by Jim C. Hines
“How the hell are we going to do that?” asked Wolf. “One busted cruiser against four Prodryan war fleets?”
“Wolf, stop undermining your captain on an open channel,” snapped Mops. In a quieter voice, she said, “Monroe and Kumar, get to the brig. We’re going to need Grom up here.”
Monroe jumped to his feet with a quick salute and headed for the lift, Kumar following a few steps behind.
“Admiral,” Mops continued. “Your defenses look pretty evenly matched with the Prodryans. You might be able to hold them off, but a lot of your people are going to die. And we can’t risk letting any of them reach the planet. Any one of those ships could be carrying more of that damned bioweapon.”
“You think a group of janitors on a busted cruiser can stop them?” The translator did an excellent job of catching the terseness in Pachelbel’s voice.
“The Krakau turned us into warriors and soldiers,” said Mops. “Right now, I’d happily put a plasma beam through every bastard at Command who knowingly kept the truth from us, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stand by and let the Prodryans slaughter innocent people. Respectfully, sir, we don’t have time to argue. Either shut us back down, or shut up and let us do what you remade us to do.”
“What’s that?” Monroe murmured, looking over Mops’ shoulder from behind her chair.
“Something to keep me from going crazy while Grom finishes working. A biography of Doctor Marion Adamopoulos.” Mops cleared the screen. “Or a fiction made up by Krakau ‘historians.’ They rewrote our history. Who knows if Dr. Adamopoulos was even a real person.”
“Or Marilyn Monroe,” he said, nodding. “The Krakau couldn’t have destroyed every document on Earth. Some of the libraries and archives must have survived.”
“Full of records in languages we can’t read.” Mops pulled herself back to the present. “Maybe once we’ve saved Dobranok, we can arrange a tourist trip to Earth.”
“And get eaten by the natives?” Wolf piped up. “No thanks.”
Mops chuckled and turned to Grom. “How’s it coming?”
Grom secreted a faint trail of lubricating fluid as they crawled away from Monroe’s station. “I’ve finished resetting and marking the controls for the plasma beam power levels, as you requested. Monroe, make sure you pull the blue slider all the way down before firing.”
Monroe moved to his station and studied his console and controller. “Weapons look good, sir.”
Mops checked on Azure, who stood off to her right. “Are you ready for your part?”
Her tentacles curled into spirals, then relaxed again. “I am.”
She turned next to navigation. “Kumar?”
“Course ready, sir.” His fingers hovered over the control sphere.
“Wolf?”
“I’ve been ready.”
Mops stood. “Battle Captain Cervantes was good at giving speeches, reminding his team how important their work was. But he’s not here, so I’m going to cut to the chase.” She looked around the bridge. Her bridge. “Don’t fuck this up.”
Wolf grinned and shouted, “Yes, sir!” The others echoed the sentiment—loudly—a moment later.
Mops moved to join Monroe and Grom. “Fire when ready, JG Monroe.”
Doc sent a tactical view to her monocle, showing the Pufferfish surrounded by Krakau tow ships. Moments later, flickers of light stabbed out from their two remaining weapons pods, touching each of the ships in succession.
Mops held her breath.
“Direct hits,” said Monroe.
“Grav beams are offline,” announced Kumar. “The tow ships are limping away.”
“They’re not being quiet about it either,” said Wolf. “I’m picking up a lot of angry chatter calling for reinforcements to take us out.”
Mops studied Monroe’s screen. “Damage report?”
“With our weapons at ten percent power?” Monroe snorted. “We barely tickled them. But the Prodryans should have picked up the weapons discharge. They’ll think we’re making a break for it.”
“Kumar, get us moving,” Mops ordered.
The Pufferfish surged away from their escort. Scattered plasma and A-gun fire followed from the closest of the Krakau Planetary Defense ships. Energy crackled over the Pufferfish’s hull from a hit to the aft section. A lucky A-gun shot punctured one of the struts to weapons pod three.
“Faster would be better, Kumar.”
