“Lieutenant Andre Briggs, ICJS Plymouth,” the gruff voice responded. “I think I’m what’s left of command. Captain carked it with the first hit. Never stood a chance. Either way, I’ve got a bunch of scared civvies and not enough men to take care of them.”
“Got rescue parties all over the area. We’ll find them.”
“Much obliged. If you wouldn’t mind getting me to your ship, I’d like a chat with the captain.”
“Sure. Got a squad of hueys near the crash site. Corporal Winters can take you back there.”
“We picking them up?” Reeves asked suddenly, jarring Ethan slightly. Evidently he had been listening in as well.
“They’re our squad,” Ethan said, settling back into control of the craft, “I’d say so.” He switched his radio back to traffic control. “Dawn, I have one Lieutenant Briggs en route. Needs to speak with the captain.”
“Roger, Raptor One. Bring him in and then return to the salvage operation.” Ethan confirmed the order and settled back into the clearing just as Rebecca and Briggs were approaching. He handed the controls off to Reeves so he could greet the lieutenant.
“Right bodgy mess you got here,” Briggs grimaced, watching the salvage teams work, “Hopefully your captain can explain just how the hell it happened.”
“I’m sorry to say you might not like the answer,” Ethan said.
“How’s that?”
Rebecca stepped into the shuttle behind him. “Because, Lieutenant,” she said, “you’ve flown right into a warzone.”
*
Opposite Ethan’s hopes, the arrival of two hundred humans did not breathe fresh life into the weary populace of Voyager Dawn. Within the first few hours of their presence, several fights broke out, and the civilians seemed more on edge than ever.
“The new colonists have more right to be afraid,” Rebecca commented over dinner the next day. The mess was particularly crowded now; she and Ethan had been involuntarily separated from the rest of the squad, and Ethan was doing his best to maintain a conversation.
“Why? They haven’t been here as long.”
“No, but they weren’t expecting this. They were shot out of the sky, lost nearly two thirds of their complement, and are being held indefinitely on a damaged ship with no hope of rescue or repair. And they didn’t have time to adjust.”
“We weren’t exactly eased into it.”
“We weren’t shot out of the sky by a battleship,” Rebecca pointed out. “We already had an established position.”
“True.” Ethan paused. “So what do you think our next move is?”
Rebecca played idly with her food for a moment. “If I were the captain, I would launch another attack against Tango Two. It’s the one causing most of our the problems.”
Ethan cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Look at the timeline after the first ship appeared. We were taking losses, but so were they, and neither of us were just sitting around. Since the second ship arrived, we’ve done next to nothing to change the situation, and when we try, we lose in a big way.” She hesitated, then pointed her fork at Ethan. “You’re the only one to have scored a victory against the Naldím since the second ship appeared, and even then it wasn’t crippling. Impressive, but not crippling.”
Ethan chuckled. “Thank you?” he guessed. He thought he saw the corner of Rebecca’s mouth twitch. She was difficult to read.
“My point is,” Rebecca continued, “we need to take the initiative, and attack with a foolproof plan. Remember how I said they could kick us while we’re down?” Ethan nodded. “An equally viable strategy is to use that position to lull the enemy into a false sense of security. No better time to hit them below the belt.”
“Maybe,” Ethan mused, “but we’re still reeling from the last attack. You were the one to tell me we’re running out of resources, remember? Way back when the Naldím first showed up.”
“We didn’t have that fighter last time.”
Ethan sighed. “For all the good it did us.”
“You scored more kills than anyone else in the five minutes you were up there,” Rebecca said matter-of-factly. “You think that doesn’t count for anything?”
“Are you complimenting me?”
Rebecca averted her eyes. She took a moment to clear her throat and compose herself. “Take it or leave it,” she said nonchalantly.
Ethan grinned. “I almost had you that time.”
Rebecca looked up. “What?”
“Nevermind.”
“No, what is it?”
