by Chris Fox
“Done,” Primo said. “The Hexonis system is within a quarter light year of Nerat Prime. The two stars’ proximity matches your criteria.”
“Excellent. Set a course for the Helios Gate. When we get there we’ll open a connection to Hexonis,” Nolan said.
72
Countdown
“We’re entering the core, Captain,” Primo’s pleasant voice said. “Total transition time: four minutes and fifty-two seconds.”
Nolan folded his arms, watching the holographic display. The Void Wraith vessel was far more efficient than the Johnston, and had made the trek through the star in approximately one third of the time a human vessel could manage.
“If it were me,” Nolan mused aloud. “I’d move the bomb surrounded by the fleet, just in case. That would mean doing it slowly, at the speed of the human vessels. I’d estimate fifteen minutes if that’s the case.”
“I’d use the same strategy, were I in command of the enemy forces,” Fizgig agreed. “That would mean that we’ll need to hold the connection for five minutes after the enemy force reaches it.”
“That also means that they’ll probably use the human vessels as bait,” Nolan said. The view screen showed a wall of super dense, super hot material. Then it faded to black as they entered the Helios Gate’s protective bubble. The golden sphere sat in the very center of the star, surrounded by an empty space larger than the earth. “If it were me, I’d send them in first to engage. Once we de-cloak to attack them, I’d send in the Void Wraith vessels to overwhelm us.”
“So how do you plan to deal with that?” Hannan asked.
“I’m not sure yet,” Nolan said, thinking furiously. He’d been considered an excellent tactician back in fleet academy, but they’d never trained their personnel to deal with unwinnable scenarios like this.
“I have a suggestion,” Lena said. She started purring. “All we need to do is power the connection, and cross through. Once we’re on the far side we destroy the Helios Gate’s limiter.”
“Clever,” Fizgig said, bowing to Lena. “You prove your intellectual superiority, holy one.”
“Why is that clever?” Hannan asked, blinking at Nolan.
“The limiter is how the Helios Gate turns on and off,” Nolan said, beginning to understand. “Without the limiter, they won’t be able to turn off the Gate. They’d have to repair the connection.”
“Exactly,” Lena said, her tail rising slowly until it was over her head. It swished in a very satisfied way. “They could repair it, but if we’re standing by we can attack anyone who makes the attempt. All we have to do is take pot shots at their repair crew. If we can keep them busy for five minutes, we win.”
“Perfect,” Nolan said. He was starting to think they might pull this off. “Primo, use the Helios Gate to establish a connection to Hexonis then move through.”
The Helios Gate began to vibrate, and the harnessed singularity in the center flared white. On the other side they could see an identical Gate. Their vessel moved forward, entering the wormhole.
73
The Core
“Primo, target the limiter,” Nolan ordered. The view screen shifted to show a large sapphire triangle embedded in the Gate’s golden surface. “We want enough power to disable that limiter, but not enough to further damage the Gate.”
“Acknowledged,” Primo said. The ship rumbled, then a ball of potent blue energy gathered between the wingtips. It was much less terrifying being in the ship firing one of those blue balls than it was being on the receiving end.
The ball shot forward, shattering the limiter in a shower of brilliant light. Nolan held his breath as he waited for the Gate to blow up. He’d never heard of someone intentionally damaging a Gate. Not only was it against every galactic law in every culture, but doing so was damn near suicidal.
“The connection is stable, and the limiter is offline,” Primo said.
Cheers erupted around the bridge. Hannan and Izzy caught each other up in a heartfelt hug. Even Fizgig started purring softly. Nolan finally let out the breath he was holding.
“Focus, people,” he said, ending the brief moment of jubilation. “Now we wait.”
And wait they did. For several agonizing minutes they studied the connection.
“Two minutes until critical reaction is reached,” Primo said, breaking the pregnant silence.
“Here they come,” Hannan said, clutching her rifle to her chest.
