by M. R. Forbes
He lifted his hand away, watching as the fighter slid out of the hangar, through the shield and into space. The starship was drawing near, coming right at him, ready to force its way into the fortress. He scrambled from the control room, climbing out and running back toward the transport beam. He needed to get down to the base level. He would have one good opportunity to make this work.
He was halfway there when the impact came. He could sense it before he felt it, the lek'shah phasing as it was struck. Then the shockwave came, powerful enough that the entire fortress groaned in pain, substantial enough that it knocked him off his feet. He stayed on his hands and knees for a moment, waiting to see if the blow was enough to destroy them. When there was no sign of critical failure, when the ship maintained both power and life support, he rose once more and continued his run.
The bek'hai had used him. He would use the humans, first for revenge, and then to regain control.
Then he would end them all for good.
FIFTY-NINE
Theodore looked up. Smoke was filling the bridge, the equipment sparking and shorting, strained beyond its limits at the impact. His chest hurt where the emergency straps had dug into it, reminding him that he had nearly been strained beyond his limit.
Nearly, but not quite.
The ship still had emergency power. He had no idea how. It was some kind of miracle in itself.
"Maggie, you there?" he said, coughing.
"Yes, General," the computer replied, oblivious to their state.
"How's the atmosphere outside?"
"Eighty percent oxygen, fifteen percent nitrogen. Other components include water vapor, argon, helium, and an unidentified gas."
It was breathable, as he suspected. That was good enough. "Patch me in with Colonel Graham."
"Yes, General."
"Colonel," Theodore said. "Status report."
"A little shaken, General," Graham replied. "We're ready to move."
"Do it. Secure the perimeter. We'll meet you outside."
"Maggie, sound the evac." He paused to cough again. "Everybody okay up there?"
A round of affirmatives greeted him.
"We need to get off this thing. Follow along behind me, make sure you grab a gun on the way out. If they're gone before you get there, stay with the people who are armed."
"Yes, sir," the crew replied.
Theodore unstrapped himself, and then transferred into his chair. Colonel Choi appeared beside it.
"Can you get the locks for me, Colonel?" he asked.
She bent down to release the chair from the floor. The rest of the bridge crew was assembling in front of them. He counted heads, happy to see they were all up and about.
"Stay alert. We made it this far, but we haven't won a damn thing yet."
He turned the chair, rolling it from the bridge and out into the corridor. This part of the ship was vacant; the personnel already shuffled to prepare for the incursion. They had managed to survive the crash landing on the alien ship; now they needed to find a way to gain control of it. The Dread used clones for everything, so there had to be a means for a human to pilot it.
And if a human could pilot it, then he damn well could.
The corridors were hazy, and the smell of burning wires and metal was thick in the air. The emergency lighting cast a shadow of light along the haze, which would have made the Magellan eerie if it weren't so familiar. Theodore cursed as they came across the body of one of the crew, who hadn't managed to buckle up in time.
Someone behind him cried out at the sight. Someone else vomited. He couldn't blame them. He tensed his own stomach to keep his emotions in check. This was war. Casualties happened. May God have mercy on their souls.
They kept going, moving at a light run. Theodore had no idea what kind of defenses the Dread were going to have. Unless they had brought the ship full-stop in a hurry, they had a limited amount of time before they could back up into the crease through the dead zone, or move the ship out of it completely. The only shot they had was to hit the enemy while they were still vulnerable.
"General, this is Sergeant Hafizi. Delta Squad is on the ground outside. The area is clear and secure."
His voice was choppy through the damaged comm system.
"This is Graham. Beta squad is out and clear."
"General, this is Alpha Squadron Leader. There's no activity outside the fortress. I don't think they have any other fighters."
Theodore looked over at Choi. "No more pilots, more like," he said. "Something fishy's going on here. I'm not complaining, but I expected this to be a little harder."
"Me, too," Choi replied.
"Maggie, pass a message to Gabriel to bring his squad in. If they had more Bats to send at us, they would have done it already, and we may need the extra hands on the ground."
"Yes, General."
"Send a message to Hafizi, too. Get his team moving into position to cover wherever Beta ain't."
"Yes, General."
They reached the emergency stairwell. Choi, Abdullah, and Locke all helped lift his chair, carrying him down the steps. He hated that they had to do it, but he stayed silent. Now wasn't the time to complain about being independent.
"General, Alpha Squadron is home," Gabriel said through the comm.
"Heh. Home? We'll see about that. Vacation rental, more like."
It took almost five minutes for them to get down the stairwell to the belly of the ship, where the emergency ground access was located. For each second of each minute, Theodore waited to hear from Hafizi that they were taking heavy fire, or from Graham that they were under attack. No such messages came. It was almost as if the Dread were hiding.
Or waiting.
Whichever it was, he didn't like it.
Sergeant Diallo was waiting at the exit with Guy, Sarah, and Reza. She was holding their single Dread weapon.
"General," she said, saluting as he approached.
"Sergeant. That thing still work?"
"Yes, sir," Reza said.
