I had a sudden flash of an image in my mind. The ore freighters at Maxell… Anterra would know of their existence due to the ships logs stolen from the Garmon.
"Garrett," I said, "sweep those freighters out. Anterra would have known of our trips there and about our hoard of cesium!"
Garrett scrambled. "Crap! Why didn't we think of that!"
I said, "Quan? Do you have sensor ability out to where the ore haulers are stored?"
Quan replied, "I do not. My range is limited to comm distance. Is there something I should know?"
I nodded. "Yes. We believe Anterra knows of the ore we have there. Be prepared to shut yourself down should ships enter that system."
Quan replied, "I am ready."
A short rumble had the Ares swept into the space around Maxell.
I pounded my fist on the armrest of my chair. "Gah! They've already been here! They now have a huge supply of cesium to work with!"
Joni said, "I wouldn't worry too much about where they went."
I asked, "Why not?"
Joni looked into the comm and smiled. "Because I tagged one of those freighters with a QE tag. Hang on... I have its location at half a light-year from Mayanis. Sensors on the tag show twenty-eight of those freighters parked there."
I said, "Pass me the coordinates and let’s get out there."
Joni replied, "Coordinates coming over."
Our two ships made the jump to the Mayanis location.
"I show only one of the portal ships," said Garrett. "Looks like it's being reloaded. Say the word and I'll start chopping it up."
Joni cut in. "Hold on! Why don't we tag it. Maybe we can catch it when it's with the other one. Or we can let it go until later and catch the other one when it comes here to reload."
I replied, "Excellent idea. Garrett, take her in close."
Garrett nodded. "I'll park us right on her hull so we won't be seen when Joni drifts out."
Seconds later, the Jess was sliding up to the aft section of the portal ship. The active skin was taken offline for the second Joni needed to drift through, and a QE tag was placed on the portal ship's hull.
Joni yelled, "They're jumping!"
Joni powered away from the ship as Garrett attempted to make another jump. A portal formed in front of the ship, sweeping back. At the same moment, the rumble of the portal generator on the Jess could be felt. In the flash of a second the portal ship and Garrett were gone.
Joni again yelled, "Garrett! Did you make it?"
The QE comm to Garrett that bounced through the Ares remained silent for several seconds.
Garrett replied, "I'm still here, but I don't know where that is exactly. My gate came up just as the portal swept over me. The generator is blown and I'm without power. I'm still stuck to the hull of the portal ship."
I jumped the Ares close to Joni. She powered aboard.
Joni blinked in on the bridge and ran to a comm console. "Hang on. Well find out where you are. I'm activating that tag. We'll get you out of there!"
Garrett replied, "Uh, no need to rush. I'm being pulled aboard a Tamarin cruiser. The portal ship just jumped again. I don't have any visibility for a star fix... and I'm now aboard the Tamarin ship. Bots are beating on my hull. I'm letting them in so they don't destroy the Jess."
Joni replied, "Tag is online. Data says the portal ship is at Mayanis."
I opened a small portal and performed a quick scan. "The tagged ship is here. And I count about fifteen thousand automated Grotus battlecruisers. No Tamarin vessels."
Joni said, "We have to find out where they took him. Get me to that portal ship so I can get at its jump logs!"
"Hold on," I said. "Jumping us to Mayanis."
Several seconds later we appeared near Mayanis. "Wait! Portal is closing!"
Joni said, "Hold on... checking... crap! They're at Alpha Prime!"
I said, "Jumping."
Garrett said, "Uh, guys. I've got bots taking my suit apart. And... one has a syringe. I may be offline for a while."
Joni yelled, "Garrett? Garrett! We have to get him! What? I just lost his QE connection!"
Quan said, "The QE comm is a bio-implant. Under certain conditions, such as deep sleep or unconsciousness, the connection will not respond. The recipient must to be willing to accept the connection. If a connection is active when those states are entered, the connection may self-terminate. Unless deactivated, it should reconnect when he is once again conscious."
