“You think that’s such a good idea, Baldwin?” Rene asked.
“I do. Us returning in a Nek drive is the only thing that makes sense. We can’t wait a week. It might be too late,” Tom said again.
“This is ill news. If the Ugna have access to Nek drives, we’re out of our element,” Benitor said.
“Not necessarily. We have the technology too, not to mention we hold the supply. I’ll make sure the Prime increases mining operations and defenses at the Tingor Belt, and…” Tom saw the doubt in the admiral’s eyes.
“If they have the blueprints…” Benitor started, and Fayle finished.
“They’ve used them to return to Sol. That’s what they were after,” she said. “Meaning our timeline is sooner than we’d hoped. I thought they were taking the long journey there, as Constantine was supposed to.”
“If Keen jumped to Sol, they might already be working on mods for their fleet. We could have company within a week or two,” Tom said, wiping his beading brow. Things were going from bad to worse.
“Which makes it all the more imperative that we use this shuttle as soon as it’s prepared,” President Bertol said.
“There’s no way you’re coming on the shuttle, President,” Rene told her firmly.
“Excuse me, Captain, but I don’t think that choice is yours. These are dire times, and the people need to hear my side of the story,” Bertol said.
“She’s right. The Nek drive could be erratic, making it extremely dangerous.” Rene grinned as he backed her.
“But you’re going on it, correct?” Bertol asked him, then aimed her stare at Elder Fayle. “And her? She’s going? I presume Admiral Benitor is also…”
“Enough,” Benitor said stiffly. “You will join us. Hans and Commander Shu will confirm we’re in for a safe ride.”
“I’ll ensure Kan is prepared to lead Shu to Nolix,” Rene started, but stopped when the admiral shook her head.
“I’m afraid you won’t be coming, Captain Bouchard. We need you to lead the fleet to Nolix. There may be opposition along the way,” Benitor advised her, and Rene’s lips pursed.
“From what I’ve heard, there are at least three flagship replicas and over forty fighters. We must remain vigilant. They can sneak in to Nolix with ease, and I suspect they are already near, ready to assist the growing collection of partners as they storm the capital’s system. Add in the Ugna fleet of a hundred…”
“I thought they had half of that!” Tom bellowed, standing up in shock. All eyes fell on him, and he took his seat again. “I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised that the Ugna lied about that too. That you, Elder Fayle, lied to my face.”
“I was telling the truth at that time. We did only have forty vessels when we went after the Assembly. Wylen brought the other sixty with him. These are trying times for people, and we’re about to meet a foe unlike any other,” Fayle told them.
“With the ability to melt our brains through our shields? We already had a taste of that and didn’t take kindly to it. We need to prevent these types of attacks,” Tom said.
Fayle met his gaze. “There might be. Believe me, much testing has been done by the Ugna on this matter. They’ve determined it’s nearly impossible to cut someone’s power off, but even I’m not strong enough. You need someone who can cut the flow, but to do something so powerful, you must be in contact with the Vastness.”
Rene guffawed and slapped a hand over her mouth. “Honestly. This sounds like a bunch of rubbish. We’re dealing with a telekinetic killer race. This is absurd. You make it sound like we need a magic hero to save the day. This is the Concord. We fight with our minds and our technology, not with the waving of our hands.”
“Believe what you will, Captain Bouchard, but there is one that can help us. One I kept safe all these years.” Fayle returned her gaze to Tom. “One I placed right in Admiral Baldwin’s capable hands.”
“Ven Ittix.” Tom mouthed the name, and she nodded. “You didn’t place him there. The Concord did.”
“Thomas, must you think so little of me? Of course it was my doing. I had Admiral Hudson’s ear. He was a surprisingly cheap man to buy off. When I started to comprehend what was coming, I had Ven placed into the Academy. When High Elder Wylen found out, I made an excuse, saying it would only help our chances of acceptance into the Concord. That Ven was weak in ability but solid of mind, and he would make the ideal candidate to connect with a flagship crew. When I mentioned your name and lineage, he was only too happy to agree.
