Transmission Lost

by Stefan Mazzara

  -I'm getting out of here now.-

  - 3 -

  -You know that the Pteryd will eventually turn against us, don't you?-

  Ara'lana glanced up from the intelligence reports she was reading. Admiral Kris was watching her carefully from where she sat, in a chair opposite her desk. The younger Ailian officer had brought the reports in to her, and remained in case Ara'lana had any questions or further orders for her. Ara'lana wasn't surprised to hear the question from her co-conspirator. Selina had always been the most skeptical of the stage of their plan which required forging an alliance with the Pteryd, and would have argued more strongly against it if she also hadn't understood the need to increase their numbers.

  -I'm aware of that,- Ara'lana said, looking back to the reports. -The Pteryd have never demonstrated a desire for anything other than wiping us out, and I do not expect them to start now. Their alliance with us is one of convenience, nothing more.-

  Admiral Kris nodded. -They are hoping to play along with us until the war exhausts both sides, then move in for the kill. We should not be allying ourselves so closely with them.-

  Ara'lana sighed slightly. -It is a risk, yes. But we can afford to take it, and we have to take it.- She gave a contemptuous snort, gritting her teeth slightly. -The human factions that have chosen to follow us are significant, but unreliable, even those that have formal statehood. While I am content to use the humans, the Pteryd will be much more valuable to us in the long term.-

  -Perhaps,- Admiral Kris said slowly, though she did not seem entirely convinced.

  -You worry too much, Selina. I have not come this far by failing to account for the risks. When the time comes that we must break our alliance with the Pteryd, we'll be ready for it.-

  Though it was not enough to satisfy her, Kris knew that Ara'lana was the superior strategist to her. Her assurances would have to do for now. -Yes, Admiral.- She folded her hands in her lap. -Have you any questions about the latest reports?-

  -A few,- Ara'lana said slowly. She traced her finger along the report. -We seem to be making good progress everywhere, but we're getting hung up in Sector Two. I want those shipyards, Admiral, and...- The communicator on her desk began to chirp, forestalling anything further from her. She switched the device on. -Go ahead, Lieutenant.-

  The volume of the communicator was turned low, so that Admiral Kris wasn't able to understand what was said. She could, however, hear the tone of voice that was speaking, and the voice sounded hurried and anxious. She could also see the shift in expressions on the other Ailian's face, see the gradual lowering of her ears and the raising of her fur. When Ara'lana slammed her hand down on the desktop and stood up hurriedly, it hardly came as a surprise to Selina.

  -Lieutenant, sound the alarms basewide, and keep all security personnel on high alert,- Ara'lana almost shouted into the communicator. -I do not want the alert rescinded until this matter has been attended to, is that clear?- She angrily switched off the device, her tail lashing the air in her fury. A moment later she smacked her desk again and began pacing.

  -What has happened, Admiral?- Selina asked, watching her carefully.

  Ara'lana whirled around to face her. -My daughter has vanished from her cell. And Major Tal'in is dead. Her weapons are missing.- She shook her head. -I knew that leaving her alive, even temporarily, was a mistake. Sentimentality on my part.-

  -Well, she doesn't have anywhere to go,- Admiral Kris said. -We'll find her. That's the good thing about mistakes. They can usually be fixed.-

  ******

  While sneaking around was something that Aria was usually quite skilled at, she was finding it very difficult now. For one thing, she had little idea of where she was going. Of the whole base she was in, which she was now realizing was far larger than she had first thought, she had only seen one of the hangar bays, her mother's quarters, and the cell that she had spent the last several days in. Aria also had no idea what planet she was on, if she even was on a planet. For all she knew, she could be on a self-contained station in deep space. The Ascendancy had several such stations, and it was conceivable that Aria's mother could have used the power she wielded during her time as Chief Admiral to construct one of her own.

