Hero to the End (The Hunter Legacy Book 13) Read online

  Hero to the End

  By Timothy Ellis

  The Hunter Legacy, Book Thirteen

  Copyright © 2016, by Timothy Ellis

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and events are fictional and have no relationship to any real person, place or event. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely co-incidental.

  The author has taken the liberty of using some recognizable names in a historical context or projected into the future as if such entities survive into the timeframe of this work of fiction. Such references are intended solely as a tribute to the entity so used and all such usage has an intended deep respect. The author has also deliberately chosen names for characters in tribute to the science fiction genre in all forms of media. Some may be obvious, others won't be. There is no implied connection, other than what the reader may make for themselves.

  The author is Australian and the main characters in this book are of Australian origin. In Australia, we colour things slightly differently, so you may notice some of the spelling is different. Please don't be alarmed. If you do suffer any discomfort, please take it out on the nearest pirate.

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without the written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contents

  Contents

  Dramatis Personae

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty One

  Twenty Two

  Twenty Three

  Twenty Four

  Twenty Five

  Twenty Six

  Twenty Seven

  Twenty Eight

  Twenty Nine

  Thirty

  Thirty One

  Thirty Two

  Thirty Three

  Thirty Four

  Thirty Five

  Thirty Six

  Thirty Seven

  Thirty Eight

  Thirty Nine

  Forty

  Forty One

  Forty Two

  Forty Three

  Forty Four

  Forty Five

  Forty Six

  Forty Seven

  Forty Eight

  Forty Nine

  Fifty

  Fifty One

  Fifty Two

  Fifty Three

  Fifty Four

  Fifty Five

  Fifty Six

  Fifty Seven

  Fifty Eight

  Fifty Nine

  Sixty

  Sixty One

  Sixty Two

  Sixty Three

  Sixty Four

  Epilogue

  Appendices

  Hunter Ranks

  Hunter Insignia

  Sector Maps

  Acknowledgements

  A Message to my Readers

  Also by Timothy Ellis

  Dramatis Personae

  Jonathon Hunter – Duke of Hunter's Run, Duke of Norfolk, Owner of Hunter's Security (Mercenary Force), Admiral **** in five Space Forces.

  Jane – Artificial Intelligence, with unique Primary Avatar. Fleet Admiral *. Cloned to many ships and stations, with many secondary avatars.

  Angel – Jon's Lilac Point Siamese Cat.

  Jeeves – Jon's personal butler droid.

  Smith's Alpha Team

  Annabelle Smith – Lieutenant General **.

  Amanda Peck – Lieutenant Colonel, Joint CO Team One.

  Aleesha Peck – Amanda's twin - Lieutenant Colonel, Joint CO Team One.

  BA – Anne Baracas - Command Sergeant Major – Combat Leader.

  George Murdock – Commander – Captain of HS Marine Assault Super-Cruiser Fearless.

  Alison Vogane – Lieutenant Colonel – Annabelle's Aide, Team admin, and medic.

  Abigail Weaver – Senior Sergeant – Coms and Tech.

  Aline Takai – Sub-Lieutenant – Jon's unofficial girlfriend.

  Agatha Merritt - Sergeant - Gunner and Squad Leader.

  Alana Henquist - Sergeant – Demolitions.

  Grace Tapping – Flight Officer – Fighter and Dropship Pilot.

  Hunter's Run/Hunter Security

  Amy Allen – Hunter Media Controller.

  Annette Bronson – Commander – Captain of HS Super-Cruiser Defiant.

  Melissa Gordon – Lightning Courier Pilot.

  Daniel O'Neil – Fleet Admiral * - Captain of HS Pocket Battleship John Wayne.

  Richard Burnside – Colonel – Hunter's Run Chief of Security. Ex-Detective Earth Sector.

  David Tollin – Earl – Hunter's Run Administrator – Ambassador to Australian sector.

  Algernon Lacey – Group Captain – Captain of HS Super Destroyer Crusader – CO of Hunter Fighter Forces.

  Alexander Brown – Wing Commander – CO HS 266 Squadron.

