The Anvil of Dust and Stars (Dark Seas Series Book 1)

by Damon Alan

  “Son-of-a…” Lariss said, starting to swear, but then fell silent and began checking One-Eight's maneuverability.

  Training took over, and Lariss and Sarah worked together to save themselves.

  Sarah ran diagnostics on the engines and reactor. “We're functional, Lariss. I have no idea how.”

  “Re-activating grappler engine,” Lariss said. “Are you wounded, Sarah?”

  “Not seriously,” Sarah replied. She hoped it was true. Her suit would do what it could to save her. “You have a ninety-two seconds of fuel for the grappler. After that, we'll be dry.”

  One-Eight bucked wildly as Lariss put speed and distance between them and the Hive fleet. The wounded grappler raced along the path Sarah plotted toward friendly ships. Sarah sighed in relief as One-Eight passed one hundred kps relative to the enemy fleet.

  “We're in the green now, Lariss,” Sarah said. “They can't shoot fast enough to hit us.”

  Lariss's voice wavered, but she kept functioning. She reduced acceleration to 6G. “Returning to fusion drive. Let's head to the Marius.”

  The radio blared to life as the EMP effects of One-Eight's bombs subsided. “What ship hit that incoming fleet?” someone transmitted.

  “Get that Sarah,” Lariss said.

  “That was grappler One-Eight from the Marius. We're out of weapons, low on fuel, and shot to hell. Two dead heroes on board. We're RTB, if we can make it.”

  A new voice came on frequency. “One-Eight, Marius flight ops. Roger RTB. We'll be ready for you. Expect emergency recovery protocols.”

  After a brief scan for nanite infection, One-Eight docked with the Marius, Lariss crashing the small combat craft to the deck of its hangar, skipping the recovery crane.

  Once inside the One-Eight's bay, mechanical clamps secured the stricken vessel to the floor Armored airlock doors slammed shut and atmosphere flooded into the chamber. Sarah felt external pressure collapse her suit around her. Blackness ate at the edge of her vision.

  Blood loss.

  Moments later a crewman in a power suit clunked up to the grappler. Powerful mechanical arms reached into the frame of the small vessel and ripped what remained of the cockpit away from the crew. Sarah wanted to scream at him to stop, that he was killing her ship, but a new sensation gripped her.

  The Marius was in FTL.

  The Royal Navy, defeated, abandoned the inhabitants of Zelan to their fate. Sarah wanted to scream. She'd felt they'd manage to save Widdis and his people, but it wasn't to be.

  Sarah's vision was sketchy, but her mind was still sharp enough to know what was going on. After the cockpit was sufficiently accessible, the power suited crewman tore Lariss's grav seat from its mooring. He lifted the copilot over him, and set her down on the floor atop magnetic clamps. Sarah watched as medical crews swarmed Lariss.

  The procedure was repeated for her, seeming surreal. Events faded out, then returned only to fade out again. In a moment of awareness she looked up at the harsh hangar lights above her, and realized her suit was cut away from her body.

  I was unconscious. A little death.

  She lay naked as figures swarmed over her. A host of voices, debating her wound and proper treatment, echoed in her ears. She heard one comment about a large section of missing artery. She felt no pain. Tubes stuck in her arm, warm fluid drained into her.

  In a moment of clarity she read the label on the IV bag. Nanobiotics: Soft Tissue Repair, Rapid.

  They're using nanites on me. Fuckers.

  “She's stable, get her to medbay,” someone said.

  The medics disengaged the magnetic clamps holding her grav couch to the floor. Some strength returned as the first nanites in her system substituted themselves for her missing blood.

  Sarah grabbed a man wearing the rank of Colonel by the arm, and squeezed as hard as her weakened muscles could muster. “Colonel, let me say goodbye to my friends.”

  He stared at her a moment, hesitant. He checked a monitor attached to her arm, then ordered her couch secured to the clamps once again. He stepped aside so Sarah could see the two male crewmen of One-Eight.

  Breno's headless body still lay in his suit with nobody in attendance. Foam capped the neck to keep fluids from draining out into the bay. Figures slowly stepped away from Chip, one of them looked up at the colonel Sarah had a death grip on. The figure shook his head, then his eyes dropped toward the floor.