Four human vessels emerged through the wormhole, each moving to flank the opening. Two showed signs of battle damage, though nothing critical. Then another ship emerged, this one an OFI carrier. It took up a position near the Helios Gate.
“Looks like they’re figuring out what we’ve done,” Nolan said. He considered what he knew of OFI protocol. “Primo, can you read the encryption protocol stored in my suit?”
“Affirmative,” Primo confirmed. “How would you like me to employ it?”
“See if you can pick up chatter from those vessels,” Nolan ordered.
A moment later panicked voices echoed across the deck. “—looks like they’ve disabled the limiter. We’re scanning it now, but there’s no way we’re going to be able to repair it in time.”
“We don’t have to repair it,” came a strong female voice. “All vessels prepare to attack. If we destroy this Gate it will break the connection to the Ghantan star. They’ll be able to open a new connection, and enact the masters’ plans.”
“Primo, move into position behind the carrier,” Nolan ordered. Their perspective began to shift as the VI obeyed. “Once we’re in position, I want you to unload everything we have on the carrier. Aim for the junction between the two engines.”
“Why there?” Fizgig asked.
Nolan hesitated before answering. He knew a great deal about OFI vessels, but sharing that information with a rival race was risky. “I’m exploiting a design flaw, one I don’t believe your people ever found. There’s a conduit connecting the engines. That conduit runs back to the vessel’s fusion core. If we can blow up the engines, it will probably force the core to go critical.”
“Won’t the resulting explosion take out the Gate?” Hannan asked.
“The Gates are far more durable than that,” Lena supplied. “They’re designed to withstand the stresses of being at the heart of a star. Only a concentrated assault on the outer ring will actually destroy one.”
“We’re in position, Captain. Shall I fire?” Primo asked.
“Do it,” Nolan ordered.
They shimmered into view, the ball of blue energy already forming between their wing tips. Two seconds later, they fired. The ball of crackling blue energy shot into the rear of the carrier. At first there was no reaction beyond both engines going dark. Then a pillar of flame shot out of the carrier’s aft side. One pillar became two, then ten. The vessel detonated, and a wave of fire and debris washed over them.
The Harvester was knocked backwards, and Nolan toppled to the deck. “All power to the shield.”
If the shield dropped, nothing would save them. Nolan shot back to his feet, glancing around at the walls. The fact that they were still alive meant that the shield had held. The same couldn’t be said for the human vessels. The carrier’s detonation had hit them with the same wave of force and debris, before any of them could prepare for the blast. Three of the four had lost their shields, instantly blossoming into balls of fire. That added to the explosion, which took out the fourth vessel.
A second wave of flame washed over the Harvester, but this one was weaker. They barely felt it.
“We did it,” Hannan said, laughing.
“How long until the reaction is complete?” Nolan asked.
“Twelve seconds,” Primo said.
“Get us the hell out of here,” Nolan said, leaning against the wall. The adrenaline was already starting to fade. Damn, but he needed a nap.
“Acknowledged,” Primo said. Their vessel began accelerating away from the Helios Gate, and into the star.
Edwards
Hannan couldn’t believe it. They’d done it. Not only lived, but found a way to stop the Void Wraith. The victory had been costly, but it was victory nonetheless.
“Captain, I have a piece of business you may wish to be aware of,” the virtual intelligence said. It unnerved her, but she suppressed her distaste. The thing had saved their lives, after all.
“What is it?” Nolan said, looking up from where he sat slumped against the wall. He looked like death warmed over.
“The Judicators assigned to internal maintenance have located a surviving biological unit,” Primo explained. “That unit is in critical condition, and scans indicate that its body cannot be saved.”
“Edwards,” Hannan said.
Nolan met her gaze, and she read the pain there. It mirrored her own.
“What shall I do with this biological entity?” Primo asked.
“What do you mean?” Nolan said. He rose from the floor, and approached the black platform.
