Book II: Brinus Helios - From Criminal to Hero

Three months after the opening battles, the Confederacy launched a counterattack at a weak point in the enemy lines. The Federation invasion has stalled, and casualties mount on both sides. However, the 3rd task force is on the move.

Admiral Nelson was on his TriQuarter with a humanoid. The diplomat had navy blue fur, a light blue furry tail, and white paws. The diplomat was in a room with simple wood paneling and the classic modern architecture that the rest of the galaxy used.

The Vendalfi, who was named Gondi, was in a simple office chair. There was also a polished wooden desk with an oil painting of his wife and two kids in the background.

"The Vendalfi Federation and the rest of the galaxy is behind you! We will wait and see the outcome of Hoth Prime before making an official declaration. However, we don't want the Federation to win your war. For too long, they have felt entitled to the galaxy's resources. We have been on the receiving end of their demands far too many times."

Admiral Nelson's tail went upright with a slight curve, and his eyes closed and opened slowly. "We will be in battle within a few hours. My captain should issue a yellow alert in twenty minutes and a battle-stations order. What can you give us as far as support? Should we start winning the battle?"

Gondi leaned back in his chair. His fur flashed reddish blue and then returned to navy blue. Admiral Nelson knew he had pissed off Gondi as his fur flashing red was a sign of irritation. "If you're winning, we won't need to intervene. We are the ones who provided your AI with the data it needed to calculate vulnerability."

"What the…?!" Admiral Nelson flicked his cat ears and swished his tail side to side rapidly. "What does that mean?!" He slammed his paws on his epoxy table.

Gondi's fur flashed a bright red. He said in a fake, overly polite voice. "We are partners, but are obligated to help the Feds in a time of war. No one wants to help them. So, the others?" The diplomat's fur flashed again. Nelson was unsure if he was angry at the feds or the treaty. "You really should wonder why the intergalactic community has not intervened on the Federation's behalf. Everyone hates the Federation. We pledge our support by not interfering. The other major powers will not interfere. If you win this battle, we will provide arms, munitions, and logistics — the others offer their thoughts and prayers for your soldiers. Our medical and repair facilities are twenty clicks northwest, should you need any services for your wounded. We will charge your ships at cost for services. Good day."

The call ended. We're fucked. Admiral Nelson thought. He was worried about his son and wanted to talk to him in case he never saw him again. Nelson wondered how he would win without the support of the Vendalfi.

He called his son on his TriQuarter device. Admiral Nelson spoke after his son picked up the phone, "Hey Topper, you ready?" his voice shook nervously.

"Yes, sir. Everyone on the bridge is tense. The captain made me his secretary. How's mom? Is she okay?" Topper felt a lump in his throat.

Admiral Nelson didn't want to worry about his son, but also did not want to lie to him. "Did you complete basic training?" He tapped his fingers on his desk and twitched his tail.

"I am being promoted to midshipman tomorrow. He wants to promote me after we get into port." Topper sighed nervously.

"Probably for prize money. He can get a bigger share if he promotes the cadets to crewmen and midshipmen after the battle because he has to pay out more people."

Topper and Nelson awkwardly laughed. "That sucks ass," stated Topper.

"Don't worry. You will get your share. I will make sure of it." Admiral Nelson's tail was upright and slightly curved. "Be safe and be alert. Remember what I taught you. It only takes a second to be a casualty." Admiral Nelson crossed his legs and flexed his claws. Just then, a red alert was issued. "I have to go. Bye." He cut comms.

Admiral Nelson rushed to the bridge; his paw shook as he gripped the railing. Just in time, he thought. His words were empty and hollow. He couldn't shake the image of his son — young, naive, and now at the mercy of the spirits. And his wife… It had been three months since they said goodbye. He made a silent prayer to the temple spirits, desperate for the chance to hold her again.

Captain Plato stood with his paws behind his back as the entire third task force exited the transwarp on top of the enemy fleet.

"Sir, what are your orders?"

After gaining her bearings, he sat in the admiral's chair. "Deploy the Fleet in a standard V formation with the picket ships and frigates protecting the capital ships."

"Yes, sir!"

