by Ryk Brown
“Collateral losses will be high,” Master Sergeant Jahal warned.
“It cannot be helped,” the commander noted. “The admiral wishes to preserve what’s left of our ground forces. Once the enemy realizes we are retreating, they will attack with all their forces. We must not allow them such an option. Pounding those targets is the only way to deny them that opportunity.”
“Captain Scott will not like it,” Master Sergeant Jahal replied.
“He doesn’t have to.” Commander Telles looked at the tactical display once again, letting out a long sigh as he shook his head. “I was sure we could take Kohara.”
“We could have,” the master sergeant replied, “if allowed.”
“No, this cannot be blamed on events a thousand light years away,” Telles insisted. “We knew that we had limited forces coming in. I should have submitted a more aggressive plan.”
Master Sergeant Jahal raised his brow at the commander’s regrets. “Then why didn’t you?”
“I let my association with these Terrans cloud my judgment, weaken my resolve. I should have insisted that we destroy all military targets prior to landing, regardless of their concerns for the civilian population. That is how you win wars. This failure was mine.” The commander looked at his friend. “It shall not happen again.”
“That which other men…” the master sergeant muttered.
“Precisely.”
* * *
“How come you’re not going ape over this?” Commander Ellison asked, finally breaking the relative silence that had enveloped Scout Two’s flight deck for the past forty minutes.
“Believe me, I want to,” Captain Roselle replied, “but as much as I hate to admit it, the kid didn’t do anything wrong… at least not technically.”
“Not the response I was expecting.”
“Maybe I would have taken the shot earlier,” Roselle said. “Maybe as soon as I realized those bastards were targeting the escape pods… I don’t know. Let’s just call it a fucked up situation, and leave it at that.”
“I think you’re mellowing in your old age,” the commander said.
“Fuck you.”
“Contact,” the sensor officer called over the captain’s comm-set. “Just dropped out of FTL. About twenty light minutes behind us. Bearing one seven four, twenty-seven up relative. Same course and speed as before. It’s them, Captain. I’m sure of it.”
“Is Scout Three still alongside them?” Captain Roselle asked.
“One moment.”
“We jumped into this area about five ago,” Commander Ellison said.
“They’ll see our jump flash in about fifteen minutes,” the captain replied. “Tell me you’re passive, Ensign.”
“Aye, sir,” the sensor officer affirmed. “Ever since we started the hunt.”
“Let’s go cold,” Roselle ordered. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and they won’t notice the flash.”
“Want to make a quick course change?” the commander offered. “Low and slow, so we won’t be detected?”
“Don’t bother. Once they see our jump flash, they’ll go full active and light up the area with every sensor they’ve got. That’s what I’d do if I had that much fire power.”
“I’m picking up Scout Three as well, Captain,” the sensor officer reported. “Starboard side, facing the battleship’s aft, maybe one meter away, at the target’s midship.”
Captain Roselle looked at his XO. “What are they doing, Ensign?”
“Nothing, sir, least not that I can… Wait… Range is changing slightly…”
“To the target?”
“No, sir. To Scout Three. I think they’re pulling her in closer.”
“They had grappling lines on her before they went to FTL,” the commander said.
“They’re trying to secure her, pull her in against their hull,” Captain Roselle realized.
“Why?”
“Would you want to be in FTL while towing another ship alongside by a few cables?” Captain Roselle asked.
“You think they are trying to secure her alongside, so they can accelerate and go back into FTL?”
“Either that, or board her.”
“Or both,” the commander added.
“Comms, send a message to the Aurora. Position and situation. Use a comm-drone.”
“We’ve only got one left,” the communications officer warned.
“Then let the Aurora know it’s our last drone.”
“Aye, sir.”
“They’ll see the comm-drone’s jump flash,” the commander warned.
“Not for fourteen minutes, they won’t.”
* * *
“About time,” Jessica said as Kata and her porta-cam operator, Karahl, came out of the emergency department at the medical center on Porto Santo.
“That was the most complete physical I’ve ever had,” Kata groaned. “Some of the equipment they used I have never even seen before.”
“Neither had I,” Jessica admitted. “The Corinairans are far more advanced than us.” She looked at the red light on the porta-cam slung under Karahl’s arm.
Karahl caught Jessica’s notice of his porta-cam. “Is it all right?”
“Sure, as long as we get to review your footage before you broadcast,” Jessica replied. “For security reasons.”
“Of course.”
“These Corinairans, they’re from the Pentaurus cluster?”
“Yes. Corinair is a world in the Darvano system.”
“And the Takarans? They’re also from the Pentaurus cluster?”
“Yup, but from the Takar system.”
“And this cluster is a thousand light years away?”
“Nine hundred and something,” Jessica replied.
Kata shook her head in awe. “Hard to believe. It was amazing to just jump from Kohara to here, but a thousand light years?”
