Trena and of Home.”
Jill looked at Aggie and back to her two friends, “Thank you for the honor. But will you two knock it off so I can get back to class!”
“Aye-Aye Colonel Wilson,” Lamile said winking.
Aggie smiled and turned to the three young women, “Carry on cadets!” Jill did an about face to face Aggie properly and called, “Aye-aye your majesty!” The three young women saluted and ran off to their classes.
###
It was night time, the academy grounds were quiet and Princess Lisa was sitting on a bench in a secluded area of the grounds. There was a high hedge around a reflection pool. At the right time of the day, one could almost believe they were the only person on the planet as they sat by the pool, it was so secluded and quiet. She needed the quiet time as she reflected what she had read in her grandmother’s diary.
“I was surprised at the Duke’s reaction,” she had read, “I had thought he would argue and fight for Aggie to abdicate right then and there. I was also surprised that he came alone. There might have been someone in the landing craft but he talked to us alone.
“Some of this stuff just overwhelms me,” she had read, “It is hard to just deal with it and go on. But this had so many consequences. Still has so many consequences. There has always been low level resistance to what Dad and the Queen were doing. Not everyone thought Dad had the answer or the planet had to be evacuated. It had occurred to me that the Duke might have tried to assassinate both of us in his attempt to keep the space habitats. That was why I had asked that some of the protective detail take up positions around the pad.”
She looked into the pool watching the water as it was disturbed by the fountain. She knew about security and the possibility of being assassinated. Unfortunately it was a fact of her life. Even as she sat at the reflection pool there was a security agent with in ear shot to come to her aid if someone tried to harm her. But she was never in the type of harm her grandmother had ever been in.
“I don’t know if he would have tried something or not,” Jill had written. “But trust me I am just as happy he didn’t.
“Later in the day we signed the treaty. I couldn’t believe how simple it was. I have heard of treaties taking years to hammer out.” Her ancestor continued, “We had a couple more details added to it. Some of it minor stuff. It surprised me when the Duke named me as the protector of Trena Off World Habitats. I almost refused, but Lord Mercer convinced me it would be good.
“So now I am not only Queen of Home, but protector of the Trena Off World Habitats,” She had mussed, “But it makes sense. Only the planet will be destroyed, and then some of the orbital infrastructure, but the off world enterprises will survive. I am still worried about messing this up. Every time I turn around something new is being thrown at me. I wonder what else I will have to deal with now.”
Chapter 35: The Republican Debacle
“We were about a month from being completely off world,” the General began her class, “We knew we had Republican agents on world, that some were working with the Theocracy agents to disrupt the evacuation. We suspected that the near Trena Orbital Industries and possibly some of the nobles in the space habitats were in talks with the Republic of the Stars.
“The Republic’s agents were causing all types of trouble,” the General continued, “some of it was real subtle. There were anonymous statements in the press stating that the evacuation command had messed up on the calendar and we were not going get everyone off world before the rocks hit. Another one was that the Queen had left the world. It wasn’t until she addressed a group of evacuees at a marshalling area; did that rumor go away. There was some very low key stuff. Some of it was very active and bordered on sabotage. It wasn’t until later we realized that the most of the sabotage was directed at military targets. It didn’t seem so at the time. We thought they were malcontents. We were getting incidents like pot shots at landing craft. There was an explosion at an armed vehicle park. We thought that was an accident. But later we knew it was an attempt to slow the militia response to an invasion.
“My original tasking was to find an artificial intelligence that we knew was betraying the kingdom,” General Jones continued. “That was why I had been built. I had transferred by this time to the Mountain. The Mountain was near the capital, in a mountain that held the Militia Headquarters. I now suspected that the traitor was the main defense AI at The Mountain. I needed one more bit of proof to lower the boom on DefConnie. I was fairly certain that I had her. Or thought I did.
