by Tony Healey
General Carn was humanoid. Or had been, once. His skin had wrinkled and darkened with extreme age. His face resembled a giant prune. Where his eyes had failed he had artificial ocular implants. A silver coloured re-breather covered his nose and part of his mouth.
“What are you?”
Hawk’s spoke through ragged breaths. “I was once like you.”
“Human?”
The little lights set into the General’s implants twinkled on and off. “Almost.”
Hawk held the tip of the kataan against Carn’s throat. “Your war ends here, General.”
He lifted the sword, and Carn looked up at him. For a split second it almost looked as if the old man was thankful for some kind of release.
Then Hawk swung down and Carn’s face contorted into one of pure, undeniable hatred as his long, cruel life ended.
13.
“Activating the Jump Drive,” Jessica said. Up ahead, the Inflictor rushed toward the limping form of the Defiant.
She positioned them where they needed to be and stood. Del came to stand next to her. His eyes were wet with tears.
“It’s been an honour,” he said.
He extended his hand. Jessica didn’t shake it. She pulled him in, held him close.
“You were like a brother,” she said in his ear. “And I loved you like a brother.”
Del squeezed her. “Your Father would have been proud.”
Without looking, Jessica reached over and pressed a button. Then she held on tight to Commander Greene, squeezing her eyes shut as she awaited the inevitable.
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
“Me too,” Greene said.
The Jump Drive of the Saratoga kicked in. The ship raced toward the Inflictor like one giant warhead. Its speeding form cut through the Inflictor‘s interior, and in an instant, the massive ship evaporated in the white hot fury of its own reactor blossoming into a nova. In her final second of life, Captain Jessica King felt warmth engulf her. It was not unpleasant. She sucked in one last breath, held it in her lungs so she couldn’t cry out.
Then she knew no more.
* * *
The Defiant was blown back by the rush of energy expended by the detonation of the Inflictor, tumbling through space but still intact. And tearing away from the scene of chaos, headed back to the station, a little Union shuttle bore a legend to safety…
14.
On the Defiant, Captain Jessica King watched as the Inflictor blew apart in a mighty explosion. She lifted a hand to shield her eyes.
“What was that?”
Lisa Chang tried to make sense of her readouts. “I think the Saratoga used their Jump Drive to literally jump through her.”
“You’re mistaken,” King said, shaking her head. “That’d be suicide.”
Chang looked up. “Yes, sir.”
Jessica turned to Lieutenant Commander Del Greene. “Del?”
He looked just as confused as she was. “I don’t know what to say. I thought we were dead there for a minute.”
Jessica ran a hand over her face. She felt tired, irritable. Shocked, too, by what had happened. They were in one piece. The Defiant had the guts kicked out of her, but she was still standing.
She thought that perhaps it was fitting that on the day they consigned Captain Singh to the darkness of space they’d faced a battle of life and death and come out on the other side of it. He would’ve called that a good day’s work.
“We’ll figure it all out,” she said. “For now let’s take stock of whatever damage we’ve sustained and get back to the station. Something tells me the repairs we booked in for are going to take a little longer than we hoped…”
15.
Hawk finished his story. It had been days since he’d handed himself into Station 6. He’d instructed Admiral Grimshaw that his mission had been Top Secret, and that he must only tell the highest ranking official in the area.
That official, Admiral Clarke, now steepled his fingers in front of him as he considered what had been said.
“Well, Admiral? What d’yuh think?” Hawk asked him. “Am I mad?”
Clarke smiled. “No. I’ve had your DNA checked. You are who you say you are. And whilst your story is far-fetched . . . I cannot say that you aren’t telling the truth. Besides, I’ve heard some strange tales in my time.”
Hawk relaxed into his chair, relieved to have the Admiral on his side.
“So, where do we go from here?” Hawk asked.
Clarke glanced sideward at Grimshaw, who nodded slightly in agreement with whatever Clarke was about to say.
“That will have to be discussed,” Clarke answered. “I’d imagine a change of identity, for one thing. I don’t think it’d do for the general public to believe a legend has simply returned to life.”
“Agreed. I was thinkin’ along the same sorta lines.”
“Did you have a name in mind?”
Hawk thought for a moment. His eyes lit up. “Yeah. Come to think of it, I do.”
16.
Admiral Grimshaw walked with his hands behind his back.
“You know, it’s taken weeks to get this back into shape,” he remarked. “But it’s worth it. She looks great.”
They walked the corridors of the Defiant together, inspecting the recent repair and refit. The station itself had also undergone extensive repairs following its run-in with the Inflictor.
“Thank you, Admiral,” King said. “The repair teams have worked around the clock to get it done.”
“I think she looks the best she ever has,” Grimshaw said.
“I agree.”
They found their way to the munitions section where a plaque had been fixed to the bulkhead where Captain Singh had succumbed to his wounds from the fire.
“This is a nice touch,” Grimshaw said.
“Yes I know,” Jessica said. “The crew did the whole thing. I’m very proud of them.”
