Xenophon stood upright and looked at her carefully.
“Why bother with this contingent? We have already split from the Legion.”
“True,” she replied, nodding gently. “Cyrus has an agent on each Titan to ensure none are used against him. There was always the possibility that they might turn against his own forces at the critical time. Don’t forget, his money runs throughout this expedition. You think the Cilician Gates were a coincidence? Tissaphernes wants nothing less than the destruction of the Legion and the humiliation of Lord Cyrus.”
Xenophon wasn’t sure he believed any of this, especially about her knowledge of Tissaphernes or his agents. The Medes were well known to be the greatest tricksters in the known galaxy. If a deal or deceit was to be conducted, and a Medes was present, the deal would frequently be invalidated, such was the reputation of the Medes for subversion.
“Assuming you are right, we need to help stop this mutiny. Where are the crew? The ones we can trust I mean.”
“I will take you to the last place I saw them. Most of the commanders have been taken to temporary prisons near the command deck. I did see a group heading to port armoury, probably to arm themselves for the fight.”
“Good, take me.”
They started to move from their hiding place when Xenophon tapped her gently on the shoulder.
“Your name?” he asked.
She glanced at him and looked back to the sound of the battle. She spoke quietly, almost too quietly for him to hear.
“My name is Artemas of Caria, now follow me!”
She moved out into the open and directly to the body of a woman on the ground. The body was that of a junior crew member, evident by the uniform and regulation sidearm holster. Artemas looked up to Xenophon.
“You see, she is one of the crew and has been butchered by Andronicus’ men. We have to stop this before we lose what is left of this force.”
Xenophon nodded in agreement but stayed a safe distance behind her. He had little experience of the Medes. Most of what he knew was negative, and he didn’t want to test his experience in such a dangerous situation. Artemas moved forward after checking the body and away from the sound of the shouting to the left. Xenophon felt unarmed and helpless, especially when being led by an unknown and armed Medes agent. They moved from their position and out into one of the parallel service corridors. These were more frequently travelled but had the benefit of being the quickest way to move through the ship. Every twenty metres, a thick section of metal jutted out to mark the frame of the emergency seals. It was critical that this part of the ship could be sealed from major breaches, depressurisation and from boarding actions. What caught the attention of Xenophon was that all the doors were open, bar one. This single airlock seal was heavily burned with scorch marks and dents. A body lay nearby, along with several empty weapons.
“I don’t understand. Who exactly would side with a turncoat like Andronicus?” he asked, more to himself than to his Medes friend.
“He is a Komes, so I assume that means he has his own retinue of warriors. It is convenient that of the survivors of Olympia, the bulk of the warriors were from his unit.”
She moved a little further and stopped to look up at a circular seal above them. It was hexagonal in shape, and a series of metal bars stuck out to form handles. As she looked at the seal, Xenophon pulled one of the empty carbines from a dead crewman. He checked the magazine and sighed, like the others it was empty. Even so, he slung it around his body. It lacked ammunition, but there was a chance he might find some. If not, then he might be able to trick somebody, or possibly hit them over the head.
“What now?” he asked.
“We go up and reconnoitre the command deck. I have these to leave behind when we get there.”
She held out four small metal spheres. Each had small bumps and ridges on their surfaces. At her touch, tiny mono-filament spines appeared to unfurl almost transparent wings.
“Bugs,” she said with a bemused smile.
Xenophon hadn’t seen this particular type before, but it had much in common with some of the new developments back home. They were semi-autonomous and could travel short distances before hiding away in the shadows. The wings were an interesting idea, but how effective they would be was of much interest to him.
“Audio only?” he asked.
“Of course not, it’s a full spectrum audio-visual system with a range of fifty metres. All we need to do is get access to one of the main corridor that serves the command deck.”
“Didn’t you say they are keeping prisoners nearby?” he asked.
“Yes, that is right, but we need information before we can act.”
She tensed herself and then ran to the wall, jumping at it. With great skill, she bumped off the wall and higher up to the ceiling to reach the grab handles. She hung like an acrobat with both of her hands wrapped around the metal. Just one tug and the short extending ladder dropped down a metre so that he could reach it. Artemas launched herself up the ladder and deactivated the seal, forcing it open with a hiss. She was already through before Xenophon even had his hands on the rungs.
“Well, you coming?” she asked coyly.
She moved up into the blackness of the hatch, giving Xenophon a fleeting glimpse of her legs as she wriggled her way inside. He couldn’t deny she was one of the most unusual and agile people he had ever met. He glanced around to check they were not being followed and pulled himself up after the strange Median woman.
CHAPTER SIX
Laconian Titan ‘Valediction’, Aronton Sector
Clearchus, Lord Cyrus and a dozen senior officers stood on the command deck, each watching the final destruction of the small mechanised defenders. The Virtual Observation System (VOB) gave them all the sensation they were floating, almost like demi-gods, above the destruction of the ships. Terran heavy cruisers had surrounded the last two ships and were quickly cutting them apart with their powerful beam weapons. Clearchus looked to the assembled group and grinned, his entire body shaking with enjoyment.
