"Anything else?" Luke asked.
"It would be a Pral matter," Falla Shum said staring at the table in front of him.
Luke stared at the Pral wondering if he could get any answers by wringing the Pral's neck.
"Keep interrogating them," Luke said. "I want to know everything in case this Directorate or these Battle Singers are behind the Bronkaw's frontier problem. Shum, if you have any information it would be helpful."
"I will help as I can," Shum said, but Luke wasn't so sure. Something had Shum rattled.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Betrayal, by teh JA
"We cannot tell the Topa," Gloria said, her sky-blue eyes flashing around the room to stab at the other councilors, demanding they support her. "They will see the Ambassador's actions as an attack against the Conglomerate."
"I doubt it," Ray Warner, the minister of Foreign Affairs said. He was a tall, thin scarecrow of a man with blond hair and green eyes. "The Ambassador failed and is now in our custody. The Topa would not care. If he had assassinated the Prime Minister, it might be a different story."
"How can you be sure?" Gloria asked. "The Topa are not known for their tolerance or mercy."
"I am the Conglomerate Envoy," Mark said. "What I say goes. My decision. Topa Suresh named me Envoy, not the Prime Minister position. It was very clear."
Ray nodded and Gloria just stared at him.
"What should we do?" Ivan said, a counter to Gloria's firebrand type attitude. "We don't have much of a military force."
Mark sighed. "Well, until we can find out what his intent was, we can only guess and I'm not ready to allow the torture of an ambassador."
"He attacked you," Ivan said. "He struck first. We are still extrapolating the capabilities of the things he had with him. It is not beyond the realm of possibility he wanted to turn you into a slave."
"But he didn't," Mark said. "And now we know of the dangers."
"What do we do with him?" Ivan asked.
"As an ambassador he has diplomatic immunity," Mark said, leaning forward with his elbows on the table and looking around at the council over his steepled fingers.
"Let him go?" Gloria asked. "Are you mad?"
"I am very mad," Mark said. "But I'm not crazy. We can't afford a war or serious hostilities with the Jupiter Alliance."
"Why not?" Tara asked, her eyes bouncing between her fellow councilors. "They can't reach us unless we let them."
"For how long?" Mark asked. "It is only a matter of time before they get wormhole technology and then we won't be able to stop them. If they have gravity manipulation technology, it won't take them long to figure out."
"We mine the wormhole," Ivan said. "Put a station at either end that will allow transit. If they aren't authorized they get blown to hell."
"A mine field can work both ways," Mark said. "Mines would be a shipping hazard, even if they don't explode."
"Very specific lanes," Ivan said. "It can be done."
"Draw up plans," Mark said. "Time tables, resource requirements, pro's and con's and the challenges."
Ivan nodded.
The door slid open and Admiral Day marched in and looked around him. Every eye in the council chambers was on him since this was not typical.
"We received a jump drone from Sol. The Jupiter Alliance has attacked our ships on the far side," Day said. "They destroyed two ships, but the third escaped and has come to warn us. The Jupiter Assault troops attempted a hostile boarding. The Jupe fleet has grown by six cruisers, a pair of destroyers and a fleet class drone carrier."
"Hell's ass," Mark said. "So much for not going to war."
"I guess they don't want to wait for someone to give them wormhole technology," Day said. "They are trying to take it."
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Cat and Mouse
"Two of the cruisers have made their jump," Bruce said. "The remaining two are prowling around the wormhole on our side."
"They expect us to jump to Pach and then back," Luke said watching the holographic display of the two remaining cruisers circling the Pachinchana wormhole. The Proud Infidel had headed past the wormhole and away from the incoming Directorate cruisers and was looping around, back to the Papi wormhole location. It wasn't an ideal solution but it would make detection near impossible for the enemy ships.
"If they have watchers on the other side," Bruce began. "They will know we didn't come out and those two cruisers will be back."
"How much time do we have?" Luke asked.
