“Put him on,” Boyd said.
The image of Kitzov appeared on the holostage and the local scans of the asteroids shrank away to the side of the image. Kitzov was standing in front of Boyd.
Boyd felt a rush of elation, success that he had found Kitzov. Then he looked into that holographic eye and saw the killer of his brother. He looked over at Thresh, but she was busy with a task, tapping away at the side of the holostage.
Kitzov was grinning, his arms open wide.
“Little Enke,” he said with excitement and delight in his voice.
Thresh beamed a girlish joyful smile at the warm greeting.
Boyd rolled his eyes.
“And Will Boyd,” Kitzov said. “The sneakiest, and bravest, Union bastard I ever knew.” He was smiling a broad politician’s smile. Kitzov continued with his usual cheery tone and his bright smile. “We do keep running into each other, don’t we?”
“Kitzov,” Boyd said firmly and diplomatically, burying his growing animosity toward the man. “There is no time to catch up. The people of the Scorpio system need you. I have come looking for you because we need your help.”
“Need my help?” Kitzov grinned. “And what people do you mean, sergeant? Not the Union. Not the people of the Union fleet. You don’t mean them, do you? Why would I want to help them, my people’s oppressor?”
“This is not just about the people of the Union, or the Faction. This is not about our politics anymore. This is about all the people of the Scorpio system. Union, Faction, everyone, we are all in danger from the Skarak. I’m sending you these images of the Skarak fleet.”
“No need, sergeant,” Kitzov said. “I’ve seen the images. I know all about the Skarak, and their attack on the Union. They are not attacking any Faction ships, so I don’t feel the need to concern myself with any of it.”
“They are not attacking the Faction because you are not in their way, not yet at any rate. You are hiding, hoping the Skarak will ignore you, but they won’t.” Boyd was resisting the urge to lose his temper and start yelling. But that would not help, and then Kitzov, with his cool relaxed manner, would have won. “There are thousands of people scattered across the system who don’t recognize the Union or the Faction. We need to act for them too.”
“And you think I can do this?”Kitzov smiled and shook his head.
“You are the leader of the Faction. You brought them together. You turned them from scattered bands of pirates and miners scrabbling for survival on the edge of the Scorpio system into a nation. A proud nation. You gave them pride and hope. Only you can unite the Faction now, only you can convince the Faction captains to bring their ships to the fight against the Skarak.”
“The fight against the Skarak? Why would I do that? The Skarak are tearing into the Union. I have it on good authority that they have already lost a carrier.” Kitzov gave away a flicker of pleasure at delivering the news. “The Titan has been destroyed.”
Boyd felt his heart sink and then fill with rage, rage at the Skarak but also Kitzov for seemingly feeling some degree of pleasure from the destruction of one of the Union’s mightiest ships. Boyd had known some marines from his early training that had been posted to the Titan. Any carrier was a great posting for a young marine, better than a garrison in the Belt, the Sphere or even one of the moons around one of the gas giants.
“The Skarak won’t be satisfied with the destruction of a few Union ships. They want the entire system. We are all in danger.”
“Not me, sergeant,” Kitzov said. “I don’t feel in any danger, and I have a sixth sense for this sort of thing. I have evaded the Union for years, building up the Faction into a significant and stable political entity. We are the primary authority in the outer system. If I can avoid the Union, I can avoid the Skarak.”
“The Skarak will find you. They will find every last one of us and they won’t move on until we are all finished. You must see it. You must unite the Faction, call all Faction captains to you. We must join the fight.”
“Alongside the Union? Never.”
“We have to stand against the Skarak.” Boyd could feel he was losing Kitzov. His impassioned plea for the people of the Scorpio system was losing to Kitzov’s intransigence.
“If you are so keen to unite the Faction captains why don’t you call them together yourself? I hear you killed Captain Bellini. Maybe that makes you a leader of the Faction now.”
“You killed Bellini?” Kessler looked at Boyd.
