Dark Rivals

by Amy DuBoff

“My thought, as well,” Ava said. “And near as we can tell, this structure in some way functions as a hub. That means there has to be some way to interface with the ship from here.”

  “That’s a really big assumption, Ava,” Nick said. “If you get in there and it’s not like we assume, you’re going to be shit out of luck.”

  “He’s right,” Widmore agreed. “The structure in Gidyon was likely influenced by the collaboration with the Nezaran government and NTech. There’s no telling what kind of tech might be in this other thing.”

  “I mean, it’s a fucking planet-sized ship!” Edwin exclaimed.

  “I know it sounds crazy,” Ava replied, keeping her tone calm and level, “but we have already weighed the risks. Ruby and I agree that the threat to the Alaxar Trinary is too great for me not to try this. Colonel Kurtz agrees.”

  “I ca—”

  “No,” Ava cut Edwin off. “This isn’t up for negotiation.” She paused. “Sir, may I speak freely?”

  Widmore nodded. “I think you already have been. Go on.”

  “All of you have a home somewhere,” Ava began. “You joined the FDG so you could make sure that your people would always be safe. Well, right now, my homeworld is about to be blown up by a group of aliens that doesn’t even know what it’s like to be an autonomous being with a body and loved ones. They’re after raw minerals and a group of slaves they can possess and throw into battle with the express intent of inflicting as much suffering as possible.

  “I don’t know if this plan of mine will work, but there’s no fucking way I’m going to sit around and hope we come up with a solution in time to save them. My entire career in the FDG has prepared me to do whatever is necessary to protect those I love, and that’s what I’m doing now. Don’t try to stop me. It isn’t your decision to make.”

  She looked at her friends’ drawn faces on the screen in front of her. “You don’t have to like it, but I hope you’ll help me. This plan has a lot better chance of success if you do your part.” She focused on Widmore. “But, sir, I don’t want this to be an order for anyone on the Raven. I want the team to be committed to this of their own accord.”

  After a moment of silence, Samantha nodded. “You know I’ll always have your back.”

  Nick and Edwin murmured their agreement.

  “You have my support, as well,” Widmore said. “I’ll pilot the Raven myself, if I have to.”

  “We’re just used to being the tough ones,” Edwin said. “Our little Ava went and got all badass on us.”

  She smiled. “I did, didn’t I?”

  “She won’t be alone,” Ruby chimed in over the comm. “I’ll keep her out of trouble. After all, it’s my body, too, now.”

  “Very true,” Nick said. “I’m not sure how well we’ll be able to hack this thing, but I’ll give it my all.”

  “Thank you.” Ava flashed a heartfelt smile at her team. “I wouldn’t be considering this if I didn’t know I had you for backup. Tell me what you’ll need to make a remote connection, and we’ll make the arrangements.”

  “They have a bunch of shielding, right?” Samantha said. “So you’d need to tap into a console that’s wired into the ship’s external communication array.”

  Ava frowned. “Sounds straightforward enough… if we had any idea where that was or what the components look like.”

  “Yeah, well, you should at least figure that much out before you go running in there with glowy eyes and claws out,” Nick responded.

  “Working on it,” she said. “Get yourselves to our location. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  * * *

  “I think Ava may have lost her mind,” Kurtz said, “but it happens to be a type of crazy I like.”

  Major Widmore smiled back at him over the screen mounted to the wall in Kurtz’s temporary quarters on the Hellfire. “I must admit, sir, I was surprised to hear you’d endorsed it.”

  Kurtz smiled. “Ava can be very persuasive. But, truth be told, we don’t have a lot of options here. We literally fired the biggest gun we had, and it did nothing. With no way to ramp up, we need to think smaller and more targeted. Sending in a larger team would be a surefire way to get people killed. Ava’s unique abilities at least give her a shot at accomplishing the mission and getting out alive.”

  “She has yet to truly test the limits of her new abilities.”

  “Nothing like trial by fire.”

  “The ultimate test of autonomy.”

  “Indeed. If the team pulls this off, promotions are definitely in order,” Kurtz said. “It’s long overdue. The three members of Ava’s team should be sergeants by now, after everything they’ve been through.”

  “I heartily support an advancement. With the team operating on its own the majority of the time, rank hasn’t come into play. They know the chain of command within their unit, and that’s all they’ve ever needed.”

  Kurtz nodded. “All the same, each of them should be running a unit or training the next generation.”

  “I’d hate to break apart such a high-functioning team, but there would be a lot of value in distributing their skills,” Widmore agreed.

  “Then there’s Ava.” Kurtz shook his head. “I have no idea what we should do with her.”

  “The present team dynamic no longer reflects the best use of her skills. However, planning out a future path for her is a discussion I think she should be a part of—after we’ve dealt with the Dyons.”

  “Without a doubt,” Kurtz agreed. “She has great things ahead of her, I have no doubt. I’ll be honored to look back and say I was here for this event. This upcoming encounter will be one for the history books.”

  “A daring plan, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s Ava and the rest of her team. But, all the same, what are our contingencies if it doesn’t work?”

