by Tony Healey
"There's only one of us here who is dirty, Captain. That's you. You stand between the Union and progress. You stand between the Union and security. Our future is in flux. The steps I have taken . . . they are for the greater good."
"No, Admiral. They're for your own glory. You are a murderer."
He sat back at the sound of Cantrell and Jameson returning. He had a sickening grin on his face. "We'll see."
* * *
Punk fixed the last emitter in place and caught up with them. "I don't get why we're putting them out here."
"Because if this goes the way I think it will, we'll need a little distraction."
"I still don't–"
"Hey. We're here," Barbie said, leading them around the corner. An armed guard stood in front of the door to the room.
"Now remember, this has to go down the way Jessica wants it," Will told them. "Me and the skipper first. We'll take Doctor Kingston. Then Punk, you wait to be called. You're bringing in Dajani."
"Right."
Will looked to Barbie. "You're going to lead Plenty in. Okay?"
"Understood, Commander," Barbie said.
Plenty looked at him, his usual blank expression unchanged.
"You're going to be okay doing this? Presenting yourself to them? I can't give any guarantees what will happen to you."
"I know the risks," Plenty said. "But to not do it is denying my own existence."
Shaw turned around. "Well, I'm shocked. He's a philosopher."
"Come on, Captain. We're up."
* * *
Admiral Jameson gave the guards the nod. "Allow them in."
Captain Rick Shaw walked through the door first, followed by Commander Will Ardai, and Jessica's mother, Dr. Kingston.
Jessica looked at Kerrick. His smug demeanour had slipped. His face had grown ashy pale.
"Hey, people," Shaw said, a wide grin on his face.
"You are?" Cantrell asked.
"Captain Rick Shaw. Shadow Force."
"Aahhh . . ." Cantrell shared a look with Jameson. "Guards, you can leave us. Turn off all of the recording devices."
"We're going to accept this!?" Kerrick said, outraged. "She can bring anyone she wants to the goddamn party and we're fine with that?"
"Admiral, I don't understand your upset . . ." Jameson said, frowning.
"I think he knows what's coming," said Shaw with a cocky grin.
Jessica cleared her throat. "Admiral, if I may. I have other witnesses waiting outside. They're crucial to what I am about to say."
"Go ahead. Bring them in."
She got up, walked to the door, and beckoned them all in to the room. Kerrick stood, his face now red, his blood rising. His expression showed a fiery rage growing hotter and hotter.
"I won't stand for this! I have never heard of a court martial like it!"
Jessica returned to her seat. In walked Punk and Professor Dajani. Kerrick's hysterical outcries ceased at the sight of Dajani. He looked incredulously from the professor to Jessica, and back again. Then Barbie entered, alongside the hybrid.
Kerrick pointed, his mouth working wordlessly, eyes wide.
Jameson stood. "Kerrick, good God man, get a hold of yourself!"
"Captain, do you care to explain what all of this is about? And how it pertains to your trial?" Cantrell demanded.
"Indeed. I–"
Kerrick darted around the desk, reached inside his uniform jacket and produced a capsule. He smashed it on the floor. The room instantly filled with a soupy white smoke that burned the eyes and the mouth. The door opened and closed again.
"He's made a run for it," Shaw said, followed by a series of dry coughs.
"Activating the emitters," Punk said.
Jessica felt a large, heavy hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Let's get outside," Ardai told her.
She stood, took his hand, eyes squinted, and let him lead her to the door. Within moments the air recyclers had cleared most of the smoke, but it still burned to breathe. The security personnel flooded into the room. Out in the corridor, Jessica could just make out Kerrick running. She made to pursue, but Will's hand, still holding hers, stopped her dead.
"Don't worry. We've got it covered."
"Huh?"
Barbie barged past, breaking into a sprint, her heavy frame booming down the corridor after him.
"See?"