“You get used to it,” Jessica told her. “To be honest, the jump drive sort of redefines how you see the galaxy. Before, nearly everything was too far away to be of concern. Now, everything is reachable. It’s just a matter of logistics.”
“Where I come from, only the wealthy can travel between planets. Only the Jung travel between the stars.”
“Yeah, well, all of that is about to change. Once we defeat the Jung, we’ll be able to reconnect all the core worlds in a way like never before.”
“Because of the jump drive?”
“Exactly.”
Kata glanced out the windows that looked out over the spaceport, with the ocean behind it in the distance. “Why is your base here, on this island? Does Earth have any large continents, or is it all islands?”
“Most of the main continents were targeted by the Jung during their initial invasion, and on their way out, when we liberated our world,” Jessica explained. “At the time, there were fallout concerns. Besides, the major nations of Earth are still in a state of semi-controlled chaos. It’s only been six months since the last time the Jung attacked Earth. Porto Santo was conveniently located and had not been touched by the initial attacks. In the middle of the ocean, it is separated from the chaos taking place throughout the rest of our world.”
“The Jung led us to believe that your people were violating the quarantine they placed on you to protect everyone else in the core… That they had no choice but to engage your ships as they attempted escape. They said that your new faster-than-light propulsion system made you an even bigger threat, and because of that, they had no choice but to attempt to eradicate all Terrans.”
“What, like a bunch of insects, or something?” Jessica asked.
“Pretty much, yes.”
Jessica laughed. “I have to admit, that’s some pretty creative propaganda they’ve got goin
g.” She looked at Kata. “Is it working? Do your people believe that?”
“To be honest, yes. As much as I hate to admit it, even I believed it. I don’t know if people really do believe it, or if they just choose to believe it because if it turned out to be true…” She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. “The bio-digital plague wiped us out, Jessica. I mean, literally. Everything fell apart. We lived like animals for centuries.”
“We all did,” Jessica said.
“So, there is no bio-digital plague here?”
“Not in over nine hundred years. Not since the original outbreaks.”
Several thunderous claps shook the windows of the medical center. Jessica moved toward the windows and peered outside, just in time to see four more jump flashes, each followed by more sonic booms a second after appearing.
“What is it?” Kata asked as she and her porta-cam operator followed Jessica to the window.
“More jump ships,” Jessica replied, a look of concern on her face. “Boxcars.” She turned to head toward the exit.
“What are boxcars?”
“Big-ass cargo ships,” she said as she quickly exited the building, Kata and Karahl close behind. Four more flashes filled the sky over the spaceport a kilometer away. “They shouldn’t be coming back, not fully loaded, at least. Something is wrong.” Jessica grabbed one of the med-techs as he exited the building. “Give me your comm-set, Sergeant.”
“Yes, sir,” the young sergeant replied without hesitation, pulling off his comm-set and handing it over to Jessica.
Jessica placed the comm-set on her ear and activated it. “Porto Santo Command, this is Lieutenant Commander Nash. I’m at the medical center. What’s going on? Why are there boxcars returning fully loaded?”
“Nash, Porto Santo Command. Lieutenant Fila. Admiral Dumar has ordered the immediate withdrawal of all ground forces from the Tau Ceti system. The boxcars arriving now are from Sorenson and Stennis.”
Jessica squinted her eyes in suspicion, puzzled by the events. “Withdrawal? What the hell for?”
“No idea, sir.”
“What about Kohara?”
“They’re next,” the lieutenant replied, “just as soon as we can move the air-support from Sorenson and Stennis over to Kohara to cover their withdrawal as well. Things have gotten pretty dicey there.”
Jessica sighed. “Copy that. Nash out.”
“What is it?”
“We’re withdrawing all ground forces from Tau Ceti,” she replied as she handed the comm-set back to the sergeant.
“From which world?” Kata wondered.
“All of them.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know,” Jessica admitted. “Something must have happened. Something big.”
* * *
“The main forces from Stennis and Sorenson have already returned to Porto Santo,” Ensign Souza reported from the Aurora’s communications center at the back of the bridge. “Their combat jumpers and troop shuttles are moving to Kohara to assist in their withdrawal.”
“Why is this the first we’re hearing of this?” Nathan wondered.
“We just came out of radio blackout, Captain,” Ensign Souza reminded him. “The comm-drone jumped into the middle of the system. We happened to be on the far side of Kohara when it first arrived. We just picked up its rebroadcast a minute ago.”
“Why are we withdrawing?” Luis wondered.
“More traffic, Captain,” Ensign Souza interrupted. “The message is for you, directly from Admiral Dumar.”
“What is it?” Nathan asked.
Ensign Souza looked at his captain.
Nathan felt the hesitation in the ensign’s reply, and rotated in his command chair to face aft. “Ensign?”
“It’s Prince Casimir,” the ensign said. “He’s dead, sir.”
