“What was that object on the surface? Why the secrets?”
“I do not have the authority to say, John Duggan. Nothing has changed.”
“Ten seconds and they’re gone,” said Breeze.
Duggan’s earpiece had become quiet and he thought Nil-Far was gone. The Ghast was still there and he spoke one final question.
“Did you see anything within the pyramid?”
“I saw nothing,” said Duggan.
“They’re gone,” said Breeze. “At a healthy speed from what I can tell. They’re either good at repairs or we overestimated their damage.”
“How long till our engines are ready?” asked Duggan.
“They came online half an hour ago, sir. Not enough to attain maximum velocity, but it’ll get us where we need to be.”
“Fine,” said Duggan. “Warm them up and set us on a course for the Juniper. The shit is about to hit the fan.”
He caught McGlashan staring at him with one of her expressions. He didn’t know if he had anything to say to her just yet, so he didn’t meet her gaze. The engines on the Terminus took a few seconds longer than usual to prepare and then they sent the heavy cruiser away into lightspeed.
Chapter Twenty-One
With a feeling of déjà vu, John Duggan paused for a moment outside Admiral Teron’s door. He clenched his fists, feeling the new layers of artificial skin flex uncomfortably. The Juniper’s AI scanned and recognized him, before opening the way for him to proceed. There were no perceptible changes to the office, except for the presence of an additional person who sat opposite Teron. This woman turned to look at Duggan as he walked inside, her eyes narrowing briefly, as if she had already found him wanting. For his part, Duggan kept his gaze neutral and even, having recognized her to be another officer of Admiral rank.
“Have a seat, Captain,” said Teron. “This is Admiral Franks.”
Admiral Franks was lean and her face was hard. Her hair was pulled away from her face and tied in a bun at the back of her head. Duggan wasn’t a good judge of ages, but thought her to be somewhere in her fifties. They exchanged polite greetings, during which Admiral Franks’ accent showed her to be originally from New Earth.
Teron got straight on with business. “I’ve read your preliminary report and I’m not pleased. This puts us in a very difficult situation.”
“I can appreciate that,” said Duggan.
“However, it may do little beyond bring forward other plans we have.”
Duggan was caught unawares. “What do you mean?”
“We’ll get to that shortly. Admiral Franks was here on other business and it seemed wise to invite her along to our discussion. I don’t have the authority to deal with this on my own.”
“Have you spoken with the Ghasts about what happened on Trasgor, sir?”
“We have, albeit only briefly. As far as they are concerned, they were within their rights to destroy the pyramid and claim their actions have no bearing on the peace we are negotiating. They also claim there were no threats made to members of the Space Corps or its warships.”
“All of this is close enough to the truth that it’s hard to refute, sir,” said Duggan. “Except you weren’t there. The Ghast captain was rattled when we found the pyramid and I believed there was a significant possibility the Dretisear would receive orders to fire upon us. The ES Terminus is a powerful warship but it is not a match for an Oblivion, no matter what the Space Corps might hope.”
“Was there much of a difference between the two?” asked Teron, with an unmistakeable interest.
“Enough, sir. They had more of everything and they were tougher and faster than us. I think the AI core on the Dretisear is ahead too. The biggest difference continues to be their missile targeting.”
“Well over a million kilometres,” said Franks with a slight drawl. “They have been keeping secrets, haven’t they?”
“Not secrets, sir. They’ve just continued to do what they’ve been beating us at for the last ten years – building and improving.”
“That won’t last forever, Captain,” said Teron. “We’re gaining on them technologically and there’s nothing they can do to stop it.” He paused to consider his next words. “We’ve had a few people working to estimate the Ghasts’ theoretical industrial output, and do you know what? Even the most pessimistic results suggest that the Confederation has a fifty percent greater output than the combined Ghast worlds. Give us the time and we will overtake whatever technology they can create.”