“Working on it.” He twisted the control sphere, and the ship jolted hard enough to send Grom toppling to the floor.
“Good work, but that was the easy part,” said Mops. “Kumar, as soon as you’re finished, move out of sight of the visual pickup. Grom, I want you at Kumar’s station, but don’t touch anything.”
“This is insulting,” Grom muttered. “I built those controls, remember?”
“And if you weren’t still half-asleep and oozing all over my bridge, I might trust you to use them.” Mops waited until everyone was in position. “From this point on, the bridge belongs to Azure and Grom. Everyone else is to stay out of sight and say nothing.”
“Got it,” said Wolf.
Mops glared, and Wolf had the decency to look abashed. “Azure, you’re up. Wolf, hit the switch.”
The bridge became silent as everyone waited for Azure to begin. Azure rested one tentacle next to the control sphere at the captain’s station. “Supreme Assault Commander Heart of Glass, this is Azure. We have completed phase one of our mission. Our bioweapon spreads across Dobranok as we speak. The Krakau are dying. Squarm and I have seized control of the Pufferfish and are moving to implement phase two.”
There was no response. Not that Mops had expected any. The Prodryans had begun to engage with the first wave of Krakau forces, and their leaders were busy overseeing the battle. They were likely confused as well, since there had never been a second phase to Azure’s mission. Mops nodded at Azure to continue.
“Once the other Prodryans have weakened the Krakau defenses, Captain Taka-lokitok-vi and his squadron of Nusuran mercenaries should come out of their A-ring jump behind Prodryan force two. Their ships are programmed to lock and fire automatically. The same holds true for the Quetzalus dreadnoughts you hired to destroy force three. The Pufferfish will engage force four. Dobranok and her resources will be yours alone, Supreme Assault Commander.”
The viewscreen split to show a heavily modded Prodryan. “What are you talking about, Azure?” he shouted. “Your mission was to infect Dobranok!”
Most of the self-proclaimed Supreme Assault Commander’s face was metal and glass, and his left antenna had been replaced by what looked like a small computer interface port. He wore matte-pink battle armor that nicely complemented the yellow of his wings.
“Yes, Supreme Assault Commander,” Azure said eagerly. “The shuttle detonated shortly before your arrival, at which point Squarm and I began implementing the next part of your plan. Your reinforcements wait in stealth mode just outside the system, as ordered.”
A second window appeared, this one showing a lavender-winged Prodryan with metal spikes protruding from her limbs. “What is this, Heart of Glass?”
“This creature lies,” Heart of Glass protested. “She was to cleanse the planet for us, nothing more.”
Mops pointed at Grom, giving them the cue to speak. Best to do it now and keep Heart of Glass off-balance. Grom slumped in annoyance, but moved forward to deliver their lines. “Sir, attack vectors have already been transmitted and acknowledged. It’s too late to rescind the order.”
“Switch to a direct line immediately,” screamed Heart of Glass.
“Oh, my,” said Azure. “Did I fail to secure this transmission? I’m sorry, sir. I’m not familiar with EMC communications protocols. Squarm, get to the communication console.”
“Right away,” Grom said, scooting toward that station. In a quieter
voice, they muttered, “I will fix this. Me, Squarmildilquirn. Because all Glacidae look alike. . . .”
Mops glared at Grom, and they fell silent.
A third Prodryan squeezed onto the screen, a male with gleaming artificial wings and weapon barrels mounted directly into his shoulders. “Warlord Heart Sting was right about you, Heart of Glass. Your cooperation with these other species has corrupted your soul. You would ally with them against your own kind?”
“Never,” said Heart of Glass. “Sun Sailor, this is a trick. We must continue the attack. Within hours, our greatest enemy will fall, and we will all share in the rewards!”
“Your skill at lying has improved, sir,” said Azure. “Your time among the humans was well-spent.”
Mops blinked. That hadn’t been part of the script, but Azure’s improvisation worked beautifully. Heart of Glass’ wings buzzed with fury. “Shut up, you gelatinous pustule!”