I said, "Let's hope that's the case."
The Ares swept into the space around Alpha Prime.
I said, "I have the portal ship on the nav. I'll sweep you beside it."
Joni blinked out. "Quan? I may need your help getting the logs. I'm sure access will take some time."
Quan replied, "Pass the comm channel to me when you are ready. I will attempt to gain access."
Joni powered onto the bridge of the portal ship. "They're jumping again!"
I said, "Just focus on getting those logs. If that other ship isn't here, I'll follow your jump."
Joni replied, "Don't bother! Just give whatever help you can to Alpha! I'm shutting down these AIs! Getting these logs may take a while."
I surveyed the nav display. Harden's manned New Alliance ships were beginning to engage the new arrivals. I set coordinates into the center of the Alpha sun and began sweeping away at groups of ships. The automated ships countered the first several sweeps by dispersing into random groups that stayed in constant motion as they approached the Alliance warships. It was soon evident that the Alliance ships were inferior.
I said, "This is not looking good for Alpha."
Go walked onto the bridge. "Tell me what I can do?"
I replied, "We have two drillers that came from the Garmon. Send them in."
Go jumped on a console and feverishly typed away on a keyboard as he swiped at holo-displays. The two drillers went into action, exiting a momentarily-open gravity wall on their way out.
Go said, "Drillers are away. What else you got?"
I continued to enter coordinates for sweeps.
Go sat beside me. "Hang on. Let me use the thought command interface of this helmet for entering coordinates. You just push the button to set the portal running."
Go glanced at areas on the nav display. His helmet translated his eye movements into coordinates and entered them into the jump console through a comm interface. As fast as a sweep was done, new coordinates were ready and the activation button pressed.
Joni yelled, "Got a bit of a holdup here. Blocking signal missed an AI. Hang on, ship is sweeping again. More ships coming your way!"
Go cringed, "Whoa! That's another twelve thousand ships!"
I yelled, "Target the bulk of that column!"
My display showed new coordinates. I slapped the button on the console in front of me. In a single sweep, three thousand automated Kergan warships were sent into the fifteen million degree core of the yellow, main sequence star from which Alpha took its name. The sweeps that followed were much less effective.
I said, "I don't know if we can hold them back!"
Joni replied, "The AIs on this ship are offline! I'm jumping it to Maxell!"
Several seconds later, Joni continued, "Quan has the comm and is working to get access. The AIs on this barge are all history. Any chance you can jump out here and pick me up?"
I said, "We'll be right there."
Joni replied, "I'm down on the surface. Quan's bots are all over this thing. It should be safe to leave it."
Quan said, "This ship will not leave this planet except under your orders."
Joni replied, "Good. Just keep working on those logs."
The Ares popped through a wormhole into the Maxell system and then again through another, placing us a kilometer off the ground.
Joni powered up from below and was soon blinking in on the bridge. "Get us back to Alpha!"
Another jump had us back in position.
Joni said, "There's a large force on
the other side of the planet. Jump over there and do your best. I'll take this side."
Go replied, "You’re powering into that mess?"
Joni shrugged, "I've got no choice. If Alpha falls, this whole sector goes with it. Besides, my family is down there. I have to try."
I nodded. "Power out. We'll start with the ships on the other side of the planet."
Joni blinked out and was gone. A quick jump had us once again sweeping enemy ships into the fiery furnace of the Alpha sun.
Two minutes later, Joni said, "Scratch one battlecruiser. Moving to the next..."
Chapter 23
* * *
The battle for Alpha Prime raged for several hours. The New Alliance forces continued to lose ground.
Harden Salton yelled at his console. "Joni? Where are you? We need your help! We need that portal ship!"
Joni replied, "You'll have to be patient! We're doing all we can up here."
Harden looked at the console with an angry face. "Whatever you're doing, we... are... losing!"