“The Evacuation Command was in the process of getting ready to dump a lot of the kingdoms special weapons into the sun. These special weapons were things like nuclear mines, large EMP devices; fuel air explosives. They were weapons that we couldn’t take with us to Home and stuff no one wanted to buy from us. Some of the stuff we didn’t want to sell! We were concerned that they might be used against us!” The general spoke softly.
“Several weapons barges had been built by my mother to hold the several million tons of small arms, tanks, and heavy weapons,” she displayed pictures of many of the weapons that the barge carried. There was a division of tanks, several hundred large field guns, crates and pallets of small arms. Even explosives.
“The Marshal and General Qoum had made a decision that Home didn’t need all these weapons. We did take many weapons with us; but Home didn’t need all of this stuff. So the plan was to dump this crap into the Trena’s Star. We wanted to make sure that none of the stuff would fall into the hands of the Republic or the Theocracy. Or possibly some other element we didn’t know of to be used against us or others.
“We had wanted to blow the stuff in place,” The General continued, “But Lord Mercer said no. He had been concerned that if we blew them in place we would be accused of causing the very disaster we were fleeing from.”
“So we created several large barges that would hold everything that we were not taking with us to Home. My mother had successfully transferred herself to her new home on the space dock that would take her to Home. As Mom was looking around her new home making a list as to what she wanted to improve or change she noticed that the weapons barge was powering up. That surprised her as she had not told it to get under way.
Yet as she watched, the barge had cast lose its mooring and left the dock. She went aboard the tug to see what was going on. As she did she realized that their disposal plan for the weapons barge had been compromised. Generals Qoum and Langtree, Marshal Wilson, Queen Aggie and Lord Mercer had been the only ones to know about the actual date of the transfer.” She continued, “What we didn’t know was that DefConnie, who was the main defense coordinator had been compromised and taken over by its back up. Junior, as he was known. He had somehow locked the main AI down and was controlling all the data coming into the Mountain. He had managed to make a portion of the asteroids that were approaching Trena to look normal, masking the signatures of the Republic’s invasion fleet that was hiding in them.
“Junior made his move as part of the Republic’s invasion…
###
It was near lunch time. Although many of the kids had either been returned to their parents or reunited with their families, or had been adopted; there were still a great many kids still on the grounds. There was also a great many small children, younger than 12 who had not found homes yet. As they all trooped to the dining hall, for lunch the general alarm sounded.
“This is not a Drill!” The School Mistress was calling over the public address system as the alarm tones muted. Her image was seen everywhere it could be. There wasn’t a computer display that didn’t have her image on it. “All students and staff report to emergency shelters. Immediately!”
“What’s going on School Mistress,” Lady Hawthorne asked as she put her coffee cup down on the instructors table where she was eating lunch.
“We have just been informed that a fleet of Republican war ships have been spotted among the asteroids and are heading our w
ay.” The School’s AI projected her image in a seat in front of Lady Hawthorne. “The Mountain says maybe a day or so before the full fleet gets here; but light space craft could at arrive anytime.”
“All right continue getting the kids and staff into the shelters,” Lady Hawthorne replied wondering where her kids were. As if reading her mind the School Mistress said, “Your boys are with Lieutenant Morgan and heading towards the shelter under the gym.”
“Thank you School Mistress,” Delores said watching the kids make an orderly exit from the building. Sergeant Lucas came up to her, “Major. I’ll have box lunches at each shelter in an hour.”
“That sounds good,” Delores replied as she saw Sergeant Green coming her way.
“They’ll be in the shelters in fifteen or so minutes major,” Sergeant Green reported.
“I want to arm the instructors and some of the cadets.” “How soon do we have to do that,” Delores asked.
“We can wait a bit,” Millie said, “But we don’t want to be handing out weapons as Republic troopers enter the grounds.”
“Hold off on the cadets,” Delores then it dawned on her, “do we have enough weapons?”
