by Geoff North
He knelt down next to Vin and tried lifting the big man up. Vin helped, and they brought him to his feet. Tor attempted one step forward, slumping in their arms. His head began lolling to the side again. Sulafat shook him. “General Emin! Did you find Hadar Cen? Is he still alive?”
“Lennix,” he mumbled. “Only answer… to Admiral Lennix.”
Jule whispered something to one of the Hunn beings. The grey head nodded, and moments later a large door slid open from the far side of the room. Nine figures walked through.
“I’m alive, Captain.” A voice called out from the center of the group. Hadar stepped ahead from the others. “The Pegan people have treated me well.”
Sulafat could feel Tor’s strength returning under his arm. He slipped free of him and left Vin to support the man’s weight on her own. “It’s good to see you, Hadar.” He stood in front of the fighter pilot. “A lot’s happened since you left us.”
“I’m aware, sir.” Hadar indicated to the men and women standing around him. “The Pegan High Council has told me everything.”
They were all dressed in flowing robes of red. Sulafat looked from one grim face to the next. “You are this planet’s government?”
“We are but a portion of a much larger body,” an elderly man standing at the edge answered. He stepped up beside Hadar. “My name is Stof Ewer. I speak as leader for this High Council. As a result of our millennia-long conflict with the Hunn, the Pegan civilization has spread out and colonized every planet. There are more than twenty billion citizens and a hundred active councils within the Pegasi system.”
“Our long-range scans detected no life on the four outer planets,” Sulafat countered.
The old man smiled at that. It transformed his already heavily lined face into a maze of ancient wrinkles. Sulafat suddenly felt a lot younger in his presence. “Your instruments couldn’t find life on the planets, Captain, because we’ve colonized deep inside all of them. Even here, on the surface of Pega, there are no populated centers. The cities you’ve seen are all empty.”
“That’s impossible. A city less than a hundred kilometers from here was just destroyed. We flew over it—we saw with our own eyes.”
“No lives were lost in Sharell, Captain,” Hadar said. “I was there. The city was completely empty before Ambition nuked it.”
“That isn’t entirely true, Hadar,” Jule said. “Three hundred and twelve of our people were killed in the blast. They belonged to long-term maintenance crews and patrol groups assigned to watch over the city during its latest contact period.”
“Contact period?” Vin asked. “You knew we were coming so the cities were evacuated?”
“We’ve been aware of your arrival into this system for some time, but the evacuation had nothing to do with Ambition. A contact period occurs approximately every ten years between the Pegan and Hunn civilizations.” Jule pulled Vin gently away from Tor. The General swayed unaided, but managed to stay standing on his own. “It’s an exchange from one home planet to the other. A hundred thousand of our people for a thousand of theirs.”
“Hostages,” Sulafat said. “You take them for their ability to reach inside the minds of potential new enemies.” He thought about it for another moment before adding. “But the numbers are vastly unequal. What do the Hunns get in exchange?”
“A work force.” Jule had begun to guide Vin back from Sulafat and the others. “The Hunn-ephei may be our mental superiors, but they are physically inferior. A hundred thousand able-bodied Pegans can perform the labor of a million Hunn much more efficiently and far faster. They maintain Hunn infrastructure.”
“You send your own people off to become slaves,” Sulafat finished.
“Again, Captain, your species has treated its own citizens far worse. Do not assume you have the right to preach to us from some higher moral ground.”
Sulafat was about to respond when one of the red-robed women of the High Council interrupted. “Enough of this. The fleet has returned from the Alderamin system, and they’re closing in on the enemy vessel as we speak. There is no need to justify ourselves to these citizens of Sol. Their intentions have always been hostile, towards themselves and us. Captain Ly Sulafat… you and your people will be put to death. The warship Ambition will be destroyed. Your incursion into our star system ends here and now.”
Chapter 60
The Seven were gone. Rastaban Drac was now seated in the captain’s chair, surrounded by a handful of recently returned bridge crew members. They looked at him from their respective stations expectantly. He leaned to one side and whispered to the robot standing below. “Why the hell am I sitting here?”
