Never Surrender (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 16)

by Michael Anderle

  E’kolorn set the massive pyramid down, “Where do you think it will be useful?”

  “Skins of ships, or building demolition. Anything where we first need to make a puncture. We have weapons on our planet where we use friction to liquefy the contents of a weapon. The front of the projectile punches the hole, then the liquefied and molten contents are sprayed inside the target.”

  E’kolorn thought about that for a moment, “I see, similar to how we punch our people into a vessel in space for our ship actions.”

  “Very much so, yes. Except, we wouldn’t target a large area.”

  The Yollin looked to the Empress, “Why show me these and all of the other tools at your disposal?” He pointed behind them to the advanced armor, “Personally, I would love a suit of that armor, but I’m not sure of your intent.”

  Bethany Anne pursed her lips. “Do you remember when I had to stop back in the large manufacturing presentation and stand still while I spoke to the screen off to the side?”

  “That would be hard to miss. Your men made sure no one approached you, but it seemed unnecessary when the,” his hands reached up to his face and wiggled in front of his mandibles, “red lines started glowing all over your face. Your look of anger was sufficient to stop anyone interrupting you.”

  “Probably,” she agreed, “but I am not focused on my surroundings in that situation, so the guys are my eyes and ears.” She spoke a little louder, “Meredith, please bring up the recording of my conversation with the Skaine slaver captain.

  The EI’s voice replied, “Please look down at the table, I will project the video there.”

  Bethany Anne stayed a few feet away from the square table, but E’kolorn, Jean Dukes, and a couple of her team members stepped up to watch the recording. John and Eric kept watch, although Bethany Anne caught both of them glancing over from time to time as they grabbed a peek at what she had seen.

  They had already heard her side of the conversation the first time. Now, they got to hear and see some of the content from the Skaine ship.

  “What system is this?” E’kolorn asked, “and, could you play it one more time?”

  Meredith answered, “Certainly.”

  “Eubos,” Bethany Anne replied. “My Ranger has been tasked to clean up slavery in that system.”

  “That is going to mess up the production of the metals in the Eubos system,” E’kolorn commented, still watching all the way to when he saw the blur of the alien, and the sword erupting out of the Skaine Captain’s chest.

  “They will adapt, quicker than you might think. Self-motivating factors help more than simple negative consequences, but the fight against the Skaine will support the self-interest.”

  “So, you are stopping the caste system, tearing down our religion, and getting rid of slavery in the Eubos system.” He looked up at Bethany Anne, “Anything else planned this week?”

  “Sure, she replied, smiling, “Putting a Yollin back in as head of Yollin Defense.” She pointed out towards where E’kolorn imagined the planet must be located, “I can’t be focused on taking the fight to the Kurtherians if I am worried that Yoll’s defense isn’t in the best hands possible.”

  “I see,” he admitted, “a set of very self-interested hands.”

  “Exactly,” she replied.

  QBS ArchAngel

  “No,” the ArchAngel’s EI responded to Admiral Thomas.

  “What do you mean, ‘no’?” He retorted. He was the only one on the bridge of the large human ship, everyone else had been told to ‘get off the bridge.’ The hard-headed EI needed to have a conversation with the Admiral.

  When the Admiral himself was the one commanding it to happen, everyone picked up their tablets and left quickly.

  “The chance of being successful against both Yollin Super-Dreadnoughts is not statistically high enough for me to allow humans to be with me when I go into combat. You and I both know that any of your plans will always have the ArchAngel as the main point of the attack.”

  Admiral Thomas bit down his reply. Then he bit down on his second reply and tried his third. “How are you going to fix the battle damage?”

  “I have support bots,” she replied.

  “Arguing with you is like fighting with Bethany Anne,” he mumbled.

  The Queen Bitch’s visage appeared on all of the screens in the bridge, “That is because I am the first of the Queen’s ships. I am the ArchAngel, and when the enemy meets me, they will learn that I will never surrender.”

  “Fuck my life,” Admiral Thomas spit out. “I leave one argument and show up for another one with her.” He thought about his next words, “You know she can command you to do this, right?”

  “Of course I do, Admiral Thomas. But you know she will ask me my reasons for doing this.”

  “Hell yes, I know! Why do you think I’m here on your bridge arguing with you?”

  “Because you calculate you have a better chance asking me directly.”

  “See,” he pointed at the main screen with Bethany Anne’s visage, “you don’t know humanity quite well enough. I do this because she is the damned Empress. She shouldn’t be helping to negotiate a difference of opinion between her Gott Verdammt ship and her Admiral. The officer that is supposed to be able to tell this ship what to do.”

  “Admiral, I’ve never said I wouldn’t go into battle. What I said was I didn’t calculate the odds as high enough that I will survive. The best outcome is massive amounts of damage, worst is complete destruction. I will not be responsible for crew deaths due to my failure.”

