The Ascendant Stars

by Cobley, Michael

  ‘This is Alexandr Vashutkin, only surviving minister from the last legitimate Darien government and, by virtue of Blue Chain, my faithful ally. Until recently he was working alongside the insurgents of Tusk Mountain, one of his primary tasks being the elimination of Greg Cameron, which I trust has been carried out.’

  Vashutkin frowned. ‘I cannot be certain of his death. I had him cornered on Giant’s Shoulder, I turned to observe approaching mechs and when I looked back he was gone. I thought he could have fallen over the edge, or that the Forerunner facility device had somehow transported him away or even killed him … ’

  ‘I know of this Cameron,’ Becker said. ‘And he is not dead. We picked up comm traffic which proves that he is aboard one of the vessels preparing to defend Darien.’

  Vashutkin bowed his head and stared at the floor. ‘I have failed you, master.’

  ‘A minor failure next to your successes,’ Kuros said. ‘My deliverance, for example. So, Marshal, what is your proposal for the order of battle?’

  ‘Together we can field an effective airborne task force comprising Brolturan troopers and my commandos. If we come in fast and strike hard we can crush any local opposition, regardless of their offworld friends. After that, Ambassador, we can move against Giant’s Shoulder, which seems to be overrun with rogue mechs led by some cyborg creature. This isn’t the by-product of an unsuccessful Hegemony experiment, by any chance?’

  ‘No, Marshal, I can assure you it is not.’

  Becker nodded and said over his shoulder, ‘Nathaniel, the slate.’ One of his commandos, a man with a disfiguring burn mark down one side of his face, leaned in to hand him a large datapad. Becker thumbed it on, then paused to look again at Vashutkin.

  ‘Ambassador, I’ve just thought of a great service that your faithful ally could perform for us, especially since the battle above us has not yet commenced.’

  As he outlined the idea, Kuros found himself amused and curious to see what the result would be.

  ‘I approve, Marshal. Proceed.’

  Becker beckoned Vashutkin over.

  ‘I have configured the slate to record, and this is what I want you to say … ’

  KAO CHIH

  The transition to normal space was not pleasant. The Shyntanil assault craft’s hyperdrive was poorly shielded and its control systems, especially for the field alignment regulator, lacked a certain precision. After nearly five hours journeying up the tiers of hyperspace, nearly all the Heracles’ survivors had regained consciousness and everyone was expressing how hungry they were. But there were no rations to be found anywhere on board, apart from a curved tap that gave forth some suspiciously brackish water. So when the assault craft dropped out of hyperspace to appear in the Roug system, several stomachs rebelled even though there was little to bring up.

  Robert had warned Kao Chih about this possibility in advance and some containers had been rustled up or improvised. So while the crew were coping with the aftermath as best they could, Robert beckoned Kao Chih up to the cockpit section. He sat in the other padded chair and looked out at the star-strewn blackness beyond the viewport. Then he faced the elderly-looking Construct sim.

  ‘Kao Chih,’ he said in a low voice, ‘there is a slight problem. I’m picking up the approach and navigational beacons from the Roug world, the gas giant V’Hrant, but there’s no sign of the Agmedra’a orbital. In fact, I’m not detecting anything on the usual commercial and open channels. Now, I’ve checked and rechecked our location, and although the Shyntanil sensors are a heap of rudimentary junk they should still be able to find active comm channels and automatically go into transceiver mode.’ He shook his head. ‘Nothing.’

  Neither said anything for a long moment full of dark imaginings.

  ‘They couldn’t have got here before us, could they?’ Kao Chih said.

  ‘We musn’t jump to conclusions,’ Robert said, turning to the controls. ‘I’m going to execute a microjump to get us closer, then we’ll know for … ’

  He was interrupted by a sharp pinging from the pilot console. ‘Something huge has just … ’

  The assault craft lurched sideways, provoking gasps and cries from the Heracles survivors. A curved expanse of pitted greyness that was clearly part of something larger swung in close to cover the viewport, then there was a sudden surge of acceleration that threatened serious discomfort until the inertial dampeners cut in. Robert lunged forward to the console.

  ‘A huge ship has us in a grappler field,’ he said. ‘Well, Kao Chih, you’re from around these parts – is this a Roug vessel?’

