by AZ Kelvin
“We’d like to help,” Darkcloud added.
“We’d like to help,” Che corrected herself, with a nod toward her crewmates.
CJ scratched at his stubbly beard. “Then you are our guests, as long as you make no attempt to access your ships, weapons, or comms devices. Agreed?”
“Yes, agreed,” Che said plainly.
“We’re due for a rendezvous soon; I’ll ask that you all stay here in the mess until then. Cal, you stay here with them.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Captain,” Che spoke up, “what happens then?”
“Then, Lieutenant, you get to meet the rest of the family.”
Che nodded. “Fair enough.”
“I’d like to stay on for a bit as well,” Katy said.
“As you will,” CJ replied, “It won’t be long.”
“So, tell me about the Triton,” Katy said, as CJ, Boss, and Gina took their leave and headed for the bridge.
Blaster looked over to Che, who waved him on to talk as much as he wanted to about his favorite subject: ship design. It didn’t take long to find out he had a kindred spirit in Katy Evermore.
“Well, you’ll never see another ship like her, I’ll tell you that. She’s the smallest ship out there to have a String Field Drive of her own.” Blaster nodded enthusiastically.
“Bullshit, Blaster, there’s no way they’re big enough to house a jump engine,” Katy argued.
“Not by themselves, no, but when they’re locked together…” Blaster hinted.
“So, it takes all three of them, together, in order to jump?” Katy asked.
Blaster nodded in response.
“What happens if one ship is destroyed?” Cal wondered aloud.
“Oh, well, then you’re FFS,” he answered.
“FFS?” Cal had to ask.
“Yeah, Fugged For Sure,” he explained, and they all laughed. “Unless, of course, you can make it somewhere before you run out of air and send off a distress, you know.”
“So, there’s a drive component in each ship that syncs up with the other ship’s components?” Katy asked.
“Aye, that’s right.”
“Who controls the jump?” Cal asked.
“The lieutenant,” he said.
“Each one is a light fighter class?” Katy asked him.
“Assault and insertion, actually, and these babies are fast. The red plasma disruptor’s got a bit of a sting to it, too. But, you all aren’t strangers to that now are you?”
“Yes, we heard about your tangle with Commander Varrin’s ship, the Scythe, at Arzia Octonus,” Darkcloud said slyly. “The size of that detonation caused quite a stir with Blood Star Command.”
“Aye, that’s right, it did.” Blaster recalled the rumors and sat up in his chair. “Varrin was pissed for months. You wouldn’t want to share what kind of warhead that was, just to satisfy an old demolitions man’s curiosity?”
“About as much as you’d want to share the specifications behind manufacturing red plasma,” Cal informed him.
“Ah, well, everybody has their secrets, don’t they?”
“Lieutenant, I’m sorry about the poke at your mom before,” Katy said.
“Call me Che, and forget it. I disapprove of her actions just as much as she disapproves of mine. She says I’m too much of a rebel.” Che finished off the last of the Corvina in her glass. “Too much of a rebel for a group of rebels. What does that make me?” she asked the universe more than anyone in the room.
“Someone, who doesn’t want to prey on innocent people. Someone, who doesn’t have to hide who they are anymore.” Darkcloud had the heat of deep emotion in his eyes.
Ooo, the Shadowberry’s got a hold of that boy, Katy thought to herself and snickered. “You’ve got a live one, there, Che,” Katy said to Che in a whisper.
“I know, but tonight, he’ll be living by himself,” Che whispered back and they both laughed.
“All hands prepare for jump,” CJ announced over the comms.
The effects were barely noticeable as the Altered Moon entered the quantum dimension to ride along with a river of quantum wave particles bringing the ship instantly to meet with Nelson Moon and Horizon’s Call.
*~*~*
Chapter Thirty-Four
The two ships docked, but only CJ and Che crossed over to Horizon’s Call on this trip. CJ noticed guards had been stationed along the corridors and inside the observation room. He saw the look on Nelson’s face as they walked into the room and wondered if Nelson meant to take the lieutenant prisoner this very moment.
