by Chris Fox
“Empress, what are we seeing?” Nolan asked, staring uneasily at the growing brilliance.
“I do not know,” she whispered, attention all on the image of her city.
The light brightened until the brilliance drowned out the rest of the image. The point of view shifted to orbit, just as a beam of pure white brilliance poured from the planet. It boiled the atmosphere around the city, the torrent blazing a path into space.
Four dreadnoughts sat at the heart of a cloud of cruisers and destroyers. The energy washed over them. When it was over, two dreadnoughts remained, both severely damaged. None of the smaller ships survived.
“What did we just witness?” Zakanna demanded, looking from Yulo to Nolan.
“Looks like they’ve got some sort of planetary defenses,” Nolan said. “Hopefully that thing has a cooldown. Aluki, make for the empress’s dreadnought and request permission to dock. Make sure they know who we have on board.”
Zakanna eyed him curiously, silent for a long moment. “Thank you, Captain. I know it is difficult to trust me, but I assure you we have a common enemy.”
“You’ve sold me, Empress. I just hope you’re willing to live up to your word.”
45
After Them
Utfa watched in rapture as the city’s brilliance discharged into the sky. Pulses of data flowed into his mind, showing the carnage the shot had wreaked on the unsuspecting Nyar fleet.
“Their two remaining dreadnoughts will warp away before we can fire again,” Oako cautioned. He folded his arms beneath his robes, peering at Utfa from under his cowl.
“Let them.” Utfa barked a short laugh. “Both remaining vessels are damaged, and without access to the shipyards we now control, there is no way to repair them. We’ve destroyed a quarter of the Nyar fleet before the fools even know we are at war.”
Utfa walked to the edge of the island, the beacon pulsing and humming behind him. It allowed control over the guardians, but only of a rough sort. He could tell them what he wanted done, but not how to do it. That was dangerous, and could lead to unintended consequences. He’d need to take great care.
“Of course, master.” Oako gave a half-bow.
Both paused, staring up at the hole that had been punched in the top of the royal spire. The Void Wraith had been tracking the ship that had extracted the empress. Several harvesters had moved to engage. Then, suddenly, the empress was gone. There was no more data about the ship, not its destruction, nor its whereabouts.
“What will you do?” Oako asked. Perhaps Utfa imagined the accusatory tone, and perhaps not. For now he chose to ignore it.
Utfa closed his eyes, pulses flowing from his temple into the arcanotome. He attempted to get the guardians to search for the empress, to no avail. Somehow, she’d vanished from their sensors. Utfa stalked back and forth, glaring through the hole in the spire.
“If she escapes—”
“I am no fool, Oako. I know what will happen if she escapes. She will become a rallying cry for the Yog and the Vkash. All who seek to avoid the gaze of the Nameless Ones will flock to her standard, forming an army bent on retaking Imperalis.” Utfa rounded on Oako. “Yet the day is not lost. My clan’s fleet waits in orbit.”
Utfa had ordered the Kthul dreadnoughts to wait in high orbit, a healthy distance from the empress’s forces. Until now he hadn’t risked them, both to preserve his forces and to cast confusion on the situation. Right now, the empress might know that Utfa was the one controlling the guardians, but there was no proof—nothing she could hold up to the other clans.
Entering the battle directly was risky, yet he saw no other choice. It was time to reveal themselves, and their true allegiance.
“What will you do?” Oako asked. His warrior roots provided context for the question. Oako thought like a warrior, and craved a warrior’s answer.
“I’ve ordered all three Kthul dreadnoughts to assault the empress directly. They will disable, then board her ship,” Utfa provided. He forced himself to stop pacing, to take deep, calming breaths through his upper nostrils. This was his moment of triumph, and if he wished to savor it, he must calmly attend to its completion.
“Why not have the guardians do that?” Oako asked. The suspicion remained in his tone, the barely concealed superiority. He felt he was a better battle commander than Utfa, despite never having led. The arrogance of youth. Utfa had been no different.
