Three cross corridors and a trip up the docking ring stairs led them to the wide, circular main plaza. At one time, the hub had contained civilian shops and storage centers for cargo to be taken to the surface. Perigee was supposed to have been a way-hub for cargo to a new colony world, but with the arrival of the asteroid belt outside the colony failed and the station had been abandoned until they had fled here to escape the Ch’Tauk. Henry looked back to see Na’Tora behind Gregor, holding a hand scanner in his four fingered hand. The presence of one of the creatures that had forced them to hide here felt wrong.
“I’ve got the codes for the lift system,” Henry called. “Why don’t we ride up?”
“Lift system is good place for scavengers to place bombs,” Gregor answered. “Better to scan for tripwires on the stairs. It’s a long way. We’d better get going.”
Henry shook his head in disgust. He should have known that. After months of simmering in alcohol, his head was so mixed up about his former job. He had burned the uniform he had once worn after confronting the admiral and being told an emphatic no to going back to Earth. After everything he had given Chang, the man still refused to allow him to take a chance on infiltrating Gizzeen space. It had started the descent into madness that became Henry’s life until Lee found him. Through it all, though, he kept an image of Emma and her smiling face in his heart, and a promise he had made to come back to her when he had run off to help Lee. Not coming back had made him feel like a liar and made him feel helpless.
The ascent up the stairs was long, as they stopped every flight to sweep for hidden traps. Henry was surprised to find very little evidence along the way of scavenger presence. The mixed species group was notorious for moving into unoccupied areas and tearing away any usable technology for their own needs. Their ships were a hodge-podge of pieces collected from all over the galaxy, and their tactics could be brutal when disturbed. Henry had expected to find torn bulkheads and missing equipment, but instead the place seemed clean. He scanned for biological traces and found evidence of habitation on the station, but some parts of the place were shielded. It was unnerving to have his expectations rattled in this way.
“I’ve got nothin’,” Henry called up to the lead patrol. “No traps on this floor either.”
“And that is when the trap usually springs,” Na’Tora said from behind. “If we had come here, we would have left nothing but a hulk. Your admiral dishonored you with his pronouncements of destruction.”
“I hate to have to agree with a bug, but…” Henry replied quietly. “If Chang lied about this station, it was for a reason, and I think we’re about to find that reason. I saw an energy reading on the next floor. Right where we’re going.”
Gregor nodded and waved his team on. He held up a hand and kept Henry and Na’Tora from moving up. The five members of the team scouted the next entrance, sweeping left and right with their weapons. One of the men checked the door lock with a handheld decryption device. A small red light turned green and he backed away. The two recon scouts moved to either side of the door and one tapped the keypad. When the door slid aside, the other moved into the door quickly and back out, surveying the corridor outside with a glance before signaling an all-clear. Then they moved in, rifles up and readiness high, covering as the remaining team came through. Henry and Na’Tora stepped into the corridor behind Gregor and looked around.
The hallway had the clean and white feelof a medical bay. The air was cool and smelled of ionized air and antiseptic sprays. Henry held his pistol high and approached a door. His handheld showed no activity inside, so he moved to the next. Two more doors held nothing before he found one emitting a faint energy signal. There was significant shielding behind the door which blocked the scans, life signs included. He moved back and allowed the recon team to approach.
There was a crack of static in Henry’s ear as the comm snapped to life. The recon team began to work on the door as Henry moved off. He noticed Na’Tora watching him. Na’Tora had no ears, so he wore only the standard wrist comm. If he was not responding, it meant the signal was meant for him alone. It also meant trouble.
“Henry,” Lee’s voice called over the earpiece. “Get your team somewhere safe, now.”
“What is it?” Henry asked as the decryption box beeped and the light turned green. “Gizzeen?”
“Negative,” Lee replied, his voice showing strain as he clipped off his words. “We’ve got scavengers.”
Instead of replying, Lee looked up as the door slid aside. A long-limbed alien stared back as the team raised their weapons. The creature stood as tall as the door and had scaly tan skin which appeared almost like wood. His eyes wrapped almost all the way around its head in a visor-like conglomeration of compound lenses. For a long moment no one moved, until the naked creature smiled. Inside his wide jaw were rows of jagged green teeth.
“Welcome,” the creature said in a thick impression of Terran standard. “Which one of you is Lee Pearce?”
19
The last time Lee had flown his own fighter past Perigee Station he had been reprimanded for pushing the limits of safety. The call had crackled over the comm from Kama Yu, followed quickly by a further warning from Admiral Chang. The ghost of that run haunted Lee as he guided his fighter into the open docking bay of the formerly derelict station. Kama’s voice still carried over the comm and guided him into the bay alongside the other members of the Demon squadron. His own fighter had been the prototype vehicle for the modifications to the others and was far more capable than any of them. The station had no deck officer, so Lee and the rest were flying into the open maw of the station by memory.