Boyd looked at Captain Kessler. He was suddenly acutely aware that he was on enemy territory and had just been revealed as the killer of a popular Faction captain. Kitzov was devious enough to casually drop that Boyd had killed Bellini, marking Boyd for a swift reprisal.
No sense in denying it, Boyd thought.
“Yes, I killed him.”
Kessler looked Boyd up and down with a growing expression of surprise and admiration.
“You look a bit weak to take down a heavy chunk like Bellini. Good for you, Boyd,” Kessler said, nodding his approval.
Boyd noticed a flash of disappointment across Kitzov’s face as Kessler nodded his approval.
“So,” Kitzov went on, hardly missing a beat, “you get the Faction captains to follow you into a fight to the death against the Skarak. You try and convince them to stand alongside our mortal enemy, the Union. I’ll be out here in the Sphere quietly building up my new Faction shipyard.”
Thresh put the scan of Kitzov’s location on the holostage. A small asteroid had a large Union heavy freighter on the surface. A scan of the asteroid showed it had been mined out and had a sealed atmosphere. A small Faction raider was docked on the upper hull of the heavy freighter. A solid docking clamp was in place and one other appeared to be in construction.
“He’s turning the freighter into a docking station and the asteroid into a habitat,” Thresh said.
“Building his new shipyard?” Boyd said. He looked up at Kitzov on the holostage. “You work fast.”
“When the mighty Union is trying to kill you at every opportunity you learn to move fast. I am already working on construction of a new raider, the first ship of the new Faction.”
“New signals,” Thresh said. She looked at Boyd. “We have got a group of Faction raiders moving in.” Thresh put the image up on the holostage. A few thousand kilometers out a group of three Faction raiders were moving out from behind an asteroid and taking up an attack posture threatening the Resolute and the Phantom Zero.
“It looks like you’ve bitten off more than you can chew, Boyd,” Kitzov said. “Surrender to me and maybe I’ll make it quick. Or maybe…”
Then Kitzov was distracted by something, an operator in his shipyard control room calling him. When he looked back to Boyd his demeanor had changed.
Then Thresh told Boyd why.
“More ships approaching. A squadron of Blades approaching through the Sphere.”
Boyd zoomed out the image and showed the group of blades. More than a match for Kitzov’s few raiders and fledgling shipyard.
“What are fighter Blades doing out here, I thought every Union ship was with the fleet.”
“Maybe you brought them here,” Kessler said, drawing his pistol.
Boyd glanced at the pistol in Kessler’s hands.
“Do you have a broad spectrum communication channel? Direct it at the lead blade and let me speak to the pilot.”
“And let you give the blades a perfect fix on our position?” Kessler pointed his pistol at Boyd. “Not a chance.”
“Channel open, Will,” Thresh said. “You can talk directly to him now.”
Boyd ignored Kessler.
“Blade squadron leader, this is Sergeant Will Boyd, Blue Star marines. Hold your approach. Hold position.”
A loud echoing reply came over the broad spectrum communicator.
“Negative, sergeant. I have orders to sweep the Sphere for enemy activity. I have the Resolute on sensors. All other ships are listed as threat level red. I have standing o
rders to destroy threat level red ships on sight.”
“Hold, squadron leader. I have information on the Skarak that I need to get back to Union fleet command. And I am negotiating with the Faction for assistance against the Skarak.”
“The Union doesn’t need help from the Faction scum. Moving to attack. Get clear if you can, sergeant. The Blades will attack.”
“The Union fleet is in trouble, squadron leader.” Boyd knew a calm and controlled response, even when in immediate and deadly danger, was the best response. He’d learned that from Major Featherstone. “The Titan has gone down. But we still have a chance to save the rest of the fleet. You must halt your attack.”
“My sensors tell me you are transmitting from aboard a Faction ship. I won’t take orders from a Faction ship. I am ending all communication.”
“Squadron leader, I have information on a Skarak signal being directed to the Scorpio system. I need to get the information to Union fleet command. The Resolute’s communications are down. Relay the information to Union command first before you destroy me. It might be our only chance to defeat the Skarak. For the sake of anyone you have lost, or anyone you might save, relay my data to fleet command now.”