Admiral Nelson deployed the fleet into a double line, using frigates and picket ships to cover the bigger vessels. The ships moved into battle formation while the enemy sent wave after wave of fighters and bombers to try to disrupt the formation. They strafed the Battleships and the Squadron Command Ships, sending debris everywhere. The picket ships placed themselves between the bombers and the capital ships, knocking out hundreds of enemy bombers.

The cigar-shaped confederation ships contrasted with the triangular shapes of the Federation ships. The V-shaped Confederation blue fighters and bombers engaged with the black enemy fighters that had a red stripe on them. They had a circle with a star inside.

Confederation Fighters left the hangar bay on all sides in rapid succession, one after the other; they began pursuing the enemy and sending disruptor bolts flying in all directions. The fighters looped the loops and Corkscrewed, trying to evade each other. Torpedoes flew in all directions as green and red disruptor bolts flew from both sides. The confederation torpedoes left blue trails of fire, and shrapnel filled the space.

Federation supply ships deployed marine boarding craft.

The fighters shot down as many as they could. There were 1,000 100-person boarding pods. They were sacrificed in a grand, sweeping charge at the fleet. Admiral Nelson stared at the enemy in shock. The bridge was so quiet that only the hum of machines and computers could be heard.

Nelson stood looking out of the window. Damn, he thought, looking out as the unescorted boarding was rapidly destroyed, the enemy must be desperate. If even 200 boarding pods get through and board a ship, that's enough to overtake a battlecruiser or a destroyer.

Captain Plato turned to Admiral Nelson. Out of the one thousand boarding pods, only four hundred made it through the fighters and the wall of fire. They boarded five capital ships.

"What just happened?" asked Captain Plato.

Admiral Nelson approached Captain Plato and put his paw on his shoulder. "When an enemy is desperate, they will do anything to forestall the inevitable. Tell the Fleet to push forward. Get to those supply stations at all costs. I hope my son is okay." Admiral Nelson looked visibly distressed, with his tail flicking from side to side, and his fur was puffy. However, he gathered his composure again. One of his two sons was on the ship that had just boarded, and he had to focus.

The entire line of capital ships and Cruisers began moving forward. The picket ships and frigates cleared a path in front of the line.

The AI officer at her station shouted, "Sir, Alex calculated. There is a ninety-four percent chance the enemy is trying to lure us into a trap."

Admiral Nelson waved his hand at the tech and then said, "Continue the charge. Do not question an order when given."

The officer shrugged, "Yes, sir."

The AI decided to comply and said nothing. Your wish is my command, sir, Alex typed across the viewscreen.

When they reached the five supply bases, ten thousand fighters and bombers flew out of the landing bays in a massive swarm of spacecraft, firing disruptor blasts and proton bombs at the fleet. The AI was right. Then, the enemy fleet closed behind him in a giant circle.

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"Form a wagon circle with the capital ships and activate the AI mode for the Turbocannons." Admiral Nelson was stone-faced and stoic on the outside. He put his paw in his pocket to hide the shaking and began praying to the temple spirits. His paws were sweaty, his pupils were fully dilated, and his breathing was deep and forced in order to keep from hyperventilating.

Over the next two hours, the Federation could not break the third Task Force or deliver the death blow on them. Every time they reached a weak point in the circle, Admiral Nelson would order picket and screen ships to close it up. With the autocannons activated and the fleet in a wagon circle, the enemy took a beating.

For two hours, the fleet held its line. The turbo cannons fired at a continuous rate of fire, letting loose a never-ending stream of disruptor bolts — tearing apart enemy ships in the vacuum of space. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, the enemy began to warp out of the solar system. One by one, they vanished, leaving floating debris and warp trails in their wake. On the bridge, only the hum of machinery could be heard as everyone took a moment of silence for the fallen of both sides. Admiral Nelson breathed a loud sigh of relief. The battle was won, but at what cost?

Admiral Nelson Said, "Bombard the Supply stations with tricobalt torpedoes. Continue using AI mode for the Turobcannons." The admiral closed his eyes and thanked the temple spirits for victory. He had a strong feeling they granted him victory because of a mage on board the ship they were protecting.