  Tom Jones - Flight Lieutenant. 266 Squadron.

  Warren Taylor. - Flight Lieutenant. 266 Squadron.

  Gavin Williams. - Flight Lieutenant. 266 Squadron.

  Doctor Elisabeth Carter – Colonel – CO Hunter Medical.

  Jillian (Jill) Carter – daughter of Elisabeth Carter.

  Jack O'Neill – Colonel – CO Hunter Marine Corp.

  Samantha Jackman-O'Neill – Major – CO Team Six

  Gaia

  Fleet Captain Hunter – Jon's father – Captain GS Galactica.

  Mrs. Hunter – Jon's mother.

  Trisha Fox – Commander - Captain of Enterprise.

  Wayne Noland – Commander - Captain of Prometheus.

  Sarah – Mother of Jon's son.

  Michael – Ducal heir - Jon's baby son.

  Baron Fred – Jon's cousin.

  Australian Sector

  Walter Harriman – General **** – Australian Militia Commander.

  Gloria Petersen – Colonel - Harriman's aide.

  Bob Derr – Sydney Shipyard owner.

  Richard Hurndall – Hunter Trading Cruiser freighter Captain.

  Mary Hurndall.

  Suzy Hurndall.

  British Sector

  Susan Bentley - Rear Admiral (UH) ** - Captain HS Dreadnaught Dauntless.

  James Bigglesworth - Space Marshall **** - Commander British Fleet.

  Aiden Hobbs – Major General ** - CO SAS Battalion.

  Karen Gillan – Commander – Bentley's XO.

  American Sector

  Darius Jedburgh – Admiral **** – ASF Commander Dallas.

  Chet Hallington – Rear Admiral (UH) ** – Admiral in Command of ASF Super-Carrier Yorktown.

  Ron Greer – Captain – CO ASF Gunbus Squadron – Captain HS Super-Destroyer Chivalrous.

  Miriam Young – Commander – CO ASF Excalibur Wing – Jon's Ex-Lover.

  General Patton **** - American Joint Chiefs.

  Colonel Ashdale - General Patten's aide.

  Wing Commander Rodriquez – CO Mercenary Privateers – Ex Bounty Hunter.

  Sci-Fi Sector

  Vonda Wellington - Lieutenant General ***, SFSF, formerly Midgard Military Governor.

  General Price **** - SFSF Commander.

  Canadian Sector

  Aidan Tremblay, Admiral **** - Canadian Military leader.

  Japanese Sector


  Rear Admiral Sato * – CO JDF Gunbus Squadron.

  Artificial Intelligence - Clones of Jane

  Janet – Redoubt Behemoth AI.

  Janine – Hunter Shipyard AI.

  Janice – Hunter's Haven AI.

  D-Jane – Detective Jane – aged late-forties.

  JW – John Wayne AI.

  Other Beings

  Kali – Indian Deity.

  Ganesha – Indian Deity.

  Thirteen – Avatar of a Dark Matter Nebulae.

  One – Avatar of the largest Nebulae in the galaxy.

  Sariel – ArcAngel.

  Max – Thirteen's Seal Point Siamese Cat – Brother of Angel.

  Nut – Grace's Ginger Cat.

  Midnight – Jon's Parent's Cat.

  Tanith – Kelewan Mage.

  Syrinx – Karn Sister.

  Hobbes – Keerah Warrior.

  Roo – Ralnor Warrior.

  Ships

  Redoubt – Battlestation – Behemoth class ship.

  Gatherer – Evacuation Battle Carrier - formerly BigMother, Hunter Security Command Carrier. Formerly Midway Class Escort Carrier. Formally Junk Heap One.

  Unassailable – Hive Battleship.

  Hive – Twelve medium Drone fighters, linked to perform as a single ship.

  Guardian – Drone Pocket Battleship.

  John Wayne – Pocket Battleship – Class ship.

  General Custer – Marine Assault Frigate.

  Galactica – Original Explorer ship – Upgraded to Super Cruiser all-purpose evacuation role.