  Wherever she was, Aria would need to find a way out, and that meant finding her way to a hangar in order to commandeer a ship. Preferably one which could be piloted by a single person, although she figured she could manage a two- or three-person ship by herself in a pinch, and certainly one which had hyperspace-capable engines. That ruled out a fighter, which was unfortunate because speed would probably be quite important in her escape, and ruled out most ships of troop transport size or larger, which was what she had seen the most of at the base so far. All of that boiled down to a certain need for luck.

  After she had used the late Major Tal'in's key to escape from her cell, Aria had made her way out of the prison block of the base. She had managed to avoid the guards, who did not seem to maintain static positions but rather circulated the area in staggered patrols. By covertly observing them, she was able to keep them unaware of her presence and slip by when they passed. Major Tal'in's key was indispensable, letting her slip in an out of doors whenever she needed a quick place to hide.

  -If only I'd thought to play along a little with...that woman,- Aria thought to herself, while hiding in what seemed to be an unused security office during one such occasion. She couldn't bring herself to even think of Ara'lana as her mother right now. -But it didn't even cross my mind. I objected as soon as the suggestion came from her. It would have felt...unnatural, somehow, to even pretend to agree with her.-

  A moment later, Aria was drawn out from her thoughts as a shrill alarm began to sound. She rolled her eyes, covering her face with one hand. -Well, the luck couldn't last...Someone would have had to find the major's body eventually.-

  Listening at the door, Aria could hear footsteps running around the corridors outside. She gripped the pistol she had taken from Major Tal'in's body tightly, ready in case someone decided to check her hiding place. But eventually the footsteps died away, and things were quiet outside once more.

  After waiting a bit longer until she was reasonably certain the hallway was clear, Aria took out her pilfered key and waved it over the inside of the door handle to let herself out. The door gave a quiet, negative chirp and refused to open. Frowning, the Ailian swiped the key again, but still the lock stubbornly refused to disengage.

  -Damn,- she said to herself. -They must have revoked her security clearance already...Fast work...- In a burst of frustration, Aria tossed the key to the ground and crushed it with the heel of her boot. She thought hard for a few moments, wondering what to do now. Not for the first time in her life, she cursed the strict security practices of the Ascendancy. The security office might as well have been another cell if she didn't have the necessary means of leaving it. Now all she could do was sit here and wait to be captured again.

  -Think, Aria, think,- she mused. -There must be some way out of here. This isn't a prison cell. It won't be as hardened as a cell would be.-

  Looking around, she thought about what she could do. Like all of the rooms she had visited in the base, there were no windows, and no other apparent weaknesses in the walls. She could always kick the door open, but that would probably set off another alarm and draw guards to the area. And that was assuming that Aria's attempt to use the invalid key hadn't already triggered some sort of silent alert. So that left the contents of the room to try to help her...somehow. All that the room held was a pair of chairs, a desk, and a computer terminal which seemed to be disconnected from the base's power grid.

  -Not much help here,- Aria grumbled, nibbling on a claw. She gave a growling snort of irritation, but she managed to resist the urge to smash the computer to pieces. That would accomplish little other than making her feel a bit better, which wasn't much use to her right now. -Come on, dammit, there has to be something...- Taking a deep breath, she happened to glance up at the ceiling. When she did, an une
xpected smile spread across her muzzle. -Well, hello...-

  Nestled up in the ceiling was a slotted metal panel, a vent opening to the air circulation system of the base. The panel was square and seemed to be just about shoulder width on all sides. The fit would be tight, but Aria thought that she could squeeze through headfirst. First she needed to get up there and pry the vent panel off.

  Aria quickly pulled one of the chairs in the room over and climbed up onto it. She was able to reach the vent handily with the aid of the chair, and she extended her arms up. Her fingers were just able to fit into the vent slots. With an experimental tug, she checked how well the panel was attached to the ceiling. The tug told her that the vent cover should be fairly easy to pry off, so long as she applied the correct leverage. Grinning again, Aria drew out the knife she had taken from Major Tal'in. She slid the blade in between the panel and the ceiling, and then pulled down as hard as she could.