Millie Green realized that the noble woman had forgotten that the cadet weapons were real and could be armed with the insertion of power cartridges, “Yes ma’am. It’ll take an hour or so to make the cadet’s weapons live. The other instructors will get theirs from the armory.”
The noble woman nodded and ordered, “Make sure everyone of the adults who know how to use a gun has one. I want the guards at the gates and the patrols along the fence to be doubled up! Adults with older cadets.”
“Aye,” Millie left to be about her business.
Delores went to the gymnasium shelter where she found Jill. The gym’s concessions had been set up as an emergency command post for the school and for Jill. The rest of the gym was the shelter. Jill and Queen Agatha were talking over the secure communications system. Another addition they had made for Jill. “We only know that a Republican fleet is hiding in the asteroids. The weapons barge has been taken over by an AI and is in route to this fleet. General Qoum reports that the combined fleets of Earth and Thonia are on their way to do battle. It’s a good thing they are here because we have very few militiamen left.”
“Aggie,” Jill asked, “You don’t know if there will be an invasion or not?”
“No one knows Jill,” The Queen answered, “We’re getting everyone to shelters and praying that the fleets can do the job they were built to do. How are things there Major Hawthorne?”
“We’ll be under lock down shortly,” Delores replied, “I am distributing arms to the adults and am thinking about the senior cadets.”
“Major Hawthorne,” The Marshal broke in, “Slow down on arming the cadets. This thing is going to happen in space. Even if the Republicans win, they’ll be so bloodied that an invasion is unlikely.”
“We don’t need this now,” Jill commented, “We still have several million to get off world. Dad will we still be able to do that?”
“The fleets are using dedicated ships,” Her father said, “None of the space lift and star lift vessels involved in the evacuation are impacted. None of the landing craft the defenders are using will be from the space lift group. I have suspended current ground to orbit flights. I have told the ships in orbit that can head to Home; to do so!”
“Okay,” Jill said, “I guess I need to be out of your hair Dad. We won’t know what’s going to happen for a few hours.”
“I’ll keep you both in the loop.” Her father cleared the com.
“Your Highness,” Delores asked, “Would you be safer here at the school?”
“No Delores,” the Queen replied, “I need to be here where everyone can find me. I also think it’s not a good idea to have both me and Jill in the same location. Home can deal with the loss of me or Jill but not both.”
“We’ll let you go,” Delores agreed cutting the connection. Delores looked around the cramped shelter. She wanted to see where her kids were and saw Rhonda quietly rocking her youngest. To see the short small girl, who was known as Lamile’s whip quietly rocking the infant, holding a baby bottle surprised her. She figured that Rhonda would be in one of the other shelters or out with the cadets on watch.
“Hello Major,” Rhonda said. She knew she should be out among the cadets, working with her unit getting them to safety; but the woman who normally looked after the Major’s kids had left the night before to be with her family on Yonkers station where she had found a position as a nanny.
“Thank you Rhonda,” Delores took the infant from the girl’s arms, “See to your cadets.”
“Yes Ma’am,” Rhonda left the shelter.
“Colonel,” A runner came into the shelter and addressed Jill, “Major Atom’s compliments. She reports that the security team is on their posts, and the school’s secure.
All the cadets are in the shelters, as are all the kids.”
“Tell the major I’ll relieve her or Mitch will in a couple of hours,” Jill said as Millie came in.
“Major Hawthorne,” the Sergeant said, “Your heard Major Atom’s report?”
Delores nodded not saying a word as Billy her youngest was sound asleep. Jill saw her friend still holding the baby and turned to Mitch who was working quietly at the next desk taking reports from the dorms and other shelters, “Mitch get someone to the
Commandant’s Quarters and bring Billy’s crib.” “I’ll see that it’s done,” Mitch said.
Millie and Delores watched the cadets handle the emergency. She looked up at the Sergeant and nodded, “Millie pass the word to everyone good work! Jill, please tell your cadets that I am very pleased with what I am seeing.”
