Baldwin's Legacy: The Complete Series

by Hystad, Nathan

  Carl grunted but walked faster. “That was too easy.”

  “When’s the last time anyone tried to sneak onto the moon? They’re overconfident, and I can’t blame them.” Brandon stopped as they exited the building. The city had grown so much, he couldn’t recognize any of it. The atmospheric bubble covered the moon, and he guessed the Invaders had terraforming technology they were utilizing. He’d heard rumors of it, but now he was beginning to believe them.

  “This place is amazing,” Carl whispered. “Imagine if we didn’t have this oppression hanging over our heads, and we were able to live here.”

  Brandon let out a light laugh. “You do remember what Earth is like? The majestic mountains, the green grass?”

  “Only in the A-Class zones. Most of it is scorched, remember?” Carl reminded him.

  “You think the moon looks good because you’ve been living on Mars for a decade. Anything seems like paradise compared to our old rickety domes,” Brandon said.

  “Good point. Let’s go find your brother. He didn’t help you ten years ago, so what’s to say he’ll help now?” Carl asked for the third time today.

  “Trust me, he’ll help,” Brandon said with an assuredness he didn’t feel.

  The streets were wide, and Brandon moved to the side as a giant rover drove by, three trailers tethered behind it, kicking up dust in its wake. The main complex of buildings was a couple of kilometers away, and that was where they headed, walking along the edge of the road.

  Brandon kept assuming they’d be stopped, and he observed a few drones hovering high above. Their ID tags must have been quality enough, because they weren’t pestered by anyone—robotic, human, or Invader—by the time they arrived at the first of the residential compounds.

  “Where do we start?” Carl asked, and Brandon stared at the beige multi-plex.

  “Everything’s too different. We’re going to have to ask someone,” he said, and Carl nodded, pointing to a masked woman near the entrance.

  They strode across the promenade, happy to see a human face. So far, the place had felt barren, unused, and Brandon had begun to think things had progressed even worse than he’d expected.

  “Hi. We’re new, looking for a man named Clark. Clark Barrett.”

  All he could see were her bright blue eyes. They filled with tears at the mention of his brother’s name. “Who are you?” the woman asked.

  Carl stepped in front of him. “Lady, do you know where we can find him?”

  She pointed over her shoulder, toward the edge of the city. “About five kilometers that direction.”

  “There’s nothing out there,” Brandon told her.

  She nodded in response. “That’s right. Nothing but a graveyard. Clark’s been dead for three years.”

  Brandon’s chin dropped to his chest, and the air from his lungs froze in place. His brother was dead, along with his access into the president’s palace.

  “Who are you?” she asked again.

  Brandon decided there was no need to lie. “I’m Brandon, his brother.”

  She pulled her mask off, rushing over to him. He caught a glimpse of her face, recognizing the young girl from his past. “Elya. Is that you?”

  Her muffled cries into his shoulder answered the question.

  “Who is this?” Carl asked, glancing around to make sure no one was watching.

  “Friend. Her father worked in manufacturing for the Invaders,” Brandon said.

  “He did. He’s dead too. Cassandra’s still working near Saturn, or we think she is,” Elya said, breaking her embrace.

  Brandon had always respected their father. He’d helped them steal the freighter that had taken them to Mars and had assisted their initial supply needs.

  “Tell me everything that’s happened. We want to help.” Brandon let Elya guide them into the building, out of sight from the hovering drones.

  ____________

  “And you’re sure this uniform will pass muster?” Treena asked Cass, and the woman pursed her lips, running a finger over the front of the cloth.

  “This is incredible. You did this based on a sketch in under a half hour.” Cass was clearly impressed.

  “The trick will be convincing Ven to wear it.” Treena laughed, and Ven entered the printing room, stopping a few feet short with his hands behind his back.

  “You wanted to see me, Captain?”

  “We’re going to extract Cass’s family from the moon, and to do that, we need to have a figure of authority with us.”

  Ven’s gaze drifted to the red uniform. “And you would like me to play that role?”

