The Phoenix Reckoning (The Phoenix Conspiracy Series Book 6)

by Richard Sanders

  “Why would he do that?” asked Representative Ogden.

  “The king wished any attack by Kalila to be as brutal as possible, so he could reveal her to be a savage warlord.”

  “Unforgiveable,” said Hadriana.

  “Because of these reasons, and the threat made against our planet by Asari Raidan, and more, Oliver and I stand with you in solidarity, ready to consider options,” said Sergei.

  “You speak of options, and even of deposing the king,” said Representative Ogden. “But, seriously, what would you have us do? We are but eleven people, and the man is still our king, however unpalatable that fact is. We did elect him; he was coronated. Do we not have a duty to our king?”

  “What about our duty to the Empire?” replied Hadriana. “Can we continue to sit idly by and allow the Empire to be torn in two? Caerwyn has divided us in half.”

  “I would argue that the queen is equally guilty of that,” said Representative Ogden.

  “Is she?” asked Hadriana.

  “Silence,” said Sergei, “and listen.” The room fell quiet. “However you see the king, legitimate or illegitimate, it does not matter. What matters is that an alpha-class dreadnought, leading a squadron of warships, is due to arrive in our system very shortly. They are led by Asari Raidan, a man convicted of brutally murdering Rotham traders. He has made a threat against us, and he has the means to deliver upon that threat. Trust me when I say we are vulnerable; our static defenses are not going to stop him. And when he gets here, if he doesn’t get what he wants, there will be a slaughter. Some of us in this very room may very well die. If not us, our loved ones. If not them, then still millions of others. People whose safety we must put first. Surely we cannot allow the planet to burn in order to shield our selfish and corrupt king. I say giving him over is a small price to pay to prevent such a slaughter.”

  “Hear, hear,” said some of the representatives, including Hadriana.

  “And let us not forget that Caerwyn Martel is a coward,” said Hadriana. “When the Rotham attacked our Empire in the Thetican System, where our leader Representative Tate has gone, and where Caerwyn’s own father lives, it was the queen who answered the call to defend the system, not Caerwyn. He refused to send any aid or participate in that battle.” This was met with murmurs, most of them agreeing that Caerwyn had made a cowardly image of himself by making such a choice.

  “He may not be a good king,” said Representative Ogden. “But you would have us deliver him into the hands of a mad man. How do we know that this Raidan character can even be taken at his word? And, even if he can, do we now negotiate with terrorists?”

  “Hear, hear,” said Taggart and Baldwin.

  “Indeed,” said Representative Baldwin. “If we give up the king, what then will Raidan ask for next? Once he’s proven that he can get us to give him anything?”

  “Asari Raidan might be an insane lunatic,” admitted Sergei, “which is all the more reason to take his threat seriously and believe that he will unleash this hell upon us that he has claimed he will. That said, it is pretty obvious that he only wants one thing—Caerwyn Martel. Give him that and he will go away, leaving the rest of us unharmed. It is only logical. And it would be good for the Empire.”

  “I would even dare say that it is our duty,” added Hadriana.

  “Yes, but would we really even be able to do that?” asked Representative Baldwin.

  “Indeed,” said Representative Ogden. “We are the Assembly, the supposed legal power behind the throne, yet we hide here, in this dreadful basement, whispering words that some would call treason. How is it even remotely possible that we could depose the king? Surely he would reject any new motion on our part to revoke his crown in the Assembly Hall.”

  “Yes, not only that, he’d probably kill off any of us who tried,” added Representative Baldwin.

  “As I said before,” said Sergei, “all obstacles may be overcome, with the right strategy.”

  “Then tell us this strategy,” said Representative Taggart. “Make me believe.”

  “Our time runs short,” said Representative Ogden. “If we remain here much longer, surely our absence will be noted.”

  “Then we must all meet again,” said Hadriana. “And soon.”

  “When we do,” said Representative Ogden, “I expect to hear a very foolproof and convincing plan. And for my part, I need to hear one or two more good reasons why we should put our necks on the line and take the risk.”

