"I haven't forgotten it. I just..." Her shoulders slumped. "I just don't want to believe it."
"Ye don't want ta admit how corrupt the FIA could be," Corbin observed.
Kimberly nodded. A thought came to her. "If someone knew about us and our meeting and sent the Krai'kesh here, are they coming after us next?" She imagined trying to re-enter the civilized part of the planet and being ambushed or held after an anonymous tip and imprisoned. Sweat ran down her back at the thought.
"Can't worry 'bout that now, lass. Let's just get back ta the embassy. Who knows, they may have found the rebels on their own, no informant needed."
"You're just trying to make me feel better."
"Is it workin'?"
Kimberly cracked a smile. "It's showing your soft side, which makes me feel a little better."
Corbin cleared his throat. "Yeah, well, dun get used ta it."
The two of them returned to the mound of bodies and found Baillidh where they had left him. His attention was focused on his datapad and he jumped when he noticed them. So much for being a lookout. "Let's go, we have what we need."
"Was it a survivor?" Baillidh asked.
"Yes, but she died. She claimed someone in the FIA betrayed them. She thought it was us. Absurd, right?"
Baillidh paled.
"Not necessarily, ma'am."
"What do you mean?" Kimberly said in a more intense voice than intended.
"I was fiddling with my datapad because its power usage was high and the battery was draining faster than expected. So I was digging into the code and..."
"Spare us the details, Baillidh. What's your point?"
"There was a bug in my datapad."
"A bug?"
"Yeah, you know, a virus, program designed to harm or..."
"I know what it is. But how did you of all people not detect it?" She didn't suspect Baillidh of espionage. Only a stupid spy would rat on themselves.
"Hubris, ma'am. I thought my device uncrackable. I didn't scan it for viruses thoroughly enough."
"Where was it transmitting from?"
"It looks like it transmitted once we arrived on the surface of the planet."
"What was the destination?"
"So far as I can tell...the embassy."
"The Federation embassy?" was the only thing Kimberly could say.
"Yes. I can't pinpoint it further than that without direct access to their server rooms to determine where the signal was routed once on the intranet but it definitely terminated at the embassy."
"Bloody 'ell," Corbin said. "So there be a traitor at the embassy?"
"It would appear so."
"Well, do we go back or do we try our luck out here?"
"If we don't go back we'll look more suspicious than if we do go back," Kimberly said. "Clearly whoever the spy is wants us alive for some reason or we'd have been ambushed by now."
"Dun jinx us. Still some ways ta go before we're safe in the embassy again."
"Let's go back and we can make a plan at that time. It will give Baillidh time to infiltrate the Federation intranet and figure out who the mole is."
"That won't be easy," Baillidh warned. "I have to physically access the server room. Even if I had my actual credentials as an agent I wouldn't be allowed in without top-level clearance. And revealing my actual identity would probably tip off the mole."
"Right, so we keep our identities a secret at all costs. We find which corporation is working with the Krai'kesh and infiltrate them."
"I dunno if we want ta find that information, lass."
"It's what Isabelle sent us here to do."
"Oi know. It's just...oi like all me limbs."
Kimberly gaped at him. "You just walked into a bloodbath without flinching and you're complaining about fighting Krai'kesh?"
"Them weren't me limbs laying out there. I'm awfully attached to me limbs."
"Well if you don't go along with my plan I'll rip your limbs off myself," Kimberly said, half-joking.
"Kinky."
"Let's go, before I castrate you here and now."
Chapter 10- Patience is a Virtue
A void portal opened and the Dauntless passed through. John raised the shields and Derek studied the sensor display, looking for hostile threats. He half-expected to hear target lock alarms or proximity alarms, but instead was met with a scene of carnage.
Pieces of ships floated through space, forming a miniature asteroid field of metal debris that circled Proxima X.
John whistled softly. "Well, something went down here."
"Yes, but what?" Ashley asked. "I don't see any Krai'kesh remains, only human ships."