The appearance of a dozen warships, some barely holding themselves together under the strain of moving, had rattled the battleship and its captain. Scavengers were known to be vicious to any craft unlucky enough to cross their path. While Resolute could handle herself against a dozen of the rattletrap ships, it would still have likely meant they’d failed in their mission. When the ships refused to even put up defensive shields, he stayed on guard but powered down his own cannons. The final piece of the puzzle was the signal from Henry on board the station with an invitation from one of the strangest creatures he had ever encountered. It all felt too much like one of Chang’s setups for Lee, and he was obliged to make the trip and meet with the occupant of the station himself.
“Kama, we’re inside,” Lee said over the comm. “Activate the doors and cycle atmo.”
The station’s systems were so poorly maintained the door activation system had to be handled by remote. Since Kama had spent the better part of two years as the station’s principle communications hub, she still remembered how to operate the whole station with ease. Lee watched as the doors slowly ground to a close and the lights began to flash in the landing bay. He settled the ship on a painted strip designed for a heavier vessel. The exotic nature of his hull and skid configuration made landing the ship tricky, but he’d had plenty of practice during the war. The sound of alarms began to creep into the cockpit as atmosphere was pumped back into the bay. Lee powered down the display on his ship before popping the canopy open and standing up. The air was cool and smelled faintly of oil but it was breathable. Jackal, Aztec, and Merlin had already left their fighters, and Alice was opening her cockpit to the air. It had been a long time since the squadron had flown together and the nostalgia felt good despite the strange circumstances.
“Gregor is sending someone down to meet us,” Lee said to the team as he pointed to a utility shuttle near the closed bay doors. “I want you to check out one of those small shuttles over there. I want to send Na’Tora back to the ship and I’ll need some way to evacuate the security team if things get hairy.”
Aztec moved to check out one of the utility shuttles while Merlin and Jackal went to inspect another. Lee and Alice moved towards the airlock door. As the door cycled open and the light above turned green, Lee was surprised to see Henry Moore waiting for them alongside Na’Tora. Neither seemed happy to be in
the other’s company, but Lee could guess what had happened. If he knew Henry, the man had volunteered to go just to keep an eye on the Ch’Tauk first officer. Either that or the other way around.
“Tercero,” Lee said, addressing his XO first. “What’s the situation?”
“Captain Lee Pearce, the situation is tense and this human is not making the situation any easier,” Na’Tora reported, his vocoder crackling with static as his emotions took over. “He insists on following me and watching my every move. If I am a suspect to something, please relieve me of duty so I can eviscerate him. Otherwise, order him away from my side.”
“Lee, that ain’t exactly what’s going on,” Henry started. “I caught this guy trying to sneak away while we were talking to the … uh … whatever it is upstairs. I don’t know what he was—”
“Shut up,” Lee ordered sternly. “I asked the Tercero for a situation report and he hasn’t given it to me. You haven’t given me much more to work on either. If neither of you can give me an idea what I’m about to face, then I’ll have to lock both of you in a shuttle and deactivate navigation. Now, what’s the situation with the scavenger?”
“I do not believe that one is what you call a scavenger,” Na’Tora replied, his vocoder translating his clicks and chuffs in a softer tone now. “He does not act as one who steals items and repurposes them for his own gain.”
“I ain’t real sure he’s a he, either,” Henry reported. “It, or whatever, isn’t exactly a clotheshorse, but the … um … equipment isn’t exactly standard issue. Plus, he is a stubborn bastard.”
“Stubborn?” Lee asked. “What do you mean?”
“The entity refuses to allow the security team past the door without your presence,” Na’Tora added. “He is a sizable creature and possesses an impressive set of built-in defenses to keep your Gregor and his men out.”
“What the roach is trying to say is: that thing is about two and a half meters tall with long teeth and claws,” Henry said, turning back to the door and starting to move back through. “When Gregor tried to force his way past, the thing nearly skewered him—pushed him back like he was nothin’. I ain’t seen nothin’ like that before, Lee.”
“The Ch’Tauk are the masters of multiple species across the Imperium, but I too have never heard of a creature of this type.”
“It looks like this might be fun,” Lee said, smiling back to Alice as he moved towards the airlock. “Stick close and watch my back. I need you to take a look at Chang’s device when we get there.”
“Alright,” Alice said, uncharacteristically silent. “Is Gregor alright?”
“Oh he’s fine,” Henry replied, stepping into the corridor beyond the door. “He’s got a little hole in his armor but otherwise I think he likes having to look up at someone.”
The group made their way through the station in tense silence. Henry continued to lead, while Lee and Alice walked between, with Na’Tora behind. It was unnervingly quiet on the station and Lee could hear the Ch’Tauk’s armored feet tapping against the deck as they walked. As they rode the lift upward, the smell of the alien became spicy. It was a scent Lee had not encountered from the Ch’Tauk before and it worried him. If Na’Tora really had tried to sneak away during a confrontation, he would have to be watched. If not, Henry’s paranoia might become a hindrance to the mission. In either case, Lee was glad to be moving with both men close by.
“So what’s happening outside?” Henry asked as the lift moved upwards. “The scavengers haven’t moved against the ship?”
“They came in fast with shields up but stopped about the same time your creature asked who you were,” Lee replied. “I’ve never seen anything like it from the scavengers. I would have thought two Alliance ships fully functional would be too prized a catch to pass up, even if they knew they couldn’t take us.”
