by C. Gockel
Kalian smiled. “Don’t make me stun you again.” He was quiet for a moment. “You will die when I say and not before. You know I always get what I want.”
“I thought you wanted to defeat the Dusan.”
“That’s what this is about. You think I just want her. You are wrong. If she were just a woman, I wouldn’t be here. She is Miri’s heir, the key keeper—though I believe I will be able to redirect her passion more usefully.”
Fyn didn’t flinch, but it wasn’t easy. “Her people have a plan—”
“They are brave. But they cannot win this battle. It is only a distraction, a useful one, but still a distraction.”
“You’re wrong.”
He stared at Fyn. “I hope I am. But whether they win or lose, Miri’s legacy belongs to the Gadi, by right. Miri’s heir belongs to us. It is how it was meant to be.”
Someone came at him from behind and tied a cloth around his mouth, so he couldn’t speak.
“Now we move.”
“Alpha Group! Form up in a whiskey and papa on the nearest Delta Charlie.”
Captain Hawkins watched his squadron form into a wedge around him as they made a beeline for the nearest Dusan cruiser. He got a signal lock, but he wanted to wait until he was almost on top of the cruiser.
“Lock on with EM mike and fire on my mark!”
Defensive fire began to streak past the cockpit.
“Foxtrot now and scatter!”
He fired a volley of plasma and sent an EM missile into the cruiser’s shields. He banked sharply, hoping it would keep the cruiser’s guns and missile launchers from pinging in on him. A warning light flickered on with a whine.
Too late.
“Hawkins! You’ve got one on your tail!”
He cursed as he threw his fighter into a wild bank. The missile streaked past. It began to turn.
Damn, it was still on him!
“Hawkins, you’re too close!” His wingman’s voice broke through the battle chatter.
Hawkins did another bat turn and flew right at the missile. The distance closed too quickly…
At the last second he swung his fighter sideways into a corkscrew maneuver and banked off. He barely made it. The missile missed his shield by inches. It lost him for the moment. Then…turned into his wingman’s line of fire. It went away with a spectacular flash.
“You’re clear, alpha leader.”
“I owe you one—”
“Dusan fighters launching!”
As he paced toward the door, Fyn tested the strength of the cords Kalian had used. No surprise they didn’t give.
“Stop.”
A rope stretched back from his bonds to one of the guards. The corridor was deeply dark. Now one light came on, putting a very low glow into the corridor. Kalian had positioned it to shine out, rather than into the room. It was a smart move. Sara couldn’t see into the room and would be seen if she or any of the men with her tried to enter the corridor.
“Do you see him?” Kalian’s voice echoed in the empty corridor.
“Yes.”
“Then you see I kept my word. He lives. For now.”
There was a pause.
“I can kill him before you can act.”
More silence.
“I need you to respond, Sara.”
Something touched Fyn’s back. An oujuba stick. Crap. Before he had time for more, the current convulsed his body. The gag helped mute his involuntary cry.
Was it his imagination or did the silence turn more menacing?
“Now we negotiate.”
Still no sound from Sara.
Kalian shocked him again. This time Fyn was ready and no sound left him. He couldn’t stop his body jerking.
“Say something.”
“Something.”
The ice in her voice sent a chill down his back. Kalian chuckled. He still didn’t get it. He still didn’t get her.
“I know you have cloaked ships near by. You will lead me and my men to one of these ships. Your men will surrender control and we will leave. Fyn remains here alive. As long as he stays away from you or me, he continues to live.”
He’d rather be dead than live without her. As if Kalian heard the thought, he shocked him again.
“As you can see, there are many ways for a man to die. Neither of us wishes this to happen to him. He is a good warrior. He should not die like this.”
More silence.
“Even a strong man can not survive that many jolts from the oujuba—without some loss of memory. If you wait too long, he won’t know who you are.”
“You know, in the dark, you could be Dusan.”
Fyn could feel Kalian’s jerk, his anger. Another shock. This one lasted long enough to drop him to his knees. He would have fallen forward, but the length of rope held up him up.
“I am not like the Dusan. No one will touch you unless you wish it.”
“You think that makes you different? A prison is still a prison. You’re just a different jailer. And your credibility is shot to hell. Why would I believe anything you said?”
“How have I not kept my word?” There was the lash of anger in his voice again.
“You made an alliance with us. Taking Fyn hostage is not only a betrayal of that alliance, it is an act of war.”
“Fyn is not one of your people.”
“You’re wrong. Again.”
He laughed softly. “So much fury and drama. It is very female of you, but I know women. I know them very well. In the end, you are practical. It is one of your better qualities, your ability to make the best of what you cannot change.”
If he was trying to piss her off, that would do it.
