“We’re not unarmed. I told you, we have—”
“A few small guns, yes. I remember. Against Roostships filled with Talons, we might as well be unarmed.” Bernard stared at the viewscreen, her eyes locked on the darkgate, with its mismatched stars.
Simpson’s shoulders rose as she inhaled audibly, then exhaled through her teeth. “Ma’am, have you considered that Fleet might want you dead? If you’re right about something fishy going on…I mean, they told you to visit the Wingers aboard the Buchanan, right? Maybe they’ll shoot us down after all.”
“I’m confident the entire Fleet doesn’t wish for my death. In fact, I got quite a few of their votes during the primaries—many Fleet members liked my anti-war stance, believe it or not. If anyone wants me dead, it’s just one faction within the Fleet, and they won’t kill me with the entire galaxy watching.”
“Still. I don’t like this plan.”
“Neither do I. But I don’t see any other option. We have a duty to try to end this war, Corporal.”
“Are you ordering me to fly for that darkgate, ma’am?”
“Are you agreeing to follow my orders?”
“I guess so.”
“Then I am ordering you to do it, Corporal.”
“All right.” Wearing a resigned expression, Simpson gunned the shuttle’s engines.
Chapter 56
Gone Rogue
Admiral Carrow squinted at the main tactical display from where he sat in the Captain’s chair in the CIC of the Excalibur. “What’s that blip heading toward the darkgate?”
His sensor operator blinked. “Uh…” She tapped a few buttons on her console’s display. “It appears to be a combat shuttle. I’m running its engine profile against the Fleet database.” Her eyes grew in size. “She’s from the Buchanan, sir.”
For a moment his throat constricted, and he couldn’t speak. Massaging his neck, he finally managed to deliver his next order: “Put me in touch with whoever’s piloting it.”
“You’re patched through, sir. They’re accepting audio contact but have denied our request for visual.”
Carrow leaned forward—a bad habit, and an unnecessary one, though he knew he wasn’t the only one who did it. If he remembered correctly, Keyes himself had the same tendency. “This is Admiral Carrow in command of flagship Excalibur. Identify yourself and state your intentions immediately.”
“Admiral, this is Corporal Trish Simpson. I have Senator Sandy Bernard here with me. We intend to enter the Larkspur System to begin a diplomatic initiative to stop the war.”
Bernard. If it was possible to have worse luck, he couldn’t think of how. “Under whose authority?”
“The senator’s, Admiral.”
“Put her on.”
“Yes, sir.”
A new voice came through, then—Bernard’s. As in the many newscasts that had featured her recently, she spoke softly but confidently. “Admiral.”
“Senator Bernard. I know you’ve been absent from Senate meetings, but have you been watching the news at all?”
“I’ve been absent because I was assigned to accompany the Buchanan to Spire. I’m surprised you didn’t know that. In case you haven’t heard, the Buchanan’s crew was killed within the space of a few seconds.”
Which raises the question of how you survived. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“I’ve been watching the news.”
“Then you’ll know the Senate voted not to pursue a diplomatic resolution.”
“Yes.”
“In that case, why is it that you’ve taken it upon yourself to do something our democratically elected representatives have voted against? Didn’t you run on a campaign of strengthening our democracy?”
Bernard laughed. She actually laughed. “My platform was about renewing a broken democracy, Admiral. The public wants less conflict, not more. But Darkstream wants everlasting war, so that’s the path our government has chosen to walk, hasn’t it? Tell me I’m wrong.”
Carrow ground his teeth together, feeling glad Bernard had refused his Coms officer’s request for video. “That darkgate is under military lockdown, and you are forbidden to enter it.”
“What are you going to do, Admiral? Shoot us? Before you answer that question, you should know that as we’ve been talking, Corporal Simpson has been broadcasting my presence to the rest of the Fleet.”
He glanced around at his CIC crew, gauging their reactions to the conversation. “Of course not. I wouldn’t kill a senator.”