* * *
Kerrick felt like a rubber band that had been stretched too far – he could feel himself about to snap apart. There was only one option – his ship. With the credits he'd stowed away over the years, he could head anywhere. If he was quick.
He turned a corner and stopped dead.
"What have you done to me?" Grimshaw asked. He looked the same as he had the last time Kerrick saw him, but his skin was waxy grey, his eyes heavy and dark. There was blood on his uniform. He pointed a finger at him. "Kerrick, what have you done?"
He turned on his heel. Grimshaw was there, too. Pointing at him. Accusing. Risen from the grave, his eyes full of despair, full of accusation.
"Get away from me!"
". . . what have you done?"
Kerrick turned left, found another Grimshaw standing right in front of him. An apparition, pale and ghastly in its awful reality. He covered his face with his hands. "This isn't real . . . this isn't real . . ."
Barbie levelled her weapon at him. "Hey, Admiral?"
Kerrick looked up. Barbie fired. The haze of blue light surrounded him, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed on the floor.
Barbie grinned. "I love it when a plan comes together."
9.
After an hour explaining everything to Admiral Cantrell and Admiral Jameson, Jessica felt she'd made some headway – particularly when Jameson ordered her uniform returned to her.
"I am squashing all charges. In fact, I'm giving you a commendation," Cantrell said. "Bob, you agree with that?"
Jameson nodded. He still looked overcome by the whole tale. "Yeah."
"Now, you give us the unenviable task of arresting the Vice President. I'm afraid it won't be as easy as dealing with a lunatic Admiral," Cantrell said.
"Meanwhile, I would like to assist in the capture of Cessqa. I feel partly responsible for this mess, Admiral. I want to see it at an end."
"Agreed. But the Chimera Cluster is a long journey–"
Jameson cut in. "I believe we have something that might help with that. But we'll come to that in a minute. Jessica, I want you to rally together any ships you can that are docked at this station and leave within the hour. Do you know the Intrepid's exact location?"
"No, but I know a man who will."
Jameson clicked his fingers at the guards. "Go and get Kerrick. Drag his sorry behind in here."
"And us?" Dr. Kingston asked.
Cantrell smiled. "You will all be placed under maximum security. Members of our staff will take statements from you all. Just repeat what you have already told us here today, and it will be sufficient to ensure the Vice President and his Piazzi, Kerrick, are stopped for good. Ah, talking of which . . ."
Kerrick was now wide awake, each arm held by a guard as he was escorted back to the room. They deposited him there and he straightened his uniform. "I wish to speak with a lawyer."
"In good time," Cantrell assured him.
"Tell me the location of the Intrepid," Jessica demanded.
"No. Grant me immunity."
Jameson waved his hands. "We can talk immunity later on. Right now, we need those co-ordinates."
"Not until I have immunity," Kerrick said. "My mouth is shut."
Shaw rubbed his temple. "Punk, we don't have time for this. Get the kit."
"Kit? What kit?" Kerrick asked.
Punk unclipped a pouch on his belt, then unfolded it. Held snug in fabric hoops were several sharp implements. "I call them 'the truth cutters'. They don't take long, trust me."
Kerrick swallowed. "You wouldn't."
"Listen, everyone, I think this is ge
tting a little out of hand . . ." Jameson said.
Jessica took a step toward Kerrick. "D'you want to try us?"
"Alright, I'll tell you," Kerrick said. He told Jessica where the co-ordinates were stored on his personal terminal, and the password to access them. "Happy now?"
"Almost."
He rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me–"
Jessica slugged him in the gut. All the air rushed out of him. He looked up at her, eyes shot through with red, veins standing out on his neck.
"That was for putting us through hell."
Kerrick straightened out. "Is that it?" he gasped.
Jessica shook her head. "No. This one's for Grimshaw."
She swung her right fist, hitting him full force on the side of the face with a sound like meat slapping against a cold slab. His head snapped around; he stumbled back on jellified legs, the guards catching his unconscious form as it fell.