The supply stations exploded in a shower of torpedoes. White hot debris rained down on Hoth Prime from space, and the comms officer was flooded with requests for medical aid. The remaining fighters and bombers then attempted to fly into the Confederation's fighters, picket ships, and frigates; mass explosions of starships and spacecraft created a shower of debris and bombs in all directions, marking a dramatic end to the battle. The Federation fleet was destroyed. Admiral Nelson lost a third of his fleet.

At that moment, Admiral Nelson realized his wife was dead. He didn't know how; he just knew. He could grieve later, but now he had to focus on the battle and salvage operations. A tear rolled down his cheek, and he wiped his face.

"Deploy the salvage and repair teams."

Plato nodded and gave the order.

Brinus had his toolkit with the salvage team when they boarded the landing craft. He was with the petty officer and the three shipmates.

There were also seventeen new crewmates, and a petty officer third class.

The new commander looked at his squad once it had assembled. "We're heading to the frigate The Indefatigable to be their engineering crew. We'll get our orders when they arrive."

The new crew pulled up next to the airlock at the frigate in a shuttlecraft and, a few minutes later, opened the door. The lieutenant commander greeted them.

The group leader tilted his head and sighed. "Sir, where's the captain?"

The commander sighed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Dead. The bridge had ten fighters crash into it. Everyone in the engineering bay was electrocuted in a power surge."

Brinus nodded, and then his crew headed to the engineering bay.

After arriving, Brinus saw forty dead bodies and eight damaged droids in pieces. This section had a three-deck warp core, which looked like a nuclear reactor behind an air-locked plexiglass dome. There were three floors with protective railings and computer consoles. The central console was damaged. The floor was blue carpet, but there were bloodstains on the carpet, and burnt bodies hung over the railing. The smell of charred flesh, burnt gunpowder, and ozone hung in the air like an unwanted house guest that never left.

The petty officer looked at Brinus, "You! Repair the command console! Everyone else, y'all know your jobs!"

The crew hustled and bustled about the engineering as he reassembled the astromech, which was in pieces. The two computer techs began taking apart the command console. The three repair techs began regenerating the bio-neural network cable in the warp core. The other techs were assisting in repairs.

One of the computer techs replaced the Navi chip on the command console as Brinus welded the new servo motors on the leg. A computerized voice said ten hours until oxygen was depleted. The bio-neural network would take hours to regenerate. However, they would need to finish fast. Reviving the neural network requires a Navi chip, an astromech, and a functional computer console with an active wireless network.

Brinus pressed the switch in the back after finishing what he called his ghetto welds; the droid beeped and whirred to life. Without a word, it walked over to the computer console and released nanites into the starship's neural network. It then interfaced with the ship's computer by connecting to a computer port.

The navi chip was then successfully integrated into the command console. They began reassembling the console. Brinus helped the three computer techs by jerry-rigging a new cooling system hooked up to the ship's air conditioner. The computer notified them they had two hours of oxygen left, so they hurried the process. Once the console worked, they noticed two buttons on the holographic keyboard did not activate. It turned out that the switches were burnt out, so they replaced them and activated life support.

The air began to thin out and became more breathable.

Ten minutes later, the guys piled the dead bodies and the arms and legs into the airlock and then ejected them into space.

After making the engineering bay functional, they took a smoke break and started body recovery and removal. The women worked on the wiring in the other consoles, with the droid Brinus repaired.

He cleaned the blood off the engineering bay floor with hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol when he heard a cough behind him.

Brinus turned and saluted the Commander, who then saluted back. "I understand you are training to be an engineer." Started the commander in a military voice. "And have you just completed your high school diploma with a specialty in STEM?"

"Yes, sir." He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "What's this here about?"

"I looked up your credentials. You're certified in workshop tech and basic engineering. You complete basic training in two weeks. My name is Lieutenant Commander Toz. What's your real name?"

Brinus smiled, his hands stopped shaking, and his shoulders relaxed. "Yes, sir. My name is Brinus Helios, sir."

