by Dan Worth
‘Red alert! Helm! Full reverse, evasive manoeuvres. Un-slave the transports from our navi-comp, somebody. Gunnery, destroy or deflect those rocks!’
She had acted quickly, but not quickly enough. The Mark Antony began to turn away from the asteroids, its prow blazing with retro plasma spikes. Chen watched in horror as the lead freighters in the sphere, Favreaux’s ship included, ploughed straight into the clump of asteroids, shattering and exploding against the floating cliffs. They never stood a chance.
The rest of the fleet tried to turn away in desperation as a few more ships grazed against stone and spun wildly, spilling their cargoes and crews into the vacuum. The sphere of ships dissolved and spread into a chaotic tangle. The Mark Antony was still turning, firing all guns in a seemingly fruitless attempt to deflect the wall of rock. Ramirez sounded the alert.
‘All hands, brace for impact. Seal all blast shutters and hatches!’
The looming cliffs were suddenly obscured as armoured doors slammed down over the bridge windows. Ramirez started to pray, his HUD was still overlaying a schematic view of space outside. They might just make it if the heavy ship could be made to alter its trajectory more quickly. He had a flash of inspiration and called engineering.
‘Ramirez here. We need to reduce our turning circle if we’re to make it. I’m authorising you to release plasma from the port emergency vents. I’m aware of the risks, do it now.’
‘Yessir,’ came the curt reply.
There was an agonising wait of a few seconds that to Ramirez seemed to stretch into years, before the ship shuddered and lurched. The blast of plasma released from the port vents at the rear of the ship threw the vessel sideways. Though only altering the Mark Antony’s trajectory by just a few degrees, it was enough to shunt them away from their impending doom. There was a relieved cheer from the bridge crew. As the blast doors receded back into their casements, the view outside revealed the pitted rock surface of the nearest asteroid rushing past uncomfortably close to the ship’s nose. Ramirez looked at Chen.
‘Captain, I hope you don’t object to me acting on my own on this occasion?’
Chen looked at him gratefully. ‘I believe I can forgive you this time Commander. Thank you, your quick thinking saved us.’
Singh interrupted. ‘Captain, we have ships emerging from the cover of the surrounding asteroids. They are converging on the freighters. Variety of ship types, mainly converted transports and outdated fighters.’
Chen had expected this, the reports of previous victims had confirmed that the pirates were operating to type, using up-gunned civilian vessels and decommissioned Navy fighters. They would be no match for the Mark Antony’s weaponry and Chen was, by now, very angry indeed. She addressed Davis.
‘Commander, engage those attacking ships, let’s teach these bastards a lesson.’
‘Aye Captain,’ came the gruff reply. ‘Firing all guns.’
A maelstrom of fire now erupted from the Mark Antony’s turrets, swatting the outdated pirate ships like so many irritating insects. A lethal web of laser and particle fire immolated the boxy, outdated fighters and clumsy be-weaponed transport vessels that had foolishly begun their attack run, unaware of the presence of the destroyer amidst the cargo vessels until it was much, much too late. Some turned frantically and tried to escape only to be cut down without mercy.
‘Captain,’ said Singh. ‘The fleeing vessels appear to be all fleeing in the same direction. My guess is that we can extrapolate their trajectory and determine their point of origin, a base or mother ship perhaps.’
Chen concurred. ‘Excellent Lieutenant. Commander Davis, leave a few fleeing vessels alive please, we wish to pursue them. Ensign Andrews, inform the convoy of our intentions.’
‘Captain, I have the co-ordinates. I am detecting the signature of a large vessel at long range.’
‘Thank you Lieutenant Singh. Helm, ahead full to the co-ordinates Mr Singh has given you.’
‘Aye, Captain.’
Goldstein fed power to the Mark Antony’s engines and the massive vessel leapt forward into the asteroid field. A blinking icon on the HUD marked the presence of the new target just over a thousand kilometres distant on the edge of the inhibitor field. Chen’s gazed unblinkingly at it as the distance counted down. She issued more orders to Davis.
