Chapter Fourteen

Texas-class Battleship Bismark

Norfolk Boneyard, Exodus Fleet Station Five

Strana Mechty Star System

Clan Space

8 October 2823

The air on the Bismark still smelled funny to Star Colonel Franklin Hallis. It was a hint of sweat, possibly some mold, and dust. It was the smell of age—of the passage of time. The mothballed Exodus Fleet had been stored in ten different locations, the Norfolk Boneyard was far out in the Strana Mechty system. Here the ships were kept, ever ready for action, per the orders of the ilKhan. While none were immediately jump ready, maintenance crews boarded them regularly and did the necessary work to ensure that the ships were still listed as “combat effective.”

It was always assumed that the Clans had WarShips or aerospace fighters that patrolled the boneyards. Franklin had bet that was a myth. Why patrol or attempt to protect a fleet that was so far away from any possible threat? He understood that the waste of resources was what drove his people’s almost forgetting this fleet of ships. There were automated sentries, satellites that monitored the fleet, but they had been easily overcome by programs written by the scientist caste. Technology could never replace ingenuity.

This fleet was the origins of the Clans. They had begun as the Star League Defense Force under Nicholas Kerensky’s father, Aleksandr. For nearly two years they had traveled from known space into the vast, uncharted periphery to arrive at the Pentagon worlds. Franklin had been just a boy then, following his family in the SLDF. The ships of the mothball fleet were a distant memory. This was like a chapter out of the Bible for him, an epic story. These ships had been homes for the families that now made up the Clans under Aleksandr’s son, though these people were vastly different than the original settlers that had come on the Exodus.

Franklin had come with a small team of ship experts. Their mission was to ready a handful of ships per the orders of Khan McEvedy. The work was proving easier than he had expected. The maintenance on the vessels had not been shabby. They were in good condition, ready for action on relatively short notice. Franklin had picked out three transports and two of the larger battleships. They would have to suffice. He had a team scouring the San Diego Boneyard as well on a similar mission. Combined with the ships already in the much-reduced fleet of the Wolverines, he hoped that they would fit Khan McEvedy’s needs.

Whatever those needs were.

He had seen a glimpse of her plans, and had reviewed his role in them. Even with what he had seen, he realized that the scope of what she was contemplating was massive in scale. When he had been sent to the ships, Franklin had suspected that Khan McEvedy was planning some sort of a move with the Wolverines. Sarah McEvedy had been one of the founders of Clan Wolverine, and had been like a mother not just to Franklin, but to almost everyone in the Clan. She was not an arrogant and aloof warrior. McEvedy was a woman of the people. Time and time again she had taken measures to protect her people, and had brought the Wolverines to the pinnacle of Clan life. Her name was spoken with the same reverence as that of Nicholas Kerensky. From what Franklin knew, that could prove dangerous.

He floated across the bridge and looked out of the armored ferroglass window to the fleet hovering in space around him. Somewhere out there, on the massive jump transport Rawhide, a crew was readying the vessel for a jump out of system just as he was doing aboard the Bismark. The same was happening with other ships, star-jumping vessels that had been idle for a generation. I have heard other castes talk about ghosts. I wonder how many are here watching us now?

One of his senior technicians drifted across to him. “SaKhan, we have an incoming message from Strana Mechty for you—priority one,” he handed him the portable comm unit. The ship’s communication system wasn’t online, out of fear that it would automatically send a signal warning the other Clans that someone was aboard these ships. Franklin paused. I will never get used to this title…saKhan.

“This is Deuce,” he said into the unit.

“Deuce, this is Wolverine Actual,” came back a familiar voice.

“Good to hear from you, sir.”

“I trust that all is going well, quiaff?”

“Affirmative. As planned, my Khan.”

“I wish that the same could be said of my work,” McEvedy replied. “I am transmitting a secured file to you. It is for your eyes only. Do you confirm?”

There was a light beep as the file downloaded into the unit in a secured packet transfer. “Affirmative, sir. I have the file. My eyes only.” Franklin saw the title: Operation Switchback. He couldn’t explain why, but the title alone seemed to have an ominous ring about it. It had been some time since the Clans had launched any sort of new campaign. There had only been the mopping up of the last bit of the Pentagon Civil War. Then again, this wasn’t about the Clans—this was about the Wolverines…

Glancing at the data, he found his suspicions confirmed. Khan McEvedy was doing what was necessary to preserve the Wolverines and their way of life. She was taking great risks. It was a bold plan. Combined with what he had seen from her earlier, Hallis now understood the true scope of the plans she had made. My faith in her is not misplaced—the scope of this alone is pure genius.

“Franklin, once you have matters in hand there, I need you to join me here. I am attempting to buy us some time. Go over that file. It will detail the operation I already have you on. I will need you on Strana Mechty, and I have a JumpShip waiting to take us to Circe. As you will see in the plans, I have made sure we have ample JumpShips poised for a number of circuits.”

Franklin scanned the file more. “By the League…” he said under his breath. The file was not a summary, but very detailed plans and logistics of a sweeping operation. He had seen a high-level overview before, but this…this had details and timetables and list after checklist of details that were stunning. What are we about to start? Then his thoughts focused even more. What will the ilKhan do?

“Say again, quiaff?”

“Negative, sir. I was just reading the details of what you sent me. The contents struck me as—daring.”

“I understand.”

“Sir, has it really come to this?”

“You can avoid the ‘sir,’ Franklin. You are my saKhan.”

“My apologies. Old habits are hard to break. You have been our Khan my entire life, after all.”

“Thank goodness you are young, or I would have to reconsider my choice. I hope we can avoid implementing this operation. If not, Switchback may be our best course of action.”

“I hope you are right too.”

“When you get here, we will have to send out a number of encrypted messages. While Trish Ebon may want to return to her unit, I need her to remain on Circe for the time being at the contested Castle Brian. I have already sent out a few messages to prepare for some of the Switchback protocols. If this comes down, Franklin, it will come down fast. We need to be prepared.”

“I believe I understand.”

“Good.” Her voice was reassuring. “There is still a chance to head this off. I will ask the ilKhan to meet with me, someplace private. Someplace where I hope I can reach him. I still hold out some hope that my plans will not be required.”

“I hope you are able to get us away from the brink.”

“If not, I will need you ready to move.”