“That’s by-the-by, sir. There was a damned Ghast in a terraforming power source left on Trasgor,” said Duggan. “We need to find out why. Have the Ghasts secretly allied themselves to the Dreamers? They could have encountered each other around the Helius Blackstar and somehow come to an agreement.”
Teron and Franks went quiet for a few seconds. It was Teron who broke the silence. “We need more proof, Captain.”
“I saw the body, sir. It was a Ghast.”
“I’m not doubting what you saw, nor am I going to humour you whilst I secretly believe your eyes deceived you or some other such nonsense. However, I do need more proof before I’m certain. If you’d been able to recover the body, we’d have been able to do tests.”
“We couldn’t do a recovery because the Ghasts blew it up,” said Duggan. “They must have known what we’d find there, which would explain why Nil-Far was unwilling to tell me anything.”
“You told the Ghast captain what you saw?” asked Franks.
“It was in my report, sir. I told Nil-Far I hadn’t seen anything. I wanted to tell Admiral Teron about it first.”
“The Dreamers destroyed as much of the Ghast fleet at the Blackstar as they did of ours,” said Teron. “Why would they be allies? On top of that, the Ghasts willingly assisted you with destroying the Dreamer warship which was guarding Trasgor.”
“I don’t know, sir. We know so little about the Ghasts and how they are governed. Could they have different factions, some of whom allied themselves with the Dreamers?”
“It doesn’t seem likely, does it?” asked Franks. “The Ghasts have always acted in concert against us. Why should they suddenly be split now?”
Duggan shrugged, aware none of it made a lot of sense. “I’m worried we might arrange peace, only to find ourselves betrayed later. The Ghasts alone are a powerful foe. The Dreamers have only a limited presence in our space and they are looking to prepare entire worlds, presumably for them to populate. They will send more ships after the others and we could be caught in the middle.”
“What are you suggesting, Captain?” asked Teron.
“Caution. Any peace deal with the Ghasts should be accompanied by a reduction in their armaments and a commitment by them to share their Shatterer technology. At least that will cut what advantage they have over us.”
“We’re trying,” said Teron. “They aren’t buying it.”
“Will they eventually agree?” asked Duggan.
“Who knows? They may or they may not. I’m not really permitted to talk to you about it, Captain. Negotiations such as this are invariably delicate.”
“If the Ghasts won’t accept a reduction in their armed capabilities, they will eventually become a threat again,” said Duggan. “Who is to say they aren’t working on their own version of the Planet Breaker? They used a series of incendiary devices on Charistos and Angax. If they find where our home planets are, they could use them against us. And who knows what could happen if they are allied with the Dreamers?”
Teron gave a barked, humourless laugh. “I thought you wanted peace!” he said. “Here you are talking like we should make contingency plans to betray the Ghasts!”
“I do want peace, sir. Most of all, I want the Confederation to survive. I’ve fought too long to be on the losing side. Too many of my soldiers have died in the cause.” His anger grew. “I simply do not want peace at any cost, sir.”
“This is all for the future, Captain Duggan,” said Teron, his eyes glittering. �
�The very near future. Rest assured, the details in your report have been taken seriously. I’ve said before that you always come with baggage – every victory has a downside.”
“That’s how it is, sir,” said Duggan.
“I know,” Teron replied. “It’s something I’ve come to accept. For the moment, you’ll need to leave certain matters in the hands of others.”
“What next for me and my crew?”
Teron didn’t answer directly, a trait Duggan had become familiar with. “You brought back samples of the Dreamer power source from Trasgor. Your Lieutenant Breeze made some preliminary findings about its nature, which have got a few of our scientists excited. Very excited.”
“I believe it provided power for the energy shield and also for the structure itself – to create a new oxygen-rich atmosphere for the planet,” said Duggan.
“I don’t think there’s much doubt about that,” said Franks. “However, the idea of a power source based on stone rather than metal is what has got us interested.”