Will slapped her on the back as she examined her bruised knuckles. "You've got quite a hit!"
Shaw dragged Punk out the door with him. "Come on, short stuff. Let's go raid his computer."
"Did that feel good?" Cantrell asked Jessica.
"I'm ashamed to say it did, sir."
"There will be more questions to ask, Jessica. But they will have to wait."
Jameson leaned in close. "Put together something resembling a fleet and head for the Stiulur system. Station thirty-five. There you'll find a new method of long distance travel we've been developing called a TransJump portal. The commander there will explain it all to you, but it should cut your travel time significantly. And it will negate the effects of the Cluster itself."
Shaw cleared his throat. "I've heard about it before."
"Why does that not surprise me?" Jessica asked, eyebrow cocked.
Admiral Cantrell tapped several commands into a data tablet and handed it to her. "I am hereby activating Order Ten. You have full authority to gather what forces you can find, and act in the best interests of the Terran Defence Force."
Jameson smiled. "Best of luck. To you all."
10.
"Captain?" Dana turned around, holding her earpiece. "I'm getting something. It's very distorted, but I believe it's from Captain King."
Chang bolted from her chair. "What?"
"That's impossible," Banks said.
Dana listened to the other end. "No, it's definitely her."
"Put it on speakers."
"He-o this is . . . Je-ca . . ."
Chang snapped her fingers impatiently. "Dana, is there anything we can do? Clear it up?"
"I can boost power to the communication relays," Dr. Gentry offered. "Though we risk blowing the conduits entirely."
"Do it."
A few seconds later, there was a noticeable improvement, but it was still too distorted to make sense of.
"Try using the probes for gain," Chang suggested, thinking on the problem. If Jessica was contacting them directly, it could mean only one thing – she was back in the fold. She could only know their location by having contact with command in some way. And that also meant Kerrick had to have been taken care of.
"I'm patching us through," Gentry said, working, his fingers on the controls. "Using their relative positions to filter through the disturbance."
"This is Jessica King," her voice rang out loud and clear from the overhead speakers. "This is Jessica King contacting the starship Intrepid. Respond."
"Put me on," Chang ordered.
"Yes Ma'am!" Dana said, delighted to be able to follow through on the order.
"Jessica, this is Chang. We've got a good, strong signal. I can tell you, it's good to hear your voice."
"And yours. But I'm afraid we don't have much time for reminiscing."
"No, we don't."
"What's the situation?"
"Cessqa has some device left here centuries ago. Gentry calls it an Array. It's drawing power from the sun and in less than twenty-eight hours, it will be ready."
"Ready? Ready for what?"
"To open a conduit to the past. Cessqa will then use it call forth the might of the Namar at the peak of their power."
"My God . . ."
"Jess, what reinforcements can you send here?"
"Whatever I can rally together. We have your co-ordinates. We're going to try a new method of advanced travel. We can be with you in twenty-four hours."
"What's that–"
"I'll explain it to you later, when all of this is over. I more than owe you a drink, Lisa."
"And I'll look forward to it," Chang said. "What are your orders?"
"Sit tight . . . and prepare for battle."
"Understood. Chang out."
The channel closed.
Chang couldn't help but smile. Despite what was coming, despite what they were up against – despite the slim chances of them actually making it through the rest of the day in one piece – it all felt right. They were needed; they were where they were meant to be. The same place all leaders find themselves in such times. The front line, the last line, the threshold of certain doom. She would fight to her last, because her crew expected no less. Because she believed in what the Union stood for, even though it wasn't perfect.
"Everyone, we don't have much time. Banks, I want you to formulate a plan with the flight commanders. Let's see how much damage our fighters can inflict. In the meantime, I will sit down with the heads of every department. I want everyone knowing what their job is, and how to do it. This will not be the chaos of a surprise offensive, but a tactical operation."
"Yes Captain," Banks said.