“Lieutenant Che Talos, this is Nelson Moon,” CJ said cautiously, as the observation room door slid closed. “Nelson, Lieutenant Talos.”
“Lieutenant,” Nelson said coldly while he briefly nodded his head. He kept his hands clasped in front of him and made no effort to extend a hand in greeting. CJ had never seen Nelson give the brush-off to anyone, ever.
Che was not intimidated; she walked up and calmly looked Nelson eye to eye. “Dr. Moon, this is not the way that I had hoped to meet you.”
Doctor? CJ wondered to himself, but then a scientist of Nelson’s caliber probably held a number of PhDs.
“I know who you are, child of Kendra Varrin,” Nelson said back.
Che looked at CJ, who shook his head.
“Some of the shadows in the galaxy belong to me,” Nelson said pointedly. Nelson’s web of secret eyes and ears had spread far throughout the galaxy and into places unimagined by anyone outside of his organization. “Shadows can be long and dark at the end of the day.”
Che remained calm. “Or at the beginning of a new day.”
“There’s obviously something your ‘shadows’ don’t know, Nelson, so you might want to hear her out—later,” CJ said to remind them they didn’t have the time to debate the issues right now.
Nelson’s demeanor relaxed slightly, as he reassessed the Blood Star lieutenant. Che pulled off her flight glove and extended her hand.
“I am pleased to meet you, Dr. Moon,” Che said honestly.
Nelson took her hand this time and politely returned her greeting. “The pleasure is mine, Lieutenant, and it’s Nelson, please. I haven’t gone by ‘Doctor’ in many years.”
“Thank you. I hope you and I may open a dialog in the near future.”
“Yes, yes, that will be an interesting conversation. This way, please.” Nelson led the way to the view screen showing Cat, Pene, and the VerNeer twins, as they watched videos of the last one hundred and seventy years.
Che was allowed one-way video access only, so she could see that the VerNeer children were back among the living and in good health.
“Honestly, Captain, these could be any two kids,” Che said skeptically.
“Cat, will you come up to the observation room?” CJ called over the comms.
“Aye, sir.” She said something short to Pene and the twins then left the med bay. A couple of minutes later, Cat walked in to join CJ and the others. She eyed the unknown woman warily as she walked in.
“Lieutenant Che Talos, this is my Chief Medical Officer, Zhu Katsu.”
“Doctor Katsu,” Che said, and greeted her with a nod.
“Lieutenant,” Cat nodded back, and then looked to CJ.
“Would you show the lieutenant the medical analysis you worked up on the kids?”
“Aye, Captain.” Cat brought up the twins’ medical status and DNA results on the large wall display.
CJ pulled the ages-old bulletin about the kidnapping had images of Malicai and Andrea VerNeer for Che to compare. The DNA match was the decisive factor for her, though. He could clearly see Che’s ire rise as she wrestled with her dilemma.
“He sent us in. McCarthy sent us in to destroy the Altered Moon knowing the children would be aboard the ship, either in the chambers or not. I see now, he planned to set the blame for the death of the VerNeer children on me and my crew. The scandal would discredit me and cripple my efforts to legitimize the Blood Stars.”
/> “Lieutenant, it’s not your fault,” CJ said
“Isn’t it? Strange to think that if you hadn’t outsmarted me, these children would be dead right now, and their blood would be on my hands.”
“So would my crew and I.”
“Captain Evermore, I can’t apologize enough for what I did. I was wrong—foolish and stupid.” Che heaved a sigh, while she closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. “So baffled by my own bullshit, I played right into his hands.”
“His—McCarthy’s you mean?”
“Yes. He knew I’d go after whoever hit that outpost. He has to be the one behind it all, including the raid on the settlement.”
“And what are your intentions?” CJ asked her.
Che looked around the room at Nelson and the guards. “I was just wondering the same thing.”
“You are still a guest aboard my ship, Lieutenant,” he told her, with a pointed look at Nelson, who showed no sign of anything whatsoever.
“I would see these children returned to their family. If that is your intention, then my crew and I will not stand in your way.”