“The entity can be recycled. We can remove his consciousness, merging it with a cybernetic body.
“You’re talking about turning Edwards into a Judicator,” Nolan said. He looked back at Hannan. “What do you think?”
She wasn’t sure how to answer. What would Edwards want? She didn’t know. He’d want to live, but as a robot? That was a steep cost.
She looked at the VI. “What are the odds of survival if you don’t make him into a Judicator?”
“Twelve percent,” the VI replied immediately. “If he does survive, he will be completely paralyzed.”
“Shit,” Hannan said. She looked at Nolan, considering. “I’d say we do it. Edwards would want to keep fighting.”
“All right,” Nolan said, exhaling. Hannan could see the exhaustion, but the captain’s expression was resolved.
“VI, you can place his body into any Judicator?” Nolan asked.
“Affirmative, Captain,” the VI confirmed.
Nolan smiled grimly. “Do it, then. Have him made into an Alpha Judicator, and when that’s done have him report to us.”
“Acknowledged,” Primo said.
“How long until we reach the next Helios Gate?” Nolan asked.
“Eighty four days, using your calendar,” the VI answered.
Hannan sighed. That was a long time to wait. Who knew what the Void Wraith would do in that time? They’d stopped them at Ghantan, but she had a terrifying certainty that this was only the beginning.
The real war was still to come.
Epilogue
Dryker came awake by degrees. There was a horrible klaxon in the distance, much higher pitched than the Johnston’s. The Claw’s bridge reeked of ozone, and the only illumination came from the occasional shower of sparks bursting from damaged terminals.
He tried to move, but his body was impossibly heavy, his head impossibly light. He was suffering from oxygen deprivation. The Claw’s life support must have been damaged during the transit through Theras Prime’s G-class star.
Dryker gave a weak laugh that became a cough. He fished the Johnston’s data core from his pocket, clutching it in his fist. They’d made it through the gate, and if Dryker succeeded then Theras was safe. That meant the Primo would find this vessel, and the data core clutched in his lifeless hand.
They were a curious, patient species. They’d dissect every byte of data, seeing everything he and his ship had seen in recent days. They’d know about the Void Wraith, assuming whoever found them didn’t already work for the bastards.
His head swam as he forced himself into a sitting position. If he was going to die, it wasn’t going to be face first on the deck. He’d die proud, sitting at attention since he couldn’t stand.
A bright light came on in the periphery of his vision. He turned his head slowly, staring uncomprehendingly as the light approached. A tall, thin figure ducked onto the bridge. It was a blurry purple blob, and it was getting closer.
Dryker recoiled, but there was nowhere to go. He waited as the blob approached, finally stopping next to him. It crouched, and he tensed, expecting it to pounce. His breathing quickened, but there just wasn’t enough oxygen.
“Breathe,” came an emotionless voice. Something settled over his mouth, and he sucked in deep lungfuls of blessedly clean air. His vision cleared a little, and he realized that the figure next to him was a purple-skinned Primo.
It studied him with those unreadable eyes, and long moments passed before it finally spoke again. “You have suffered no permanent damage. Can you understand me?”
“Kh-khar?” Dryker asked, moving the mask long enough to speak.
“I do not know that name. If you are concerned about the Tigris there are several survivors on the bridge,” the Primo said, cocking its head as it continued to study him.
Dryker grabbed the railing behind him and pulled himself to his feet. His balance was terrible, but the railing held him up. He turned to face the captain’s chair. Another Primo stood next to it, a mask fixed to Khar’s face. His chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. Khar was alive.
“Why have you come to Theras? You trespass on Primo space,” the Primo asked him, voice still emotionless.
“The Void Wraith are coming. We have to evacuate,” Dryker said. His throat burned, and he swallowed to relieve the pain. He checked his chronometer. It had been hours since they’d come through. “It should have already gone nova. Nolan must have succeeded.”
