I sighed. "I can't leave the man out here to die. He did spare our lives."
Garrett threw up his hands. "Spare our lives? What? He's the reason we have no propulsion!"
I nodded. "He was just following orders. Believe me when I say I'm having the same initial impulses as you. But we have to remember our own people, even the Salton's people, are not necessarily the enemy. They are doing as they have been instructed to do while probably believing the same lies we initially believed. You of all people should recognize that after having worked directly for the Salton family."
Garrett tilted his head and frowned. "OK, so if we manage to fix the Jess and can give him a ride, what do we do with him after?"
I pulled up a zoomed-in image of Doomlight. "We try to get him back with his troops. How exactly we do that I'm not sure. We'll just have to figure it out as we go."
The comm crackled. "Hey, looks like I can grab as much conduit as I need. And it looks to be the right size and with intact couplings. Give me a half hour and I might have that drive back online."
Garrett replied, "Make it snappy, between that destroyer hulk and the Jess we are putting out enough signal to flag down every ship in this sector. And that hull is still putting out maydays."
When the task was completed, Go blinked in. "See if that works. I would suggest you take us right up next to that thing. I have some more work to do if we want the patch to last. If I can find a welder over there, we have enough scrap available to cover over the hole in our outer hull."
Garrett pushed the throttle slowly forward. "OK, she's moving. How close do you want her?"
Go replied, "All the way in if you can."
I opened a comm channel. "Colonel, we have propulsion back. I can offer you a ride as far as Doomlight if you are interested."
The colonel gruffed. "I was hoping to make my own ride on one of these disabled pods, but the three that are largely intact here are too full of holes. If you can get me down to that planet, I have eight officers that I would love to have a long conversation with!"
I replied, "Come over to your starboard side, Colonel. We have a lower ramp-way with a gravity wall. If you can get yourself to it, we can give you a ride. You'll want to make it quick though, we probably won't be here long."
Garrett lowered the ramp. "I hope he doesn't come aboard with his blaster raised."
I shook my head. "I think he'll be grateful. Besides, if needed, we still have Go available to disarm him."
Go replied, "I found an ion welder. I just need a few pieces of scrap and we should be in good shape."
Garrett winced. "We may have lost a lot of our stealthiness. That hull had a matrix coating on the inside that knocked down any signal those ion conduits put out. With a decent detector, coming from the right angle, we might as well be trailing a big 'come get me' sign behind us."
The colonel came up the ramp, giving a suspicious look to Gasua Mont. "What are you?"
I stood from my chair and offered a hand. "Colonel, welcome aboard the Jess. Sorry we had to drag you and your men into this."
The colonel took my hand into his equally large Madigan hand. "A Grunta and a Human. I thought all the Gruntas went through on the last run."
I gestured toward a small section of seat next to the Grumar. "Colonel, I'm about to give you an education on the current state of affairs. You'll want to sit for this. How loyal are you to the Saltons?"
The colonel crossed his arms. "They have treated me well. Are we in Andromeda? Was that where the portal took us?"
Garrett pointed to the seat. "Not even close, Colonel. We used to work for the Saltons as well. That all changed the more we became educated as to what was really going on. As to the war in Andromeda, well, there is no war in Andromeda. The war that is happening out here is in another galaxy altogether. It's not one of the Alliance galaxies, either. Harden Salton is trying to expand the empire, and he's conscripting every colony that offers any resistance to do his dirty work."
The colonel laughed. "And I'm supposed to believe you?"
Go popped into existence beside the colonel. "OK, I think we are good. I reinforced the conduit mounts and closed up the holes. If we take another hit back there it will likely blow the tail end off this ship, but we can fly."
Go turned to the face the startled Madigan officer standing beside him. "Colonel, you'll want to listen to these two, hear what they have to say. I can promise you it will be mind boggling."
I began. "Colonel, this gentleman is Gasau Mont. He is a Grumar and is native to this galaxy. His species is allied with another called the Grotus. They are using the forces Harden Salton sends through the portal to expand their own empires. While at the same time, Harden thinks he is expanding ours by using them. We are here to turn back the Gruntas, which includes my family, from certain death.
"You see, Colonel, the Saltons have an agenda that is much bigger than what they are telling everyone. There is no war in Andromeda, although there will be if Harden Salton is successful out here. He intends to build an army to take back through to the Triangulum and the other galaxies, an army which he plans to use to overthrow the other families."
The colonel sat. "Even if that were the case, would it not be better for everyone involved? The families are doing everything they can to choke each other out, while it's the citizens who suffer."
Garrett nodded. "That might be the case, except Harden Salton has no plans of stopping there. He wants to create an army to span not only the six galaxies, but beyond. This galaxy will be only the first of many to be involved in endless wars of expansion. The conscription we have seen will not stop. Any colony that offers any problem will be sent off to fight elsewhere. That includes Madigans, if they cause any trouble."
Go pulled up his holo-display, showing a recording of Harden Salton stating the very same facts. "We recorded this not long ago."
After watching, the colonel remarked. "Where did you get that? You could have easily created that yourselves."
