Arkship Alliance

by Niel Bushnell

  ‘Get us clear of that thing!’ Commander Watson ordered.

  ‘Singularity collapsing,’ someone cried. ‘Brace yourselves!’

  The dark sphere shrunk to nothing, then a wave of light expanded, smashing into the Caerleon. Bara was thrown across the flight deck, landing awkwardly on the hard floor. Then the ship began to tilt, and she slid towards the far wall. Others fell with her, a jumble of people, data pads and lose equipment.

  The light outside receded, and the ship began to recover. Bara stood, helping others to their feet, but she couldn’t find Wynn. Commander Watson had already returned to the operations map, assessing the situation. Bara stumbled towards her, then heard a groan coming from behind one of the console stations.

  ‘Wynn?’ Bara said, finding him curled up under the console. He was out cold. ‘Medic!’

  He jolted, suddenly awake, his eyes grabbing at the view. ‘What happened?’

  ‘Dark matter bomb,’ Bara reminded him as a medical team came to check on him. ‘We got caught in the wake.’

  Wynn shooed the medic aside. ‘Has it collapsed?’

  ‘Yes,’ Watson said from the operations map, ‘but it took a good chunk of the shipyards’’ command hub with it.’

  ‘Contact the Administrator,’ Wyn replied as he got up and walked to join the Commander. Bara helped him, making sure he could stand without her.

  Watson held the com to her mouth. ‘Narwoulf Command, this is the Caerleon. What is your situation?’

  No one replied. Wynn, Bara and Watson stood around the operations map, listening, waiting, as the flight deck crew rushed about them, tending to the wounded and assessing the damage.

  ‘Caerleon,’ a voice said over the com. ‘This is Raiker. We’ve taken a lot of damage in section three.’

  ‘Can we assist?’ Watson offered.

  ‘I’ve cleared you to dock in section one, berth thirty-nine A. We’d be grateful of your help. And when this settles down, tell the prince we need to talk.’

  THE PURGE

  ‘You did what?’

  Commodore Nilsdatter reddened. ‘We were badly damaged. We were under fire from Narwoulf and the Kenric arkship. I saw an opportunity to rid ourselves of–’

  ‘You detonated a dark matter bomb without consent,’ Valine said, her temper rising. ‘That goes against every rule of engagement. They’re a last resort, you know that!’

  ‘It was a military decision. We were in the middle of a firefight. If you had been there–’

  Valine stood, slamming her hands onto the table top. ‘If I had been there this never would have happened! Dark matter bombs have been outlawed for decades, and now you have revealed our possession of them to the rest of the Cluster!’

  Commodore Nilsdatter reddened, biting her lip.

  Valine lowered herself back into her seat. She had not planned for this outcome. She had obviously overestimated Nilsdatter’s ability. But there was nothing in her records to suggest she would do something so foolhardy. Up until now, she had been a safe pair of hands.

  ‘What were you thinking?’ Valine asked wearily.

  Nilsdatter hesitated.

  Valine rested her head in her hand. ‘You may speak freely.’

  ‘We are Draig,’ Nilsdatter said, the words tumbling out. ‘We do not scheme and hide. We do not stab from behind. When we kill, our enemy should see our eyes. We do not join boards! We do not take votes! Since Orcades’ death, we have lost our way. You are not my Valtais. There is no pride in your tactics.’

  Valine waited, then looked up. ‘Finished?’

  ‘I have said my piece.’

  ‘And I accept your resignation. Give me your rank insignia and your weapon.’

  The Commodore unclipped her sidearm and placed it on the table. She fumbled with her collar and removed her metal badge of office.

  ‘You have been a loyal soldier, until today. But now I understand what has brought you to this decision. You would expect an honorable discharge? Early retirement perhaps?’ Valine suggested.

  Nilsdatter blinked. ‘Thank you.’

  She turned for the door. Valine picked up the weapon and fired it into Nilsdatter’s back. The Commodore tumbled to the floor, letting out an elongated gasp.

  Valine stood, walking towards Nilsdatter. ‘I was not born Draig, and I have no qualms about shooting someone in the back.’ She knelt on the floor, lowering her head so that she could see into the eyes of the dying woman. ‘You are a fool. You belong to yesterday. Honorable discharge? You have no honor left. Goodbye, Ingeborg.’

