by G J Ogden
“He was playing possum, Captain,” Shade replied, glowering at Colicos as she answered the question. “He was on the floor, pretending to be injured. Commander Banks moved over to check on him then he slapped that thing on her before anyone knew what had happened.”
Sterling nodded then turned back to Colicos, keeping the pistol in his hand held at his side.
“I’m afraid you’ve picked the wrong captain to play these sorts of games with, doctor,” Sterling began, taking a respectful tone despite wanting to tear the scientist’s head off. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
“I know who you are, Captain,” Colicos replied, insulted that Sterling would suggest possessing any knowledge that the scientist lacked. “I see the silver stripe. You’re Griffin’s little troupe, aren’t you?” Then the scientist became visibly angry. “That witch even stole my ideas!” he bellowed. “The Omega Taskforce was my suggestion. You only exist because of me!”
“If you know who we are then you know that holding my officer hostage won’t get you what you want,” Sterling replied. “One way or another, you’re coming with me, Doctor Colicos. The only difference is how much of you ends up on my ship, after my officers and I have finished with you.”
Sterling then slowly raised the pistol, but instead of aiming it at the fraction of Colicos’ head that he could see, he aimed it at Commander Banks instead. Sterling locked eyes with his first officer, and though she was paralyzed, he knew she understood that he was serious. Suddenly, images of Ariel Gunn flashed into his mind and Sterling felt sick. His aim wavered for a moment, but he bit down hard on the inside of his lip, drawing blood. Focusing on the pain, he pushed the image of Gunn deeper, feeling the queasiness in his belly ease further from his conscious thoughts as the memory slipped away.
“Don’t try to threaten me,” Colicos hit back. The scientist appeared not to have noticed Sterling’s momentary lapse. “You came all this way to find me, which means you won’t kill me now.” He then snorted and harumphed like a restaurant critic who had just been served an overdone steak. “You can’t outsmart me, Captain, so don’t even try.”
“You’re right, I won’t kill you,” Sterling replied, still aiming his weapon at Banks. “But if you force me to kill my first officer, you’ll discover first-hand just how cold and callous an Omega Captain can be.” Sterling then nodded toward Lieutenant Shade, who had been silently glowering at the scientist the whole time he had been speaking. “To begin with, I’ll have the Lieutenant here peel off your fingernails, one by one. Then we’ll start on your toenails. Then your teeth.”
Colicos laughed. “Yes, yes, I get the picture, my dear Captain,” he replied, scornfully. Then his expression hardened like granite. “You’re bluffing. And now you have only two minutes until she’s dead.”
Colicos’ animated style of talking had caused part of his body to appear from behind the shield of Commander Banks. His left hand was now peeking out from behind his first officer’s thigh. Sterling seized the opportunity, swiftly adjusted his aim and fired. The blast tore past Banks’ leg, burning her flesh but also blasting Colicos’ hand clean off. The scientist screamed then staggered away from Banks, clutching his freshly mutilated limb to his body. Seeing an opportunity to subdue him further, Shade took a step toward Colicos, but Sterling held out his hand to stop her.
“That’s five fewer fingernails to pull out, doc,” Sterling said, as the scientist sobbed in agony. “I’ll just break five whole toes off you instead. Then if you still aren’t compliant, we’ll start on your feet, then your legs below the knees.” Sterling then approached Colicos and leant in closer, bringing his hate-filled eyes level with the scientist. “Understand this, Doctor,” he spat. “I don’t need you whole. I only need your mind. The rest of you is surplus meat.”
“Alright, alright!” Colicos yelled, dropping to his knees. He reached his one remaining, trembling hand into the pocket of his overall and removed a control device. Moments later, the neural control weapon on Banks’ head deactivated. Banks fell to one knee and wearily tore the device away from her head.
“There, it’s done!” Colicos yelled, tears flowing down his face.
Sterling holstered his pistol then looked over to his first officer. He knew better than to rush to her aid and so did Shade. Banks’ pride would not stand for it.
