Attack Butterfly (Rust Bucket Universe) Read online

  "That's one way of looking at it. Were you tempted to drink?" asked Kyle.

  Mike replied, "For a while, I was, to be honest with you."

  "So was I," admitted Kyle.

  "You, sir?" Mike asked.

  Kyle further admitted, "In fact, I did take a drink, but it didn't help. It just made my stomach feel sicker. Anyway, I'm glad you felt that way. Shows me that you're normal when it comes to shedding blood. That's the kind of people I want around me."

  ***

  Dave looked at the information brought to him by Navy salvage teams. Of the Malakin warships they destroyed, most of the first two waves were automated ships without anyone on board. The Mad Dogs had been fighting mostly robots that were controlled from only a few manned enemy ships among the enemy fleet. Only the warships of the third wave that Dave ascribed as being elite were all truly and fully manned by living beings. He realized that was what made the difference in some of the battles. Had his people gone up against skilled beings when they were outnumbered almost three to one, the battle could have easily been lost in the first wave of assaults. Dave had been lucky and he knew it.

  A few Malakins had been captured from the almost lifeless enemy ships. They were fortunate enough to have been trapped in sealed sections of their ships. Intelligence was already working on them. They had already observed that the Malakins appeared to be uncomfortable to be on Beulah. Dave noted that along with the other reports he was receiving from every source involved in the fighting.

  He looked at another report and saw that two of the Rust Buckets had been repaired and returned to Pennyweight. He remembered that he owed Penny a personal letter, on paper no less. Dave knew now that there was so much recycling going on that using paper wasn't a waste at all. He remembered a year ago, the government had begged people to find a use for paper so that they could rid themselves of some excess timber.

  "Admiral, it's time for the funeral ceremonies," the comely uniformed female stated as she stuck her head into his office.

  He replied, "Uh, yes, I guess I better not be late. I can't be late to honor the men and women who were on time, even though it cost them their lives."

  Dave got up and went to the front of the building where his hover waited for him with the usual guards on board while two more hovers bracketed it. They were additional protection for Dave that Admiral of the Navy Reason ordered now that a real shooting war was on and enemy robots still roamed about.

  The drive to the cemetery was quick and short. It was almost too short, Dave thought, for him to decide what he really wanted to say to the families who lost someone in the battle. Over five hundred men and women had died in space and several more on Beulah. Close to fifty of them would be buried on Beulah in the ceremony he was now presiding over. This was not one of his more pleasant tasks. It certainly wasn't one he looked forward to. Too many of the dead were his own very good, close friends.

  ***

  The main ceremony over, Celia approached Admiral Oden. Dave stood his ground, ready to take whatever abuse she heaped upon him for the loss of her husband. Like it or not, he knew it came with the territory of being a leader. Regardless of his personal feelings, he knew he owed her the opportunity to rid her system of grief. Dave looked at Celia and waited for her to speak.

  "Admiral?" she said.

  "Yes, Mrs. Dixon. What can I do for you?" he asked softly.

  "I felt I should thank you for letting us fish on your property. Everette found out later that you owned the property that you suggested he take me to so we could fish. It was … a most enjoyable afternoon that we spent there. You must have liked Everette a lot to do that for us," she said.

  Dave expected recriminations or a reproach, not thanks. He replied, "I was glad to give the two of you a chance to be alone together. I'm sorry that Everette's job killed him."

  She said, "There wasn't anything you could do about that. Everette was determined to have a career in the Navy. I think that's the only thing he insisted on when we got serious. He let me make all the other decisions, I think, just to give me something to do or to keep me involved. I don't know which. I wish you could have seen the look on Everette's face when I started undressing. It was something I'll never forget…"

  Dave hugged Celia as she finally broke into tears again. He couldn't tell her that he personally approved Everette's assignment to that squadron and ship, even though it was the kind of assignment that Everette wanted and was entitled to because of his class standing.

  ***

  The next day, Dave conducted a ceremony that was more pleasing to him. He passed out awards to the men and women of the Mad Dogs Squadron and Space Academy. He stopped in front of the gunner from the America, the only survivor of that ship.

  Dave said quietly, "Mighty fine work you did, son."

  "Thank you, Admiral. I had to do it so that the ship wouldn't die and for my friends."

  "Whatever your reasons, the Navy and I both appreciate it. Where do you want to be assigned next?" asked Dave.

  "I'm hoping to stay on the America, sir. She's my ship. I can't let her die now."

  Dave replied, "Attached to it, huh? I'll see what I can do for you. She's going to be laid up for quite a while, you realize?"

  "Well, uh, sir, I wouldn't mind helping out temporarily, mind you, on another ship until she's ready. I guess you need gunners, don't you?"

  Dave responded, "I'm glad to hear you say that. Yes, we do. I'll personally see to it that you're transferred back to the America as soon as it's back in action."

  "Thank you, sir."

  Dave Oden moved to the next person in line. He knew Lieutenant jg Thompson fairly well from her four years in the Space Academy and their brief meeting on board the Beulah Station.

