by B. V. Larson
Like a scythe, a great curving oval of light and radiation opened in their midst. Taken by surprise and hemmed in by their formation, a half-dozen vessels simply plowed into the rim, slicing their hulls into strips. They hit the edges in a kaleidoscope of colors and kept going—half their mass in our universe and half of it sailing into hyperspace.
The ship in the center of it all accelerated into the yawning maelstrom it had created. It ignored all the carnage around it, and she never fired a shot at us in revenge. Instead, every beam, every ounce of power, was used to protect her own precious hull.
I watched as the enemy slipped away into hyperspace, along with perhaps ten others that had survived intact. A hundred missiles smashed down behind her, raining upon the confused mass she’d left behind.
After that, the battle was over. Ursahn ordered her ships to ceasefire when it was clear the surviving Gref ships were only trying to flee.
Mia wanted to shoot them in the fantails—but I didn’t let her. We’d seen enough devastation today—all of it Rebel-on-Rebel. Somewhere, I knew, the Imperials and the Nomads were both laughing at us. We were barbarian fools too simple-minded to know who their real enemies were.
“Ursahn is contacting us, Captain,” Chang said.
“Open it—privately.”
Ursahn was all teeth and shaggy arms. She shook her clasped limbs over her head in victory.
“That was amazing!” she told me. “How did you know that was Fex? How did you know he would run like that?”
“An educated guess,” I said.
The truth was, of course, I’d only wanted to go out in a blaze of glory. Figuring we were as good as dead, I thought it only right Fex should join us—the rest had been a combination of good fortune and selfishness on Fex’s part.
“It’s amazing…” she repeated happily. “But one thing I don’t understand…”
“What’s that?”
“Where did Alpha Fleet go? They never showed themselves.”
I smiled at her. “You are the reason for that. Your people did so well, you fought so hard and gloriously, you exceeded all our carefully laid plans. The phase-ships never reached their optimal range before the battle had already been won.”
Ursahn beamed. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. This battle was won cleanly. We—none of us—need hang our heads in shame. We fought and battled until they destroyed themselves out of fear. There can be no better outcome.”
“I absolutely agree with you. Congratulations Ursahn, and Earth thanks you for your help and sacrifice. We owe your world a great debt.”
“No!” she boomed. “We served honor today. If anything, we owe you Earthlings for keeping our victory so pure.”
“As you wish.”
We signed off, and I seriously wasn’t sure who was happier about the outcome.
Less than an hour later, when we’d all turned around and begun thrusting toward home again, a message came in from Earth Command.
I opened the channel wreathed in smiles. To share the moment with the rest of my crew, I relayed it to the central holoprojector. My crewmen hooted and cheered.
It wasn’t going to be a conversation, we were too far out for that. But I expected to be praised mightily for the greatest victory ever recorded in the Solar System. It would be good for my people to share in the glory of recognition from home. After all, we’d saved billions of their asses out here in space.
“Captain Blake,” Admiral Vega began in a serious tone, “this is an official message from Earth Command.”
I toasted Vega, thrusting a victory beer toward his looming image and taking a swig. My faceplate was open and my gloves were off. Beer spilled down into my suit and cooled my chest, but I didn’t care.
All over the ship, damage crews were working hard, but my work was done except for thoughtful management.
Behind Vega, I saw a number of dour officials. They weren’t military people, they were suits—government types.
“From what we can see, your ship has survived the battle in space. For that valiant effort, we’re all grateful to you and your crew. In fact, I want you to know, that I insisted this formal transmission be withheld until now. After all, we had no idea if you’d live through the battle or not.”
Along about then, a portion of my mind began to understand this wasn’t the message I’d been expecting.
“Chang,” I said, “they love us back home, but I think this is private business. Switching the channel to my sym directly.”
I clammed up, closing my faceplate, sitting back in my seat, and listening with my sym. It played upon my mind and created imagery. I was there, sitting among those who’d transmitted the message from Earth.
This way, I could look around at them. They couldn’t see me, but they stared in my direction. To them, I looked like a video pick-up.
“…the nature of the crimes are too complex and detailed to go into now. Suffice it to say, you’ve been charged with murder by a member of the Nomad peoples. We all know him as Godwin. Another Nomad came to Earth to lodge his concerns, and our government has taken the issue very seriously.”
Dumbfounded, I continued to listen. I wanted more beer, but I knew I’d have to open my helmet to drink it. Instead, I sat in stony silence.
“Now, I know you’re a war hero and all, and nothing said today will ever take that away from you. Those of us in the chain of command wish to—”
Someone in the room behind Vega cleared their throat loudly. Vega broke off and looked sidelong. A moment later, he continued in a less conciliatory tone.
“As I said, you’ve been charged with the murder of a diplomat. Another of their kind came here to inform us, and to provide recorded evidence. Accordingly, I have no choice other than to remove you from command, effective immediately, pending a full investigation. Please inform Commander Hagen he’s now the acting captain aboard Devilfish and confine yourself to your quarters.”