Nash made no attempt to hide their conversation from the others. “All officers outranking you are still out in space or stranded on the planet below.”
“Where’s Shain Agle?”
“Shain Agle was stripped of all command duty. He hasn’t responded to any of our inter-ship hails. He is either unable to, or he is dead. That leaves you in command of Ambition.”
“What about you, Nash? You have centuries more experience than me. Why don’t you plant your metal ass up here?” The robot remained where he was, staring stoically at the main view screen and its image of rapidly advancing Pegan ships. Rastaban sneered at the robot with the scarred side of his face, and smiled with the other at the communications officer. “Looks like I’m all you have to work with, Argus. Call all fighters back home.” He shifted in the chair towards Kalin Aurig at the navigation-helm station. “As soon as the last fighter’s landed, get us out of here.”
“Heading, sir?”
“Does it matter?”
“Indeed it does,” Nash said. “We can’t outrun the Pegan vessels. They’ll be on us in minutes after the fighters return. Ambition’s exterior defensive capabilities have already sustained heavy damage. We couldn’t outgun them even if the ship was operating at a hundred per cent efficiency.”
“Then we’ll have to go into hiding again. How far are we from the closest moon?”
Kalin studied his panel. “We could make it to the far side of Oread at space normal maximum speed in twenty-three minutes.”
Rastaban looked to Nash. “Twenty minutes too long,” the robot said.
Gacrux called out from the propulsion station. “We could attempt a second multiple DMP release.”
“Will it get us hidden behind Oread in time?”
“It could,” the engineer started to answer. “But there’s a better chance we’d be sucked into our own collapse field. I haven’t had much time to run column stability tests since the last faster than light jump.”
Rastaban leaned back into the chair and rubbed the dead side of his face. It was an odd sensation, touching flesh he could no longer feel. The Pegan cruisers were growing on the screen. He rubbed at his cheek harder. “We’re dead if we stay here. Make it happen, Gacrux.”
Chapter 61
Sulafat stared at the hard-looking High Council woman. “I hardly think your people are in any condition to dictate terms. Most of your defensive fighters orbiting above have either been destroyed by Ambition fighters or fled. Your cities may be empty, but they’re continuing to be bombarded with our most powerful weapons.”
“You appear troubled with that,” she replied. “Do you regret the crimes your people have committed here?”
“Of course I’m troubled by it. A small faction of original command officers has been revived and taken control of the ship. I can stop them, there’s still time.” He spoke to Jule, the entire High Council, and his own people. “I never wanted this war. We set out from our system long ago with one objective—to defend ourselves against an alien threat. But we were misled from the very beginning. Tens of thousands of our people lived and died journeying through space believing we were acting in the preservation of our civilization. Our government—our High Council lied to us. They sent us here to steal your resources… to conquer the entire system and wipe all life away.”
Stof Ewer was no longe
r smiling. “If you are attempting to gain favor with us, you’re doing an awful job of it… or perhaps this is a confession on behalf of your entire species?”
“Yes!” Sulafat nodded. “It is a confession—a confession of ignorance. We can stop this now. Allow me to return to Ambition with my people and we’ll begin setting right all these terrible wrongs.”
Another High Council member spoke out. “How convenient. We keep no hostages, you return to your vessel, and continue the aggression.”
One of the Hunn standing behind Jule leaned forward and communicated with the woman telepathically. Jule nodded and reported to the High Council. “The planetary attack has ended. Four more cities were obliterated, but the remaining alien missiles were destroyed… by Ambition fighters.”
Sulafat sighed an immense breath of relief. Vin grinned at him, hiking one thumb up in a sign of victory. They’d done it—Rastaban Drac, Ma Ades, Nash and all the others—they had taken Ambition back from the Seven.
“It appears this faction of original officers has already been dealt with, Captain,” Stof Ewer said. “Perhaps it isn’t too late to reconsider the fate of your people.”
“It’s a trick,” another Council member said. “They’re attempting to rescue these prisoners by feigning a cease fire. If they are returned to Ambition, the attack will continue.”
