by Chris Fox
"It's as good a theory as any. Izzy, see if you can help Lena puzzle some of this out," Nolan said, rising from the conference table. "Now we just need to find a library and convince the Primo to let us dock. Whatever the answer is, it will be found there. Ship, plot a course to the closest library and get us underway."
Chapter 20- Blow Them Up
Delta spooned warm paste into his mouth, watching out of the corner of his eye as Reid and Kathryn argued. They tended to ignore him entirely during such outbursts, which were becoming increasingly more common as Reid's health deteriorated. The fact that Nolan had escaped had seemed to unhinge the pasty man, and his gaze was wild and unsteady now.
"The Eye is concerned," Reid said, pointing shakily at Kathryn. "I know you feel it. You must. The burning, your whole body on fire. The Eye demands action."
"I feel it," Kathryn said, her face drawn and pale. "But you can't let it control you, Reid. Now, more than ever, we need our composure. We need to stop Nolan, and doing that is going to be more difficult than either of us anticipated. Before we go any further, we need to inform my father, so he can deploy vessels to help hunt Nolan down."
Kathryn didn't wait for a response, instead activating the table's holodisplay. It showed the standard Quantum connecting icon, then resolved into Admiral Mendez's face. Despite the late hour, the bearded man was seated at his desk. Delta wondered if the admiral still slept, or if their parasites removed the need.
"Kathryn? Do you have something to report?" Mendez asked. He glanced briefly at Reid, eyes widening.
"Nolan escaped," Kathryn said, straightening as if bracing for a blow. "He's aboard a harvester, but seemed genuinely out of the loop. I think he's sincere about just having returned."
"I'm not surprised. I warned you, Reid," Mendez said, sighing.
Reid ignored him, muttering into his hands and rocking back and forth.
Mendez looked back to Kathryn. He reached into his desk drawer, removing a cigar. The remains of several sat in the usually pristine ashtray. "In a harvester, you say? That will make it impossible to track him. How much did he learn from the encounter?"
"Too much," Kathryn said, sighing. Delta eyed her, privately pleased at the situation. Nolan was a good soldier, trying his best to stop an unstoppable threat. Delta might not be able to help, but he could admire what the man was doing. "He's stumbled onto information about the original Primo. He knows they existed, and that something converted them into the Void Wraith."
"Does he know anything about the Birthplace?" Mendez demanded, straightening. Kathryn clearly had his full attention now.
"I don't know," Kathryn admitted. "We didn't have him there long enough to find out. You can see the predicament we're in. We have to find Nolan, but I don't know how."
"Mmmm," Mendez said, resting his chin on on his fingers. "There's nothing we can do to accurately track him, so we need an alternative plan. If he wants to learn about the Birthplace there's only one place he can do that."
"A Primo library," Kathryn said. She shifted uncomfortably. "How do we find out which one he's going to go to?"
"We don't," Mendez said, giving a grim smile. "We wipe them all out, as quickly as possible. As long as they exist, they're a danger. The surviving Primo are in no condition to protect them, so we'll never have a better opportunity. I'll order harvesters to deal with as many libraries as possible."
"Doctor Reid, are you okay with that decision?" Kathryn asked, finally turning her attention back to the pasty doctor.
Delta saw her shrink back from the man as he turned to face her.
"The Eye has demanded my presence," Reid said, in a small voice. He pushed his glasses up on his nose, peering at them through the grime. "We will go to meet it, while Mendez destroys these libraries. Leave none standing."
Chapter 21- Think Like a Human
Dryker stared out the window at the few Primo ships that had escaped the massacre at Theras Prime. There were only six, and two of those six were leaking a dangerous amount of blue plasma from huge gashes in their hulls. At least one was doomed, and the other might not be able to handle another passage through a star. They were in bad shape.
"We could try to escape," Khar rumbled. He moved to stand next to Dryker. "The Claw of Tigrana can fly. Juliard has assisted my warriors in repairing her over the last few months. She isn't in perfect fighting shape, but we could reach Leonis Pride. Or perhaps your government."