“I thought stone was too brittle to use in a military capacity?” said Duggan. “Hence we use metal for everything.”
“That’s what we’ve always believed,” agreed Franks. “Our researchers have started to think that the output from a metal-based power source will never be sufficient for a number of objectives we would like to pursue. Not because we lack the knowledge, but because the material itself is unsuitable.”
“Cutting to the chase, we want more of what you found,” said Teron.
“I’ve just arrived back!” said Duggan. “There’s been no time to study the samples, let alone decide what we need!”
“That’s only partially true. We have past research projects into generating power from materials other than metal. Many of them reached a dead end, though in some cases this was because of our own limitations, not a limitation of the materials we hoped to utilise.”
“There are times you know something is possible, yet lack the capability to make it happen,” said Franks.
Teron performed another one of his topic shifts. “How many of our spacecraft do you think it would take to destroy the Dreamer vessel you encountered in the orbit of Trasgor?” he asked.
“It depends how many of our craft you expect to be destroyed,” Duggan said. “Without Shatterer missiles, we’d need to get in close enough to bring down its shields with nuclear blasts.”
“How many?”
“Three like the Terminus would stand a chance. I’d want many more for certainty.”
“We’ve lost another ship,” said Teron. “In the Garon sector, a couple of days’ high lightspeed from Trasgor.”
“This time it was a warship, the Anderlecht Bulldozer.”
“Travelling alone in an area known to hold a threat to our fleet?” asked Duggan sharply.
“Rest assured there’ll be a reckoning,” Teron replied. “All you really need to know is that they sent a low-speed distress signal from the surface of a planet, describing the presence of a large pyramid-shaped object on the ground.”
“We don’t know if the Dreamers can trace our broadcasts,” said Duggan.
“The crew of the Bulldozer didn’t consider that,” said Teron. “What’s happened has happened.”
“What else have they told you?”
“They were destroyed by an unknown warship which hit them with beam and missile fire. We’ve not heard from them after their first message.”
“We’re sending you to recover the pyramid,” said Franks. “You’ll likely encounter another enemy warship, which you’ll need to destroy, before picking up the target object and bringing it to New Earth for study.”
“I’ll require a heavy lifter,” said Duggan.
“We’re currently looking into what vessels we can make available for this task,” said Teron. “It’s a high priority, so resourcing isn’t an issue. It’s the time and distances which we’re struggling to overcome. We need you to go as soon as possible.”
“What if the pyramid broadcasts distress signals from the hold of the MHL?” asked Duggan.
“You’ll have to make sure it doesn’t,” said Teron. “This is your chance to take another look inside and capture whoever happens to be operating the device.”
“If I can’t be certain I’ve locked down their transmissions, I’ll have to destroy it,” said Duggan.
“We’d rather you didn’t,” said Teron.
“And what about the crew who sent the broadcast?”
“They’re a secondary concern, Captain Duggan,” said Franks.
“If I can find them, I’ll bring them back.”
“Of course,” Franks said. “I’ll repeat they are secondary to your primary goal.” She didn’t need to spell out what she meant.
Duggan thought the meeting was over and that he was about to be dismissed until the time came when Teron had gathered enough warships.
“There’s more, which I’ll let you know about while you’re here,” said Teron, his expression showing the news wasn’t going to be palatable. “The Confederation Council are looking to cut costs. To reap the benefits of peace before peace has arrived.”
“We’re having a stand-down from total war?” asked Duggan.
“Not yet. They’re seeking to justify it and the decision is in the balance.”
“Unbelievable,” said Duggan. “We’re facing two dangerous alien races, both of whom have the capability to wipe us out.”
“They’re not looking to cut us to the bone, Captain,” said Franks with a thin smile. “Just bring the costs back to what they describe as a more acceptable level. Existing ships will be built and more will follow. Inevitably there’ll be a degree of scaling back.”