“Of course you wouldn’t. Now that we’ve settled that, I’ll be going through that darkgate. I’ll see you later, Admiral.”
His Coms officer glanced at him. “She’s cut off the connection, sir.”
Carrow nodded, drumming his fingers against the cold metal of his chair. He cleared his throat. “Senator Bernard has gone rogue, and her actions pose a grave threat to galactic security. Transmit the following set of orders to Captain Alkesh of the Gregory. Tell him to take his destroyer through the darkgate and destroy the senator’s shuttle once he’s on the other side.”
“Sir?”
“Do you misunderstand me, Commander? The senator has defied the will of this Fleet and the will of the Commonwealth. She’s privy to sensitive government information, which the Wingers will not hesitate to extract from her using any means necessary. This isn’t an easy decision, but it is the right one. Tell Captain Alkesh to neutralize her, and tell him to keep this operation to himself. The rest of you are also to never repeat these orders, under threat of court martial.”
“Y-yes, sir. Transmitting the orders now.”
“Very good.” Alkesh’s destroyer would likely get taken out soon after he took care of Bernard, leaving only Excalibur’s CIC crew who knew what Carrow had done. He judged them as fairly loyal, but he would still have to closely monitor them from now on, making sure they never brought this to the public’s attention. The people of the Commonwealth loved Bernard, and if they ever found out Carrow had had something to do with her death, they’d riot. Fleet Command would not hesitate for long before offering him up as a sacrificial lamb.
He did his best to put the matter out of his mind, returning to the problem of how they were going to break through the darkgate to retake Larkspur. He began running scenarios on his console, simulating possible outcomes if he ordered the Fleet to start firing nukes through the darkgate in all directions. As long as they didn’t hit the gate itself—easily avoided—they might be able to clear out enough room on the other side to—
“Sir, I just received a text transmission from Captain Alkesh. He’s reached the Larkspur System.”
“Excellent. Has he neutralized the senator?”
“No, sir. He says he can’t locate her amidst the chaos.”
“Chaos?”
“Sir, Captain Alkesh reports that the Providence is taking a stand near the darkgate on the other side.” The commander could barely contain his excitement, his voice steadily rising in pitch. “He’s been in touch with Captain Keyes, whose objective has been to push back the enemy so that the Fleet can make it through. Captain Alkesh has committed the Gregory to backing up Captain Keyes in the fighting.”
For the second time that day, Admiral Carrow found it difficult to speak. At last he said, “Tell the Fleet to commence transition into the Larkspur system, as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
Chapter 57
Legitimacy
Werner straightened up from his console, a smile creeping across his face. “Looks like they’ve had enough, Captain. The enemy’s line of battle has broken, and their warships are scattering to flee across the system.”
Letting his head loll backward until he was looking at the bulkhead just above the main viewscreen, Keyes said, “Give me that one more time, Ensign.”
“Um…the enemy warships are fleeing, sir.”
Keyes nodded. Music to my ears. He stood. “Arsenyev, Laudano, meet me in the conference room in fifteen minutes. Ensign, you have
the CIC.”
“Yes, sir.”
He went to the wardroom to down as much of a coffee as he could in the time he’d given himself. His forehead felt tight with fatigue and stress, but there would be no time to rest. Instead, he stood over the sink and knocked back caffeine. When the time came, he left his mug half-empty in the basin and marched out into the corridor.
Keyes stood outside the conference room as his officers entered, greeting each one with his best salute. They saluted back in turn, some of them hesitantly, as though taken aback at his earnest gesture of respect.
Husher did not hesitate. His salute was as crisp as Keyes’s, and their eyes remained locked. Afterward, the young officer offered his hand, and Keyes gripped it firmly. With a final nod, Husher entered the conference room with the others.
Last came Fesky, and after their salutes, Keyes swept her into a hug. Fesky reacted with characteristic awkwardness, her wings fluttering against his back.
They drew apart, but he left his hands resting on her shoulders. “For a moment, I thought I lost you out there, old friend.”