"I doubt the Primo would let us get far if we tried to slip away," Dryker said, stroking his beard as he considered. He'd let it go at some point in the last month, and it had begun to itch as it got longer. "Their ego is on the line. No, I think a different tack is in order. Juliard, you up for a little walk?"
"Sir?" the blonde lieutenant asked, blinking up at him.
"We're going to crash the Primo council meeting," Dryker said, smiling grimly. He strode to the doorway, pausing long enough to make sure both were following. He had no idea how the Primo would react, but presenting a united front was the best way to make sure they took him seriously.
He plunged ahead, walking down wide corridors that wound toward the heart of the ship. They arrived at the same chamber where the conclave had taken place, but this time the meeting was much smaller. Maybe a dozen Primos stood watching, while the three principle players floated on the thrones above.
Dryker wasn't sure how their leadership worked, but he thought he was starting to puzzle it out. Each vessel had a navigator, and that navigator served as a spokesperson for the crew. They weren't captains in the traditional sense, as they appeared to need the support of their crew. Perhaps it was an elected position. Regardless, the key to changing their decision lay in getting them to worry what their crews might think.
"I believe we might find aid in the Elonias system," Kayton was saying. "We might be able to link up with the other survivors, which would make us a considerable force--perhaps the largest remaining."
Dryker strode boldly into the room, walking onto the central dais. Everyone turned to look at him, and the purple-skinned Primo's eyes narrowed. Dryker didn't care.
"You had your entire fleet at Theras. How did that work out for you?" Dryker said, gesturing at the dome above. The Primo looked up just in time to see a fresh jet of blue plasma leak from the side of one of the doomed vessels.
"Have you come to mock us, or you do present a better plan, human?" Endari said, leaning forward to scowl down at Dryker.
"Yes, I do have a better plan," Dryker said, folding his arms and scowling back. "Make an alliance with the Tigris, and with humanity. Work together to stop the Void Wraith. If you try to do this on your own, you're doomed. That's exactly what the Void Wraith want: they want the scattered remnants of your fleet to gather in one place, because it will make it easy to wipe you out."
"Your species are at war," Endari retorted, the words heavy with derision. "They cannot stop their own squabble. How will they help us?"
"Are you blind?" Dryker snapped. He didn't try to reign in his anger, instead using it to fuel his next words. "A third of your fleet worked with the Void Wraith. I've been telling you for months that they've infiltrated all of our races. The human-Tigris conflict is a product of their intervention. If you release Khar to go to his people, and me to go to mine, perhaps we can stop this conflict and get our races to work together."
Murmuring rustled through the assembled Primo. Dryker knew it was unlikely they'd listen, but it was all he had.
"Mighty Primo," Khar said, stepping up next to Dryker. His tail swished behind him, and his ears were as erect as Dryker had ever seen. "I would add the weight of my own words to my human friend's. I say friend, because we are indeed friends--brothers in this fight against an enemy that would seek to reduce us all to unthinking slaves. My people need me. Dryker's people need him. We must be allowed to help them overcome this threat, not just for our own sakes, but for yours. We can bring you allies in this fight, allies you desperately need."
"Releasing t
hem runs the risk of exposing us," Kayton said, though there was no heat to the words this time. He looked to Celendra. "What say you? This is your vessel, and they your guests."
"Are you mad?" Endari interrupted. His throne drifted closer to the others, and Dryker had to strain to hear his next words. "If we release them, we alert the Void Wraith agents among both the humans and the Tigris that our vessels survived. They must not be released."
"I am not mad, but I have been blind," Celendra replied, her loud, clear voice echoing through the room. "Our fleet is in ruins, our people lost and divided. Before that happened, before we were attacked by the Void Wraith, did those we call lesser not tell us it would occur? Dryker is a great leader among his people, a canny warrior. Yet we did not heed his advice, and thousands of our people paid the price. For the first time in our history, our extinction has become a possibility."
