‘We could scan for it!’ Bara realized, laughing.
Captain Beric looked up from his console. ‘You’ve found something?’
‘Maybe,’ Galen cautioned.
‘Scan the region for Ganium-trioxide emissions, Commander,’ Bara said, sensing a flicker of hope.
Beric called to his science officer, relaying Bara’s idea.
‘Scanning,’ Beric announced after a moment. ‘Data coming in . . .’ His face brightened, and he smiled.
‘Brace for impact!’ Lieutenant Thomas called out.
Bara had no time to respond. The entire flight deck seemed to twist and buckle. The lights died, and she felt the familiar pain of decompression. The air rushed over her skin as the pressure fell. The evacuation alarm sounded, and Bara hit her harness release, falling from her chair. She looked to find Galen, but he was gone. Smoke filled the space once more, a defiant whirlwind of caustic, choking soot. Bara turned towards the exit, stumbling as the floor listed. In the dark confusion, her foot caught on something and she fell to the ground, hitting her head. The air was getting thinner, harder to breathe and she felt dizzy and uncertain. She tried to stand but the effort was too great. Her mouth opened, gasping for air but the dark smoke burned her lungs. Bara closed her stinging eyes, wishing the pain would end.
STATE OF FEAR
‘The Benwick is listing,’ Commander Watson said, analyzing the data on her console. ‘I think the flight deck took a hit.’
Halstead’s body trembled with fear. Bara would be on the flight deck. ‘Bring us closer. We’ll use the Caerleon to shield the Benwick. Keep trying the com.’
As they slowed to within a few hundred meters of the other ship, the Caerleon began to shake under the onslaught of enemy fire.
‘Orders?’ Watson asked.
An image of Faron Dulac came to Halstead’s mind, of the sacrifice he made to save others. ‘We stay as long as we can. We’ll take on any lifeboats from the Benwick. And get a com line harpooned to them. We need to be able to talk to them.’
The flight deck echoed to the sound of distant missile strikes, and Halstead knew they could not last long here.
‘Harpoon away,’ Watson said. ‘Contact with the Benwick, tapping into their internal com system . . .’
A multitude of voices could be heard, all overlapping with each other, broadcasting the state of fear inside the Benwick.
‘. . . casualties in the hab levels, need medics here . . .’
‘. . . orders for the fighters? What’s happening on the flight deck?’
‘Is evac authorized? I’ve got hundreds of people on the lifeboat dock. Can someone . . .’
‘. . . need help here. There’s too many casualties.’
‘Hull breech on flight deck. We need med teams!’
Halstead listened, feeling more and more helpless. ‘Record all of this. People have to know what’s happening here. Launch our medical shuttles to the Benwick.’
‘We’ll need them here soon,’ Watson complained.
‘I know that!’ Halstead barked, frustrated. ‘Just do it.’
SURVIVORS
‘Can you hear me?’
There were so many voices, but this one was close to her, whispering in her ear. She licked her lips, tasting dirt and grit against her dry tongue. She coughed, clearing her throat, then she tried to open her eyes, but daggers of pain coursed through them, striking deep into her head. She closed them again, waiting for the sensation to pass, then, slowly, Bara tried to see again.
‘Mother?’
The voice was Galen’s, but he was just a dark blur against a nauseous white background.
‘Are you okay?’ she asked, reaching out to touch him.
‘Yes, yes, I’m fine,’ he said, holding her in his arms. He seemed like a giant, and she a tiny, ancient woman, weak and frail.
‘The flight deck is gone,’ Galen explained. ‘We barely made it. The captain . . . he’s still in there. He got everyone out, but . . .’
Bara glanced at the giant airlock doors that sealed the flight deck off from the rest of the ship. The little windows were just rectangles of blackness. There was no life beyond them, and Bara felt the sting of guilt and remorse at the loss of her old friend.
