For a while, Fesky thought Husher was going to raise the flask for another swallow. But at last, he capped it instead, placing it on the deck next to the crate where he sat.
Then he rose. “Thank you, Fesky. I needed that. More than you know.”
“And we need you,” she said, joining him in standing. “So get it together.”
Chapter 58
What’s at Stake
How quickly we’ve allowed ourselves to integrate with the Kaithe.
Given the hostility with which the aliens had banished the allied fleet from their home system, and given the longstanding UHF regulations against linking with Kaithe, Keyes would have expected a lot more opposition to the idea of accepting the Kaithe’s help in facilitating this war meeting.
Certainly, some captains had protested, but most recognized the value in meeting inside a world simulated by the Kaithe. In doing so, they’d save the time it would have taken to commute to and from the Providence, using it instead to prepare for the coming conflict.
The Kaithe had deployed a shuttle that dropped off one Kaithian for each vessel, effectively creating a network for instantaneous communication. The processing power required to generate such an elaborate simulation would come from a sizable portion of the Kaithian Consensus, but for the purposes of connecting to the simulation, only a single Kaithian was required.
Just one downside came with doing things this way: none of the other species could attend the meeting, since Kaithe were only capable of linking with humans. The Wingers hadn’t offered any opposition, though.
Keyes suspected Ek had something to do with that—if he knew the Fin, she would see the value in allowing the humans and Kaithe to work together on this and thereby gain more trust for each other.
Either way, Ek and a handful of other Winger captains would come to the Providence afterward, in order to hammer out the final details of the battle plan.
Aheera had consulted Keyes on what the meeting place should look like, without offering any suggestions herself. He felt certain she was capable of generating basically any setting, including ones that defied the laws of physics. But exploring that didn’t interest him.
Another man might have sought to have some fun experimenting with the Kaithe’s abilities, but Keyes had been called single-minded more than once, and he’d always had trouble contesting that charge.
“Are you familiar with the Galactic Congress chamber that was on Mars?” he’d asked Aheera. The chamber no longer existed—the Ixa had prioritized its destruction during their assault on Sol.
“I am,” Aheera said.
“Then that’s where we’ll meet.”
Keyes didn’t ask how she knew the Congress chamber, but he had a couple of guesses. I’m beginning to suspect the children have been keeping an eye on us for a long time. It occurred to him how odd it was to think of Kaithe as children, especially considering they were closer to humanity’s parents.
The Kaithe didn’t even have any young, and they hadn’t for millennia, according to Aheera. Their technology allowed them to live basically forever. When he’d asked her why they’d stopped reproducing, she’d averted her eyes, seeming almost uncomfortable. He’d dropped his question, but it still tugged at his thoughts from time to time.
What a stagnant species they must be.
When the meeting began, Keyes sat where the Speaker of the House once had. He’d chosen the Congress chamber in order to remind the captains who they fought for, and also that if they won the coming battle, they would not remain in charge. Democratic forms would be reconstituted immediately. A society governed by military personnel, even well-intentioned military personnel, was a recipe for totalitarian disaster.
Warren Husher had once accused Keyes, half-jokingly, of having a hero complex. That had taken him aback for a moment, until he’d come back with the best humorous deflection he could muster, which hadn’t been very strong.
Maybe I do have a hero complex. He supposed there were worse complexes to have.
Gazing over the growing crowd, Keyes saw more and more captains arriving without fanfare. They simply appeared in their chairs, and if you weren’t looking directly at them when they did, a flicker in your peripheral vision was all you were likely to detect. Most of the captains brought along a few of their officers, and the Kaithe involved in connecting them were also present. Together, they ended up filling most of the chamber’s seats.
For a moment, he wondered whether he would have to count the captains manually to make sure everyone was present. But Aheera spared him that cumbersome task. “All captains are present, Admiral Keyes,” she said.