She gave a wordless squawk. Then, quieter: “I thought so, too.”
“I saved your life. I guess we’re even, now.”
“I’ll have to save yours again, to restore things to their natural balance.”
He laughed, and Fesky headed for the nearby wardroom, where he’d asked her to wait while they spoke with the admirals. It pained him to send her away when she belonged among his officers, but she understood the reality of the situation. Fesky never complained. Sometimes, I wish she would.
He entered the conference room alone. Inside, Admiral Carrow and Fleet Admiral Dawson awaited him once again, their faces displayed on twin screens. A brittle silence reigned while the Providence officers took their seats around the table.
“Captain Keyes,” Carrow said once everyone was settled. “The last time we spoke, you entered into open rebellion against the Fleet. Can we expect this meeting to go a little better?”
“I hope so, Admiral.”
“You may have bought yourself a pardon here today, Captain,” Fleet Admiral Dawson said, his jowls wobbling. “You enabled us to win a great victory. The Winger fleet has scattered and fled to their various colonies. Not to mention, the Gok fleet is showing every sign of leaving the system altogether.”
“A pardon isn’t guaranteed,” Carrow cut in. “If you perfectly toe the line from now on, there’s a chance you might escape a court martial. A slight chance.”
Keyes met Carrow’s eyes, letting nothing show on his face. His officers also kept their cool and remained silent. They were drained after the battle, but they also carried a new hardness with them, which Carrow’s discourtesy seemed to bring to the fore.
Motivated by service to humanity, they’d rebelled against their superiors, and by following that principle of service they’d covered themselves in glory today. I doubt anything Carrow cares to spout could ever dent their resolve. Not now.
“What does the Fleet propose to do now?” Keyes said at last.
“I’m going to overlook the fact you’re using the word ‘propose’ again,” Carrow said. “I’ll tell you what we’re going to do. The entire Fleet, including your ship—such as it is—will make for the nearest Winger colony. Once there, we’ll shoot every Roostship out of the sky. After that, we’ll head to the next colony and do the same thing. We’ve already divided the Wingers, so now we’ll conquer them. All throughout the Bastion sector, colony after colony, we’ll wipe out their ability to ever attack us again. And we’ll finish with Spire.”
“The Wingers still refuse to communicate?”
“We’re not trying to communicate with them. We’re done talking.”
Husher spoke up. “Admiral, we lost twenty-nine Condor pilots today. The Providence herself took a beating. Half the Fleet is gone, and several more ships were destroyed in the fight to establish a foothold in Larkspur.”
“I’m aware of the situation. But I’m not sure why you’re talking.”
Carrow’s acidity did not seem to affect Husher. The boy’s grown. In fact, Keyes envied him his control of his emotions.
“Sir, the Ixa are showing signs of mobilizing, and Ochrim was clearly their agent all along. Who can say how else they might be manipulating us? Now is not the time to enter into a conflict sure to drag on for months. We need to press for peace.”
“Peace?” Now it was Fleet Admiral Dawson’s turn to sound incredulous. “Young man, we just fought the bloodiest battle since the First Galactic War. The Wingers refuse to even speak with us.”
“So we make them speak. The quickest path to peace would be to strike at Spire, where the Fins also live. If we do that, it won’t be long before they have to open up lines of communication, and then we can negotiate a—”
“Do you speak for the Providence, Husher?” Carrow said, his face red.
“No, sir, but I was invited to this—”
“I didn’t invite you. So I can only attribute your presence to another one of your captain’s errors in judgment.”
Husher fell silent and looked across the table at Keyes, eyebrows slightly raised. But Keyes wanted to hear what the admirals said next.
“The Ixa behaved like they did in the First Galactic War because of Baxa,” Carrow went on. “He had them all under his thumb, fighting to realize his sick vision for the galaxy. But there will never be another Baxa, and the Ixa themselves have no teeth. We left them without a fleet, and our monitors ensure they stay that way.”