  She dropped the pistol onto Nilsdatter’s bleeding body and returned to her desk. She would say that the Commodore had tried to assassinate her. Her death would serve a useful purpose: it would be good for the other Commodores to see the outcome of such plans. Unfortunately, it would mean the execution of some of the Melrakki’s senior staff as well; you can’t have a revolution without some conspirators, can you? But a purge would help to demonstrate that Valine was in control. Yes, that was the best way forward. She activated her com and called for her personal guard to clear away the body. Then she began to think how best to deal with the imminent retaliation from Narwoulf.

  SUMMIT

  Wynn walked round the sales suite of the Narwoulf Command hub, admiring the display models showing off the latest ship designs. Animated schematics covered the walls, three dimensional holographs that activated as he looked at them. He stopped at a large display that dominated the center of the room. It was a model of a new arkship that had come loose during the battle. The model’s nose pointed into the floor, its elegant craftwork broken into pieces. He squatted next to it, peering into the intricate detail of its hanger bay at a line of shuttles that had crashed into each other. He smiled to himself as he reached in and picked one of the little models up, turning it over in his hand.

  ‘Part of the new Dragon Fire range. It’s a beauty, isn’t it?’ a voice said from behind Wynn.

  He stood up, turning to see an older man holding out a hand to him. ‘Administrator Raiker?’

  ‘Please, call me August.’ The man beamed at him.

  ‘I’m Halstead.’

  ‘Prince Halstead,’ Raiker corrected.

  ‘And this is Bara, my wife.’ Wynn said. Bara was studying an engine plan. She put it aside and came to greet the Administrator.

  ‘It’s good to finally meet you,’ Raiker said, shaking Bara’s hand. ‘Sorry it’s not under better circumstances.’

  ‘How bad is it?’ Bara asked.

  Raiker sighed, taking the shuttle model from Wynn and returning it to the hanger bay. He glanced at of the viewing platform that jutted out of the far wall. ‘The main hub has been torn apart, and six of our client’s orders have been damaged.’

  Wynn stared at the broken hub. ‘Casualties?’

  Raiker nodded, his eyes closed. ‘We’ve got good defenses here, but we’ve never had a D-Matt go off this close to the main complex before. They’re supposed to be banned, you know? Did you ever meet Sinnsro Draig? She was a reasonable woman – we built several of their arkships – but this new one . . . what’s she called?’

  ‘Valine.’

  ‘Yes, Valine. She’s something else.’ He tutted shaking his head, then seemed to brush it aside and find a new smile. ‘Come with me, the others are already waiting for us.’

  Wynn and Bara followed the thin frame of Administrator Raiker, through the sales suite to a room beyond. As the wide doors opened Wynn saw a familiar face.

  Faron Dulac bounded over to meet them. He embraced Wynn, taking him by surprise, then turned to Bara and did the same. ‘Prince Halstead! Bara!’

  Wynn laughed, unable to hide his wonder and amusement. ‘It’s good to see you, Faron.’

  Raiker grinned, then he introduced a beautiful woman, about Wynn’s age, dressed in a long, patterned robe. ‘This is Lady Addington, of the House of Addington.’

  She smiled, her haunting dark eyes taking him in.

  Next, Raiker gestured to
an ancient-looking man with a tired face and wrinkled features. He sat at a table, hardly moving.

  ‘This is Harrison Miller from the New Horizons Consortium,’ Raiker explained. ‘Now we are all here, we can begin.’

  Wynn sat at the table, feeling self-conscious in the stare of Lady Addington.

  ‘We are all here because of a common problem,’ Raiker began.

  ‘We’re here because of the Draig Empire,’ Harrison Miller said, his voice deep and imposing. His narrow eyes were hidden under a heavy brow, making it difficult to read his intent.

  ‘I should explain the situation,’ Raiker said, the consummate diplomat and salesman. ‘We’re all aware of the hostile take-over of the Carter & Grey shipyard. Both Lady Addington and Harrison Miller were on the board and objected to Valine’s appointment as Chair. Since then, Lady Addington has stepped down. Mr Miller is still a board member and is here in an unofficial capacity. Therefore, what is said today is to be kept secret, and strictly off the record. This meeting never happened.’