Vega looked around the circle of unfriendly government suits defiantly, as if to ask whether that was good enough for them. None of them took the bait. They didn’t say a word.
“That’s it, Leo… I’m sorry, and I wish you all the best. Admiral Vega out.”
The message ended, but I just sat there in my chair with my faceplate flipped shut. Finally, a big pair of knuckles rapped on the plastic.
I flipped it open. Samson was standing there, looking down at me.
“Here’s a fresh beer,” he said, taking my last one from my limp fingers. “Looks like you need one.”
I took the beer, and I downed it. As I did so, I wondered how Samson knew what was up before the rest of them. They were all in party-mode, cheering and laughing.
Sometimes Samson could be pretty intuitive for a big, mean, oaf of a man.
=62=
The trip back to Earth was miserable. Not only did I have to spend the majority of the voyage squatting in my quarters, but I got to spend a lot of that quality time with Mia—and she wasn’t happy.
“I don’t understand humans at all,” she complained for approximately the fiftieth time. “How can they do this to you? I have a solution. You should—”
“Yes, I know,” I interrupted. “I should retake command of my ship and overthrow my corrupt, short-sighted government.”
“It’s the right thing to do,” she told me firmly, putting her hands on her curvaceous hips. “Not just for you, but for all of Earth. They’re fools. No warlord of Ral would put up with this treatment.”
I recalled there were precedents in history. In ancient Rome, conquering heroes returning home from abroad were viewed with legitimate suspicion. Julius Caesar was the most famous example, deciding to cross the Rubicon River in violation of Roman law, taking his legion directly toward Rome herself.
“Such things have happened in the past,” I admitted, “but I’m a loyal captain. I’m not going to start a rebellion.”
Mia made a sound that could only indicate disgust. She continued strutting around
the room, complaining and gesturing broadly.
I soon lost interest in her words, as I’d been forced to endure them for days already. Instead, I enjoyed the view and tried not to become angry.
Before either of us lost control completely, I received a call.
“Captain Blake?” Commander Hagen said in my ear. “We’re sliding into high orbit right now. I thought you should know.”
“Thank you, Commander.”
Mia stared at me angrily. “You shouldn’t thank him. He’s probably in on it. He probably wants your ship permanently.”
“Such things do happen,” I admitted, “but Hagen isn’t that kind of guy. He’s just following orders.”
Mia snorted again and went back to pacing. I left her there, touching up my uniform to its best, and then moved myself to the docking port. Devilfish had arrived at orbital station Zeta without more than a single phase-ship guarding us.
Seeing the lack of defenses, I was driven to wonder at how easily a coup could be pulled off…
Giving myself a shake, I greeted the four marines that appeared at my side.
“We’re here to escort you down to Command, sir,” their leader said. “Sorry, sir.”
“Not at all,” I said, “thanks for the color guard, boys.”
At least they didn’t handcuff me. As a peaceful gesture, I’d left my sidearm in my quarters, which made things easier for everyone.
Less than half an hour later, we were riding a golf-cart down into Cheyenne Mountain. Cold, rough-hewn granite walls rushed by. I couldn’t help but wonder why they were holding the trial underground, rather than in the larger base outside.
No matter, I told myself. One way or the other, their message was the same: they were in charge, not me.
Once down in the cool depths of the mountain, I was left in a cell to await my fate. I stretched out in a provided chair and took a nap.
When someone tapped on the door, I didn’t respond. It opened almost timidly—then was thrown wide.
“There he is—asleep!”
The voice was feminine and familiar. I tipped my service cap up and blinked. “Lael? What are you doing here? Did they arrest you, too?”
She snarled at me and stalked into the room. Her hands were shackled behind her back.
“I’m a slave now, the same as you,” she complained.
“You’re most certainly not a slave, Madam,” a prissy officer said behind her. “This is a trial, not a punishment.”
“They’re all one and the same. Political prisoners breathe at the sufferance of their masters.”
“Madam,” the small man said severely, “again, you’re not a political prisoner, you’re a witness at this trial—not a defendant.”
Lael released a nasty laugh. She waved her cuffed wrists at him.
“Then release me, worm!”
“Unfortunately, you’ve shown violent tendencies. We’ve been forced to—”
“Oh right, you’ve been forced to chain a female. Are Imperial Kher so powerful to Earthmen, so threatening, that they cause you to reek from fear and urine?”
“Please, Madam, just sit down. We need you as a cooperative witness against Captain Blake.”
“That I can do,” she said, setting herself down on a steel chair opposite me. The insult of recent events seemed fresh in her mind.
“You’ve cleaned up some since the last time I saw you,” I remarked off-handedly. “I don’t smell a thing.”
Her face reddened. It probably wasn’t the best policy to taunt a witness who’s about to be used against you—but I couldn’t help it. The doctors never had been able to repair Dr. Williams eye. The girl was going to have to wear a prosthetic one for life.
More and more people kept filing in after that. I didn’t bother to remember their names or ranks, although they all provided them. Most of them wore uniforms, but they looked like suits to me.
At last, Admiral Vega showed up. He was to preside over this event as the lead judge. I gave him a nod, but he didn’t return it.
