Shroud of Eden (Panhelion Chronicles Book 1)

by Marlin Desault

  She positioned herself in front of Scott. “Captain, after our first encounter with the Khepri, Vesper spent a few weeks in the Ganymede repair yards. During my stay, I met a few of the senior bosses. Several of them expressed distaste for Camus’ new government. I suggest you send someone to find out how deep their animosity runs.”

  Scott stroked his throat. “Would you go surface-side and see how much support they will offer?”

  “Yes, I’d relish the feel of spacious surroundings, even if it’s only the limited breathing room of the Ganymede domes and docks.”

  “We’ve three days before we reach Ganymede. How would you go about the operation?”

  She placed her right hand on her hip and faced Scott. “I need Major Krieger’s help. Have him join us, and I’ll explain my plan.”

  Major Rolf Krieger strode onto the deck, came to attention and saluted Scott with the precision of a semaphore. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

  “Yes Major, stand at ease.” Krieger snapped his hands behind his back and widened his stance. Scott continued, “In a few days we fall into orbit around Ganymede. You know the layout there?

  Krieger relaxed and spoke in a rasping voice. “I do, Captain. I spent a few weeks surface-side duty there. Can’t say that jerkwater outpost has much of anything going for it. Mostly a repair and overhaul facility. The commercial settlement has a mining operation. Duty there was a bore. There’s no companionship, if you get my drift, sir, and only the occasional pub to visit.”

  Emeka flipped open her e-projector and illuminated a file of Base Ganymede in front of the officer. “Major, here’s the layout of the barracks and support facilities. I believe the Ganymede personnel will support our rebellion, and I intend to visit them and explore their willingness to assist us. But I want your Marines to accompany me. We’ll tell the folks on Ganymede that you and your troops want to enjoy a bit of surface R and R. In fact, when we land we’ll first take their communications off the air, and then neutralize the military detachment. Can you do this?”

  “No problem, ma’am. Last I heard, only a squad of garrison troops guard the base, mostly wienies who’ve never seen combat. I doubt they’ve fired their weapons in the last two years. With the captain’s permission, why do we want to take Ganymede? There’s no strategic value there, or am I mistaken?”

  Emeka grinned at the Major. “A reasonable question. We have crewmembers in the fleet who have conscientious objections to combat with Earth’s forces. Many of them have siblings or other relatives serving on ships of the home fleet.” She collapsed the e-projection and returned her glance to the Major. “We’ll maroon those crewmembers on Ganymede without communications, and with no way to leave until we return for them. Captain Drumond and I would like you to carry out this mission without casualties on either side, if possible.”

  “Very humane, ma’am. We’ll do our best, but Captain, you understand.... No guarantees.”

  Emeka glanced at Scott and nodded. “Understood. We’ve gathered the objectors in the troop lander. Have your Marines join them and get underway.”

  Earth

  ~~~

  Schwartz again found himself in the palace of the regency. This time, he was sure his news would curry favor with the Regent. Certainly, he hoped, Camus would see that the good outweighed the bad.

  An Imperium guard, in black and gray uniform, stood at rigid attention and eyed Schwartz as he approached the heavy double doors to Camus’ private quarters. The stern-faced figure pushed his weapon against Schwartz’ chest. “The Regent’s breakfast may not be disturbed, not even by an admiral, sir.”

  Schwartz flustered and blustered about the importance of his message, until the guard relayed the request and received word from the Regent. With a flutter in his stomach, he entered the private quarters.

  Camus, in his morning robe, picked at his breakfast of rare smoked fowl and fruit. With obvious disdain, he went straight to the point. “What is it, Schwartz? If what you have to say isn’t important, your next duty will be in the farthest, most remote, uninhabited moon I can find.”

  Schwartz dipped his head much lower than normal. “Your Regency, the expeditionary fleet has transitioned out of warp at the edge of the Kuiper. Our remote sensors picked up the energy flux four days ago. The flux signatures check out. It’s them all right, but due to the signal travel time, the message just arrived.”

  “Well done. You’ve redeemed yourself. Well, what are you waiting for? You’re dismissed.”

  “Yes, your....” He squeezed and twisted his hands.

  Camus’ nostrils flared. “Is there more?”

  “I’m... afraid... so, Regency,” Schwartz stuttered. “We’ve lost contact with Base Ganymede, and the expeditionary fleet has not reported out of warp. We know they arrived, but we have no idea why they didn’t follow protocol and report their return. ECCO has repeatedly tried to raise them, but so far they’ve not received a reply.”

  “Well find out why and come back when you know what’s going on.” Camus dismissed him with a back-of-his fingers wave.

  After a polite dip of his body, Schwartz shuffled out of the chamber.

  Ganymede Orbit

  -

  Aurora