“Are we still transmitting in the open? My apologies. I didn’t . . .” Azure shrank slightly, then raised her voice. “Attention, Prodryan attack forces. Heart of Glass is correct. This is all a misunderstanding. He certainly did not betray you, and there are absolutely no reinforcements on their way to destroy your forces. Please carry on with your attacks, keeping your attention focused on the Krakau ships and not on the completely safe and empty space behind you.”
Doc highlighted one group of Prodryan ships on Mops’ monocle. “Sensors show this bunch turning away. I can’t be certain, but if I had to guess, I’d say they’re preparing for an A-ring jump.”
Mops gave a thumbs-up to the rest of the team.
“You will both die for this,” Heart of Glass snarled, then turned slightly. “Sun Sailor, Blade of Bone, Planet-Slayer, don’t let these creatures rob us of our victory.”
“You mean your victory,” said the Prodryan with the mechanical wings. “Heart Sting should have torn your wings from your body. If you survive, I’ll hunt you down and do it myself!”
“Another group is turning—and there goes the third.”
“What about Heart of Glass?” Mops whispered.
“Heart of Glass is an atypical example of his species, but from what I know of Prodryan culture, he’ll likely choose death in battle over the shame of failure.”
The Prodryans vanished from the screen. “Communications terminated,” announced Wolf. “That was amazing!”
“An impressive performance,” agreed Mops. “Thank you both.”
“They’re increasing speed. It looks like they’re hoping an all-out charge will get a few of their ships through the Krakau forces.”
Mops returned to the captain’s chair to study the enemy’s approach. “We’re not done yet. Everyone to your stations. Monroe, power up the defensive grid and make sure missile countermeasures are online. Kumar, increase speed toward that fleet.”
Kumar glanced over his shoulder at her. “Sir?”
“Heart of Glass isn’t leaving this system alive. Our job now is to make certain he dies before he gets within range of Dobranok. And if the plasma beam that sends him to hell comes from the Pufferfish, so much the better.”
“Two fighters have broken through the Krakau,” Monroe shouted. On the viewscreen, green circles highlighted two approaching blips. “Incoming missiles.”
“On it,” said Wolf, hunching over her controller. They’d transferred missile countermeasures to Wolf so Monroe could focus on returning fire. One by one, the missiles blew up or veered off course.
“Good work,” said Mops. The fighters peeled away from one another. Monroe focused the A-guns on the left fighter, letting the Pufferfish targeting system try to predict and intercept the ship’s erratic path.
The display lit up with incoming plasma and A-gun fire as a third fighter slipped past the Krakau. The Pufferfish’s defensive grid absorbed the former, but the A-guns perforated the hull down on decks E through G. “Kumar, keep us moving. Monroe?”
“I’m trying, sir.” The Pufferfish’s own plasma beams sent needles of light after all three fighters. “This would be a lot easier if either they’d hold still or we did.”
“If we stop moving, they’ll rip us apart,” said Kumar.
Mops checked the damage assessment. “I want an A-ring powered up, just in case.”
“We’re not far enough out for a safe jump,” Kumar protested.
The Pufferfish shuddered again. “Safe is relative. Program a short-range jump, just enough to get us out of the system.”
“Sir, I have an idea!” Grom raced to the starboard backup station at the rear of the bridge and switched on another control sphere. “There’s a combo move in Galaxy Wars III that’s perfect for this scenario. Can you get us closer to one of those fighters?”
“This isn’t a game,” said Mops.
“The tactics and engineering are both sound.”
“This might be a good time to point out that Technician Grom never took anything beyond introductory battle tactics at university. And they barely passed.”
Grom sent their plan to Mops’ console. She pursed her lips. “Kumar, bring us about forty degrees to port, pitch plus-fifteen degrees. Grom, if you break my ship, I’m throwing you back in the brig.”
“Understood.” Grom curled around their control sphere. “This might be a little bumpy.”
They veered abruptly to the left. A hazy cone of green light shot from the Pufferfish to envelop the port fighter. The ship jolted hard.