  With a sharp clang, accompanied by the abrupt and rough snap of the blade breaking in two, the panel swung down and away from the air vent, hanging from the ceiling by one edge. Unsheathing her claws, Aria reached inside and managed to get a good grip on the inside of the ductwork. Owing to the fact that her arms were still somewhat weak, this was likely to be slow going, but Aria determinedly pulled herself inside the duct.

  -Now let's see you stop me.-

  ******

  -Give me an update.-

  Ara'lana had gathered the heads of her security departments into her ready room, along with Admiral Kris and Seirin-143. Owing to the size of her main headquarters, there were several different security chiefs, in charge respectively of hangars, external security, facilities, and the armories. All of them were now fully aware of the situation, and they were all eager to avoid their leader's wrath by containing the problem.

  The chief of external security was the first to speak up. -We have scanned the outer limits of the planet's magnetic field,- she said, -and our long- and short-range sensors have not been able to pick up any ships lingering in the area. It seems unlikely that the escapee has received any aid from outside.-

  Ara'lana gave the female a withering glare with her emerald eyes. -That much is obvious, Commander,- she said. -I hardly expected that anyone followed a trail of footprints to this base, after all. I would be more worried about someone on the inside giving her aid.-

  The security chief of facilities straightened up in his chair. -That's not possible, Admiral,- he said. -Everyone here is loyal to you. Nobody here would have given aid to the prisoner. And in any case, nobody knew that she was here except for the people in this room, Lady Shi'ala, and Major Tal'in.-

  -The guards in the prison block certainly knew, Lieutenant,- Admiral Kris pointed out. -And they would have been in the perfect position to orchestrate an escape.-

  -They knew they were responsible for a high-priority prisoner,- the facilities chief said. -They were not informed of her identity. They would have no reason to assist her.-

  -Excellent, then that means her escape was merely a result of their own incompetence,- Ara'lana said, in a mock-cheerful voice. She pointed to the facilities chief. -Lieutenant, once the situation has been dealt with, you will see to their executions. I have no use for security personnel who can't keep their assigned areas secure.-

  The male looked as though he wanted to protest, but on reflection he seemed to think better of it and kept his mouth shut, only nodding in agreement with his leader's directive. He recognized that it was only a stroke of luck that she wasn't grouping him in with those unfortunate guards. He picked up a small tablet, tapping a note of the order for later reference.

  Looking to her hangar security chief, Ara'lana posed another question. -How have you augmented the security for the hangar bays, Major?-

  -The guard on all of the main bays has been doubled,- the officer replied. -We have assigned additional personnel to the secondary bays as well. Additionally, we have locked out all of the entrances to the tertiary and maintenance bays to all except for your personal security code, Admiral. The prisoner will have a hard time gaining access, to say the least.-

  Ara'lana frowned at her. -I would feel a little better about that assessment if we could determine where she was, Major.-

  ~Lady Me'lia,~ Seirin-143 put in. ~Perhaps I might offer the assistance of some of my people? We are uniquely suited to tracking.~ The Pteryd indicated its short antennae. ~I brought seven of my people with me. I know your facility is very large, but we are able to link telepathically. We can search much more efficiently than your own security personnel can, if you give us authorization to leave the areas that have been set aside for us.~

  Admiral Kris caught Ara'lana's eye, and shook her head fractionally. The meaning was clear to the elder Ailian. -That will not be necessary, my friend,- Ara'lana said. -We can handle this issue ourselves. I would not want to offend the Combine by putting any of your people in unnecessary danger. If they will remain where they are, we will let them know when they may safely move about.-

  Seirin-143 opened its mandibles slowly, and then clacked them together once. ~Very well,~ it said, in just as monotone a voice as ever. ~If that is what you wish, you are our hosts, after all. We wish you luck in the hunt. If there is anything we can do, please let us know.~

  -I will. In the meantime...-

  -Admiral Me'lia!- the facilities chief said suddenly. Everyone looked to him, and they saw that he was staring at his tablet. The Ailian's ears were pricked forward, his eyes locked intently on the screen. -Forgive my interruption, but the sensors in one of the hangar bays just went crazy!-