  “I’m making arrangements to have some backup precautions in place,” Kurtz said. “Planetary shields. The generators likely couldn’t withstand a long-term assault, but it might buy some extra time. And, if nothing else, they will offer peace of mind to the civilian population.”

  Widmore nodded. “One can never underestimate the value of psychological well-being. Maintaining order on the affected worlds will be critical.”

  “It will, but that’s not your concern. I’ll make the necessary preparations in the Alaxar Trinary while you’re in transit.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “There is one thing I need your help coordinating,” Kurtz said. “We’ll require a way to interface with the ship in the event our normal wireless or hardwire connectivity methods don’t work. There’s a specialist on Luke’s team who works with bioelectric interfaces, yes?”

  “I believe so.”

  “Get the team on the issue. I want a backup strategy ready, if it’s needed.”

  “Consider it done, sir,” Widmore acknowledged.

  “Thank you, see you soon. We’ll have everything else ready for the team when you arrive.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Un-fucking-believable. Karen raced into the open area at the center of the government office space that had been functioning as the headquarters for her operations, dubbed ‘Command Central’. The nickname was a little overkill, but everyone in the office knew what it meant.

  The sun had yet to rise for the day, but she’d already been awake for hours. Since receiving the alert from Connors about the impending attack, she’d been coordinating with FDG representatives about receiving delivery of FDG defensive tech to augment Nezar’s standard planetary shield, which deflected minor space debris.

  The rest of her team had yet to arrive. Her message in the wee hours of the morning had no doubt alarmed them, but she’d kept the reason for the early meeting to herself for the time being. Some news was better delivered in person.

  Karen powered up the conference table while she waited, and loaded in the schematics for the new planetary shield components.

  While she queued up the final pieces of her forthcoming presentation, Fion
a wandered in. Despite the early hour, she still had her trademark polished appearance.

  “Karen, what’s going on?” she asked.

  “I’ll go crazy if I need to repeat myself for every person who walks through the door. Have a seat—I’ll explain soon.”

  Fiona cracked a smile, though her face was lined with worry. “I guess that was the wrong question. A better one may be, ‘how bad is it?’ ”

  Karen cast her a level gaze across the conference table in response.

  “I guess the fact that you called us here for an 04:30 meeting says it all.” Fiona slumped into a chair without her usual poise.

  Trisha was the next to arrive, at almost the same time as Edgar and Marcy, who’d both been serving as managers on various special projects to restore the government. The remaining half-dozen staffers trickled in over the next three minutes.

  When the ten attendees were seated, Karen stood up at the head of the table.

  “Thank you for coming in so early. I asked each of you here because I know you can be trusted. You each played a part in the Dyon eradication last month, so I don’t need to fill you in or impress upon you how dangerous they are.”

  With that, everyone’s faces paled. A few people swore under their breath.

  Fiona sat, calmly as ever, with her hands folded in her lap. “Did you find more of them?”

  “Not exactly,” Karen replied. “More, they found us.” She brought up an image of the Dyon ship, which Kurtz had relayed from the FDG’s scans.

  The ship appeared as a meter-wide sphere hovering above the center of the conference table. At that size, the dish suspected of being a weapon looked like little more than a child’s toy.

  “Is that a planet?” Trisha asked, tilting her head.

  “No, looks like a probe,” Edgar replied. “See those mechanical components?”

  “You’re both right, in a way,” Karen cut in. “This graphic doesn’t give a good sense of scale. In reality, this thing here is the same size as Nezar.”

  Trisha’s jaw dropped. “No way.”

  The frown Fiona had been sporting since the image appeared deepened. “So this is why we were called here. Is it the Dyons? Is this coming our way?”

  Karen nodded grimly. “I won’t pretend to make this anything other than what it is. There’s a planet-sized ship headed for this system, and we believe the intent is to harvest the natural resources of these worlds.”

  Gasps sounded around the table.

  “What does that mean, ‘harvest’?” Trisha asked.

  “Everything is speculation,” Karen said. “All we know for sure is that the object is on a direct course for this system, and it’s the Dyons. Based on what we’ve seen them do already, it’s not a leap to say this ship is capable of much, much worse.”

  The attendees all started asking questions at once, and Karen held up her hands. “I know you want answers, but talking over each other or panicking won’t help us prepare. Let me finish going over the plan, and then you can clarify your responsibilities to help see us through this crisis.”

  They returned their attention to her, but most still squirmed in their seats.

  “The Federation is sending augmentations of our existing planetary shields,” she continued. “While Nezar isn’t officially in the Federation, it’s fair to say that we’ve been courting each other for the past month. Since Alucia is a member world and is facing the same threat, the decision was made to outfit the three worlds in our system with the same technology, as to not leave one a more enticing target than the others. We need to be unified to get through this.

  “However, these shields are only a precaution. The FDG is presently launching a strategic assault on the Dyon ship. I don’t know the details, so don’t bother asking, but I’ve been assured that there’s a high chance of success. Assuming it is successful, the ship won’t get anywhere close to us.