  “I too would like more reasons,” said Representative Baldwin.

  “There is no end to the list of reasons,” said Hadriana. “When we meet here again, at the scheduled time, I am sure that Minister Sergei will make a believer out of you with his plan. And then we will be the heroes who saved Capital World, not the traitors who plotted against their king.

  “Indeed,” said Sergei. “Remember, history is written by the victor.”

  ***

  “Descending from alteredspace,” reported Sarah from the helm. “Arriving in Aleator System in ten seconds.”

  “Excellent,” said Calvin. “Sound General Quarters.”

  “Sounding General Quarters,” said Shen. The alert lights flashed on each console, but the noisy klaxon and red lights were limited to the other decks. No doubt every crewmember was currently scrambling to get to their battle-stations.

  “Stealth or shields?” asked Miles, giving Calvin a backwards glance.

  “Shields, and make those weapons hot. Clear for action.”

  “Clearing for action,” said Miles.

  “Two…one…” the darkness was replaced by a view full of stars. In the distance some blinking lights could be seen, undoubtedly the station Aleator One. “We have arrived in Aleator System,” announced Sarah. “Deep and close to the station, just as you asked.”

  “Very good,” said Calvin. Even though they had sounded General Quarters, he hadn’t strapped himself into his chair, not yet. So he stood up and walked over to the Ops station. “Shen, what do we see?”

  “There is a formation of destroyer class ships on patrol, mostly refitted vessels, I count sixteen of them; they are flying no colors,” said Shen.

  “Show me on the 3D display,” said Calvin.

  The display lit up then focused in on the group of vessels. Calvin recognized them. “Those are friendly ships; ignore them.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Miles. “Because I can get us a target lock from here.”

  “I’m sure,” replied Calvin. “Those vessels are what the Roscos call a defensive squadron.”

  “That’s their fleet?” asked Miles incredulously. “We could beat them with our shields down.”

  “Better keep those shields up,” said Calvin. “Because we’re the muscle in this operation.”

  “And just what, exactly, is this operation?” asked Summers, as she sat in her chair, left of the command position. Although Calvin had explained the basic details to Nimoux—who had since gone below to prepare—Summers had been absent at the time and missed the explanation.

  “We’re going to get our repairs, get resupplied, and get those soldiers I asked for,” said Calvin with a bit of glee.

  “In exchange for what?” asked Summers, folding her arms. She, quite wisely, didn’t trust the Roscos to be so charitable.

  “In exchange for a little help,” said Calvin. “Sarah,” Calvin turned to face her. “Move us ahead to the station and request clearance to dock as soon as possible.”

  “Aye, aye.”

  “What kind of help?” pressed Summers.

  Before Calvin answered her, he had one more question for Shen. “Do we see any other vessels present, besides the patrol squadron and ourselves?” Calvin knew that Grady would have diverted all traffic away from Aleator for the moment, and docked all of his unarmed ships.

  “No, sir. No other ships,” said Shen.

  “That’s strange,” said Summers, raising an eyebrow. She kept her eyes on Calvin. “This is a den for crooks, thieves, smuggle
rs, and all sorts of riff raff, I would expect it to be bustling with ships of all stripes.”

  “One would think,” said Calvin. He returned to the command position.

  “Come on, Calvin,” said Summers. “Level with me. What the hell is going on?”

  “Well, since you asked me nicely,” he said, “we’re here to assist the Roscos in a battle.”

  “A battle?” Summers looked bewildered. “Against who? And why?”

  “Why? Well, in exchange for all the stuff I just told you, repairs, resupply, and a soldier garrison. As for the who, it would seem that the Roscos have been having trouble with the Khans lately.”

  “What else is new?” asked Shen, obviously wise to the fact that the Khans and Roscos had been bitter enemies and competitors for control of the black market for decades, if not centuries.

  “Well, you know how the Roscos have mostly kept to Aleator and the Khans have been, shall we say, more dispersed throughout the galaxy?” asked Calvin.

  “Yes,” said Shen.

  “Well, their operations still required a central hub; I’ll give you a Q if you can guess where.”

