by Ryk Brown
“Today…yes. Yes, I am.”
* * *
Kaylah Yosef sat on one of the many balconies of the second-floor cafe. At least twice per week, she treated herself to a meal here, where she could watch the boats as they meandered down the Seine.
Her recent transfer to Paris had been a dream come true. The research facility here was arguably the best on Earth, if not the best in all the Sol Alliance. Over the last five years, every breakthrough in sensor technology had come from the famed Duquaine Institute. Fortunately, her experience aboard the Aurora, and her involvement in the development of the sensor suites currently being used by the Cape Town, had given her an edge over other applicants. For the first time since she had enlisted, she finally felt as if she were in the right place. If everything worked out, she might even put down some roots, something she had not been able to do over the last ten years.
Kaylah picked up her glass of wine and took a sip. As she placed her glass back on the table, the sounds of the city suddenly went quiet.
“Mind if I join you, Commander?” a man asked from behind.
Kaylah turned to look, her mouth falling agape when she spotted him. “Oh, my God,” she exclaimed, rising from her seat to embrace her friend. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you,” Captain Hunt said as he took a seat.
“How on Earth did you find me?”
“It wasn’t easy, believe me,” he admitted. “Luckily, you’re a creature of habit. I tailed you a few times after work. Once I realized that you ate here on a regular basis, I just waited until you showed up again.”
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you just call?”
“Comms can be tapped,” Captain Hunt replied.
The reason the street sounds had disappeared suddenly became apparent to her. “Are you running a sound-suppression field? We can detect them, you know.”
“Everybody’s got them these days,” Chris insisted. “We’d just be two people who want some privacy, just like millions of others all over the world.”
“What’s going on, Chris?”
“I’m putting together a crew. One made up of people who once served under Captain Scott. I was hoping you’d be interested. But…”
“But what?”
“Well, now that I see you’ve landed your dream job… Forget it. Forget I said anything. Let’s just have a nice meal and catch up.”
“Right,” she retorted. “Like I’m going to drop it that easily. Spit it out, Chris. What are you up to, and why all the cloak and dagger stuff?”
Chris eyed her for a moment, part suspicion, part trust. “You’re one of the few of us left in the service. Why didn’t Galiardi push you out, like he did the rest of us?”
“I’ve thought about that myself, at times,” Kaylah admitted. “The best explanation I could come up with was that I was transferred off the Aurora long before those final days. In the end, I was in R&D. Of course, I’d also like to think that I’m just so good that he couldn’t afford to get rid of me, but…”
“Do you hear from any of them?” Chris wondered.
“The gang from the Aurora? Not really. So many of them were from the PC, after all. I did run into Cassandra Evans when I first moved back here. She works in administration at the institute. Something to do with psych-profiling, I think.”
“Anyone else?”
“Not really.” She looked at him long and hard. “Spit it out, Chris. What’s going on?”
Chris studied her, trying to determine if he could trust her. She had been one of Captain Scott’s most trusted officers, during her time on the Aurora, and had been with him for their entire adventure through the Pentaurus cluster; from the initial super jump all the way through to the liberation of Earth from the Jung. If anyone would still feel a sense of loyalty to Nathan Scott, it would be Kaylah Yosef. “What I’m about to tell you is a secret,” he began. “And when I tell you, you’re going to be shocked, so try not to react.”
“You think someone is watching us?”
“Not really,” Chris admitted, “but it’s better to assume they are.”
“Okay,” she said, mentally preparing herself. “I’m ready.”
Chris paused a moment. Not so much for dramatic effect, but because he truly enjoyed this moment. She would be the fifteenth person to whom he would reveal the truth, and all fourteen before her were in complete disbelief, at first.
“Well?” Kaylah urged, growing impatient.
“Nathan Scott is alive. He’s back in command of the Aurora and is leading a rebellion against the Dusahn in the PC.” Chris waited for the usual reaction, for the look of shock and confusion, but it never came. Instead, he could see the wheels turning inside her head. “You’re either not surprised, or you’ve got incredible self-control,” he finally commented.
“Actually, I already knew. In fact, I’ve known for seven years now.”
“What?” Now it was Chris who was shocked. Then it dawned on him. “Hayes.”
“We had a big fight when he told me he was going back to the Pentaurus sector.”
“I thought you two were already split up by then?”
“Only because I got reassigned,” she told him. “When he said he was leaving, it really upset me. I was so hurt. He couldn’t stand to see me that way, so he told me the real reason he was leaving.”
“Then he was in on it, all along?”
“Him, Loki, Deliza, Marcus…all of them. I’m pretty sure I was the only one on Earth who knew. They didn’t even tell his family. When did you find out?”
“About two weeks ago,” Chris replied. “His sister, Miri, sent me a message asking for help. Apparently, they only found out about a month ago, when Nathan sent word back asking her to get a message to Cameron.”
“Then that’s where the Aurora went,” Kaylah realized. “No one’s heard from her for several weeks, as best I can tell. We just assumed she went dark, chasing a sensor contact, or something. Wow. I can’t believe Galiardi actually sent the Aurora to the PC… Wait, who are the Dusahn?”