“The guardians have yet to reach low orbit. Having them cloak and mass will give the empress time to prepare. While the guardians are effective against smaller foes, I doubt they’d enjoy the same success against a full dreadnought. No, they will remain here to protect the capital.”
Utfa didn’t mention his fear that he couldn’t adequately control the guardians, and that they might kill everyone in orbit, their forces included. If he asked them to bring the empress back alive, they might do it. Or they might kill everyone. By entrusting the matter to his clan, he ensured that it would be carried out as he wished.
Besides, there was little point in hiding his clan’s activities after today. Seizing Imperalis would trigger a war, no matter what else occurred.
Pulses of data flowed into his mind. Utfa gave a wicked smile. His forces were closing with the empress’s dreadnought.
46
The Price
The cruiser shuddered as it struggled to break orbit, drawing a wince from Nolan. It felt suspiciously like enemy fire, and there was nothing he could do about it from the cargo bay. He considered boarding his mech, but saw no point. Without boosters it would be useless in space, and once they reached the empress’s dreadnought there was no way he’d be allowed to keep it.
Even with boosters, taking a mech out there would be a bad idea. The Void Wraith had stopped attacking them for now. If that changed, they were surrounded. They’d be destroyed in seconds.
“Captain,” Hannan said, speaking in a low voice. She approached with Annie and Nuchik in tow, stopping near the foot of his mech. “You got a minute, sir?”
“Yeah.” Nolan noted that T’kon stood with the empress, Khar, and Yulo on the far side of the cargo bay. Their adversarial stance wasn’t lost on him. Sides were being chosen, and he didn’t like where people were coming down.
“Sir, it’s not too late to take control of the situation. We can warp away the second we break atmosphere. Are you absolutely certain you want to dock with that dreadnought?” The tension bled into Hannan’s tone, though Nolan could tell she was trying to mute it in front of the others.
“Trusting the empress is a risk, one that I might be court-martialed for once this all settles. Here’s the thing, though: Khar is right. Without her cooperation, there will be no way to stop the battle in the Atreas system.” Nolan gave a heavy sigh. “I’ve got the growing suspicion that we’re going to find the empress on our side, and that we’ll need all the help we can get.”
“Might be the case,” Annie allowed. She wore a sour expression, her attention fixed on Khar. “Whatever happens though, I’d keep him away from the Ganog. He looks about two days away from going feral.”
“That’s not for us to decide. Fizgig asked us to get Khar home, and we’re doing that.” Nolan shook his head. “Just stay alert. When we touch down on that dreadnought we’ll find out real quick whether or not this was a mistake. When that happens, follow my lead. If they decide to capture us, resisting will only get us killed.”
“I don’t like it, sir,” Hannan said.
Nuchik brushed a lock of copper hair from her face, but added nothing.
“Me either,” Nolan said. “In fact, I hate it. The easy thing to do would be to warp away, but in this instance I don’t think it’s the smart thing to do. I’ve got to play this my way.” He caught her gaze, finding understanding there.
“All right, sir, it’s your call. Better you than me,” Hannan said. She turned to Annie and Nuchik. “Annie, get your mech idling. Nuchik, get your rifle primed. At the very least, we’ll stay ready.”
; Nolan knew the point of the orders as soon as she gave them. Giving them something to do would take their minds off the looming situation.
He moved to his own mech, pulling himself up the leg and into the cockpit. He left the cockpit open, but activated one of the internal holoterminals. Nolan keyed it to the ship’s sensors, and began scanning the system.
They’d reached low orbit, and thus far the Void Wraith hadn’t adjusted their position. It looked like they’d made it. He scanned the planet, but there was no sign of whatever ground-based weapon had fired before would fire again.
“Uh-oh,” he muttered. Nolan looked up at T’kon. “Hey, T’kon, you guys are going to want to see this.” He keyed in the command to activate the cargo bay’s holoterminal, sharing what he was seeing.
Three dreadnoughts were moving to encircle the empress. They were supported by a small fleet of cruisers and destroyers—enough that he doubted the empress’s single ship had any chance.