  Shen thought about it for a moment. Then he turned to face Calvin. “On Tybur.”

  “Exactly right,” said Calvin. “And not only that, it’s no secret that the Khans have always envied the Roscos for having possession of Aleator. It’s much better located and far more established than anything the Khans ever put together. That’s why the Roscos can sit fat and happy, letting the dirty money come to them, rather than having to seek out the seedier clientele of the galaxy themselves.”

  “And your point would be?” asked Shen.

  “Well, recent events have made Tybur…inhospitable to the Khans. In fact, they’ve been entirely removed from Alliance space—either by the Rotham, the Enclave, or both. That makes them one large, dangerous gang of wandering, violent nomads in search of a home.”

  “The Khans are going to attack Aleator,” said Shen. “And we’re going to help the Roscos defend it?”

  Calvin gave Shen a slow clap. “Right on the nose.”

  “This is absurd,” said Summers. “We have a mission to do; we need to get inside Polarian Forbidden Space and put an end to this vast conspiracy once and for all, and you would have us spend our time, and risk our lives, in some gang territory dispute.”

  “Oh, the implications of this battle are much more than that,” said Calvin, his eyes narrowing as he thought about it. “Not only is it in the best interest of the Empire that the Roscos control Aleator and not the unpredictable Khans, there is one more dark variable to this equation.”

  “And…?” asked Summers.

  Calvin required a moment before he could reply. Finally, he spoke. “The Strigoi…” he said the word hatefully.

  “What about them?” asked Summers.

  “They are coming. They’ll be aboard some of the Khan transports when they arrive. The Khans are going to use the Strigoi to take Aleator, and the Strigoi are going to feast on the Roscos, mercifully slaughtering some, while transforming others. This will help grow their numbers. After that…who knows? But it won’t be good. Which is why the line has to be drawn here, and the Khans—along with their Strigoi allies—must be stopped as soon as possible.”

  “And we’re here to make sure their ships don’t make it to the station,” said Summers, seeming to understand.

  “Sir,” interrupted Sarah. “We have been cleared to dock with the station immediately.”

  “Thank you, Sarah,” said Calvin. “Go ahead and bring us in. Miles, lower the shields so we can dock.”

  “You got it, Cal.”

  As the view outside changed, the stars themselves seeming to swivel around them from the ship’s maneuvering, Shen said, “Wait a minute.”

  “What is it?” asked Calvin, wondering if Shen had detected something on the scopes. He hoped it wasn’t the premature arrival of the Khan fleet.

  “You said the Khans were kicked off of Tybur by either the Rotham or the Enclave, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “If the Enclave ejected the Khans from their base of operations, why would the Enclave be willing to help the Khans secure a new one?”

  “Because the Khans and the Enclave are not enemies,” said Calvin, as if this were common knowledge. He’d discovered this on Tybur himself, personally. And every observation he’d made since had only confirmed his suspicion that the two had struck up some degree of cooperation. So when Grady told him that the Enclave was coming, ferried over by Khan starships, Calvin had no reason to doubt that intelligence.

  “I see,” said Shen.

  They approached the station and soon Aleator One—in all its hideousness—was looming large in the forward window. As they began their docking operation, Calvin tapped the direct line to SFHQ.

  “Captain Nimoux, do you read me?”

  “Loud and clear, sir,” replied the living legend himself. Despite still recovering from a gunshot wound, Nimoux had volunteered to go aboard Aleator One and help to organize and manage their ground defenses. His Special Forces training, combined with his intelligence work, made him an ideal candidate for this job, injuries aside.

  “Are you ready?”

  “Almost. Just briefing my men before we go to the hatch. Have we docked?”

  “Not yet,” said Calvin. “But we’ve begun our docking operation. The seal should attach any moment now.”

  “I’d better get moving then,” said Nimoux.

  “Remember to be careful,” said Calvin. “I cannot emphasize enough how deadly and terrifying Strigoi soldiers can be. Especially once they begin to turn your own people against you.”

  “Thank you, sir. But rest assured, I understand the threat.”