“Some rogue faction of the Jung, as I understand it,” Chris explained. “And Galiardi didn’t send the Aurora to the PC, Captain Taylor took it upon herself to go.”
“Cameron Taylor stole her own ship?”
“Yup.”
“Cameron Taylor. By-the-book, Cameron Taylor?”
“The very same.”
Now Kaylah was surprised. “What the hell is going on, Chris?”
“A lot, believe me,” Chris assured her. “So, are you in?”
“What do you think?” she replied with a smile.
Just like that, her dream job vanished from her mind and, soon, from her life.
* * *
The small, uninhabited molo farm sat baking in the long day’s sun on Haven. Once the home of a poor family, the dusty complex, built into the bottom of a wide sink hole, had been quiet the last twenty-eight Haven years. Other than a ship that had camped out for a few days some time ago, the farm was abandoned, and for all intents and purposes, it looked it.
An unmarked Ranni jump shuttle suddenly appeared as if from nowhere, skimming low across the surface toward the abandoned molo farm, dust swirling behind it. Seconds later, the thunderous clap of its sudden displacement of the dusty moon’s atmosphere preceded the shuttle’s arrival at the molo farm.
The shuttle slowed as it reached the depression, lowering further as it crossed the ridge, finally touching down in the center of the abandoned complex only a few meters from the stone bunkhouse behind the dilapidated, half-destroyed main house.
As soon as the shuttle’s gear touched the dusty surface, its hatch opened, and four armed men stepped out in practiced fashion. Two of them took up defensive positions, while the pilot inside kept t
he engines running for a quick departure. The other two men moved briskly into the stone bunkhouse.
A minute later, the two men came back outside, and all four men returned to the shuttle. As the last man boarded, the shuttle’s engines began to spin up. The shuttle rose slowly off the surface, creating a swirl of dust as it climbed. Once its hatch was closed, the shuttle disappeared, creating a swooshing sound as the air around it moved in to replace the void left behind by the shuttle’s sudden departure from Haven’s atmosphere.
Once again, the small, uninhabited molo farm was silent, as it would remain until it was visited again.
* * *
Nathan crouched down to one side of the hatch, his energy pistol in hand, watching as Jessica signaled him from the opposite side of the hatch. After nodding his understanding of her instructions, she bolted through the hatch, firing as she moved from right to left into the next room. Nathan immediately followed, moving left to right, a step behind her.
Enemy fire immediately greeted them, slamming into the walls, deck, and overheads all around them as they both charged for the far sides of the next compartment. Splitting up had served its intended purpose and had divided their opponents aim. The firing pattern was erratic. A few shots at Jessica, then a few at Nathan as he moved the opposite direction. But when the shots were aimed at Nathan, they were not aimed at Jessica. That led Nathan to believe they were facing only one man.
Nathan dove for cover behind a large counter on the far right of the compartment, rolling on the deck as he landed, shots slamming into the counter as he arrived. Jessica opened up again, drawing the enemy’s fire. Nathan rose from his cover to take the shooter out, knowing that he would have to step into his firing line to get a clean shot at Jessica.
Unfortunately, it was a mistake. As soon as Nathan stood, three shots landed on his chest, knocking him backward and triggering the alarm on his chest plate.
A horn blared, signaling the training exercise was over.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Jessica barked as she walked out from behind her cover, holstering her weapon.
“I thought I would take him out when he stepped out to fire on you,” Nathan replied as he turned off the alarm on his chest piece.
“Did it ever occur to you that there were two of them?” Jessica questioned.
“He fired at you, and then me,” Nathan defended. “So I figured there was only the single shooter.”
“You fell for an obvious ploy,” Jessica chastised. “And an old one, at that.”
“Sorry,” Nathan apologized as he got back on his feet. “I thought I was being clever.”
“If you were being clever, you wouldn’t have assumed a single shooter. If you were being clever, you would have waited for instructions from me. If you were being clever, you would have remembered that you were facing experienced Ghatazhak, who specialize in subterfuge.”
“If I were being clever, I would have stayed in my ready room instead of agreeing to come down here to be humiliated by you,” Nathan interjected.
“Hey, you’re the one who decided he wanted to ‘be down in the trenches with the troops’ this time around. And there’s no way I’m letting you cover my ass until you’ve had proper training.”
“I believe I’ve already covered your ass on more than one occasion,” he reminded her as he removed his chest piece and touched his chest. He winced in pain. “These damned training weapons really pack a wallop, don’t they?”
“Provides motivation to not be stupid,” Jessica mumbled as General Telles entered the training area.
“Go ahead, tell me how much I suck,” Nathan invited.
“I believe the lieutenant commander has already covered that quite well,” the general stated. “To be honest, I am surprised that you fell for the lone-shooter fake. You are usually more intuitive under fire.”
“I guess I’m a little off my game today,” Nathan admitted. “A lot going on up here, what with all the negotiations and such.”
