by Ryk Brown
“Negative!” the chief replied over comm-sets. “Too much damage. Harness him up, and we’ll pull him out through the copilot’s window.”
“Someone needs to splint his arm and leg, first!” the rescue tech warned.
“Check the others!” the chief insisted. “We’ll get the pilot out.”
“On my way,” the rescue tech confirmed, climbing back over the center console away from Robert and then dropping down the access ladder as the second rescue tech dropped in through the open copilot’s window.
Vladimir rushed into the flight bay, stopping short once inside, aghast at the amount of damage to the once-proud Cobra gunship. “Gospadee!” He moved quickly around the ship, being careful not to impede the fire and rescue crews attempting to secure the wreckage and ensure everyone’s safety. “Don’t forget to check the plasma torpedo generators!” he yelled as he made his way around the bow to the rescue chief. “Are they alive?” he asked the chief as two men carefully handed Sasha’s unconscious body down to two medical techs.
“Pilot and copilot are alive, but badly injured,” the chief replied. “One of my men is working on getting the pilot out, the other is checking the crew deeper inside the ship, but it’s still full of smoke.”
“I’ll see if I can get the purge system activated from the external maintenance panel on the starboard side,” Vladimir offered.
“My guys are on it, sir,” the chief insisted, putting his hand on Vlad’s chest to stop him. “Let ‘em do their jobs.”
“Of course, of course,” Vladimir agreed, frustrated that he could only watch.
“Hey! Hey! You with me, Sergeant?” the rescue tech yelled as he patted Kasma’s face.
The sensor officer opened his eyes for a moment and then closed them again. The rescue tech felt his pulse, as well as his chest. “Sensors! Alive, weak pulse, shallow respirations,” he reported as he patted the man down. “No outward signs of trauma. Probable smoke inhalation,” he added as he pulled a pocket rescue breather out of his bag, placed it over Kasma’s head, and then activated it. The bag inflated, filling full of oxygen in seconds. “Moving to ops!”
“Flight crew is alive,” Cameron reported over comm-sets. “So are the sensor officer and engineer.”
“What about the gunners?” Nathan asked.
“They’re trying to get to them, now,” Cameron replied. “They have to cut in through the top of the port gun tunnel to reach them. The midship hatch is bent and won’t open. If Vlad hadn’t gotten the door down so quickly, they would have suffocated in seconds.”
“Keep me updated,” Nathan told her.
“You got it.”
“Message from the Gunyoki,” Naralena reported. “They managed to chase down and destroy the last gunship, but the octos got away. They’re asking for orders.”
“Tell them to take up position in high orbit for now,” Nathan replied. “I don’t want to take anyone onboard to replenish until I’m certain everything is under control down there.”
“Aye, sir.”
“And patch me through to Telles.”
“One moment.”
Nathan sighed as he continued to stand in front of his command chair, directly behind the helm’s center console.
“General Telles is on the line, Captain,” Naralena reported.
“Telles, Actual,” Nathan called. “How are you holding up?”
“There are no casualties among my men,” the general replied. “However, we do not have a tally of civilian losses, as of yet.”
“How bad was it?”
“Not as bad as we feared. Your losses?”
“We lost a few,” Nathan admitted. “Not sure how many yet, but at least three that I know of.”
“Understood.”
“Let us know if you need anything,” Nathan added.
“You will be remaining in orbit?” the general wondered.
“Until the Glendanon arrives, yes.”
“Very well. Telles out.”
“Captain, XO,” Cameron called over comm-sets. “All six members of Striker One’s crew are alive. Four are out, and the gunners are being extricated, now.”
Nathan breathed a sigh of relief, as did everyone else on the bridge. “That’s good to hear, Cam. Let me know as soon as that deck is secured. We have a lot of thirsty Gunyoki to recover.”
“Understood.”
Nathan reached out and patted both Josh and Loki on their shoulders. “Nice work, guys.”
“Thank you, sir,” Loki replied.
“Don’t forget to thank Aurora,” Josh joked.
CHAPTER FOUR
Captain Gullen stepped onto the Glendanon’s bridge, his morning cup of jola in his hand. It had been an uneventful thirty-seven-hour trip from Rakuen, and Edom was looking forward to his new assignment.
“Good morning, Captain,” his helmsman greeted.
“Good morning,” Captain Gullen replied. “How are things?”
“We are about to make the final jump to Orswella,” the helmsman reported. “I was just about to contact you to clarify how close in you wanted our arrival point to be.”
Captain Gullen glanced at the flight display on the helm, doing the math in his head. “Let’s try eight hundred thousand kilometers. We can do a long decel burn to drop into a tighter orbit after we arrive.”
“Yes, sir,” the helmsman replied. “I’ll have the jump ready in a moment.”
Captain Gullen stepped up to the operations station, pressing the intercom button. “Justan, you ready down there?”
“All four boxcars are loaded and ready for departure,” his XO replied. “Second, third, and fourth loads are lined up on deck, and fuelers are prepared for a quick turnaround.”
“Excellent, I’m sure the Ghatazhak will appreciate the rapid service.”