  “And your men also, make sure they understand,” Calvin would not have a repeat of the Trinity. He’d sooner shoot himself in the head.

  “They do,” said Nimoux. “And speaking of men, I have a request to pass along to you. Rez’nac wishes to come along and join the fight.”

  “Denied,” said Calvin. “Tell Rez’nac that he is ordered to remain here.”

  “Understood. I’ll pass that along.”

  Even though Calvin was sure that Rez’nac could handle himself, and was a far better warrior than anyone on Aleator One, he was also a Polarian. And the Roscos were infamous for their disdain for aliens. They allowed them aboard their station, were happy to take their money, but all business transactions had to be conducted in Human, and enough Roscos were such extreme xenophobes that Calvin couldn’t help imagining a stray friendly bullet striking Rez’nac in the back of the head during the battle. No, he would not expose Rez’nac to that situation. Once Calvin had his own garrison of Rosco soldiers, they would be professionals, and he shouldn’t have to worry about such an unfortunate incident. But right now, with the entire station on alert and every able man armed for a fight, Calvin knew there would be many of questionable repute filling in the Roscos’ ranks. Men and women who might love a chance potshot at a Polarian warrior.

  “Radio in once you are at the hatch,” said Calvin.

  “Copy that.”

  “Docking operation complete,” said Sarah with a smile that was as subtle as it was proud. “The away team is cleared to board the station.” In total, the away team consisted of Nimoux and the four human soldiers under his command—all the human soldiers Calvin had left. Nimoux had been given strict orders to stay out of the fighting and always maintain a path of retreat to the station’s hangar, should the worst happen; Calvin hoped Nimoux’s men knew their job was to protect Nimoux foremost, and defend the station only as a secondary objective.

  “Miles,” said Calvin. The big man swiveled his chair to face the center of the bridge.

  “Yeah?”

  “What’s the matter?” asked Calvin.

  Miles looked confused. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, you’re still here,” said Calvin.

  Miles continued to appear
baffled. His face scrunched comically as he tried to put the pieces together.

  “You heard what Sarah said,” said Calvin. “The away team is clear to board the station.”

  “What has that got to do with—”

  “Gear up and get down there,” said Calvin, deadpan. “On the double, mister, go!”

  Miles’s face went ghost white and a look of pure terror overtook him as he stared wide-eyed at Calvin. “You mean I have to…” his voice trailed off.

  “Summers can handle the defense,” said Calvin. “I need a big strong man like you down on the ground kicking some Strigoi ass.”

  Summers clamped a hand over her mouth, evidently to stop a laugh.

  To his credit, Miles stood up, as if about to obey the order. Calvin nearly had to tell him it was a joke before the big man put it together.

  “Oh, very funny, Cal,” said Miles, returning to his seat. “Summers at the defense post,” he snorted. “Yeah, maybe if you want to lose this battle…”

  Summers’ mirth disappeared. “Enough chatter,” she barked.

  At that moment Nimoux checked in. “We’re at the hatch all geared up and awaiting the go ahead.”

  “You have the green light,” replied Calvin. “Just remember, my priority is your safety. The station’s defense is secondary.”

  “Understood.”

  “As soon as they confirm they’re aboard, Sarah, detach us from the station and seal the hatch. Then move us to a central position, between the station and the Roscos’ defense squadron.”

  “Aye, aye.”

  “And, Miles, when she moves the ship, activate the stealth system. I want us to take the enemy by surprise.”

  “You got it.”

  “Let me just go on record before all of this ridiculousness unfolds,” said Summers. “That I strongly counsel the CO against this course of action.”

  “Duly noted, Summers, duly noted.”

  CHAPTER 04

  Once Nimoux and the others had fully descended the ramp, they were greeted by a sharply dressed man in a well-tailored suit. Around him were six bodyguards, each wearing similar attire, and each holding a .40 caliber submachine gun with a hundred-round drum magazine. The best dressed man, who was clearly the leader, had a .45 caliber stainless pistol holstered on his right hip, but he held no automatic weapon, only a half-burned cigar from which he took a few puffs before greeting them.