"So maybe it truly was pirates?" Derek asked. "A large enough force to overwhelm the defenses?"
"It could be," John said. "The deutronium mines are a high value target. Pirates could have taken advantage of the situation to try to make a power grab." He laughed. "Ha-ha, I made a pun."
Derek quirked an eyebrow. I'm surprised he knows what a pun is, he thought
"Well, if it was pirates, they stuck around to operate the mine," Ashley pointed to a spot on the display and zoomed in. A large ore ship was docked at a station orbiting the moon Proxima X but showed no damage. A pair of fighters flashed past it but did not fire.
"Are they displaying a signature?" John asked.
"If I ping them they'll know we're here," Derek pointed out.
"Son, they already know we're here if they have any kind of sensors. Void portals aren't exactly subtle."
"Right," Derek said, blushing. He tapped a few times on the screen before responding. "They're listed as belonging to House...Artois." He felt so shocked he almost hadn't gotten the last word out.
"That doesn't make sense," Ashley said. "The briefing Admiral Rigsby passed on to us said House Vivendi owns the moon and runs the mines. What is House Artois doing here?"
"I have a feeling we're about to find out," John said, pointing to where the pair of fighters had turned and were speeding toward them.
"Attention unauthorized freighter. You have entered restricted property owned by Artois Industries. Leave now or we will be forced to take action against you."
"Hey there, gents," John said. "We were just passing through. Maybe you can help us. We're looking for someone. My daughter, in fact, Emma Edgerton. She's a pilot in the Federation. Have you seen her?"
The previous speaker did not respond but instead closed the link. Missile lock alarms sounded as the enemy fighters came within range. "I guess that's a no." Two pairs of missiles streaked toward the Dauntless.
"Or they do know and they don't want to tell us," Ashley said.
"Well, we'll just have to be persuasive," John said as he targeted one of the missiles and fired the forward lasers. It exploded. He targeted the next and fired. He opened a link to Ethan. "Ethan, can you take a turret and send one of your boys to the other turret?"
"On it. And I'll send one of my men to the other turret."
"Men, boys, it's all the same."
"Except it's not."
"Listen to your father. He knows things."
"Like how to speak in the third person? So wise." He closed the link.
"Kids," John lamented as he targeted the third missile and fired. "I liked it better when he was ten."
"Why, because he was shorter?"
"And more agreeable, yes."
"I don't know what son you remember, but he was always a typical boy. Stubborn, disobedient, and bull-headed."
"While Emma was a perfect angel? I don't think so, dear."
"She was corrupted by her brother."
"Okay, apologist." John destroyed the fourth missile before turning to her and winking.
Can we focus on the approaching hostile fighters please? Derek thought. "Uh, guys, how about we fight these buggers off and reminisce later."
"Good idea, kid." He turned back to the console. "Only two fighters. Should be a walk in the park."
As he spoke, a dozen more fighters s
treaked out of the station the transport was docked at.
"Geeze, where's the wood to knock on when I need it." He activated the ship intercom. "We've got more company. Make sure you're all strapped in back there."
"Just don't mention the Krai'kesh, dear," Ashley said. "We wouldn't want them to show up too."
"Yeah, I think I'll just keep my mouth shut."
The first two fighters closed to laser range. They were not equipped with coilguns. The shields absorbed the first volley of lasers with ease. The top and bottom quad-linked coilgun batteries made quick work of them. "Damn, I almost feel sorry for those chaps. Almost," John said.
Derek snorted. "Those dozen fighters are probably saying the same thing about us right about now."
"Oh come on. We've faced worse odds than this."
"Those are Z-3000 fighters coming toward us, John. Not like the antiques we just vaped."
John shrugged. "Yeah, so?"
Ashley pointed a finger at him. "I seem to recall you drooling over them last year at the galactic spacecraft show."
John groaned. "That was before they were trying to kill me. Nothing kills admiration faster than that. No pun intended."
He really likes puns, Derek thought.