“Captain, she is a Blood Star,” Nelson said calmly. “She has been captured and the duty of any prisoner is to escape or sabotage”—he looked at Che—“by any means necessary.”
Che turned to face them both, folded her arms over her chest, and just as calmly said, “Captain, you have my word what I told you earlier is true.”
“The word of a Blood Star,” Nelson said.
“I swear on my mother’s eyes,” Che said, with a sarcastic sneer.
“Ha—ah…” CJ laughed briefly, but it was hard to know if that was a joke or not. Nelson didn’t find it amusing at all. “Nelson, keep an open mind. Che, if you really want to take the Blood Stars down the path to legitimacy then Nelson could be a big help.” That caught Nelson’s attention. “You two should sit down and talk. Think of the impact it could have—on everyone. I’ll make sure that Cai and Andi get home safe.”
“Legitimacy?” Nelson asked.
“Legitimate private security, look”—CJ turned to Nelson, but indicated Che—“Che and her crew can stay here with you, if that’s all right with her, and talk it over. It’s right up your alley, Nelson, really, and that way, you’ll know they’re not coming after us. It could a historic conversation. How about it?”
Both Nelson and Che reluctantly nodded and agreed to meet and open a dialog.
“Excellent!” CJ turned to Cat and rolled his eyes. “Cat, gather everybody up and let’s get these kids home.”
“You got it, Captain. Nice to have met you, Lieutenant. Bye, Nelson.” Cat happily left the turbulent observation room.
Nelson talked with CJ and Che as they walked slowly down to the airlock where Cat and Pene came up with Cai and Andi. Nelson said his good-byes to the twins, Cat, and Pene. The four of them went through the airlock and floated over to the Altered Moon. CJ talked for a moment with Nelson and Che, when an officer ran up urgently. CJ got a call from Boss at the same time.
Nelson turned a scalding look on Che Talos.
“What’s happened?” she asked.
“Cantankerous Base is under attack,” CJ said.
“By the Blood Stars,” Nelson added sneering. “We’ve lost contact.”
“I don’t know anything about it. Captain, I swear to you, if you set us loose, my crew and I will help defend Cantankerous Base.”
“Screw me over and I will hunt you forever.” CJ looked hard into her eyes.
“I won’t.” She looked back unwaveringly.
“Let’s go—Nelson, we’ll go in first and let you know what to expect,” CJ called out, as he and Che sped across the docking corridor.
Cat and Pene helped them through the airlock and sealed it up afterwards. CJ gave them a quick appraisal of the situation and told them to secure the twins and stay with them until further notice.
“What’s going on?” Cai asked.
“Hang tight, kiddo, we need to go help some friends,” CJ told him. “Then we’ll get you both home. Stay with Pene and Cat, okay?”
“O—okay,” he said and looked down as Andi took his hand.
“We’ll be fine, come on,” Pene said brightly, as she took both their hands and followed Cat down the corridor.
“Boss, take us to CB, safe distance and go dark,” CJ said over the comms.
“Roger that.”
“Cal?” CJ called over the comms again.
“Here, Cap.”
“Bring the crew of the Triton to the shuttle bay.”
“On the way!”
The three of them plus Katy were already at the shuttle bay hatch when CJ and Che arrived. The group made their farewells in a rush as they all had places to be.
“Good hunting, Captain,” Che said before the hatch was sealed.
“Watch your six, Lieutenant, and don’t forget to kick some ass along the way,” CJ said in return. “Cal, get to tactical.”
“Aye, Cap.” He shot off to the bridge.
CJ kissed Katy. “As soon as they’re clear, close up the bay. I’m going to need every bit of power you can squeeze out of her.”
She kissed him back, “I’m on it.”
CJ passed Cat’s group as he made his way up to the bridge. Pene strapped Cai and Andi into the rumble seats lining the perimeter of the Squad Bay and strapped herself in as well.
“You guys okay?” he asked Cat.
“Set and secure, sir.”
“Good, we’ll try not to be too long,” he said, with a wink and a smile.
“Copy that.”
The bridge was alive with quiet yet urgent conversations about ship operations, tactical scans, enemy positions, and numbers.
“Report!” CJ sat down at the command station.