Joni yelled back. "Your ass needs to be patient! I said we're doing all we can! Just make sure our family is in that room with you. Now stay off this comm until the bots are knocking at your door!"
An explosion could be heard over Joni's comm as another Grotus ship broke apart.
I asked, "Quan? How's getting that log coming?"
Quan replied, "I believe I will have access within the hour."
Go looked at me. "I don't think we have an hour left here. There's only about a thousand of those Alliance ships left. We're only sweeping two at a time at best now."
I replied, "Twenty minutes and those ships will be entering the atmosphere. That's two billion people down there, and we can't protect them."
The fighting around Alpha continued. Ship debris from both fleets littered the space around the capital planet of the Salton Empire.
Joni opened a comm to her uncle. "Why haven't any of the other ruling families come to your aid?"
Harden replied, "They have sworn allegiance to the Grotus, with promises of keeping their fiefdoms. They are fools."
A voice could be heard behind Harden. "Sir! The first ship has entered the atmosphere! There's another! They are heading this way!"
Harden replied, "Activate the city guns."
Pearl white domes opened slowly, on each a dozen large ion cannons. Bright blue bolts flew up into the heavens as more and more of the Grotus battlecruisers descended.
Harden sighed. "Here they come."
One by one the buildings housing the defense guns were scorched. As the cannons fell, more ships entered the skies surrounding the capitol.
The shaky voice behind Harden said, "Two cruisers approaching the compound, Sir!"
Harden replied, "Activate the last line."
Hundreds of mid-sized ion cannons bellowed their destructive bolts into the air. The first battlecruiser to arrive was overwhelmed. Plating flew from its underbelly as if were cheese being run over a grater. The great ship plowed into a nearby field, shaking the very ground where the once powerful, but now meek, Harden Salton stood.
As the second ship began to pound the positions of the cannons, they fell silent one by one. A third ship landed by the compound and thousands of armed autobots streamed out. Orange particle beams were met with the blue bolts of the Salton compound guards. Two additional battlecruisers landed nearby, disgorging thousands more of the autobots.
Harden looked at his console. "Joni, you said to call you when they were knocking on the door... they're here."
Joni came over the comm: "Knog, I need you to target the room with the QE tag. Sweep everyone out of that room and into your bay."
Joni replied to Harden: "Please tell me everyone is there?"
Harden slowly nodded. "We're all here, but not for long. If you have something planned, now would be a good time to put it in play."
Joni said, "Knog? Please do this for me."
I entered the coordinates and pushed the button.
As the ship rumbled, I turned to Go. "Take a blaster down there, disarm them all. Put them on the crew quarters deck until we figure out what to do with them."
I brought up the camera feed from the docking bay. "Joni, they're here. Go will escort them to the crew quarters. I'm jumping to you."
Joni sighed and nodded. "Thank you. I'll make sure they aren't trouble."
Quan said, "I have the logs. The ship jumped to Odenta. From what data I see, Odenta has been turned into a ship factory for the Tamarin Corporation."
Joni blinked in on the bridge. "Great, the Tamarins didn't like Knog to start with."
I said, "Setting coordinates to Odenta."
Seconds later, we were swept into the Odenta system.
I took a deep breath. "There are no living beings in this system. The factories and those ships are all automated."
Joni collapsed into a pile on the bridge deck.
I stood, walked, and knelt beside her. "This doesn't mean he's dead. Garrett's out there, we'll find him."
Joni removed her helmet as she sobbed. "I need him, Knog. I love him. I know I act all tough, but he's the one I'm always trying to impress. I can't lose him."
Joni rubbed her eyes. "We keep losing whole populations of people. How can you keep it together?"
I said, "I don't have time to feel sorrow or remorse. Everything is spinning out of control and the only way we'll get it back is if we keep our focus and keep fighting through this. My family is out there too. If I give into the feelings of sorrow and dread, what good will it do them. Why do we mourn when the fight is not yet over?"