  Lariss moved to Sarah's side. She gripped Sarah's hand as Chip was pronounced dead.

  “Raise me,” Sarah said weakly.

  A medic started to protest as Lariss unhooked a strap across Sarah's chest, but the officer next to Sarah waved him off. Lariss lifted her friend to a sitting position.

  Sarah raised her right hand, her fingertips touching her eyebrows, her hand straight as a board.

  Lariss's right hand let go of Sarah's shoulder, and although she couldn't see it, Sarah knew Lariss was saluting too. Sarah held her salute, and watched as the Colonel next to her turned to face Chip and raised his hand. Sarah smiled as person after person in the bay clamped their magnetic boots to the floor and saluted her commander.

  Korvandi flags were draped across Chip and Breno, and they were moved from the hangar.

  “Those must have been exceptional men,” the colonel said.

  Tears flowed, droplets collected around Sarah's and Lariss's faces. Lariss gripped Sarah's hand.

  Sarah lay back on her grav couch and stared upward at the hangar lights again.“Chip saved us. Without him, we'd be dead. I'll never forget.”

  “And Breno didn't puke,” Lariss added.

  Sarah released a tearful laugh as she squeezed Lariss's hand back. “He'd have wanted us to notice.”

  Chapter 10 - The Home Front

  14 NODER 15309

  “We're gathered here today to honor the members of the Twelfth Flotilla. The Twelfth took staggering losses at Zelan…”

  Sarah listened as the Admiral of the Navy droned on. Being recognized was nice, but it didn't mean much to her. The Royal Navy had its ass handed to it, and the Hive would eventually come back for more. Alberath and Srarach. They were the planets of the monarchy in the crosshairs next. Everyone knew it. After that Korvand would be the target. And adult Sarah would relive the loss of a world as she had in childhood.

  She'd probably die defending this one, however.

  Now that Zelan was gone, nobody, including Sarah, had any illusions regarding the outcome of the next battles.

  Sarah wouldn't be there. She was still in therapy for the injury she sustained at Zelan. Learning to use lab replaced muscles took time.

  She thought of Breno and Chip. Although Zelan was eight months ago and she'd known them for less time alive than dead, she still felt a searing loss inside when she thought of them. Her husband, Vonn, sat next to her, holding her hand in support. He'd never been in battle, but somehow he seemed to know what Sarah needed to recover from hers.

  “…we had some successes even as…”

  The admiral was still talking. Sarah and Lariss were scheduled to get medals at some point. She hoped she was paying attention at the right time. The Red Order, with ten nuclear clusters. One for each nuclear weapon detonated in space combat. The Red Order was given for heroism beyond the call of duty.

  We were trying to stay alive and make it home.

  “…two sailors, two ladies of extraordinary bravery. Ensigns Lariss Thulmann and Sarah Dayson.”

  Sarah sighed and used her cane to stand amid thunderous applause.

  Nonsense.

  Lariss locked her arm into Sarah's, and they strode up to the Admiral together. Unusual, not protocol, but nobody would dare say anything. Sarah was glad for the support.

  “Ensign Dayson, it's an honor to meet you,” the admiral said as he stepped forward.

  “The honor is mine, sir,” she replied.

  “You're mistaken, Ensign. It is one hundred percent mine.” The admiral put his hand between Sarah's shoulder blades and faced the sta
dium crowd. “I think everyone knows the story of One-Eight and the heroism of its commander, Lieutenant Charlton Davits. Everyone knows the story of One-Eight fighting at Astriach. Of One-Eight hitching a ride with a Hive fleet through FTL, and then devastating the same fleet when they dropped out of highspace near Zelan.”

  My Mom is still pissed.

  “Let's face it, if you don't know this story, you live in a hole. It's been on every news network in Royal space,” the admiral continued.

  A captain stepped forward, next to Lariss and Sarah. While the admiral droned on, the captain opened a wooden box. Inside were two medals, brilliant gold lay in a bed of green velvet. “Ensign Sarah Dayson, in honor of your sacrifice and devotion to duty at Zelan, you are awarded Her Majesty's Red Order, with nuclear clusters.”

