His hands stopped for a moment, then resumed their work. “All too much, Ma’am.”
“Can you tell if it’s stronger or weaker in here? This is the most shielded area of the ship.”
His hands paused in their work. “I don’t know!” Then he frowned. “You felt it for a little while. You know what it’s like. It’s so bad that it’s impossible to evaluate while you’re under its influence. I guess I’d have to say it seems to depend more on how far away the Chessori are.”
“So no amount of shielding will likely help?”
He grimaced and went back to work. “I don’t think so.”
In the end, Sergeant Jacobs set up a small infirmary in Gortlan’s shop, and Krys was belted onto a bed.
Akurea went back to the storage room in hydroponics carrying a portable analyzer. She plugged it in and called George. “Should we try this again?”
“I’ll give you twenty minutes, then I’ll need to refresh your oxygen.”
“Okay, but not before checking with me.”
“I’ll keep a constant watch on the analyzer and let you know if I see anything out of the ordinary.”
“I could get used to having you around, George. I like you.”
“Mike taught me how to like.”
She went to work on the computer, beginning with removing a side panel. “Who is he?”
“I have to defer that question to Captain Stven, Ma’am. I can tell you that he’s First Knight. Without his timely assistance, we would not have a Queen.”
“What happened?”
“Chessori are what happened. This is her ship, you know.”
She looked up from her work. “The Queen’s ship? No, I didn’t know.”
“You selected a room in crew quarters when you came aboard, but we have quite a few vacancies on the executive level if you’d like to move up.”
“I just want somewhere to work on this computer. I’ll need another computer, one of ours, to which I’ll transfer schematics.”
“Then you’ll want quarters with an office. I have several available. I suggest you move to compartment 1F. The rest of the crew is quartered on that level, and that’s where most meals are taken.”
“I’ll check with the Captain.”
“Not necessary, Akurea. He’s too busy for housekeeping chores. Just do it.”
“Okay. Not that I have anything to move. I didn’t bring a thing with me. Do you have the capacity to provide fresh clothing?”
“I do. What would you like?”
“Anything that’s clean,” she replied instantly, then reconsidered. “I’m not part of the crew, so I’ll stick to my current uniform.”
* * * * *
Akurea banged her hand on the table in frustration. She’d spent hours trying to get the computer to boot up. The computer itself appeared to be running normally, but she needed a password, and she had not stumbled onto one that worked.
Tom O’Brien just happened to be passing the open door of her quarters when he heard the slap and the ensuing expletive. He poked his head through the door. “Anything I can help with, Commander?”
“Who are you?”
“Tom O’Brien, one of the pilots.”
“Are you good with finding passwords?”
“No, I’m not your guy. Permission to enter?” She waved him in, frustration still pouring from her in waves. “So that’s the prize we went to so much trouble to get?” he asked.
“Huh. Some prize. I can’t get in.”
“That was a brave thing you did, going in with the Protectors to get it.”
“I went in with soldiers. The Protectors stayed outside.”
“No, you went in with Protectors. They’re all Protectors, Ma’am.”
“No wonder they were so good. Being brave isn’t part of my job description, but getting the computer was far easier than being a spy for a year and a half. I can’t tell you how relieved I am to be free of that. I wish we could have brought some of my people with us.”
“Actually, it’s better that they stay in place. It will just be for a little while, but whoever goes back there to ferret out the Chessori will need some help from people on the ground. I suspect you’ll be asked for the names when we get some spare time.”
He crossed the room and joined her behind her desk. “That’s one ugly screen,” he said, blinking his eyes as he tried to focus.
“It’s a terrible screen, and it’s given me a headache.”
“Have you tried covering it with a transparent sheet of something that will change the color? You might get something that’s less harsh.”
She sat back in her chair and turned to face him, a weary smile on her face. “That’s a great idea. Why didn’t I think of it? I’m Akurea Skvechavka’a.”
“I know. Pleased to meet you. You have a password problem, huh?”
“I do. I’ve tried everything I can think of. I’m down to random characters now, and it’s going to be pure luck.”
“Have you asked for help?”
“From whom? No one else here knows the Chessori language.”
“Well, not me, that’s for sure. How about another computer? George is pretty talented.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief that she could have missed something so obvious. Impulsively, she stood up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, Tom.” Then she stepped back, suddenly embarrassed. “Sorry. I don’t recognize your rank. Have I blundered?”
“Definitely not. We’re all on a first name basis here, the few of us that have more than one name. I’m a captain.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re a captain and a pilot, but our captain is a commander. You outrank him. How does that work?”
“It works very well. We only have one captain, and that’s Stven. He’s my boss.”
“This is a very strange ship, sir.”
“It’s Tom, and no, it’s not so strange at all. It just takes a little explaining. You haven’t seen the half of it yet, but I’m sure you will before long.” He looked at the computer. “You might want to secure that thing. We’ll be engaging some Chessori in a little while.”
She shuddered. “Who flies the ship? George?”