  Enterprise – Original Explorer ship – Upgraded to Super Cruiser all-purpose evacuation role.

  Prometheus – Original Explorer ship – Upgraded to Super Cruiser all-purpose evacuation role.

  Relentless – Dreadnaught.

  Dauntless – Dreadnaught.

  Fearless – Marine Assault Super-Cruiser.

  Defiant – Super-Cruiser.

  Crusader – Super-Destroyer.

  Chivalrous – Super Destroyer.

  Preserver – Evacuation Carrier - Re-tasked Midway class Escort Carrier. Formerly Junk Heap Two.

  Deliverer – Evacuation Carrier - Re-tasked Midway class Escort Carrier. Formerly Junk Heap Three.

  Homer – Marine Assault Cruiser – On loan to HS from owner Jack O'Neill.

  Bonko's Club – Marine Assault Cruiser – Attached HS forces. Owned by Bonko.

  Yorktown – ASF Super Carrier.

  Intrepid – ASF Behemoth Carrier.

  Gunbus – Corvette Class.

  Excalibur – Privateer Class.

  Python – Dropship Class (Fighter size).

  Cobra – Dropship Class (Corvette size).

  Centurion – Privateer Class.

  Mustang – Privateer Class.

  Hurndalls Stallion – Cruiser Freighter.

  Gorilla – Excalibur class, owned by George.

  Nightshade – Mustang class, owned by Annette.

  Lightning – Courier class.

  Starman – Greer's Gunbus.

  Stiletto – Miriam's Excalibur.

  Mole – Special underground digging ship.

  One

  "You're under arrest Hunter! Stand your ships down, and prepare to be boarded."

  Welcome to Wolf 359. I don’t think. We'd down jumped from Paris to find a reception committee. The stations had been allowed through, as had the Japanese Corvettes, two of the three Explorer ships and their support ships, the American fleet, and the remnants from the Latin, African, Spanish, and Chinese fleets. My ships had been bringing up the rear, with the French fleet behind us. The French were not happy, but they'd pulled out when I told them to.

  "Scorpion," I said into fleet coms, and turned the volume down.

  "Confirmed," responded Jane.

  I opened the channel fully, and looked at the Earth Admiral who'd made the verbal demand. It was my friend from way back, the one who hated me. I gave him my best grin.

  "And if I don’t?"

  "Then we fire on you."

  "Seriously? The fate of humanity is in the balance, and you’d fire on the very ships you need to survive?"

  "We don’t need you Hunter. Stand down or be destroyed."

  I stared at him, and allowed my grin to fade. I turned to Jane.

  "Admiral Jane," I said. "Analysis of the Earth Admiral's claim please."

  I didn’t recall his name, and he hadn't offered it. Maybe he assumed I knew it. He was assuming a lot.

  "There's a mixed force ahead of us," said Jane. "Twelve Battleships, nineteen Cruisers, twenty four Destroyers, fifteen Frigates, and a dozen Corvettes. All Earth Force. In addition, there are twenty four ships Cruiser or smaller in the Italian fleet, and three Escort Carriers with fifteen squadrons of heavy fighters, which appear to be Corporate sector. Oh, and the French fleet behind us has a target lock on us."

  The Carriers appeared to be brand new Midway class, but they must have updated the design to get the extra squadron on. It beat me why they hadn't designed something new. The Midway class had been obsolete fifty years ago.

  "Do we fight or stand down?"

  "It wouldn’t be a fair fight."

  I sighed overly dramatically, and made a show of pressing the fleet coms button.

  "All Hunter ships stand down."

  "Good call Hunter. Your Alpha team are also under arrest. Any attempt to resist will be met with force."

  "General Smith."

  "Sir?"

  "Consider yourself and your team under arrest."

  "Yes sir."

  She didn’t do deadpan all that well.

  "Shuttles en route," said Jane quietly.

  I looked this Admiral bozo in the eye. Well as much as you can across space, using cams and screens.

  "What are the charges?"

  He smiled the sort of smile you smile when someone asks you the one thing you’ve been dying to say.