Stof Ewer shook his head. “Ambition is no longer a threat. The fleet has retuned from Alderamin. I say we give these people from Earth one last chance.”
“No peace,” Tor Emin lurched towards the ancient Council leader. “We must fulfill… our prime objective.”
More of the brain-washed soldiers were coming to their senses, but none as quickly as the General. Sulafat attempted to pull him back, but Tor knocked the Captain aside. His hands wrapped around Stof Ewer’s scrawny neck and started to squeeze.
“Stop him!” Jule screamed.
One of the female council members produced a confiscated side cannon out from under her robes and pointed it at the General’s head. She fired wildly, the plasma burst missed its intended target by inches and struck into a far wall. Tor pushed Stof Ewer down and grabbed at the woman’s wrist before she could fire a second round.
He took the weapon from her and pointed it at the Captain. “We had them beat… You’ve ruined everything.”
Sulafat raised his hands and attempted to talk Tor down in a soft voice. “We don’t belong in this system, Tor. We never did. The war was a fabrication… a lie.”
Vin began creeping forward. Tor pointed the side cannon at her. “Stay where you are! This is between the Turnback traitor and me.” The gun barrel swung back to Sulafat. “You’re the liar. You were never strong enough to lead us into battle. Men like Admiral Lennix—like my uncle—they’re the real leaders.”
“I saw something in you, Tor,” Sulafat pleaded. “It’s why I promoted you.”
“What you saw was someone willing to finish what we were sent out here to do. I’m finishing it now, Captain, because you can’t.”
Tor shot Sulafat square in the chest. Vin screamed out as the plasma discharge punched into the Captain and exited out through his back. He slumped to his knees, stared uncomprehendingly into Tor’s eyes a few seconds longer, then fell lifelessly to the floor.
Squadron Boss Wez Canis had regained enough of his senses to wrestle the side cannon away from Tor. Two more Ambition soldiers grabbed onto the General’s arms and held him in place. Stof Ewer was helped back to his feet with the help of his council members. He rubbed at the reddened flaps of flesh around his throat. “I was wrong about the Earth people,” he croaked. “They can never be trusted. The Council’s original decision will be carried out. Ambition and her entire crew must be destroyed.”
Vin and Hadar were on their knees next to the fallen Captain. Jule stepped forward and wrapped her arm around Hadar’s shoulders. “The war is over. We will allow one of you to return to your ship to prepare your crew for what is to come.” She waited for a reply. “Do you want to go home, Hadar?”
He twisted free from her. “I don’t have a home anymore. None of us do.”
“I’ll go.” Vin stood and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “They deserve to know what happened here.” She glared at Tor. “They have a right to know what he did before we all die.”
She turned and left the room without saying another word.
Chapter 62
“If they’re still alive down there, I can’t reach them,” Argus said in frustration. “There’s just too much electromagnetic interference in the atmosphere from those damned nukes.”
“Understood,” Rastaban said, knowing full well there wouldn’t be time to retrieve the Captain, Vin, and all the other Ambition soldiers on the planet. The ten Pegan vessels still closing in wouldn’t allow them to mount any kind of last rescue mission. They were on their own. Vin was on her own. He wanted to apologize to her—tell her he was sorry for being such an ass during these final hours. It would’ve been nice to see her face one last time, if only to say goodbye. “Keep trying anyway.”
“I have the coordinates for a low orbit approach to Oread set on automatic,” Kalin Aurig reported. “I’m bringing Ambition around to line us up for the jump.”
The Pegan ships centered on the bridge viewing screen began to drift out of view as Ambition slowly turned away from the planet of Pega. “Keep them on screen,” Rastaban ordered. “They’ll be within firing range any minute, and I want us fully prepared if they take a shot before we jump.”
Argus switched the video feed from the ship’s exterior cameras to a drone in higher orbit above Ambition. The Pegan ships appeared again at the center of the screen. It gave them a top down view of the approaching behemoths. Each was half the size of Ambition, and all of them were bristling with heavy armament. “Choke me with Orion’s belt,” Rastaban gasped. “Just one of those things could tear us to shreds… We never stood a chance.”