"Then you'd have us release them?" Kayton said, raising a pensive hand to cup his own chin.
"No," Celendra said, looking down at Dryker with those unreadable red eyes. "I would have us place our forces under their command. The spies among the Primo expect us to think like Primo. If we are to have a chance at survival, we cannot be predictable. Allowing a human to craft our battle strategy is something they will never expect."
The room was completely still, the only movement Khar's swishing tail.
"You are Mighty Dryker," Khar said, purring loudly. "Even the Primo recognize it."
The Primo were in an uproar, one that three leaders seemed unable to quell. Celendra called for order several times before the crowd finally subsided enough for her to speak.
"As this is my vessel, I can give you power over the military decisions I make," she said, then turned to the purple-skinned Primo. "Kayton, what say you? Will you give your own people into his charge as well, for the duration of the war?"
"This is a hasty decision," Kayton said, his eyes flaring brightly for a moment. "Yet it is one I suspect you ruminated on before the attack. How long have you been planning this?"
"I've seen the need for different thinking for some time," Celendra said. "The lesser races are more prolific than we. They advance much more quickly. They are bold, and inquisitive. We are neither. If we wish to survive, we need their help."
Dryker knew her words were anathema to most hearing them. The Primo prided themselves on being the oldest and best race. They were more intelligent and more advanced than anyone else, and hearing one of their leaders admit they needed the lesser races...well, that had to be a bitter pill to swallow.
"You were right to do so," Kayton said, straightening to his full height. He stared imperiously down at his people, then turned to Dryker and Khar. "Giving charge of my vessel to a human may be the height of folly, but I see little choice. Let us place our fate in the hands of the lesser races, and hope that they prove worthy of the trust."
"I will not be a party to this," Endari hissed, his tiny mouth turning down into a steep frown. His throne began drifting lower. "My family and I will depart, and make our own way."
The hall fell silent as Endari rose shakily from his throne. A guard approached, offering Endari a walking staff. The grey-skinned Primo snatched it from the guard, waddling toward a corridor. His followers, nearly a fifth of the Primo in the room, departed. Their numbers had been small to begin with, and this reduced them further.
"What would you have us do, Captain Dryker?" Celendra's clear voice rang out again.
"First, we've got to find a way to stop the war between humanity and the Tigris. Do you have access to our Quantum Network?" Dryker asked. The admiralty had long suspected the Primo could infiltrate their network, but had never confirmed it.
"We do. I will have a device brought to your quarters. Have you further orders?" Celendra asked.
"Send as many techs as you can spare to assist Khar. The Claw of Tigrana will need your help in restoring her," Dryker said, nodding at Khar.
"Done. We will see that he has all he needs," Celendra said.
Dryker smiled for the first time in a long while. He could finally communicate with the outside world, and that meant maybe--just maybe--he could get in contact with Nolan.
Chapter 22- Connecting
"Captain." Ship's pleasant voice interrupted Nolan, and he looked up from the tactical simulation he'd created on the holomap. It showed a group of harvesters engaging a human fleet. It wasn't going well for the humans, but Nolan had seen at least a few tactics that might improve their odds.
"What is it, Ship?" Nolan asked.
"You asked to be notified if you received a priority message from a specific list of personages. You have just received a message from a Captain Dryker. It's marked priority. Shall I read it to you?"
"Yes," Nolan said, rising from the simulation and hurrying from the room. If he wanted to reply he'd need to be on the bridge, near the transmitter.
"Need to meet, soonest," Ship cheerfully delivered. "All communications unsafe."
Nolan leapt to his feet. He broke into a full run, whooping as he ran through the hall. He sucked in a deep breath, yelling loud enough to carry. "Dryker made contact. All hands to the bridge."
He didn't wait for the others to show up, dropping into a chair next to the blocky transmitter, whipping out his comm, and bringing up the message.
Time and Place, he wrote. Then he hit Send.