"A day for them to make transit, a day to come back," Bruce said.
"At which time they will burn hard for the Papi wormhole knowing what we did," Luke said.
Bruce nodded, looking at the map and doing mental calculations. " Which won't give us much time."
"Actually," Bruce said when his query to the computer came back. "We should start now or we might not make it."
"Fiddle sticks," Leonessa said.
"Do it," Luke said. "Maximum acceleration. We need to get to Papi."
Bruce sent a command.
"All hands," the ships AI said over the intercom, also sending everyone an instant message on their internal display. "Stand by for increased acceleration. Stealth protocols are no longer active. Acceleration will begin in fifteen minutes. Battle stations, all hands battle stations."
"This will hoover," Leonessa said as everyone made their way to their battle stations, in most cases their cocoon on the CIC.
* * * * *
Minutes later the cocoon shells were closed, and all stations reported as ready.
"Additional acceleration is commencing," Erica said and Luke felt a weight begin, pressing down on his chest.
"We have a response from the cruisers," Bruce said on the command channel minutes later. "They are accelerating to Papi. They want to race. Quick reaction times."
"Acknowledged. Much more efficient than the Caliphate," Luke said looking at the numbers. They might not make it depending on what the enemy cruisers did. The Proud Infidel had to accelerate and then decelerate to make a safe transition into the wormhole. The enemy cruisers did not have to worry about deceleration. High speeds and a good missile spread would be to the attacker's advantage. The only chance the Proud Infidel had was to accelerate and finish deceleration before the enemy ships to get their missiles in range. Everything boiled down to math.
"Also scan for those wormhole sentries," Luke said. "We have to take them out."
"Aye, aye Commander," Bruce said realizing that even a corvette could cause serious damage to a slow-moving battle cruiser attempting to make transition. The Proud Infidel would have to run the gauntlet and push the envelope, there was no other way.
"Launch probes with active sensors," Bruce said. "Let's see if we can flush them out or make those watchers retreat."
Luke nodded. Good idea. Luke's breathing was getting more difficult and Luke could hear other people panting, struggling to breathe.
"How are you doing Falla Shum?" Luke asked on a private link, realizing he knew little about Pral physiology. This acceleration might kill Shum. The Pral seemed to be weaker and more fragile than humans. The three Tonkan in the brig were not a concern to Luke, they hadn't cracked but to Luke their lives were forfeit. Falla Shum's life was not forfeit.
"The Pral can withstand much higher gravities than humans," Shum said. "Do not worry about me. Worry about yourself."
"Acknowledged," Luke said and brought up a display showing the status of his crew and Bruce's. So far everyone looked okay. Bruce had set up a counter on the ship's main display showing interception times. Right now, things looked good, but nobody knew the maximum acceleration the cruisers could pull. The time to intercept kept decreasing as the enemy cruisers pushed their acceleration. It would be many hours before they knew. There were enough variables to endanger accuracy. The Tonkan could probably withstand higher acceleration than the humans, if their ships could manage, but everyone on the Proud Infidel was in good shape and had been upgraded
by nanites. Higher acceleration could be tolerated for shorter periods of time, but the Tonkan could do the same. Who will push harder and who had the technology to survive?
Luke wished he had thought of this earlier but then he had expected all the enemy cruisers to go through. He should have seen this possibility. Damn.
The minutes became hours and Bruce ordered half his people to go to sleep using sedatives. It wouldn't be good sleep, but it would be sleep. The alternative was to lay there beneath the crushing weight, staring at the displays and letting imagination run rampant.
"Might as well get some sleep," Luke said to his team. "Wake up in four hours when we decelerate so we can take a quick break, then back to sleep for about three."
There was nothing more to be done as everyone sent him a reply. Luke dialed up some sedatives and noticed that Leonessa and Brita had already done so. Jeremy and Amanda weren't though and seemed to be having a conversation, which was their business.
