Quintus rounded to face his brother. “Platus?”
“Brother, I swear to you I had no knowledge of this.”
“Commander,” Lee called. “Tracking those incoming vessels to Draconis. They’ve dropped to sub-light. Course puts them for Draconis-2.”
Aaron gritted his teeth. He didn’t have a choice. “Quintus, we can’t get closer than a certain amount of light-hours without being detected. We need to get on that facility and I have a plan.”
Next to Quintus, Platus regarded his brother with a disproving look. “Why do I get the feeling this is going to be just as reckless as when you—”
“Brilliant, Platus. The citation from the Emperor said brilliant. Your attempted humor on that matter grows weary.”
Watching the interaction between them, Aaron said. “You know what they say, Quintus, recklessness is always followed by results.”
Quintus didn’t seem convinced. “Is it not—‘brute force is often followed by brute stupidity’?”
Aaron shrugged. “You have to make your own sayings to fit,” he said.
Quintus smiled. “Very well, what is your plan?”
Aaron told him.
Quintus’ smile quickly faded to a deep frown. “That is not a plan. That is a reckless sequence of events backed with much prayer to your Deities. We might not have a way out if they discover us. We’ll be vulnerable.”
“Do you have any other suggestions? Which doesn’t involve an outright shooting war between my ship and your patrolling vessels?”
Quintus visibly stiffened. The thought of killing more Imperials, if it could be avoided, was never an option for the Lord Commander.
“Then my reckless sequence of events it is,” Aaron said.
“Why do I get the feeling you prefer it this way?”
Aaron didn’t respond to that. Did he really prefer it this way?
***
Excelsior faced the hangar bay doors. Everyone else was aboard. The hangar bay was empty. Yuri neared the ramp to enter Excelsior. A hand pulled his shoulder. He’d thought everyone was already aboard.
“Flaps.”
He turned.
It was the Commander.
“Commander?”
“If things go south over there, this is what I want you to do.”
The Commander told him in detail—catering to any eventualities.
They entered Excelsior together and Flaps took the helm.
“Phoenix, we’re ready to depart,” he said.
“Excelsior, you’re cleared. Opening hangar bay doors,” the XO said.
The XO was on the bridge. The Commander, the Lord Commander, Platus, Corporal Ubu and Sergeant Dawes were already aboard Excelsior. Lee sat at Excelsior’s tactical station. He’d join the boarding party once they caught up to the transport. Delaine was operating tactical aboard Phoenix and Corporal Chen had taken the helm.
The next two hours they’d closed to within micro-jump distance to the transport ship. Each of Phoenix’s auxiliary craft had the same capabilities as their mothership. In any event, all the stealth would likely be overkill. The operators aboard the transport likely felt secure in the knowledge they were well protected this deep in Imperial space. It was almost certain not a single crewmember of the small transport was even at their station. The vessel’s crew was likely discarded personnel—banished to performing supply runs forever in some backwater system— never knowing what they carried and likely not caring. Yuri matched speed and micro-jumped almost on top the transport now.
“It’s your show, Lee,” Flaps said.
The lieutenant aided with schematics provided by the Lord Commander, fired a single railgun slug through the transport’s sub-light engine thrust manifold. The impact severed the small drive section from the ship but also left it in a spin.
Yuri expertly matched the rate and angle of the spin. Once synchronized, from the perspective of anyone aboard either ship, it would be as though they accelerated ordinarily through space. A similar attempt in an atmosphere would leave everyone sick. Here there was no orientation of up or down and no friction.
“We’ve synchronized with the transport,” Yuri said over the comm. “I am making adjustments to get us as close as possible without hitting it. I’m sending the noise now.”
The transport should be jammed easily.
***
Flaps cut in. “—I am making adjustments to get us as close as possible without hitting it.”
Lee just arrived on the cargo deck when Flaps made the announcement.
“Seal the deck, Lieutenant,” Aaron said. “Helmets on everyone.” He checked to ensure they were ready. “Lee, when you’re ready. Depressurize the deck and open the inner and outer airlock.”
Everyone braced while the deck was depressurized, and the cargo bay door opened to space. Lee shot a tether to the other ship and checked it was anchored and gave a go signal. Dawes moved first, anchored himself to the tether, and used his suit’s small thrusters to propel him across. He attached a small plasma-breach to the transport’s outer airlock and created a sizable hole for them to enter.
Once inside the outer airlock, Dawes waited for the others to navigate across the tether. Once they were all through the inner airlock, Dawes stepped aside and allowed Platus to use a code to open the inner airlock. Quintus then hit the controls to equalize the pressure inside the airlock to the transport’s deck.
Dawes and Ubu were the first ones through. Breaching the outer airlock on the transport would by now have triggered an alert to the transport crew. They had to move fast.
The HUD showed Aaron six outlines of movement heading towards them. The transport had four decks. The cargo deck where they breached, the one above, the flight deck above that and the crew deck below.
The marines deployed barricades facing the only entrance to the cargo bay. Everyone took position behind them. The hatch recessed twenty meters ahead.
“We know you’re in there,” a voice called from beyond the hatch. “We’ll throw in pulse grenades soon.”
