by Jason Hutt
“Will do,” Max said.
“Oh and thank you. Thank you both,” Victor said, “Thanks for getting our asses out of the fire. We may be on the run, but that’s better than the alternative.”
***
Akimbe’s eyes opened a sliver; he felt the cracking of dried rheum and immediately brushed it away. His vision was hazy, the light around him dim. Lying on his back, he couldn’t immediately place where he was.
“Doctor,” someone called out, “He’s coming around.”
Akimbe felt a hand on his shoulder and a familiar face came into view.
“What happened?” Akimbe asked.
Doctor Magnus frowned. “You don’t remember?”
Akimbe closed his eyes, trying to concentrate. The strain of thought hurt slightly. His eyes darted back and forth under closed eyelids and then shot open. He tried to bolt upright, but a wave of vertigo stopped him on the edge of the bed.
“Whoa, Commander. Slow down.”
“What’s our status? How many of them did we get? Where’s Captain Peters?”
“Slow down, Commander,” the doctor said, “You took quite a shot to the head. It took us awhile to get the swelling under control.”
“How long was I out?” Akimbe asked as he rubbed at his eyes.
“About twelve hours,” the doctor said as she consulted a display on her wrist computer.
“Am I cleared for duty?”
Magnus laughed. “Not for twenty-four hours.”
“You can’t expect me to just lay here for the next day.”
“I can give you provisional clearance. No strenuous activity for the next day. We’ll be monitoring your vitals. If your heart rate shoots up, you’re back in the bed. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Akimbe said, “Now, where’s my comp? I need to talk to the Captain.”
Doctor Magnus frowned and looked away. “The Captain’s ship was destroyed in the engagement. No survivors.”
“Damn.”
“Commander Sarkozi?”
The Doctor shook her head.
Akimbe sat in silence, absorbing the words and their meaning.
“Lieutenant Commander Demir has been acting in your stead. He’s ready to hand over the helm as soon as you’re cleared.”
Akimbe took the wrist computer from the nurse and slipped it over his forearm.
“You got lucky, Commander,” the doctor said, “The only reason those savages didn’t tear you apart is because they were running for their lives. As it is, you’re lucky you weren’t killed while you laid there on the pad.”
Akimbe nodded as he stared at the far corner of the room. His expression was vacant, betrayed only by the pulsing of veins in his temples.
The doctor’s wrist computer beeped and she looked up at Akimbe. “Keep it in check, Commander. Remember, if your stress levels get too high, you’re back on this bed.”
“I understand,” he said. He hailed his second-in-command. “Commander Demir, I want a full debrief right away.”
“Yes, sir,” Demir responded. “Good to hear you again. You had me worried.”
Akimbe nodded in thanks to the doctor and walked towards the briefing room that overlooked the bridge. His muscles and mind felt a bit like he was moving through a murky bog. Demir was already there with the tactical projection cued up.
“Status?”
“Four Interceptors operational. We lost one interceptor in the engagement, but another was dropped into deep space thirty days flight from a jump beacon.”
“Sarkozi’s alive then?”
Demir nodded. “Just out of action for a while. She’s…frustrated.”
“I’m sure. What else?”
“No issues with any support ships. The Merced was loaded with one hundred and forty-three prisoners and is en route to Ceres for prisoner processing. We estimate she’ll return to us in about five days.”
“Well, that’s something,” Akimbe said, “What about targets of interest?”
“We’ve identified five of the top ten, but their upper echelon seems to have avoided capture. Hard to be sure, though. We haven’t been able to positively identify all the remains.”
“Show me what happened,” Akimbe said.
Demir played the holographic projection that hovered just above the table top. Akimbe watched as the New Horizon blew up just above the colony’s landing pad. He leaned forward as the view pulled back.