“Tug’s dead?” Nathan replied in disbelief.
“Yes, sir. Assassinated. There’s a civil war on Takara.”
Nathan closed his eyes for a moment, as he fought to maintain his composure. He felt as if everything was coming apart, spinning out of control.
Luis watched with concern as his captain…his friend, struggled to keep his emotions in check.
Nathan opened his eyes as he slowly rotated to face forward again. “I guess that explains the withdrawal orders,” he muttered. In a stronger tone he ordered, “Contact Commander Telles. Ask him how we can help.”
“New contact!” Mister Navashee reported from the Aurora’s sensor station. “Jump flash. Another comm-drone.”
“Incoming message,” Ensign Souza announced. “It’s from Scout Two, Captain.” The ensign’s voice became excited. “They’ve found them! The battleship and Scout Three!”
“Status?” Nathan asked in a calm voice, refusing to get excited.
“Scout Two reports the Jung battleship is on the same course and speed as before. Current position is the far side of the Tau Ceti system. They suspect the Jung are attempting to pull Scout Three all the way in, possibly to secure her to their hull before returning to FTL.”
“Is the Jung ship accelerating?” Nathan asked.
“No mention of it, sir,” Ensign Souza replied.
“Relay the message to both Commander Telles and Alliance Command,” Nathan ordered. “Return message to Scout Two; monitor and report changes.”
“I’ve got the data stream from the comm-drone, sir,” Luis informed him. “Putting it up on tactical now.”
Nathan watched as the tactical display on the Aurora’s main semi-spherical view screen changed to show the position and tracks of Scout Two, as well as the Jung battleship and their prisoner, Scout Three.
“They’re only twenty-light minutes out, Captain,” Luis noted. “If they jumped in ten minutes ago… If we don’t act quickly…”
Nathan nodded, completing Luis’s thought, “…we may lose them again.”
* * *
Commander Eckert let go of his data pad, allowing it to float in the air in front of him. “I can’t get anything from it,” he sighed, “this thing just doesn’t have enough power.”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Captain Nash replied.
“Maybe if we could find a way to jack into the emergency power?”
“No way. The entire detonation system is on a separate circuit from the rest of the ship,” Captain Nash explained. “Dedicated batteries, dedicated cabling… It was a bitch to route all the way forward. I’m afraid the connection to Donny’s station was the only one.”
“If I had access to the jump drive, I could rig up a detonator. It would be manually operated, but…”
“There’s no way to get to it from inside, you know that. And the Jung probably have every sensor they’ve got trained on this ship right now. The minute your head popped out of the airlock, they’d blow it off.”
Commander Eckert thought for a moment, looking around the dimly lit, weightless interior of Scout Three. “What’s the closest accessible point along that control cable?” he wondered. “I mean, the closest accessible point to the jump drive itself.”
“Probably in engineering,” Nash replied. “Why?”
“Maybe the circuit isn’t fried all the way back? Maybe it’s just fried at this end?”
“Doubtful. Donny wasn’t stupid.”
“Assuming he was still Donny,” Eckert replied.
Captain Nash looked at his executive officer. He had only known the commander for a few months, whereas he had known Donald Scalotti for more than a decade. More than that, Donny and he had become good friends. However, the commander was right, the man that had put them in this situation was not the man he had known and served with all those years. “Good point,” the captain conceded. “The circuit splits just forward of lateral bu
lkhead four, just above the central hatchway. It runs along the top edge to either side, then goes through the bulkheads. The compartments on the other side of those bulkheads are unpressurized spaces. That’s as close as we’re going to get without going outside.”
The dull, distant sound of metal striking metal reverberated throughout the ship, shaking the entire compartment. Nash and Eckert both found themselves lurching to starboard, drifting into the dead systems console in the main cabin.
“What the hell was that?” Commander Eckert wondered as he grabbed hold of the overhead rail to keep from bouncing off the wall.
“We hit something,” Captain Nash replied as his body spun slowly in the weightless environment. He grabbed the edge of one of the overhead monitors to steady himself. “Something metal.”
Eckert looked at Nash. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” the commander asked. “Those sounds we heard earlier?”
“Grappling lines. They’ve pulled us in close,” the captain realized. “Right up against their hull.”
“Why?”
“Either they want to secure us, so that we don’t drift out of their FTL fields during transit, or they want to board us.” Captain Nash pulled himself along the overhead rail, slipping forward through the hatch into the EVA compartment that separated the main cabin from the operations compartment. He opened the weapons locker and pulled out two close-quarters automatic weapons, and two ammunition pouches. “I sure as fuck hope I’m wrong,” he said as he passed a weapon to Commander Eckert.
Commander Eckert quickly inserted a clip into his weapon and checked that it was ready, before slinging it over his shoulder.
“Just remember to brace yourself against something before firing,” Nash warned. “These things may not have much kick, but it’s enough to push you around in zero-g.”