“The ship and crew stand ready for combat,” Boss reported. “Cannons, shields, and engines are at one hundred percent. We are, however, rather light on missiles.”
“How light?” CJ asked.
“We have eighteen, sir.”
“Eighteen—out of ninety-six?” CJ balked.
“Aye, we did fire a few off in the last battle,” Boss reminded him.
“Oh, right. Okay, what are we up against?” CJ asked.
“We’ve picked up three frigate class warships with eight assault craft and fifty-two light fighters,” Cal answered.
“What?” CJ was stunned at the number of Blood Star ships swarming around Cantankerous Base.
“Cantankerous Base defenses are down to forty-six percent,” GABI reported.
“I have Lieutenant Talos on a secure channel,” Boss called out.
“Open—Lieutenant, where the hell did all those ships come from?”
“I don’t know, Captain. McCarthy must have been building up his own forces somehow. We’re not going to be enough against that.”
“Well then, we’re going to have to be enough until enough gets here, stand by. Boss, update Nelson and send an urgent request for help to both the Rhhkt’tau Aurrinn and the Calibre. Inform them of our situation.”
“Aye, sir.”
CJ poked the ship-to-ship icon. “Che, we’re going to jump in right behind the middle frigate and engage. The two outer frigates won’t fire toward their own ships and it will pull fighters back away from the base.”
“Yes, good thinking. We’ll satellite the starboard frigate and clear as many fighters as we can.” The channel closed and the Triton slipped from normal space.
“Clench up everybody!” CJ called out. “Cal, ready a Goose and two Heaters. Open fire on the rear of the ship to drain the shields as soon as we jump in. Gina, shuck and jive after the Heaters fly.”
“Roger that!” Gina replied.
“Missiles armed and ready,” Cal answered.
“GABI, the middle frigate, drop us in right on her ass,” CJ ordered.
A quiet second and then chaos was all around them. The Blood Star frigate was dead ahead of them with no fighters around them.
�
�Fire!” CJ said with a growl.
Cal concentrated the fire of all four cannons on the engines of the frigate where the shields were weakest. The attack got the attention of the frigate’s commander as well as its complement of fighters. The response wasn’t fast enough, as Cal loosed the Goose missile and the EMP disabled the weakened shields enough to slip the Heaters through.
“Gina, time to go,” CJ barked out.
Gina rolled down and sped away from the Blood Star frigate just as the Heater missiles hit their target.
The Heater missiles released two dozen thermofusion warheads instantly melting the engine assembly in a wave of intense thermal energy. Raw fuel streamed out from the stern of the frigate in red bursts. Several powerful detonations blew chunks of the ship out into space before a major blast cored the engine assembly. The frigate’s exterior lighting flickered and went dark, as the ship began to spin slowly end over end. The surprise attack was a brilliant beginning, but the advantage was now gone and the swarm of Blood Star fighters took to their new target like bees to sugar water.
“Gina, keep us moving toward the port frigate,” CJ called out. “Cal, fighter defense!”
“Aye, Cap,” Cal answered, as he set the firing computer to rotate between targets in the immediate vicinity, giving them the best room to move around.
“GABI, shut down all secondary systems and route the power to weapons, shields, and maneuvering. Boss, stand by with Moonshine on my command.”
“You’re going to power down in the middle of a battle?” Boss asked in surprise.
“Ready on my command!” CJ left no room for doubt.
“Aye, sir, Moonshine standing by!”
“Cal, load two Freezers in the forward launchers and stand by with a Heater,” CJ ordered.
“Two Freezers, aye, standing by with a Heater,” Cal answered. “Ready.”
“Gina, strafing pattern alpha one-one, portside.” As soon as we shine, reposition to twenty-five meters aft of their bridge.”
“Aye, sir, understood.” She began the strafing run.
The frigate’s guns turned toward the new enemy and poured their fury out on the approaching vessel. The Altered Moon took a pounding testing the endurance of the new shielding. The ship began to shake as the red plasma bolts hammered their way through to the hull plating. Shock waves from the blasts shuddered through the ship just as they reached the right spot.