“Jump is ready, Captain,” the helmsman announced.
“We’re about to jump, Justan. You’re clear to launch, once we do so.”
“Understood.”
“Boxcars have their own jump drives, and they can get there more quickly,” the helmsman commented. “Why didn’t they just shuttle the supplies to Orswella while we were en route?”
“Because we have guns, and the boxcars do not,” the captain explained, “and we have no idea how many Dusahn fighters could still be lurking in the area.”
“Of course,” the helmsman replied, embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to question your judgment, Captain.”
“It’s quite all right, Mister Kondu,” the captain assured his young helmsman. “This is your first interstellar jump ship assignment, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir, it is.”
“Then you should ask questions,” the captain insisted. “It is how you learn.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Execute the jump to Orswella when ready, Mister Kondu,” the captain instructed.
* * *
“Captain on the bridge,” the guard at the entrance to the Aurora’s bridge announced as Nathan passed.
“The Glendanon jumped in a few minutes ago,” Cameron reported as she rose from the command chair. “They launched boxcars immediately upon arrival.”
“I have Captain Gullen on comms,” Naralena reported.
“Captain Gullen,” Nathan called, after tapping his comm-set to tie it into the ship-to-ship channel. “Welcome to Orswella.”
“Thank you, Captain,” the captain of the Glendanon replied.
“As soon as your decks are clear, I’m sure the Gunyoki would like a place to park and stretch their legs from time to time,” Nathan told him.
“It will take us a few hours to offload all that the Ghatazhak have requested but after that, our decks will be theirs.”
“Konay Squadron should arrive by then,” Nathan continued, “as well as the four Orochi I have assigned to y
our command, for the time being.”
“That is good news.”
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, Captain, I must return to Sanctuary.”
“Yes, I was pleased to hear about the improvement in your sister’s condition. Safe journey, Captain. We’ll take it from here.”
“Call if you need us, Captain. We’re only a jump away.” Nathan tapped his comm-set, smiling.
“You enjoyed that last line, didn’t you?” Cameron commented.
“It’s a pretty heady feeling, knowing you can jump a few hundred light years in the blink of an eye,” Nathan admitted. “Mister Sheehan, a jump to Rogen if you will.”
“Aye, sir,” Loki replied.
“Shouldn’t we retaliate against the Dusahn, first?” Jessica wondered.
“Attacking that dreadnought would be pushing our luck,” Nathan insisted, “even with the Nighthawks.”
“What about Takara?” Jessica suggested. “Plenty of soft targets, there.”
“Takara would require a recharge layover,” Cameron pointed out. “Plus, it would put us twice as far from Sanctuary as we are now.”
“And we have an appointment there in four hours,” Nathan added.
“The Dusahn have called your bluff,” Jessica reminded him. “If we don’t respond, we’ll just be inviting more attacks.”
“Why does everyone always assume I’m bluffing?” Nathan wondered.
“Well…” Jessica said.
“We will retaliate,” he promised, “just not right now.”
“On course and speed for the Rogen system,” Josh reported from the helm.
“Jump is plotted and ready,” Loki added.
“Take us home, Mister Sheehan,” Nathan ordered.
* * *
“Welcome back,” one of her research assistants greeted as Abby entered her lab.
“Thank you, Aneko,” Abby replied.
“Is it true?”
“Is what true?” Abby wondered.
“Did the Aurora really destroy four Dusahn battleships?” Aneko asked.
“Yes, she did,” Abby confirmed.
“What was it like?”
“Terrifying, to be honest.”
“I can’t even imagine.”
“Neither can I,” Abby replied, “and I’ve been through worse. Where are we?” she added, intending to change the subject.
“We have several emitters mounted on test mounts inside safe tanks. They are fully connected and powered,” Aneko told her. “We have been running several tests, at various power levels and time durations, in order to build a baseline for the purposes of computer modeling.”
“Excellent,” Abby said. “Let’s get started, then.”
* * *
Marcus led Nathan and Jessica into the lobby of the Tekan restaurant on Sanctuary.
“No one would know this is a dining establishment,” Jessica commented as they looked around the foyer. “No sign on the door. No maître d’. Not even a waiting area.”
A man in monochromatic attire appeared from the interior doorway. “Mister Taggart,” the man greeted. “I see you took my advice about Coroway’s?”
“Yeah, pretty spiffy, don’t you think?” Marcus replied, tugging on his new clothes with pride.
“Indeed. Is this your complete party? Just the three?”
“Just us,” Marcus replied.
“Mister Vout is waiting,” the man said. “If you will all follow me.”
The man returned to the door, which slid open automatically, and led them inside. On the other side was a long corridor lined with evenly spaced doors on either side.
After passing several of them, the man stopped, turned, and opened the door to his left, gesturing for them to enter. “Mister Vout awaits.”
Marcus was the first to enter, leading the others inside. “Gunwy,” he called.
Gunwy stood, eager to meet his new guests. “Welcome,” he greeted. “Welcome to you all.”