“Wylen has no idea the power my Ven holds within him. His death and resurrection confirmed it. Ven Ittix will be our savior and leader when the dust settles. Surely even the Concord can agree to those terms,” Fayle said.
“What are you proposing?” Benitor asked, assessing the Elder.
“This war will be arduous. We need to unite the partners against the coming forces, but when word escapes on Driun F49 about the truth behind the Ugna, our people will be split in half. I want amnesty for those that fight alongside the Concord.
“We keep Driun F49 and continue to be partners on a probationary calendar. I will retire from my position. You can imprison me, or kill me to make a show of it, but I do demand one thing.”
Tom expected what was coming, and he waited for it along with the rest of them.
“Ven Ittix will become our new High Elder,” she finished.
Admiral Benitor set her hand on Tom’s arm. “We have the power to make this deal, and I don’t see any other choice. But I’ll cede to you in this case, Admiral Baldwin. You know Executive Lieutenant Ittix better than anyone. Will this be a good move on our behalf, and on the behalf of the loyal Ugna?”
“The better question is whether Ven will want the role or not. I know him well, or at least as well as anyone can. He’s been cautious with his heritage, because he’s become aware there’s an entire underground world he doesn’t approve of. This deep-rooted deception will taint his view of you, Fayle, as well as your people. He might abandon you and choose to continue with us.” Tom drummed his fingers on the desk. “But he cares so much. If he feels there’s no other choice, and it’s for the good of the people, he’ll take the role, albeit with hesitation.”
“Do we have a deal?” Fayle asked.
This was a big moment, an agreement the Prime should be making about the future of the Concord. Tom was backed into a corner, but without the aid of a loyal faction within the Ugna, this war was going to be difficult to win. They needed to show strength for the partners, to have a common enemy, and Wylen and his soldiers would become that adversary. “It’s a deal, Fayle, but remember this.”
“What?”
“If you betray us, I won’t stop until every last Ugna has been dealt with and banned from ever returning to the Concord. Including Ven Ittix,” he told her. He clenched his jaw, waiting for a barbed reply.
“I have no concern about that. I’ve laid my eggs in your nest, Admiral.”
“If there’s nothing else, we have a shuttle to prepare.” Benitor rose, heading for the room’s exit. “Gather your things. Baldwin, Elder Fayle, President Bertol. We depart first thing tomorrow.”
The others filed out of the room, leaving Rene and Tom alone. He deflated as soon as the door closed. “That was intense. Do you trust her?”
Rene shrugged, tilting her head to the side. “I suppose. What choice do we have? The Concord is about to engage in a civil war, and we’re at the epicenter of the first battle. And to think, things had finally started to smooth out since the overhaul a couple of years ago.”
Tom gulped his glass of water and suddenly felt thirsty for something stronger. “Is there anything to drink?”
“How about you join me in my quarters?” Rene said.
“Is that a good idea?” he asked.
“Oh, Tommy, always with the dirty mind. Can’t two peers enjoy a drink in the captain’s quarters once in a while? I’m sure you and Starling did the same.”
“First of all, Treena and I hav
e never slept together, and second…” He lost his train of thought as she walked away, heading for the doors.
“It’s a drink, Baldwin. Are you coming?” she asked, a smirk on her lips.
He followed her, and they entered her suite within a few minutes.
“Aimie and I are through,” he said as soon as the door closed.
“Is that so?” she asked. “What happened?”
“We’re on different pages.”
“How about that drink?” Rene asked, and Tom appraised her. She was smart, capable, a great leader, and extremely easy on the eyes. He imagined they’d have come to this moment a lot sooner if they’d spent more time together over the last few years. Working on different postings meant you rarely encountered anyone but your own crew, and being in a position of power meant Tom didn’t often have the chance to explore relationships.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, pouring brown liquid into a squat glass.
Instead of answering, he stepped over and kissed her. Tomorrow, he was charging into the pit, but tonight was another story.
