Shadow of Oblivion

by Richard Tongue

  “Make one move, Major. One move, and it’ll be your last.”

  “Enough,” Alvarez said, glancing at the holotable again. “All of this will be over soon, and then we can have our little talk.”

  “You’re going to throw away the whole squadron,” Maddox said. “Why do you think the Belters will spare your worthless life? How do you know they won’t simply shoot you down?”

  “The casualties are going to be kept to the minimum,” Alvarez said. “The ships will surrender, once it becomes clear that the plan has failed, and they fall into Admiral Malek’s trap. It will be a disaster for the fleet, and Earth will be forced to come to the negotiating table. There will be peace, Commodore. The war will end. Millions of lives will be saved. I’d say that’s a reasonable price to pay.”

  “You don’t get to make that decision, Admiral,” Maddox protested, “and you’re going to put a stain on that uniform that may never been removed. It isn’t too late to end this. Call an abort, get the squadron away…”

  Shaking her head, she said, “I’m afraid it is far too late for that. The bridges have all been burned. It was worth it. It was all worth it.”

  “I hope you think so tomorrow,” Maddox said. “No matter how you try and sell this to yourself, you’ve sold out your planet, betrayed every oath you ever swore, and sent people to their death for no cause other than treachery. Sleep with that.”

  “Moreau,” Alvarez said, “I want them secured in the office down the hall. I had two of the technicians install some rather special upgrades to make sure they can’t leave. Just in case they try something.”

  “Good idea, ma’am,” Moreau said.

  “Why, Gabe?” Maddox asked, looking at the pistol. “Why?”

  “I’m not going to pretend to any high morals. I’m in this for the money and I’m not hypocritical enough to deny it. Now move.” He glared at Rojek, and said, “I’m watching every step, Major. Every single step.”

  “Now that,” Rojek replied, permitting himself a smile, “might be the biggest mistake you’ve made today.”

  Vaughn’s hand slid into a hidden pocket on her jacket, and she dropped and rolled to the side, firing a snap shot that caught Moreau in the shoulder, sending the traitor spinning around, crashing into a communications console. Rojek was first to respond, racing towards the treacherous aide and catching him in an arm lock on the deck, while Maddox charged Alvarez, slamming her into a wall, the rest of the technicians behind her.

  “Admiral,” Maddox said, “you are relieved. I’d shoot you now, but I have a feeling Intelligence is going to have a lot of fun draining all of the secrets out of your brain.” Turning to one of the technicians, she said, “Specialist, take Alvarez and Moreau to the nearest office and sit on them. Have a rifle pointed at them at all times, and if they so much as breathe out of place, shoot to kill.”

  “Aye, aye, ma’am,” the young crewman said.

  “Vaughn, are you Intelligence as well?” Maddox asked.

  “My assistant,” Rojek replied. “I’m sorry we couldn’t level with you before, Commodore, but we honestly didn’t know who’s side you were on. All of your words could have been a trick to fool us. We could only count on actions. That’s why we had to wait until the last minute.” Looking at the tactical display, he added, “Or damned close. Two minutes to contact. For the record, you can count on the Marine contingent throughout the squadron, but I’m not totally certain of the rest.”

  “Connect me through to the ship,” Maddox said.

  “Aye, ma’am,” Vaughn replied, tapping a control. “You’re on, ma’am.”

  “This is Commodore Maddox. Admiral Alvarez has sold us out to the Belt. She was leading us into a trap. Anyone who wants confirmation can look at the security logs from the Flag Bridge for the last two minutes.” She glared at Rojek, who nodded in response, entering the codes to release the information onto the fleet-wide network. “Captain Wells is relieved of command. Commander Hunter will assume command of Glorious on my order. Marine forces will assume alert positions at key locations throughout all ships in the squadron, to guard against further acts of sabotage.”

  She paused, then said, “Admiral Alvarez was right about one thing. We’re going to hurt these bastards. Bad. Let’s go get them. Maddox out.”

  “Well,” Rojek said, looking up from his console. “You wanted a command, Commodore. I guess you got it.”