Less than three seconds later, his screen flickered, and a request for a video feed popped up. Nolan was doubly surprised. There should have been no way for Dryker to have responded to the message that quickly.
Nolan pressed the video icon, and the screen showed a blue Primo face. It was dominated by flat, red eyes, which blinked slowly at him. "Commander Nolan?"
"Yes," Nolan said hesitantly. "That's me. Where's Dryker?"
The Primo turned from the screen and called over his shoulder. "I have him on the line, Captain Dryker."
The view shifted, and Nolan found himself staring at Dryker. The old man wore a huge grin. "You survived. I wasn't sure. Well done, Commander."
"It's Captain now--well, acting Captain anyway," Nolan said, smiling back.
The others were making their way onto the bridge. Hannan and Edwards were the first to arrive.
"Is that the captain--uh, I mean, Captain Dryker?" the cyborg said, settling into a crouch behind Nolan. His head still occasionally drew lines of sparks from the ceiling, but he was getting better at hunching as he walked.
"What the hell is that?" Dryker asked.
Nolan glanced up, and realized Dryker was looking at Edwards.
"That's Private Edwards, sir," Nolan replied. "We have a lot to catch up on."
"Clearly we do. Let's keep this short. We need to meet. Can you make best speed to the Enduria system?" It wasn't really a question. Nolan heard the order, but for the first time he didn't blindly obey. Nolan would do what Dryker asked, but because it was the right thing...not because he was following orders. The distinction was subtle, but powerful.
"We'll do that," Nolan replied, nodding. "See you in a few hours."
Chapter 23- Arrivals
"Captain, we are clearing the sun's corona," Ship said, rousing Nolan from his data pad.
"Activate holographic display," Nolan said, rising from the stiff metal chair. He stretched, watching as the space before the wall filled with color and light. It resolved into a star field, but Nolan noticed something missing immediately. "Ship, where is the Primo library?"
"There is a debris field matching known Primo construction," Ship supplied. The holographic display zoomed in, showing hunks of floating metal rotating slowly. "It is likely the library has been destroyed. However, I am picking up a number of vessels in system."
"Show me," Nolan ordered.
Hannan and Izzy strode onto the bridge, chatting in low tones. They quieted when they saw Nolan, and he ignored them. Annie filed in a moment later, still brushing her teeth.
The holomap displayed a cluster of capital ships. Six Primo carrie
rs, and one much smaller Tigris warship. "Ship, can you get me an ident on that Tigris vessel?"
"The ship is registered as the Claw of Tigrana," Ship supplied.
"The Claw survives?" Izzy said, blinking. Then she gave a very toothy grin, and turned to Hannan. "Mighty Fizgig must be told. Mighty Nolan, your permission to fetch her?"
"Granted," Nolan said, though he didn't see the need to grant her permission.
Izzy sprinted from the bridge, her tail held high behind her.
"Captain, we're being hailed by one of the Primo vessels," Ship said, a little more urgently.
"On screen," Nolan said, mostly out of habit. The harvester didn't have a screen, per se.
The hologram resolved into an unfamiliar room, all blue metal and elaborately decorated walls. A cluster of Primo stood in the background, but it was the figure in the foreground that drew Nolan's attention. He looked a little older, and more tired than Nolan had remembered, but he was alive.
"Hello, Captain Dryker," Nolan said, giving a warm smile. He wished the man were close enough to hug.
"Hello, Captain Nolan," Dryker replied, his leathery face splitting into a grin. "It's damned good to see you alive. Is that Hannan in the background there?"
"Hello, sir," Hannan called, giving a lazy salute.
"What say we meet face-to-face?" Dryker asked. "We have a lot to catch up on."
"Agreed," Nolan said, nodding. "We'll dock with you. Fizgig, Hannan, and I will be coming over."
"Great, see you shortly. Dryker out."
"Annie," Nolan said, turning to smile at her. "How do you feel about shuttling us over to that carrier?"