The silver ovoid that was The Guardian accelerated into position above an interceptor. Then a wormhole opened and both ships disappeared. Akimbe watched the rest of the engagement unfold with an unwavering glare. When the playback finished, he went back to the point when the Guardian first disappeared and paused the recording.
“Mister Seles to the briefing room,” Akimbe said.
A moment later, a tall, lanky man dressed in a distinctly non-military metallic-gray suit entered the room. He smiled at Akimbe, but Akimbe only stared at the projection.
“Were you able to recover anything from the wreckage of the other ship?” Akimbe asked.
“We’re still analyzing the salvage, but initial reports are negative,” Seles responded, “We really need an intact-”
Akimbe closed a fist and gritted his teeth as the projection showed Cabot’s ship cleave Captain Peters ship in two.
“We’re trying, Commander,” Seles said, “We’ve had top minds working on this day in and day out. It’s only a matter of time. I am confident that we can overcome this technological advantage with the right foresight and planning.”
“I’m not sure I like what you’re implying. Care to try again?”
Seles said, “If your task force had captured the other craft instead of destroying them, we might have been able to recover the drive and the code behind it.”
“We did what we had to do, Mr. Seles,” Akimbe said, “These craven people are a scourge upon our society. We did not have the luxury of asking them to politely shut down their reactor and hand over their ships. These savages would gladly kill you where you stand if they feel threatened by you. Our directive was to shut down the colony and we did that.”
“And recover sensitive hardware,” Seles retorted, “If you weren’t so hellbent on leaving a trail of smoldering wreckage in your wake, we could have what we’re looking for.”
“I will throw you out of the airlock if you take that tone with me again. Your company has an agreeable arrangement with my superior officers; you, however, are nothing more than a replaceable suit. Speak to me like that again and you will find that you have limited opportunities for advancement.”
Seles paled. “I…I apologize.”
“Thank you, Mr. Seles,” Akimbe said, “You are no longer needed here.”
The old man nodded and left. Akimbe’s wrist computer beeped.
“Commander,” Doctor Magnus said, “This is your last warning.”
Akimbe let out a long, slow breath and shut down the projection.
“I copy, Doctor,” Akimbe said as he stood from the table. “Commander Demir, you have the bridge. I need to send a report back to H-Q and find a way to relax.”
***
Maria took a seat in one of the conference room’s leather chairs and stretched her legs; it was a relief to be out of the cramped confines of the shuttle. She closed her eyes and breathed deep, taking in the antiseptic smell of her surroundings. She looked through the large picture window opposite her and lost herself in the sea of stars. The view made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge; she already missed the view of the trees that surrounded her apartment complex.
“What can you tell me about our hosts?” Maria asked.
Hunter Graham sat next to her, fiddling with his wrist computer.
“Kersey you know, of course. Admiral Dorn is tough, no-nonsense. Hates everyone,” Hunter responded, “Great field commander. Just give her a wide berth and it’ll be fine. Kersey will keep her in line.”
Maria nodded as Admiral Kersey entered the conference room
and gave Hunter a broad smile in greeting. The two men shook hands enthusiastically before the Admiral, who was stressing the seams of his weathered uniform, turned and politely acknowledged Maria. Towering over the rotund Admiral was a silver-haired, sharp-featured woman who quietly assessed each of them. Maria took a step forward and offered her hand.
“You must be Admiral Dorn,” Maria said.
The older woman shook Maria’s hand firmly and offered only the slightest hint of a smile.
“Pleasure to meet you, madam Senator,” she said.
“Likewise,” Maria said, “Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today.”
“Come now, Senator,” Dorn said, “Let’s not pretend we’re here to exchange pleasantries.”
Sanjay Arresh entered the room and offered Hunter a vigorous handshake. He wore an ear-to-ear grin that seemed an inch too wide. The three men congratulated each other while Maria returned to her seat at the table.
Admiral Dorn took her seat without preamble and quietly waited for the others to settle down.
“Play the report,” Dorn commanded.
“Right,” Kersey responded.
