A Line in the Sand

by Ryk Brown

  “What if they have warships in the system?” Admiral Korahk wondered.

  “Their destroyers and gunships are of secondary concern,” Dom Mogan replied. “They are of no threat. Only the Aurora and the Cape Town are capable of stopping us. If either of them is present, target them in the first wave.”

  “Understood,” Admiral Korahk acknowledged. “However, the Aurora has not been spotted by any of our recon drones for months.”

  “In my experience, the Aurora has a nasty habit of surprising us,” Dom Mogan explained. “If she surprises us today, make certain it is the last time she does so.”

  “She is but one ship, my lord.”

  “As long as the Aurora exists, the future of the empire is at risk. If she is here, we destroy her. If she is not, we must find her.”

  “Or course, my lord.”

  “Then let it begin,” Dom Mogan instructed.

  * * *

  “New contacts!” Kaylah reported urgently from the Aurora’s sensor station. “Oh my God!”

  That feeling of relief Cameron had experienced a minute ago suddenly vanished. “What is it?”

  Kaylah turned to look at Cameron. “Jung battle platforms. Three of them.”

  “How the hell did they get past our FTL detection nets?” Cameron wondered in disbelief. “Did they just come out of FTL?”

  “Negative,” Kaylah replied. “They just…appeared. No FTL trail, no mass-reduction field signatures, nothing. Just one second, there was nothing, and the next second, they were there.”

  “And no old light?”

  “None.”

  “Position?” Cameron asked.

  “One four seven degrees, up twenty-five, system relative, at just over a million kilometers out.”

  “Lieutenant Yuati,” Cameron called. “Tactical assessment?”

  “The battle platforms are on an intercept course with Earth,” the lieutenant replied. “They raised their shields seconds after they appeared.”

  “New contacts!” Kaylah added. “Missile launches! From all three of them! I count seventy-two total!”

  “Comms, contact the Mystic. Tell them to get Borrol here, pronto.”

  “Aye, sir!”

  “And patch me into all EDF frequencies, in the clear,” Cameron ordered.

  “Tied in,” Ensign Keller replied.

  “All EDF ships, this is Captain Taylor of the Aurora. Despite the fact that we were ready to destroy one another minutes ago, we now have a common purpose: to defend Earth. Cobras and Gunyoki, concentrate on missile intercepts. Destroyers and gunships, stand ready to engage any frigates that come out of those platforms. Eagles and Nighthawks will intercept any fighters they send into Earth’s atmosphere to target surface assets.”

  “Incoming vid-message from the Cape Town,” Ensign Keller announced.

  Cameron signaled for the message to be put on the main view screen, and a moment later, Captain Stettner appeared on the screen, looking quite angry.

  “Odd coincidence that the Jung showed up at the same time as you did,” Captain Stettner accused. “I’m betting you knew they were coming.”

  “Yes, but we expected them in a few days, not now,” Cameron assured him.

  “Yet you took out our shields and jump drive.”

  “I’ll answer your baseless accusations later, Stettner. For now, I suggest you spin up your missile defenses.”

  “We’ll hit the lead platform with our big guns,” Captain Stettner stated. “It would help if you would take out their shields the same way you took out ours.”

  “Do not go offensive,” Cameron insisted. “Not yet.”

  “Are you mad?”

  “If you go offensive now, you’ll fuck everything up, trust me!” Cameron barked. “Aurora out.” Cameron gestured for her comms officer to kill the connection. “Connect me with Fleet Command,” she instructed.

  * * *

  Although well defended, the Mystic was far from a warship. Commander Kaplan had enjoyed the challenge of making the converted luxury cruise ship more efficient in her new role as the Karuzari Alliance’s hospital ship. It had been a rewarding challenge, but it was times like these, when everyone else was risking their lives in combat, that she missed her job as the Aurora’s XO.

  But being the XO of the Mystic Empress was about as close to being captain as you could get without actually being the ship’s commanding officer. Captain Rainey had been ready for retirement for years and spent much of his time in his quarters, only walking the decks on occasion to keep up appearances. She was the one running the ship day in and day out, and because of that, the ship’s operation had dramatically improved.

  “Incoming flash traffic from the Aurora,” the Mystic’s comms officer reported.

  The officer of the watch stepped over to the comm-station, picked up the data pad containing the message, and delivered it to Commander Kaplan, who was a few meters away.

  The commander studied the data pad, her brow furrowing. “Where is Kor-Dom Borrol?” she asked the officer of the watch.

  “Observation deck, upper level, starboard side, table twenty-seven. I believe he is having lunch.”

  “Lunch is over,” the commander stated. “Get his ass up here, pronto.”

  “Yes, sir,” the officer of the watch replied.

  “General quarters,” the commander added. “Helm, prepare to jump us to the Sol system. We’ll insert halfway between the orbits of Earth and Venus.”

  “General quarters, aye!” the comms officer acknowledged as the alarm klaxons sounded from the corridor.

  She might not be going into battle, but they were definitely about to go into harm’s way.

  * * *

  Miri stepped up to Lieutenant Commander Perrin, who, along with the other officers and men around him, stood at attention. She glanced at his name tag. “Lieutenant Commander Perrin,” she greeted. “Thank you.”