“Thank you, Aheera.” He swept his gaze over the assembled UHF captains. “Ochrim tells me that Baxa’s main neural structures reside on Klaxon, in a vast underground complex accessed through an Ixan stronghold. I know how you all likely feel about trusting the Ixan’s intel, but I don’t see what other choice we have. We must adopt a line of action that assumes victory is possible, and it likely isn’t if Ochrim’s intel is bogus. So we trust him.
“If we are to defeat Baxa, we must destroy the facility that houses his brain. By now, the AI has no doubt taken control of every Ixan it could reach, in order to increase its own intellect, and therefore its power. If we allow Baxa to complete that process, his intelligence will soar beyond the reach of even the Kaithe. We will be like small children trying to fight an adult, and soon after that we will be like gnats fighting a giant.”
Keyes stood, now, leaning forward with his hands on the oaken barrier that separated the Speaker from the rest of the house. “The way I see it, this battle will consist of three primary operations. If any one of them fails, then we all will fail, and so each of us must strive for mission success at any cost.”
The captains returned his gaze, mostly with expressions of determination. They know what’s at stake.
“The three operations are as follows: the invasion of Klaxon; the battle against Baxa-controlled warships within the Ixan home system; and the battle to defend the Corydalis-Baxa darkgate, to prevent the other Ixa from returning home and thereby giving Baxa access to more processing power.
“I will command the forces defending the Corydalis-Baxa darkgate. Flockhead Ek will command the fleet that battles the Baxa-controlled warships, and Sergeant Caine will command the ground troops that invade Klaxon and infiltrate the facility that houses Baxa’s brain. The Kaithe will also accompany Sergeant Caine. I won’t be fighting any Ixa controlled by Baxa, and Flockhead Ek isn’t able to link with Kaithe anyway. Although each of the three operations is vital, the mission to Klaxon is arguably the most important, and so it’s where the Kaithe will be needed most. We can expect Baxa to mount a formidable defense there. All Gok, Winger, and human ground troops will also accompany Sergeant Caine. Tort has agreed to carry the nuclear bomb they will take into the core of Baxa’s facility, which houses his control unit. Any questions?”
There were none. The particulars of the plan would be ironed out at his meeting with Ek and the Wingers, but for now, none of the human captains seemed to oppose the plan itself.
“Meeting adjourned,” Keyes said, vanishing from the Galactic Congress chamber.
Chapter 59
We Must Pray
Sometimes, Fesky wondered whether Ek had forgotten about her.
They’d seen each other at war meetings, and yes, Ek had offered warm words. But they no longer talked as they had when the Fin lived on the Providence. They didn’t even keep in touch, despite their coms being well within range ever since Ek recovered on Mars and then joined the allied fleet with every Winger Roostship under her command.
Fesky supposed she might have made more of an effort to message the Fin, but she hadn’t wanted to risk bothering her, especially when Ek might have been too polite to decline calls.
She’s probably too busy to bother with just one Winger, when she has the entire species depending on her.
Which was why it surprised her so much when, af
ter her meeting with Admiral Keyes, Ek requested to see her.
They met in the Providence’s wardroom, where they would enjoy relative privacy. True, other officers could very well walk in on them, but Fesky suspected the admiral would ensure no one did.
She sat at one of the two cafeteria-style tables, clutching a mug of cold coffee and trying to keep herself from trembling in nervous anticipation. When Ek finally entered, Fesky nearly clacked her beak in shock.
The Fin’s condition had rapidly deteriorated over the last few days. Her face—normally mottled gray, brown, and black—had several white spots, and the skin had grown rough around her cheeks. There also appeared to be several pinhole abrasions surrounding her eyes, and the eyes themselves looked cloudy.
“Ek,” Fesky began, and hesitated. “I didn’t realize—”
“My condition shocks you,” Ek said, making her way carefully to a seat opposite Fesky. “I am sorry. I have not made it widely known throughout the fleet. Keyes and I agree that doing so could prove damaging to morale.”