Maria couldn’t help but notice that his smile faltered just a little as the report started playing. The picture window behind the Admiral became opaque and the room lights dimmed. An unfamiliar face filled a monitor that covered the wall opposite the Admiral.
A serving robot brought in a tray of drinks. Hunter and Arresh eagerly took a drink while Kersey begged off. Dorn didn’t acknowledge the little robot’s presence. The report started playing; Maria’s fingers tingled slightly. She leaned forward as the dark-skinned man in the recording opened his mouth to speak. He inhaled deeply and winced.
Maria’s hopes faded.
“Admiral Dorn, this is acting task force Commander Akimbe reporting in place of Captain Peters. I regret to inform you that Captain Peters was killed-in-action during the engagement. Commander Sarkozi was next in line, but was removed from the theater of operations to a point thirty days removed from the nearest jump beacon.
“I must report that our mission was only a partial success. The operation on Maisha was met with unexpected resistance. The colony here was much larger than we anticipated, with over five hundred colonists in residence.
“We are still identifying the remains of casualties incurred by the insurgents. We did take one hundred and ninety-seven prisoners. The list of prisoners is attached as is the flight plan for the Merced. Among targets of interest, we captured five out of the top ten; however, several prominent targets remain at large.
“We were able to destroy two of their transport ships; however, two others, The Guardian and The Bounty, escaped. We estimate that anywhere from 200 to 250 insurgents escaped aboard those craft. I have attached the tactical projection of the engagement. You’ll notice that the insurgents were able to use their unique drive capabilities to sow confusion and inflict a tremendous amount of damage on one of our faster, better-equipped, more state-of-the-art Interceptors.
“We have begun identifying possible destinations for the escaped craft. I believe the best course of action is to continue pursuit, even with our depleted forces. The insurgents were taken by surprise. We have them on the run; they will make a mistake and this operation will be fully successful. Unless otherwise ordered, we will continue pursuit.
“We’ve broadened our surveillance net. They’re going to surface at some point and we’ll be ready to pounce. They’ll need food, water, a place to rest. We’re not going to give them that opportunity. As soon as they stop to catch their breath, we’ll strike.
“I take full responsibility for the failure of this phase of the operation. However we did achieve a modicum of success as we were able to retrieve some data from one of the transports. Unfortunately, the Holly unit was destroyed before it could capture everything we were after.”
Akimbe hesitated.
“I think our threat list needs to be recalibrated. I encountered several undocumented people here. They are a bigger threat to us than anyone else in this group. I’ve attached a proposed update and I look forward to your response. I apologize for the setback. This won’t happen again, Admiral. I’ve also attached the casualty report and unit status. Akimbe out.”
Maria rubbed at her temples.
Admiral Dorn exhaled slowly; her eyes focused on the screen.
“Damage control in this situation is pretty straightforward,” Arresh said, rubbing the fingers of his left hand together as he talked. “With limited media access to Maisha, there’s no reason not to spin this as a total success. We can parade some of the captives in front of the camera, splice in the projection of the early part of the raid and it’ll look like a resounding victory.”
Dorn glowered at the man. “Damage control is the least of my concerns.”
“I can help that blind spot, then,” Arresh said.
“Mister Arresh, another word and you’ll be removed from this room,” Dorn said, her expression leaving no doubt as to her seriousness.
“Now hold on, Monique,” Kersey said, “Sanjay has a point. We need the public to see this task force as a success. And these numbers that Akimbe reports, both of the number of colonists and the captives, can work in our favor – emphasizing the need for a continued display of force and expanding our population controls.
Hunter jumped in. “Admiral, what’s your assessment of Commander Akimbe? Is he up for this hunt?”
Kersey said, “He’ll be fine. Solid officer. A bit intense.”