  “Yes. You’ll play the Invader.” Treena saw a flicker of something in his eyes, but he nodded along, silently agreeing to the terms. “Good. Grab Brax and meet us at Cleo.” She held the garment out to him, and he took it, turning to stare at her from the room’s exit.

  “Are you coming to the surface with us, Captain?” he asked.

  “I’m joining you, yes.”

  “That’s not a good idea, Captain.”

  Treena walked toward him, Cass staying behind. “I know it’s unorthodox, but I want to see what we’re up against firsthand. These are humans, Ven. Technically, humans are Founders, which puts them under Concord protection. If they’re being mistreated or enslaved, it’s my responsibility as a Concord captain to help, if possible.”

  “There are too many of them,” Ven said.

  “Perhaps, but we know for a fact these Invaders are coming for us. How else did they receive Nek drive blueprints? This is all calculated, and I’ll not let anything happen to the people of Earth.” Treena spoke quietly, and Ven leaned in slightly.

  “Captain, I understand your hesitation at leaving to return home, but if these Invaders are conspiring with someone within the Concord, we have to warn Nolix. The Prime must learn what’s happening. I fear it’s more important than the lives of the humans of Earth.”

  “Be that as it may, we have to help them,” she said firmly.

  “But these humans are technically not part of our Concord, no matter which way you view it,” Ven said, making good points.

  “Meet me in ten minutes, and tell Brax to be prepared for an extraction,” Treena said, not wanting to continue this argument in front of Cass.

  “Yes, Captain.” Ven departed, and Treena left Cass there while she darted through the corridor before taking the elevator to Deck One.

  She found Reeve in her usual position, working over a console, with Harry at her side.

  “Captain,” Harry said, walking away.

  “Reeve, where are we on the ship’s identifications?” Treena asked.

  “Cass’s information was accurate. I’ve tweaked Cleo to read as one of the Invaders’ private-issued vessels. Her records at the manufacturing station were a little old, so we’re hoping nothing’s changed in the past couple of years in their labeling system. I chose an Invader from their capital city. It’s in a region known as New Europe, an island country.” Reeve brought up the string of information, which was currently linked to Cleo’s computer system, and Treena grinned at her, patting the woman on the arm.

  “Good work. Now we need find her family,” Treena said.

  Reeve spun slowly in the chair, turning to face her. “Why are we bothering? Can’t you see how much of a risk we’re taking?”

  “What would you have me do?” Treena asked. “She helped us at Saturn. Without her, we couldn’t have set the trap. And we made a promise.”

  “We could have destroyed the entire station,” Reeve suggested.

  “They would have rebuilt or found another place to make the modifications. We’re giving ourselves a real shot at being prepared for a war,” Treena told her.

  “That’s if these Invaders are acting of their own volition. But the mere fact that they have Nek drive schematics at all tells us someone’s working with them. It has to be the Ugna.” Reeve’s expression was unusually serious.

  “I think you’re right.”

 
Reeve threw her arms up dramatically. “We don’t know much. Someone directed us to Planet X for a reason. It’s apparent the Ugna are a very old race, and that they brought in a million of their own people in a colony ship that once hit Earth. This tells me a lot.”

  Treena had almost forgotten that Reeve had been with Ven when the Ugna had killed the incoming Vusuls. She’d borne witness to their destructive potential and was probably right to fear them and their motives.

  “Just make sure Cleo is clear, and I’ll consider your suggestions.” Treena departed. It was time to locate and obtain Cass’s family. Then she had a decision to make, and it was already gnawing at her mind.

  She rushed to the bridge, and the moment she entered it, she wondered if Ven was right. She glanced at Commander Pol Teller, and realized that if she left Constantine, she’d be putting the old man in charge.

  Brax and Ven waited near Cleo’s hangar entrance above them, and Treena’s chief of security stared at her, as if awaiting an important decision. Cass was with them, a frown over her forehead. She was ready to find her family. They were right. She was making rash decisions.

  Her place was on Constantine. “Good luck, crew. Be steadfast, be vigilant, be strong. The Vastness welcomes all.”