  "You did well," said Dave as he hung her decoration around her neck.

  Susan replied, "Thank you, sir."

  Dave said, "Not only as a fighter commander, but as a wing commander. Not many think everything through as well as you did."

  "Thank you, again, sir," she replied.

  "I didn't ask you before, but how did your theories hold up in combat?" Dave asked.

  "They worked," she replied.

  He said, "Good. See me in my office this evening. We'll talk about that some more. In the meantime, keep up the good work."

  Dave moved to the next woman to present her award. In the background, an officer intoned to the assembled crowd just what she was receiving and for what, as he had done with each man or woman just before. Dave was keeping his conversation carefully timed to the background speech so that each person receiving an award received just a little of Dave's personal time as well. It would go a long way towards helping them get over their lost friends.

  ***

  Susan reported into Dave's office and saluted sharply as she approached his desk. Dave gave her a snappy salute in return.

  Dave said, "Sit down and get comfortable. I'm not a good host in some respects. I don't get up and pour drinks or pass out smokes. However, if you want a drink, help yourself. If you want to smoke, the same applies. You can listen while you're doing that."

  "Thank you, sir," she replied as she took a seat instead.

  Dave said, "From what I gather in our conversation and from looking at some of the combat video footage, your theories about space fighter combat appear to work. That means I've got very few options. The Terra is down to a mere handful of fighter crews. You don't even have a new crew yet, I understand. I need an instructor. Therefore, you're it."

  "Me, sir?" she stated in amazement.

  Dave replied, "Yes, you and you don't have a choice. Your carrier isn't going anywhere for the time being. She doesn't have enough punch left on board right now to be of much use other than as an alternate fighter base in a battle. Now you're going to be let in on a few secrets."

  Again, Susan said in amazement, "Me, sir?"

  He said, 'Yes, you. We're reorganizing the squadrons to put two carriers into each one. That will double the amo
unt of fighters available in a battle. We're pulling a number of the carriers from the squadrons on our other borders to bring these squadrons up to strength in a hurry. As soon as the new carriers are built and ready, they'll be distributed around the fleet."

  Susan remarked, "Sounds like an idea that's overdue. I always wondered what I would do if my carrier was destroyed in a deep space battle."

  Dave said, "Well, with a war going on, the purse strings are finally open. We'll get what we always wanted or most of it anyway. Now on to the second secret that you're being let in on. The senior class at the Space Academy is being graduated in a week. You're to report there in the morning as an instructor and teach every qualified fighter cadet how to fight in space using your techniques. Keep in mind that a number of them will be on board the Terra when it leaves as part of the Berserker Squadron. You'll be with them, in case you're wondering, so it's your ass you're putting at risk as much as their lives, so teach them well. Much as I'd like to keep you as an instructor to teach the next class, I have a feeling that you'll learn more to share later by getting back into a fighter and into combat."

  "Yes sir."

  Dave continued, "A new shipment of fighters will be here in about three days. Use the first few days for the simulators and classroom instruction. Once the fighters arrive, assign the cadets to fighter craft and get them on board the Terra where you'll finish their training. They'll remain on the Terra. I'll drop by later to conduct their graduation ceremony."

  "Yes sir."

  Dave asked, "Any questions?"

  "How much authority have I got?" she asked.

  He replied, "You've got enough to keep them out of fighters. I don't want anyone in a fighter who can't handle it."

  "What about enlisted crews?" Susan asked.

  "They're arriving with the fighters," Dave remarked. "They're experienced and can be depended on. You won't have to worry much about them as far as job performance goes."

  Susan nodded. She said, "I think I will take a short drink after all. It'll be my last until I get this job over with."

  "Gave you a big job, huh?" he asked.

  She answered, "An important one, I can see."

  Dave noticed that she was exact in her meaning of the drink being a short one. It was barely a half-shot of whiskey in the glass which she then mixed with some soda from the ingredients he had available.

  "Care for one, Admiral, while I'm up pouring?"

  He replied, "No, I'll pour my own. I don't make subordinates fetch my drinks, either. Puts too much distance between me and them."

  Susan replied, "You weren't making me. I was just offering."

  "I still prefer to make my own. But, in that case, I will let you hand me the remainder of that soda."

  Dave accepted the soda and lit up a cigarette. He leaned back in his chair and waited for Susan to sit back down. Dave then said, "To your health and your success at instructing the cadets."

  They each sipped from their drinks.

  "Any other questions?" asked Dave.

  She said, "Maybe a couple and some of them are personal. Were you really attacked by a butterfly that morning?"

  Dave grinned as he remembered that graduation morning and his walk on the trail. "Yes, I was. I don't know what kind of a butterfly it was, but it was willing to put everything on the line. I guess that if we're real observant in life, we sooner or later get to witness some of these things. I just happened to be in the right place that morning, so to speak. Of course, the butterfly didn't think that I was in the right place."

  Susan chuckled for a moment. "Then I guess you can tell me why you let me go ahead with my theories on space fighter combat when I was in the Space Academy."