“Teth claimed they’ve killed their monitors and have been fabricating the reports,” Keyes said quietly. “He didn’t say for how long.”
Carrow brayed laughter, and Keyes repressed a grimace. “I spoke to Commander Price just yesterday via micronet. He’s alive and well, Keyes. Please spare me your Ixan fairy tales.” More braying. “Next you’ll start quoting from the Prophecies.”
“I’ve watched the recording of your encounter with the Ixan warship, Captain Keyes,” Dawson put in, his tone less mocking than Carrow’s, “It is only one ship. If the Ixa do show up, however unlikely that is, then we’ll deal with them the same way we’re about to deal with the Wingers. We’ve had twenty years to establish our dominance, and even with half of the Fleet gone, our might is irresistible.”
Slowly, Keyes shook his head. This is not how a Fleet Admiral should speak.
The admirals stared at him with their mouths slightly open in twin expressions of confusion.
“What are you doing, Keyes?” Carrow asked. “Why do you shake your head like that?”
“I appreciate your halfhearted offer of a pardon, but I don’t think it’s realistic.”
“I agree with you there.”
“You misunderstand me, Carrow. The Fleet has lost all legitimacy. It’s you who’s gone rogue, not us. This meeting is over.” Keyes stood up and approached the console that controlled the screens.
“Don’t do this, Keyes,” Carrow growled. “This is suicide. You—”
Keyes tapped the console, banishing the admirals from the room. He swept the others with his gaze. “Let’s get Fesky and head to the war room.”
Chapter 58
War Room
The officers of the Providence filed into the war room ahead of Husher, with Fesky replacing Lieutenant Hornwood among them.
Husher took a deep breath and followed, taking his place around the blocky strategic planning console. Several of the others glanced at him expectantly, which didn’t come as a surprise. Fesky, who hadn’t been at the meeting with the admirals, just gazed at the blank display, her wings betraying the tension she felt.
“You suggested a strike on Spire,” Keyes said, his hands clasped behind his back as he regarded Husher with his trademark bluff-faced stare. “How much thought have you given the prospect?”
“A fair bit,” Husher answered.
“Good. I assume you know how to operate this?” The captain gestured at the console.
&nb
sp; Husher nodded. “I used one aboard the Firedrake.” Sweeping aside his nostalgia for his old command, he performed the gesture for activating the strategic planning console, which every captain knew. The console communicated with the sensors to determine the Providence’s location, and then it rendered the Larkspur System as a three-dimensional hologram. He placed his pinched thumb and forefinger atop the Winger homeworld and made the spreading gesture that told the console to zoom in. A lushly colored planet leapt toward them until it filled the holographic display.
In his peripheral vision, he noticed Fesky begin to shake.
“Several heavily fortified orbital platforms,” Husher said, “defended by however many Roostships aren’t out defending Winger colonies from the Fleet. Plus, there’s the chance the Gok might come to the aid of the Wingers.”
“Madness,” Fesky squawked, apparently no longer able to contain herself. “If you think the Providence alone can neutralize those defenses, you’re mad. Besides, striking at Spire is not the way to do diplomacy with us. It’s a way to convince us to redouble our efforts to kill you.”
Keyes raised his eyebrows at the Winger, who trembled harder.
“I’m not suggesting we neutralize them,” Husher said. “I don’t even think we should harm your homeworld—only hold a knife to its throat.”
Fesky twitched.
Under Husher’s palms, the console’s vibration echoed the Winger’s. “My plan is going to sound insane, which is why I’m eager to hear out anyone who has something better. But I really don’t think we have a better option.” He took a deep, shaky breath. “I think we need to take a nuclear weapon to the surface of the planet.”
A variety of reactions from those gathered around the console. Davies’s mouth fell open, Laudano laughed, and Fesky turned away from the console altogether, her talons pressed against her head. Arsenyev shifted her weight, staring hard at the hologram. Keyes merely continued to look at Husher, his expression unchanged.
Supercarrier: The Ixan Prophecies Trilogy Book 1 Page 18