The image of the blades on the holostage stopped moving, the blade squadron holding position just beyond weapons range.
“Sergeant Boyd,” the squadron leader said. “I will establish a communication link with fleet command on Terra. Stand by.”
A flickering and fuzzy image appeared on the holostage of Marine General Lawrence.
“Link the Phantom Zero’s communications to the Resolute’s systems,” Boyd pointed at Thresh. “Get Hemel to send the Skarak signal information over the carrier wave.”
“Sergeant Boyd. This is General Lawrence. Make it quick, son, we have a lot going on at the moment.”
9
Boyd straightened up and tugged at his jacket in an effort to smarten himself up. He had never directly addressed such a high-ranking officer. He was suddenly aware he was talking to the very highest Blue Star marine.
“Sir, I have important information on the Skarak. It should help swing the odds in our favor. The Resolute has discovered a Skarak signal.”
“The Resolute?” the Major General looked away at the data being streamed to his desk holo-display. “That is Major Featherstone’s ship, isn’t it? That ship has been reported as lost, thought to be destroyed.”
“We survived, but we took a mighty beating. We are working around the clock to get our systems back online.”
Lawrence nodded. “And where is the Major?”
Boyd hesitated for a moment.
“I have to report that the major is dead, sir.”
“The battle at the Faction mining asteroid?”
“No sir, he was murdered. Sergeant Dorik of our own Resolute Company killed him, along with some others aboard. He was a Skarak sleeper agent, attempting to destroy the entire ship. I tried to stop him, and he was killed as I tried to apprehend him. That left me as the highest ranked Blue Star marine aboard and I assumed command.”
Boyd could sense the General was trying to assess him, sizing him up and trying to get the measure of him.
“Commander of a Blue Star frigate is hardly the role of a sergeant,” General Lawrence said. “Not even one with as interesting a record as yours, Sergeant Boyd. But we are in the middle of a fight for our lives. We will suffer worse in the coming hours than seeing Blue Star marine sergeants sitting in a command chair. Your orders, sergeant: you will bring the Resolute to the fleet rendezvous coordinates around Terra. Get here fast, we need every ship and every gun that we can muster in this fight. ”
“I can’t do that, sir. We have to investigate this signal.”
Lawrence appeared unmoved by Boyd’s refusal and spoke in the same even tone.
“You will follow my order, sergeant, or you will be on report and I’ll flog the skin off your back.”
“Too late,” Boyd said, “Featherstone did that already when I disobeyed his orders.”
Lawrence sat back in his chair.
“So you have gone rogue,” the general said. “I know this signal is coming from a Faction ship. I thought maybe the Blue Stars had taken it by force, but it appears you are one of them. If we survive this, I will command your firing squad personally.”
“No sir, I am not rogue. But I have important information on the Skarak. A Skarak coordinating signal is being transmitted into the Scorpio system from beyond. I have seen the Skarak up close, I know how they operate. If we can disrupt or eliminate this signal, I believe we can disorient their ships, maybe we can defeat their armada. I am talking with Kitzov, the Faction leader, right now. With his help I hope to gather as many Faction ships as Kitzov can convince to join us and I will attack the Skarak at its source.”
The general sighed and nodded.
“Why not? A hopeless cause, no doubt, but to be honest a hundred more ships in the Union fleet would hardly even slow this Skarak invasion armada down. We are on the verge of total defeat. Take your flotilla and attack them as best you can, sergeant. You will be behind enemy lines. You will be on your own.”
Boyd felt himself swell with pride. “I am a Blue Star marine, sir. I’m used to being behind enemy lines.”
Lawrence nodded approvingly. He glanced at his holo-display. “So I see. I have your files here, Sergeant Boyd. Featherstone’s last dispatch has a recommendation that you should be transferred to Forge Farm for officer training. Is that something you could see yourself taking on, sergeant? I understand your brother was a promising young officer. If Featherstone recommended you, I’ve no doubt you could be just as good as he was.”