  ~~~

  Scott and Tanner were now regular visitors to the Aurora’s comm center. Two warrant officers operated the equipment, one for ECCO and the other the E-M radio and laser transmitters.

  Tanner briefed Scott on the completion of the Ganymede operation. “Emeka signaled us. The objectors are safe on Ganymede, and Krieger reports he has gained complete control of all communication with no casualties on either side. With the operation complete, Emeka reports she’ll be back aboard her ship within the hour.”

  “Excellent,” Scott said. “Recall Krieger and his Marines. Make sure to tell him he is to leave a small, garrison force behind.” He shifted his gaze from the warrant officer on the ECCO transceiver back to Tanner. “Poland, high time we let Camus in on our return from the Khepri frontier. Word your communique such that he will believe everything is in order.”

  Aurora’s skipper drew the text and motioned to the ECCO operator. “Transmit this to Earth Central.”

  Scott switched to the intra-ship communications and dialed up Ariela. “We’re entering the solar system. Meet me on the main deck. I’ll show you your ancestral star system and new home.”

  Ariela stood in front of the open portal of the tween decks lift. Her eyes reflected the light around her as Scott approached. “I finally get my first glimpse of the planet of our ancestors, and where we will begin our new life.”

  The lift brought them one deck down, and after trekking the gangway, they entered the combat deck.

  Scott explained the hectic activity. “Our plan calls for some deception. At our current distance from Earth, E-M radio transmission will take twenty minutes to arrive. By now Camus has received our ECCO message and knows we’re back in the solar system.”

  He offered a confident smile. “Now we wait for instructions. If he takes the bait and believes we pose no threat, he should order us to the fleet staging area inside Mars orbit. From there, we can present our ultimatum and keep his home fleet at bay, ready to engage them in combat if we have to.”

  He tapped his implant and called Tanner. “Poland, Ariela and I are on the combat deck. Time to call our sister ships into formation. Tell them to stay in tight. For now, I want our LiDAR profile at a minimum.”

  The implant returned Tanner’s reply. “CIC reports all our ships are in position.”

  Earth

  ~~~

  Camus slipped unobserved into his observation booth overlooking Earth Central Defense Operations. The one-way transparency separated him from the great room, and prevented those outside the booth from knowing he observed them.

  Leslie Styerwald, now carrying the shoulder boards of a full commander, sat next to Camus. “Regency, three minutes ago Aurora sent us another message. She again reports all is normal and requests planet-s
ide leave for her crew. What shall I tell them?”

  “No leave for the crews until we debrief the Khepri battle,” Camus barked. “Order the entire expeditionary force to the fleet staging area, and tell Tanner to have all captains report to Earth Satellite Station, Main. And one more thing, have Schwartz join me here, on the double.”

  Half an hour later, Schwartz gingerly opened the portal to the booth and stood next to Camus.

  “Schwartz.” Camus, elbows on the table and hands joined under his chin, sported a wide grin. “Aurora and the expeditionary fleet have arrived. Prometheus is now mine, and I have plans, Joe, great plans. We’ll replicate Prometheus and outfit the entire fleet. Imagine what we can do with the most powerful military force in the known galaxy.”

  “Without a doubt, sir, you’ve accomplished a great achievement.” Schwartz returned Camus’ grin. “What will we do with this powerful new force?”

  The man has no imagination, Camus reflected with disgust.

  “First we pick the easy fruit. We move to conquer Niobe, then we go on to bring the Khepri under our sway. After that, we continue to explore for other intelligent beings. When we find them, we bring them under the yoke of my authority as well.”

  Schwartz’s face morphed into a toothy, uncomprehending grin.

  Camus sneered. “Think big, Schwartz. Imagine the power I’ll have when I bring the Niobians under my rule. And after that, who knows? With Prometheus, we can defeat the Khepri. It’ll be an empire, Schwartz—a big, bloody empire.”

  Mars Orbit

  -

  Hesperus