“This, gentlemen, is how we Terrans deal with robotic defence systems.”
Lord Cyrus looked uncomfortable at the enjoyment the humans seemed to be taking at the expense of the defence systems. It wasn’t that he had feelings one way or another, but it was that he knew their pleasure derived from knowing they had bested Median technology and by extension, himself.
“Perhaps you might be able to achieve the same level of success against an intelligent opponent rather than simple machines? You do realise these are mere guardians against pirates and raiders. They are not for fighting conventional military forces.”
The Terrans continued to laugh and joke between themselves, and the destruction of the last two ships lasted just a few more seconds. With the final explosions, came the shutting down of their automated jammers.
“Strategos, we have a clear signal through to Ariaeus,” said the Auletes.
Clearchus nodded in pleasure.
“Excellent, put him through on the main screen.”
Lord Cyrus motioned towards the Laconian commander, but he either didn’t see him, or chose to ignore him. The video feed from the station filled most of the main screen, and it gave an odd look to the deck, the screen to the centre and the VOB system all around them. Cyrus felt a little queasy at the visual and sensory overload he experienced. Ariaeus was already speaking before he was able to reassert himself. He stepped closer to the display and interrupted the violent discussion between him and Clearchus.
“Ariaeus, I’m glad to see that you are well. What are you doing on the station and more importantly, where are your ships?”
“Lord Cyrus,” he replied, bowing in an extravagant fashion, much to the amusement of the assembled Terrans. The Medes moved with the grace and elegance that every Laconian on the deck considered to be feminine.
“Upon my arrival, we conducted a series of scans to establish the viability of harvesting resources for the fleet. We were about to cont
act you when the sentry fleet and base turned on us. I lost three ships in the first minute and was about to withdraw when I picked up the signal.”
His statement surprised everybody, including Clearchus. Lord Cyrus looked to the Laconian with a raised eyebrow and then looked back to Ariaeus.
“I see, go on.”
Ariaeus signalled to somebody out of sight, and a few seconds later a Median nobleman appeared. Even the Terrans recognised the clothing and lavish decorations on the man that marked him out as nobility.
“Menon?” asked Cyrus in surprise.
The stranger bowed, though by no means as low and as over the top as the bow of Ariaeus. Clearchus racked his brain, trying as hard as he could to remember the lineage of Cyrus, but the name still made little difference to him. Cyrus continued speaking with him when Kybernetes Ditha Artell approached. He stood to the side of the Laconian leader and handed him a small electronic slate. Clearchus glanced down to see an image of the newcomer, along with critical information direction from the Laconian Intelligence Archive. The part that caught his attention was that the man was flagged as a rogue Satrap of one of the inner provinces. The last data said he had been operating a unit of Median corsairs out on the border. He looked to the conversation and listened carefully.
“My Lord, the Imperial Fleet has been sent away for manoeuvres. I don’t know what is happening, but it appears they are massing for a major exercise.”
Clearchus was already suspicious of Ariaeus, and this new character did nothing but heighten his doubts about everything the Medes said to him. He lifted his hand and jumped into the conversation.
“Menon, what about the defence of this area? Why is it so insignificant? Surely a resupply station this far inside the Maelstrom should expect a reasonable defensive force?”
Menon ignored him and looked to Cyrus. Clearchus fumed at the insult, but the Medes commander could see what was happening and instantly diffused the situation.
“Answer him,” he snapped.
“My lord, this site is insignificant to the Empire. We have hundreds, no, thousands of similar sites all around the Empire. Nothing more than remote sentries and combat drones are needed for their defence.”
Clearchus snorted in derision.
“Really? I suppose Ariaeus was unable to overcome them, though they put up little resistance to our forces. Even so, where is the rest of your fleet, Ariaeus?”
Ariaeus looked about suspiciously, and Clearchus instantly detected a plan, a double-cross of some kind. It wasn’t just the look that he saw, it was the feeling of hidden contempt they showed, and not just for him but also Cyrus.
“Strategos Clearchus, most of my forces were busy in pursuit of the retreating forces. We were able to stop most getting away, so the rest are engaged with their last few cruisers two sectors away. That is when I received the signals from Menon who had managed to escape from capture on the station and was calling for assistance.”
Clearchus looked to Cyrus, and although the Medes commander said nothing, he could tell that he also didn’t believe a word Ariaeus was saying. He opened his mouth to continue pursuing this subject, but Menon interrupted him first.
“Yes, your fleet is impressive in size. Even so, the Imperial Fleet will dwarf yours, and your attack on this station will have alerted high command. It would be advantageous, in my opinion, to reinforce this area and ready your forces for a confrontation that is more favourable to your, ah...diminutive size. Or, it might be advisable for you to withdraw back to Terran territory.”
He glanced briefly to Ariaeus who whispered something quietly before continuing his short speech with Cyrus.
“Whatever you are planning, the Emperor will now be fully aware that Ariaeus is in this sector and commanding a fleet. He knows that Ariaeus is a close ally of yours, and that makes him at the very least hostile to his policies, and perhaps even an enemy.”