“Are you okay, Commander Banks?” Sterling asked, calmly and professionally. Inside, however, his blood was boiling. Colicos had forced him to come within seconds of shooting her.
“I will be soon,” replied Banks, through gritted teeth.
The first officer of the Invictus then rose to her full height and stormed over to Colicos, who cowered from her like a frightened mouse. Grabbing a clump of the scientist’s overalls, she hauled him up then hammered the back of the man’s head against the wall. The scientist fell like a butchered carcass, knocked out cold.
“Now, I’m better,” Banks said. She then glanced down at the burned patch on her pants and sighed. “Apart from needing a change of clothes.”
Ordinarily, Sterling would have found her darkly humorous response amusing. However, on this occasion the close call had left him numb. He was still too angry to laugh.
“Take him,” Sterling said, directing the order to the two commands in the room.
A neural link formed in Sterling’s mind and Commander Graves appeared in his thoughts.
“Captain, the Sa’Nerran Light Cruisers will be within weapons range of the station in ten minutes,” Graves began with his usual, smooth delivery. “I would recommend returning to the ship as soon as possible.”
“Understood, we’re on our way back now,” Sterling replied. Then Sterling had a thought. “How are you with prostheses, Commander Graves?”
“I have some direct experience, but I’ve always been curious to do more, Captain,” Graves replied, showing more interest in the question than usual. “Is one of the crew in need of a replacement limb?”
Sterling glared at Colicos, who was now being strapped to a battlefield stretcher by the two commandoes.
“Not one of the crew,” Sterling answered. “Let’s just call him an unwanted but important guest.”
“Very well, Captain, I will make preparations once you return,” Graves said. “It will be function over form, however. Our medical facility lacks the equipment necessary to fabricate a visually appealing prosthetic.”
“So long as this asshole can still use a computer console, I don’t give a damn what it looks like,” Sterling replied. He then tapped his neural interface to close the link.
“I hope he’s worth it,” said Commander Banks, stepping to Sterling’s side.
Sterling sighed then watched the commandoes carry Colicos out. “So do I,” he replied. “But, if he’s not, I’ll kill the bastard myself.”
Chapter 28
A necessary evil
Sterling stepped onto the bridge of the Invictus, closely followed by Commander Banks and Lieutenant Shade. All three officers still wore their scarred and blood-stained combat armor. Adrenalin was surging through his body, dulling the aches and pains of combat. However, Sterling knew that his injuries would make themselves known soon, providing they survived long enough to escape from Sa’Nerran space.
“Captain on the bridge,” Commander Graves announced. He acknowledged his captain and stepped down from the command platform.
“Your patient is under guard in the med bay,” Sterling said, sliding his hands into their usual place on his console. “Don’t worry about too much pain relief. I want the asshole to suffer.”
“Understood, Captain,” replied Commander Graves.
There was a twinkle in the medical officer’s eyes that suggested the opportunity to inflict and witness pain appealed to him. Sterling momentarily wondered whether he should back down on his request. Then he remembered how Colicos had almost forced him to shoot Mercedes Banks and changed his mind. Instead, he just watched Graves exit the bridge in an unhurried, processiona
l manner that was more akin to an undertaker than a Fleet officer or doctor.
Sterling turned back to his console to update himself on the status of the ship. His engineer, who was absent from the bridge, had done her usual excellent job of patching up the Invictus. However, they were still far from one hundred percent.
“Captain, I’ve located several apertures in the system,” Ensign Keller said, appearing eager to report his findings. The helmsman had already detached the Invictus from the Sa’Nerran space station, ready for their return journey to Fleet space. “The stable apertures are all several hours away at maximum speed. However, with the head start the enemy cruisers have on us, we won’t be able to outrun them before we surge.”
“Understood, Ensign,” Sterling replied. He noted that his ensign was unusually calm, which he hoped suggested that these distant apertures were not the only options Keller had uncovered. “What about disused apertures, like the unstable one we travelled through to reach Sa’Nerran space?” Sterling added.