  Admiral Kris leaned forward, her tail twitching as she stared at the male officer. -Probably a malfunction. The major doubled the guards on the entrances. As skilled as Lieutenant Me'lia is, I doubt she could take a double guard unit on her own.-

  The security lieutenant shook his head. -It's not from the entry doors, m'lady. I'm talking about the security sensors in the air duct system of the bay. They're much more sensitive than the air duct sensors in the rest of the base, to detect leaks from the ships. The sensors in Auxiliary Bay Four just registered an obstruction.-

  Ara'lana smacked a hand down on the table. -It has to be her! That's why our search teams haven't found her. She's been moving through the air ducts.- She looked to her chief of hangar security. -What's in Auxiliary Bay Four right now?-

  The major shrugged. -Nothing of serious consequence. The Pteryd ship is being housed there, but I doubt Lieutenant Me'lia would be able to pilot it. Everything else in there is in various states of disassembly, for maintenance. Those that are not are short-haul transports and fighters, nothing capable of leaving the system on their own. There's nothing in there she could...- Suddenly, the major's eyes widened and her ears laid back flat against her feline head.

  -What is it, Major?- Admiral Kris barked at her.

  -The Kre'la'ris,- the hangar chief said. -One of our fast-attack patrol ships. It was in the bay for an overhaul of its main engines. I received notification this morning that the work had been completed, and they were going to transfer it back to the fleet before the escape drew personnel to other duties. That ship is fully armed and ready to fly.-

  Ara'lana stood up quickly, jabbing a finger in the facilities chief's face. -Lieutenant, take a special response team down there right away. We know that she's armed and she has special forces training. I don't want any chances to be taken.- The lieutenant nodded and got up from his seat, rushing out of the room.

  ******

  As quietly as Aria could manage, she kicked one side of the air vent cover below her down and out. Luckily, the panel didn't detach all the way, and just swung away from the ceiling by one edge. Hanging out of the open vent by her claws for a moment, she then dropped down to the floor, landing lightly on all fours. Her tail hanging loosely to the floor, Aria peered around at her surroundings. She was in a hangar bay, and she'd landed behind a ship that was recognizable to her as an Ascendancy light-load transport, despite its
bloody red paint scheme. A two-person ship normally used for carrying small loads of supplies between larger vessels in a fleet formation, the transport's engines were currently in pieces on the hangar floor.

  Still, she had been fortunate to find her way to a hangar at all. Though the ships she could see from her position seemed to be disabled for maintenance, she might be able to find one which was in good enough shape to fly. Drawing the heavy pistol she had liberated from Major Tal'in, Aria crept around the edge of the ship. The hangar appeared to be lightly occupied, if at all. She supposed that they were more concerned right now with guarding the entrances, and that most of the personnel who might otherwise have been inside were searching for her elsewhere. Aria focused her own attention on searching for a ship she could pilot.

  After a few minutes of searching, Aria was starting to despair. The only ship she had found in the hangar that looked as though it would be flyable was an unusual vessel, recognizable to her only from pictures she had seen during her military training: a Pteryd light corvette. Composed of curved surfaces and bulbous compartments, the ship was decidedly out of place among the angular, aerodynamic forms of the Ailian vessels. Aria immediately discounted it as an option. Though the ship was a perfectly fine one as far as its integrity, she had no idea how to pilot a ship of Pteryd design.

  Then, just when she was about ready to give up and crawl back into the air duct system, Aria hit the jackpot. Threading her way in between the scattered parts of two fighter craft, she found herself looking at a ship that made a wave of nostalgia wash over her body. Majestic and intimidating in its jagged, predatory design, the ship before her was one of the hundreds of fast-attack patrol craft that could be found in the fleets of the Ascendancy. Walking up to it, Aria laid her furred hand on the smooth external armor. Though painted red like the rest of her mother's vessels, the ship was identical to the Cha'la'fa, the patrol ship that she had been piloting when she'd first met Jack.