Ethan thought for a long moment before speaking. He was suddenly in a very precarious position. “I’m just saying,” he said slowly, “you’re a bit of a… robot. Sometimes.” Rebecca cocked her eyebrow sharply. “I get it,” Ethan added quickly. “You’re new to the squad, new to the ship. I just thought you’d warm up to us eventually.”
“I did,” she said defensively. “I just don’t show it. I know how to behave in a professional environment. Something the marines here seem to have forgotten.”
“Colonial Guard is a cushy position. Usually,” Ethan explained. “Still, there’s more to it than that. What sort of regulations did they have at that advanced training camp?”
“Standard. And it was accelerated learning, not advanced. Why?”
“It just feels like they beat the emotion out of you or something. No offense. But if you want to keep your head in the game, you need to take some down time. You need to relax.”
“We don’t really have that luxury right now.”
“Sure we do.” Ethan motioned around the mess. “What do you think we’re doing right now? You’re not in that training program anymore, Rebecca. You’re not on call twenty-four, seven. Take a load off.”
Rebecca drew in a deep breath. “I’ll think about it.”
Before Ethan could respond, he heard the distinctly juvenile voice of Frank Topper cutting through the crowd.
“Excuse me. Thank you. Excuse me. Pardon me.” Suddenly Frank appeared at their table, breathless. He shoved his glasses back up his nose and pointed at the door. “Captain Rhodes wants you in his office, Ethan. You too, Rebec – um, Corporal Winters. And me. He wants me, too. But you don’t need to know that. I already told me. I mean, the captain told me.”
“Great,” Ethan interrupted, saving Frank from a nervous breakdown. He glanced sideways at Rebecca. “Shall we?”
She nodded and stood, clearing the way back to the door with a volley of sharp glares. The trio made their way to the bridge, Ethan wondering what such an odd group could do for the captain.
The Answer
“The Humans mounted a rescue for their new comrades.”
“I know.”
“And you did nothing? The blood we could have spilled…”
“Would have been pointless. The Orbiter is still in place. Until I order it to stand down, we will do nothing. This new influx of Humans may prove to have an interesting effect on their fellows. I’m curious to see the combined effects of the Orbiter and them.”
“This is not a science experiment. This is a hunt!”
“Patience. I have performed this operation a hundred times before. There is a delicate balance in play here that cannot be upset. It is not merely a hunt. You would do well to remember that.”
The bridge was empty. Not even Hadings, who was rumored to live in the ready room, was present.
“In here,” the captain said as Ethan, Rebecca, and Frank stepped off the elevator. Rhodes was waiting in the conference room, studying the console intently.
“Where is everyone?” Frank wondered aloud. Ethan had a feeling the question was directed at him, but Rhodes was the one to answer.
“This is a highly sensitive matter. I expect each of you to keep this between the four of us.” He looked directly at Ethan with a piercing gaze. No doubt he had heard something regarding Ethan’s private vendetta against the saboteur, and it did not help Ethan’s trustworthiness in the slightest. Ethan broke ey
e contact with the captain, keen not to let him gaze deeper into his soul, and offered the required, “yes, sir.” Rebecca followed suit, and Frank as well, albeit less decisively.
Rhodes rubbed his temples wearily and sighed. “I know what the crew’s been thinking,” he said. “I know they want to get back on track with the fight. But that second Naldím ship’s knocked the wind out of us.”
Ethan caught a glance from Rebecca, as if to say I told you so. Rhodes missed it, and continued. “Every day we spend in this hellish night is a day we lose a bit more of our edge. I’ll admit that the magnitude of our defeat when we first tried to take it out didn’t do anything for my morale, let alone the crew’s.”
Frank and Ethan both fidgeted slightly. It was unbearably uncomfortable to hear such words from the captain.
“But,” Rhodes pressed forward, taking in a deep breath, “now we have a Naldím fighter on hand, as well as someone who can use it.” His connection to the fighter was the reason he was here, Ethan knew. He suspected he would be called upon to use it more than once before this was over. He still couldn’t figure out why Rebecca and Frank were present. The captain quickly shed light on the subject.