  The admiral pinned the medal to Sarah's uniform. “In addition, you're awarded the Medal of the Severed Branch, in recognition of your wounds received in service.” He removed the second medal from the box and pinned it on Sarah's chest, before stepping back to salute.

  Lariss stepped in and held Sarah's weight so Sarah could return the salute.

  Away from the mic the Admiral said,“We needed this small victory, Ensign Dayson. This one bit of good news in the flood of bad. I'm grateful.”

  Sarah smiled. It was all she could do. She marveled at how fast contact with the enemy filled her with bitterness and anger. She certainly didn't feel like Chip and Breno's sacrifice were good news.

  The captain who delivered the wooden box of medals helped Sarah back to her seat amidst more applause, then set the box on Sarah's lap.

  Sarah was running on autopilot now. “Thank you,” she said to the captain.

  The woman gave Sarah a look of adoration, and then returned to her spot on the stage. Sarah listened as Lariss received her Red Order, and clapped when the audience did.

  After Lariss was again seated next to Sarah, the admiral gave posthumous awards to the families of Chip and Breno. Sarah and Lariss stared solemnly at the edge of the stage. Vonn seemed dazzled by the spectacle.

  Sarah let him enjoy it. She was numb, and all tears for fallen comrades were already spent.

  * * *

  06 MAI 15310

  “You're pregnant.”

  Sarah's eyes widened and she stared at her doctor. “No. You're mistaken. I can't be pregnant.”

  Sarah's doctor smiled. A gentle older woman with a direct bedside manner. “One of us is pregnant, and I'm pretty sure it's not me. Besides, I'm not the one who took the test.”

  Emotions surged.“This is no time to have a baby! Our people are being destroyed by monsters.” Sarah grunted an angry growl, then wailed,“Oh stars, I'm an idiot.”

  “You're human, maybe. But I think we know better than the idiot part,” the doctor said.

  “How far along?” Sarah asked.

  “Two months, maybe slightly longer,” the doctor answered. “I'm surprised you didn't come in before now. You should be feeling the effects.”

  “I don't know about… I've been eating weird shit… I thought my body was still healing.”

  The doctor patted Sarah's leg.“It's going to be okay, Sarah. You have support.”

  Sarah said nothing. The woman took that as a sign she needed to be supportive now.

  “You got knocked up. You sought out a different sort of healing, maybe. Sex is therapeutic, believe it or not. I'm glad to see you and Vonn getting along. I saw him while you were gone and that boy was sad.”

  Sarah smiled weakly. “Can't blame him for that. I was too, when I had time.”

  “I can tell you the sex of the baby if you like.” The doctor pulled out a small device from a sterile cabinet. “A small scan and we'll know whether there is a Y chromosome or not.”

  Sarah nodded. Might as well know what color to display on the walls of the spare room.

  The doctor did her thing.

  * * *

  Vonn whooped loudly.“A boy!”

  Sarah looked around, the other diners stared at them. “Vonn, you're embarrassing me.”

  Vonn looked at an older gentleman one table over. “We're having a son.”

  The older gentleman smiled warmly.

  “Vonn, sssshhhhhh.” Sarah demanded.

  “I've been thinking, Sarah, of converting my recruiter contract with the Navy to civilian. This seals that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean as a recruiter I could do more good as the husband of Sarah Dayson, hero of Zelan than I can as Lieutenant Vonn Elander.”

  “That's ridiculous.”

  “It's not. I was approached by my commander with the idea. They'd like me to get your authorization to speak for you. To speak in favor of serving the monarchy.”

  Sarah sighed, then sat fuming.

  “I'd make a lot more money as a civilian, Sarah. Your heroism is worth money to our family,” Vonn argued.

  Months of irritation came to a head. Sarah stood and threw her fork onto the table. “I'm not the fucking hero of anything. Chip Davits was. I went along with his plan and he saved Lariss and me. I didn't do shit.” Sarah looked at people around her. They were staring at her, their faces expressing concern and shock. “Chip Davits is the hero. Leave me the fuck alone.”