  “I was just doing my job, Madam President.”

  “Nevertheless, it took a lot of courage to do so, considering the circumstances.”

  “The admiral crossed the line,” the lieutenant commander explained. “Medical presented your DNA transmission, and he ignored it. He even put the chief medical officer in the brig. I should have acted then. Had I done so, some of these men would still be alive. For that, I will never forgive myself.”

  “Leadership carries heavy burdens,” Miri stated, putting her hand on the lieutenant commander’s shoulder.

  “Madam President?” the lieutenant commander asked.

  “Something my father told my younger brother when he had the responsibilities of command thrust upon his shoulders without asking for it.”

  “Must be why I voted for him.”

  Miri smiled.

  “New problem, Miri,” Nathan’s voice squawked over her comm-set. “Get inside and into shelter, ASAP.”

  Miri tapped her comm-set. “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “Just move,” Nathan urged. “General Telles will fill you in.”

  “Lieutenant Commander,” General Telles interrupted, having overheard Nathan’s recommendations. “We need to move inside, preferably into your command center.”

  “Of course,” the lieutenant commander agreed. “Madam President?” he added, gesturing for her to follow him.

  “Ghatazhak!” the general called. “Secure the perimeter and seal off the building. Team Alpha stays with the president.”

  “We can handle her security,” the lieutenant commander assured the general.

  “No offense, Lieutenant Commander, but the Ghatazhak will see to Miss Scott-Thornton’s safety until further notice.”

  The lieutenant commander looked to his new president.

  “All forces on these grounds will take orders from General Telles and his designated subordinates unti
l further notice,” Miri confirmed. “Is that understood?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” the lieutenant commander agreed. “Right this way, Madam President.”

  “Nash, return to the Voss,” General Telles ordered Jessica over comms. “I suspect Nathan is going to need you.”

  “On my way.”

  Corporal Vasya and Specialist Brill turned to the general.

  “We should go with Nash,” Kit told the general.

  “Not today,” General Telles replied. “Our job is to protect the president. You four form a barrier around her at all times, until we’re certain this is over and the facility is secure.”

  “We’re on it,” Kit assured him.

  General Telles exchanged a glance with Miri. “They will protect you,” he informed her. “Do as they say.”

  “Where are you going?” Miri asked.

  “I will see to perimeter security and join you later,” the general explained.

  “Aurora is reporting a second wave of seventy-two missiles,” Loki announced from the Voss’s copilot seat.

  “Do they have any idea what the first wave targets are?” Nathan wondered.

  “If they do, they haven’t said anything,” Loki replied.

  “So the Jung double-crossed us, huh?” Jessica exclaimed as she entered the command deck through the aft hatch, tossing her mark two helmet aside and pulling off her gloves as she quickly moved forward.

  “Borrol warned us that the battle platforms would attack the moment they appeared,” Nathan reminded her.

  “Yeah, two days from now,” Jessica pointed out as she took her seat at the starboard auxiliary station.

  “Marcus reports that we’re all buttoned up,” Loki announced.

  “Get us back in space, Josh,” Nathan instructed.

  “My pleasure,” Josh replied, pushing his grav-lift throttles forward. “Nothing worse than being shot at while sitting on the ground.”

  “What can we do?” Dylan questioned. “Aren’t Jung battle platforms huge? I’m talking seriously huge!”

  “Winnipeg will be one of their primary targets,” Jessica pointed out.

  “But aren’t there already, like, a hundred ships out there to intercept those missiles?”

  “Would you prefer to sit here and wait to see if they’re successful?” Jessica asked.

  “I guess not,” Dylan admitted.

  “Someone remind me what the departure jump altitude restrictions are on this world?” Loki asked.

  “Screw it,” Nathan insisted. “Jump us out of here.”

  “Destination?” Josh asked as they began accelerating forward as they climbed.

  “Just get us back into space,” Nathan replied.

  Josh glanced over his shoulder at Nathan, surprised. “Why? So they can shoot us down?”

  “Hopefully not,” Nathan replied, not sounding too sure himself.

  Dom Mogan stared at the large holographic tactical display hovering before him over the heads of the circles of technicians surrounding the command platform. Something was wrong.

  “First wave is on course for primary target,” Admiral Korahk reported confidently.

  “Something is wrong,” Dom Mogan stated. “Why are there so many warships and in such odd formations?”

  “We’ve identified both the Cape Town and the Aurora!” one of the senior officers in the nearest ring reported. “The Cape Town is unshielded!”

  “Retarget the first wave onto the Cape Town,” Admiral Korahk instructed. “Target the next five waves onto her as well! She must be destroyed!”

  “Yes, Admiral!”

  “Their positions and course tracks do not make sense,” Dom Mogan insisted, still studying the tactical display.

  “An exercise, perhaps?” Admiral Korahk suggested.

  “And what kind of ships are those?” Dom Mogan wondered, pointing at a grouping of unidentified ships of varying sizes. “That one appears to be as large as one of our battleships.”

  “Commander!” the admiral barked toward a junior officer in the first ring of workstations. “I need IDs on all ships!”