The plaque read:
IN MEMORIAM
CAPTAIN ANDREW SINGH
FATHER TO MANY
Every time she read it, Jessica felt a weight tug at her heart. It was getting easier, but she still grieved for Singh. It was apt that the crew had added the part about him being a father to them all, because that’s how she had looked at him. As the only father figure she’d truly known.
They left the Defiant and headed back to Grimshaw’s office on the station for her final debrief. On the ride toward the heart of Station 6, she happened to glance back at the Defiant.
“You know, she does look magnificent,” she said.
Grimshaw turned around to look too. “Aye,” he agreed.
* * *
“So, as far as we’re concerned, the Defiant is ship shape and ready to head back out,” Grimshaw said. He handed King a cup of tea and sat behind his desk with his own. “There is the matter of the ship that was stolen, of course.”
“Any luck with figuring out who they were?” she asked.
Grimshaw shook his head. “No, but whoever they were, we have them to thank. If it weren’t for their sacrifice…”
She nodded slowly. “Yes.”
“Well, I’m sure we’ll come to the bottom of it. The important thing is the destruction of the Inflictor destabilized the entire Draxx Dominion. It would seem both the Draxx Queen and Prince Sepix were aboard at the time, and with both lost so quickly, the Dominion didn’t know what to do with itself. Command saw the opportunity to act and took it.”
Jessica sipped her tea. “How did it go? I’ve been too preoccupied with the Defiant to read the news feeds.”
“They took the capitol planet in less than two days. Just sent every available ship there and stormed it. We estimate the Union has control of over forty per cent of the Dominion. And it won’t stop there,” he sighed, but it was a contented, happy sound. “Finally, this war is ended.”
“I’m glad,” Jessica said. “It’ll be good to know peace for once.”
“Which reminds me,” Grimshaw said. “Th
e Defiant‘s objectives have changed. We’re putting her on new mission parameters.”
“Yes?”
Grimshaw nodded. “We’re sending her out to explore. She’s going to travel to the outer edges of our galaxy and survey what’s there. Make contact where possible, introduce them to the Union. It’s an exciting time.”
“Who’s our new skipper?” Jessica asked him.
Grimshaw’s eyebrows rose. “You are. I’d have thought that was obvious.”
She couldn’t speak. “I –”
The Admiral raised a hand, stopping her mid-stammer. “There’s nothing to say, Captain King. Just drink your tea.”
She did as she was told, taking long swallows to quench her dry throat.
Grimshaw got up, walked around the desk and produced a metal pin.
“Stand please,” he said.
Jessica stood. He pinned it to her lapel.
“Wear it with pride, Captain. And honour your father. Follow his example, and you’ll be all right.”
She beamed with pride. “I will sir.”
* * *
Days later, the Defiant vibrated with the steady hum of her engines.
“Ensign Banks, take us out please,” she commanded.
“Aye Ma’am,” Banks said. His hands flew across the controls and the Defiant responded instantly, backing away from the station and turning to face open space.
“Where are we going?” Commander Greene asked her.
Jessica stared at the viewscreen, at the infinite sea of stars twinkling ahead of them. “Out there, Del. Wherever the winds take us.”
17.
Selena Walker felt a tug at her elbow. She turned to find a young man behind her. Crew bustled past them as they stood in the middle of the corridor.
“Can I help you?” she asked him.
The man smiled. “Yuh don’t remember me, d’yuh?”
She thought for a moment, trying to place him. His face seemed familiar, but… she couldn’t connect it with anyone in particular.
“No,” she said with a shake of her head and an embarrassed giggle. “Sorry. I’m really bad with names and faces.”
The man laughed. “It’s okay. It’s been a long time. We met once. Name’s Dolarhyde, but most people just call me Dollar.”
“Dollar. That’s a strange name,” Walker said.
Dolarhyde shrugged. “Blame Mom, that’s what I say,” he quipped.
“So where did we meet?”
“At a party.”
“Oh,” she said, trying to remember.
“Hey, yuh got time to go to the mess hall, grab a drink and catch up?”
She thought about it for a moment. It couldn’t hurt, could it? After all he was charming and handsome all at the same time. And how could she resist teasing him about his name?
Selena Walker nodded her head. “Sure, why not?” she said with a grin.
The man formerly known as Hawk let her lead the way to the mess, and when she asked him if he was new on board, he answered that yes he was.
“What did you do before?” she asked him as they walked.
“Travelled, mostly,” Hawk said. “Got into adventures and stuff. You wouldn’t believe half of ‘em.”
“I look forward to hearing a few of your tall tales,” Walker said.
Hawk – now Lieutenant Dolarhyde – could only smile. It was exactly as he’d wanted it. A fresh start.
18.
Captain Jessica King retired to her quarters and stripped free of her uniform. She felt tired, dirty, and knew that soon she’d be fit to hit the rack.
She showered, tied a towel around herself and padded back into her living area. As she passed her personal terminal, that was when she noticed the message flashing up on the screen.