Gacrux had left his station and was now standing beside Nash. “Apparently not, but we will be able to slow them down. I have a half a dozen converted video drones loaded in the torpedo bays.”
Rastaban sat up in the chair, feeling hopeful. “Could they create collapse events large enough to destroy all those Pegan ships?”
“I doubt it, unless they charge willingly into the drones’ flight paths.”
“The Pegans will be aware of our tactics by now,” Nash added. “At best the drones will force them to change course, slow their advance enough for us to make the jump.”
Rastaban smacked his hand down onto the chair armrest. “Why are you still standing there, Gacrux? Launch the drones.”
The propulsion chief raced back to his station and punched the codes into his board. Seconds later six tiny points of light appeared on the screen, rushing headlong towards the enemy vessels. A streak of blinding blue laser light shot out from one of the ships, destroying the closest drone before it could collapse in on itself at close range. More lasers were fired from other ships, blasting another pair of drones clean from the cosmos.
“It’s no good,” Gacrux said. “Those last three will never make it close enough to have any effect. They’re just too small and too far away.”
Rastaban was no expert in propulsion physics—it was enough that he knew how to steer a fighter ship—but Gacrux’s last words began to create a simple image in his mind. Too small, too far away. “Direct the remaining droids on a collision course with each other and trigger the collapse events simultaneously.”
The idea couldn’t have been that crazy, Rastaban thought, as Gacrux bent back over his board, inputting the new trajectories. Or perhaps it was because the propulsion chief had no other sane option available. They watched the screen as the Pegan vessels opened fire again. The blue beams sliced through empty space as two of the drones dove in at the one in the middle.
Gacrux waited a fraction of a second longer, allowing the drones to travel another fifty kilometers and merge into a single point of light, before th
rowing the switch.
***
Vin swore into the mic of her helmet as she powered the fighter up and through the last of Pega’s outer atmosphere. She could see Ambition now through her canopy, but all communication devices available onboard were inoperable. There was no way to talk to them, no way to let Rastaban know she was still alive.
“Breathe, Vin,” she said to herself. “I can’t talk to them, but they can probably see me coming.” Ten blobs of red light suddenly began flashing on the canopy grid. She craned her head up and to the right slightly, and saw a fleet of Pegan ships moving in.
Vin’s heart sank again; she didn’t think it could sink any lower. The war had been lost. The Captain had been murdered before her eyes. She was returning home to die with her family, and now even that was about to be stolen away from her.
“I’ll give them a goodbye to remember,” she muttered. Vin powered the weapons systems to automatic and plunged her small fighter towards the enemy vessels. A barrage of laser fire shot out from the ships as they came within range of Ambition; the lead ship started to turn. At first Vin thought the Pegans had seen her approaching, that they’d mistaken the fighter for something a lot more threatening. But what happened next made her realize Ambition wasn’t as helpless as she appeared.
The lead Pegan ship had almost turned a hundred and eighty degrees to its starboard side when the back end started to stretch away. It was like watching a toy made of plastic exposed to great heat being pulled in two directions. Ambition had begun turning as well, towards the moon of Oread orbiting Pega two hundred thousand kilometers away. It jumped out of sight moments later, leaving Vin’s fighter all alone on a direct course for the Pegan vessels.
The aft section of the lead ship continued to stretch away from the main body. Vin throttled down and pulled back on Nail’s flight controls, fearing she too, would be pulled into whatever collapse event her people had initiated. The Pegan ship wasn’t actually being pulled out of shape, she realized. The massive vessel was sinking into an unfathomably powerful gravity well. Time itself couldn’t escape its grasp. Vin was witnessing the Pegan ship’s final moments as the man-made black hole pulled it from her universe, sucking all matter, living and inorganic, within a twenty-kilometer radius. The people onboard were being crushed, the atoms of their bodies compressing inward. Half a million tons squeezed into a space smaller than a quark in less than three seconds. And smaller still.