  “Right away, sir!”

  “Something is just not right,” Dom Mogan repeated.

  “Second wave is away!” one of the weapons officers announced. “First wave confirms retargeting!”

  “Confirm all platforms are launching,” the admiral barked.

  “Ton-Orso and Ton-Joja both show simultaneous launch status,” one of the comms officers acknowledged. “We are attacking as one!”

  Admiral Korahk turned to his dom. “My lord, I recommend we postpone any attack against the planet and concentrate all missiles on the Cape Town and the Aurora.”

  “Agreed,” Dom Mogan confirmed.

  Miri and her entourage of Ghatazhak and UEA security personnel marched out of the elevator and across the security foyer toward the command center.

  “You,” Sergeant Viano called, pointing at the senior officer at the security desk. “Are you in charge of security down here?”

  “Uh, yes,” the officer replied, unsure what was going on.

  “This is Sergeant Viano of the Ghatazhak,” Lieutenant Commander Perrin explained to the officer. “He is currently in charge of the president’s security.”

  “The pres…” The officer looked at Miri. “Madam President,” he greeted respectfully.

  “I’ll need to review your security measures, Lieutenant,” Sergeant Viano stated.

  “Of course.”

  Sergeant Viano looked to Corporal Vasya, who immediately began barking orders to the rest of the Ghatazhak present.

  “Lieutenant,” Miri greeted as she turned and continued into the command center, with Lieutenant Commander Perrin in tow. “First order of business is a change in EDF command authority.”

  “With the admiral dead, command would automatically pass to Commander Macklay at Fleet Command in Port Terra,” the lieutenant commander explained.

  “What about the other admirals?” Miri asked.

  “There are no other admirals, Madam President.”

  “What about Seifert and MacDonald?”

  “Seifert retired when his wife died, and MacDonald died in a car crash a couple of weeks ago.”

  “Well, at least there won’t be any rank issues to deal with,” Miri commented.

  “Madam President?” the lieutenant commander wondered, uncertain of her meaning.

  “You might want to sit down, Lieutenant Commander,” Miri told him. “What I’m about to tell you is going to be hard to believe.”

  Commander Macklay watched the Fleet Command Center at Port Terra in the asteroid once known as Karuzara, orbiting high above the Earth. Despite the sudden shift in their situation, all of his operators seemed to be adjusting to their new reality without missing a beat.

  “I’ve got Captain Taylor of the Aurora on vid-comm!” the comms officer reported.

  “Put her on my screen,” the commander ordered, stepping up to his standing workstation. A moment later, Cameron Taylor appeared on his view screen. “You’ve got a hell of a lot of nerve, Taylor.”

  “You can call me all the names you want later, Macklay. For now, just shut up and listen. I trust you heard my wide broadcast?”

  “Like I said, a hell of a lot of nerve.”

  “Then confirm my instructions to your forces, and for God’s sake, order them to refrain from going on the offensive!”

  “I’m not about to take orders from…”

  “We know things that you don’t!” Cameron snapped, cutting him off. “And we have technology that you don’t know about, Commander. Without it, you don’t stand a chance in hell of warding off those battle platforms, let alone the ships that will follow if our plan fails.”

  “Your plan?” the commander questioned.

&
nbsp; “And be ready to receive instructions from your new fleet commander,” Cameron added.

  “And whom might that be?” Commander Macklay questioned.

  “Admiral Nathan Scott, commander of the Karuzari Alliance.”

  The commander’s eyes widened. “Then the rumors are true.”

  “Yes.”

  “How is that even possible?”

  “Long story; no time,” Cameron replied.

  “You’re not getting off that easy, Taylor. I’m going to want explanations. We all are.”

  “You’ll get them,” she promised. “Assuming we’re all still alive an hour from now. Aurora out.”

  “Flash traffic from UEA command,” the comms officer updated. “Admiral Galiardi is dead, and Miranda Scott-Thornton’s identity has been confirmed by live DNA testing. She has assumed the office of president, and her first order confirms what Captain Taylor just told us. Admiral Scott is now the commander of all Sol Alliance forces.”

  Commander Macklay sighed. “A hell of a fucking day, isn’t it.”

  “Third wave!” Kaylah reported from the Aurora’s sensor station. “Another seventy-two.”

  “Cobras and Gunyoki are attempting to intercept the first wave,” Lieutenant Yuati announced from tactical.

  “Please tell me those battle platforms are keeping a steady track,” Cameron asked Kaylah.

  “Affirmative,” Kaylah confirmed.

  “I need strike coordinates based on course and speed, ASAP,” Cameron instructed.

  “On it.”

  “Comms,” Cameron called. “Prepare another comm-drone for the Orochi.”

  “Aye, sir,” Ensign Keller acknowledged.

  “Another wave has launched,” Kaylah reported.

  “Jesus,” Cameron exclaimed. “That’s two hundred and eighty-eight missiles.”

  “I have targeting data for the first and second waves,” Lieutenant Yuati announced. “Both appear to be targeting the Cape Town, and unless the third and fourth waves change course in the next twenty seconds, it’s a safe bet they’re targeting the Cape Town as well.”