  ‘Never happened,’ Harrison Miller repeated, jabbing a finger down onto the table. ‘I’m no coward, but it’s best that the Draig woman doesn’t know I’m here. I can do more good from the inside, understand?’

  Administrator Raiker steepled his hands as he leaned back in his chair. No two seats were the same, and Wynn guessed they were all command chairs from different arkship models.

  ‘It is a troubling situation,’ Raiker continued. ‘We here at Narwoulf prefer to remain neutral, but a takeover of a competitor can destabilize the market, so we are willing to facilitate and host this meeting.’ He turned to face Wynn. ‘Prince Halstead, perhaps you can start by telling us of your recent encounter?’

  Wynn nodded. ‘You probably all know of the history between the House of Kenric and the House of Draig.’ He checked the faces around the table, finding nods of agreement. ‘Since our last battle with Orcades Draig, we had formed a loose alliance with the House of Li Zhang and the House of Jackson.’

  ‘Strength in numbers,’ Lady Addington said, nodding.

  ‘But they both moved over to join the Draig Empire,’ Wynn continued.

  ‘It seems that the Draig Empire has been manipulating the enixium ore marketplace,’ Raiker noted.

  ‘Manipulating?’ Miller said. ‘More like they destroyed a bunch of ore stations and made everyone go to them to get it.’

  ‘Well, they turned their backs on us,’ Wynn said.

  ‘They attacked us,’ Bara added.

  Faron nodded. ‘And that’s when I met you. We heard about the takeover not long after.’

  Lady Addington sighed, shaking her head. ‘Terrible business.’

  ‘We went to the Carter & Grey shipyard to find out what was happening,’ Wynn said.

  ‘You have an arkship under construction there,’ Administrator Raiker checked. ‘Did you consider coming to us for a quote?’

  ‘Hell, Raiker!’ Harrison Miller barked. ‘This is not the time to try to sell the man one of your damned ships.’

  Raiker held his hands up apologetically, and Wynn continued.

  ‘When we arrived at Carter & Grey we were attacked and forced to retreat.’ Wynn looked at Bara, an apology on his face. The guilt of leaving her behind weighed heavily on his thoughts.

  ‘The rest you know,’ Faron said. ‘This empire has to be stopped. We cannot stand by and watch as they grow in strength. I stand with Prince Halstead.’

  Wynn reddened, feeling the eyes of everyone upon him.

  Lady Addington smiled, leaning forwards to hold his attention. ‘As does the House of Addington. We do not seek war, but the Draig scourge has pushed us too far. We must stand for what is ours.’

  ‘And for what is right,’ Faron added.

  ‘Quite so,’ Lady Addington said.

  Administrator Raiker stood. ‘And Narwoulf will help in any way we can . . .’

  ‘As long as you’re not seen to be helping, right?’ Miller asked.

  ‘Correct,’ Raiker replied. ‘But what about you, sir? Will the New Horizons Consortium join with Prince Halstead and his alliance?’

  Harrison Miller gave a small shake of his head, his brow furrowed into deep lines. ‘That’ll depend on the boy’s plan.’

  Heads turned to Wynn once more. He didn’t have a plan! ‘We . . . we can’t attack the shipyard, it’s too well defended, so a head-on assault isn’t going to work,’ Wynn said, thinking as he spoke.

  ‘She’ll expect us to retaliate,’ Bara said. ‘She’ll be prepared.’

  ‘Exactly, so we let her think that’s what we’re doing.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Faron asked.

  ‘We form an armada of our ships; Kenric, Dulac and Addington. We’ll rendezvous close to the shipyard, so Valine will think we’re going to attack.’

  ‘But we won’t attack?’ Addington asked.

  ‘No, not exactly,’ Wynn said, growing in confidence as his ideas solidified. ‘We need to undermine Valine and the Draig influence. We can do that with precision rather than force.’

  Miller fidgeted in his chair. ‘Just tell us the plan.’

  Wynn smiled. ‘You will be critical to its success.’

  ‘Me?’ Miller asked, looking surprised.

  ‘Yes. You are still on the board. You are our man on the inside. This can only work with your help.’

  Miller’s stony face found a grin. ‘Tell me more.’