“So I’ve drawn up new plans to take out Tango Two, and – hopefully – Tango One. All with two operatives.” He stabbed a finger at Ethan and Rebecca. “Namely, you two. Before we can go on, though, Corporal Winters needs to tell you something.”
“Captain,” Rebecca hissed. Rhodes held up a hand.
“I think we’re way beyond protocol, don’t you, Winters? This is about more than you now.”
Rebecca cursed silently, glaring down at her lap. Finally she looked up, staring Ethan dead in the eye. “You were right,” she said darkly, “about the Wraith.”
Ethan’s breath caught in his throat. “How do you know?” he managed.
“Because,” Rhodes interjected, “Agent Winters is the Wraith.”
Ethan was dumbfounded. He looked silently between Rhodes and Rebecca, wishing one of them would offer an explanation. Rebecca glared at the captain, stoney-eyed and unmoving. The only person in the room who seemed less comfortable than Ethan was Frank, who had practically shriveled into a ball in his seat.
Finally, Ethan managed a word. “Why?”
Rhodes, visibly relieved that someone had broken the silence, leaned forward to answer. “Short version? The hell if I know.” He turned to Rebecca as if prompting her to elaborate.
“Classified,” Rebecca muttered.
“That’s what she told me,” Rhodes confirmed, “and SWORD wasn’t too forthcoming either.”
“SWORD?” Ethan asked.
“Special Wartime Operations and Reconaissance Division,” the captain said.
“I know who they are. But since when have we been at war?” he asked. A Wraith was one thing, but if a specialized war department was involved, something bigger was going on.
Rhodes looked out the window, a slightly amused look on his face. “I’d say since we landed, Sergeant, but the Naldím are not why Agent Winters was sent here. Not that I know why she was, mind you, but-”
“SWORD heads the Wraith program,” Rebecca interrupted. “It’s not all wartime operations. We’re Spec Ops.”
“Very special ops,” Rhodes corrected, “which leads me back to my original point, if you don’t have any further questions.”
Ethan shook his head, despite a lengthy list of questions that continued to grow in his mind. He would follow the captain’s orders and work with Rebecca for the duration of the mission, but he felt a needling urge to watch his own back. He glared at Rebecca – at Agent Winters – so that she understood that his trust required answers.
“The Naldím,” Rhodes said forcefully, jarring everyone into the present, “can and will always beat us in a straight up fight. We just don’t have the resources to beat them conventionally. Luckily, we have three very unconventional resources right here.”
Frank seemed particularly confused as to why the captain might have identified him as unconventional.
“Sergeant Walker, we’re loading your ship with two payloads,” the captain said. He pointed at Rebecca. “Agent Winters will be one of them. The other will be Mister Topper’s bomb. Its ability to damage organic mass at a molecular level should prove to be a critical advantage against the Naldím ships,” he gestured towards Ethan’s wrist, “given they seem to power most of their technology with their own blood.”
“They’re going to know it’s me,” Ethan pointed out. “Sir.”
“Then we’ll have to be quick,” Rhodes said. “Tactical has plotted a flight plan through Tango Two’s graviton beam – the beam that’s bending all the light away from us. With luck, its power output will mask your approach, and if our own graviton technology is anything to go by, the energy doesn’t do significant damage to things in its path. You can launch Agent Winters and the bomb straight through its emitter and into the ship.”
Ethan repressed his shock, but only just. Frank did not. “That’s an impossible shot,” he blurted out, “from any distance.”
“I can do it,” Rebecca responded mildly. She looked completely unfazed by the whole plan.
Frank wilted under her stare, and turned to the captain for escape. “Where does that leave me, sir?” he asked.
“It’s your bomb, Topper. But from a tactical standpoint, it could stand some modifications. Dr. Chan will give you the requirements, but I want you to apply them yourself. She only knows about the bomb – she doesn’t know about the mission, and I prefer it stays that way.” Rhodes looked back at Ethan and Rebecca. “You two good with this?”
