by Nick Webb
“But it can be done?” he asked. No sense in tempting fate.
“Probably. We’ll know when we get there, but I’m guessing we’ll be fine. And using the pole to mask our signature will allow Lieutenant Grace to get her newbies out on birds right away. She’s itching to get them out of the simulators. Up there will be the ideal place to run through fighter maneuvers—fewer eyes to see what we’re up to.”
“All right then.” Jake turned to navigation. “Ensign Roshenko. Lay in the course and make the shift when you’re ready.”
Roshenko’s fingers pecked at the console. “Ready sir.”
“Take her away, Ensign.”
With a punch of Roshenko’s finger, the view on the screen changed in an instant from a flotilla of small freighters and frigates with a red dwarf star in the background to a brilliant yellow-blue star. Destiny’s star was a tad larger than Sol, and hotter—its radiation peaking in the green-blue range rather than the green—and Jake guessed that the sky on Destiny might reflect that, perhaps appearing as an even deeper blue than Earth’s skies.
“We’ve arrived, sir,” said Ensign Roshenko.
“And Captain,” began Ensign Ayala at the tactical octagon, “the rest of Volaski’s caravan is shifting into orbit with us.”
A low rumble in the deckplate came and went. Jake cocked his head. “What the hell was that?”
In answer, Alessandro’s voice boomed over the speaker. “Friend! Our gravitic drive just got spanked! And spanked hard, friend. Long range shifting is out. This could take days to fix. With some pure neodymium we’d be in the clear, but as it is the temporary solution I came up with at Earth has failed.”
Jake shook his head. “Thank you, Bernoulli. Bridge out.” Great. One more thing to worry about. He turned to Ayala. “Scan all orbits of the star. Any contacts?”
Ayala punched several keys on her board. “Nothing yet, sir. But I’ll notify you if we find something.”
Jake keyed open the commlink to engineering. “Bernoulli, how long until the gravitic capacitor banks recharge up to what’s required for the next shift?” The gravitic drive and its capacitor banks had been hit pretty hard, and Jake supposed it would take longer than usual to build up a sufficient charge.
“Give it half an hour, friend,” said Alessandro over the speaker. “I’ve got them mostly repaired, but there’s a few caps I’ve got my eye on. They should hold for now, but they’re leaking current. We’d do well to pick up some new ones on Destiny if we can manage it.”
“We’ll keep it in mind, Alessandro. Meet me on the flight deck when we’ve shifted to Destiny. Mercer out.” He turned to Po. “Have you been down to storage yet? Find us some bargaining chips?”
She nodded. “Chief Petty Officer Zaxby is stuffing the shuttle full of electronics as we speak.”
“Good.” He turned to sit in his chair. “Looks like we’re good to go then—”
“Captain! I’m reading an unidentified contact,” said Ayala, the alarm in her voice creating a pit in Jake’s stomach. They weren’t ready for another confrontation. The ship was dangerously low on railgun ordnance, and the repair crews were still busy just patching the hull, not to mention all the damaged weapons turrets and other tactical systems.
“Is it just one of Volaski’s?”
“Negative, sir, they’re all accounted for. This one’s new. It’s bigger than they are—not as big as us, but still nothing to sneeze at.”
“Do you have a visual?”
Ayala shrugged, the tree tattoos on her neck bunching up as she did. “It’s still over 10,000 klicks away in a more highly inclined orbit around the star, but it looks like they’re shifting course to match ours. They’ll be on us in ten minutes or so.”
Jake stood back up. “I want a reading on that ship. Scan them for armaments, defenses, everything. Still no idea who they are?”
“They’re not sending out any transponder codes,” said Ayala.
“Captain, Volaski’s ship is hailing us.”
“Onscreen.”
Volaski and Velar reappeared on the viewscreen, now with worried faces. “Captain,” said Velar, “it looks like we have an unexpected visitor. I take it you’ve never seen a November vessel?”