  Dave looked at Susan carefully and saw how she had been gauging him for an honest reply by asking about the butterfly. She was everything that he thought her to be. In other words, she was a future star of the Navy, like Admiral Reason and himself, only female. He chose his words well as he answered. He said, "You showed a combination of dedication, curiosity, and determination that are rarely found together. What I did wasn't to favor you, but to encourage you to blossom into your full ability. You're not there yet, but you're on the right track. You would have either found better ways to fight in space or you would have validated the current procedures, so nothing was truly at risk while there was everything to gain."

  She said, "But some of those theories were your own ideas."

  Dave replied, "Doesn't matter whether I get any credit or not. The important things to me are saving lives when possible and keeping our Union free no matter what the cost. You managed to first prove your theories in class using the computers. Then you put those into practical application in actual combat and validated them. So, you deserve the credit."

  "That doesn't seem right to me," she remarked. "You deserve to get your share of the credit."

  "Suit yourself," he replied.

  ***

  Admiral Oden went through reports as soon as Susan left his office. Combat was going on throughout the galaxy for the past few days. Gabrielle and Edun were both swarming with enemy robots that killed indiscriminately. Both planets were encircled by enemy warships. Their populations were anxious for the Navy to engage and destroy the enemy quickly.

  Admiral of the Navy Reason gave Dave the mission of fighting the Malakins, recovering all Union territory, and ending the war. To help him, carriers were being reassigned to his sector along with more squadrons. Dave pulled up the star charts on his personal terminal and looked them over.

  He was more than familiar with Gabrielle and its people. They would die rather than see their personal honor besmirched. If someone made a bargain with one of their people, there was no need for a contract to be drawn up to ensure compliance on their side of the bargain. Once they spoke their word, it was a contract that anyone within the Union would gladly accept. As well, Gabrielle had a close to Earth gravity and didn't pose any special problems to landing Space Marines. The people would be very cooperative and were staunch supporters of the Union during the Ape-oids War. If it became necessary to raze a home or city to rid Gabrielle of the invaders, the people there would accept it as a required cost of remaining free. Dave glanced again at how many enemy ships and robots were at Gabrielle. Then he decided on the appropriate number of units to respond with. It would be a surgical strike designed not to raze their homes and cities except as a last resort.

  Dave turned his attention to Edun, the newest of the members of the Union of Planets. It was a planet with less gravity than Earth. Farther out from the center of the Union than any of the other inhabited planets, Edun, like Echo, had a civilian populace with a minimal local planetary government. Again, like Echo, Edun was very liberal in everything. Both planets' peoples had the right to be naked in public at all times and both had passed laws requiring public nudity just so they couldn't lose their right. As far as Dave remembered, Edun was the only planet that asked for any established Union military bases to be in line with that. Checking his planetary data, he saw that the Union government had acceded to their wishes. Dave checked his unit information and located two marine units composed strictly of men and women from either Edun or Echo. They would be the best units to send to Edun, he thought, for relieving the embattled defenders. He marked the 18th and 21st Space Marines (N) for Edun's liberation. They were the only two marine units with the 'N' or nude designation. They were normally stationed on Echo because of that. At least, he wouldn't have to consider cultural preferences in the fighting that would take place in space near Edun.

  Dave looked at his list of available units and saw that he had no lack of marine units to send, but warships were something else. He remembered, from his research, having read about an old Earth war involving a situation similar to the one he now faced. Dave still had no idea of the enemy's true military strength and needed that information desperately. He hoped that Val would be brought back soon. Regardless, Dave had a mission to perform. He plotted out his initial s
trategy for recovering the two planets. Ending the war, however, would require some additional information. He issued out orders to the units. Within an hour, most of them would be on their way to their assigned missions. Had Beulah fallen, he doubted that the Union would be able to get back to those two planets for close to a year, perhaps longer. The loss to the military of the Space Academy and its cadets would have been devastating to say the least.

  He went through another file on his personal terminal and looked over the remote training cadets. They were men and women forced by personal circumstances to drop out of the Space Academy who continued to take the courses through correspondence. With the loss of officers that the Navy experienced in the initial attacks, Dave knew that nearly everyone of these men and women would be given the opportunity to accept a commission. There were a few who were even very close to completion. Dave considered their grades and what he knew of them personally as he contemplated granting a few waivers. He went over each one carefully and then initiated a series of instructions that would reach them within the hour. Dave would know within another hour as to how many of them still desired a commission and accepted. He hoped that all forty-six of them would accept. From what he remembered of them, he felt reasonably sure that the majority, if not all of them, would. He could have had three more individuals, but they were either on Gabrielle or Edun and not available for immediate contact. If he knew them as well as he thought he did, he was sure they were already involved in the thick of any defense on their respective planets.

  An incoming message alert came on his terminal screen. Dave entered his code into the terminal to permit the message to be decrypted and displayed for him to read. The message was more bad news. Leuion was asking for assistance. They, too, were fighting off the Malakins and had even less of a navy than the Union. An accompanying message from Navy headquarters authorized him to render assistance and land troops on Leuion. The Union had been granted that authority by the Leuion government.