“You shouldn’t be in space,” Fesky said softly.
“You are right. But what choice do we have? I spend time regularly in the centrifuge Keyes provided to me, and that will have to be enough. I must survive until after the coming battle. As long as we win that, I do not care what happens.”
“But Ek…you’re the last living Fin.”
“I understand that, Fesky. But I do not think I overstate my role when I say that if I do not participate in the coming battle, all of our species could go extinct. Trust me, I do not enjoy making such a calculus. But I must.”
Seeing Ek like this agitated Fesky to no end. “Why did you ask to see me?” she asked, more harshly than she’d intended.
The Fin blinked, leaning heavily on the table before her. “Much will change after the battle, Fesky. No matter the outcome. We must pray that a significant percentage of us survive—Wingers, humans, Gok, and Tumbra. I know my survival does not seem likely, currently, but I retain some faith. If I do survive, and if you survive as well, I truly believe we can accomplish amazing things together. Indeed, every species has suffered greatly, but if we can band together, we could achieve something wonderful.”
Ek’s words shook Fesky from her agitation, and even though she was conscious of that happening, she had to marvel yet again at the Fin’s ability to move things in a positive direction. “Such as…what? What sort of things are you thinking of?”
“I cannot predict the future, or even whether we will have one. But if we do emerge from the coming conflict, then I am confident Wingers will play a significant role in the world that follows. Wingers can be just as wise as Fins, sometimes moreso. You taught me that, Fesky. And you must never forget it.”
Fesky could not control her shaking. But now, she shook from humility and joy.
Unsteadily, Ek rose to her feet, offering Fesky a tiny smile. “I must go. There is much to do.”
Fesky rose, too, and before her self-consciousness could stop her, she made her way around the table to embrace the Fin. Ek embraced her back.
Chapter 60
A Fortifying Moment
The hatch opened to reveal Admiral Keyes, who met Husher’s eyes for a moment without saying anything.
Husher cleared his throat. “You wanted to see me, sir?”
“Come in.” The admiral crossed the office to his desk. “Take a seat.”
Husher lowered himself into the wooden chair. “We’re getting close to the Baxa System.”
“Yes. Ixan scout ships have already spotted us, fourteen hours ago. We let them go, and no doubt they’re racing to warn the fleets attacking our systems of an imminent attack on theirs. Everything’s falling into place quickly, which makes the decision I’ve made a little dicey. But it’s necessary: I don’t want you flying with the Air Group in the coming battle. Instead, I want you to accompany Sergeant Caine to the surface of Klaxon.”
Studying the admiral’s face carefully, Husher shook his head. “Why, sir?”
“I thought, as marine commander, Caine would be the one to leverage the Kaithe’s intellectual resources. But I was wrong—she can’t handle linking with them. We’ve tried twice, and the second time, I think she came close to having another psychotic break. That’s strictly confidential and not to go beyond this room.”
“Yes, sir. Do you think she’s stable enough to stay in charge of the mission?”
“I’ve had her assessed, and I think so. But that’s one of the reasons I want you on the mission, too—to take over command if she falls or becomes otherwise incapacitated.”
Husher nodded. “What’s the other reason?”
“I want you to be the one to link with the Kaithe.”
“I see.” Images from his experience on the aliens’ homeworld flashed in his mind, of the simulation in which Kaithe had seemed to slaughter his marines.
“It’s daunting, I know. But we’ll try you out with the link, give you a bit of practice time, to grow accustomed to that level of cognition. You won’t have much time, though, Husher, which is yet another reason for my choice. You’re one of the most capable individuals on this ship, and I’ve remarked on your adaptability numerous times. You’re the one who has to do it.”
“All right, sir. I’m ready.”
“Ochrim wants to accompany you. He knows the layout of the facility that houses Baxa’s brain, and he can guide you to the control unit where you’ll set off the nuke. The Ixan seems keen to make up for what he’s done, and I’m inclined to let him try. We need him.”