“You know all about Military Asset Management,” said Teron. “They’re one of the monitoring tools the Council asked to be implemented.” He raised a hand to forestall Duggan’s next words. “Yes, I’ve read about Lieutenant Nichols in your report and yes his behaviour was unacceptable. I will have words with the right people, but we have to put up with it for the moment.”
“Sir, he questioned my actions at every opportunity. He could have jeopardised the mission.”
“In truth, I am furious, Captain Duggan,” said Teron. “My hands are tied for now. Nichols is a senior figure in MAM - his rank of lieutenant is not representative of the power he wields. You need to be careful with him.”
“He’s coming with you,” said Franks.
It wasn’t the sort of news Duggan had wished to hear. He’d hoped to be rid of Lieutenant Nichols and anyone else from MAM who took an interest in what he was doing. The stern faces of Teron and Franks told Duggan his complaints wouldn’t go anywhere. “Is that all?” he asked with a calm he didn’t feel.
“That’s all, Captain.”
Duggan stood and left the office, feeling two pairs of eyes drilling into his back as he went.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Within thirty-six hours, Duggan had his warships. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted, but he grudgingly admitted there was probably enough firepower to get the job done, even if it wasn’t the overwhelming force he wanted. He stood on the bridge of the Galactic class ES Rampage, with the crew and soldiers from the ES Terminus already brought onboard. The Terminus wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while, except to a shipyard for extensive repairs.
“We’ve got Anderlechts Vestige, Lustre and Extraction with us,” said Chainer. “The Brazen is due within the hour.”
“How many Gunners?” asked Duggan.
“We’ve got Furnace, Paranoid and Fencer, sir. New models.”
It was good to have the Vincent class fighters with them, though they probably wouldn’t contribute too much. Duggan had in the past thought these smallest of warships could be made to fight like tigers. He’d had a lot of time to reflect and it was increasingly apparent the Gunners were being gradually left behind and their significance diminishing. They couldn’t hold many Lambda clusters or nuclear missiles. They were definitel
y not big enough for a beam weapon. As time passed, the former workhorse of the fleet was heading for irrelevancy. Duggan wasn’t usually sentimental but there was something sad about the idea.
“Where’s our lifter?” asked Duggan.
“It’s coming later,” said McGlashan. “The details arrived a few minutes ago. There wasn’t anything suitable near the Juniper, so they’re having one sent directly to Kidor – that’s the name of the place where the Bulldozer’s crew found the pyramid. The lifter isn’t fast and it might not be there at the same time as we are.”
“That’s for the best,” said Duggan. “We don’t want it getting involved in the fighting.”
“It’s the MHL Goliath,” said McGlashan, her face perfectly straight.
Duggan shook his head and turned to Chainer. “We’re instructed to leave at once. Please coordinate our departure with the other vessels.”
“I’ve already done so, sir,” replied Chainer. “We’ll leave within five minutes of the Brazen’s arrival.”
There wasn’t much to do while he waited and Duggan fidgeted with impatience. The cruiser was five minutes later than scheduled when it winked into normal space, a good distance from the Juniper.
“Send them my greetings and tell them to get ready,” said Duggan.
“I’ve provided them with the coordinates,” said Chainer. “They’ve confirmed readiness to depart.”
After another five minutes, the eight Space Corps warships surged into lightspeed within a millisecond of each other. The Rampage was capable of Light-M, yet the heavy cruiser was obliged to travel no faster than the slowest accompanying vessels.
“We’re at Light-H,” said Breeze. “It feels like a bit of a crawl, these days.”
“How long till we arrive?”
“Another five days, sir. Kidor is a lot closer to the central zones of Confederation space.”
“I know,” said Duggan. “It has me worried.”
“Do you think the Dreamers are looking?” asked McGlashan.
“They know there are at least two intelligent species here,” said Duggan. “Our technology is clearly not as advanced as theirs, but we’ve managed to destroy two of their ships. If they’re not specifically looking, they’re certainly alert to our presence.”
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