  Admiral Thomas’ mouth opened and stayed that way a moment, “Repeat that, please.”

  “I said,” the EI responded, “I don’t calculate the odds high enough that I will survive without massive amounts of damage, possibly complete destruction, and I will not be responsible for crew deaths due to my failure.”

  “So, if the humans, without a command on my part, accept the responsibility on their own, will you accept their help?”

  There was silence from the EI.

  “Remember, ArchAngel, your ability to achieve the goal is enhanced with these humans on board, helping you in ways that bots cannot.”

  For what seemed like minutes, at least when speaking with an EI, ArchAngel replied, “Yes Admiral, I will.”

  Admiral Thomas nodded to the screen, “What are the odds you will have a few humans from your crew join you on this operation, ArchAngel?”

  “Too high, Admiral, too high,” she replied.

  Moments later, the Admiral left the bridge to set up the line for each person on the ArchAngel to be pulled off the ship, told what the concerns were, and only volunteers would be allowed back on.

  In the silence, ArchAngel whispered to the empty bridge, “Too damned high, Admiral.”

  The faces on all of the displays slowly faded from view.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Outside Loading, QBS ArchAngel

  “Lieutenant Horan, please step out of the line.”

  Wendi looked over to see Admiral Thomas looking at her, a solemn look on his face. She turned to speak with Rae behind her, “Save my place!” She jerked a thumb in the Admiral’s direction, “I don’t think even he is going to talk me out of this.”

  Rae smiled her support and moved a little forward as Wendi stepped over to speak privately with the Admiral.

  “Yes, sir?” Wendi asked as Admiral Thomas turned his back to those in line, forcing Wendi to get closer.

  “I’m sorry, Lieutenant Horan, but ArchAngel has put her metaphorical foot down with you joining this run.”

  “WHAT?” Wendi hissed, trying to keep her voice respectful.

  He put a hand out to stop her argument. “Wendi, you are pregnant,” he told her, bypassing all of the irrelevant pieces of the conversation to get to the heart of the disagreement. “ArchAngel says that while you are capable of making your own decision, apparently the EI doesn’t accept that momma’s choice is the baby’s choice.”

  Wen
di stood there, shocked. When she stepped over to speak with the Admiral, she figured her husband, an engineer inside the Meredith Reynolds had made a special plea to get her pulled from this operation. “Walt?”

  “Your husband?” he asked, and she nodded, “I don’t know if he knows or not. ArchAngel was able to tell a week ago, apparently. I didn’t realize the EIs even were aware of human pregnancies. Apparently, this ship is.”

  Wendi took two steps back and then slumped back up against the wall. “A baby?”

  Admiral Thomas just nodded.

  Rae watched the Admiral put his arm around Wendi and led her off the docking area. She smiled to herself, having read Wendi’s lips when she said baby to herself.

  Nine months later, a little baby girl, Rae Angel Horan was born, screaming her lungs out at a healthy six pounds eleven ounces.

  Thirty-six hours later

  “Empress,” Admiral Thomas inclined his head on the view screen, “You are fleet wide.”

  Bethany Anne looked into the camera, “My people, my friends,” she looked a little to the left, then to the right. She knew those watching around the fleet would appreciate the feeling that she was looking at them all. Unlike her experience with the Skaine ship, she couldn’t see anyone this time, except Admiral Thomas, who was a small rectangle on the bottom half of her screen.

  “The Yollin people, who I became responsible for after killing King Yoll, are slowly waking up to a new future. A future helped by the guiding forces of the best that humanity has learned, and the best of humanity out here in the stars with us right now. However, they need our help once again. Right now, military forces in the Straiphus system are ready to send their ships here to battle us. Rather than risk those who do not fight, those in charge of military operations have decided to take the battle to them before they are fully prepared. We have a near instantaneous positioning data of where their ships are located, and we have a chance to minimize the casualties. Unfortunately, minimize does not mean no casualties. The system you are about to take my demands to should have three Yollin Super-Dreadnoughts. But, we can’t find one of them. Hopefully, that is because they have chosen not to fight us, but we aren’t going to assume that. Be aware, be vigilant, be prepared to kick ass when needed, and offer a helping hand as appropriate. We are there to protect this empire of ours. We need the Yollins as much as they need us. From this system they have created a door once into our solar system, and while that door has been destroyed, what was done before, can be done again. We know what it looks like when the few lord it over the many. Those that are gearing up to attack us wish to continue the dogma the Kurtherian King pushed out.”

  Bethany Anne’s eyes flashed red, “That. Won’t. Happen.”

  “Be merciful from a position of strength, allow those who would yield, to yield. Those who wish to hold on to their false beliefs?” This time, Bethany Anne paused a moment before finishing. “Then they have chosen the way of the Kurtherian. Send them to hell where King Yoll writhes in pain, so he has someone to talk to.” She smiled, deviltry in her eyes, “And make sure you tell all of them, to tell King Yoll the Queen Bitch says, ‘Hi, pencil prick.'”