  “Yeah,” she replied. “I guess I did.” Looking at the communications console, she added, “Contact Avenger. We need to find out which side she’s on, what condition she’s in. Right now the Belters have all the advantages. We need to change the game. Or we lose. Big.”

  Chapter 20

  “We’ve got two minutes before those shuttles dock,” Dixon said, looking at the sensor display. “We’re going to need a decision, Commander, and we’re going to need it soon.”

  “We could let them dock, lock everything down and get some more prisoners,” Novak suggested. “That might buy us some time?”

  “It won’t buy us any time at all,” Singh replied. “They’ll have a full communications link with those shuttles, and I’m sure Admiral Malek is watching every move they make.” He paused, then said, “We’re getting a signal from Glorious. Tightbeam, bouncing off a sensor relay. I don’t think the Belters could pick it up.”

  Nodding, Corrigan said, “Put it through, quick.” The starfield winked out, replaced by the face of Commodore Maddox, Major Rojek standing behind her. “Commodore? Admiral Alvarez…”

  “Arrested for treason,” she replied. Looking at his face, she said, “Why do I get the idea that the news doesn’t come as a surprise to you?”

  “We can go over the details later,” Corrigan said, as Dixon and Carter threw accusatory glares at him. “For the present, I take it you have assumed command of the Interstellar Squadron?”

  “I have. The Belters think they’ve lured us into a trap. I don’t want to disabuse them of that notion until the last possible second. Continue as before, and wait until you have an opportunity to press the strongest possible attack home. We can turn all of this around in five minutes with a little luck.”

  “Make that a lot of luck, but I concur,” he replied. “Send me some tactical updates. We’re going to have to co-ordinate our strike.” He paused, then added, “I hate to say it, but this is going to look a lot more convincing if Glorious ends up taking some hits.”

  “Unfortunately, I agree. We’ll try and keep our heads down. Just make every shot count, Commander. This battle could easily mean the difference between victory and defeat.” She paused, then asked, “Have you any danger of sabotage on your ship? I know there’s…”

  “The saboteur is no longer a problem,” Corrigan said. “The ship is secure, at least for the present. What about your position? Admiral Alvarez wasn’t working alone.”

  “We’ll probably have to sweep up some trash once the battle is over, but I think we’ve got the luxury of waiting for that to happen.” She turned away from the display for a moment, then added, “Everything’s starting to get hot here, Commander. I’ll call you later. Good hunting. Glorious out.”

  “When this is all over,” Carter said, “I think we’re going to have to have a long, long conversation about just what the hell happened here.”

  A grin on his face, Corrigan replied, “I warned you that nothing was ever what it appeared to be. How long before those shuttles arrive?”

  “Fifty seconds,” Dixon said.

  Nodding, Corrigan said, “Let them dock, but don’t let them board. There’s no reason to kill anyone we don’t have to, and we’re going to want as many prisoners as possible once this is over.” Folding his hands together, he added, “Crawford, I’m going to want to take out at least two ships with the first salvo. There’s going to be a brief window of opportunity before they realize what we’re planning, and I want to take maximum advantage of that while we can.” He smiled, then added, “Target engines and weapons. Just don’t actu
ally set up your firing solution until the last second.”

  “I’m ready,” Crawford said. “We’re so close I could probably spit on them and use that as a target. All weapons at maximum charge, sensors ranging. They’ll be opening fire on Glorious any second now.” Shaking his head, he added, “She’s going to take a lot of hits, Commander.”

  “Let’s try and cut them to a minimum,” Corrigan replied. “See if you can do some damage to the worst offenders. Helm, as soon as we engage the enemy, we’re going to need maximum acceleration as well as our evasive course. Maximize our time in the firing line on this pass.”

  “Aye, aye, sir,” Novak said, reaching for her controls with evident relish, her hands flexing as she moved to bring the ship into the firing line.