So. It was a November clan ship. He’d never seen one, but he’d heard of them. Fast and deadly, was the reputation. Not like an Imperial capital ship, but with the Phoenix in her current state, it might not matter. “So they’re with the November family? This isn’t their space, what are they doing out here?”
Velar answered his question. “Destiny is outside the Empire, Captain Mercer, so anyone comes here as they please. We don’t often get November clan ships here, but they have been known to come to trade occasionally, and while we’re wary, we’ve never had any problems with them. Except this one seems to have taken an interest in us.”
Velar’s face, usually unreadable, now displayed nervousness. Clearly, she hadn’t been expecting this. Somehow, that made Jake trust her a little more. If she’d made some sort of deal with the Imperials to somehow betray them, the ship bearing down on them now would be several Imperial fleet capital ships and not a November vessel. Somehow, her nervousness soothed him.
“Very well, Velar. You apparently have dealt with them before. How do you recommend we proceed? I’d rather keep a low profile here, though it seems they’ve seen us already. Are there likely to be hostilities with us around?”
“No, I doubt it. The November clan is an old pirating family, and a sworn enemy of the Empire. If they know your story, it’s certain they’ll not attack,” she said. “But I’d be careful if I were you. They might see that you’re damaged, and think you’re a very attractive target. A capital ship might be too tempting to pass up. You’d fetch an extremely high price on the black market.”
Great. Not just the Imperials to worry about. Having the November family hovering like vultures, waiting for the Phoenix to present a weak face before swooping in was not another thing Jake needed on his plate at the moment.
“Ensign. Hail them.”
Ensign Falstaff pressed a few buttons and glanced up at Mercer. “They’ve responded, sir. Audio only.”
“This is Captain Jacob Mercer of the Earth Resistance Fleet Ship USS Phoenix, to the November fleet vessel. Please identify yourself.”
A pause, and then the speakers crackled to life, the interference from the star readily apparent from the static. A male voice answered, speaking in a strange accent Jake couldn’t completely pin down. Indian? Not quite. “Phoenix. So it’s true, then.”
Another long pause, and Jake wondered whether the voice was going to continue when the speaker came on again. “We’d heard rumors, but we suspected it was only the Empire playing its tricks again to lure us out into the open.”
Jake cleared his throat. “To whom do I have the pleasure of talking to?”
“Nathaniel Raza, of the November clan. You are on the run then? From the Empire?”
Jake glanced up at Megan and Ben. “I wouldn’t say on the run, no, but I would prefer not to run into them.” He didn’t want to give the impression of weakness. To be on the run was to imply weakness.
“I understand, Captain. I would not prefer to run into them either. Though if we did, I think I would prefer it now with you sitting here than to any other time. I think between the two of us we could make short work of any Imperial ship. Don’t you?”
“Yes, Mr. Raza, I suppose we could,” Jake said with a laugh. “So what is your business here in the Destiny system? Do I gather correctly that you were told about us?”
“Told about you would be a stretch. I just heard rumors through my contacts that there was a renegade Imperial capital ship on the run and that Admiral Trajan was hunting her down, and would probably pay a mighty price indeed for information leading to your capture.”
The way the man said it made Jake nervous, though angry might have been a better term. “So, Mr. Raza, do you intend to go collect a reward?”
; Laughter snorted through the speaker. “You are kidding, right? The November family is an honorable one, Captain Mercer. We don’t deal with the Empire, and we don’t deal with the slavers and the lawless bands of criminals that frequent these parts. To turn a fellow freedom fighter like yourself over to the Emperor would go against everything the November family stands for.”
Something nagged at the back of Jake’s mind, but he couldn’t quite grasp at it. “You say you don’t deal with criminals, but isn’t the November family a crime syndicate? Don’t you deal with black market goods and harass legitimate businessmen and merchants?”
“We deal in items the Empire has deemed criminal, yes, but the ramblings of a man who considers himself an embodied god do not define for me what is and is not evil. The Emperor could outlaw water, but would that stop us from drinking? He could outlaw thoughts but would that stop me from thinking? He could outlaw fecal matter, but would that stop me from shitting? There are many things the Emperor forbids which we find useful, and profitable.”