She stood, knowing she had to act quickly, finding Lieutenant Thomas in amongst the stunned officers. ‘You’re acting Captain now, Thomas. Can we set up a command station here?’ she asked him. ‘The Caerleon is out there somewhere, and we have to speak to them. I know how to find those Church arkships.’
TARGETS
‘We’ve got a signal coming from the Benwick,’ Commander Watson said hopefully.
Prince Halstead smiled. ‘Put it through!’
‘. . . arkship Caerleon, can you hear me?’
‘Yes, we hear you, Benwick. What’s your situation?’ Watson replied.
‘Flight deck is compromised, we’re badly damaged, but there’s something we want you to try.’
Halstead grinned, recognizing the woman’s voice immediately.
‘Bara?’ he said, taking the com unit. ‘It’s Halstead. It’s good to hear your voice. Is Galen alright?’
‘Yes, he’s here. Listen, we want you to scan the region for Ganium-trioxide emissions. Can you do that?’
Halstead found the science officer, an older man who he thought was called Grant. The man nodded, rushing to his station to begin the search.
‘Yes,’ Halstead said to Bara,’ we’re doing it.’
‘Good. If you get any signals within the Span there’s a good chance that you’ll find Church arkships there.’
‘Okay, we’ll do our best. Do you need to evacuate the Benwick?’
There was a pause, and Halstead got the impression that Bara was discussing this with the others there.
‘We’re staying put for now. We’ve set up a temporary command station and we have flight control again.’
Grant shouted from his post: ‘I’ve got something, a Ganium-trioxide spike.’ He checked his console again. ‘Four signals, close together.’
Halstead looked at Watson. ‘You have a target, Commander.’
Watson nodded, a determined grimace on her face as she shouted her orders to the weapons officers.
‘Bara?’ Halstead said into the com. ‘I’ve sent you a set of coordinates. If you have weapons control, target this location.’
‘Got it. We’ll do our best. Benwick out.’
With a growing sense of relief, Halstead leaned into his chair, watching the commander’s stern face. His mind was clear now, his thoughts focused once more.
‘Missiles away,’ Watson said quietly. ‘Receiving good telemetry.’ A screen appeared in amongst the holograph date showing a hazy image. In the center of the image was a dot of light which grew with each passing second.
‘Missile nose cam,’ Watson explained.
The dot of light grew, forming four distinct shapes, getting larger and larger. As the missile neared its target, the image broke apart, just a sea of noise, but Halstead had recognized them before the picture had disappeared.
‘Church arkships,’ he said under his breath.
‘Confirmed strikes,’ one of the Caerleon’s flight deck officers said to Halstead. ‘We’ve sent our fighters to that location.’
‘That will buy us some time,’ Halstead replied.
The bombardment had stopped, but there was still an air of panic and confusion, and Halstead knew they were far from safety.
He unbuckled his harness and walked over to Commander Watson, speaking quietly. ‘Do you think we can make it out of this?’
‘The gas is closing in again. If we can get underway, we should be able to hide from them again.’
‘But we can still find them because of the Ganium-trioxide emissions.’
‘Correct,’ Watson said. ‘They still outgun us, but if we can find some cover, we would have the advantage.’
Halstead nodded. ‘Good enough. Keep the pressure on them until we can get us and the Ben
wick moving.’
Halstead returned to his chair, allowing himself a moment of calm, feeling that they might still get out of this situation.
‘New contact!’ someone called. ‘Arkship just dropped out of Cube transit, right on top of us.’
SILENCE
‘Enemy contact,’ Commodore Berg announced.
‘Right on target,’ Valine said, satisfied.
‘Shall we open fire?’
Valine pondered this, then she picked up the com. ‘Arkships Berwick and Caerleon. You have attacked Church arkships. Cease fire and surrender immediately, or face destruction for your crimes.’
Theatrically, she dropped the com on the console, wallowing in the moment. All of this was being transmitted to the fleet ships. Valine had given the prince a chance. She had to be seen to be fair.
‘No response.’ Berg said with a hint of pleasure.
‘They have received our message?’