“Maybe they’re working for the admiral,” Alice commented quietly. “I wouldn’t put it past him to make a deal with them.”
“But what do they get out of the deal?” Lee said. “The scavengers don’t do anything unless the prize is greater than the risk.”
“Like I said,” Henry said as the lift doors opened and the group stepped into the corridor. “I don’t think this guy is a scavenger. He’s something else entirely.”
“With all this build-up, I can’t wait to meet him,” Lee replied with a grin. “At least he’ll be happy to see me. It’ll be a nice change from people trying to kill me.”
Henry led them around the corridor to where the security team stood, weapons raised, in front of a door. Gregor, standing nearest to where they approached, stepped aside to let his captain through. Lee could see the man’s finger tighten on the trigger of his pistol as Lee approached the door. There was a small hole in the front of his security armor where a trickle of blood ran down. Since it didn’t seem to be bothering him, Lee let it pass without comment as he stepped to the door. A quick press of his hand to the plate beside it opened the portal and Lee was confronted by the strangest creature he had ever seen. It was nearly twice his size, with thick skin the shade of tree bark and a wide, gaping smile full of sharp teeth.
“Ah!” the creature exclaimed with a deep growl. “You must be Lee Pearce. I have to admit I thought you would be taller, but I am glad to see you finally. We can complete the program now.”
“I’m sorry, but I won’t be completing anything until you answer some questions for us,” Lee said, stopping the creature as it turned to re-enter the room beyond. “Who are you and what is this program you need me for?”
“Captain Lee Pearce,” the creature said, turning back to look over a thick shoulder. “You are everything he said you would be.”
“Admiral Ronald Chang?” Alice suggested as the creature moved back and bent nearly double to stare into Lee’s eyes. “What did he tell you about Lee?”
“Admiral Chang?” the creature replied, looking at Alice with a twisted neck. “Nothing. I’ve never met the man. Please follow me and all your questions will be answered.”
“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what I want to know,” Lee said, setting his stance and crossing his arms over his chest. “Who are you?”
“I am a friend of a brave captain,” the creature replied with something like an evil chuckle. “You can trust me, I assure you. We have a mutual friend who owes you his life, and thus so do I.”
“Oh no,” Henry said, stepping past Gregor to look closely at the creature. “My Brave Captain. Lee, no, don’t go with this guy.”
“I see your friend has discovered my riddle,” the creature said, his smile widening. “I would have thought the Princess would have figured it out sooner. He always had a soft spot for her.”
“Connor Jakes,” Lee said, stunned. “You’re a friend of Connor’s?”
“In a manner of speaking, although to be honest I once was you,” the creature replied. “At least part of me was. Please, we have used up too much time and we really need to get moving.”
The creature moved away again. This time Lee and Alice followed with Henry and the security team. Lee tried to remember the situation the creature might have been referring to and finally hit on it. Although he hadn’t seen the creature before, he had heard the story from Jakes. Intended as a security device, the monstrous alien was, in fact, an android created by Veles Corporation to entertain and frighten, and had been corrupted by an unscrupulous businessman to terrorize people. If the creature was one of Jakes’ androids, though, the soul within was something else.
“You were in the android which impersonated me in the Vadne prison, right?”
“Excellent, Captain Lee Pearce,” the creature replied, touching a pad and opening an inner door. “I looked a bit like them, though.”
Lee noticed the two women in white smocks as he entered. Each could have been a twin of the other as they moved among the electrical machinery. Pleasant-faced and rosy-cheeked, the women had a smile which reminded Lee of someone he had once known but couldn’t place. It wa
s an artifice designed to make customers feel at ease while being sold starships on Aleinhelm.
“So that’s why we never found life signs here,” Alice said. “There really isn’t anyone alive on this station, is there?”
“We are alive,” the women replied in unison. “Just different than you, and no, we don’t show up on your life scanners.”
There was a click as the creature stepped into a receptacle built into the wall. As the light dimmed from its single eye, a strange golden fluid drained from the monster’s hands. It pooled into two canisters and sat crackling with a faint energy. As the cylinders reached full, a small light appeared above a circular area on the floor. The circle of light revealed a tube which rose from the floor. Inside the tube lay a meter-long device resembling a very small M-space generator.
“Is that it?” Lee asked the pleasant-faced women, “Can we take a look?”
“Captain Lee Pearce,” the women replied in unison. “Of course you may. The device is yours. We have completed our task and will await the Corsairs to pick us up.”
“Alice?” Lee said, motioning to the device. “Give it a look.”
Alice moved towards the device, kneeling to get a better look at it. Lee was concerned for his fiancée, but he believed the risk here was worth the chance of her lapsing into the fugue state again. She carefully ran a hand along the underside of the device, feeling the wiring and circuitry under her fingers. The device was compact, with an orb at its heart which pulsed with golden light. Lee could see Alice’s lips moving as she conducted a detailed examination. She seemed to be calling out parts silently to herself as she moved her hands. He moved to take her shoulder but she stood up suddenly, nearly knocking him back.
Resolute Strike (The War for Terra Book 7) Page 16