by John Walker
“They were using flashers,” Ghal replied, “something specific to mess with our equipment.”
Standard flash bombs can’t fool our optics. Sev hummed. What did they figure out? And who did it? A rush of inspiration hit him. This might be an external force altogether. Prytins. Rhulins. One of our enemies, penetrating our defenses to cause trouble. Going straight for the throat.
Security forces advanced, pushing toward the enemy. They passed Sev and Ghal, firing in a sweeping pattern. Screams filled the air, competing with weapon chirps. So many rifles went off at the same time that the area appeared to be well lit. Which drew his attention to the fact that the enemy had also blasted all the lamps in the area.
“Sir!” Ghal shouted as he pulled the trigger, firing off to the left.
Sev turned with wide eyes. Two cloaked figures approached, aiming pistols in their direction.
Ghal’s attack caught the leading attacker in the chest. His outfit absorbed the blow, not even slowing him down. Sev took half a moment to aim, shooting the one behind in the face. That did the trick, tossing them into the yard where they rolled to their side… but continued to move.
What the… how? Sev redirected, opening up with Ghal as they cut into the other standing opponent. The attacker held an arm over his face but otherwise didn’t seem remotely put out by their assault. Nor did he slow down… or return fire for that matter. What is he doing? What’s the point?
“Come on!” Sev slapped Ghal. “Fall back!”
They withdrew, though the moment they shuffled away, their attacker dove in their direction, blasting Ghal as he flew through the air. Sev’s companion dropped as the man landed within reach.
Sev aimed for the back of the man’s head, though when he pulled the trigger, the man had rolled out of the way. A firm hand got hold of his ankle, yanking hard. Sev fell to the ground on his back, his weapon dancing away.
“Good morning, Lord Marshal,” the man spat the words as he crawled up his body. He wore some sort of cloth armor though whatever it covered was hard. His face was also covered. “Time for a conversation, don’t you think? I hope you had enough rest.”
Sev punched him with his left hand. The blow felt like striking hard wood. He cried out as his wrist began to ache, fingers trembling. He couldn’t clench his fist again. Wriggling didn’t help either. The man held him down with his weight, continuing to slide up his body like some sort of serpent.
Answers the question about armor!
“Get… off me!” Sev shoved. The man wouldn’t budge. Age frustrated him; the sense that he didn’t have the strength to fend off his attacker. Ten years ago! Just ten and this fool would already be dead! No amount of rage helped. As the man’s face came close to his own, he couldn’t move at all.
“No.” Ghal’s ragged voice grunted nearby. The man stiffened on top of Sev for half a second before a pistol went off. Point-blank range was more than the armor could take. The body slumped, dead in an instant. Most of the head turned to molten flesh, only a few inches from Sev.
Ghal kicked him off then hoisted Sev to his feet. “Are you alright, sir?”
“I am!” Sev looked his companion over. “You?”
“Armor.” Ghal tapped his chest piece. “But it still hurt.” He gestured. “I’ve secured the other one as well.”
A squad of security personnel appeared. Lieva stepped forward. “We have reinforcements, sir. We can take the house.”
Sev nodded. “Let’s get Cirilla out of there then.” He gestured for the men to head out, letting them lead the way. Whoever did this, you will be hunted down. I will spare no resource in your capture and punishment. But until then, he had things to tend to. And people to care for. Then… we can begin an inquisition.
One that will be remembered by the entire galaxy.
***
Griel slammed his knee into his desk when the door opened unexpectedly. Molush stepped in unannounced, stepping forward. He scanned the room without a word, waving his device over every corner.
“You could’ve knocked,” Griel said. He rubbed his leg. “That really hurt. What’re you doing, anyway? Why did you barge in here?”
“Shh.” Molush touched his lips then continued his sweep of the chamber.
“I’m pretty sure no one’s been in here to bug it. Unless you’re blaming that Giden character.” Griel had him put in a brig under careful watch. “He didn’t seem capable of anything like—”
“Shh!” Molush waved his hand at him again. When he finished, he took a seat across from Griel, leaning on the desk. “I’ve just received word from intelligence.”
“Are they complaining about Niva? Because we’ll get here as soon as possible. I just need—”
“No. That’s not what they had to say,” Molush whispered. “Someone attacked the Lord Marshal.”
Griel raised a brow. “What do you mean? What’re you talking about?”
“One of those listening posts we just lost? They picked up the chatter. News traveled fast. This happened less than ten hours ago. Word spread quickly through the ranks of our people.”
“You know what this means?” Griel asked. “The ramifications?”
“It sounds like his own people to me,” Molush replied, “which might indicate a problem with the constant warfare. The Kahl people themselves might be ready for some change.”
“Someone wants a coup.” Griel smiled. “Which means that man isn’t long for this universe.”
“I don’t know… that’s a cynical point of view. What if they’re tired of the fighting?”
“Those people thrive on the conflict. No. Someone wants to take over. I practically guarantee it. What upsets me is the fact we didn’t have anything to do with it. I’m pretty sure if intelligence organized the attack, they would’ve been sweating their privates off to tell us all about it.”