  ~~~

  Captain Edgar Krast cast a wary eye on the growing silver image in the visual screen.

  The shape bloomed as the shuttle from Mars slowed its approach to the giant cruiser. An array of glowing icons on the status panel combined with a muffled voice to announce the opening of the hanger bay doors. The shuttle carrying Governor Bjorn Prosper from the Martian settlements dropped into the grasp of the mooring clamps on the hanger deck.

  Krast, in gray and black New Imperium uniform, paced the observation lounge and waited for the arrival of the governor and the Marine escort he sent to fetch him.

  The heavy frame and angled jaw of Governor Prosper, with a typical Martian tan, made him a figure of authority to match his elected office.

  Krast saluted his guest and steadied himself for an unpleasant duty. “Governor Prosper.” He motioned toward a chair at a large table. “Please sit a moment with me.”

  The two sat, and Prosper frowned. “Captain Krast, you honor me with this invitation to join you on board your ship, but from the formality of our meeting, I sense a certain strain in the air.”

  “Your first visit aboard a strike cruiser?” Krast said in an anxious, pinched voice.

  “Yes, your ship’s much larger than I imagined.” Prosper hunched his shoulders and, with hands together between his knees, leaned forward.

  “And she has phenomenal firepower,” Krast replied, stone-faced. “But what I have to say may harden your opinion toward me and my ship. To be blunt, I have received orders from Earth Command, and these orders affect you and your settlers.”

  “And what honor do those in authority on Earth intend to bestow upon us?”

  Krast cleared his throat and continued. “I don’t wish to indulge in meaningless pleasantries, so I’ll go straight to the point. My orders compel me to destroy one of your habi-domes.”

  The governor slumped further in his seat. “This order comes no doubt from Regent Camus. Did he give any reason why he selected us for this catastrophe?”

  “The Regent’s military deputy, Admiral Schwartz, personally signed the order. No reason was given, but I’m sure you’ve already guessed why. The sabotage of refined ore shipments by the Martian settlers is no secret. Though I’m personally disgusted by what I have to do, I will carry out my orders.”

  Governor Prosper steeled his demeanor. “I seem to remember, in centuries past, similar reasons were given for heinous acts of barbarism. In the final accounting, the excuse that one was just carrying out orders has never absolved military commanders of their crimes, at least not for the last several hundred years.”

  “Before you come to any hasty conclusions.” Krast raised his hand as if to hold back the animosity he expected. “Hear me out. I’m not unsympathetic to your plight, or your political views. I’ve considered my orders, and there is a way to reduce the damage to your settlement.” Krast stiffened his pose, elbows on the table, and pulled his folded hands to his chest.

  Prosper’s eyes narrowed. “Captain, you have my rapt attention. How is this to be done?”

  “My orders allow me the latitude of selecting which dome to destroy. If we work together in strictest secrecy, I’ll pick a dome that will cause you the least distress. You have only to tell me which one to target.”

  “Can you give me a few days to remove the people and as much in the way of supplies as possible from the dome?”

  “You have forty-eight hours before I carry out my orders.”