Rene set the glass down and led him into her bedroom.
____________
It worked! The doors opened, and Ven and Brax raced onto the bridge, a human stranger behind them. He stopped at the edge of the room, watching with interest.
“Are you two okay?” Treena asked her crew members.
“We’re fine. We have the humans on Cleo, and we need someone to escort them to Doctor Nee for examinations. Make sure they aren’t carrying anything harmful to us,” Brax said. The two officers in their positions rose, and Treena asked them to take the humans to the medical bay.
Treena walked across the bridge, standing behind Ven’s seat. “I need an update.”
“We’re near Lionar, meaning the mining station is the closest Tekol outpost,” Ven said.
“Probes deployed, Captain,” Brax said.
“Get me Ridele. See if Baldwin’s there,” Treena said, and Darl went to work.
“Admiral West here.” The man’s image appeared on the viewscreen.
“Admiral West, we’d like to speak with Admiral Baldwin.” Treena cracked her knuckles. Baldwin had been away on a mission, but it was possible they’d returned early.
“I’m sorry, Captain. Baldwin’s not available.” West seemed pleased about that.
“What about Admiral Benitor?” she asked.
“I’m afraid Benitor is… missing.”
“Missing?” Something was wrong. “Patch me to the Prime, West.”
“The Prime? Starling, aren’t you supposed to be gone for the next four months?” he asked, frowning.
The call was muted, and Brax turned toward her. “Captain, there are over one hundred vessels approaching Nolix.” He put the image on the viewer, and she stepped forward, seeing various crafts. She recognized a Greblok Defender, as well as an Eganian Trader.
“What in the Vastness is going on?” she asked.
“Captain, it appears as though the Prime is available after all,” Ven said as he flipped the view back to Ridele’s head office.
“West, how many times have I told you? I want word as soon as Shu or Constantine touches base with us,” Prime Xune said.
Treena hardly recognized the man. It was as if he’d aged a decade in the past few weeks. “Prime Xune, what’s happening at Nolix?” she asked.
“We’re under attack,” he told her.
She stiffened. “From inside? Why are those Concord ships coming for Nolix?”
“Someone’s been posing as the Concord. They built fake ships and have confronted four of our partners over the last week or so. They recently went for Aruto,” the Prime said.
“Isn’t that where Admiral Baldwin is?” Treena asked nervously.
“It is, and a good thing too. They’ve managed to defeat the enemy and are returning to Ridele,” he told her.
“Who’s infiltrating us from the inside? Is it the Assembly?” she asked.
He shook his head, his eyes narrowing to slits. “We think the Assembly is dead. But we’ve been fools…”
“The Ugna,” she said softly.
“That’s right. High Elder Wylen is behind this.”
Ven’s attention snapped to the viewscreen. “What is happening?” he asked.
“They’ve lied to us. The Ugna came to take over. They’re creating dissent within the ranks and have turned our own people against us,” Prime Xune said.
“There’s more to it.” Treena placed her hands on her hips and told him of their discovery in Sol: about these Invaders and the Nek modifications they were attempting to make to their Protector vessels. She also advised him of their trap, which would cripple their efforts.
“You may have bought us some time, but we have a crisis on our hands. I’ve been trying to parley with the incoming force, but they don’t trust me. And with Baldwin gone, I fear the attack is coming soon.” Xune glanced behind him, where Admiral West was hovering. “If we don’t talk some sense into this force in the next few hours, they’ll come for us, and blood will be drawn.”
“Captain, the probes are showing incoming,” Brax said. “Twenty vessels. Ugna.”
“How long until they arrive?” Treena asked.
“Four hours.”
Prime Xune blinked too many times and leaned over to the camera. “Move to Nolix. We need all the defense we can muster. War is upon us, Captain. Until we meet in the Vastness,” he said, ending the communication.
Treena glanced at her crew, seeing concern spread across their faces. “You heard the man. Bring us to Nolix and set us up between Ridele and the fleet. Send Lieutenant Basker and the other pilots out in the fighters. This is not a drill. We defend our capital at any cost.”