Was that a bad omen, or just him being political? I wasn’t sure.
A few members of my crew were there, including Hagen and—to my surprise—Dr. Abrams.
They kicked off with a listing of crimes I was supposed to have committed. It could never be enough to just say you killed a man—they always had to put all kinds of garnishment on it.
The small prissy guy sat next to me at my side of the steel table, and it took me about five minutes to realize he was my court-appointed lawyer.
“Hold on a second,” I said when they’d finished with the charges.
“Do you have an objection already, Captain Blake?”
I jerked a thumb at the lawyer. “I’ve never met this man before. Aren’t we supposed to have time to review the case and discuss a strategy and so forth?”
Vega gave me a cold stare. “The process has been altered somewhat in this special instance.”
“Why?”
The lawyer put his tiny fingers on my sleeve, cautioning me to settle down. I ignored him. No one else answered me.
“This isn’t due process then,” I told the group, “and I can only assume the verdict is pre-cooked.”
“You’re out of order, Blake,” Vega said.
Looking around the group, I saw people averting their eyes and fidgeting. I must have hit close to home.
“No, I’m getting railroaded.”
“Further statements can only damage—”
I made a broad gesture, and the marines at the door flinched.
“It doesn’t matter what I say here,” I said. “I can see that. You’ve decided to put on a show-trial and execute me or whatever. What I’d like to know is what the Nomads offered Earth to do this…? What could be so valuable you’d dishonor yourselves and kill your best officer in the bargain…?”
Some of the suits were getting red in the face. They leaned forward and hissed in Vega’s ear. He nodded reluctantly.
“As the defendant is uncooperative, we’re going to remove him and try him in absentia. Guards?”
They stepped forward and grabbed my elbows. I was truly surprised by this—I’d figured they’d tell me to shut up and yell a bit—but this indicated I’d guessed dead-on what was happening.
“Wait,” Lael said suddenly.
For some reason, the group looked at her. Vega lifted his hand.
“What is it, Captain?”
“Blake is right—he’s a beast, but he deserves to be treated with honor. Imperials, Rebels—all Kher believe in a fair trial. Except for some of the worst primates, that is. What has the Nomad offered you? Whatever it is—it’s a trap. A bargain with a phantom. You’ll never collect.”
Admiral Vega looked disturbed, but he waved his hand furiously. “Get them both out of here.”
Together, Lael and I were dragged from the court by large armed men.
“Hey,” I tossed over my shoulder, “for what it’s worth—thanks.”
“You’re a rodent, Blake,” she said, “but the Nomads are infinitely worse. They’ll use your race. We kill for sport—but they whisper and promise and lie. Who’s worse? The devil who abuses you honestly, or the one who convinces you he’s your best friend first?”
We were dragged apart before I could answer. That was just as well, as I didn’t have a snappy comeback to her words.
The truth was I didn’t know what kind of devil I preferred.
=63=
Less than an hour later they came and dragged me out of a holding cell. I’d like to say I’d been able to break out, or fool the guards into letting me go—but I’d only managed to shout and bang on the door for a while.
When they finally came downstairs to my door and rattled at the old-fashioned locks, I was hauled out again without a word.
One of the guards took pity on me and spoke quietly. “For my sake, sir,” he said, “I think this is all bullshit, and I’m very sorry to be a part of it.”
“Thanks, Sergeant. It’s not y
our fault. When governments get scared or greedy—they sometimes do awful things.”
When I arrived back at the chamber where the court was to be held, I was met with a wholly unexpected scene.
There was a body on the floor. A thin, willowy female… she’d been shot in the head.
“You killed her?” I asked, running my eyes over the silent group. “You executed Captain Lael?”
“A choice had to be made,” Vega said. “A deal was forged.”
That was when I noticed the new member of the group. It was none other than Godwin himself, wearing the skin he’d worn when I’d first met him.
“There you are,” I said, “I was wondering when you’d crawl out from under one of these rocks.”
“Good to see you again too, Captain,” Godwin said calmly.
“Am I to be executed next?” I asked.
“That’s the deal,” Vega said. “Sorry, Blake.”
I nodded thoughtfully. “I’m trying to figure this out… Are you trying to blame Earth for the Imperial’s execution? Trying to divert them here sooner?”
Godwin shook his head. “Unnecessary. You’re already, as we say, on the menu.”
I looked at Vega. “Then they must be offering weapons—something to defend our planet?”
“That’s right.”
The marines behind me were chaining me into a steel chair. I got the feeling I wasn’t going to be getting out of it alive.
“Still…” I said thoughtfully to the Nomad, “executing me doesn’t add up to a win for either side. Is it just that you wanted me dead in order to remove a competent officer?”
“How disappointing,” Godwin said. “I would have thought you’d know better than that. How can you battle the Imperials without your best on the line?”
“Why then?”
He came close and leaned forward. “Because,” he said, “you pissed me off back on your ship.”
“Petty personal vengeance? Really?”
Godwin shrugged and made a gesture indicating the group. “We aren’t above it.”