  Corrigan sat back in the command chair, watching and waiting as the ships in the Belter formation continued the eternal, celestial dance as they drifted lazily into position, racing towards the Republic fleet. It didn’t take much imagination to work out what the plan had been. A total victory for the Belt. A disaster that would have greatly strengthened those demanding peace, forced a treaty to the disadvantage of Earth.

  In less than a moment, Admiral Malek would have one, brief chance to savor victory. That was essential if they were to win. They had to lull the Belters into a false sense of security, keep them there for just long enough to win through. It was a desperate gamble. He looked at Crawford’s station, watching as the erstwhile spy prepared to open fire, working with the systems with distressing familiarity. He’d chosen to trust him, based solely on his instincts. There hadn’t been time for anything else. And if he was wrong…

  “Ten seconds to shuttle dock,” Dixon said.

  “We’ll be opening fire three seconds later,” Crawford added.

  Thirteen seconds. Thirteen eternities. Corrigan waited, knowing that there was nothing he could do, that they didn’t dare make a move until the last moment. Avenger was well within combat range of at least two of the enemy cruisers, perhaps three, and they could unleash a savage rage upon his ship if they were minded.

  For the present, they were more interested in Glorious. The Republic battlecruiser took the first shots, a dozen bolts of emerald energy racing through the sky, hammering into the nearest Belter ships, both of them moving into a position that made it obvious that Malek was using them as decoys, to take the fire from his more useful ships.

  Wasted shots, wasted time, but there was little alternative if they were going to continue with their deception. All they could do was push on, push as hard as they could, and hope against hope that it would be enough. He looked up at the trajectory plot, waiting for the last few seconds to trickle away, waiting for the moment of decision.

  Glorious then came under fire from the leading ships of the echelon, pulses of ruby light hammering into its forward defenses, punching holes to permit the destruction of non-critical systems. It was a show. Theater, nothing more than that. Sufficient destruction that surrender would appear an option, the crew perhaps not even knowing the true extent of the damage inflicted.

  Corrigan knew those crewmen, those officers. No matter what their superiors said, they wouldn’t stand down, not while a single particle cannon remained operational, not while a single man remained at the controls, ready to fight back against the enemy.

  “The shuttles have docked, Commander,” Dixon said.

  “Opening fire now, sir! I have a firing solution!” Crawford added.

  “Helm, full speed, execute evasive trajectory,” Corrigan ordered, trying to keep his voice as level as possible. The first savage bolts from Avenger’s particle cannons opened up, hurling wave after wave of devastating fire at the targets. Crawford wasn’t in Volkov’s league, but he still handled the weapons systems with expert precision, carving his way through the aft defensive shields with the first shots while following up with a series of hammer blows an instant later, gouging angry burns into the hull, air spilling away as the ship fell out of formation, out of control.

  A second ship fell victim to Avenger’s spite, this time the ship closest to Hyperion, curving to the side in a bid to protect the fleet commander from the surprise backstab, suffering the same fate as the first ship. Crawford grinned, turning back to Corrigan.

  “Any more doubts about my loyalty, Commander?”

  “Not a one, Tech,” Corrigan replied. “Not a one.”

  “We’ve broken the enemy’s formation, sir,” Singh reported. “They’re in trouble. Big trouble, but if they move quickly, they can rally.” Bursts of light flew through space beside Avenger, and he added, “Warning shots. Not much power in them. They’re trying to pin us in place, buy themselves time to work out some sort of a response.”

  “I don’t think they’re going to get it,” Corrigan replied. The other ships of the Interstellar Squadron were moving into position now, raining down wave after wave of fire to take advantage of the Belter confusion. Malek hastily altered his formation, moving to recover as best they could. Courageous and Furious hammered into the decoy ships once more, finishing the job that Glorious began, and within a few shots, a pair of glowing, expanding balls of light filled the sky, clouds of debris flying in all directions, briefly providing the planet below with a gossamer ring.

  The two damaged ships were moving boldly to cover the retreat of the rest. Eight ships had entered the system, including the two decoys. Two had fled in the wake of Avenger’s first attack, one of them retreating into the moonlets, the other escaping into deep space.