‘Commander, when we come within range I want you to destroy that ship.’
‘Aye, Captain.’
Ramirez sought to question her. ‘Captain, with all due respect, should we not attempt to extract a surrender from this ship? Any prisoners could prove useful in tracking down any other members of this organisation.’
‘Commander, there are not the police facilities in this system to deal with the crew of a vessel of that size. Besides, I wish to send these scum a clear and unequivocal message. Piracy is thing, wanton acts of terrorism and murder are quite another. They destroyed a sizeable portion of that convoy and almost succeeded in taking us down too. We are acting in self defence.’
‘Captain…’
‘My decision is final, Commander.’
Ramirez sat in shocked silence. She had publicly rebuked him, and she was about to destroy a sizeable vessel with a crew of perhaps hundreds without offering it a chance to surrender. He realised now what had caused the disaster at Urranakar: Chen’s temper. When personally wounded she lashed out in blind fury. God help anyone who became the focus of her anger. He could only sit and watch in mute horror.
The Mark Antony crossed the short distance to the pirate ship in less than a minute. The vessel turned out to be a bulk freighter by the name of the Eyrie that had been heavily modified into a makeshift carrier. In place of cargo containers, the vessel sported a row of docking bays capable of holding several dozen smaller vessels as well as a cluster of habitation modules about its middle. It had also been fitted with four turrets along its dorsal and ventral spines and these turned and locked onto the Mark Antony as it approached. The vessel was attempting to communicate with the destroyer as it slowed to a halt out of range of the Eyrie’s guns, keeping the pirate ship well within range of its own longer ranged weapons.
Chen regarded the image of the Hyrdian captain of the vessel that appeared before her with a look of intense distaste. He was attempting to bargain with her.
‘Mark Antony, it seems you have become needlessly embroiled in our business affairs. I assure you, we had no intention of attacking a Navy ship and we will be pleased to compensate you for any damage or injury we have caused.’
Chen was not impressed by his smooth talking. ‘Listen to me Eyrie. There will be no bargaining. Your actions resulted in the deaths of large number of innocent people and, but for the skill of my crew, would have caused the destruction of this vessel also. The Commonwealth Navy does not tolerate piracy, organised crime or terrorism of any sort. In accordance with the rules of engagement I am authorised to use deadly force in response to an attack on a naval vessel. Goodbye Captain,’ she said tersely and then spoke to Davis. ‘Gunnery, destroy that ship.’
Chen kept the link open as the Mark Antony’s guns tore the Eyrie apart. She watched its Captain die, watched him as he fought the effects of decompression as the Eyrie’s bridge tumbled off into space riding the blast wave from the craft’s detonating reactors. The transmission fizzled out as the Hyrdian vomited his own blood into vacuum. Ramirez looked at Chen, she was shaking slightly. The bridge was deathly silent.
Ramirez sat in his cabin with the lights dimmed. He was playing some Bach on his desk console to help him think and calm his temper as he tried to make some sense of the day’s events.
The Mark Antony had conducted search and rescue operations in the volume where the convoy had been ambushed. The warship had given assistance to those vessels that had been damaged in the attack and had then escorted the remainder of the convoy to its destination at Cetawayo Platform. The inhibitor field generator had been located and destroyed and the asteroids marked with a hazard buoy.
Almost a thi
rd of the ships that had set out from the Kansas system had been lost. The arrival of the battered convoy had been greeted with dismay by Cetawayo’s commander, though he had shown grim satisfaction at the destruction of the pirate vessel. Chen had made a public statement describing events, had expressed her regret at the loss of so many ships and had issued a stern warning that any other acts of piracy would be dealt with in a similar manner.
Ramirez hadn’t spoken to Chen except when his duties required it. Her actions had shocked him deeply. Today he had seen a side to his captain and lover that frightened him. It was cold and without pity and dispensed arbitrary justice in a fit of anger. But like it or not, he was still drawn to her even though he had seen her darker side. Ramirez went to the small window and looked out at the view. The barren, airless world of Natal hung against the backdrop of stars that shone cold and beautiful in the blackness. They reminded him of her.