“The Ghatazhak are able to block out distractions of the mind when necessary.”
“And how do you do that?”
“By first recognizing what those distractions are.”
“Simple as that, huh?” Nathan looked at Jessica.
“Don’t look at me,” she said, putting her hands up. “I haven’t mastered that one yet, at least not entirely.”
“It takes years of practice,” the general said. “Shall we try again?”
Nathan groaned.
“Captain, Intel,” Lieutenant Commander Shinoda called over Nathan’s comm-set.
Nathan tapped his comm-set. “Go ahead.”
“We have a message from Terig Espan on Takara.”
“We’ll be there shortly,” Nathan replied. “Thank God,” he added, after closing the connection.
* * *
“I can’t believe the kid actually had the guts to send a message,” Jessica said as she, Nathan, and General Telles entered the Aurora’s intelligence office.
“Wait till you see it,” Lieutenant Commander Shinoda warned as he handed Nathan a data pad.
Nathan looked at the data pad, immediately becoming silent.
“What does the kid have to report?” Jessica wondered, noticing the look of surprise on Nathan’s face.
“Navarro’s alive,” Nathan replied. “And he’s on Takara, using the name Tensen Dalott.” Nathan handed Jessica the data pad. “He’s planning on stealing the Teyentah.”
“Is that even possible?” Jessica wondered, reading the message for herself before handing it to General Telles.
“Somebody want to tell me what the Teyentah is?” Lieutenant Commander Shinoda asked.
“It’s a Takaran battleship that was commissioned by House Ta’Akar before Prince Casimir’s assassination,” General Telles explained.
“That’s the big sucker in their shipyards, right?”
“Precisely,” the general replied.
“The Dusahn have been trying to finish that thing ever since they got here,” Jessica stated.
“According to Mister Espan, they are only a few months away from completion. Her department heads are already aboard, and her crew will begin reporting in a few weeks,” Lieutenant Commander Shinoda stated.
“How the hell does Navarro expect to steal a battleship right out from under the Dusahn’s nose all by himself?” Jessica wondered.
“By himself, it would be quite impossible,” General Telles insisted. “However, with our help, there might be a way.”
Everyone looked at General Telles.
“I did say might,” the general reminded them.
“We need to establish communication with Navarro,” Nathan said. “The sooner the better.”
“The only way we have is through Espan,” Jessica reminded him. “I’m not sure he’s up for the task.”
“We could send our own operatives,” Nathan suggested. “Perhaps, one of your men, General.”
“A possibility,” the general agreed. “But that could take time.”
“If Terig approaches Navarro, Suvan is just as likely to kill him, as believe him,” Nathan surmised.
“That’s what I would do,” Jessica admitted.
“Captain Navarro may require proof that you are alive,” General Telles said.
“I have an idea,” Nathan said. “Actually, I’m copying one of your ideas, General.”
“A video?”
“It worked on Cameron.”
“It will need to be short, and it cannot contain too much information,” Jessica warned. “We don’t know for sure that it is Navarro.”
“Good point,” Nathan agreed. “But it definitely should be from me.” Nathan took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “So, what does one ma
n, who is supposed to be long dead, say to another man, who is also supposed to be dead?” Nathan looked at all three of them.
Only Lieutenant Commander Shinoda responded. “What’s new?”
* * *
Michael sat motionless in the bushes, his breath measured and shallow, watching the two Dusahn soldiers not a meter away from him. He had nearly completed his late-night mission to retrieve water for the three of them, when two members of a Dusahn search party had come to the same river as he.
The two soldiers had been standing nearby for several minutes now, talking to one another in a language that Michael had yet to learn. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, one of the men left. But the other turned toward Michael, still not noticing him in the thick bushes, and opened his trousers to relieve himself.
Michael stood perfectly still as the Dusahn soldier drained his bladder into the very bush he stood behind. The soldier looked down as he completed his task. At that moment, Michael slowly began to pull his knife out of its sheath. If the soldier spotted him, he would sound the alarm, and Michael would be doomed. But if Michael took the soldier’s life, his friends would realize that he was missing, which would bring more men to the area and doom all three of them.
The other soldier called from afar, causing the Dusahn before him to turn suddenly. The man shouted back, then closed his trousers and departed. Michael remained frozen for several minutes, his boots spattered with Dusahn urine, wondering how he had been lucky enough to encounter the only two Dusahn soldiers without bio-scanners.
Once he was certain the men had left the area, Michael moved slowly and quietly toward the cave where Birk and Cuddy waited. He now had water for them to drink, and a variety of edible nuts and berries to sustain them for a few days.
And his boots would dry.
* * *
Ito Yokimah stepped up to the podium carefully, his body still recovering from the injuries he sustained nine days ago. Nanites were swirling about inside of him, busily working to repair his body. He felt fortunate that he had not experienced any of the intense discomfort he had been warned was possible. Yet, he could swear that, at times, he could feel the microscopic robots knitting tissue deep within his neck, despite Doctor Chen’s assurances that such sensations were nothing more than his imagination.