“I should have expected this,” the empress called in a clear voice. “Captain, what you’re seeing is the approach of the Kthul. It is they who seized control of my world, and I suspect they seek to silence me here.”
“There’s still a chance to just warp away,” Nolan pointed out. “We can get you out of here right now, with no risk.”
“Doing so would cost my dreadnought, and the lives of my soldiers,” the empress protested. She looked uncertainly at the white-furred Ganog. “Master Yulo, what would you suggest I do?”
“Saving yourself is meaningless if your clan learns that you fled this battle prematurely. You need that dreadnought, and you need to be seen escaping.” Yulo rested a hand on the empress’s shoulder. “Sometimes doing what is right is difficult, but the price of doing otherwise is much higher.”
“Aluki, how far out from the dreadnought are we?” Nolan asked over the comm. He could see the holo, but it was difficult to judge distances based on the limited information he was tapping into.
“We can be docked in sixty seconds, but those other dreadnoughts are going to reach it at almost exactly the same time,” Aluki’s high voice came back.
“All right, Empress. Hold on. This is going to be a bumpy landing.”
47
Warp
The cruiser shuddered violently, sending Nolan lurching into his mech’s leg. He clung on, as the squad struggled to do the same all around him. The empress and her white-furred companion stood calmly, rolling with the motion like ancient earth sailors on their mother sea.
“Mmm, we’re taking collateral fire from the dreadnought flak cannons.” Aluki’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “Both engines are damaged. Hold on. I’m going to guide us into the hangar bay.”
The ship lurched again, and Nolan’s hand shot out to seize the bar affixed to the mech’s leg. He tensed his arm, holding himself in place as the ship bounced its way through what felt like an asteroid field. Nolan hated not being able to see what was going on, hated trusting his fate to someone else’s reflexes and intuition.
“I am quite surprised by how competent your ka’tok is, Captain Nolan,” the empress began in a conversational tone.
“If you refer to her that way again, you will regret it,” T’kon interjected. His hand dropped to his sidearm. Both Yulo and the empress eyed him dispassionately, but Khar took offense.
The Tigris interposed himself between the empress and T’kon, staring up at T’kon with a familiar fire in his eyes. At least he said nothing, though Nolan noted the firm set of his jaw. His tail thrashed behind him, almost daring T’kon to take another step.
“Oh, for God’s sake, enough with the posturing,” Nolan snapped. The ship lurched again, and there was a tremendous groan as it slowed. He waited for the groan to stop before continuing. “T’kon, I know you and Aluki are close, but let it go. We have more important things to be concerned with.”
T’kon ignored Nolan, his attention fixed on Zakanna. He removed his hand from his side arm. “You have ruled over our people from the carefully constructed world you created in that ivory spire. Where has that arrogance gotten you, Empress? Manipulated and ultimately deposed.”
“Perhaps, but mine isn’t the only such arrogance, is it, T’kon of the Azi clan?” The empress’s eyes blazed, and she pushed past Khar to stand next to T’kon. “We have arrived on my flagship, the heart of my remaining power. If, for some reason, I didn’t wish to kill you myself, I could have any number of loyal clansmen do it for me.”
“Hey.” Nolan tensed. The sudden reminder of where they were was sobering. He needed to diffuse this and quickly. “I said hey.” All eyes turned to him. Nolan stalked over to the Ganog. “Put this shit aside, right goddamned now. Zakanna—that’s your name right? T’kon and the ka’tok saved your collective asses. You’d be dead back on Imperalis if not for them. How about you put aside your feelings and concentrate on getting us out of here? Didn’t you say that the Kthul fleet was bearing down on us?”
Zakanna blinked, then her fur softened to an embarrassed pink. “Apologies. You are correct, human.” She walked to the cargo ramp, slapping the button beside it. The ramp began to lower, giving Nolan the first glimpse at the interior of a Ganog dreadnought.
“I’m going to contact my people. Do you mind if we stay on the ship?” Nolan asked.