Joni looked up. "I can't lose him, Knog. Why has there been no QE connection?"
I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. "They have no reason to kill him, Joni. He has valuable information. They will first take him to Parmesen for interrogation."
Raptor walked over, nudging Joni in the back with his nose.
Joni turned and pulled him close. "Help me get Daddy back, Rappie."
Go returned to the bridge. "Our guests are locked down on the crew deck. I told Harden the first person that touches a comm or computer interface gets spaced. I think at the moment he's happy to have been rescued."
Go looked down. "What happened here?"
I shook my head. "Garrett's not here. I did a deep scan. No living beings showed."
Go was silent for a moment. "Well, yeah, they must have taken him somewhere else, that's all."
I stood, helping Joni to her feet. "Set the coordinates for a jump to Parmesen. It was a Tamarin ship that took in the Jess. If they took him somewhere, it would be Parmesen."
A portal was opened to the Parmesen system. The Ares slipped quietly through.
Joni sat in a chair, wiping her eyes. "Where do we start?"
I pointed at the nav display. "I think we start at the Gargos Elite station. That's where they held him before."
A quick jump placed us beside the station.
Joni powered off the Ares and onto the orbiting station. Gargos Elite rose nearly a hundred stories with each story housing a square kilometer of space. Large docking bays covered the top and bottom with a set of smaller bays, allowing the diplomats and trade ministers to come and go as they pleased.
Joni said, "I'm cutting to it and going right to the holding facility where they kept him last time."
I replied, "In Garrett's absence, I would just like to say, be careful."
We watched on her video feed as Joni powered to a stop. "Sixteen cells here. First four are empty. That's interesting. The next two have Grotus in them. Four more empty. Two empty and one in the remaining four. Not Garrett."
I asked, "When you were here before, did you explore?"
Joni replied, "Extensively. If I had to get him out of here I wanted to know the layout. These are the only holding cells on this station. There are two of those warships parked out there that could have tractored him in. I'm powering out to check them now."
Two minutes later
, Joni came to a stop. "Bay of this ship is empty. Give me a second to find the brig... got it. Empty. Moving to the next one."
Another minute passed before Joni said, "Bay is empty... brig, empty. I'll head down to the surface."
I replied, "Hold right where you are and I'll sweep you down there."
Ten seconds later the rumble of the portal generator placed Joni a hundred meters above the Tamarin trade facility where I had been tried and convicted of contract breach.
Joni powered down to the closest building and stopped. "Let's start with the trade board's chambers."
After a short burst of her BHD, Joni was in the high court chambers. "Yep, looks like they are trying some other poor sap."
I said, "Go out the door to your left. Down the hall, take the first left. There was another holding facility there."
Joni replied, "Give me a sec... OK, I have five cells that are occupied with Tamarins. Moving on. Empties. More Tamarins. Wait... is that Darba Wampros?"
I looked and nodded. "It is. Hold right there."
I turned to Go. "Run down to the bay. I'm bringing Mr. Wampros up."
Go stood and hurried away.
"Joni," I said, "I'm bringing Darba up. Maybe he can be of help."
Five seconds later, Darba Wampros was sitting on a bench in the middle of the docking bay.
Go walked up with a blaster in his hand. "Mr. Wampros, please come with me."
Darba glanced around the bay with a confused look on his face. "How... how did I get here?"
Go gestured with the blaster. "Just come with me."
Darba walked onto the deck of the bridge with Go following behind. "Mr. Beutcher? What is happening?"
I pointed to a chair. "Have a seat, Darba. We have a few questions we'd like to ask."
Raptor walked over to the Tamarin diplomat, nudging him into his seat.
Darba sat with a nervous look on his face as he looked down at the Human pet. "What is it you want of me, Mr. Beutcher?"
I sat beside him. "Does Parmesen have a high security prison where they would take a valued prisoner?"
Darba replied, "What?"
I again asked, "Where would Garrett Rourke be taken if he was captured?"
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