"Okay, now I need quiet. Let me concentrate on doing awesome things."
"Should we leave the cockpit then?" Ashley asked, starting to rise from her chair.
"No, no, I need an audience." His hand squeezed the yoke and he leaned forward. "Here we go!"
The dozen fighters flew in a wedge formation, all of them with a clear line of fire. As expected, twenty-four missiles accelerated toward the Dauntless.
"Ashley, would you be a doll and create a magnetic storm?"
"Really, that's your plan? Ask me to do something I haven't done in two centuries?"
"Would you rather we blow up?"
Ashley sighed. "Fine. Launch a missile."
John clicked a button on the yoke. "Missile away!"
Ashley leaned back in her chair. Derek assumed she was closing her eyes. He watched the missile streak out straight through space, no target in mind. It neared the cluster of hostile missiles. It passed beneath them and something miraculous happened. The enemy missiles ceased accelerating and followed the missile John launched. His missile continued forward, incidentally toward the dozen enemy fighters, followed by a gaggle of deadly missiles tumbling end-over-end.
"What is that?"
"Magnetic storm," John explained, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head as if to take credit for Ashley's accomplishment. "Ashley uses the missile as a focal point for a magnetic field. It swirls around the missile and draws in anything metal that is similar size or smaller than the object."
"Wow, I'm impressed. She should do that more often."
"I'm...going...to...beat...you...both," Ashley said in between breaths. "Not...easy."
"Oh come on, you created an asteroid whirlwind, how hard can a magnetic field be?"
Ashley turned toward John, opened her eyes and gave him a glare. The enemy missiles started to falter in their following of the Dauntless's missile.
John held up his hands. "Okay, okay, I'll be nice. Just keep," he waved toward the missiles, "them going, will you? Please."
"You owe me," Ashley said before leaning back again in her chair. The missiles resumed their trajectory and continued a direct intercept course with the enemy fighters.
The enemy fighters decided at that moment firing more missiles was a good idea. Two dozen more missiles streaked out, but were subsequently affected by the magnetic storm. They flew straight toward the oncoming missile and then spun around it.
The enemy Z-3000s scattered, likely realizing what was next, but it was too late. The lone missile exploded and in turn the other missiles orbiting it exploded as debris hit it. A ring of fire, debris and death expanded. A swath of debris collided with the first of the oncoming fighters and ripped it apart. The missiles which continued to follow the magnetic storm slammed into several of the fighters, exploded, and added their debris to the spinning disc of death. At last the storm dissipated, and the pieces of debris went flying away from the epicenter, slamming at high speed into the remaining fighters and destroying several. Only one enemy fighter remained, and it flew back toward the station.
Ashley sat forward and turned her head toward John. "Did that satisfy you, dear?"
"Uh, yeah," John said. "That'll work."
"'That'll work?' That's all I get?"
"Well, you let one escape."
Ashley punched John on the shoulder.
"Ow!"
"I'm going to punch more than your shoulder if you don't apologize."
"Sorry, you did great, babe. I was just joking."
"Uh huh, sure you were."
The Dauntless continued toward the station orbiting Proxima X. No further fighters emerged to face them and the station did not fire on them. Either the fight had gone out of them or they had no weapons with which to fire on the Dauntless. Derek thought it looked worse for wear.
They flew right into the docking bay. The lone fighter which had challenged them sat there but no humans were in sight. "Way to roll out the welcome mat, House Artois. Your girlfriend needs to teach these guys some manners, Derek."
"She's estranged from her house," Derek reminded John.
"I can see why. He clicked on the comm. "Ethan, you and your boys, I mean men, might want to gear up. There's no welcome party, which makes me suspect a trap is waiting for us."
"Way ahead of you," Ethan responded. "We're already geared up, since you didn't let us shoot at anything but those first two antiques."
"Hey, sharing is caring. I wanted to share some kills with your mother. Wouldn't want to inflate your ego further by letting you say you single-handedly took on like half a dozen fighters by yourself."