“I’ve located three, sir,” Keller replied, obligingly. The ensign’s fingers flashed across his console and the data appeared on Sterling’s screen. “One is close to this planet and from the readings I’ve gathered it’s deep,” Keller continued. “I believe I could vector a surge close to the Fleet side of the void, just beyond Thrace Colony. That would then mean only one hop back into calmer waters, sir.”
“And I suppose such a long surge isn’t without complications, Ensign?” Sterling asked.
Keller was about to answer when the door swooshed open and Lieutenant Razor entered the bridge. Her uniform was covered in dirt and dust and an assortment of tools were attached to her belt. She enabled her engineering stations at the rear of the bridge then stood tall, hands pressed to the small of her back.
“I think Lieutenant Razor is better placed to answer that, sir,” Keller replied. It was an impressive way to dodge what was clearly an awkward question to answer.
Sterling turned to his engineer, who looked like she’d been exploring the crawlspaces in the ship again, then awaited her analysis.
“To put it bluntly, sir, a surge like this will kick our collective asses,” Razor said, maintaining her stiff posture. “We learned a lot from the last surge, which means I can mitigate some of the effects. But there’s a reason these apertures aren’t used. It’s like trying to round the horn in extreme conditions, sir.”
“No-one has kicked our assess yet, Lieutenant. We can handle it,” Sterling replied. “The bigger question is, can the Invictus?”
“This is the toughest little ship I’ve ever seen, sir,” Razor replied. “It’ll take more than a surge to put it down.”
For someone who took obvious pride in her work, the engineer was not one to wear her heart on her sleeve. However, Sterling was buoyed to hear that his engineer had the same faith in the Invictus that he did.
“Make the arrangements, Lieutenant,” Sterling said. He then turned back to his helmsman. “Set a course for that aperture, Ensign, and prepare to surge.”
Keller acknowledged the order and set to work. The bridge quickly became a hive of activity and Sterling observed his crew with satisfaction. His Omega officers had performed exceptionally, but there was still more to be done. Unfortunately, one of the tasks Sterling still had left to perform was amongst the darkest he’d ever embarked on. However, he also accepted that it was necessary.
“Lieutenant Shade, lock torpedoes onto the station’s reactor core and prepare to fire,” Sterling said, glancing across to his weapons officer.
“Aye, sir,” Shade replied, with a funereal tone, like an ER doctor calling the time of death for a patient.
No-one on the bridge questioned the order or said a word. Sterling knew that at some level, each of his officers would feel the weight of what he was about to do. Each would feel the shame of it, whether they showed it or not. Yet each would also accept that Sterling’s actions, though abhorrent, were necessary. If he couldn’t rescue the prisoners on the Sa’Nerran science lab, he’d be damned if he’d allow the sadistic aliens to use them as lab rats.
“Torpedoes locked on, sir,” Shade said.
Sterling stood tall and folded his arms behind his back, staring out at the station as it began to slip into the distance.
“The Omega Directive is in effect,” Sterling announced, calmly. He then turned to Lieutenant Shade. “Fire.”
Lieutenant Shade executed the order and two torpedoes snaked out of the Invictus’ aft launchers. With the station’s defensive systems disabled, it was powerless to intercept the weapons. Moments later the torpedoes impacted on their target, causing a catastrophic reactor breach that consumed the station in a sunlike inferno. Sterling did not know how many human prisoners he’d just scarified. Thousands. Maybe even tens of thousands. Whatever the number, they could no longer be a part of the Sa’Nerra’s mind-controlled army. Nor could they be used as test subjects for the aliens’ depraved scientific experiments. Perhaps this made the act no less abhorrent, Sterling realized. Nevertheless, he could live with it.
“Approaching the aperture, Captain,” said Ensign Keller. The burden of the act was already pressing down on the young officer’s shoulders.
“Surge field recalibrated, Captain,” Razor chimed in from the rear of the bridge. “I’ve shut down all non-essential systems and sections in order to give the armor as much power as possible. Even so, it’s going to be a rough ride.”