"We can do this, I have every faith in you all." Chang looked around at them. "Now let's go to work."
* * *
The Spectre left the station behind.
"You must be relieved," Gunn said.
Jessica nodded. "Of course. But it's not over yet. Far from it."
"Are you thinking about your Mother?"
"A little, yes."
Meryl reached out, rubbed her back in a rare display of affection. "She'll be fine. When they say they'll put them in protective custody, I believe it."
"When all this is over, I want to build some kind of relationship with her," Jessica said.
Kalar's tentacles worked the many controls. "I'm inputting the co-ordinates now."
Captain Shaw glanced across at Will. "Have they all made contact?"
"Yes Captain. The Queen Victoria and the Cotopaxi are holding position port side aft. Reliant and Brave to starboard. Matching velocity and heading."
"Good. Jess, do you have any objections about going to Jump?" Shaw asked.
She shrugged, managed a smile. "It's your ship."
"That's goddamn right. Kay, get us out of here. Maximum Jump to the Stiulur system."
"Maximum Jump. Aye," Kalar replied.
Jessica braced herself against the console at her back, and closed her eyes as it washed over her – the sensation of your entire being shifting. Becoming one with space.
* * *
Chang dismissed her team from the briefing room and watched them file out. They had their orders; they knew how she wanted them to perform in the coming offensive. The Master at Arms would equip every crew member with a sidearm.
She remembered what had happened when the Defiant was boarded by the Namar and did not wish to repeat the tragedy of that day . . .
Banks walked in, through the crowd. "Commander?"
"Captain. We have a plan in place. It's pretty solid. The teams are getting prepped as we speak."
"Good work, Kyle. We're set here, too. Everyone has their job. They know what to do."
That fact doesn't make any of this less frightening, though . . .
The last of the department heads left the briefing room, leaving them to speak freely.
Banks licked his lips. "I've ensured that covering the sticky bomb when it's delivered is a priority."
"Good. I want you to have the best possible chance of getting it in there. Are you still s
ure you want to go ahead with it?"
"Of course."
"I'm serious. I can find another pilot for the job."
I want to say 'more expendable' but that wouldn't be proper. There's probably a dozen or so pilots below decks who'd jump at the chance at such a glory – but do they have as much chance of succeeding? I don't think so . . .
"I'm serious about doing it," Banks said. "I'm the best pilot on the ship. And this is the most dangerous mission."
"Okay," Chang said. "You're right, of course."
A silence fell around them. He'd agreed to put his life on the line for her, to fulfil her plan. She only hoped that it worked. That he managed to pull it off and got out of there in one piece. The silence stretched on, broken only by the rumble of power coursing through the Intrepid – even with the reactor dialled back she had a tremendous heart on her.
"Come on, Kyle. Let's start putting them through their paces. I want drills on every section, over and over until they get it all right. In a matter of hours, we go into battle. And it'll be for real."
* * *
The TransJump portal was an immense structure, several thousand metres wide, a framework that must have taken years to complete. Jessica was impressed that they'd managed to do so without it becoming common knowledge.
"So how's this meant to work?" Shaw asked, eyeing the portal sceptically. "They have our destination, right?"
"Correct," Jessica said. "The Station Commander said we'd detect a reading of nine point five on our sensors when it was ready to travel through."
Kalar turned around. "I must confess to feeling some trepidation about taking the Spectre through that."
"I understand your concern, Kay. To tell the truth, I'm not looking forward to going through that thing myself."
"I'm sure it will be all right," Jessica said, trying not to give voice to her own doubts. "Have the other ships checked in?"
"All set," Will said. "Station control have just contacted us to say they're about to begin."
"Great . . ." Shaw mumbled.
On the viewscreen, the gigantic hoop showed movement. Jessica realised then that the portal was a closed track, a framework upon which a Jump Drive generator ran, round and round. It built velocity gradually, and with each lap of the hoop became faster and faster until there was a distinct blue haze within the circle.