  Four ships left. Two of them were about to die. That would leave only Hyperion and a single support ship. No contest. No problem. A smile crept across Corrigan’s face as he watched escape pods race away from the sides of the doomed ships, their commanders locking the automated systems into place for a final act of desperate defiance, their particle cannons barking at Avenger, concentrating exclusively on the ship that had almost destroyed them, that had betrayed them.

  It was no battle at all. Two more balls of light briefly illuminated the cold depths of space. Corrigan looked at Crawford with a smile as the gunner finished his work, nodding in satisfaction as the reports flooded in.

  “The remaining enemy ships are moving off,” Singh said. “They’re out of weapons range. Looks like they’re heading for the planet, onto an escape trajectory, at maximum speed.” Turning to Corrigan, he added, “We really clobbered them, sir.”

  “That we did,” Corrigan said. “That we did.” He paused, looked at Dixon, and added, “I want a full analysis of those ships. Something isn’t adding up for me. How many shots hit home?”

  “Not a one, and their gunners are as good as ours,” Dixon said. “Glorious and Furious both sustained some hits, but nothing critical.” He looked at the trajectory plot, and said, “I know I’ve said this before, but this would be the perfect time for us to leave.”

  “That’s not my decision,” Corrigan replied. “Contact Commodore Maddox. So far all of this has been an anticlimax. I’m waiting for the nasty surprise. There’s got to be one.”

  “I have the Commodore, skipper,” Singh said. “She’s calling us.”

  “Commander, that was too easy,” Maddox began.

  Nodding, Corrigan replied, “I concur, ma’am. Lieutenant Dixon is of the opinion that we should take the victory and…”

  “They’re decoys!” Singh said. “All but Hyperion and the current escort. All of them were decoys!” Turning to Corrigan, he added, “All Belt ships are converted merchants. That means they’ve had a lot of systems added to prepare themselves for battle. The ships we defeated here only had a few weapons systems added, but none of the reactor modifications. Just enough to fool our sensors. If I hadn’t looked closely at the debris patterns, I probably wouldn’t have known.”

  “Then all of this is a trick?” Corrigan said. “Just what the hell is going on here? Commodore, any ideas, any thoughts?”

  “We’re still a good target. A prime target for attack.” She paused, then said,
“Move into battle formation, Commander, right now. You’ve got prisoners on board, I assume? I’ll get some troops over to relieve you of them on the double. Once that is done…”

  “Wait one,” Corrigan said. “Those ships are heading into deep space. Would they assume that we’d pursue them?” He looked up at the monitor, and said, “Let’s think this through a moment. Let’s assume that so far, everything is still happening according to the Belter plan. They wouldn’t have brought decoys to the party unless they expected all of this to happen.” He paused, then said, “If this had gone according to their plan, then so far, this looks like a tremendous victory.”

  “Maybe that was the idea, support Admiral Alvarez…”

  “It’s far from impossible that she thought so, but far more likely is that she would have had the squadron follow her on a pursuit course, have them chase those two cruisers to prevent their escape. I doubt anyone would have questioned that, not with the battle apparently going as well as it is.”

  “Meaning that there’s something waiting for us at the far end of the run,” Maddox replied. “Commander, we’re not detecting anything.”

  “Maybe not, but how do you know just what Alvarez and her friends managed to do to your sensor systems?” Turning to Singh, Corrigan said, “Get all sensors…”

  “Way, way ahead of you,” he replied. Nodding, the technician said, “I’m afraid you might be right, skipper. I’m picking up warp signatures up ahead. Big ones. Bigger than anything I’ve ever seen before.”

  “There’s only one ship that could be generating a pulse this big,” Corrigan said. “Goliath. The Belters are playing their trump card.”

  Turning to him, Novak said, “That ship…”

  “Could destroy any ship in our formation with one salvo,” Corrigan replied. “That’s why they expected we’d surrender. That’s how they were going to make it look convincing.”

  “Is that an option?” Dixon asked.

  “Not a chance in hell,” Corrigan said. “There’s a way though this. We’ve just got to find it.”