“I believe I could be successful in officer training. If I make it back alive, I’ll report directly to the Farm, sir.”
Lawrence nodded.
“Tactical Intelligence has been analyzing the Resolute’s files you have just relayed to us. A fresh analysis of the Resolute’s data core by fleet intelligence shows Dorik has been corrupt for years, probably before you even left for your undercover mission in the Faction. He probably didn’t even know he was a sleeper agent. He was as much a victim of the Skarak as anyone.”
“He was a good Blue Star marine, and a good friend, sir. The Skarak get inside our heads and turn us against our own people. We need to stand together, Union and Faction, if we are going to defeat them.”
“Spoken like a true leader, Boyd. But we can’t have a sergeant in charge of a Blue Star ship. I am awarding you the field commission of lieutenant in command.”
Boyd was stunned.
“Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down.”
“You now have access to the commander’s office. Get back aboard your ship, lieutenant. You will lead your flotilla from the Resolute. Time is short, the Skarak are approaching the Belt. The fleet has mined the entire area to slow them down, but they will be at Terra soon. I hope you are right about this signal, Lieutenant Boyd. ”
“Yes, sir. Me too, sir. Can I request the blade squadron that is here with us be permitted to stay with my attack force? We could sure use their firepower.”
“They are not my ships to assign, but if you can convince their squadron leader to join you, then by all means, take them. If you can convince the Major General of the Blue Star Marines to let you go on some crazy behind the lines operation, then a fighter blade squadron leader should be easy enough. Now we just need a call sign for your attack force.”
“I will use the designation Featherstone One sir.”
“Fitting. And a great honor to the major. He was the best of the best. Remember everything he taught you, lieutenant. Get back to your ship. The Resolute is yours to command. Lawrence out.”
Boyd felt proud and afraid all at once. He looked at Thresh. She was smiling at him. Kessler had his arms folded.
“It was bad enough having a Blue Star sergeant on my ship. If anyone in the Faction finds out I hosted a kravin Union promotion ceremony I will be lucky to get a
nyone to follow me into a bar let alone a fight.”
Boyd stepped over to Kessler. “Will you follow me, sir? I just need you to help me track the signal.”
“I’ll need a crew, and you have your own ship to run.”
Boyd wondered how many of his Blue Stars he could assign to the Zero and still keep the Resolute properly crewed.
“Message from Kitzov coming in,” Thresh said.
“Ok, you’ve convinced me,” Kitzov held his hands up. He was smiling his brightest smile. “I will join you on this brave and noble mission. I expect the Union will still want me dead, but I have only ever acted for the good of others. Never have I thought of myself.”
Boyd didn’t believe this new selfless attitude for a moment, but he needed the ships.
“Great, that’s great.” Boyd said trying not to give away his disbelief. “We will be underway as soon as I can get back aboard the Resolute. And if you can transfer flight deck crew to the Phantom Zero, I know Captain Kessler could do with the help.”
“Sure,” Kitzov said brightly. “I’ll send the best we can find. Kitzov out.”
The smiling Kitzov vanished from the holostage. Boyd stepped toward the exit.
“Good to meet you, captain,” Boyd said to Kessler.
“You too, Boyd,” Kessler said. “I guess we’ll all be dead in a few hours so we might as well part as friends.”
“Let’s hope for a long life. People who go into battle expecting to die often find a way to make it happen.”
“You just want to keep me around to pay you back for those coils, don’t you?”
“Keep them. A gift,” Boyd said.
“And all you want in return is for me to follow you into the unknown,” Kessler said with cheeky smile. “What a bargain. I will follow you, but I hope you know what you are doing.”
Boyd traversed back to the Resolute. When he was alone with Thresh, surrounded by the gathering Faction ships, he opened a private channel to her helmet communicator.
“Kitzov suddenly seemed very keen to help.”
Thresh nodded.
“He is playing an angle, isn’t he?”
Blue Star Marine Boxed Set Page 67