Definitely not professional military. You don’t warn your enemy of your intent. Before Aaron could issue any directives Quintus addressed the Imperials.
“This is Lord Commander Quintus Scipio, identify yourself.”
Aaron dropped his head. Quintus always felt the need to negotiate first. He couldn’t hold it against him. These were his people.
“Lord Commander,” the voice said. “Your authority is not recognized here. Show yourself.”
Quintus stood from behind the barricade. Aaron had never heard him like this not even when he told him of Platus’ death.
“I am the Lord Commander of the Imperial Navy. My authority is recognized everywhere within Imperial space. You are in Imperial space, aboard an Imperial vessel. You will identify yourself, this vessel, your destination and objective at once!”
Aaron dragged the Lord Commander down as the first pulse blast heated the air where he’d stood a moment earlier.
Aaron fixed him with a glare. “Why do you always think that after they’ve gone to this much trouble to do a dirty deed, they can be reasoned with?”
Quintus glared back. “I would like to see the decision in your hands someday. Would you callously shoot down your own? Or try reasoning with them first?”
It was a fair point. “I am not against reason, Quintus, where I know its possibility exists. But telling you he doesn’t recognize your authority, was the only clue you needed. Instead, you presented yourself as a target. You really are a liability in these types of situations.”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”
“Pretend all you want. But I died the last time you went charging in somewhere.”
The Lord Commander stared open mouthed. He had no clue what Aaron meant by “died”.
Still, it was better if they took these Imperials alive and questioned them. Aaron looked around. Dawes wasn’t an option . . . the sergeant would likely kill the lot of them.
***
“Lee, you’re up!”
The HUD showed Lee three Imperial crew covering behind the left bulkhead beyond the hatch and another three to the right. All armed with pulse pistols. They weren’t wearing body armor. This would make it easier to take them alive.
More pulse blasts ripped into the barricades.
“Let me have at it, Commander!” Dawes shouted above the bursts.
“Hold position, Sergeant. Lee will handle this.”
Lee rolled between the barricades next to Aaron.
“Commander, I’m going to need you to roll to the other side, distract them for a second while I engage.”
Aaron clapped Lee on the shoulder. “Thanks, Lee. I’m a decoy.”
“I would prefer to use Flaps, Commander, but he isn’t here, shall he engage autopilot and come?”
The Commander grinned.
“If we had time,” he said, as he did as Lee instructed. The Imperials took a shot. They missed.
Lee stood and fired his grappler through the hatch, anchoring it to the bulkhead beyond. The retraction mechanism pulled him toward the door, faster than the centurions could track. A shot went wide.
He was through.
Lee released the grappler, and his bionic left arm shot to the left and knocked the three on the left over like bowling pins. He shot the ones to the right through and through with one round from his projectile pistol. The new improved version two-point-five left a nice hole through each man’s leg.
Lucky for them, they were just about the same height. If any had been shorter, something else men valued would be gone.
Lee relieved them of their weapons as they lay growling on the floor, clutching their legs.
“All clear, Commander. No fatalities.”
The others gathered and pulled the six Imperials into the cargo bay. The Lord Commander chose the first one Lee had struck with his arm and dragged him to his feet.
Lee flinched slightly when the Lord Commander backhanded the prisoner.
“Your name. This vessel’s designation. Your purpose for being here.”
The prisoner smiled. Blood stained his teeth.
Lee didn’t know if the Lord Commander and his brother were just that curious about what was happening in Draconis or just really offended they had no knowledge of it.
Platus grabbed the prisoner and twisted his arm. It made a crunching sound. The prisoner yowled.
“The Lord Commander asked you a question. You still have more limbs to break, young centurion.”
The centurion crumpled to the deck holding his arm. “We just bring supplies here once a month. We don’t know what’s in them. We don’t ask.”
The other prisoner on the ground shifted. Lee guessed what was coming. Should have used a scanner to sweep him. He grabbed the prisoner at the ankle with his arm and tossed.
The world exploded.
Chapter 22-Brothers
“Some days I’m not even sure myself” – Aaron Rayne
Imperial Light Transport
Draconis
Whumpf.
It felt like a hard boot.
“He’s awake,” someone said.
The blur and haze shifted. Light slowly replaced darkness. A man staring down at him came into focus.
“Who are you?” the man asked.
“Some days I’m not even sure myself,” Aaron answered.
Whumpf. Another kick to his side. Someone had removed his armor. Those kicks hurt.
“Sit him up,” another harsh voice said.
The centurions backed off in discussion, and a field shimmered around the compartment. The rest of his crew were next to him bound by movement restraints. Any sudden movements they made would trigger the restraint. Slow careful movements were the only option. Otherwise, you didn’t feel them at all. Lee’s arm had a scrambler on it. The lieutenant didn’t look happy.
The original six Imperial centurions lay burned across the deck. Dark scorch marks perforated the deck and overhead.
Other than that, everyone was alive, if disoriented.
“Lee, what happened?”