The sedatives took effect and Luke fell into a labored sleep.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Battle at the Papi Wormhole
"One hour until transition," Erica announced. Luke could hear the pain in her voice. Everyone hurt and everyone was taking painkillers while nanites struggled through their system, trying to fix the damage and ease strained muscles, making sure their brains were oxygenated and not being bruised. Luke was trying to get the dream of suffocating out of his head as he looked around and struggled to relax.
The enemy could launch at least one missiles strike and already the flight of missiles was inbound. Eight missiles. There were no frigates available, and the fighters were a very thin screen against the fast-moving missiles. There was another flight of eight behind the first but they would be irrelevant based on the current speeds.
"We have one watcher identified," Bruce told Luke. "We have launched missiles at it, but it is retreating. Not likely to be a threat. We have a gravity signature on the second one but not enough to get a solid lock. We know it is there, but not exactly where."
"Acknowledged," Luke said, tired and wishing it was over already. He didn't like being a passenger.
An hour was a long time to watch a flight of missiles home in on you. Plenty of time to think about what you wanted to do with your life, of the mistakes you've made.
"How are you doing?" Luke asked Leonessa on a private link. It was much easier to chat via link than to talk.
"Peachy," she sent, the look on her face one of extreme discomfort. "I'm enjoying this vacation from the dojo and Musashi's workouts."
"Yea," Luke sent, realizing it hurt to smile. "He will probably go hard on us when this is over."
There had to be something to talk about besides the prick Musashi.
"Thank you for inviting me out to the White Dwarf back on Athena," Luke sent. "I don't get out much."
"That's what I hear," Leonessa sent. "When we get back, I'll have to take you to the Grunchy Munge. It is a great place, good music, great food and semi-private booths."
"Deal," Luke said. "I'm looking forward to it."
"Any good places on New Alamo?" Leonessa asked.
"Um," Luke said, trying to think of any. His mind drew a blank, and it was hard to think when you felt your entire body was being stepped on. "I can't think of any."
"Really?" Leonessa asked before she realized why.
"I've spent very little time on New Alamo," Luke said. "In over forty-five years I've spent more time trying to escape the place than anywhere else."
"You loved her that much?" Leonessa sent.
"Yes," was all Luke could say showing no emotions. He didn't trust his voice as he looked toward Leonessa's cocoon. She couldn't see him, but he could see the back of her chair. A holographic representation. Once again, they were waiting for death, with nothing to do but think.
"Molly pellets expended," Erica said. "We are dry."
"I'm sorry," Leonessa sent.
"Don't be," Luke sent. There had to be some way to change that line of thought. "There are plenty of places throughout the Conglomerate to visit though. They have zoos and museums."
"Do you visit many?" Leonessa asked.
"Not really," Luke sent. "But I would like to start. I think I'm entitled vacation time. There is more to the Conglomerate than Bizzen. Ubashi, the capital sector is impressive."
"Tell me about Ubashi," Leonessa sent.
Luke's first impulse was to send her a link from the database so she could research it, but that wasn't what she wanted.
"It is awe inspiring. With the space elevators, orbital rings, three inhabitable planets and millions of ships. Out in the distant outskirts of Ubashi is a Tal base, but closer in there are billions of people, maybe hundreds of different alien races."
"Wow," Leonessa sent. "I would like to see that."
"I will get another ship," Luke sent. "Then I will take a vacation. You are welcome to join me if you can."
"I would like that," Leonessa sent. Luke fell silent as the pressure increased. "If I can get the time off. There is a war on with the Caliphate."
"I think New Alamo might make short work of the Caliphate," Luke sent. "As long as the Topa don't interfere we can destroy the Caliphate's ability to get into space and that will be it."
"No planetary invasion?" Leonessa sent.
"I doubt it," Luke sent. "That would be a mess and take decades. Besides how can you change billions of religious fanatics? They will have to change on their own."
"So, when the Caliphate is defeated you will go back to being a mercenary?" Leonessa asked.