‘Yes, all com systems operating.’
Valine nodded. ‘Give them hell.’
BATTLEFRONT
Halstead watched the swarm of fire coming towards them from the Haukr with a sensation of dread in his stomach. Valine hadn’t wasted any time in cementing her position, and he knew she wouldn’t stop until he was dead.
‘Church arkships are moving this way. We’re fighting a battle on two fronts,’ Watson said quickly. ‘Five arkships . . . we can’t hope to win this one.’
‘How is the Benwick doing?’ Halstead checked, hoping for a miracle.
‘No Cube drive any time soon. We’re limping away.’
Halstead cursed himself for not seeing this coming. He had grown complacent, allowing himself to trust Valine against his better judgement, and he wondered why he had been so stupid. ‘I should have killed her years ago.’
Watson looked up at him, about to say something, then seemed to think better of it.
‘You can blame me if we survive this,’ Halstead said to her.
The bombardment intensified, tilting the vessel to an uneasy angle. The walls shook, sending consoles and equipment tumbling across the flight deck.
‘Prep for Cube transit,’ he told Watson. ‘Contact the Benwick, we’ll get everyone over here if we have to, then we can–’
A new alarm sounded, and the holograph turned to show a new arrival close to the Caerleon.
‘Identifying the Leof,’ an officer called.
‘That’s Strom’s command,’ Watson noted quietly.
Halstead smiled with relief. ‘Good, put me through.’
The com system distorted, then a voice emerged. ‘This is Commander Strom of the arkship Leof . . .’
‘Glad you’re here,’ Halstead began. ‘Put yourself between us and the Haukr and–’
Strom cut in. ‘You are guilty of crimes against the Church of the Infinite. We no longer recognize you as the leader of the House of Kenric. You will stand down.’
ALLIES
‘More arkships are converging here,’ an officer reported to Bara. ‘Looks like the Draig fleet. The Prophecy is also leading the Church arkships to our position.’
‘Any chance of getting the Cube drive back online?’ Bara asked.
‘It’s going to take days to repair.’
Bara nodded, looking at her son and thinking of all the families they had on board. ‘Sound the evacuation alarm. Get to the hanger decks. We’ll take our chances in the escape pods and shuttles.’
‘They’ll pick us off one by one,’ Galen said bitterly.
‘No, not even Valine would kill defenseless civilians. They might be taken prisoner for a while but at least they’ll still be alive.’ She turned to the newly appointed Captain Thomas. ‘Put me through to the Caerleon.’
The link connected and Halstead’s voice boomed over their makeshift command post. ‘Bara, how’re you doing over there?’
‘We’re abandoning ship. If you’re able to Cube transit, can you take some of our people?’
‘We’ll take you all,’ he said quickly.
‘There’s no time for that. You need to get out of here quickly.’
The com fizzed. ‘We’re not leaving without you, Bara.’
‘You have to!’ Bara replied angrily. That fool would get them all killed if he didn’t leave quickly. She could hear the relentless bombardment crippling her arkship, and she knew the same was happening over on the Caerleon.
A new voice broke over the com system. ‘This is where your heresy has led you, to an anonymous death . . .’
‘The Scribe,’ Bara muttered angrily.
The transmission continued. ‘Only those who walk in the light of the Infinite Gods are worthy of their gifts. They have judged you and found you unworthy of life.’
‘Cut him off,’ Bara ordered.
‘More incoming arkships,’ someone called, but Bara was hardly listening. They were already completely outnumbered. What difference would more arkships make?
‘Three . . . six . . . eight . . . twelve arkships, plus sixty gunships and fighters,’ an officer called out.
Bara braced herself, expecting the onslaught to increase, but instead the bombardment stopped. She checked the holograph and saw that the new arrivals weren’t firing at them, they were attacking the Draig and Church arkships instead. Their weapons were different to anything Bara had seen before; lines of fierce light which cut into the enemy vessels with ease.