“I’m sorry, Commander. I missed it. One of them had a pulse grenade. I saw him shift. I knew it. I threw him, but the blast still caught us and stunned us all. Then I awakened. They must have had troops on board with sensor blockers. We never detected them on our scans.”
Aaron lowered his head between his knees. “We all made the mistake. They had the advantage once we boarded. They knew something was in here and we took a calculated risk there weren’t troops or other hardened security aboard. We were wrong.”
“They’ve taken the Lord Commander and the Urbanae,” Lee told him. “We’re in an improvised cell. A force field secures it.”
Aaron fought the urge to think how things couldn’t get any worse.
***
Quintus fumed. “You could have killed us all, Platus!”
What did Platus think he was doing? As the Lord Commander, he’d decided to work with the United Systems. The treaty . . . everything. He’d decided with Rayne to see this through together, and Platus decided otherwise for him? Platus was lucky he was his brother.
Platus didn’t flinch. “Not a chance of that happening. Hopefully, the blast knocked sense into you. This is what you’ve devolved to in less than a year? A puppet of the United Systems? This is not what we wanted when we agreed to expose our late Lord Praetor. We stopped a war we would never have won. It doesn’t mean we must become lap dogs.”
Quintus shook his head. Platus pictured himself the architect of deviance, the mastermind of nefarious, and the foremost authority on anything clandestine. “Platus, you have no idea the precarious position you’ve placed us in. Through our combined efforts, including Commander Rayne and the very crew you nearly killed, we prevented a war, and brought us closer to an everlasting peace.”
Something strange was happening. Platus was saying the words, but his face told a different story. “An everlasting peace, which would see us absorbed as the latest members of their grand alliance. Never forget, I helped you uncover the conspiracy. If not for my timely eavesdropping aboard your flagship, we wouldn’t be here now.”
Platus could be overly dramatic, but this was something different. Platus was trying to tell him something. Quintus was certain and decided to go with it. “No, I would never compromise our culture, our ideals, our way of life to appease the demands of a treaty or alliance. At the very least there would be peace and nothing more between us, and at the very best, they would accept they cannot change certain things and enter an alliance with us.”
Platus smiled as if to confirm Quintus’ thoughts. “You were never a politician, brother. It’s easy to take advantage of your noble, honorable intentions.”
“I don’t think a career spy should judge me. Everything is suspect to you. If you had been in my place when I brought Commander Rayne aboard that first time in the nebula, I have no doubt we wouldn’t be having this conversation now. We’d be staring across the stars at USSF warships. Your noble brother took the chance that there was at least one, and probably many more among the United Systems who don’t wish for war.”
Platus regarded him with a smirk. Platus never smirked. “It is fortunate I returned when I did. I told you to leave out the politics. I told you the truth when I said I didn’t know of anything out here. I still don’t know exactly what they’re doing. I will find out. But the United Fleet doesn’t need to know either. Whatever we’re doing out here is part of safeguarding our future. Zeus and Mars Quintus, they are developing a dark matter bomb, what more do you need to open your eyes?”
“The same way you didn’t know, neither did Commander Rayne.”
“I have no personal quarrel with Rayne, Quintus. I saved his life on Atlas—near at the cost of my own. Rayne is just a pawn in the game. Just like you. You get along so well the two of you because you’re both idealistic. You’ve always beli
eved the best about everyone and everything. What you should realize is the Bannons and Shepherds of the universe exploit people like you and Rayne. In another life I suppose you two may have been brothers.”
Quintus froze.
“What?” Platus asked.
“I said the same thing to him, Platus, when I captured him and brought him aboard Pilum after I learned of your death.”
Platus gripped Quintus’ shoulders. “It’s plain to see he respects you and regards you as a brother-in-arms. I admit Rayne isn’t the enemy. But he is part of the USS. The negotiations might be a ruse to finish developing the weapon Marcus alluded to and use it to subjugate us.”
Quintus gave him a disbelieving stare. Now he wondered if he’d caught the subtle cues from Platus, or if he’d been wrong. Was this the real Platus? “Are you even hearing yourself? If we were having this discussion thirty years or more ago, I might agree. But not what I’ve seen of them. I’ve been there, I’ve been in on the negotiations. It is genuine.”
“Genuine or not, there are elements among them who are developing this weapon. You have the proof. Now what are you going to do about it?”
“At this stage of our relations, we must try negotiations first,” Quintus said.
“No,” Platus shook his head. “They would deny everything until they are ready. Unacceptable.”
“You behave as though I am asking, brother. I am the Lord Commander of the Navy.”
“And I’m telling you,” Platus said. “We’re not doing it your way. Thanks to Marcus, we know where their facility is. We will make a preemptive strike.”
“That would be a mistake. It isn’t an option. What happens when they try again in the future?”
“We use hired mercenaries to take out the facility. We’ve done it before. We’ll confront the future, if the future presents such a scenario. Now, we continue our own research.”
Quintus slapped the bulkhead. “You can’t possibly agree with developing subspace weapons. When you use them, there’s no telling the effects. They have the potential to destroy the fabric of space and time whether or not we understand the concept. This is the chance you wish to take? To destroy the universe with the wave of a hand?”
Unite the Frontier Page 13