Rear admiral henry galla.., p.1
Rear Admiral Henry Gallant, page 1
part #8 of Henry Gallant Series
REAR ADMIRAL
HENRY GALLANT
H. Peter Alesso
THE HENRY GALLANT SAGA
Midshipman Henry Gallant in Space © 2013
Lieutenant Henry Gallant © 2014
Henry Gallant and the Warrior © 2015
Commander Gallant © 2016
Captain Henry Gallant © 2019
Commodore Henry Gallant © 2020
Henry Gallant and the Great Ship © 2020
Rear Admiral Henry Gallant © 2021
Other Novels
Captain Hawkins © 2016
Dark Genius © 2017
Youngblood © 2018
REAR ADMIRAL HENRY GALLANT
H. Peter Alesso
hpeteralesso.com
© 2021 H. Peter Alesso
This is a work of fiction. All characters, dialog, and events
portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance
to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means without prior permission in writing from
VSL Publications
Pleasanton, CA 94566
ISBN-13: 9798755752350
Edition 1.00
∞
The hope has always been
for the next generation to be better.
United Planets —
1st (Home) Fleet
Fleet Admiral Simone L. Graves
4 Spacecraft Carriers –
Arc Royal, Eagle, Hermes, Lexington
4 Dreadnoughts –
Conqueror, Colossus, Defiant, Superb
4 Battlecruisers –
Achilles, Agamemnon, Arduous, Audacious
24 Cruisers
48 Destroyers
2 Stealth Reconnaissance Scouts –
Cheshire, Siren
72 Auxiliary Support Ships
Task Force 34
Captain Henry Gallant
2 Spacecraft Carriers & Starfighter Space Wings
UPSS Constellation CVS-647
36 Viper I – Squadron 6 -
Lieutenant Glen Holman
48 Viper II – Squadron 8 -
Lieutenant Lorelei Steward
6 Hawkeye – Squadron 10 -
Lieutenant Kelsey Mitchell
UPSS Courageous CVS-648
36 Viper I – Squadron 7
48 Viper II – Squadron 9
6 Hawkeye – Squadron 11
2 Battlecruisers – Indefatigable -
Captain Donahue
Invincible -
Captain Hernandez
12 Cruisers
48 Destroyers
2 Stealth Reconnaissance Scouts –
Warrior, Invidia
12 Auxiliary Support Ship
Task force 47 returns from the Dog Star, Sirius.
CVS-642 Yorktown
Marines
Major James Steward
1st Marine Raider Battalion
Titan —Battle Fleet
Admiral Vvorn
6 Spacecraft Carriers –
Vespa Class carriers 1-6
Starfighter Space Wing
256 Fighters
256 Bombers
48 Search
6 Dreadnought
6 Battlecruisers
136 Cruisers
288 Destroyers
188 Troop Transports
Radius of Solar System = 144 * 109 km
Speed of Light 300,000 km/sec = 1.08 * 109 km/hr. = 25.92 * 109 km/day
Light travels from the sun to earth in 8 minutes.
The perihelion for Uranus is 4.5 light-hours.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1 Far Away
Chapter 2 Very Close
Chapter 3 Launch, Launch, Launch
Chapter 4 Fools Rush In
Chapter 5 Last Rites
Chapter 6 Scapegoat
Chapter 7 Magical
Chapter 8 Recon
Chapter 9 Saturn falls
Chapter 10 Without Reflection
Chapter 11 Sortie
Chapter 12 Promotion
Chapter 13 Defeat is an Orphan
Chapter 14 Doors
Chapter 15 Cat and Mouse
Chapter 16 Nowhere
Chapter 17 The Right Stuff
Chapter 18 Full of Promise
Chapter 19 The Noose Tightens
Chapter 20 Without Dissent
Chapter 21 Faded Photograph
Chapter 22 War Paint
Chapter 23 Gambit
Chapter 24 Queen Sacrifice
Chapter 25 No Man Left Behind
Chapter 26 Checkmate
Chapter 27 Avalanche
Chapter 28 Superman
FROM THE AUTHOR
Chapter 1
Far Away
Captain Henry Gallant was still far away, but he could already make out the bright blue dot of Earth floating in the black velvet ocean of space.
His day was flat and dreary. Since entering the solar system, he had been unable to sleep. Instead, he found himself wandering around the bridge like a marble rattling in a jar. His mind had seemingly abandoned his body to meander on its own, leaving his empty shell to limp through his routine. He hoped tomorrow would bring something better.
I’ll be home soon, he thought.
A welcoming image of Alaina flashed into his mind, but it was instantly shattered by the memory of their last bitter argument. The quarrel had occurred the day he was deployed to the Ross star system and had haunted him throughout the mission. Now that incident loomed like a glaring threat to his homecoming.
As he stared at the main viewscreen of the Constellation, he listened to the bridge crew’s chatter.
