Refuge 9 (Fire and Rust Book 5)

by Anthony James

  “What is this death pulse?” he asked. “We detected nothing.”

  “The failings of your equipment do not mean that something does not exist, human. Your species was exposed to the death pulse and survived. The planet Glesia is subject to the same pulse. It is why we called you here. Your soldiers must go to the surface and recover the data.”

  Griffin didn’t know what to say. Everything the ULAF thought they knew about Glesia was apparently wrong. If Hass-Tei-112 was to be believed – a problem in itself – then something existed on the planet that might help against the Sekar. Or everything might be lies and whatever it was the Raggers craved could be something they intended to use against the Unity League and Fangrin. He muted the bridge speakers and swore.

  “What about the Sekar?” Griffin asked, taking the channel off mute. “We are not equipped to fight against an entire planet.”

  “The surface of Glesia is lifeless. We have scanned it many times.”

  “I want to see an image of the target area.”

  A pause. “Very well. We have added a data stream to this comms channel. The feed is contained within.”

  “Got it, sir,” said Kenyon.

  Griffin gave a hand signal to indicate he wanted the feed putting on the bulkhead screen. Dominguez obliged.

  “What the hell?” asked Griffin, muting the audio again.

  The feed sent by the Raggers wasn’t sharp-edged and appeared to have been taken from an enormous distance. It focused on a dark-colored building partially obscured by the planet’s whipping storms. This structure had probably once been shaped like a cube, but now was in ruins. Griffin noted grey-black smears which may have been rubble in the surrounding area.

  “Missile strikes,” he said. “Looks like the Raggers already took a few shots at this place before they decided to speak to Fleet Admiral Stone.”

  “This is adding up to a whole big heap of crap,” said Shelton.

  “Yeah. I’m in total agreement.”

  Griffin re-opened the channel. “Why did you destroy the building, Hass-Tei-112?”

  “That business is ours.”

  “Not if you want us to commit our troops down there it isn’t.”

  “Very well. We have made many efforts to recover our sub-surface databanks.”

  “And each time you’ve failed because of this death pulse?”

  Another faint pause, barely noticeable. “Yes.”

  “What is the range on the pulse and where does it come from?”

  “The range is several hundred kilometers, emanating from a source deep within the facility.”

  “What is producing the pulse?”

  “We do not know,” said Hass-Tei-112. “Perhaps the source is the same as that on Qali-5.”

  Griffin and the ULAF had no idea about what had happened on Qali-5, beyond a good deal of speculation. He didn’t want to give too much away and didn’t say anything else on the subject.

  Instead, he stifled a series of oaths. This was adding up to far more than Lieutenant Shelton’s heap of crap. The mountain of shit was so high the top was hidden by clouds. Griffin realized what a bad hand he’d been dealt. He could fold and, with Captain Isental’s agreement, call off the mission. That would be the safe outcome for the people out here in Trion-V. It was also be a terrible outcome for everyone in the Unity League if it turned out that Griffin had spurned a chance to learn something that turned the tide against both the Raggers and the Sekar.

  Which left him with the second option – play the bad hand and try his damnedest to come out the winner. Griffin never pulled the wool over his own eyes and knew exactly which of the two options he’d take.

  Chapter Five

  Unwilling to proceed with the conversation, Griffin called a break. The Ragger exited the comms channel and Captain Isental remained.

  “What did you think of that?” asked Griffin.

  “I did not enjoy speaking to the [Translation Unclear] and his words leave me filled with suspicion.”

  “That makes two of us,” Griffin drummed his fingers. “Do you have any knowledge of this death pulse?”

  “No, and I have not been instructed to withhold any specific information from you on this mission.”

  It was a clear response and Griffin appreciated it.

  “Our sensors did not detect anything on Qali-5 that would cause death,” he said. “Neither are they detecting anything on Glesia, though the range is extreme.”

  “We did pick something up on Qali-5, sir,” said Dominguez. “We read an unknown emission and the combat suits from the soldiers who went inside got nulls off the same thing.”

  “Shit, of course,” said Griffin. “The labs analyzed the sensor data from the combat suits and came up blank.”

  “The Gradior also took readings we were unable to interpret once we returned to base,” said Isental. “Perhaps this is the death pulse the spider filth refers to.”

  “I’ve checked the surface of Glesia again, sir,” said Dominguez. “I can’t confirm the presence of the same emission we found on Qali-5 and may not be able to unless we’re in the planet’s atmosphere.”

  “Thank you, Lieutenant.” Griffin thought furiously. “If there’s even an element of truth in what the Ragger says, then I can understand why they were so eager to have us here.”

  “The [Translation Unclear] was vague on what he expected this data on Glesia to contain,” said Isental. “Secrets and knowledge. These sound like the promises of a snake.”

  Griffin didn’t like it much either and none of it really added up. “We’re being asked to make a leap of faith on the word of a species which nobody trusts,” he said. “On the one hand, the Sekar are a proven threat. On the other, we don’t know exactly how far they have pushed the Raggers. We have learned of one Ragger world sucked dry by the Sekar. Other than that, our intel is full of holes.”