“And the merchants you levy your special tax on? The one where you claim to provide special protection? Back on Earth, we might say that you make them an offer they cannot refuse.”
The man laughed long. “So we do. But we only tax those businessmen we know to be in league with the Empire, or those that benefit from its corruption, its oppression, and its violations of fairness and freedom. Those merchants that struggle and try to scrape by in spite of the Empire? We are rather their champion, Captain, not their enemy. We are not some Italian mafia. We don’t kill for sport or on a whim. But those that benefit from the Empire’s oppression have a great deal to fear from us indeed.”
The thought niggling at the edge of his memory clicked into place. “Mr. Raza, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about the USS Fury, would you? Admiral Pritchard’s ship?”
Silence.
“The galaxy is a big place, Captain Mercer, and the Empire has a big fleet. Is Admiral Pritchard a name I should recognize?”
He was hiding something. He’d paused too long, and his voice sounded far more suspicious than it should. Jake couldn’t put his finger on it, or even say why he thought Raza’s voice sounded suspicious. It just did.
“He’s not Imperial, if that’s what you’re implying. No, Admiral Pritchard is the Earth Resistance Admiral who fled from the Dallas massacre three years ago. Surely you’ve heard about Dallas?”
“Yes, of course we’ve heard about Dallas. Half of us were expecting Old Earth to go the way of Belen. But I have no idea as to your Admiral Richard.”
“Pritchard,” corrected Jake. “Hmm, interesting. It was just that I had heard that the last time he was seen by anyone was in November clan space. And that it didn’t go very well for him. You’re telling me you know nothing of it?”
Another long pause, and Jake could hear Raza talk to a companion, but not quite loudly enough to hear.
“Sorry, Captain, that I can’t be of more help. But a lot goes on in November space that the Empire doesn’t know about. Perhaps it might be to your benefit to return to our outpost with me? It is not far from here, about ten light years.”
Ben caught Jake’s eye and slowly shook his head. Jake couldn’t agree more. No sense in being led like a lamb into the den of one of the galaxy’s most feared families, in spite of the claims of innocence put forth by Mr. Raza.
Jake shook his head. “I’m sorry, sir, but we have business here on Destiny. Perhaps another time.”
“You’re always welcome, Captain Mercer. Any enemy of the Empire is a friend of mine. And of my family. Perhaps there at my outpost we can have a more in-depth discussion about your Admiral friend—a discussion I’d rather not have on an open channel in the Destiny system. Destiny is not the safest, my friend, and you would do well to be careful, whatever your business is.”
“I intend to. Exactly where is your outpost located?”
“Classified,” said Raza, and Jake could almost hear the man grinning as he said it. Crime syndicates didn’t exactly have a government classification system, but Jake understood the man’s meaning: none of your damned business.
“I understand, Mr. Raza,” said Jake.
“But if you should ever need to get in contact with me, shift into the Szabo system, and wait in orbit around the star there. November ships use that star as a waypoint for gravitic shifts all the time, and if you ask for me, I’m sure one of my fellows will know where to find me.”
It was odd. It was almost as if the man were inviting Jake to come with him, or at least to come find him. As if he had something of importance to tell him....
Or perhaps he was only trying to lure the Phoenix into November space and waylay her, like they were rumored to have done with the USS Fury. Perhaps that was what he was doing, dropping just a hint that he might know Pritchard’s whereabouts so that Jake would follow Raza straight into an ambush on the other side of a gravitic shift.
“Very well, Mr. Raza. Thank you for the advice. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some business to attend to on Destiny. I assume you’ve been there? Any advice I should know?”
A chuckle. “Yeah. I hope you like dust. And horse shit.”
“We had heard about the dust,” said Jake with a nod.
Raza continued. “And keep your weapons with you at all times, Captain. Like I said, Destiny is not the safest place in the Thousand Worlds. I’m surprised you’re even headed down there.” He coughed, before finishing. “Good luck Captain. I think you’ll need it. Raza out.”