“The sensor sweep is clear, sir,” reported an operator.
Gallant was tempted to put a finger to his lips and hiss, “shh,” so he could resume his brooding silence. But that would be unfair to his crew. They were as exhausted and drained from the long demanding deployment as he was. They deserved better.
He plopped down into his command chair and said, “Coffee.”
The auto-server delivered a steaming cup to the armrest portal. After a few gulps, the coffee woke him from his zombie state. He checked the condition of his ship on a viewscreen.
The Constellation was among the largest machines ever built by human beings. She was the queen of the task force, and her crew appreciated her sheer size and strength. She carried them through space with breathtaking majesty, possessing power and might and stealth that established her as the quintessential pride of human ingenuity. They knew every centimeter of her from the forward viewport to the aft exhaust port. Her dull grey titanium hull didn’t glitter or sparkle, but every craggy plate on her exterior was tingling with lethal purpose. She could fly conventionally at a blistering three-tenths the speed of light between planets. And between stars, she warped at faster than the speed of light. Even now, returning from the Ross star system with her depleted starfighters, battle damage, and exhausted crew, she could face any enemy by spitting out starfighters, missiles, lasers, and plasma death.
After a moment, he switched the readout to scan the other ships in the task force. Without taking special notice, he considered the material state of one ship after another. Several were in a sorrowful dysfunctional condition, begging for a dockyard’s attention. He congratulated himself for having prepared a detailed refit schedule for when they reached the Moon’s shipyards. He hoped it would speed along the repair process.
Earth’s moon would offer the beleaguered Task Force 34, the rest and restoration it deserved after its grueling operation. The Moon was the main hub of the United Planets’ fleet activities. The Luna bases were the most elaborate of all the space facilities in the Solar System. They performed ship overhauls and refits, as well as hundreds of new constructions. Luna’s main military base was named Armstrong Luna and was the home port of the 1st Fleet, fondly called the Home Fleet.
Captain Julie Ann McCall caught Gallant’s eye as she rushed from the Combat Information Center onto the bridge. There was a troubled look on her face.
Is she anxious to get home too?
Was there someone special waiting for her? Or would she, once more, disappear into the recesses of the Solar Intelligence Agency?
After all these years, she’s still a mystery to me.
McCall approached him and leaned close to his face.
In a hushed throaty voice, she whispered, “Captain, we’ve received an action message. You must read it immediately.”
Her tight self-control usually obscured her emotions, but now something extraordinary appeared in her translucent blue eyes—fear!
He placed his thumb over his command console ID recognition pad. A few swipes over the screen, and he saw the latest action message icon flashing red. He tapped the symbol, and it opened.
TOP SECRET: ULTRA - WAR WARNING
Date-time stamp: 06.11.2176.12:00
Authentication code: Alpha-Gamma 1916
To: All Solar System Commands
From: Solar Intelligence Agency
Subject: War Warning
Diplomatic peace negotiations with the Titans have broken down.
Repeat:
Diplomatic peace negotiations with the Titans have broken down.
What this portends is unknown, but all commands are to be
&n
Russell Rissa
Director SIA
TOP SECRET: ULTRA - WAR WARNING
He reread the terse communication.
As if emerging from a cocoon, Gallant brushed off his preoccupation over his forthcoming liberty. He considered the possibilities. Last month, he sent the sample Halo detection devices to Earth. He hoped that the SIA had analyzed the technology and distributed it to the fleet, though knowing government bureaucracy, he guessed that effort would need his prodding before the technology came into widespread use. Still, there should be time before it becomes urgent. The SIA had predicted that the Titans would need at least two years to rebuild their forces before they could become a threat again. Could he rely on that?
Even though he was getting closer to Earth with every passing second, the light from the inner planets was several days old. Something could have already transpired. There was one immutable lesson in war: never underestimate your opponent.
A shiver ran down his spine.
This is bad. Very bad!
Gone was the malaise that had haunted him earlier. Now, he emerged as a disciplined military strategist, intent on facing a major new challenge.
Looking expectantly, he examined McCall’s face for an assessment.
Shaking her head, she hesitated. “The picture is incomplete. I have little to offer.”
Gallant needed her to be completely open and honest with him, but he was unsure how to win that kind of support.
He rubbed his chin and spoke softly, “I’d like to tell you a story about a relationship I’ve had with a trusted colleague. And I’d like you to pretend that you were that colleague.”
McCall furrowed her brow, but a curious gleam grew in her eyes.
He said, “I’ve known this colleague long enough to know her character even though she has been secretive about her personal life and loyalties.”
McCall inhaled and visibly relaxed as she exhaled. Her eyes focused their sharp acumen on Gallant.