SCHEDULED MESSAGE
She frowned, sat down in front of the console and opened the message. A timed message like that was something sent hours or days ahead, but she couldn’t remember setting such a message herself…
It was a video file. When she started it playing, she was taken aback to find herself looking back at her on the screen.
“Jess, I know you must be surprised to see me. Believe me, if this were as strange as it was going to get, you’d be lucky. I have a lot to tell you, and I’ll be brief as possible. You have an entire galaxy to explore and I don’t want to stop you – us – from living that dream. A dream of a simpler time, an age of peace. When we can revert to being explorers again. See what’s out there…”
The woman on the screen took a deep breath.
“Jessica, there’s only one way to tell you all of this. Some of it will be hard to hear, some of it will confuse you. But you must hear it. So let me start at the beginning…”
AFTERWORD
I‘d like to thank the authors and friends who have supported and helped me along the way, without whom I could not have started on this journey – let alone completed it. There are far too many to list their names here, but you know who you are. Indeed, a lot of you ended up in the series as characters and place names here and there …
I owe a huge debt of gratitude, as ever, to my wife Lesley who gives support and encouragement every step of the way. And to my kids, who drive me crazy (in a good way) and who I love dearly.
But the biggest thank you of all goes to the kind people who have read and reviewed Far From Home as it has progressed. Your positive energy and enthusiasm for the series has really kept me going.
I hope you’ll come with me as I journey with them on their further adventures, because so far it’s been a lot of fun. Now it’s time to see what’s out there …
Tony Healey
Note on Bonus Content: What follows is the first half of a two-part crossover between the Far From Home and Grendel Unit universes. Part 2 (Suicide Planet), is written by Bernard Schaffer and available wherever ebooks are sold.
BONUS CONTENT:
SUN HAMMER PART 1
1.
The doctor waited for the doors to his quarters to automatically sense his bio-signature and open. It didn’t. He impatiently pressed his palm against the sensor pad to the side, making a mental note to have a technician check it over. The doors slid open.
He didn’t bother to raise the lights as he walked in, tossing his data pad on the desk to his left. In the corner, a round fish tank emitted a cool, thin light. It was enough to see by. The doors whooshed shut behind him.
After his hours in the bright white sterility of the lab, it was pleasing to him to experience something akin to nighttime. It helped the doctor relax. To unwind.
He walked to the fish tank and peered at the miniature school of Tadarian Neons that rushed toward him, eager for food.
“Hello my little friends,” the doctor said in a tired but contented voice. It had been a long day, but a fulfilling one. They’d achieved much.
He took the cap off a pot of food and started to sprinkle some of the brown flakes onto the surface of the water. The Neons snipped at it, their tiny mouths working through the skin of the water.
The doctor didn’t see the shape in the corner of the room, where it was darkest. He was not aware of the shadow that coalesced into the form of a man as it drew nearer the glow from the fish tank.
“Good evening doctor,” a voice said.
The doctor spun about. Before he could even register the shadowy figure, a hand clamped over his mouth. There was a sting to the side of his neck and his legs buckled seconds later.
He lay sprawled on the floor, his mind racing to understand what had happened as he felt something cold cover his face.
The intruder took the device away and peered leaned in close. The doctor watched as the young man pressed a finger to the side of his neck. The man’s face changed. It shifted. His features widened, became older.
Familiar.
“For now we see through a mirror darkly,” the other man said. “Face to face.”
Then he felt another sting . . . and nothing more.
2.
“Aye,” First Lieutenant Banks said.
The Captain turned to Commander Jessica King. “Are we good to go?”
She nodded. “Ready when you are sir.”
“Good,” Singh said.
Jessica finished up what she’d been doing with Lieutenant Chang, then headed for the exit.
Captain Singh left the command chair and stepped down to the helm. He rested a hand on Lieutenant Banks’s shoulder. “You know the protocol. I’ll leave her in your hands.”
“Aye Captain,” Banks said.
Commander King waited for the Captain at the threshold of the exit. They walked along the adjoining corridor. “Greene has the men ready?”
“Just as you asked,” King said. “I’ve gotta say, I still don’t get the skulduggery.”
“Neither do I, Jess. But those were the orders. Proceed here at maximum speed, maintain communication silence, and be ready to accept new cargo,” Singh recited their directives from command.
“It’s odd,” King said.
The Captain shrugged. “Always go on the assumption that you’re the last to know anything.”
* * *
Lieutenant Commander Greene stood waiting by the airlock with four other men.
“Ready to go, Del?” Singh asked him.
“Aye sir,” Greene said. “Any idea what it is we’re bringing on board?”
Captain Singh shook his head. “For all I know it could be the Commander in Chief’s birthday cake, a monolith of Victoria sponge with jet black frosting.”
Jessica chuckled. Singh turned to her, his face deadpan. “You laugh, Commander, but I’ve known stuff like that happen.”
Lieutenant Commander Greene accessed the airlock controls, and they watched the lights turn from red to green. The airlock hissed open, and they walked through the decontamination jets. On the other side, the awaiting station remained silent. Singh had expected to find a welcome party but the reception area was empty.