  On an angled, grimy screen protruding from the console was the wireframe image of a big, V-shaped vessel. Kao Chih nodded.

  ‘It’s a system-defence ship,’ he said. ‘The Roug tend to keep them out of sight – I hadn’t even seen one until quite recently.’

  ‘Interesting.’ Robert consulted the console readouts. ‘Hmph. According to these pathetic instruments we are being carried at something close to a third of the speed of light towards the gas giant V’Hrant. We’ll be there in less than twenty minutes.’ He frowned. ‘But it seems unusual that there’s been no attempt to contact us.’

  ‘This isn’t the usual protocol,’ Kao Chih said, recalling the last time he returned to the Buzrul system. ‘However, we are still alive, so they do not perceive us as a threat. Perhaps we should transmit a message stating who we are, who we have escaped from and telling them about the asteroid-weapon.’

  Robert nodded. ‘Even if they don’t reply they will have heard our explanation for why we came here in a Shyntanil combat craft. Also, it would make more sense if you delivered it, given your personal connections with them.’

  Kao Chih agreed – it was sensible, so after clarifying his thoughts he spoke into the console’s audio pickup, a small circular grille. In his summary he detailed who they all were, who they had escaped from, and what they had come to warn the Roug about. After which he sat back, exchanging the odd glance with Robert, but the comm channel remained silent. Some of the Heracles crew had gathered round but when it became clear that no reply was forthcoming they went back to their seats, cradling their stomachs or trying to relax. Robert surveyed them all for a moment then leaned back, face unreadable as he stared at the obscuring greyness. Dejected, Kao Chih followed suit.

  They didn’t have long to wait. Some minutes later they were assailed by unannounced shifts in momentum, some quite sharp. Then the curved grey surface lifted away to reveal a staggering sight.

  The gas giant V’Hrant was a swirled and muddy immensity in the lower left, but the rest of that wide-open vista of high-orbit space was filled with an endless cloud of wreckage and debris. The full, undimmed horror of it confirmed his worst fears. The massive orbital city of Agmedra’a had been destroyed.

  ‘ … gone, it’s … gone … ’ he whispered.

  It was a panorama of ruin, of torn structures, of pulverised detritus. Some of the nearer, larger fragments were almost shocking in their familiarity – the decorative trim from the edge of one of the docking platforms, or a distinctive M-pointed archway from one of the underdock doorways …

  ‘So is our main thruster control,’ muttered Robert. ‘Disabled, so they want to keep us on a short leash … ’

  Deeper into the zone of destruction were patches where the debris was denser, and a couple that were slightly foggy, hazy. And here and there were huge jagged sections around which small craft darted and hovered, spot beams stabbing and wavering, scenes of ongoing rescue attempts.

  Agmedra’a’s residential population was nearly a quarter of a million, he thought, and the transient population could have been as high as 50,000. The death toll must be …

  He shook his head but couldn’t tear his gaze away.

  ‘Still no communication,’ Robert said, studying the instruments. ‘That system-defence ship has moved off some distance. However, there is some odd activity going on down in that gas giant.’ He glanced up. ‘Aren’t the Roug supposed to h
ave cities down there?’

  ‘So we are taught as children,’ Kao Chih said. ‘I worked down there, piloting a gravity tug, shifting ore cargos up to orbit and to … Agmedra’a. We heard tales of the Roug cities that drifted through the deep but I never saw one.’

  ‘That could be about to change,’ said Robert. ‘Going by these utterly inadequate sensors, something very big is ascending from the gas giant’s depths.’

  The pilot console’s solitary monitor was focused on a segment of V’Hrant, a magnified square of the swirling face. The muddy haze resolved itself into swirls and undulations of rust red, mustard yellow and ash grey, coiling eddies of atmospheric air streams that now appeared threadlike. Then a white speck became visible amid a darker braid of flows and minute by minute grew steadily larger. After five minutes it was taking on a strange non-linear shape while the whiteness began to look more like pale grey.