  The bridge filled with a low growling noise, which Griffin took to indicate that Isental was thinking. After a moment, the Fangrin spoke. “If there is an element of truth to the spider’s words, we should investigate the planet. However, I cannot think of a way to mitigate the risk of betrayal. What if Glesia holds none of these promised secrets on how to combat the Sekar? What if, instead, there is something else on the planet? Something that the Raggers are desperate to obtain, which would make it imperative for us to prevent them doing so.”

  “We’re left guessing,” said Griffin. “The main problem as I see it relates to the Sekar. They have found us and we must assume their threat will not diminish.”

  “They have found the Unity League,” said Isental. “However, we are allies in this and we Fangrin respect the treaty between our races. More than that, my own species balances on a fulcrum. We are losing to the Raggers and two new alien races have appeared close to our territory. Therefore, we will do everything in our power to ensure that stability is restored.”

  “Do you believe the surface mission should proceed?”

  “Perhaps. However, it would be foolish to immediately deploy all of our troops and then find them killed by the death pulse, should it even exist.”

  “I agree. We should test the waters first.”

  “And then,” Isental continued, “we must take steps to guarantee any recovered data is shared between all species. Certainly, the Raggers must not be permitted to kill us and steal whatever we find.”

  “That’s something I also agree with,” said Griffin. He pursed his lips and thought hard about how to cover all bases. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the port sensor feed which was still locked onto Prime011. The Raggers had sent a capital ship to intimidate, he was sure, but also, maybe, they were desperate too.

  “The Broadsword and the Gradior must stay in the vicinity of Glesia,” said Isental, having evidently come up with a plan first. “Once the troop deployments are made, the Iron Cell must enter lightspeed for a short time, until it is outside the Trion-V solar system. Once that is done, the spaceship can act as a comms rela
y with which the Raggers will be unable to interfere.”

  Griffin nodded at the outline plan. “If the transport is close enough, it will be able to receive comms from our surface troops, albeit with a significant delay. It can send that information by FTL comm to our home bases.”

  “Had I known, I would have requested additional ships for this mission and left one of them behind so that the Raggers were completely unaware of its existence.”

  It was something Griffin had just that moment thought about. “If the Raggers are genuine, they’ll agree to us taking the necessary measures to safeguard our shares of the spoils. If they aren’t genuine, we might as well find out about it now.”

  “I understand,” said the Fangrin. “And I believe you are correct.”

  “Are we in agreement?” asked Griffin.

  “Yes, human. As long as the carcass-grubbers allow the Iron Cell to leave unmolested.”

  “It’s going to take away our chance at a fast extraction,” said Griffin. “Unless we use the Gradior or the Broadsword.”

  “It may come to that,” said Isental. “Though it would be preferable for it to be otherwise.”

  “We’ll handle it.”

  “Yes, we will handle whatever comes,” said Isental, with an unmistakable note of approval in his tones, which was in stark contrast to his usual anger.

  “Maybe humans and Fangrin should have stopped shooting each other a bit sooner than we did,” said Griffin. “Since we’re getting along so nicely.”

  Isental burst into a sudden, unexpected roar of laughter. “What is life without war?”

  The words reminded Griffin of something he’d not quite forgotten – it was becoming increasingly easy to see the similarities between humans and the Fangrin, but there were still plenty of gaps when it came to understanding each other. The most important part was that the alliance was still working out tremendously.

  “I will have my comms officer make this channel open to the Prime011,” said Griffin.

  “Yes. This time I will do my best to endure the conversation without threatening to kick Hass-Tei-112 in his non-existent balls.”

  Griffin gave Kenyon the signal and waited for the Ragger to re-join the comms channel.

  “Well [Translation Unclear]?” asked Hass-Tei-112.

  The untranslatable word was likely an insult, which Griffin ignored. “We have agreed to undertake the surface deployment. However, our transport will leave this system after deployment and will act as relay for our comms.”

  “You do not trust us?”

  “No, I absolutely do not trust you,” said Griffin. “You haven’t earned any trust.”

  “It is unimportant.”

  As far as Griffin was concerned, the words held the underlying meaning that most people in the ULAF already suspected – this truce with the Raggers would only last for as long as it suited the aliens. They weren’t interested in lasting peace. Once circumstances changed, the Raggers would break the truce at a time designed to gain maximum advantage.

  “The ULAF transport will leave Trion-V the moment its troops are deployed. Until our ground forces receive confirmation that the spaceship has safely entered lightspeed, they will make no attempt to recover any data.”

  “Agreed,” said Hass-Tei-112. The rasping noise came again. “If you betray us, the Ragger fleet will do its utmost to lead the Sekar to your known worlds.”

  “We’re here to talk about cooperation, not treachery,” said Griffin.

  Again, the mocking laugh. “Only the weak cooperate. In this moment, all of us are weak.”

  Once again, Griffin refused to retaliate. It wasn’t going to help and in truth, he didn’t much care about Hass-Tei-112’s insults.

  “Where are the data stores?”

  “Deep underground. The facility contains many data arrays, but we must focus our efforts on recovering those which hold the schematics and logs for the main teleporters.”

  “And these are portable?”