  Sarah turned and stormed toward the door.

  “Sarah,” Vonn called after her.

  “Go get her son, I got your bill,” a man's voice said.

  Stars be damned…

  Sarah turned around and headed back to her table. She opened her purse. “Thank you sir, but I will pay my own way,” she said to nobody in particular as she slammed a one hundred drenna note down on the table.

  The entire restaurant was frozen. Even kitchen staff had come out to see the spectacle. The sympathy in their eyes enraged Sarah further. She didn't understand how they all knew who she was.

  “Don't you realize what you're facing? Extermination.” Sarah paused to wave a pointed finger around the room. “The Hive will be coming, and you'll all be dead. You won't be eating caviar and steak. You'll be eating each other. But you won't care because everything you are, everything you've ever been will be gone already.”

  Several gasps reached her ears.

  “Sarah, let's go,” Vonn said as he reached to put his arm around her.

  Vonn caught her as she collapsed.“I can't be pregnant I—” Sarah uttered as the world spun.

  Her reality went dark.

  * * *

  07 MAI 15310

  “Stress. Guilt… I don't know.” The psychiatrist sat deep in his leather chair, a clinically concerned look on his face. “Combine the emotional stress of your fame with your survival guilt. Throw in the guilt of birthing a child into the world during a terrible time… it can add up.”

  Sarah sat leaned forward with her head in her hands and her elbows on her knees. She was supposed to be lying down on the couch, but that made her feel vulnerable.

  “I need to get back to the flotilla,” Sarah said. Her voice was soft, more pleading than demanding.

  “I doubt that will happen anytime soon, Sarah. You have a baby to bear first, not to mention you're not completely recovered from your injuries. You're lucky to have the husband you do.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I talked to him about your condition. He's accepted a civilian recruiter job and told me he understands you need to go back to space. “I'll take care of everything here,” he said to me.”

  Sarah glowered. Things weren't just going to be okay. The Hive were coming, and they'd kill her son as emotionlessly as they'd kill everyone else. Even the idiot blathering at her right now.

  The psychiatrist stood and paced. “You have a chemical imbalance created by the wounds you suffered combined with the pregnancy. The demands of healing and building a new life are too much. But we know the issues, so between me and your regular physician we'll get you through it.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Nutritional supplements, targeted
drugs to maintain the right mix of neurological chemicals. Nothing big, a slight metabolic nudge back into the normal zones.”

  Sarah laughed. “I'm the abnormal one?”

  “We're all abnormal, Sarah, the only thing that matters is how we deal with it. You're going to be fine, but you need to get your emotions under control. Society needs to see you as a hero, so you're doing it for everyone.” He sat back down and softened his tone. “You need to deal with your guilt and realize that you didn't kill your crewmates. The Hive did. They're the enemy.”

  Sarah removed her hands from her face and stared at the doctor a moment. “What did you say?”

  “Deal with your guilt. You didn't kill your crewmates.”

  “After that.”

  The doctor looked puzzled. “The Hive did, they're your enemy.”

  Sarah had thought of the Hive as monsters since childhood. Her family was lucky, they'd fled the scourge that consumed worlds. Now it was happening again, and she was still thinking of the Hive the same way. Mindless mechanical organic machines consuming resources. Maybe she needed to think of them differently, but how?

  They're the enemy. They're evil, regardless of any other factor, and must be treated as such. They're monsters, but not mindless. They have a calculating plan to kill or inhabit every human being in existence. How can she deny them their goal?

  Sarah wondered why she hadn't looked at the situation in those terms before. The line of thought was liberating, and she found a concrete foundation to stand on. She didn't know why, but she knew she was going to deny the Hive their prize.

  The doctor stared at her as she thought it out. “What are you thinking?” he asked.

  “Only that you're right, doctor. The Hive are the enemy.”

  Chapter 11 - A Cold Reward

  11 MAPRI 15311

  Alberath fell two months ago. Lariss was killed fighting while Sarah breastfed Jac.

  Sarah wanted to scream. The fight for Alberath was where she belonged, on a grappler putting Chip's teachings to work.