“I understand your mistrust, and your wish to remain in the ship. I’m afraid I must refuse. Your crew can remain here, but you will accompany me to the command island.” Zakanna stalked down the ramp, and into a long, narrow hangar. It reeked of something that smelled like oil, and Nolan noted the rusted walls immediately. This place had been terribly maintained.
Yulo followed Zakanna toward a doorway at the far side, but Khar hung back a moment. Nolan moved to stand beside him, eyeing his friend searchingly. “I hope like hell you remember whose side you’re on, Khar. You’re scaring the crap out of me.”
“I remember my friends, Nolan,” Khar rumbled. He extended a paw, and Nolan accepted it. “You will always be part of me, and I will always be part of you. I know you do not understand my actions, but I promise that when you understand them, you will agree they are necessary.”
Nolan barked a short laugh. “If you say so.” He turned to Hannan. “Stay here and keep the shuttle powered up. Contact Admiral Fizgig and give her a full report. If she can stop the battle, wonderful.”
48
End This
Zakanna quietly opened her lower nostrils, taking a single long breath before closing them. It helped to compose her, and in that moment she needed composure. She stepped off the transport disk onto the command island.
Yogotho, her finest surviving fleet leader, stood atop the dais, calling out orders to the battery of techsmiths behind him. She looked up, trying to make sense of the battle as it raged across the system.
“Takkar has not fared well,” Yulo murmured, also staring up.
“I only count nine dreadnoughts.” Zakanna shook her head. “Over a third of the support ships are missing.” She stalked to the dais.
Yogotho turned to her, giving a low bow. “Do you wish to assume command, Empress?” She noted the glare that Yogotho shot Nolan’s way. The human stood back at the edge of the island next to Khar, both looking uncomfortable.
Zakanna considered the benefits of assuming direct command. She surveyed the system quickly, but other than scattered debris fields there was no direct sign of ship to ship combat.
“I will assume command.” She leaped atop the dais, stabbing a finger at a techsmith. “Get me Takkar. Now. Then compile a report on the surface battle.”
“I have opened a channel, Empress.” The techsmith bowed, even as a spider-legged holo-unit scurried onto the dais. A hologram sprang to life above it, showing Takkar’s command island.
Takkar stood alone, except for a single techsmith. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he stared upward, no doubt studying the battle. He turned toward the holo-unit, his fur darkening. “Now is hardly the time, Zakanna. I’ve
given you everything you wished. What is it now? Be swift. I have a battle to run.”
“The battle is over.” Zakanna leaned closer to the holo-unit, glaring at the defiant commander. “Order your vessels to retreat to my position. Now.”
“I’ll do no such thing,” Takkar roared. “The work is not yet done. We’ve nearly destroyed their factory.”
“Takkar.” Zakanna stepped back, flaring her lower nostrils and forcing her fur to a soft grey. “You have fought bravely this day, and no doubt could eradicate every last Coalition vessel easily. I can see that you were winning.” She couldn’t. In fact, there was still no sign of the enemy fleet. “This battle is no longer of import. The Kthul, under the direction of the seekers, have seized control of Imperalis. They’ve awakened an army of guardians. Over a quarter of the Nyar fleet has been eradicated. What you possess here is the sum of our fighting strength against the Kthul. If we lose it fighting this…Coalition, then the seekers win. Our people become slaves to the Nameless Ones, just as our ancestors did. Think, Takkar. I know how you hate the seekers. Do you really wish to play into their hands?”
Takkar’s fur darkened to a deep red-black. Whirls of color flowed through it as Takkar labored under a maelstrom of emotion. Zakanna said nothing, allowing the storm to blow out. She knew Takkar, knew what he loved, and what he despised. Takkar hated seekers more than anything, more than he valued winning here…even against the foe that had so incensed and embarrassed him.
“Very well.” Takkar raised a clenched fist, and the techsmith transmitted his orders. The Ganog fleet ceased firing on the doomed factory in low orbit. “Yet how do you expect to convince the enemy to withdraw? This enemy commander strikes from the shadows, and then quickly retreats. She has bled my forces, and there is nothing to stop her from continuing this.”