  The ship’s people, once again, cheered as they prepared for the battle to come.

  Everyone had watched the video of Bethany Anne killing the Yollin King, and her complete lack of respect, and multiple times she called him names still elicited a chuckle from most.

  Annex Gate - Straiphus

  The Yollins manning Annex Gate Straiphus had been calmly pulled together and then changed out with those Kael-ven figured were as supportive of the new regime as possible.

  Further, they had Kiel’s mercenaries walking around inside the massive complex, working to make sure that the massive Gate wouldn’t be sabotaged while the Human fleet was in the other system.

  Having that happen could be a problem.

  Bethany Anne had made sure the calculations were completed for all of the ships to transfer through the gate, without exploding it. All of the engineers agreed, so long as they didn’t try to shove ‘that big asteroid bastard’ through the gate, it would be just fine.

  John had called the space station the QBBS TBAB a couple of times before Gabrielle punched his arm “For Meredith’s sake. No lady wants to be called ‘big.'”

  Meredith replied that she assumed they meant Reynolds. Reynolds replied he considered it a compliment.

  Bethany Anne wanted to know who was feeding the EIs gutter humor? Everyone in the room with Bethany Anne turned as one and looked at her.

  Straiphus System

  Admiral Thlock-nel glanced up at the clock above the door in his office.

  The display let him know that they had officially passed the maximum amount of time it should have taken the Empires Broken to make it to the Yoll System and be safely lying in wait for the aliens to attack him.

  It was a shame he was going to lose three destroyers, but all of their moves so far hadn’t brought about the expected results.

  “Sir?” The intercom called out.

  “Yes?”

  “We have passed the maximum amount of time where we expect to see the next transfer into the system.”

  “Ok, it seems we have their attention,” Admiral Thlock-nel commented, “Tell all ships to prepare, we are expecting unhappy visitors soon. Make sure the Deep Space Ship G’laxix Gunt’eh is ready.”

  QBS Minnesota - Human G’laxix Sphaea Class Ship

  Admiral Thomas nodded to the Captain of the Minnesota. He was a visitor on the ship, and as such he didn’t want to get in the way of the ship’s Captain.

  While using Kurtherian tech could get him the battle information back in the Yollin system, he didn’t trust that Murphy wasn’t an alien, capable of messing up the communications across the distance. He wanted to be in the system with his people for this battle.

  Fingers crossed nothing happened that the Empress and the others couldn’t handle.

  However, she had Lance so, he decided he needed to be here. Unfortunately, for the same reasons Bethany Anne couldn’t come, he couldn’t be on the ArchAngel as his flagship.

  Right now, the Minnesota was in the back of the queue, waiting for their time to transit.

  He looked at the 3D holograph of the Straiphus system, and the Yollin system.

  “Go,” he commanded.

  The human ships started transferring out through the Annex Gate.

  Twenty-two Hours Later, QBS Carrier Pilot’s Dawn

  “Get your ass prepped!” Pilot Julianna Fregin yelled at a nearby pilot, a smile on her face as she walked across the hangar bay of the Pilot’s Dawn. Her ship was on the floor, her EI controlled wingman was racked upside down right above her own ship, allowing both pilot and wing to leave at the same time.

  Julianna sidled up next to her Eagle and slid a hand down the beautiful black side. She stopped a moment and placed her finger on each of seven and a half Yollin flags. She had thought back to the fear, the drama and then finally the bolt that her EI wingman had taken, allowing her ship to only take a partial hit, where she lost a good portion of her leg.

  Only to have the Empress’ own blood help rejuvenate her. Now, she was not only whole after a lot of time of consuming food and energy in a Pod-doc, but her reactions were faster, as well.

  All of the guys who flew on her team refused to play slaps with her, anymore. She didn’t blame them, none of the women would play with her, either.

  She palmed the side of the ship, next to the canopy, and it opened smoothly. Tossing her helmet onto the seat, she spoke into her empty cockpit, “Hey Bootlegger, you active?”

  “Yes Pilot Fregin, I’m online and listening.”

  “You ready to dance the dance of the wicked, again?”

  “You realize that for me this is my first time, correct?”

  “Yes,” Julianna agreed as she grabbed her helmet and pulled out the straps to lock it on her body suit. “Sorry, you lost any chance of retrieving the recordings from our las
t fight. Let’s hope this time you don’t have to dive in front of a laser bolt to save my human ass.”

  “Yes, let’s hope.” Bootlegger agreed, “Remember your promise, if we both come back from these fights intact, I get to change my call sign.”

  Julianna smiled, locked down her helmet and slid into her cockpit. Hitting the button to close the canopy, it dropped in two seconds, sealing her in. “It can’t be too damned embarrassing, Bootlegger.”

  “What could possibly be more embarrassing than a name having to do with running alcohol away from law enforcement?”