“Captain, this is Gunwant Vout,” Marcus introduced. “Gunwy, this is Lieutenant Commander Jessica Nash, and this is Captain Nathan Scott of the Aurora.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Mister Vout,” Nathan stated, extending his hand.
“I am most honored to meet you,” Gunwy insisted, “both of you.” Gunwy gestured to the collection of multi-colored pillows scattered around a low table in the middle of the room. “Please, make yourselves comfortable. I took the liberty of ordering for us,” he added as he sat. “I hope you do not mind.”
“I’m afraid I didn’t bring an appetite, myself,” Nathan admitted.
“Me either,” Jessica added.
“I’ll eat theirs,” Marcus stated.
“I ordered a shared sampler plate of Tekan delicacies,” Gunwy explained. “On my world, it is customary for first meetings between two potential business partners. Consumption is not required, nor is it an offense if you choose not to.”
“Then, this is a business meeting,” Nathan surmised.
“I assumed this to be the case,” Gunwy replied, looking concerned. “Was I mistaken?”
“Not necessarily,” Nathan replied. “While your company may have some products that we might be interested in purchasing or some manufacturing that we might be interested in contracting you to perform, we are primarily looking for allies.”
“Against the Dusahn,” Gunwy surmised.
“Yes, but not only the Dusahn.”
“You have more than one enemy?”
“There are many enemies,” Nathan explained. “Many of whom have yet to be discovered.”
“Then you are a crusader.”
Nathan took a breath, letting it out in a long sigh. “Not by choice, I assure you. The problem is that the jump drive, like most great inventions, is a double-edged sword. It has the capacity to connect all the civilizations of humanity and improve the lives of everyone. Unfortunately, it has the ability to enslave us, as well. The Dusahn are just the first example.”
“Such is the nature of humanity,” Gunwy insisted. “To fight it is, well, somewhat idealistic, I’m afraid.”
“Just because it is the nature of humanity does not mean we have to accept it,” Nathan countered.
“Humans, like water, tend to follow the path of least resistance. Submission is far easier than resistance.”
“True, but there are still good people who will resist injustice. I am surrounded by them.”
“Then you are a fortunate man,” Gunwy congratulated. “But I’m afraid SilTek does not ally itself with anyone, the very least of whom are revolutionaries.”
“I prefer to think of us as freedom fighters,” Nathan corrected.
“Regardless, my people are only concerned with profit and opportunity.”
“Both of which will be lost if evil is allowed to spread unchecked,” Nathan argued.
“Possibly,” Gunwy agreed, “but to ally with one side over the other creates enemies where none existed. In addition, it closes off potential opportunity with the other side.”
“No offense, but your thinking is too regional. You must think on a much larger scale.”
“There are limits to the range within which we can operate,” Gunwy insisted. “The more that limit is exceeded, the lower the profit.”
“Technologies change,” Nathan argued. “You should know that better than anyone.”
“True, but such changes generally take considerable time.”
“What if I were to tell you that my ship can jump five hundred light years in a single jump?”
“No offense, Captain, but I would find that difficult to believe. The power requirements for a ship your size to jump such a distance would be enormous.”
“It’s not about the power, Mister Vout, it’s about the emitters.”
“If what you are
saying is true, then you must have some very good scientists,” Gunwy admitted.
“We have the original inventor of the jump drive,” Nathan told him.
“Interesting.” Gunwy leaned back against his pillows for a moment. “As I said, SilTek is not interested in alliances, even with parties able to jump five hundred light years at a time. Profits and opportunity, those are our only interests.”
Nathan thought for a moment. “What if I told you that we also possess the entire history of the Earth, from before the great plague, including all of its technology, much of which has yet to be reinvented anywhere in the galaxy. Is that enough opportunity for you?”
Gunwy studied Nathan for a moment. “I would require evidence of this.”
“Not a chance,” Nathan insisted, standing firm.
“You can’t expect me to buy something without seeing what it is, first,” Gunwy said.
“I’m not selling anything,” Nathan replied. “I’m just asking to meet with your leaders.”
“You want to meet with the leader of SilTek.” Gunwy examined Nathan and Jessica further, failing to decipher their expressions. “No non-Tekan has ever met with the leader of SilTek,” Gunwy insisted. “She would never agree to such a meeting.”
“If SilTek is truly interested in opportunity and profit, she will make an exception.”
“Captain…”
“All I ask is that you forward my request to your superiors,” Nathan told him.
“I cannot recommend she meet with you, you understand,” Gunwy explained. “I can only relay my impressions and the content of our conversation, that is all.”
“That is all I ask,” Nathan assured him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other appointments on this station.”
“You do not wish to sample Tekan delicacies, Captain?”
“I hope to do so on SilTek,” Nathan countered as he and Jessica rose. “Thank you for your time, Mister Vout. I look forward to your leader’s response.” Nathan looked at Marcus.
“Oh, I gotta go too?” Marcus got his answer from Nathan’s expression and also stood.
“One more thing, Captain, if I may?” He waited for Nathan to face him before continuing. “Do you really believe you can defeat the Dusahn?”