Garrett replied, "I wish it was so, Colonel. Go recorded that on his helmet cam at the Salton compound. The man is maniacal. He has these grandiose visions of greatness that he is bent on forcing upon everyone. You're thinking we will get equal justice under one government, when what we will really get is continuous war under one dictator.
"Anyway, it doesn't matter. In an hour you will be rejoining your troops, who will no doubt already be under the control of the Grumar and Grotus. They will be thrilled to have a colonel to command those men in their ongoing campaigns. Just know this, Colonel, out here you are only fighting for yourself. There is no saving of the Alliance, no rescuing citizens from some outside attacker, and no justice for your men. You will be armed and sent into a fight that you won't survive."
The colonel huffed. "Then that will be my choice. I would rather die a patriot than rebel scum."
I leaned in. "Colonel, the Madigans, you are from the Delta sector, am I correct?"
The colonel nodded. "Carrison II and III. Both colonies are loyal to the Saltons and have been treated well in our trade dealings with others."
I continued, "Carrison III, you have a moon there with a very prosperous cesium mine, if I am right. How are the prospects for that mine? When will the resources be depleted to the point where the mine will be exhausted?"
The colonel thought for a few seconds. "Last I was told we had a solid eight years of supply yet to be mined."
I pulled up a display of Salton cesium stocks that Garrett had downloaded from the Salton network. "Given the increased mining in the last year, the Saltons expect those mines to run dry in four years, five tops. Cesium accounts for more than 60 percent of the jobs and budgetary outlays on the Carrison worlds. When that supply runs dry, your people will only be of one use to the Saltons. You will be made into soldiers and given the task of fulfilling his visions of grandeur."
The colonel replied, "But we have been promised—"
Garrett stood. "You have been promised nothing but lies, Col
onel. Think about it: why would the Saltons continue to carry your worlds when you have nothing left to offer? Nothing but manpower, that is. Take a look at the New Alliance. How many colonies are prospering? Aside from those in control of government, only those with natural resources and strong manufacturing are stars of the Alliance. The rest live in near poverty. When your cesium is gone, so will be the Carrison system."
Our speech to the colonel continued until Garrett stopped the Jess just short of what we believed to be the Grumar maximum sensor range. "This is it, Colonel. This is as close as we go. I have a single lifepod back there. I'm guessing it was the intent of the others here that you should have it. I don't see the merit in us giving it up. But we are a team here and they cast their votes in your favor. I've set the nav coordinates in for you. Get in it and we'll send you on your way."
Go pointed at the sensor displays. "Do we know that the other pods made it there?"
Garrett turned to face his console. "They should be getting within comm range of the planet now. Those pods should show on a deep scan."
Several seconds later the scan completed. Twenty-two green blips showed on the screen with a number of blue blips approaching their location.
Garrett turned. "There you have it, Colonel. Your people are now captives of the Grumar."
Gasau Mont said, "They will be sent to the front to do battle."
Seconds later, Go pointed at the display. "Uh, looks like we have trouble."
We turned back to face the sensor display as the colonel stood. "Those red blips, doesn't that indicate those vessels are no longer valid?"
Go placed his hand on the colonel's shoulder as the remaining nineteen blips turned red and disappeared from the screen.
Gasau remarked, "Hmm. That was not expected. Orders must have changed."
I turned to face Garrett. "At least we still have our lifepod."
Garrett shook his head. "This can only mean the Grumar have already run into your Gruntas, or something along those lines."
The colonel removed his helmet. "Fifty lives lost … for what reason?"
I punched coordinates into the nav display. "Garrett, this is the original portal location. Take us there with everything the Jess has to offer. If the Grumar have engaged my people, we may already be too late."
Garrett pushed the throttle forward and the Jess surged ahead. Our journey to the old portal opening would take weeks.
Chapter 13
* * *
After a day of travel toward the prior portal opening location, an alert came up on the sensor screen. "We have someone following us," Garrett said. "Looks like a single large ship. Hope it's not one of those battle cruisers."
I replied, "Are you sure they are following?"
Garrett swiped at several screens. "We will know in about fifteen minutes. I altered course. They could easily be following an ion signature from the damage we took. From the right angle, that would definitely show as a hot spot on any ion sensor."
Go gestured toward the back of the ship. "Is there anything we can put back there to help shield it? If you have anything at all, I can go out and apply it. I'd still be within the safety of the gravity shield out front of us."
Garrett pulled up an image of the matrix material used for the shielding. "This is what we have on the inside of this whole ship. If you can make up anything to replicate that, I am all ears."
Go nodded. "OK, the hole I patched was about the size of my fist, so we don't need much. I would have to get the material in there and I would need some type of adhesive to make it stick. Any piece of equipment with ion power should have a shield we can make use of."
Garrett gestured with his hands. "Everything on this ship is in use. We could scrap the oven if needed. All of our meals are MRE’s anyway."
Go shook his head. "The shielding in the oven is for heat only. The surrounding cabinet provides a signal shield. We need something smaller, something more portable, more of a consumer product that requires shielding."
The room was silent for several seconds as Go looked my way.
