by Ryk Brown
“You remove all forces from Dusahn space, or I destroy both worlds, beginning with Corinair,” Lord Dusahn threatened.
“We withdraw from Takara, for now, but you withdraw from Corinair,” Nathan insisted, his determination unwavering.
Lord Dusahn leaned forward, getting closer to the camera. “I could destroy your precious Corinair with a snap of my fingers. Do not test me.”
“You’re either stupid or arrogant,” Nathan told him. “Possibly both. You and I both know you can’t possibly hope to control both worlds with only two destroyers, a few dozen octos, and a bunch of freighters. You came into this sector undermanned and underarmed, and it’s about to cost you.”
“Captain, I warn you…”
“Do it!” Nathan barked, cutting him off. “Destroy Corinair! But you’d better destroy Takara as well, because my next shot will be to level your palace, and I’ll keep firing until I drive you straight to hell.”
Lord Dusahn stared into the camera for an eternity. Nathan could see the anger in his opponent’s eyes. He also saw a man that knew he was all but beaten. Griogair Dusahn had one chance of survival, and one only. The question now was if he was smart enough to take it, or would his ego be his undoing.
“Tactical!” Nathan began loudly. “Target the Dusahn palace. All weapons. Full power.”
“Targeting Dusahn palace,” Jessica replied promptly. “All weapons locked on target, fully charged and ready to fire.”
“Your call, Griogair,” Nathan invited, staring at his adversary.
“Very well, Captain,” Lord Dusahn finally replied. “Order your forces to stand down, and I will do the same.”
“Agreed,” Nathan replied. He turned to Naralena, making a slashing gesture across his throat.
“Muted,” Naralena announced.
“Send a message to our forces in the Darvano system. Order them to cease fire and stand by for further instructions.”
“Understood,” Naralena replied.
“And get me Telles.”
General Telles and his men charged into the Dusahn palace central command access foyer, their forearm cannons blasting away at anything that moved. The time for precision targeting was over. In this area, everything needed to die.
“Telles, Aurora, do you copy?” Naralena called over the general’s helmet comms.
General Telles turned away from the battle, stepping behind one of the massive columns that encircled the main foyer. “Go for Telles!” he replied as energy bolts streaked past him on either side, slamming into the wall behind him.
“Cease fire, cease fire, cease fire. Stand by for Actual.”
“Leader to all Ghatazhak!” Telles called over comms. “Cease fire and hold position! I say again, cease fire and hold position! Defensive fire only!”
“What the hell?” Corporal Vasya yelled from the next column over. “We’ve got them cornered!”
General Telles ignored the corporal.
“Telles, Aurora Actual,” Nathan called over comms.
“Go ahead, Nathan.”
“I need you to fall back and prepare for immediate evac.”
“I do not understand,” the general replied. “We are minutes from capturing their command center.”
“This is our only play, Lucius,” Nathan insisted. “You have to trust me on this.”
General Telles leaned back against the column, staring at the wall before him. He could not believe what he was hearing. “Confirming you want us to abort?”
“Affirmative. This is a full abort and retreat. I need the Ghatazhak off Takara, ASAP.”
General Telles could tell by the sound of Nathan’s voice that he didn’t like the decision any better than the general did. “Understood,” he finally replied.
“Diggers One and Two will be landing in the palace compound in two minutes,” Nathan explained. “Be there.”
General Telles sighed. “We’ll be there,” he promised.
Corporal Vasya could see the look on his leader’s face, and it was one he never thought he would see. A look of defeat. “What’s going on?”
“Telles to all Ghatazhak. Fall back to the compound. Evac in two minutes. This is a full abort.”
“We’re retreating?” Corporal Vasya wondered in disbelief. That’s when he realized that no one was shooting at them.
“The Ghatazhak don’t retreat,” General Telles replied. “The situation has changed.”
“How has it changed?” the corporal demanded. “I could blow the last of those fuckers away by myself!”
“We have our orders, Corporal,” the general said as he started for the exit.
Corporal Vasya stood there motionless, watching in disbelief as his leader turned his back on the enemy and headed back the way they had come.
General Telles paused at the exit, turning back toward the corporal. “Come on, Kit. We have to go.”
“Diggers One and Two are lifting off,” Naralena reported. “Commander Montrose reports the Dusahn are boarding shuttles and will be departing Corinair shortly.”
“Very well,” Nathan replied. “Un-mute.” He turned back around to face his opponent on the main view screen. “It appears you get to survive another day, Griogair.”
“As do you, Nathan,” Lord Dusahn replied with equal disdain.
“You know this isn’t over,” Nathan stated coldly. “We will face each other again.”
“I look forward to it,” Lord Dusahn replied, ending the call afterward.
The bridge of the Aurora was quiet as Nathan stood there, staring at the image of Takara on the main view screen. They were so close, only a few hundred kilometers away. Yet it felt like a thousand light years.
“So that’s it?” Josh asked, once again being the first to break the silence.
“For now,” Nathan replied. He sighed, then added, “Plot a course for Corinair, and prepare to break orbit as soon as the last of our forces have jumped out of the system.”
“Aye, sir,” Loki replied somberly, studying his leader’s face for a moment.
Nathan turned around, facing Jessica. The look of defeat in her eyes was almost more than he could bear. “I wasn’t bluffing,” he told her. “We will be back.”
“He’s got the planet wired, Nathan,” Jessica reminded him. “It’s over. He’s won.”
“Not yet, he hasn’t,” Nathan insisted, a wry smile coming across his face. “But first, we have to help stabilize our new ally.”
Thank you for reading this story.
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COMING SOON
Episode 14
of
The Frontiers Saga:
Rogue Castes
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