There was a knock at his door. It was her knock, he knew it by now. He had expected that she would call eventually, but he still didn’t know how he would react to her or what he would say. He hesitated a moment before crossing the room and opening the door. Chen stood in the gangway outside. She seemed smaller somehow, fragile, she looked at him hopefully.
‘May I come in?’ she asked him quietly.
Ramirez stood back and gestured for her to enter, she did so and he closed the door behind her. Chen crossed the room and sat down on the edge of his bunk. She avoided his gaze and said nothing. Ramirez remained standing.
‘Anything you want to say to me Michelle?’ he said flatly.
‘Al, about me rebuking you so harshly on the bridge today, I’m sorry, I had no right to talk to you that way, even as your captain…’
‘You think this is what this is all about?’ he asked her incredulously.
‘I…’
‘You slaughtered them Michelle, all of them. You never gave them a chance to surrender,’ he could feel his anger rising. ‘Did it ever occur to you that maybe those pirates had families aboard that ship? What about them!? Did they deserve your anger as well?’
‘They tried to kill us! All of us! Do you think those cold hearted bastards ever stopped to consider the moral implications of what they were doing? A third of that convoy never made it Al, - a third! And they were all civilians, innocent people just trying to make a living! What I did was perfectly within the rules of engagement and it sent a clear message to anyone else thinking of pulling a trick like that!’
‘But why didn’t you offer them the chance to back down, Michelle?’
‘They had already locked their weapons on us Al, does that look like the actions of a crew about to surrender?’
‘Jesus Michelle! Is this what happened at Urranakar? Did your temper get the better of you then?’
‘Don’t you dare bring that up, Al! I was cleared of all but a few minor charges and you damn well know it!’ A single tear slid down her left cheek. ‘As Captain of this ship it’s my duty to protect us! When that missile hit the bridge and I saw the crew dying around me, my crew Al… you don’t know what that’s like! I’d failed them and I wanted to make the bastards responsible pay for their actions and I felt the same way today!’
‘It was one person at Highpoint.’
‘I didn’t know that at the time, how could I? I thought maybe we’d be hit by more missiles before we could get the shields up. I did the right thing by my crew! I just… I just…’ her words petered out. Ramirez couldn’t stand it any longer, his resolve broke and he held her to him. She laid her head on his chest. ‘Do you hate me Al? I’ll understand it if you do.’
‘I don’t hate you Michelle, but please, you have to understand…’
‘If anything had happened to you today I…’
‘It didn’t, it’s alright.’
‘No it’s not. Maybe you’re right, maybe I am a murderer.’
‘You’re human Michelle, like the rest of us. I just wish that sometimes you’d realise that.’
She clung to him still and looked up into his eyes.
‘Please hold me,’ she whispered.
He did.
Chapter 19
Rekkid, Katherine and Steven arrived in the quad together for their breakfast. Some Dendratha were seated at the benches eating; Kukadis was among them. The trio were greeted with silent hostile stares. Kukadis waited until they had helped themselves to some food and were sitting opposite him before he spoke.
‘A good sleep I trust? I gather on your home-worlds it goes dark when it is time for you to rest.’
Rekkid looked knowingly at Katherine; he could tell Kukadis was leading up to something. ‘Yes, that’s right Master Kukadis,’ Rekkid replied testily. ‘Perhaps you’re better informed of the greater galaxy than I had anticipated,’ he added sharply.
‘Indeed. So you slept well then? It would of course have been a tragedy had you lain awake for hours, pondering the offence you caused us yesterday.’ A sneering tone had crept into Kukadis’s voice, according to Rekkid’s translator.
Katherine had had enough of this bickering. She decided to seek a compromise. ‘Master Kukadis, we’re archaeologists not theologians. I apologise if we offended you, but perhaps we can be excused for not being particularly attuned to your religious sensibilities. We come from a predominantly secular society. It is easy for us to forget how much religion governs the lives of others.’
Rekkid gave her an odd look. Kukadis seemed uncomfortable, as if he was disappointed that she was backing down on Rekkid’s behalf.