Ethan snorted. "You coming with us?"
John stood up from his seat. "Sure, why not." He looked to Derek and Ashley. "You two in?"
Derek nodded. "Of course, sir."
"I'm going to lie down and take a nap," Ashley said, also rising. "Wake me if something important happens."
"Like if we all die from a booby trap?"
"You better not all die from a booby trap. But yes, that would be an important situation."
John gave her a thumbs up. "Got it, babe."
The ramp lowered and John, Derek, Ethan, and his Marines tromped down the ramp, weapons at the ready and combat suits active. Even John wore his combat suit. They reached the door leading out of the docking bay. Of course it didn't slide open. "Locked us out, eh?" John said. He tilted his head toward the door. "Got anything for this?"
"Rico, blow it," Ethan ordered. He, Derek, and the other Marines lined up further down the wall.
John stood next to Rico as he placed a small explosive charge before jerking into motion. "Oh, right. Explosives." He came to stand behind Derek.
A muted pop indicated detonation and two Marines used the hole in the door as a hand-hold to shove the door open. Once the door was propped open the others slid inside. Ethan deactivated the door using the interior controls.
"Why didn't we just hack the outside console?" John asked.
"It's faster to blow shit up," Ethan said, proceeding down the corridor.
"Yeah, I suppose it is at that," John agreed.
The group continued through the corridors toward where they presumed the command center was. They met no resistance whatsoever. No booby traps, no defenders, nothing. "This place is giving me the creeps," John said. "Like that haunted house feel."
"They're obviously consolidating their forces," Ethan said. "Rather than allowing us to divide and conquer."
"Or they're huddling in fear of us."
"I doubt it."
"It was a joke, lighten up, son."
Ethan let out a sigh but didn't speak except to say, "this should be the corridor we're looking for." He turned left down the corridor. “The door should be...shit…" He leapt b
ack around the corner as laser fire filled the space he'd just occupied, slamming into the wall to their right. "There's their reinforcements. "Happy?"
"What have they got?" Derek asked.
"Laser gat," Ethan said. "Two of them. Plus about a dozen security troops behind those."
"Well, are we gonna keep them waiting or what?" John asked.
Ethan extended a hand. "Be my guest."
John interlocked his fingers and stretched his arms in front of him. "Stand back and prepare to be amazed." He stepped out into the line of fire. The first beams of light slammed into a shield of light in front of him like water spraying against a rock. More beams followed but none pierced the veil of light. In fact, the shield grew brighter. Then it expanded and flowed down the hallway. Screams of pain silenced a moment later then echoed down the hallway. He peeked around the corner. "There we go."
Derek followed the others around the corner. Burnt corpses littered the end of the hall, two mangled together with the laser gats they had died operating. Ash in the shape of men clung to the door at the far end.
"What's our breaching method of choice?" John asked. "Explosives? Beam of light? Hacking?"
"We've been over this," Ethan said. "None of us are hackers. You can't do a beam of light with no sunlight unless you absorb a lot of energy. So that leaves us with explosives." He motioned to one of his Marines and they rushed forward to place four shaped charges against the door. They ran back and hit the detonator. Four fountains of fire shot out toward the group of Federation forces and the opening the explosion formed toppled inward. The way to the bridge was clear.
Let's see what else might await us, Derek thought. The group approached along the side of the corridor, weapons raised. No weapon fire or explosives came through the opening, nor did shouts of alarm emanate from the hole.
"Gas," Ethan ordered.
One of the Marines tossed a smoke grenade into the room. Smoke billowed out of the hole in the blast door.
"Infrared."
Derek switched on the infrared function of his helmet and followed Ethan inside. At first he saw nothing, no heat signatures at all. But then a head popped up from behind a console and a red burst blinded him for a moment as they fired. The shot went wide and hit the intact portion of the blast door. Derek's targeting interface compensated for the brightness and he returned fire, lighting up the console and forcing the enemy to take cover.
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