“You seem coherent,” the Primo said, something like emotion finally touching its voice. It seemed skeptical. “We will have you and the survivors brought aboard the First Light. This vessel can be towed back to Theras Prime. Rest now. We will investigate this matter upon our arrival.”
Dryker closed his eyes, but he didn’t go to sleep. He had to plan. They’d reached Primo space, and Dryker had apparently succeeded. They’d stopped the Void Wraith fleet, and their bomb.
But the Void Wraith still had spies. Was this Primo working for the Void Wraith? Or one of its companions? Dryker couldn’t be sure, and until he could it meant trusting no one. He slid the data core back in his pocket, still clutching it when the blackness overtook him.
Void Wraith
Book 2
Prologue
“Fall back to the choke point,” Nolan bellowed, diving into cover behind the blue bulkhead. Plasma fire echoed up the corridor he’d come from, splashing against the edge of the doorway with a hot hiss.
Hannan was already moving, her retreating form disappearing up the stairs and into the room they’d chosen to make their stand in. Nolan staggered back to his feet, pounding up the stairs after her. He risked a glance behind him, catching sight of two Judicators stepping through the doorway.
Nolan redoubled his pace, leaping up the stairs three at a time until he crested the landing. The room ahead was full of alien equipment, but otherwise looked empty. That drew a half smile. If this was going to work, the enemy had to believe they had him and his squad on the run. Nolan went into a slide, rolling behind a robotic assembly arm. He sucked in greedy lungfuls of air, wiping sweat from his eyes.
“Contact,” Hannan yelled from across the room. She was crouched behind a stack of crates containing parts for constructing Judicators. The soft lights set in the ceiling glinted off her bare scalp, painting her features with a determined brush.
Nolan gripped his plasma rifle in both hands, taking aim at the top of the stairwell. Just in time. Three Judicators prowled into the room, their plasma rifles sweeping slowly back and forth as they sought targets. He resisted the urge to give the order to fire. Not yet.
Two more Judicators joined the first three, and all five began fanning out across the room. Nolan paused one moment longer. Should he wait to see if they could draw more into the trap? No, that was too risky. They needed to deal with them now, even if they didn’t catch them all.
“Now!” Nolan barked.
He leaned out of cover, just far enough to begin firing. The plasm
a rifle vibrated, and a ball of shimmering blue plasma shot from the muzzle. The weapon was quite unlike standard UFC weaponry. There was no kick, and no magazine to swap out. It had a battery capable of generating dozens of shots before it needed to be recharged or replaced.
Nolan’s shot took the lead Judicator in the face, picking it up and hurling it back down the stairs. It tumbled out of sight with a thunderous crash, but the others were already firing. Nolan ducked hastily behind cover, conscious of the robotic assembly heating up from repeated plasma shots.
Then Hannan burst from cover. She fired two quick bursts, each downing one of the Judicators. The remaining two tried to take aim at her, but she was already behind cover again. Nolan smiled grimly, lining up a shot on the first one. He squeezed the trigger, and his shot caught the Judicator in the midsection. It went down, leaving only one target.
“Clever,” a voice whispered from above.
Nolan jerked erect, trying to bring up the barrel of his rifle. He was conscious of something falling toward him, and caught sight of golden fur as Fizgig knocked him to the deck. His rifle skittered away across the floor, and Nolan reached immediately for his sidearm. The plasma pistols were less powerful, but still nasty in close quarters.
“Don’t,” Fizgig said, placing a humming plasma blade against his throat. The blade extended from a blue metal bracelet wrapped around her wrist.
“I yield,” Nolan said, uttering the ritual Tigris words with a sigh.
“Your confidence—” Fizgig began.
A volley of plasma came from the far side of the room as a twelve-foot-tall machine lurched into view. The Alpha Judicator let out burst after burst of plasma. The first caught Fizgig in the chest, hurling her off him and into the robotic assembly. The second caught Izzy, who was peeking over the stairs. The third took out the last of the Judicators.