Katherine continued. ‘Since we are to visit the temple today, perhaps you might accompany us? We would welcome any insights you could offer us as to the history of the building, and of course you would be present when Professor Cor examines the recently uncovered wall inscriptions. We could use your expert knowledge when we come to decipher their meaning.’
‘Creep,’ muttered Steven teasingly to Katherine over a spoonful of his food, quietly enough so that her translator failed to pick it up.
Kukadis snorted, and then gruffly gave in. ‘Very well, if Professor Cor can hold his tongue then I shall accompany you, since it seems that you, Doctor O’Reilly, possess better manners than your senior colleague.’ Rekkid raised an eyebrow a fraction. ‘Perhaps if one such as I, learned in matters of the church, were to show you the wonders of our faith it would prevent you both from ah… shall we say, making any more incorrect claims?’
‘Perhaps.’
‘Was there anything you particularly wanted to see Doctor?’ enquired Kukadis, his question seemingly genuine.
‘Yes, actually there was, aside from the wall inscription. Steven visited the temple yesterday and found much of the artwork inside the building to be particularly interesting.’
‘Well,’ said a finally placated Kukadis. ‘How wonderfully ironic! It seems that the least academic of your party is the one with the better eye for the real treasures of our culture,’ he beamed at Steven. ‘The works inside the temple are unmatched in their finery and their holiness. I shall gladly give you a tour. Come, let us hasten there at once,’ he uncoiled from his seated position and began to leave.
Katherine leant toward Steven. ‘Who’s the creep now then eh? Teacher’s pet,’ she muttered to him and sniggered.
Kukadis’s good mood did not last long. Now inside the temple, he fumed as Steven showed Katherine and Rekkid the tapestry the monk had first shown him yesterday and pointed out the bipedal figures.
‘This is a most holy work Mr Harris. How dare you suggest that it portrays off-worlders,’ he hissed, practically spitting out the last word as though it tasted unpleasant. He shoved his hands inside the sleeves of his robe and fixed Steven with a hostile glare. ‘Perhaps my estimation of you as a man of culture was misplaced?’ he added accusingly.
Steven sighed. ‘Master Kukadis, all I said was that I thought it was odd that your tapestries and icons should depict humanoid beings when no humanoid life is native to this world, that’s all. It’s a p
erfectly reasonable question.’
‘The angels are depicted as they are because that is the form that they took,’ spat Kukadis. ‘It is irrelevant what other forms of life exist on Maranos, Maran’s angels looked like that,’ he jabbed the air in the direction of the hanging cloth. ‘The scriptures describe them thusly.’
‘But…’
‘No, I can see it is no use explaining it to you, you can’t grasp the majesty of our Lord and Protector.’
‘But I only…’
‘I shall go and locate Priest Makallis as he wished to be present when you examine the inscription and please, no more of your lies in his presence. Do not offend our most senior cleric.’ Kukadis shuffled off into the gloom, muttering darkly to himself.
Rekkid snorted. ‘Huh, isn’t blind faith wonderful? He can’t even bring himself to question anything about the appearance of those figures.’
‘Because he takes the scriptures as a factual account,’ said Katherine.
‘Exactly, and therefore he can’t bring himself to wonder why someone would describe mythical figures that bear no resemblance to anything that originated here on Maranos.’
‘What do you think Rekkid?’ said Steven. ‘You think it’s possible that some star-faring culture could have come here at some time?’
‘It had occurred to me, yes,’ replied Rekkid. ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if it was my own people actually, looking at those figures.’
‘They are rather stylised though,’ said Katherine. ‘It could be anyone. The ring builders perhaps? Perhaps it was the original Arkari Empire that constructed them?’
‘No, no Quickchild reported that the rings were billions of years old, remember?’ said Rekkid thoughtfully. ‘Just before he lost contact with us,’ he added and a worried look passed over his features; they still hadn’t heard from the AI.
‘Hmm, yes you’re right, and this religion started up what, ten thousand standard years ago?’