The com burst into life once more, and a voice that Bara recognized began to speak. ‘Arkships Caerleon and Benwick, this is Regional Director Gilani of the Merred family. Do you need assistance?’
Bara stared in disbelief. Trembling, she picked up the com unit, trying to speak calmly. ‘This is Bara Delaterre of the House of Dulac. Your assistance is appreciated, Gilani. We have multiple casualties on both arkships.’
‘Stand by, I have a message to send first.’ Gilani paused, clearing his throat. ‘To the so-called Church of the Infinite and its allies: we are the Merred family, I’m sure you’ve heard of us. These vessels are under our protection. I’d advise you to leave, while you still can.’
‘Thank you,’ Bara laughed.
‘Sorry we left it so late,’ Gilani replied. ‘As I told you, the Merred family is slow and patient.’
LAST STAND
Valine stared at the holograph, waiting for it to correct its display glitch. It was showing a fleet of twelve arkships plus support craft bearing down on them. She presumed it was a data ghost, a shower of debris misinterpreted by their scanners, but as she double-checked the information on her console, she realized that the fleet was real.
‘Who are they?’ she demanded, feeling trapped.
Before anyone could answer, the Haukr was struck by an energy weapon from one of the arkships.
‘High density beam,’ Commodore Berg said, reading from his console. ‘They just sliced our engine section off.’
‘What do you mean, ‘off’?’
He punched his console and the holograph displayed a three-dimensional representation of the Haukr. The long body of the arkship was in two pieces, its engine section drifting away from the rest of the vessel.
‘How? How is that possible?’ Valine gasped.
‘I . . . I don’t know,’ Berg replied quickly, ‘but we’re getting a message from one of their arkships,’
The shaking flight deck filled with the oddly triumphant voice: ‘To the so-called Church of the Infinite and its allies: we are the Merred family, I’m sure you’ve heard of us. These vessels are under our protection. I’d advise you to leave, while you still can.’
‘Merred?’ Valine whispered, incredulous. She had not expected this. All of her planning was falling apart, and cool logic gave way to primal rage. ‘Fire on those ships. Give them everything we have!’
Berg hesitated. ‘We are outgunned.’
‘Kill them!’ she screamed into his face.
‘Admiral, our engines are gone. We can barely maneuver. If we call on the Leof to tow us, we might be able to–’
Valine launched herself forward, her screaming face close to Berg’s. ‘Do not question my orders!’
The commodore stared into her eyes, then turned away. ‘Yes, Admiral.’
Valine watched him as he ordered the launch of their entire arsenal. The missiles shot towards the enemy arkships, but as they closed on their targets they disappeared from the holograph.
‘Missile contact lost.’ Berg reported.
‘Where did they go?’
‘Disabled, somehow.’
Before Valine could respond, the enemy arkships opened fire again, focusing their beams on the Haukr and the Prophecy. There was a deafening twisting of metal as the flight deck lost power. The ship seemed to tilt, throwing Valine across the deck, then the grav lines failed. Around her, the flight deck began to crumble as beams and bulkheads speared the ceiling. The arkship was being torn apart, and Valine’s sense of preservation took hold, propelling her towards the doors. In the confusing darkness, sparks lit the way, flashes of terror in between screams of blackness. Fire took hold, spreading in an eerie micro-gravity dance that clawed at her body. She pulled herself clear, stumbling towards the escape pods, opening up the hatch to one of them and falling inside.
It was one of the executive pods, designed for the flight deck crew, with seats for eight people. Valine sealed the door, about to turn towards the central control console, when she heard banging on the door. Through the glass, she saw Reader Aditsan, his old face blackened and burned.
‘Please,’ he shouted, his voice muffled by the hatch. ‘Let me in!’
‘Take another,’ she shouted, turning to begin the launch sequence.
‘This is the last one in this section,’ Aditsan cried. ‘I can’t make it any further. You have to let me in.’
She turned back to look at him, feeling disgusted. ‘No, I don’t. You are not worth saving.’
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