  “Getting the FDG tech installed is going to take all of us working smart. We have a lot to do to get the pieces in place. A handful of FDG tech specialists will be here to oversee the installation, but they aren’t enough to get it done. You’ll each have assignments for gathering the resources and coordinating the necessary pieces. Trisha and I will oversee the operation from here.”

  Fiona advanced the presentation. The holographic image changed to a schematic of a field generator. Nine such devices were positioned at equidistant points around the planet.

  “Each of the rest of you will be responsible for overseeing the installation of the upgrades at one of the sites, serving as a liaison with the FDG on behalf of the Nezaran government. This is the critical part: only you and the FDG tech will know what these upgrades are for. We don’t have time to conduct a proper briefing for the maintenance workers at the outposts, and dropping the news like this would result in widespread panic. Your job is to go there and act like everything is routine.”

  Fiona raised her hand slightly, and Karen gave her a nod of consent. “Won’t it be pretty obvious that this isn’t routine, what with the FDG showing up to help, and the fast timeline?”

  “A good-faith gift from the Federation, on behalf of Alucia’s recent joining,” Karen replied. “Or, that’s what’s we’ll tell them, if asked. The FDG was coming to install Alucia’s standard shield upgrade, as part of the arrangement, and they’re on a tight timeline to complete it before moving on to other projects. For all anyone on Nezar knows, the Federation always moves this quickly.”

  “And what is the timeline?” Fiona asked.

  “Right.” Karen took a deep breath. “We have three days before the ship arrives in the system. The FDG transports with the shield components will be here this afternoon, giving you time to travel to the generators and build some rapport with the workers.”

  “Half a day won’t get us much bonding,” Edgar said.

  Karen shrugged. “So bring some cookies. A few hours is better than nothing.”

  She made rapid entries on the touch-surface tabletop. Briefs popped up in front of each of the attendees.

  “There are your post assignments,” she continued. “I know some of those are the kind of locations you’d never want to visit in your life, but thank you in advance for taking one for the team.”

  Edgar looked up at her, his eyes wide with concern. “The equator?”

  “Yeah, I know. A little toasty down there. But the shuttles will dock inside, you’ll be fine.” She cast her gaze around the table. “The assignments include your transportation details. Review the file. Come find me if you have questions, but it’s better if you figure out an answer for yourself. You’ll be in charge on the site, so get used to it. Dismissed.”

  She leaned against the side wall of the conference room while everyone departed.

  Only Fiona stayed back. “Keeping Trisha here? Why not me?” she asked when they were alone. Her tone wasn’t angry, more surprised.

  “I would love to have you here, Fi, but the generator outside the capital is the control station for the entire network. I don’t want to worry about it getting messed up.”

  Fiona crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes slightly. “There’s more to it than that.”

  “This really isn’t the time to discuss it,” Karen said, pushing off the wall.

  The other woman blocked her path. “This is about the government leadership, isn’t it?”

  Karen checked that no one was close enough to listen in. She sighed. “Okay, yes, there is a political component to this. I talked with Connors, and he’d like to make a play for a presidency over the three worlds, with a governor on each. I think Nezar needs a local face. Since you’ve made it clear you don’t want the top spot, I think Trisha is the best choice.”

  “So, you want her here at the center of operations, to see if she can handle it, and if she can, to get others used to seeing her in that role.”

  “Yeah, pretty much.”

  “Does she know you’re doing that?”

  Karen shrugged. “If she does, she has
n’t indicated as much. I’ve never seen her express interest in having a bigger leadership role, but she’s also never dismissed it as directly as you have. What better trial run than a crisis?”

  “She did keep her cool with the Dyon situation last time around, and she knows the operations inside and out.”

  “Her résumé is a little light on authoritative positions, but at this point, that doesn’t matter. She’s smart and committed—the rest can come with time and experience.”

  Fiona nodded. “I’d vote for her.”

  Karen smiled. “Well, if she can win you over, then she’s a shoo-in.”

  “All right. I guess we should probably save the world, then, so she actually has a planet left to govern.”

  “Not a bad idea.”

  Fiona took a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll get to it. See you on the other side.”

  “Good luck. We’ll be in touch.”

  Karen cleared any evidence of the meeting’s content from the conference room, then headed to her office. She verified that everyone was clear on their assignments, then set about making the final logistical arrangements for the arrival of the FDG shield equipment.

  An hour later, when the sun was finally beginning to peek over the horizon, her desktop chirped with an incoming communication from Alucia.

  “President Connors, I didn’t expect to hear from you again today,” she greeted.

  “I wanted to make sure that everything was on track,” he replied. “Did you get everything you need from Colonel Kurtz?”

  “Yes, the installation project is underway,” Karen said. “They took the news better than I feared they might.”

  “You showed them?”

  “It didn’t seem right to hide the details. What better way to impress the importance of their actions than to show what we’re up against?”

  He nodded. “I agree. Mitchell Korwen, on the other hand, seems like he’d be better suited to living under a rock.”

  “Uh oh.” Karen’s brows drew together. “What happened?”

  “Well, I reached out to him earlier, right after I spoke with you. It was the middle of the afternoon local time on Coraxa, so he was in his office. I expected it to be a civil call from one leader to another, but he laughed when I told him.”