Theodore spun his chair to face them. "I don't have the words to express my gratitude over what you three have accomplished here. I'm proud as heck of each and every one of you, and grateful to have you on my ship. Let's not get too comfy, though; we're not of the swamp just yet."
"Yes, sir," they replied.
"The others are already on the ground, sir," Diallo said.
"No sign of the enemy?"
"Not yet. I think they're afraid of us."
"I think they're working out a nice, proper welcome. And I don't mean good old-fashioned southern hospitality. Maggie, how long until we clear the dead zone?"
"Three minutes, General."
"That's about how long I think we have. Maggie, set yourself to secure standby and power down. Unlock only by command of myself, Colonel Choi, or Major St. Martin."
"Yes, General. It was nice to see you again, General. Farewell."
"Farewell, Maggie."
The emergency lighting dimmed further as the Magellan began to shut down. Theodore stayed behind Diallo as they moved down the ramp to the floor of the Dread fortress. He could see most of the crew assembled beneath them, many of them armed and all of them organized and alert, taking cover behind whatever they could find, their weapons trained on the apparent exits to the hangar.
He saw Gabriel and his dog crouched next to Lieutenant Bale, unarmed but still watching the ingress points. He was alive and unharmed. He could only hope he would stay that way.
"General," Colonel Graham said when he reached the ground. "I've got everyone organized. How do you want to do this?"
"These couillons must have a bridge or a control room or something somewhere in here. We move together, one unit until we find it. We've got one gun that can hurt them, and it needs to go to the best shot." He turned to Sergeant Diallo. "Is that you, Sergeant?"
"Yes, sir," Diallo replied.
"Good woman." Theodore coughed slightly before raising his voice. "All right boys and girls, th
is is it. I think the fact that we're being ignored in here is a good start. We're still alive, and I plan for us to stay that way. We've got the Dread rifle; now the mission is to find whatever passes for a CIC around here and take control of it. We cut off the head, the rest of the snake will be left flopping around. Any questions?"
Nobody said anything, though they all turned his way, their expressions clearly reflecting the respect they had for him. Even Gabriel. Especially Gabriel. He wanted to go over to his boy, but he wasn't his son right now. He was just another soldier.
"In that case, let's-"
One of the doors to their right slid open, cutting him off. Diallo ducked in front of him, protecting him while raising the Dread rifle to fire back at the incoming soldiers. The rest of his crew reacted in kind, those with weapons training them on the door, the remainder taking cover.
Except there were no incoming soldiers. At first, nothing came through the door. It sat open, the corridor behind it vacant.
Then a single form appeared from the shadows. It was taller and leaner than an average human, with long fingers and small ridges on the sides of its head. It was wearing a skintight suit of some kind and was holding a rifle by the barrel, hands up and out in a submissive posture. It smiled at them as it entered the hangar, a crooked smile that revealed white human teeth.
It scanned the line, starting with Theodore and sweeping across their defensive positions. It stopped when its eyes fell on Gabriel.
"There you are," it said. "The Heil'shur. Much honor and respect to you. My name is Tea'va dur Orin'ek." It bowed low before them. "I am humbly indebted to you for your intercession, and wish to offer myself to you in service."
SIXTY
Gabriel stared at the Dread standing in front of him along with the rest of the crew. Most of them had never seen the enemy who stole their home world at all. Gabriel had never seen one outside of their impenetrable armor.
Seconds passed in tense silence. The alien, Tea'va, waited motionless for Gabriel to respond to his offer. To respond at all. Gabriel was too stunned to speak. The fact that their opponent looked so human was one shock. That Tea'va had offered to help them was another. This whole mission had felt as if it were being guided by an invisible hand. His mother's, maybe? But this?
This was something else entirely.
He dared a quick glance over to his father, who was already looking back at him. The General nodded shortly, giving him permission to interact.
"Heil'shur?" he said.
"It means honored adversary," Tea'va replied. "We have met before. In the dark above the planet called Earth."
"We've met before? You mean you're a pilot?"
"Yes. You have escaped from me many times. Your skill is unmatched among both our races."
Gabriel wasn't so sure about that. He had seen the damage to his fighter when he climbed out of it. It was luck, not skill.
"Why are you here? Why offer us your help? What are you hoping to achieve?"
"As I said, I wish to offer my services. I am lor'el on this ship. An outcast. Mistreated and dishonored for my appearance. I have done all that they ask, and yet they say I am too human. If I am too human, if I am a failure for that, then I shall become a human." He laughed in a shrill cackle. "Revenge, Heil'shur. That is what I hope to achieve. Revenge against the bek'hai who have stolen your world, and betrayed me."
"And we're just supposed to believe that?" Gabriel asked. He had no idea what the enemy's tactics looked like. Would they send a single combatant in to distract them?
"No. Only a gruk would do so," Tea'va said. "I've brought you something. Two things."
He raised his hands a little higher and then threw his rifle toward Gabriel. Gabriel reached up and caught it, lowering it and checking it. It was active.
"I can take you to more," Tea'va said. "I also have this."
He backed away again, beyond the entrance to the hangar. The movement caused the other members of the crew to tense.