“Thank you Major,” Jill said her voice barely above a whisper. The gymnasium shelter was holding mostly little kids who were now sound asleep for their afternoon nap. Jill was astounded at that. She figured with the alert and the excitement that the kids would not be anywhere ready to settle down. But they were.
Later one of the outside cadets reported seeing a big explosion in the sky. Shortly thereafter Jill’s father called to say that the emergency was over and that the Republican fleet had been destroyed. He didn’t think they would rescue many survivors.
“Oh, Lady Hawthorne,” Her father said, “We lost Jonesy. She was aboard the tug towing the weapons barges. She took the weapons barge to the middle of the Republican Fleet and directed fire from the Majestic onto herself. Oh that other issue, the traitor. He was on the barge fighting Jonesy. The same fire that killed Jonesy also destroyed the AI we’ve been searching for.”
Delores was silent as she digested the information. Jonesy, the Artificial Intelligence was the Evacuation Command’s Chief Logistics officer, had been one of the
officer’s that Delores worked the closest with. “She’ll be greatly missed.”
“She will at that,” The marshal said. “We’re standing down. You can also.”
“We’ll stand down,” Delores said. “School Mistress, get the word out.”
“It’s going out now Major,” the school’s AI replied. The AI who had become friends with Jonesy as she tried to get things for her kids was not her usual upbeat self. “Major, okay if the flags go to half staff?”
“Make it so School Mistress,” Jill commanded. She had, had frequent contact with the AI herself. She got up from the cot where one of Lady Hawthorne’s kids had curled up beside her. Most of the kids were asleep.
“We’ll let the kids sleep here tonight,” Delores said, “Jill, make sure there’s a CQ here tonight.”
“Yes ma’am,” Jill said and as she left the shelter, she saw Mitch standing a post with Jenny her principle agent outside. Jenny had a laser riffed draped casually over her shoulder, and Mitch had a pistol belt around her waist. “I think you can return that to Jenny, Mitch!”
“Gladly,” Mitch said removing the belt and han
ding it to the agent. “Tom had to go off duty and Jenny needed someone to stand post with her. I got picked.”
“Aunt Mylea is not to know of that,” Jill commanded wondering where the res t of the detail was.
“We’re stretched,” Jenny answered her unasked question. “We’re actively patrolling the grounds.”
“I see,” Jill remarked then turned to Mitch, remembering he last time they had armed Mitch and Lamile, her Aunt had almost taken her scalp over the issue, “Thank you for looking out after us.”
“You’re welcomed,” Mitch replied.
With that, Jill walked the grounds to see what her cadets had been up to and see how they were reacting to the alert and the stand down. She was pleased the way they had responded to the alert. They had practiced the alert a couple of times and had worked out some of the problems. As she walked the grounds Mitch walked with her, as did Jenny.
“Major Atomi’s compliments,” Gene came up to them.
“Go ahead Gene,” Jill replied returning the cadet’s salute.
“Major Atomi reports, that the cadets are back in their dorms and the CQ watch has been mounted.” The boy reported, “Lieutenant Morgan is taking the CQ watch in the gym.” “Pass the word Gene,” Jill asked, “good work. Everyone did well.” “Yes ma’am,” Gene replied saluted and left.
“He’s grown up bit hasn’t he,” Jenny commented, “But so have all of you.”
The trio walked down to the amphitheater to see if there was anyone hanging out there. There was a burst of light and everyone looked to where it was and saw that McKay appeared to be on fire. As the fire died in intensity, School Mistress materialized beside them.
“Your majesty, Major, there’s been reports of wide spread sabotage in the off world habitats. McKay’s primary settlement had a nuclear bomb detonated in it as did a couple of the bigger settlements in the asteroids and space habitats. Only the orbital facilities around Trena were not impacted.”
“My god,” Jill commented, “all those people! Was it part of the attack?”
“Sarge at Fletcher thinks so,” School Mistress replied, “They think some Theocracy agents took the opportunity to strike.”