"Don't say it," I said. "You can't take my coffee maker."
Go shrugged. "It is about the right size. And how much coffee do you have left?"
I shook my head. "There has to be something else. Please tell me you have something else."
Garrett laughed. "Trash the coffee maker. All the coffee in the six galaxies is of no use to us if we are dead."
Go moved on the kitchen device. It was disassembled in a fashion that would not allow it to be rebuilt. Garrett provided an epoxy resin, and the patch was completed in under an hour.
Garrett commanded the ship's computer to perform an ion scan. "Not bad. You knocked 97 percent off that signature. Even the best ion sensor would need to be at half that ship's distance to pick up a hard signal. I'll adjust course again. Oh, and by the way, they were following us."
The colonel was hovering nearby. "How was he able to go outside the ship while at speed?"
Go replied, "That's easy. I just—"
I held up my hand. "I'm sure you understand, Colonel, we have secrets we need to keep. The less you know about our abilities the safer it is for us. All you need to know is that this team managed to get by Harden Salton's defenses and open that portal."
The colonel huffed. "Look, you tell me all these stories as if you are trying to enlist me in your cause. Then you hold back details that I consider important. What would you have me do here? Am I a prisoner?"
Garrett spun his chair around. "Yes, you are a prisoner until such time as we deem you safe. We saved your ass back there, give us a little credit for doing so as we did it without asking anything of you. You, just like us, are caught up in the middle of a maniacal war. We are trying to do something about it. We are trying to rescue the six galaxies and beyond from Harden Salton, starting with Knog's people. Now, you can either get with the plan or we will be happy to dump you at the first friendly opportunity. If you haven't noticed, things are a little cramped in here."
The colonel pointed back toward the cabin. "And why won't you tell me who is back there? I've seen him taking food into the room. You have another prisoner?"
Garrett nodded. "Yes we do. And he is a nasty species that would not hesitate to snap your neck if given the opportunity."
Go pointed at the colonel's uniform. "Dag. Is that your first name or middle?"
I responded, "Madigans only have one name."
Go smiled as he held out his hand. "Well, welcome to my world, Dag."
As the colonel took his hand and squeezed, Go blinked out.
The colonel stood. "What just happened?"
Go blinked back in, standing in the galley. "Sorry, you were squeezing a little hard. I like my fingers."
Garrett rolled his eyes. "So much for keeping secrets."
I turned to face Madigan. "He has a special suit with a sort of cloaking device built into it. It allows him to go places where he otherwise would not be allowed … such as the Harden compound or the portal gate."
Go nodded. "It's come in handy on more than one occasion."
Dag sat back down. "You, Grunta, your motives are a given. These two Humans, I have a hard time understanding. What could they gain by going against the Alliance? And this Grumar, if he is of the enemy, why does he sit here happily minding his own business?"
I replied, "My motives are not just for rescuing my people. They are for a free and fair Alliance. If I could bring back the AMP I would, but so much has been destroyed of the infrastructure and governmental systems that were there that I no longer believe it to be possible. These Humans, their motivations are the same as mine. They do what they do for the sake of everyone, for the sake of all free people in the six galaxies and beyond. The Grumar, well, they have a worship issue, an issue that I won't go into here today. I will just leave it with this: he will do whatever I ask, without question."
Dag shook his head. "You are a strange crew. I'm not yet sure what to make of you. I've had a lot
things thrown at me since that portal opened. I just need some time to digest it."
The ship that had been following us slowly slipped off the sensor display. Our altered course added two days to our journey. When we arrived at the former portal location, the initial scan returned nothing.
Garrett sighed. "I'll get us started on a spiral search pattern, moving us outward from this point. We might be looking for quite a while, so we need to keep in mind that we have limited supplies on this ship. I know we packed in as much supplies as we could, even beefing up our oxygen filters, but we will be running low in about six weeks. We are a week from the nearest star system out here. The new star maps show a planet there that may be habitable."
I replied, "Let's split the difference then. We search for three weeks, then attempt to restock our supplies."
Six hours into our search, Garrett broke the silence. "That single blip is back. I don't know how they found us, but they did."
I brought the sensor screen up on my holo-display. "I wish we had more information on who it is. How close can we get before they have a lock on us?"
Garrett cocked his head to one side. "Are you sure you want to risk that? If it's one of those battlecruisers, we won't be able to get away from it. They're too fast."
I nodded. "I think we do. They found their way here. That leads me to believe it may be one of ours."
Garrett leaned forward to access the nav controls. "OK, I'll take us a third of the way. After that, I think we need to keep our distance."
After a short run toward our follower, the data from the sensors began to change. The ship was smaller than a Grotus battlecruiser.
I pushed for us to move closer. "That has to be one of ours. Take us in."
Garrett sighed, but pushed the throttle forward. "I hope you're right. If we have to fight, keep in mind we have a weak backside. Any decent sized ion hit anywhere near that patch will cause a breach and likely bring us to a stop again. There aren't any spare parts to be had this time."
Fifteen minutes later the sensor sweeps returned the data we needed. It was the Garmon! Jack Carson and my Talisan crew were alive!
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