“Hardly. He’s smart, but he can’t shoot back. Like you said, some things about us seem strange on the surface, and I hope it stays that way from the Chessori perspective. I’m off to do battle. You might want to strap yourself into something that’s soft. Do you have an objection to being stunned?”
“Stunned!”
“Wouldn’t you rather not be awake for it?” he asked softly.
Her right eye ticked, and she shuddered again. “I would,” she said in a soft voice.
“If it comes to that, I’ll see what I can do. Nice to have met you, Akurea.”
She just stared at him as he left. Too many things around here just didn’t make sense. “George,” she said softly, “what’s going on here?”
“I’m sorry, Akurea. You’ll have to ask Captain Stven or one of the Knights. Tell me about this password problem. Are you going to teach me a new language?”
“I don’t think I have any choice . . .”
* * * * *
The first group of oncoming Chessori neared, and Stven and M’Sada left the net. O’Brien passed the word that gunners were to hold fire unless they felt they had a sure shot. This particular batch of Chessori would flash by at high speed, and it would be over in a heartbeat.
Just before merging, the scree sounded, and he started taking evasive action, demanding the maximum performance from George.
His shields took a few hits, but they were glancing shots and there was no damage. As far as he was concerned, the ships that had flashed by were now out of the picture. They would come about and attempt to attack from the rear, but he wasn’t going to turn around under any circumstances.
The scree continued as he changed course. The twelve Chessori in front of him were now off to his right side. To his surprise, they spread out into an umbrella pattern and just held the
re. Unfortunately, they were forcing him away from his jump point. They could easily stay there for hours, and the scree continued strongly. These guys really did seem to count on the scree to disable opponents.
His thoughts went to Krys, and he knew he had to end this. He moved in closer, but the Chessori just moved back. They were just inside the maximum range of his guns.
This was not the time to hold back. Resolve’s cannons opened up on four Chessori, each targeted by two powerful guns, and their shields quickly lit up. The Chessori returned fire, but they were far out of range for their own guns. One Chessori disintegrated, and the others pulled back and headed away, possibly damaged.
Washburn approached him on the net and put a virtual arm around his shoulder. Leaning close, he said softly, “Remember the vision, Tom?”
O’Brien had not forgotten. Krys had uttered one word: “encircle.” He considered the implications. All of his shields were, at present, fully charged, and backups were ready to come on line. If the eight Chessori decided to move in closer from the side, they would eat away at those shields, and though a few Chessori would fall to his guns, there was a high likelihood that someone would get through a shield eventually. Worse, a long delay would not only make things worse for Krys, it would allow Chessori reinforcements to close with him.
He made a decision. “It’s a terrible risk, but Krys is suffering. We’re going to attack. Let your guys know.”
Washburn’s face lit up, his brilliant white teeth and large eyes shining. “We’re ready, sir. Go for it.”
O’Brien turned Resolve hard into the line of Chessori, his gunners opening up the moment he turned. The move trashed the Chessori strategy. They engulfed Resolve, seemingly out of defense rather than attack, and Washburn’s gunners were effective. Resolve’s shields glowed from hits, and two failed, but George brought backups on line instantly as the guns continued a crazed pounding. Three Chessori were vaporized, two more were damaged and fled, and when multiple guns from Resolve came to bear on the remaining three, one exploded and the last two fled.
The Chessori that had flashed past them earlier had closed some of the distance while Resolve maneuvered against the main attack force, and being slightly faster, they were slowly closing in. The crew had a few minutes to breathe again, and Resolve was again headed in the right direction, but the scree still buzzed in everyone’s ears. O’Brien suspected that the scree from these military ships was stronger than what they had encountered from traders.
He and Washburn discussed it. They were nowhere near their jump point, and that jump point was, itself, only marginally safe. Resolve couldn’t outrun the pursuers, but Krys could not be subject to more hours of the scree.
“Are you ready to do it again?” O’Brien asked Washburn.
“Not really. They’ll be ready and waiting this time.”
“My feeling exactly. We’re going to jump earlier than planned, my friend, for Krys’ sake.”
O’Brien gave George the command to jump. His screens blanked, and the scree stopped instantly. The jump lasted only moments, but when Resolve emerged, O’Brien sucked in a breath as a momentary glimpse of a planet close abeam filled his view. Before he had time to react, George executed a number of micro jumps.
“Shut off the beacon,” he yelled to George.
“Already done, Tom.”
The micro jumps continued without any input from him. George was at his finest this day.
* * * * *
Sergeant Jacobs ran a scanner over Krys and was not happy with the results. “I have some red indications in her brain again. These are a little different, worse I think, but I don’t know what they mean.”
Tarn leaned over her and spoke softly, frightened at the pallid look of her skin. “If you can hear me Krys, we need to know what Maelia needs to help you. Should we put you back into the tank?”
“No tank . . . just time,” she mumbled.
Tarn stood up and looked at Jacobs. “I trust her Rider. Check her every hour for improvement. If she gets worse, we’ll put her back into the tank anyway.”
She improved, and by the next day some of the scanner indications had cleared, but definitely not all of them. Sergeant Jacobs woke him. “She’s asking for you, Tarn.”