"Easy," Gabriel said to those around him. "Take it easy."
Tea'va dragged something into view. A dead Dread. He held it up to them so they could see he had shot it in the head. Then he dropped it unceremoniously to the floor.
"This one and five others were on their way here, to fortify this position and prepare for the ambush. I destroyed them for you, as a sign of my loyalty if you will have it."
Gabriel looked to his father again. This wasn't his decision to make. It was Theodore's.
His father tapped his wrist. They didn't have a lot of time.
That was all he did. He didn't provide a yes or a no. He was leaving Gabriel to make the decision for them. Trusting his instincts.
They didn't have many options. They had managed to get on board the ship, which was a miracle in itself. But they still didn't know where to go, what kind of opposition they would run into, nothing. What were their chances if they went in blind? Minimal, and they all knew it. They had done it because they were desperate, not because it was ideal. If this Dread, this Tea'va, was leading them into a trap, they were goners, but they would have likely been goners anyway. If he really did intend to help them? They might be able to pull off one of the greatest military victories of all time.
"Very well, Tea'va. I accept your offer. If revenge is what you're after, then there will be plenty of opportunities for you to get it."
The Dread smiled again. Gabriel couldn't help but recoil slightly at the sight of it. It was so close to human, and yet alien enough that his mind couldn't quite accept it.
"They will be coming when the Ishur exits the void," Tea'va said. "When your weapons will be ineffective against them once more. Your tactics and timing were impressive. Was it your idea?"
"My father's," Gabriel said.
"Father?" Tea'va replied. "I have heard of this thing. Bek'hai have no fathers. What you did with your shields, I did not believe it was possible." He made a clicking noise that seemed impressed. "Come. We must reach the armory before Gr'el can adjust to my treachery. He will be reinforcing this position with the few units he has to spare."
Few units to spare? That sounded promising. Gabriel glanced over at Theodore again. The General smiled.
"You heard the Dread," his father said. "Form up and move out. O'Dea, run on over to the other side of Maggie and get Hafizi and Beta in line behind us."
"Yes, sir," Daphne said, rushing away from the scene.
"According to my watch we've got less than a minute," Theodore said.
"Is this your Si'dahm?" Tea'va asked. "Your second in command?"
"No," Gabriel replied. "General St. Martin is the leader of our forces."
Tea'va faced Theodore, sweeping low again, his head down in a submissive pose. "My apologies, Dahm St. Martin."
"Don't worry about it," Theodore said. "Just get us some guns, and you and me will be best friends forever."
"As you command, Dahm St. Martin. This way."
Tea'va moved back across the threshold, out of the hangar. The entire crew of the Magellan hesitated to follow, Gabriel included. It was one thing to verbally accept this apparently traitorous enemy's help. It was another to follow him into the unknown.
"Don't just stand there lallygagging," Theodore said. "We doubled down; now it's time to show our hand." He began rolling forward ahead of them. Sergeant Diallo was caught off guard, but she hurried to catch up.
Gabriel got in motion as well, moving from his cover behind a Dread starfighter. Colonel Graham fell in beside him, along with Bale and Celia.
The Dread stood a dozen meters ahead of them, at the intersection of another corridor. He waited for Theodore and Gabriel to reach him before pointing out the others he had killed, all with a single wound to the head.
Gabriel was as impressed with Tea'va as Tea'va had seemed to be with him. The Dread was not only a pilot, but he was also a crack shot. Gabriel wished he could say the same about his ground combat skills.
"We go that way. We will cross three more corridors
to reach the hub. There will be a green light in the center. It is a transport beam. Lower your hands to go down. This one will take you to the lowest deck, where the main armory is located. Pass word to the others in your cell. Once we have taken the weapons, I will lead you to the bridge. Expect strong resistance there."
"How many soldiers does this Gr'el fellow have?" Theodore asked.
"Fortunately for you, not anywhere near as many as he had before. He seized control of this ship from its original commander and destroyed every drumhr and lor'hai whose loyalty was questionable. That is why he is holding back. He won't risk what he has remaining when he can hold out for a better overall position."
"I would do the same thing," Theodore said.
"Gr'el didn't question your loyalty?" Gabriel asked.
"Of course, he did. I was this ship's original commander. He betrayed me with the blessing of the Domo'dahm, our leader, because of my humanity. Your attack allowed me to break free. That is why I owe you a debt of gratitude. Your numbers are nearly equal to his. If we can reach the armory, you will almost be on even-"
Tea'va stopped speaking, darting forward and shoving Gabriel back against the wall. Gabriel felt his stomach clench, waiting for the killing blow. A plasma bolt whizzed past him, right where he had been standing a moment before. Another followed, striking the corner of the intersection as Tea'va released him and urged them back.
Shouts went up from the rear of the rebel forces, followed by opposing bursts of plasma and heavy ions.
The Dread starship was out of the dead zone, and the reinforcements had arrived.
SIXTY-ONE
"Damn it," Theodore said, throwing his chair back against the wall and turning his head toward the rear of their column. "We need one of those guns back there. Diallo, make it happen."