Clearchus burst into a rage at this suggestion. First the Medes insulted his forces, but then implied they would have to dig in or retreat.
“Are you telling me the station was not jammed during your little foray?”
Ariaeus didn’t seem remotely bothered at the accusation, and his indifference simply enraged the Laconian commander even more. Ariaeus looked to Menon before answering his question.
“We were surprised, as I explained earlier. It wasn’t until your forces arrived that a containment area was successfully completed. Perhaps if you had arrived when I requested, this would not have happened?”
Clearchus turned to Cyrus and pulled him back from the display.
“This is treason. Your man has wilfully notified the enemy of our operation through his actions and...” he walked closer to the screen to glare at the men, he then looked back to Cyrus, “...indifference to the chain of command!”
The tension on the command deck was palpable, and most of the officers tried to continue their work without drawing attention to them. It was perfectly obvious to all involved, however, that their commander was livid and liable to smash or break something. Menon looked to Cyrus and continued speaking; it was clear he was checking for agreement before going further.
“My Lord Cyrus, it might be politic for you and your deputies to come aboard the station. We have managed to gain access to large parts of the Imperial Command Network. I can perhaps provide geographical and technical assistance to whatever your little enterprise is.”
Ariaeus nodded furiously in the background, evidently very keen on getting Cyrus onto the recently captured station. It wasn’t easy to see what was happening behind them as there were at least half a dozen destroyed machines in view. Cyrus looked to Clearchus and considered his options carefully before speaking. It looked as though he winked at Clearchus before turning back to the screen.
“I will come aboard within the hour. Please ensure you have a full and detailed briefing for me upon my arrival.”
Clearchus indicated for the Auletes to cut the communication feed to the station, looking to Cyrus for confirmation. The look on his face was a mixture of contempt for the two Medes he had seen on the display and anger at their current situation.
“Yes, I know what you are thinking Clearchus...and you are right of course, something isn’t right, and Menon is not to be trusted.”
The rest of the senior officers returned to their station, apart from Cyrus, Clearchus and Kleandridas. The group of three moved away from the main display and towards a thickly reinforced bulkhead on the right side. Either side on the wall were two large hexagonal shapes; the entrances to escape tunnels for use in emergencies. There was also a command weapons locker that was locked. Only Cyrus paid it any attention when his eyes were drawn to the oddly curved blade that sat inside. He noticed Clearchus watching him and smiled calmly.
“An odd set of weapons to have on the command deck?”
Clearchus smiled back.
“If they get this far inside, then it is going to be up close and bloody. These kinds of weapons are perfect for fighting on board a ship.”
He rubbed his chin with the back of his hand as he thought about the conversation with the Medes on the station. Cyrus’ position wasn’t clear, that was certain, but neither did he seem overly keen on the two.
“Well?” he asked.
“Menon is an interesting one, have you heard of him?”
Clearchus shook his head, and Kleandridas did the same. There was no sense in giving away what they already knew. At least that was what Kleandridas assumed his commander was doing.
“This man is considered an enemy of the state in my Empire. For years he has run a lucrative slave trade out on the border. The trouble is he has been caught selling all races, even Medes to anybody prepared to pay.”
Kleandridas looked highly confused at his explanation.
“It still doesn’t make sense. What is he doing here, and why was he on an unmanned station with nothing but combat drones?” asked Kleandridas.
Cyrus said nothing.
What is he hiding? Clearchus wondered. He was starting to understand the histories he had read as a child. These people cannot be trusted!
“They wish us to meet them on the station, and this sets a precedent whereby your deputy and my ally are starting to call the shots. What if he has his own plans, ones that are incompatible with our own?”
Cyrus nodded slowly in agreement. He looked back at the deck and noticed how the Terrans returned to their posts and duties like insects. Each of them had a job to do, and nothing would distract them. He thought back to the two that awaited them on the station. It was odd, even peculiar, that he felt safer, even more at home on this human warship than he did with his own people. He was, after all, not even human. Kleandridas whispered into the ear of Clearchus. He didn’t say much, but whatever he said, the Laconian commander seemed to like it. Cyrus looked at Clearchus and tried to gauge the Terran’s thoughts. He couldn’t work it out, other than the man seemed to have regained his confidence.
“Strategos, I take it you have a plan?”
Clearchus was certainly never keen to show his emotions, but the wide grin on his face told him everything he needed to know. The Strategos had a plan, and the more he heard about it, the more he liked it.
* * *
Aronton Automated Station, Aronton Sector
Ariaeus and Menon looked at the tactical display from the safety of the executive office on the secondary deck. The video feed from their communication with the Terran Titan was now closed, and they were both able to relax. Menon waved his arm, and two of the damaged combat drones lifted themselves up and stood motionless near the slaver.
“There, you see, my drones are more than capable of functioning, even after multiple pulse impacts.”
Ariaeus nodded in agreement. The machines were of a similar size to a Terran but much broader in the upper body. They lacked complicated hands, and instead were equipped with low velocity pulse weapons and blades. It was clear they were designed to be resilient but limited in their abilities. After all, who wanted machines that could turn on their own side?
Black Legion - The First Trilogy Page 38