  Fleet Staging Area between Mars and Earth Orbits

  -

  Aurora

  ~~~

  Furious members of Aurora’s crew listened to the reports from Martian radio stations.

  Scott himself struggled to understand exactly what was happening, when the voice of Aurora’s communications officer echoed in his intercom implant. “Captain Drumond, I have an urgent signal from Targelion.”

  He brushed the control icon of the display, and the face of a furious Tiago da Silva appeared. He could hear the voices from the Martian radio announcers in the background.

  “Scott, my home, the planet of my people, reports the destruction of one of their domes by a strike cruiser in orbit over Mars. The reports describe lives lost and stores of supplies destroyed. This must not go unpunished!” His eyes locked in a hard, flinty stare. “I’m going to find out who did this and personally laser him into a thousand parts, one millimeter at a time.”

  “I heard the reports, Tiago. Camus has gotten ahead of us. We have to speed up our timetable, but before we act, I want all captains of the expeditionary fleet in tele-conference to discuss our next steps.”

  Scott blanked the screen and switched to Aurora’s comm officer. “Set up a secure conference link with all expeditionary fleet captains.”

  Ten minutes later, Scott and Tanner faced the fuming images of the expeditionary fleet captains.

  “Tiago, I know you’re angry, but we’ve got to think this through and plan a response that supports our overall goal.” Scott stared into the camera. “I’ve had a confidential message from Edgar Krast, captain of the Hesperus. He confirms his ship carried out the attack on the Martian dome, and asks permission to shuttle over and explain. After I hear what he has to say, we may be compelled to present our demands to Camus. When I’m done with Krast, I’ll get back to you.”

  He tapped an icon on the control panel, and the screen faded to black.

  Scott and Tanner waited in the airlock adjoining the hanger bay. When pressure in the bay equalized, the two strode to the shuttle door.

  Krast ducked out the door of his craft. Slack-jawed at the sight of Scott standing near the ramp, his eyes widened. “My God, Drumond, it’s you. I heard rumors you’d left Niobe but never gave them any credence. What in the vast reaches of the universe are you doing here on the Aurora?”

  “Poland and I will fill you in, but first we want to know why you fired on the Martian settlement.”

  Krast averted his glance to the deck. “It’s not what you think. Believe me, what I had to do made me sick, but I didn’t have a choice. If you just hear me out, you’ll understand.”

  The three trudged off to the wardroom.

  Before anyone spoke, Krast seized the initiative and launched his explanation. “The order came from Schwartz. Camus made him his military deputy with the rank of admiral. Schwartz may have signed the order, but you can be sure it originated with the Reg
ent. I hit on a loophole in the wording of the order, a miscue on Schwartz’ part: he didn’t specify which dome to attack. So... I took some liberty in the interpretation.”

  Krast glanced back and forth from Scott to Tanner with an apologetic, lopsided smile. “I contacted Governor Prosper, and we worked out a plan to target an uninhabited dome housing only obsolete supplies. Neither Camus nor Schwartz knows any of this. They know only what the Martian radio reports say and what I told them.”

  “But what about the reports of loss of life and crucial supplies?” Tanner continued to glare at Krast.

  “All part of our plan. Governor Prosper faked the information to make Camus think I dealt a heavy blow to the Martian settlers.”

  Scott exhaled in relief. “Then the reports aren’t true?”

  Krast quietly shook his head.

  “I apologize for misjudging you, Edgar. Your curiosity must be approaching galactic proportions as to why I’m on the Aurora.”

  Over the next three hours, Scott filled Krast in on the events on Niobe, the collusion of the expeditionary fleet commanders, and the battle with the Khepri.

  When he concluded, he said, “Edgar, a few minutes ago I had Tiago da Silva contact Governor Prosper. The governor confirmed your account of the attack. If you’re sincere in your opposition to Camus, I can offer you a chance to get even. We intend to topple the New Imperium. With Prometheus, we have the means to blast any opposition into lumps so small they’ll be lost among the asteroid belt.”

  Krast fixed his gaze on Scott. “There’s no need to explain further. I made my decision before I knew of your plans to depose the New Imperium. When I colluded with the Martian Governor, I figured Camus would eventually find out. That alone should remove any doubt you may have about me.” He placed his clasped hands on the table. “Eventually Camus will learn the truth about me from his Martian spies. When he does, he’ll want my skin, as well as the Governor’s, trophied on his office wall.”