  “Yes. Heavy, but portable. The data from each is equally vital. Do not attempt to connect a data extraction device – that will trigger an auto-delete routine that will render the modules useless.”

  It sounded convenient and Griffin made note but didn’t comment.

  “What was your species doing here, Hass-Tei-112?” he asked.

  “Experimenting. There is no requirement for you to know anything more. Should we choose to disclose this information, it will be to more important members of your species.”

  If this Ragger was in any way representative of his own species, Griffin couldn’t imagine there ever being anything other than continuous, total war with every race they met.

  “We will make preparations for the deployment,” said Griffin.

  “It must be soon.”

  “It will be when we are ready,” said Isental.

  “The deployment must happen at a moment of my choosing.”

  “Why is that?”

  “I require time to disable certain concealed and automated weapons launchers on the surface.”

  Every word Hass-Tei-112 spoke reeked of lies and Griffin couldn’t figure out the reasons behind each one. “Are you able to guarantee the safety of our transport?”

  “Yes, so long as it approaches fast and deploys immediately.”

  It was another seemingly pointless request and Griffin wondered if this was a pathetic power game only the Raggers understood. He muted the connection to Hass-Tei-112 and spoke to Captain Isental.

  “What do you think?”

  “The logic behind the request is sound, though I am sure there is another motive.”

  “Me too. Should we comply?”

  “We will allow the Ragger to dictate the time of approach, but we should instruct the Iron Cell to depart once the limited deployment is complete. That will necessitate the Iron Cell’s return to the planet shortly afterwards, but will flush out any treachery relating to this death pulse. We cannot allow our soldiers to be killed because we let a Ragger play its games.”

  “Then let’s get on with it,” said Griffin. He took the connection off mute.

  “Hass-Tei-112, we will hold the deployment until you have disabled the surface weapons. I will contact you once I have passed instructions to our soldiers.”

  “Very well,” said the Ragger in tones that seemed mocking and threatening at the same time. “You will act quickly.”

  The channel went dead.

  “Hass-Tei-112 just dropped out, sir.”

  “Arrogant bastard,” said Griffin.

  “The Raggers are abominations,” said Isental. “We Fangrin do not crave the extinction of other species, however in this we have made an exception.”

  It was an uncomfortable idea, yet also one that was hard to argue with. Sometimes you had to put morals aside and do whatever it took to ensure your own survival. When it came to the Raggers, it was a case of win or die. The only complication was the Sekar, which seemed to have scared the Raggers enough to force this distinctly shaky truce.

  “I don’t like this at all, but we have made our agreement,” said Griffin. “I will speak to the Iron Cell.”

  “I do not like the situation either,” said Isental. “However, the timid lose wars. The bold win them.”

  With internal alarm bells ringing deafeningly in his head, Griffin asked Kenyon to open a channel to the Iron Cell.

  Chapter Six

  Captain Tanner Conway’s earpiece hummed and a voice began talking immediately, without the niceties of an introduction.

  “Captain Conway, choose one of your squads and get down to the forward deployment bay immediately,” said Colonel Thornton. “Don’t leave anything behind.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Conway.

  The channel was shut off a moment before his brain caught up. Conway looked around the passenger bay and noticed that nobody else was going anywhere. The wall-mounted screens displayed the same feed of Glesia that everyone had been watching for the last few minutes.


  “Squad 1, grab your shit. We’re going to the forward deployment bay.”

  Conway tapped Private Kemp on the shoulder and the two of them backed away from the screen. The soldiers around them were reluctant to make room and Conway was obliged to force a path through the middle, shouting angrily at anyone slow to get out of the way.

  A few seconds later, Lockhart came onto the squad open channel. “What’s this, sir? Everyone else is still sitting on their ass. We’re the only ones moving.”

  “I know, Sergeant. Let’s get to the bay and I’ll find out.”

  Once he’d broken free of the press in the upper bay, Conway took his rifle from the wall rack and headed for the exit passage. A few of the soldiers turned to look, without real curiosity. The corridor outside was deserted apart from a lone maintenance tech and Conway hurried towards the lift. He paused outside the door and waited with Kemp for the car to arrive. A couple of the others from Squad 1 also emerged from the upper bay and came towards them.

  “We’re going out first, huh?” asked Corporal Barron.

  “I don’t know what’s happening,” said Conway truthfully. “Best we don’t piss off Colonel Thornton. Once we’ve mustered, I’ll push him for answers.”

  The lift arrived and Conway entered first, with Barron, Kemp and Torres. He stabbed his finger on the rectangular button that would take them directly to the lowest level. The lift shuddered and descended at an uneven speed. At the bottom of the shaft, the entire car groaned and then the door opened.

  “This way,” said Conway, turning left.

  It didn’t take long to reach the forward deployment bay. The area was a low-ceilinged space with three airlock-controlled exits that led deeper into the transport and a wide, closed ramp that led outside. The bay was lit dimly in white-blue and numerous wall stations had their illumination turned low. The thrum of the propulsion filled the room and the air smelled of the insulating grease smeared on the pipes which ran along ceiling racks. Between the pipe racks were dozens of solid grab handles used by the soldiers to keep themselves steady during hard landings.