“No, they weren’t aware of any sort of aggression. What do you think this will mean for the war effort?”
“Depends how the Kahl respond. Thing is just because we know about it doesn’t mean any of their civilians will find out. Their propaganda is fantastic.” Griel chuckled. “In fact, unless some terrorist group claims it, I’ll bet they blame us somehow. Stoke the fire of their population into wanting foreign blood.”
“That sounds about right.” Molush sighed. “I hoped…” He turned to the floor. “I really prayed honestly…”
“That this might signify the end of the fighting?” Griel shook his head. “Sorry, Mol. It’s not going to be that easy. Unless they killed him off, he’ll spin this. How do you think he got so far? What doesn’t kill him gives him more power over his people.”
“I get it.” Molush frowned. “It seems odd we found out so fast.”
“Not really. Especially if they wanted us to know. I’m not saying the Kahl have the best security but when their straight-up leader nearly dies, you have to assume they could keep that quiet. Which is why I don’t put it past them to have planted the information on the airwaves, spoken it plainly so we’d know.”
“And do what?”
“Tip our hand. If we act on it, send people in or attack, it might support a story suggesting we planned the assault.”
“But do their people need more ire against us? They already hate everyone.”
Griel held up a finger. “But do they? The Kahl are challenging themselves and beyond some bitter rivalries between commanders, they act like exterminators. They sweep in, do their worst, and get out. They don’t even occupy our territories. But after this… maybe they just might start hating.”
“But what end would they achieve by pushing the agenda now?”
“A last push on the Dahs… or the Rhulins. Or even your people.” Griel turned to his terminal. “The last remaining Dahs planet has yet to be attacked, but we both know that’s a matter of time. The dignitaries and VIPs were evacuated to my home a long time ago. Now they’re trying to get the diehards out of there.”
“The fools who refuse to leave?”<
br />
Griel nodded. “They have holdouts who have lived there for generations. You’ve heard it before.”
“From my own people, unfortunately.”
“They might go after anyone. And we’ll know who when we hear which culture gets blamed for this assault.”
“On another topic,” Molush said, “before I become too depressed, can you talk about what happened when you visited the general?”
Griel snorted. “Sorry… I’m afraid the conversation didn’t go as well as he must have hoped.”
“That bad?”
“Probably worse, in all honesty. I know you’re not aware of my arrangement with the council. Not the way Authen is. But suffice to say the military would like me to step down.”
“But we stay out of their way mostly,” Molush said, “and our efforts have helped the war effort. Considerably, I might add.”
“We make our own assignments,” Griel replied. “That is to say, I make them. With Niva around to keep me in check. Then I sent her to the humans… admittedly, that was a bigger mistake than I realized. I thought I could keep her out of the way while I met with an old friend. Then she got herself marooned on the Flotilla.”
“So you’re in trouble for that.”
“And attacking the Kahl ships,” Griel said. “Along with the Triton. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re recalled home. Put on some other duty. Maybe even protecting their borders. It would be a waste of time, but I could see it. Anyway, he wanted to make sure I knew he planned to relieve me of my command.”
“How? I thought you had the full support of the council.”
“Not going to stop a man like the general from trying. I need a quick win to keep them on my side though. This is an expensive ship. They’ll want it back.”
“Can you be honest with me? How did you convince the council to give you the ship at all?”
Griel smiled. “Influence. My family put most of those people in their seats. Through various deals… that part doesn’t matter. Suffice to say, we were the people behind the power. Granting them their authority, so to speak. And so they owed me when I came to them. My demands seemed small at the time.”
“But now?”
“Considering the size of our military?” Griel shrugged. “Still seems small to me. I know how the budget works. I also know how many ships the generals have at their disposal. They don’t need the Brekka. I’m just someone they’d rather not have around. Because while I do have to listen to them, I… kind of just… don’t.”
Molush rolled his eyes. “Have you thought about cooperating? Making nice with them? They are our support if we ever need it.”
“I’ve got friends amongst the other commanders, don’t worry about that. It’s the higher-ranking people, the ones in charge of fleets and such. They are the ones we have to worry about.” Griel leaned forward to pat Molush’s hand. “Trust me. I’ve been doing this for a while. Since before you came aboard. I know what I’m doing.”
“Sometimes, if I may be so bold, it doesn’t feel like it.”
“How many times have I led us astray?”
“That depends on how you measure that statement.”
Griel laughed. “Fair enough. But you’re still alive and we have succeeded at our various missions. That to me is a win. So relax. Once we get Niva back, things will settle down. Without my liaison leash, everyone’s nervous. That’s the only reason we’re being scrutinized. And as soon as we’re ready to go, we’ll rectify that.”
“I don’t have a good update, before you ask.”
“Didn’t think so. What about the Triton?”
“Oh my…” Molush slumped in his chair. “Where to begin? They took some serious damage. But we’re helping. They’ll be able to enter warp soon enough. The rest of their repairs can be done en route. I’m assigning a couple of our engineers to help along with equipment and resources to clear it up.”