“Got them,” Grom crowed. “Grav beam locked.”
Alerts and warnings flashed as the Pufferfish strained to hold together after snagging another ship at combat speeds. If the relative masses of the two ships hadn’t been tilted so heavily in their favor, that maneuver would have torn the Pufferfish apart. As it was, they were showing structural damage to the beam generator housing, and the power drain was close to overloading the system.
“Thanks,” said Monroe. Plasma beams impaled the trapped fighter, blowing it apart. The grav beams dragged the debris into a cone-shaped cloud, until Grom deactivated them. “Do you have enough power to rope the other one?”
“If Kumar can get us close enough, I’ll try,” said Grom.
Far ahead, Mops counted eight damaged or disabled ships from both sides drifting amidst the battle. Four others had been completely destroyed. The losses appeared to be evenly split between Prodryan and Krakau.
“How long until the rest of the Krakau get here?” Mops demanded.
“Roughly fifteen minutes.”
Her monocle zoomed out, showing the other Krakau intercept forces. They’d waited until the rest of the Prodryan jumped out of the system before starting toward Heart of Glass’ fleet.
The Pufferfish jerked hard enough to give Mops whiplash. Behind her, Grom groaned. “There goes the grav beam generator.”
It had lasted long enough for Monroe to take out a second fighter, burning through its engine and leaving it spinning helplessly through space.
“Sir, I’m picking up multiple A-ring energy signatures,” said Monroe.
Mops checked the screen. “Please tell me Heart of Glass’ forces are retreating.”
“I don’t think so.”
Even as she watched, a Prodryan fighter exploded, sending out a ring of energy that sliced through a Krakau cruiser. Three more fighters exploded in quick succession.
“The bastards are stealing our move,” shouted Wolf.
The Krakau pulled back, trying to get out of range. Only one additional warship took damage in the next round of explosions. But the Krakau retreat created an opening. The remaining Prodryans accelerated toward the Pufferfish and the planet beyond.
“Monroe, open fire with everything we’ve got.”
“They’re not in range,” Monroe warned.
“If they get in range, we’re dead.” Mops counted eighteen fighters and fiv
e larger ships. “Maybe you’ll get a few lucky shots. Kumar, full reverse. Make them work to catch us, and give the Krakau time to close ranks and hit them from behind.”
“The Prodryans are hailing us,” said Wolf.
“Put them through. See if you can pinpoint which ship the signal’s coming from.”
Heart of Glass appeared on the viewscreen. Dark blood trickled from a crack on the side of his face.
“Supreme Assault Commander,” Mops greeted him. “As a representative of the Krakau Alliance, I’d be happy to accept your unconditional surrender.”
The Prodryan didn’t appear amused. “I only wish I could allow you to live long enough to see Dobranok die.”
Mops cocked her head. “You know Azure didn’t really poison the planet, right?”
“I assumed as much.” Heart of Glass wiped his face. “It makes no difference. If your name is remembered, human, it will be as one of the billions I destroyed this day.”
The screen went dead. “Wolf, which ship is he transmitting from?”
“I’m not sure, but I think it’s this one.” One of the warships on the screen turned blue.
“Monroe, get ready to shoot everything we’ve got at that ship.”
“They’re powering up an A-ring,” said Monroe. “I’ve got multiple missile launches, too. Way too many for us to stop. They’re trying to overwhelm us. Roughly two minutes to impact.”
“Kumar, we need all the speed you can give us!” Mops frowned at the screen. “What the hell is he doing? They’re not fleeing the system, and they’re too far out to try that kamikaze stunt with the A-rings.”
“It’s not just one ship,” said Monroe. “They’re all prepping rings.”
Mops studied the display, and her bones turned to ice. “Doc, if they jump from here, could they hit Dobranok?”
Kumar’s face turned pale. Monroe swore.
Doc broadcast his answer to the bridge. “Given the distance to Dobranok and the gravitational interference from the sun, the chances of any given ship accurately striking the planet are between one and two percent.”
“They have twenty-three ships,” whispered Azure.