  REUNION

  Gofal stepped off the little shuttle and admired the view across the hanger bay of the Ark Royal Caerleon. He took a moment to take in the colors and composition, making a note of it all for a future painting he hoped to produce. It would be called Homecoming, and it would capture this very moment on canvas, a dark foreground bot against the bright optimism of the hanger bay, with a small fleck of paint representing the man approaching him now. In the painting, his identity would be deliberately vague, a brush stroke of potential rather than crystal-clear certainty. He liked the anticipation of the unknown, especially in art. It allowed the viewer to bring their own interpretation to a piece. It was a shame that life had to be so definite.

  ‘Gofal!’ Wynn shouted, running towards him, his face a broad grin. ‘Where the hell have you been?’

  ‘It is good to see you, Wynn,’ Gofal replied, avoiding the question. On his journey back to the Caerleon, he had thought long and hard about what had happened to him and how much he should tell. He had concluded that it served no purpose to reveal the Church’s interference, and he would keep his abduction to himself. Even so, he knew there would be questions.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Wynn asked. ‘You just disappeared, we didn’t know what had happened to you.’

  ‘I am well, thank you, and I am sorry I caused you concern. I had some private issues to deal with which needed my immediate attention. I regret not informing you.’

  Wynn’s smile faded. He stared at Gofal, uncertain what to say.

  ‘I have reviewed the Caerleon’s logs,’ Gofal said, keen to change the subject. ‘You are preparing to move against the Draig Empire?’

  ‘Yes. We’re hoping we can lure the Draig fleet away from the shipyard and take out Valine.’

  ‘A surgical strike?’

  ‘Minimal loss of life,’ Wynn said. ‘If we take out Valine we can remove the Draig Empire from the board of Carter & Grey. The Draig fleet commodores will then have to appoint a new leader.’

  ‘And the Draig Empire will descend into civil war.’

  ‘Yes, and we’ll try to broker a peace treaty.’

  Gofal considered this. ‘It’s a risky plan. Assassinations do not always lead to the desired outcomes.’

  Wynn nodded, his face grim.

  ‘I presume you know how to get to Valine?’ Gofal asked.

  ‘The next board meeting is in two days. Valine is the Chair, so she has to be there. We need to remove her without risking the other board members. I think most of them didn’t want the Draig Empire on the board in the first place
.’

  ‘Who have you chosen for the assassination?’

  Wynn hesitated. ‘Me.’

  ‘Should I bother to argue that there are others better suited to the task, that you are too valuable to risk yourself?’

  ‘No. It has to be me.’

  Gofal tilted his head. ‘I have known you for a long time. Your greatest flaw has always been your willfulness. If you were more of the diplomat your life would go much more smoothly.’

  Wynn laughed. ‘You’re absolutely right. But it’s more than an assassination. I have to speak to the rest of the board, show them that we are not their enemy. No one else can do that.’

  Gofal listened, thinking. ‘Still, it is a perilous business.’

  ‘I know,’ Wynn replied. He stared up at Gofal and his face brightened. ‘It’s good to have you back. Where did you say you’ve been?’

  ‘It is a long story,’ Gofal replied evasively. ‘Let us save it for later. How is Bara? I read about the destruction of Lexica. It is a pity, I know how attached she was to her ship.’

  ‘We’re lucky she came back to us. But it’s like she’s still adrift out there.’

  Gofal studied the prince’s face. ‘What do you mean?’

  Wynn shook his head, as if he’d regretted his comment. ‘Come with me, I want your opinion on a ship.’

  CIRCLE

  Faron Dulac didn’t enjoy sitting on the flight deck of the arkship Benwick, it was always too formal and constricting. He preferred to leave the day-to-day workings of the arkship to Captain Beric. He was a safe pair of hands and knew how to get the job done. But when it came to tactical decisions, Faron knew he had to be ready to respond.

  ‘Cube transit complete, sir,’ Captain Beric announced.

  Faron tensed. It had taken him years to convince the captain not to use Faron’s formal title of Lord Dulac. It was anachronistic, a throw-back from an older generation. It didn’t belong anymore, but Captain Beric was a traditionalist, and so he’d settled on sir instead, even though he knew how Faron felt about it.