“Excellent.” Griel motioned for the door. “If you don’t need anything else then, I’d like to contact Titus. Find out how he’s feeling about the repairs over there so we can get moving. Pretty soon, our allies are exiting the system as well. Sooner we’re gone, the better.”
“You think the Kahl might come looking for those vessels?”
“They lost quite a few people here.” Griel shrugged. “They don’t investigate one or two of their scouts. Especially if they operate on their own terms. But when they lose that many… well, yes. Short answer, they’re coming to find out what happened. So it’s best if we’re not here to greet them.”
“I’ll make sure everyone knows that.”
“Believe me.” Griel turned to his terminal. “They do.” After Molush left, he brought up a request to speak with the Triton. He figured they were just as anxious to get after the Flotilla. After all, Titus lost a handful of people where he only had one at stake. Of course, she’s one of the most important officers aboard my ship…
He felt like he might’ve deserved the drama, like his actions put him in a place to take some galactic punishment. The human word was karma. He’d learned it a long time ago reading about alien cultures. The Prytins scrutinized the planets of civilizations not quite ready for contact.
The Kahl has changed the rules of how we deal with new cultures. Griel didn’t feel like the humans were quite ready to take a place in the galaxy. The crew of the Triton didn’t represent the leaders. Those men and women were terrified of what they witnessed. Prytin tech intimidated them still.
Which is why it’s better to wait until they have a few more colonies… when they come close to discovering us on their own. Beyond Kyle and Lysa, the humans weren’t venturing too far from their little hub. Since they achieved real FTL, they had the ability to go wherever they wanted. Yet they remain at home. Waiting to treat with us.
Griel wondered how the council planned to treat them. He prayed they heeded their studies of the way humans worked. Their own past showed how they felt about cooperation. It generally required a lot of fighting before they accepted another set of ideals. They didn’t stand a chance against the Prytins in their current state.
But we’re arming them. They continue to bolster their fleet, preparing it for Kahl invasion. They may well become a third superpower given time. Or at least a dangerous group ready for action. Titus had showed himself to be a capable military leader. If they had a handful of his type, then they’d be formidable.
That’s nothing to worry about right now. Today, we’re all working together. And I’ll foster that relationship as long as I possibly can. He hoped it might last indefinitely. Sadly, he knew how politics worked. And how ambition held the power to harm burgeoning friendships.
***
Titus asked Rhys to join him in his office after his conversation with Griel. The catchup proved enlightening enough though he felt a growing urgency to fetch their people. One part gave him hope. If the leader of the Kahl people had been attacked, it might call any potential opposition away from the rescue operation.
Especially Renz. He’ll want to check on his father, surely. Though Titus feared there may be more to the situation in regard to the man. Attempted patricide is probably not beneath him.
Rhys knocked before entering. “What’s going on? Is something the matter?” He took a seat though he looked harried.
“Everything okay?” Titus asked.
“Just busy, sir. We’ve got a lot going on at once.”
“Understood. This news couldn’t wait. Griel told me someone attacked the Lord Marshal of the Kahl. We don’t know what that means, and details are fuzzy. The only thing certain is he didn’t die, and I can’t tell you if that’s good or bad. I’m not familiar enough with how their leadership works.”
“Interesting. Will that impact our current mission?”
“Possibly in a good way. We’re hoping they’ll call ships home, but I’m not holding my breath.”
“Not if he survived.” Rhys paused. “Unless Renz initiated the attack.”
Titus
smiled. “My thoughts too.”
“If he did, he’s a busy man. Running around causing us trouble while planning a coup?” Rhys shrugged. “I guess it’s a good alibi though I have a hard time believing it.”
“We’ll see how that plays out soon enough.” Titus leaned forward. “How much longer before we can go to warp? I’m feeling some urgency about fetching our people.”
“Warp drive’s up. A few of the systems we’re working on right now are better addressed at a standstill so… another half hour? At the soonest?”
Titus nodded.
“We’re feeling it too, sir. The urgency, I mean. Everyone knows the Kahl might show up looking for their ships. They want to get moving as much as we do.”
“And the Prytin vessels are on the verge of taking off,” Titus replied. “Probably around the time you think we’ll be ready. So it’s imperative we can go at that point. Even if we have to move to another system rather than head straight to our destination. I have to say, Griel’s impatient. He wants to go with or without us.”
“If the Brekka can handle it, I don’t see why they shouldn’t.” Rhys shrugged. “Sooner the better, right?”
“We don’t know what sort of opposition they’ll encounter. Two are definitely better than one in this instance. Consider the pirate vessels we fought. In those numbers, they were fairly dangerous. And if the Kahl figured out where they are too? That’s a lot of unknowns.”
“I understand, but one way or another, someone’s going into a situation without good intelligence.”
“You’re right.” Titus sighed. He stood, moving to the window. “Give me your honest opinion. Do you think they’re still alive?”
“Yes.” Rhys spoke without hesitation. “Without a doubt.”
Titus nodded. “Is that just optimism?”
“No, those people are resourceful.”
Fair enough.” Titus rubbed his eyes. “I won’t keep you. Keep me informed and if there’s anything I can do to speed things up, just tell me what it is.”