“But can we trust him, sir?”
“If we can’t, the entire foundation of this mission is bogus. We’ve already decided to trust him. Now we’re deciding to use him.”
Keyes paused. For the first time, Husher noticed his posture was quite different from other times they’d met in here. Instead of leaning on his desk, hands clasped atop it in business-like fashion, the admiral leaned back in his chair with one arm slung over an armrest, staring into space.
“It’s been a pleasure having you serve aboard the Providence,” the admiral said, and his voice sounded oddly strained.
“Thank you, sir. It’s been an honor to serve aboard her.”
A nod from Keyes. And then: “I’ve disappointed you, these last few months. I understand that. I let you down, I let the crew down, and I let this ship down. Hopefully it’s not too late to amend the consequences of that.”
“I’m sure it’s not, sir,” Husher said, his voice coming out as little more than a whisper.
“It’s late for me to finally say this, but I’m very sorry about what happened to your father. I think I shut off all emotion surrounding his death, and offering you my condolences would have been a concession to emotion. Foolish, I know, but there it is. Warren Husher didn’t deserve what happened to him. He deserved to be honored. His actions may be the only reason we have even a slim shot at victory.”
Keyes’s eyes finally found Husher’s again, and Husher thought he detected a slight shimmer in them. “You’ve lived up to your father’s name. You stayed true to your principles. Remember that, Husher. Remember what it takes. Don’t lose sight of what’s important, like I did these past few months. Humanity needs principled people—needs them now, and it will need them tomorrow.”
“Sir, why does it feel like you’re saying goodbye?”
“I hope I’m not. But we have to acknowledge how narrow our chance of victory is. We will fight with everything we have, because we must, but that doesn’t mean we’ll both make it through this.”
A prolonged silence followed, which Husher broke. “Before we attacked Spire, to force the Wingers to negotiate with us, you said that if the Providence went down, you’d be going with her. Did you mean that?”
“I meant it then, and I mean it now. This battle has only one of two outcomes, where this ship and I are concerned. Either we both make it through, or—”
“Keep her together for me, sir. It seems sentiment
al to say, but she’s the only place I care to call home.”
“I understand, Husher. I’ll try my best. Now, get to Hangar Deck B. I’ll send Aheera to meet you, and you can begin your preparations right away. Dismissed.”
They both stood. Husher saluted, and Keyes returned it. It should have been a fortifying moment, but Husher felt nothing except scared.
Chapter 61
Execute
The UHF destroyer Caesar was the first to transition through the darkgate into the Baxa System. Other than the Providence, it was the highest-value UHF warship remaining, and also the most likely to survive emerging entering Ixan space alone.
Ek had no idea how likely the destroyer’s survival actually was, but someone had to enter first, and the Caesar made the most sense. It would not serve anything for Ek to place her Command Roostship at the vanguard in some misguided show of bravery, and she also could not afford to risk any of the ships containing Kaithe, or the hundreds of marines who would comprise the mission to Klaxon.
At any rate, the Caesar was not alone for long. Two missile cruisers and two more destroyers followed close behind, along with five Roostships in quick succession. Then came Ek’s Command Roostship. She did wish to enter in time to command the defense against any ambush that might be lying in wait.
“Situation report,” she said the moment they emerged from the darkgate.
The sensors adjutant paused, seeming to double check his console before answering. “No enemy contacts, Flockhead, other than a trio of battle groups surrounding Klaxon.”
Ek did not answer, already parsing the implications of the information the adjutant had given her. As with every darkgate, the one they had emerged from had once been a natural wormhole. What made this one unique was that up until the First Galactic War, its existence had been a secret to all but the Ixa, who had not wanted their enemies to learn of a second entrance into their home system.
Reckoning: The Ixan Prophecies Trilogy Book 3 Page 18