical denied that assumption. Then again, the coffee had a limited impact at this stage.

  She had a question: “if the Chohish had suspected or known we were here, why were they now trying to find us? What has changed?” Or, as her heart pounded as she believed she knew, “what was going to happen?”

  “Sensors, keep them locked on the slipstream. I suspect we will get visitors in a bit, “ the caffeine-jittery captain ordered.

  The bridge that had grown quiet now became a flurry of activity. The bridge crew came to the same realization as the captain from the tone in her voice. Some grinned, some laughed, but all dealt with the tension. But none were frightened.

  The crew on a frigate rarely got involved in an actual battle, but it did not mean they liked it. It was only in situations like this that made it all worthwhile—the fear of being detected and possibly seeing something monumental in the ongoing war.

  They were not disappointed. A few hours later, another alert sounded. This one was much quieter as it was only for the scanning station.

  “We are detecting incoming ship transitions. We have identified three new Chohish men of war who have transitioned through the slipstream. Power indications that additional ship
s are still incoming” responded first mate Lieutenant Felton Brandt.

  “Breakout of new ships?” asked Faustina.

  “All the same so far, matching what we identify as Destroyers,” responded the lieutenant.

  “Notification been sent? Chameleon reporting same?” asked Faustina as she nervously watched more ships arrive.

  “Notification sent with a point-to-point linkup. Cameleon reports they see the same. They have relayed the information to command,” reported Ensign Floy Dale.

  “More ships are transitioning. They are flooding through now, Captain; I am recording at least thirty additional with more still arriving. Breakdown forthcoming. Numbers are constantly changing,” an excited Lieutenant Brandt yelled while turning to look at the captain.

  “Easy Lieutenant, easy. We are all excited. Stay focused,” ordered Faustina calmly.

  Watching her crew, she could see they were all excited. But she needed to make sure they were paying attention to their surroundings.

  “Where are the original destroyers?’ she quietly asked. Usually, she would have to raise her voice to ensure she had their attention, but now, everyone was waiting on her orders. She could have whispered it, and they would have heard.

  “They are still circling our original location. There was no longer any doubt the Chohish knew we were there. If they search hard enough, they will pick up our lendolium trail. No matter how good we try to contain it, some escapes,” responded the sensor technician.

  “Then let’s move further back. Lieutenant Commander, if you would,” ordered Faustina.

  The feel of the ship moving was the only response given. Faustina smiled as she expected no less. Lieutenant Commander Bobby Rhodes had been her first mate for years and only spoke when he felt it was necessary. Moving the ship was his response. She would miss him when he got a command of his own. He deserved it as he was very good at his job and well-liked by the crew.

  But that was something to worry about in the future. The Chohish destroyers had picked up their trail. They had changed directions toward where Frigate Immortalitelay was in hiding before the sensor technician gave her the expected update. “Captain, we are going to have company. Several Chohish destroyers have split off from the main group and moving towards us.”

  “Sound battle stations and red alert. Take us out of here at maximum speed, Commander; it looks like it’s time to show our speed.” Faustina ordered. “Evasive maneuver, maximum thrust. I expect they will fire upon us once detection is confirmed.”

  The red alert signal flashed throughout the ship. All personnel hastened to battle stations or where they would lock themselves down. They had been through this drill so often that it was like second nature.

  The sudden movement starboard came as a shock to her system even though she expected it. Evasive maneuvers never gave warning which direction they would move next, as it was all determined by the ship’s AI, and their bodies paid the penalty. Especially in a small frigate.

  And none too soon. “Missile launch, wide dispersal” announcement went throughout the ship.

  “Well, the warning and data on the new Chohish ships went out. Now, our job is to survive,” thought Faustina.

  The Return

  Standing in front of the enormous galley window, he heard the click-clack of high heel boots making their way down the hall. He knew his guest by the perfume that preceded her without turning. It was just as appealing now as when he first smelled it so long ago.

  “I knew you would be here. Command pinged the room with notification the ships were near.” Jeanne de Clisson, Captain in the Irracan Navy, said as she sidled next to him.

  “I got the notification a few hours ago. Sorry, I did not want to wake you. Just because I could not sleep did not mean I should ruin it for you. I knew they would notify you when the ships were closer. And it was obvious where I would be, given our discussions the last several days. I had to see if it still showed the scars and resembled anything like the ship I once knew. I was astonished they didn’t scrap it, delighted, but still surprised. It looked unsalvageable when they towed it away.”

  “The bones were still good. And it has something that few ships have, which makes it worth the extra cost to repair.”

  Turning, Captain Zeke Kinsley of the Royal Galactic Navy looked at her, puzzled. “And what would that be?”