  After ten minutes the non-linearity of it seemed asymmetrical yet oddly suggestive of something. When it reached low orbit its nose angled upwards and as it turned Kao Chih finally understood what he was seeing. The Roug ship was shaped like a gigantic creature, a bizarre chimera with a wide torso, three clawed forelimbs and three back limbs, frozen in a pouncing motion. The head was broad, as were its parted jaws, and above fierce, blank eyes, halfway back between raised, pointed ears, there nestled a second, smaller head. Kao Chih was startled to realise that this was none other than the Roug ship Vyrk, the vessel from which he and Ajegil had carried out that hyperspace rescue.

  ‘Seeing something familiar, Kao Chih?’ said Robert.

  He nodded and explained his voyage aboard the Vyrk. ‘But I knew nothing about this. It’s huge – it must be nearly a mile long

  ‘Nearly a mile and a half, actually,’ Robert said. ‘And it’s heading straight for us.’

  Its course was undeviating. With the lateral manoeuvring jets Robert was able to turn the assault craft to face the oncoming leviathan. The Shyntanil vessel was soon dwarfed by the Roug ship’s immensity. As the grey curves of its beastlike exterior expanded to fill the viewport it slowed and a rectangular opening appeared in its chest. A slight jolt passed through the smaller craft and Robert looked up from the readouts.

  ‘Their grappler fields have us, pulling us into that bay.’

  The docking bay entrance seemed small at first but quickly grew. Before long the assault craft passed into a docking area provided with all sizes of berths and cradles spread out over a huge interior space. Ambient sources cast a shadowless light into every corner, while crew members down on its deck looked minuscule.

  A big pale yellow platform swung out from one of the vacant berths and the Shyntanil vessel was guided in to make a perfect landing next to a second ship, a large, rectilinear, square-hulled transport. Then the rear hatch unsealed and began to lower.

  ‘Nothing to do with me,’ Robert said. ‘Our hosts have taken complete control.’

  Much to Kao Chih’s surprise, four Humans wearing shoulder panniers walked up the ramp. They were dressed in Human Sept work suits, although their faces were not familiar. Three of them approached the Heracles’ survivors and began to distribute food and drink, while the fourth, a woman, approached Kao Chih and introduced herself as Mu Liang, explaining that they had been piloting gravity tugs when the attack took place.

  ‘We were only picked up an hour ago,’ she said in Mandarin. ‘Then we were told we would have to help some injured Humans with medication and food, never thinking that they would be from … Earth-Home!’ She paused to look at the crew. ‘Are there any serious wounds, Kao Chih?’

  ‘Only hunger and thirst,’ he said. ‘They were starved and several dosed with sedatives, so there is also dehydration.’

  ‘We shall start with small amounts and watch their progress.’ She turned and waved to someone outside. ‘There is a person here who wishes to speak with you, honourable pilot.’

  Disconcertingly, she then gave him a bow before moving away to distribute her own store of water and food. When Kao Chih looked round at the ramp a familiar tall figure was climbing towards him. Once more in the burly Human appearance that he employed during his stay on Pyre, it was the Roug Qabakri.

  ‘Good to see you again, my friend,’ he said.

  ‘Likewise with you, pilot Kao Chih, although the circumstances of this encounter could not be more calamitous.’

  ‘Do you know why we are here?’ Kao Chih said.

  ‘I have heard the message that you transmitted,’ the Roug said. ‘Action has been taken. Ships have been dispatched to waylay the second asteroid and its attendant vessels.’

  ‘Second asteroid?’ Kao Chih said, shaking his head. ‘So the one we delayed … ’

  ‘Was only the latter of a pair,’ Qabakri said. ‘Perhaps our enemies decided to factor in redundancy in the event that either was intercepted, a successful tactic, but they do not realise what they have called down upon themselves. Very shortly, further actions will be taken. This vessel, the great warvaunt Vyrk-Zoshel, will fly to battle for the first time in millennia.’

  ‘Will you be tracking down the Shyntanil or the Suneye Monoclan?’

  Qabakri surveyed the Heracles survivors for a moment.

  ‘In time, both,’ said the Roug. ‘You should understand the sequence of events. Several hours before the catastrophe the incursioner craft Syroga appeared in our system, accompanied by three Vox Humana transports bearing the colonists from Pyre … ’

  Kao Chih was struck by an agonising realisation.