“She is bright enough to be helpful and wise enough not to be demanding,” continued Gallant. “She has offered insights into critical issues and made informed suggestions that have influenced me. She is astute and might know me better than I know myself because of the tests she has conducted. When I’ve strayed into the sensitive topic of genetic engineering, she has soothed my bumpy relationship with politicians.”
He hesitated. Then added, “Yet, she has responsibilities and professional constraints on her candidness. She might be reluctant to speak openly on sensitive issues, particularly to me.”
McCall’s face was a blank mask, revealing no trace of her inner response to his enticing words.
He said, “If you can relate to this, I want you to consider that we are at a perilous moment. It is essential that you speak frankly to me about any insights you might have about this situation.”
She swallowed and took a step closer to Gallant. Their faces were mere centimeters apart.
“Very well,” she said. “The Chameleon are a spent force. After the loss of their last Great Ship, they are defenseless. They agreed to an unconditional surrender. They might even beg for our help from the Titans. Their moral system is like ours and should not be a concern in any forthcoming action. However, the Titans have an amoral empathy with other species.”
He gave an encouraging nod.
She added, “Despite the defeat of Admiral Zzey’s fleet in Ross, the Titans remain a considerable threat. They opened peace negotiations ostensibly to seek a treaty with a neutral zone between our two empires. But we can’t trust them. They are too aggressive and self-interested to keep any peace for long. One option they might try is to eliminate the Chameleon while they have the opportunity. Another is to rebuild their fleet for a future strike against us. However, the most alarming possibility would be an immediate attack against us with everything they currently have. They might even leave their home world exposed. But that would only make sense if they could achieve an immediate and overwhelming strategic victory.”
Gallant grimaced as he absorbed her analysis.
She concluded, “This dramatic rejection of diplomacy can only mean that they are ready to reignite the war—with a vengeance. They will strike us with swift and ruthless abandon.”
Gallant turned his gaze toward the bright blue dot—still far away.
Chapter 2
Very Close
With each passing hour, the Constellation was two million kilometers closer to Earth, but Gallant could not formulate a plan of action without more information. When they entered the solar system, the light from Earth was over two days old and everything appeared normal. He hoped nothing had happened in the intervening time to change that.
Gallant envied those lucky enough to believe that they controlled their own destiny. Those souls found life no more complicated than following their usual work and relationships routine. He never subscribed to that folly. Yes, he would strive, make choices, get prepared, and so on, but eventually, reality would step in with its elaborate random probability game—turning his future over to providence. Remarkably, in matters of career and love, he often displayed an eerie sense of timing. His career had been favored with more surprising lucky twists than not. But his love life had been fraught with unfortunate moments, occurring either too early or too late.
Now racing toward Earth, he found the future of both his career and love life in extreme peril, and his sense of helplessness was appalling.
He scanned the Earth sensor data, desperate to glean every possible clue from the photons streaming his way. But even in this moment of crisis, there were mundane distracting annoyances that demanded his attention.
Heat and humidity formed beads of sweat that rolled over a lock of hair on Gallant’s forehead, distracting him from the emerging war crisis. He was reminded of the dilapidated condition of his ship.
Damn environmental system.
Several of the ship’s oxygen generators, CO2 scrubbers, and backup electric generators, required to maintain the atmosphere within the ship, were off-line. With the environmental system malfunctioning, the air was choked with oil and grease from machinery operations. Little puffs of smoke appeared from the AC vents. If this kept up, there would be serious electronic casualties.
Like everyone aboard ship, he had always taken the air for granted, but like many critical ship systems a refit was sorely needed.
He asked pointedly, “Chief, when will I get my air conditioning system back?”
Chief Howard turned his pouty face away and made a fuss about checking the monitor equipment and twisted several dials. “Looks like it’s going to take a while longer, Captain. The engineer is replacing the AI regulator. You know how finicky they are.”
Like a scruffy, unkempt scarecrow, Chief Howard adjusted his poor posture and made a hang-dog face. His appearance was a stark departure from his past fastidious habit of keeping his uniform in pristine condition. But alas, the deployment had not spared his wardrobe. His melancholy helped to make him an object of some amusement to the bridge crew, who despite these alterations, worshiped him. Somehow, he wound up on the Constellation, which was good for the United Planets. His simple Missouri upbringing helped make him the man he was. And despite his best efforts to be on good behavior, he couldn’t help raising a chuckle from the crew whenever he hummed a distracting down-home country song during the watch.
Gallant wiped the sweat from his brow and turned his attention back to the war crisis when the sensor operator reported, “I’m getting an ambiguous signal, sir.”
Chief Howard asked, “Well, do you or don’t you have a target?”
The sensor operator said, “Somethings there I tell ya, Chief. I just can’t get it in focus. It must be very stealthy and very far away.”
The OOD, Lieutenant Clay reported, “Sir, we’ve intercepted a high priority sighting report from the Cheshire, a stealth picket ship monitoring Earth.”