Commander Toz slapped Brinus' left shoulder with a smile. "I'm giving you a field promotion to midshipman. Whether your captain keeps your promotion is up to him. I need someone who knows what to do in charge of the engineering bay. I am also giving you a temporary promotion to chief engineer. Get your midshipmen's asterisk. That's an order."

Sammy slapped Brinus's shoulder. "First command. Congratulations!"

Brinus' heart fluttered, and his shoulders and chest relaxed even after he had spent an hour disposing of bodies. Even though he was cleaning blood out of the carpet, he did get a promotion. Even in the worst times, there are happy moments

Brinus was covered in a layer of dirt and grime. Commander Toz gave him a TriQuarter, which was a device like a smartphone but with quantum wetware and interplanetary communication ability. All the software he would need to manage the engineering bay was on it.

He had pinged the two petty officers.

Two human women and up to Brinus, and they both saluted him. Brinus began talking. "I drew up a repair schedule. We'll be twelve hours on 'n twelve hours. Petty Officer Marchella, you'll be in charge of the night shift. Petty Officer Mikita, you will oversee the day shift. It'll take me half a day to make the new magnetic coil spanner in the machine shop. It will take me a few minutes to install them. I put workers under you based on specialty and personality. Questions?"

Mitika shifted her feet and looked down at the floor. "Sir, might I suggest we let the droids replace the magnetic coil spanner?"

He raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Why?"

Mitika mumbled and looked at the floor as she fiddled with her uniform belt. "You are a duke. You technically shouldn't be here."

He snapped and waved his hand dismissively. "I don't wonna hear that again. I'll install the coil spanners in half a day."

"Yes, sir."

It surprised him at how professional his crew was as they left him alone to make a new coil spanner. Everyone followed orders, which were very different from his time in prison and in the syndicate. Therefore, he didn't expect any issues that needed his attention to appear. In Brinus' prison experience, when he oversaw a manufacturing crew, they were disobedient and would back-talk. The military simply said 'Yes, sir,' and carried out his orders. For the first time, he understood the meaning of the phrase navy efficiency. 17 people and two petty officers, and a midshipman for an engineering bay designed for 100 would be tough, but this is what he signed up for.

As the Engineering bay ran like clockwork, Brinus had the AI draw up plans for a Mark magnetic coil spanner in a Marco Class Frigate. He printed a wax mold in about 10 minutes. melting down four ingots of tungsten, nickel, and copper alloy in the exact ratios needed, the furnace was set to the proper temperature. He then poured the molten metal into the mold. It took twenty minutes to mold the coil spanner. It was a two-and-a-half-foot rod that was three inches thick with two-foot, diamond-shaped nodes at the ends.

Brinus tied a room-temperature superconductor wire about one inch thick around the metal rod with two diamonds at the end. He then taped it down every half inch with metal tape.

After soldering the metal tape to the alloy bar, Brinus then walked into the engineering bay. The time was halfway through the night watch when the midnight watch bell rang. Everyone on the deck saluted him, and he saluted them back.

Brinus barked in a military voice, getting into Marchella's face, "Get a radiation suit. I'm gonna install this myself."

Marcella shook her head and adjusted her shirt, "Sir, you're a duke and not certified for warp core maintenance."

"I gave you an order."

Marchella crossed her arms. "And I have an obligation not to follow it, sir."

Brinus handed the rod to one of the men, who almost dropped it because it was so heavy. He then looked at Marchella. "You've got the engineerin' bay. Wake me up at the mornin' watch bell."

Marchella saluted Brinus, and he saluted back.

The coil spanner was replaced. The sudden brightness took him off guard. Brinus also noticed the ship was now in transwarp. He washed his clothes in the guest quarters laundry room and realized they had brought him four days of uniform change through the transporter. His boyfriend must have brought in the laundry while the ship was disabled.

On each of the uniforms were midshipman's asterisks and a note from Simmie congratulating him on his new promotion. Brinus figured they must have brought the uniforms over when he was repairing the engineering bay.

He wondered if he was promoted to midshipman because of his family connections. However, he may have been promoted because of ten years of previous experience. He has also proved his skills over the last six months. Brinus really didn't want to know. He lay in bed and dozed off. He had just fought at the Battle of the Caliver System and was dead to the galaxy.