  "Murder, piracy, looting, cowardice in the face of an enemy, and my personal favourite, crimes against humanity."

  He grinned at me. I started laughing. His grin started to slip.

  "Sorry," I said. "What makes you think you have any jurisdiction for any of that?"

  He spluttered. Spittle visibly sprayed out in front of him.

  "You're in Earth sector now. This is my jurisdiction."

  I couldn’t help it. I remembered a line out of an old flat screen, mentioning 'duris-my-dick-ion'. My grin slipped out again, and I reined it in.

  "Explain then."

  "You murdered the Latin Committee by forcing them onto a ship in the war zone, which was subsequently destroyed. You have pirated all sorts of ships from other forces. You've been systematically looting planets all your way along the spine, as well as most of the Latin and African planets. You always run away from a jump point battle well before anyone with an ounce of bravery would. Your other crimes are much too numerous to mention here. Satisfied?"

  "Colonel Burnside, what do you think of the charges?"

  Dick was an ex-detective with the Earth PD. He knew the system inside and out.

  "Complete bullshit sir. Show me which judge issued the warrants, and I'll show you a corrupt judge. I'm pretty sure I know which ones are involved here. It’s a miracle they've stayed out of jail themselves."

  The Admiral started spluttering again.

  "Calm down Admiral," I said. "No need to take things personally. I presume you intend sending us the warrants?"

  "Send him the warrants," the Admiral said to someone off screen.

  "Received," said Jane.

  Dick started laughing.

  "Knew it," he said, still laughing.

  "Shuttles docking," said Jane.

  "Who's on board?"

  "Earth marines."

  "And?"

  "Again, it wouldn’t be a fair fight."

  "By all means let them on board then."

  "Confirmed."

  I said nothing more, merely watching vids as marines boarded sh
ips. The Admiral was as well, and he was looking very satisfied with himself.

  A short time later, his smirk slipped again.

  "Hunter? What are those ships doing behind us?"

  "Which ships are those?" I asked innocently.

  "Don’t play games Hunter. You know damn well the Americans and Japanese are massing behind my ships. Call them off."

  "As you wish."

  I opened fleet coms.

  "Admiral's Hallington and Sato. You can stand down. Thank you, but I've got this."

  "Are you sure sir?" asked Hallington.

  "Quite sure."

  "As you wish."

  None of the ships moved though. The Earth Admiral was starting to look a little nervous. But he knew he still had the upper hand. Twelve Battleships was a winning hand. Like five aces.

  "Where the hell is Hunter?" asked a Colonel.

  "What do you mean where is Hunter?" asked the Admiral. "He's right there in the Captain's seat on Relentless."

  "No sir, he's not."

  "Scorpion," I said again.

  Instantly, on all the vids I could see, Hunter crew dived for the deck, their suits changing to full protection mode.

  "What the hell?" said the Admiral and Colonel together.

  Everyone standing on my ships was suddenly flattened by six gees of gravity. Screams sounded as limbs tore on their way to the deck.

  "What the devil is going on?" demanded the Admiral.

  I goosed the controls, and shields shorted out with a significant shock wave, felt on both ships.

  "What the hell was that?" screamed the Admiral

  "That was your shields failing, arsehole," I said. "Look up!"

  He involuntarily did as I said, looking up through the transparent hull plates on the top of his Bridge.

  I dropped my cloak. He flinched.

  I'd positioned Gunbus so my Bridge windows could look into his. It also aligned my torpedo launchers with him personally.

  "How did you get there?" he asked, in a voice which expressed his disbelief in what his eyes could see.

  "Superior tech. I feel I should point out to you that my finger is on my torpedo button, and should I press it, thirty torpedoes will blast a serious hole through your ship, and it will require a shipyard to completely replace the Bridge and surrounding areas. Do I make myself clear?"

  "What do you want?"

  "Nothing at all. You will do me the courtesy of standing down your ships. Since I and mine are not welcome here, we will depart for Israel, where I have an outstanding luncheon appointment to fulfill. Since you seem to have an adequate fleet, we'll leave the defense of Earth in your capable hands."