He rose from his chair and leaned over her, taking her hand. “I’m here, Krys.”
Her hand squeezed his, but he could barely feel the increased pressure. “Vision,” she mumbled. “Gleasons . . . aboard traders . . . attacking Korban.” That was all the energy she had. Her hand relaxed in his, and she slept again.
Jacobs ran the scanner over her again. “She’s still with us, Tarn.”
“I think her Rider woke her up just long enough to give us the message, then took her down again. If she needed anything from us, she would have said so. I’m going to the bridge.”
He found M’Sada on duty. “Where’s everyone else?” he asked.
M’Sada answered from within the net. “Probably sleeping. How is she?”
“Not good. Where are we headed?”
“Shipyard. They’ll have the right medical help, and we need to get that hypercom to them.”
“Set course for Orion III, then get all the officers up here for a meeting.”
M’Sada left the net and turned to Tarn, his upper hands busily preening. “Are you serious? The battle for Orion III is over.”
“I’m serious. How far out are we?”
“A lot farther than we were a couple of days ago. At least three days.”
“Step on it, my friend. She’s had another vision.”
When everyone gathered, Tarn briefed them. “Krys has had a vision. Korban is about to be attacked by gleasons. It appears they’re approaching aboard traders.”
This time, instead of a puff, a short flame came from Stven’s nostrils. “Gleasons! We can’t fight them!”
“Maybe not, but we can warn Korban. He can alert the Imperial Marines. If we’re in time, maybe he can take out the traders before they land.”
“Chessori traders?”
“I don’t know. Krys might be able to give us more information later.”
M’Sada spoke. “Maybe we should go to Chandrajuski. We could bring back some help.”
“Going all the way to Parsons’ World, then back again, will take weeks, and we’re not certain he’s even there. We’re going to alert Korban, then go find Chandrajuski.”
“We need my brothers,” Borg spoke up. “No one else will have a chance against the gleasons. How many are there?”
“I don’t know, but she inferred several ships.”
“Too many. They must not be allowed to land. Stopping those ships must be our first priority if the sector is to hold.”
* * * * *
Akurea taught George everything she could of the Chessori language, both written and oral. After cautioning him to guard against infection from the Chessori computer, she plugged him in to it. Within a few minutes, the computer accepted a password, and she was in.
She beamed. “Thank you, George. Good job!”
“My pleasure, Akurea.”
She spent days going through the computer before attempting to begin a translation. O’Brien passed by her quarters after going off duty one night and found her slumped over her desk, sound asleep. He stared at the ugly screen briefly, then woke her.
“Hey, young lady, it’s late. Time for bed.”
She groaned, then sat up. “Young lady! I’ll bet I’m as old as you are, but you’re right. Good night, Captain.”
* * * * *
When Resolve dropped from hyperspace on the outskirts of Orion III, they tight-beamed Korban. When he came on the display, Tarn was shocked at the aging, shrunken visage of the man he and Krys had last met. As Krys had predicted, time had not been kind to the sector commander. He had paid a high price to hold.
“You held, sir,” Tarn said in greeting.
“Everything she predicted has come to pass. The battle for Orion III has been won.”
Korban’s eyes narrowed. “It’s retribution. Struthers is setting an example for what will happen to sectors that oppose him.”
“You could be right, sir. If that’s the case, you are their target.”
“The gleasons will just be the first wave. Behind them will come replacement admirals, a new governor, and lots of ships. Chandrajuski took nearly all of my ships, and I have not yet replaced them. I’ll send word to him that I need reinforcements.”
“We can get the word to him, sir.”
Korban stared at him for a time as he considered. “Will you consider staying for a while? Chandrajuski left me with a fast ship. I’ll send it.”
“Sir, we’re on another mission at the moment, and it’s critical.”
“So is this sector. The Queen’s forces have not gone to all this trouble just to lose it now. The two of you have ways of helping that no one can predict. Stick around for a few day. Let’s see what develops.”
He cut the connection, and Tarn and Stven looked at each other. “What do you think?” Tarn asked.
“Our duty is done here,” Stven mused. “On the other hand, he’s right. There’s a lot at stake here. A few days won’t matter. I wonder what Krys would say?”
“Let’s find out.”
Sick bay became filled with bodies of various descriptions as they descended upon her. She was on her feet, but she was blind.
Her eyes remained closed as she spoke. “I see them, Tarn. I see them in my mind, three of them.”
“Three what?”
“Three traders. I believe they are the ones carrying the gleasons.”
“How can you see them, Krys?”
“I don’t know, but I sense them. Get me into the net, and I’ll identify them for you. Hurry!”
Tarn led her to the central shaft, then up to the bridge. He placed a helmet on her head, then all of them joined the net, but George could not configure the net for her, a first in his experience.
Everyone unplugged, and Tarn removed her helmet. “I’m sorry, Krys, but you’ll have to get better before he can accept you.”
Knights of the Chosen (Spirit of Empire, Book Two) Page 51