They both nodded, Rebecca slightly faster than Ethan. Rhodes matched their gesture. “Good, because I wasn’t really asking. Winters, stay here. We have more to talk about. Walker, Topper, you’re dismissed. And Topper, I expect those mods to be done in four hours. Be fast and be quiet. That goes for both of you.”
Frank nodded nervously and followed Ethan out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind them, he turned to Ethan. “Holy crap!” he said, his voice escalating to a new register.
“Calm down,” Ethan replied. “But yeah.” He exhaled slowly. “Holy crap.” His first instinct was to find Ford and tell him he was right, but that would undoubtedly end in a court martial.
*
Although he did not intend to ambush her, Ethan found himself lurking in the darkest shadows of the barracks, waiting for Rebecca to come in. Waffle had curled up beside him, and was now dozing and snoring like a jackhammer. Even with all the chaos that had taken over his life, it was funny, thought Ethan, how comforting the little alien fuzz ball could be.
The door hissed open and Rebecca stepped over the threshold. She stopped in the aisle and turned towards Ethan. “I suppose you want to talk about this?” she sighed. Ethan stood, startling Waffle. The animal leapt up and ran behind Rebecca.
“If you’re up to it,” he said. Rebecca cocked an eyebrow, and Ethan cringed. He doubted a Wraith was keen on having her willpower challenged.
“I’ll answer what I can,” Rebecca said, “but only because I can’t trust a pilot who doesn’t trust me.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” Ethan said, only partly lying, “I just want to know what the hell is going on.”
“Fine.” Rebecca made a visual sweep of the barracks. Satisfied that they were alone – save Waffle – she turned back to Ethan. “Shoot.”
Ethan momentarily had a flashback to the first time he had questioned Rebecca. It was affable then, even fun. Now there was only tension. “Did you know about the Naldím before the attack?” he asked.
Rebecca looked him dead in the eye. “No.”
“Were you assigned to Dawn, in particular, for a reason?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell me the reason?”
“No.”
“You can’t tell me what you’re doing here.”
“No.”
Ethan was the one to sigh this time
. Rebecca was even more icy now than she had ever been. It was hard enough getting through to her before she had been outed. He tried something else. “The accelerated training program…”
“It was the Wraith program, yes,” Rebecca finished, “and no, we weren’t actually flying CD one hundreds in the Carmine system, and no, I can’t tell you what we were doing or where.”
“Are you actually rated for CD one hundreds?” Ethan asked bitterly. It was starting to look as if nothing Rebecca had told him was true.
“I’m a Wraith,” she said. “What do you think?”
“Is there anything else I should know about Wraiths before we head out? Anything that applies to me?” Ethan said.
“What do you want to know?” Rebecca replied.
Ethan sighed again. It was like talking to a computer. “How many of you are there? Do you operate in squads or alone? Exactly how good are you? That sort of thing.”
“I can’t tell you how many of us there are, though I’m the only one on this ship,” Rebecca said, holding up fingers as she listed off answers. “We don’t need squads, because we are very, very good.”
“So why is this even a fight? Why haven’t we won yet?” Ethan asked.
“You’re not very military-minded, are you?” Rebecca quipped. Ethan said nothing in his defense. It was entirely true, though it stung. Rebecca took his silence as an answer and elaborated. “For one, I don’t have access to nearly the quality of equipment I normally have. Given my training, that shouldn’t be a problem, but we’re also in an extremely unbalanced situation: two warships against a colony ship. No one is that good. And until your alien fighter came along, we haven’t had a good way to get me into a position where I can do real damage.”
“But the captain knew,” Ethan protested. “Why didn’t he use you?”
“For the reasons I just listed,” Rebecca said bitterly, “and because I don’t report to Rhodes. I’ve consulted with him. I obey orders to maintain cover. But there are priority objectives that override anything he says.”
“Priority objectives?” Ethan said, feeling a spark of anger growing in his gut. “People are dying. A lot of people. You could’ve cut those numbers in half!”
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