"I don't know," Luke sent. "Depends on what other options there are. What would you do?"
"I would explore the galaxy," Leonessa sent. "One reason I went into exploration instead of standard fleet."
Leonessa and Luke fell silent as they struggled to breath and think about what the future held. Exploration would be better than mercenary work.
* * * * *
Leonessa was silent. Her dreams came back to her. Luke had fascinated her as a child, she understood the last conversation between Luke and Elena after the battle for Naantali to the core of her being. Many people had grown up with that but so few had obsessed over it. That story was a legend and many other stories had been spun from it. There had been a lot of fiction about what happened after New Alamo left, and Leonessa had absorbed it all. She had never cared for any of the actors. None of them had seemed real enough for her. She was falling for the real Luke Kishi, a man who had been a hero before she had been born. How could she ever compare to Elena? She was just a junior Lieutenant Commander, and he was a vaunted Admiral. Brita would be a better match for him. But she didn't want to be just his companion. She wanted to be his equal. He deserved that much.
Her mind wandered to when he rescued her on Bizzen. That time in the corridor, feeling his breath on her face, the warmth and comfort of his arms. She hadn't wanted it to end, and she wanted that now, but she wouldn't be his subordinate, not if a relationship would work. She had been a fool, and she continued to be a fool.
The Proud Infidel was decelerating hard. It would be close. There was so much she wanted to say, so many questions, so little time.
The fighters were expendable, the only important factor was the Proud Infidel reaching the wormhole. There were eleven fighters remaining to stop the eight missiles. The high velocity would make it difficult for the fighters to stop them.
One missile detonated.
"Pellet hit," Erica said. "Seven missiles remaining. Fighters engaging."
The fighter engagement would occur too fast for human reflexes. It was computer against computer and would be over before anyone could decide anyways.
"Five missiles destroyed," Erica said, her voice strained but otherwise without emotion.
"Cease deceleration," Bruce said. "Flip us and prepare to open the wormhole."
"Missiles on approach, warheads deploying. Shunting all energy to wormhole, point defense weapons and shields," E
rica said, her voice strained.
"Brace for impact," Bruce said. "Damage control stand by."
"Wormhole is open," Erica said. "Proud Infidel is on final approach."
"Full acceleration!" Bruce said and then the Proud Infidel shook.
"C'mon baby," someone whispered, Leonessa wasn't sure who. Lights flickered and sparks flew. Leonessa's view outside the cocoon disappeared then back on as internal power activated. The comm channel was full of static, but that faded as Leonessa looked around.
They were alive but Leonessa saw there was no air pressure outside her cocoon. The CIC and most of the ship had just been depressurized.
"Get me a casualty report," Luke told Gray on a command channel. The crushing gravity gone. She would have to talk to Luke later if there was a later for now they were alive.
* * * * *
Luke checked his roster. Everyone was alive and Luke let go of the breath he had been holding. Well, the prisoners were dead.
"Well shit," Bruce whispered as he looked at the display.
"Papi better have search and rescue available," Bruce said. "Looks like Topa Suresh owes me a new ship."
Luke checked his display. More reports were coming in solid red instead of just black. Most of the Proud Infidel reported as dead. It was possible she could be repaired, and the damage wasn't as bad as it could be, but there were enough internal sensors reporting to show how bad it was. There was no way the Proud Infidel would get them to Bronkaw Prime in this condition although it might get them to a civilian port.
"We are alive," Pavlis said. "That is the important thing. Will they chase us through the wormhole?"
"If they do we are screwed," Bruce said. "I doubt we will do much standing on the hull shooting them with hand weapons, and that might be our only option."
"They had too much velocity to follow us," Luke told Pavlis. "It might take them at least a day to slow down and turn around, probably two. You can't go through a wormhole at high velocity, if you do it will rip apart your ship."
The Darkness: The Conglomerate Trilogy (Volume 2) Page 21