  Brax nodded once, and Ven brushed a crease from his red uniform. He looked so different in the garb, surer of himself, and they departed.

  Treena sat in the captain’s chair, hoping it was the right decision, and Teller surprised her once again. His assistant was nowhere in sight, and she was glad.

  “You’re a good captain.” His eyes sparkled as he said that.

  “Time will tell.” She sank into the seat, watching Cleo depart from her perch atop Constantine.

  ____________

  The Ugna-created version of the Concord flagship didn’t seem quite as fast as Shu, but the weapons systems were state-of-the-art. It was a good thing Tom had a surprise or two in store for them.

  “Captain, the Stickers are nearly ready.” Hans’ voice carried from the speaker. He was working endlessly on the devices in Engineering, and Tom sat up straighter as the image hit the viewscreen.

  Four of the gadgets sat on the floor, and the drones were putting on the final touches, welding and soldering joints hurriedly.

  Rene glanced at him, raising her eyebrows. “Stickers? You know these were banned after the War, right?”

  Tom shrugged. “Rules can be bent in times of need, so long as nothing is broken as a result.”

  “I never liked that one. It gives too much room for interpretation,” she said.

  “Do you not want to use them?” he asked.

  “We’ll use them, Baldwin. We’ll use them.”

  Conner Douglas perked up at his console. “Captain, they’ve deployed their fighters.”

  “Tell Lieutenant Fehu to do the same,” Rene ordered, and Tom watched as a dozen dots emerged near Shu on the radar. He missed the rush of flying one himself and wished his own personal fighter hadn’t crash-landed when he’d been fighting the Statu and their Tubers.

  Instead of coming to face Shu’s attack, the fighters from the Ugna vessel gave them a wide berth and attempted to move past them, tilting in Aruto’s direction.

  “Captain, the enemy is trying to breach our barricade,” Commander Kan Shu advised.

  “Then stop them,” Rene ordered. The fighters were already past Shu, and Conner aimed at them, using the flagship’s targeting system.

  “These guys are slippery. They’re blocking my tracking,” Conner said.

  Tom considered how that was possible. “I think they have Ugna pilots. They must be using their telekinesis to thwart the sensors,” he muttered.

  “Then we do this old school. Fehu,” she called into the comm system.

  “Go ahead, Captain.” Fehu’s voice was garbled, and it was clear she was racing toward an enemy in her lead fighter.

  “They’ve managed to evade our trackers. Meaning you’re going to have to do this another way.”

  “Got it, Captain. Switching to manual,” she said, and Tom heard her relay the message to the other fighters.

  The giant mirror of Shu finally began firing at them, and Tom grimaced as their shields took the brunt of the blows. Their vessel shook briefly, but Conner was already on it, sending an array of pulse blasts against the enemy as Kan guided Shu from the incoming Ugna.

  Ven said the Vusuls had been within twenty kilometers when the Ugna were able to attack, and that was their range currently. The closer the enemy came, the farther Kan moved Shu away. As long as they were out of range, Tom hoped they were safe. Not to mention, there were far fewer Ugna here than had been near Driun F49. They hadn’t been expecting opposition, and definitely not from Shu and Admiral Thomas Baldwin.

  “Hans, where are we with the Stickers?” Rene asked, jabbing her finger hard against the console screen.

  “Almost ready. Another ten minutes. We’re calibrating now,” he said.

  One of their fighters caught an enemy ship, and they watched as the Ugna was destroyed by a well-trained trigger finger. Conner let out a cheer, but it was too premature to celebrate a minor victory. A planet stood waiting for an attack, and the entire Concord was in disarray.

  The next encounter didn’t go so smoothly. The Ugna ended the Concord fighter, and Conner’s voice caught in his throat.

  The assault on their shields ended momentarily, and Thomas watched as Conner increased his own attack. “Shield reading?” Rene asked.

  Lieutenant Commander Asha Bertol answered. “Captain, they’re scanning at seventy percent, and we’re at sixty-three.”

  “Damn it. We need those Stickers.”

  “For someone that didn’t want to use them, you’re thanking me now,” Tom told her.