She returned to her seat and looked at Pol Teller. Her commander was smiling. “What are you so happy about?”
“We’re about to kick some asses. That’s always been my favorite part of the job.”
Twenty-One
Tom awoke to the sound of the buzzer, the room pitch black. He felt the heat of Rene Bouchard beside him, and he smiled in the dark. Last night had been something. His relationship with Aimie Gaad had awoken something dormant inside, and after being with Rene, he felt alive again. Right in time to head into a fight.
He shook her gently, and she kicked a leg out of the blankets. “Time to go?”
The lights came on as he commanded the computer, and she squinted at him as he climbed out of the bed. He tugged a blanket along, and she grabbed it, pulling it free.
He chuckled. “What was this?” he asked.
She sat up, staring at him. “It was fun. As for what it meant, I’ll let you decide.”
He grinned and stalked to the bathroom for a quick shower. Three minutes later, he was dressed and heading for the door, where Rene stood in a robe, waiting for him.
She kissed him softly, but the hug she gave him afterwards said it all. She was worried.
“I know you wish you were coming, but Benitor’s right. Your crew needs you,” he told her, fully aware it would do little to appease her wishes to join the shuttle jump.
“Be careful. Do your thing, Baldwin. The people do love you. You don’t see it because your nose is in a console when you’re not on the bridge, but the Concord fully trusts Thomas Baldwin. Use that now. Save our people and set us up to win this coming war,” Rene said, giving him the bolster of confidence he needed.
“Thanks, Rene. See you at Ridele,” he said, and with that, he was off, straight for the hangar.
An hour later, he watched as Kan and Hans put the final scans on the shuttle as they tested it, using a robot pilot from Shu.
“And?” he asked, leaning over Hans as he worked on the keyboard.
“It checks out. It’s a good thing I had those weeks with your chief engineer, Reeve Daak,” Hans said.
“She’s no longer my chief engineer, but she is a damned good crew member,” Tom reminded him.
“Can you
program the coordinates for us, Hans?” Admiral Benitor ordered, and Tom stepped aside as the shuttle returned into the hangar, passing through the blue energy field.
“Already done, Admiral.” The ship landed, and the doors automatically opened.
It was time to head home. Tom said his goodbyes to Kan and Hans, waiting by the shuttle’s entrance while President Bertol walked on, followed by Elder Fayle, then Admiral Benitor.
He was the last on board and closed the doors, taking the pilot’s seat. “I guess I’ll do the honors.”
Once they were outside the Ugna-replicated flagship, he moved toward Aruto. There was quite the amassed fleet gathered, prepared to make the trek to Nolix. With two flagships and twenty Callalay cruisers, they were quite the force. He only hoped a week wouldn’t be too long.
Tom guided the shuttle farther from the fleet, making sure they were in the clear before going over the directions Kan had given him a few minutes ago. “Let’s see if I have this right.” He flipped the switch, and the rear of the shuttle glowed brightly as the Nek drive kicked into gear.
He saw the fear in the Callalay president’s eyes, and he tried to ease her worries. “We’ve started to use this technology. It’s new, but the engineer that tweaked the process is a good friend of mine, and she’s brilliant. Constantine had been fitted with the same tech, making it the largest Nek drive-capable vessel in the known universe.
“We’re totally safe in this shuttle,” he promised her and the others, wishing that assurance covered his own lingering doubts. If this failed and destroyed them, the chances that the Concord prevailed in the coming war decreased. So many things hinged on Tom being able to convince the partners of their innocence, as well as Benitor taking control of their fleet to prepare for the attack on Driun F49.
Elder Fayle had to gather her forces, separating the Ugna in their own civil war. This shuttle needed to make the jump without complication.
As Tom returned his attention to the controls, he heard Elder Fayle chanting behind him. She floated against her buckles, repeating the mantra over and over. He’d seen Ven meditate enough times to not be disturbed by the sight.
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