Admiral Dorn shot her colleague a sideways glance. “His methods are questionable, but he has a track record of achieving results. His men love him, sometimes a bit too much. Regardless, bringing the task force in for a change of command could put us behind at least two weeks. While I would prefer if Commander Sarkozi were in charge, I don’t think we want to give the insurgents that much breathing room.”
“I concur,” Kersey said, “We ought to stay focused on colony leadership. Cut off the head and the rest will scramble.”
“Possibly,” Dorn allowed, “Though any time there’s a vacuum in power someone will rise up to fill it.”
“With only two ships at their disposal, we’re only talking maybe two hundred people. Are we sure we shouldn’t sit back and take this victory?” Hunter asked.
Kersey said, “This group is a powerful symbol of rebellion. Let them continue to exist, let word get out that they survived the Republic’s best punch, and their numbers will multiply. Soon after, we’ll have more on our hands than we can handle.”
“This is all well and good,” Arresh said, “But the top priority has to be to get one of the remaining ships intact. We need that drive system.”
“Yes,” Dorn said, “They tore through your prized new toys like a child on Christmas morning. I guess you’ll be compensating the families of the deceased for the shortcomings of your ships? I’m sure you’ll be happy to tell mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, that their sons and daughters and spouses were killed because your trillions of dollars can’t design hardware that can outperform that which was created by one criminal mind ten years ago.”
“Admiral, we’ve been making progress. We’ve replicated the power generation systems, miniaturized the reactor, we just need to work on the stability of the projection,” Arresh said, crossing his arms across his chest.
Dorn leaned forward, her upper lip curled slightly upward. “That’ll make a wonderful line in the notice to next of kin.”
“Admiral, please,” Kersey said, “I have full confidence in the Conglomerate’s team. I’ve inspected those facilities myself. They’re getting close. It’s only a matter of time.”
Dorn sat back, her face impassive.
Arresh nodded. “We need to continue as planned. The press conference is scheduled for the end of the week. Let the Republic know that we’ve broken up the colony, that our new task force kicked their ass, and that they’re now scurrying like rats from a sinking ship.”
Dorn shot the man a pointed look, but swallowed before she spoke. “We will proceed with Commander Akimbe remaining in command. His first priority is to hunt down and capture the remaining refugee ships. His second priority is capturing an intact vessel. We’ve already compromised their information network. We’ll be able to use those contacts to quickly locate those that remain at large. I am confident this setback will be temporary.”
“It sure as hell better be,” Hunter said, “Given the money we’ve poured into this, I expect better goddamn results.”
“We’ll find them, Senator,” Arresh answered.
“Yes,” Admiral Dorn said, “Commander Akimbe and his team will succeed.”
“Something I’ve heard so many times before,” Maria said, “Yet despite all your best efforts, Max Cabot runs free. He is responsible for the single largest terrorist attack in Republic history and we cannot track him down. Meanwhile, the best you can do is bicker and find a way to cover your asses. What a waste.”
“Maria,” Hunter said, “I promised you a prized pig and it looks like the pig walked in and crapped all over the floor. I apologize for that. They’ll get him. It just takes time.”
“I want to see the girl,” Maria said.
“Yes, ma’am,” Admiral Kersey said, “But I’d like to recommend we go after lunch. Our staff is working on a little demo-”
“I’d rather we went now, Admiral,” Maria said.
Kersey had stood and now stared at Maria with a slack-jawed expression. He looked over at Graham. The elder Senator shrugged.
“Of course,” Kersey said, leaning forward. He touched a spot on the table in front of him. Moments later an aide entered the room. The young soldier clicked her heels together and saluted the Admirals.
“Ensign, let’s take a trip down to the lab.”
The Ensign nodded and led the small group down the long central corridor. Every hundred meters additional hallways branched off the main corridor. All around them, groups of soldiers, researchers, scientists, doctors, and engineers were busy discussing some project or another, rushing off to an exercise somewhere else in the complex, or, for a rare few, enjoying a little down time. The complex was enormous.