Jake breathed a sigh of relief. “Well that went better than I expected.”
Ensign Falstaff spoke up again. “Sir, Volaski’s ship is hailing again.”
Jake nodded, indicating to the young man to open the channel.
“Captain Mercer,” said Velar, “I trust you will not take the man up on his offer?”
“So you were listening in on my communication?” Jake said.
“Yes. One can never be too careful around the November clan. And I assure you, Captain, it’s best to be careful around that lot. They’re all smiles and friendly out here, away from their space, but once you get into November territory things change. When you shift to their space, you are instantly surrounded by a small fleet of missile frigates, stripped of whatever valuable cargo you have, and sent on your way far poorer than how you came in, if you leave at all. In your case, I doubt you would,” she glanced at Volaski, who nodded in approval. “But come. My world awaits. It is not much, but it is home, and I know you will like it for the short time we will have you there. You have the coordinates for the northern pole?”
“We do. Our gravitic capacitor banks will be fully charged momentarily. I’ll send word when we’re ready to shift. Mercer out.”
Po grumbled behind him. “Pirates. What a tangled web we’ve got here. Trust Velar and Volaski, or trust Mr. Raza of the November family?”
Ben answered, shaking his head and poking a few buttons on his security station. “Neither one, if you ask me. The only good pirate is a dead one.”
Jake grinned back at him. “Oh, admit it. You’re loving dressing up like a cowboy and heading down to a frontier world.”
Ben grumbled, and shifted on his feet. He tried to frown, but couldn’t help the tug on his cheeks. “Only if we actually get to ride horses.”
CHAPTER FOUR
THE SHUTTLE RIDE DOWN TO the surface proved rougher than Jake was accustomed to. He wondered if the ship had been damaged during the battle at the shipyards, but Bernoulli shook his head.
“Destiny’s sun is extremely active,” he said, scratching at his half-mustache. For some odd reason that Jake still hadn’t had the mind to ask about, Alessandro Bernoulli kept one half of his mustache perpetually shaved off, and the other half—the right half—properly groomed. “The gamma rays have the most pronounced effect on the gravitic field—they’re most likely to penetrate the hull and disrupt the dopants in the crystal lattice. But you’d be surprised at the effect neutri
nos can have as well—gravitic fields are basically neutrino exclusion zones, which is why we can’t shift too close to a gravity well, because that gravity well is usually a star. In fact, there is a delicate balance between shifting too close to the star and run the risk of neutrino saturation of your field, and too far away and not having enough energy to even make it. You might say that—”
“Alessandro,” Jake held up a hand. “Less is more, buddy.”
Alessandro laughed. “Ha! Friend, you ask, so you should expect the answer!”
“I expect an answer, Alessandro, I just don’t expect to fall asleep during the answer,” said Jake as he took off his left boot and shook it. A small pebble fell to the floor with a clatter, and he wondered how it even ended up in there—as far as he knew, there were no pebbles on the Phoenix. It must have already been in there.
“Interesting, Lieutenant,” said Ben, furrowing his brow like he did whenever he started thinking about something. “So would that make shifting to high orbit around a black hole difficult? They are neutrino emitters, if I’m remembering my astrophysics class correctly.”
“Jemez, I didn’t know you took astrophysics. What gives?” Jake glanced up at his friend as he pulled off his other boot. He continued in an attempted backcountry accent. “I knew you were all into this book learnin’, but astrophysics?”
“I did finish college before I joined the fleet, you know. Some of us had lives before the war.”
Bernoulli shot Ben an amazed look before turning to Jake. “Friend, you take this bullshit attitude from him?”
Jake raised a hand. “Ben and me go way back. He just dishes it out as good as I give it to him.”
Ben smirked. “Way back means three years. Jake here was my Wing Commander when I first started with the Viper squad,” he said. “And somehow he thought that bringing the newbie along to help him win a bar fight would be a great way to break me in.”
Jake chuckled. “It sure did. Just look at you now! Strapping young lad.”