“Understood, Lieutenant,” replied Sterling, resting forward on his console and sliding his fingers into the familiar grooves. He was about to give the order to surge, when his console began sounding a strident alert.
“Surge warning!” Lieutenant Razor called out; her voice suddenly frantic. “There’s something coming through the aperture.”
“Evasive maneuvers, Ensign!” Sterling called out. He then felt the kick of the thrusters push the Invictus away from the interstellar gateway.
“Ship emerging,” Razor added. “It’s going to be close!”
There was a flash of brilliant white light from the aperture, then collision alarms rang out across the bridge.
“One Sa’Nerran Heavy Destroyer has just entered the system,” Commander Banks called out. “Registry, M4-U1.” Banks slammed the palm of her hand down on her console and cursed. “Damn it, it’s MAUL.”
Sterling fixed the viewscreen onto the battle-scarred alien vessel. To his eyes, the warship looked even more disfigured than the last time he’d seen it, and no less hungry for battle.
“Target that ship, all weapons!” Sterling called out to Shade. He then turned to Keller. “Get us back on course to the aperture, Ensign, and do it fast.”
The cries of, “Aye sir,” were drowned out by the thump of weapons fire hammering into their hull. Every bone in Sterling’s body rattled from the impacts, but incredibly the Invictus was still in one piece. He peered down at his console, studying their scans of MAUL and realized why.
“Surging through that aperture has damaged MAUL too,” Sterling called out. “Keep us away from its main guns and focus on its engines. Hold it together, people, we can get through this!”
Flashes of plasma erupted from the Invictus’ turrets and blasts of energy raked across the pockmarked back of the infamous warship. MAUL returned fire and again the bridge was rocked.
“Point defense cannons just went offline,” Lieutenant Shade announced.
Sterling cursed. That left the Invictus vulnerable to conventional weapons.
“Armor failing,” Banks then called out. “Multiple hull breaches detected. Emergency bulkheads are in place and holding,” His first officer’s fingers flashed across her console before she spun around to address Lieutenant Shade. “Focus your fire on this section,” Banks said.
Sterling glanced at his console and noted the location that Banks had targeted. It was a secondary system and of limited importance. Sterling met his first officer’s eyes, full of questions, as more thuds hammered their ship.
Sterling’s questions remained, but his doubt vanished like a starship surging through the Void.
“Do it,” Sterling called out, turning to Shade.
Shade reacted instantly, unleashing their forward plasma rail cannons onto the Sa’Nerra’s most lethal warship. The blasts of plasma slammed into the ship, hitting one of its most densely armored-sections. The mighty vessel initially seemed to shrug off the attack, but then its engines faltered and stuttered, kicking the ship off-course.
“It won’t last long,” Banks said, as Sterling watched MAUL spiral into the distance. “We need to surge, now.”
“You heard the Commander, Ensign Keller,” Sterling called out, gripping the sides of his console so tightly his fingers burned.
“Aye, Captain,” Keller replied, turning the nimble Marauder back toward the aperture and kicking their engines into gear.
Another alarm rang out from Sterling’s console, but his weapons officer had clarified the cause before he’d had a chance to check it.
“Torpedo launch detected,” Lieutenant Shade called out. “Six weapons online and tracking, launched from the pursuing cruisers.”
“Pedal to the metal, Ensign...” Sterling added, trying to urge the helmsman and their beleaguered little ship on even harder.
“Surge field generator online and charged,” Sterling heard his engineer call out from behind him. “Parameters set. We’re ready.”
Sterling’s eyes were now locked ahead. The ping of the torpedoes drawing closer chimed out from his console, the interval between each note decreasing rapidly. With their point defenses offline, there was nothing he could do about them now. It was a race and one they had to win.
“Ten seconds to aperture perimeter!” Keller called out; his voice barely audible over the roar of their engines.
Sterling tapped his neural interface and reached out to the entire crew. “All hands, brace, brace, brace!” he announced.