  “I’ll thank you when we’ve won… Admiral,” Rene said through gritting teeth.

  More fighters faced off as they sped toward Aruto, and another two from each side were ruined within the next five minutes.

  “They’re kicking the star drive on,” Kan warned.

  Tom stood, not wanting to allow this vessel anywhere near Aruto. They were a Founder; their reluctance to even partake in the Concord was high, and their loyalty was hanging by a thread. Tom had to protect them, prove the alliance was strong. They couldn’t lose the Callalay, and he already respected and admired President Bertol.

  “Hans, deploy the Sticker,” he ordered the chief engineer.

  “It’s…” the man started to say through the speaker.

  “Don’t hesitate. Just do what I say. Target the rear shield generator,” Tom ordered.

  “Baldwin, this is my ship!” Rene barked, but he didn’t care. This was their only chance before the star drive activated. Even if they could stop the enemy, the Ugna would be able to fire at Aruto from orbit, doing far more damage than was acceptable.

  “Rene, trust me,” he whispered, barely loud enough over the ringing klaxons for her to hear.

  She gave him a curt nod, and he continued. “Hans, are we prepared?”

  “Deploying the Sticker. Targeting the rear shield generator.”

  They watched the device onscreen, with the remote camera placed on its hull. It raced from Shu with computer-controlled precision, and quick pulses from its thrusters caused it to avoid the coming attack from the enemy flagship. The Tekol captain sensed the imminent threat, because he focused on the small device, giving Conner the ability to go on the offensive.

  “Conner, the bow shield generator. Aim for it!” Tom shouted. His pulse remained steady, a bead of sweat pushed from his forehead. Rene stood beside him, watching as Conner sent everything they had against their adversary.

  “Second Sticker deployed,” Hans said, and Tom grinned, even though the first one was finally targeted and destroyed before doing its job. “Third Sticker deployed.”

  Hans must have understood Tom’s motivation, because each of them went in a different direction, heading toward the positions on the ship that would require the mos
t shield power to protect.

  “Captain, their star drive is off,” Kan shouted.

  “You knew they’d have to divert their energy to the shields,” Rene said.

  Tom stayed silent as the second Sticker found its target. It blinked a few times and exploded, sending an electromagnetic pulse out instead of a giant detonation. The shields flickered, and the third Sticker entered, landing on the ship’s hull.

  Tom wanted to win, but he also wanted the prize. The Sticker did what it was intended to, and the entire vessel went dark. The alarms continued to ring out, but any incoming fire ceased.

  “Captain, two of their fighters broke through our defenses and have changed course for Aruto,” Lieutenant Fehu said from the cockpit of her own fighter.

  “Track them down!” Rene said, but Tom wasn’t overly concerned about two lone single-manned ships against what the president had waiting for any incoming enemies.

  Tom watched as they neared the enemy ship that looked exactly like Shu. If they had the technology to sabotage a vessel so large, that meant the Stickers might eventually land in the Ugna’s or some other opponents’ grip. They’d kept the devices handy since Yollox, not wanting to give anyone the means to disable the Concord fleet ships. Tom was grateful to use them, but also regretted reactivating the old technology.

  “Captain, I’m receiving a message,” Kan said, and Tom was surprised when a familiar voice echoed through the speakers.

  “Do not go any nearer to that ship, Captain Bouchard,” Fayle said.

  “Fayle, what in the Vastness are you doing here? Is this a trap?” Rene asked.

  Tom was standing and staggered to the side, an immense pain growing in his temple. The other crew members began doing the same. Asha Bertol cried out, falling to the floor, and Tom saw blood.

  “Kan, move us from them!” Tom shouted, and the young Callalay commander obeyed. He pounded the console, using the star drive to shoot them a few thousand kilometers away. Tom instantly felt better, and he used Conner’s seat to right himself, holding it to remain steady. “Is everyone okay?”

  There were scattered murmurs in response, but the crew appeared unharmed, despite the vicious attack on their minds. So this was what the Vusuls had faced, but they hadn’t been lucky enough to avoid death.