  ‘That is why! – that’s what this destruction is for … ’ He put a hand to his head. ‘If you had not become involved in our … ’

  ‘No blame is or could be laid upon the Humans,’ Qabakri said. ‘The remaining supernals of the High Index have already ruled on this. Now, I must continue with my account.

  ‘Some hours after the colonist flotilla arrived, our hyperspace sensors detected a very large object approaching, rising through the tiers on a course that appeared to intersect with our orbital city. As a precaution we started evacuating while using Agmedra’a’s engines to shift its orbit. To our consternation the approaching object altered its course and kept doing so to remain on target. We tried to evacuate as many as possible but there were not enough vessels.’

  Qabakri’s calm exterior was belied by a dark glitter in the eyes.

  ‘When it arrived we saw that it was a piece of something larger, while still possessing a sub-planetoid mass. No weaponsfire could deflect it from its course. It impacted Agmedra’a and the results are plain to see.’ The Roug’s eyes seemed full of anger. ‘Two Suneye vessels then arrived, clearly intending to seize the Vox Humana transports – the commander of the Syroga acted promptly such that it and the transports made the jump to hyperspace before the Suneye intruders got within weapon range.’

  ‘Where could they go? Where would be safe?’

  ‘Nowhere, which is why they are heading for Darien.’ The Roug nodded at Kao Chih’s amazement. ‘It has taken nearly four hours to gather and assemble the segments of the Vyrk-Zoshel, the only survivor from the great and mighty fleet of warvaunts that met their doom in the battles against the Dreamless a hundred centuries ago. Now the last warvaunt shall plunge through the levels and veils of hyperspace and hunt down the dreamless machine minds of the Suneye Monoclan.

  ‘And you must be on board, Kao Chih – your skills will be needed, and your advice and mere presence if you do eventually reach the Darien system. I will not lie to you – the hazards are great.’

  Kao Chih felt resolute. ‘I am ready to go with you, Qabakri, wherever it leads.’

  The Roug smiled with his Human face. ‘I shall not be accompanying you, Kao Chih – I need to use this Shyntanil vessel to get to a place called the Great Hub. An old adversary of yours is about to bring another crisis to its climax, and I may be able to stop her … while mimicking you, as it happens.’

  ‘Talavera,’ Kao Chih guessed, knowing he was right. ‘Take care, my friend
– she enjoys danger.’

  The Heracles survivors were trooping off the assault craft and across to the square-hulled transport.

  ‘A couple of those Humans with the supplies are Roug able to speak Earth-Anglic,’ Qabakri said. ‘They’ll make sure they are returned to the nearest Earthsphere outpost. In the meantime I need to persuade your Construct companion to go with me to the Great Hub.’

  ‘I wish I was going too,’ Kao Chih said. ‘But I shall do what I can to prevail upon its good nature. How soon … ’

  ‘All our departures will commence as soon as possible.’

  Kao Chih smiled sadly. ‘All departures happen too soon,’ he said, leading the way up into the assault craft.

  GREG

  Soon after Vice-Admiral Ngassa’s flagship, the ESS Shieldwall, reached the high-orbit vicinity of Darien, Greg and Lieutenant Berg were allowed to return to the Starfire. However, before they were even halfway they received orders diverting them to the Silverlance. By the time they had docked then trudged aft to the engineering overdeck – which was still doubling as a command bridge – Greg was feeling decidedly cranky. But the moment he and Berg entered he knew something was wrong.

  Ash was standing before the big angled holoscreens, his face like stone. Gazing down at him were the faces of Admiral Olarevic of the Vox Humana and Vice-Admiral Ngassa. The latter was speaking.

  ‘ … is the sum total of all they are saying, Lieutenant. They regard the Imisil as a direct threat to their allies and an implicit threat to themselves. If they do not leave, Supreme Overcommander Gannor cannot offer any guarantees of peaceful cooperation.’

  For a moment no one spoke.

  ‘Well, they do only have five vessels,’ said Admiral Olarevic. ‘It would not be a loss.’

  ‘I understand that, Madam Admiral,’ Ash said. ‘My concern is the reliability or otherwise of the Hegemony’s fleet’s Supreme Overcommander.’