  Grabbing his right arm with both hands, Jeanne rested her left cheek against his shoulder. “Besides having a great warship reputation, it is now a symbol of what lengths the Royal Galactic Navy will go through for its people. The video of what the Lucky Strike looked like when they towed it away made every news broadcast on every human and Sorath world. Along with the story and sacrifice of the brave crew that staffed it. And that was after they sent a detailed video of the death and destruction on the two planets. You cannot just junk a symbol like that. Either of the two ships.”

  Smiling, she pointed out the window. “Now, that is one beautiful ship.”

  Startled, Zeke swung back to look at two ships barely visible in the distance. Slow, agonizingly slow, they enlarged. He watched as a ship he had once feared lost came closer and closer.

  Pulling Jeanne in close, he moved her so he could wrap his arms around her waist with his chin on the back of her head. Whispering… “They, like you, are so beautiful, aren’t they?”

  Grasping Zeke’s right hand, Jeanne pulled it up to her lips, kissing it softly before whispering. “They? You only have eyes for one particular ship, my dear. But yes, they are beautiful.”

  Both were startled when they heard a soft cough behind them. “Good afternoon; I hope I am not interrupting?” a smiling Governor Titus Muldane asked. “I was informed the task force was getting close and knew you two would be here. I hope you do not mind if I share this moment with you? Those are the Lucky Strike and Fox, no?”

  “Not at all, and yes, that is them. It has been so long that I wondered if I would recognize my ship,” said Zeke.

  Moving to stand beside Zeke, as the two ships get closer, Titus acknowledges that Zeke might not. “My cousin is part of the command group at Vro. When Roger heard both ships were coming to his shipyard, he made sure they prioritized their repair. As you know, a lot of changes went into both. It is a possibility you may not recognize them.”

  Breathing in the fragrance that wafted from Jeanne’s hair, Zeke muttered in reply. “I believe I will recognize her no matter the changes made.”

  Stepping back, Zeke exclaimed, “Wait a moment, your cousin? Oh, that explains how the Fox came into your possession. When we sent him our suggestions, I was unaware he was your cousin.”

  The sound of a chuckle answered his statement.

  The word of the ship’s pending arrival must have spread because the galley quickly became crowded with the crew from both ships as the minutes passed. All were watching in awe at the two warships that finally parked a short distance from them just over an hour later.

  “You know, I never thought they could have put her back together after what she had been through, but from what I see on the outside, they did an awesome job. Look at her; she is gorgeous!”

  The chatter picked up as the minutes went by. Just as some started asking if they could go aboard, Titus said they might want to wait.

  At first, they were puzzled by Titus’s comment when Lieutenant Isolde Iverson uttered, “will you look at that?” in an awe-struck voice. They all turned to see where she was looking. Additional warships were now coming into view.

  Zeke and Jeanne had seen large fleets before but never anything near the size of the one on display. Ship after ship kept appearing, and it was soon quite apparent that the RGN was not the only one to send a significant task force. Intermixed in the massive flotilla were Sorath ships of the line and many escort ships.

  When the Sorath warships appeared, Hawke worked his way forward to stand next to Jeanne, gazing in pride at the sight of the Sorath ships. All knew why the Sorath would want to see this clearly as Sor
ath’s fleets leaving their home systems were rare and did not begrudge him the least bit. Many smiled when they saw the wonder on his face.

  “I knew they would be a part of this, but this? They mean business, don’t they?” asked a proud Hawke.

  “Yes, my friend, they sure do. And I am glad the RGN is not holding back either. And Jeanne, do you see the small contingent near the center?” asked Zeke. “Those are Irracan ships unless I am misreading their ship insignia.”

  Hugging his hand even tighter, Jeanne answered with pride. “You are not mistaken; those are Irracan ships. They will join my brother’s ships, who will be part of this task force. We have payback due us.”

  “Do not forget Niflhel or Nocuous. Major Khaleesi Richards has been training thousands of our army personnel for the past half-year. Along with your Lieutenant Commander Jamie Chandler, who has been doing the same for hundreds of fighter pilots and support crew. A good many will be joining this task force under their command. Most will be left behind to continue the training on recruits, but everyone demanded to go with you. Most here lost someone or all they had. Now the survivors ask for an opportunity to right the wrong done them.” Titus reminded Zeke and Jeanne.

  Zeke nodded before looking at Titus and putting his hand on his shoulder. “We remembered Titus.” Glancing over Titus’s shoulder, he pointed to Khaleesi leaning against the bulkhead where she had a commanding view. “The Major already has her officers going through organizing the supplies the group joining us will need. If I know the Major, it is near completion by now.”

  The view from the gallery was one to behold. There were ships that many of those present had never seen in person. Carriers, Battlecruisers, Battleships, Troopships, Tenders, Heavy Cruisers, and Cruisers were here. Smaller vessels like Destroyers and Frigates were so numerous; that it was impossible to count.

  And finally, there was a type that was rarely seen this far from the primary industrialized planets—those being gigantic Dreadnaughts.