“I need an answer.”
“In a negotiation, counter terms are offered, or at least that’s what the commander claimed.”
“By all means, offer your counter terms.”
“I propose that you and your men step back and let Fyn walk to me, alone and unharmed. You turn the power back on. And we don’t kill you.”
Fyn smiled under the gag.
Kalian chuckled. “You have chops, I believe you called it.”
He applied the oujuba stick, holding it against Fyn’s back until he forced out a groan. His body continued to shudder after the stick was withdrawn. When the shudders stopped, the pain didn’t.
“But you have nothing to bargain with.”
Fyn wasn’t sure what made him look down. He saw the red circle on his chest. There was a short, sharp crack. It felt like someone punched him in the chest.
The last thing he heard before darkness claimed him was Sara saying, “Now you don’t either.”
The Doolittle shook as it took a bone-jarring hit, tossing the bridge crew around like they were rag dolls.
“Report!” Halliwell picked himself up off the deck.
The Dusan were sending in missiles and fighters in thick waves, so that even with the R2D2 and point defense missiles, stuff was still getting through.
Fighters from both sides formed a chaotic cloud around the Doolittle. One Dusan fighter exploded spectacularly less than a click from the bridge view port. The flash blinded him for a moment.
The Doolittle and the Patton were taking a beating along with the Garradian vessels, but Halliwell didn’t want to call in the other ships. Once they were committed, it was all they had, except for the outpost.
“Any word from the Captain?” he asked, already knowing the answer.
“No, sir.”
Halliwell looked at his bridge crew. They were mostly young, some of them untried in battle. If any of them were afraid, he couldn’t see it. Every one of them did their job as coolly as if this were a drill, not a fight for their very survival.
“It’s Colonel Emerson on the radio, sir.”
“Put him through.”
“I think it’s time.”
“What’s our shield strength?” Halliwell asked.
“Down fifteen percent.”
“Roger that.” He was quiet f
or a minute, but Emerson was right. “I’ll bring in the Gadi and cloaked fighters.”
Emerson sounded relieved as he signed off.
“Open a channel to Commander Gaedon.”
Sara was vaguely aware of Perkins cussing next to her, the words blurring together. She leaned against the wall. She might have been hyperventilating. Some place inside, she couldn’t believe what she’d done. But what other choice did she have? She couldn’t stand by and do nothing while he tortured Fyn. She couldn’t surrender. If she failed here, failed now, they all died.
One man’s life against so many. The soldier had to act before the woman’s heart over ruled the soldier’s head. Deep down, pain fomented, churning like lava.
Fyn.
She shoved a fist against her mouth, struggling against the emotion that wanted to take her down. If she lived, she’d have to deal with what she’d done, but not right now. Right now they had a nest to clean out, power to restore, Dusan trash to kick. She needed to not have trouble at her back when Adin came. And they were running out of time.
The silence from Kalian’s position was intense, but it wouldn’t last. She looked out. They’d turned out the light. That was good for her side, bad for theirs.
She clicked her radio again, then twice more. “Mike India Charlie.”
Move in. Clear.
She and Perkins stepped quietly out into the corridor, with Perkins on point, passing the bodies of the dead Ojemba as they moved toward the doorway. She could see the other team on the move, too. Both paused near the opening. Perkins pulled the fuse and tossed in a flash bang with practiced efficiency.
Sara closed her eyes, turned her head away and plugged her ear on that side. It went off with a satisfying bang, not to mention a disorienting flash. If Kalian and his men were lucky, disoriented was all they’d be. It had been known to make some men mess their drawers.
The jarheads M-4 lights stabbed into the darkness, their beams criss-crossing through drifting smoke as the three men moved in.
Sara moved forward and crouched by Fyn’s body while they cleared the room, cutting the bonds they’d used to secure him. She managed to turn him over. His eyes were open. He looked surprised. She choked back a sob.
She smoothed his lids down, then her hand drifted down, spreading across the still-warm skin of his cheek. Her palm tingled, but it couldn’t warm her. She was too cold. Too dead inside. A dead woman walking.
The ambush worked perfectly. The Gadi caught the Dusan flat footed. One after another, a row of enemy cruisers exploded, sending long tongues of flaming atmosphere into space as they decompressed.
He could see the gomers scramble to adjust to this new threat.
The cloaked ships infiltrated the enemy, popping in and out of sight, sowing havoc right into the very heart of the Dusan fleet. In just a few moments, the previously straightforward battle dissolved into random skirmishes as they tried to find and eliminate the cloaked ships without taking out their own vessels. And failing. Pretty good when you could get the enemy to take out their own stuff.
Every one of their ships in the battle was kicking trash.
“Any word from Donovan?” he asked again.
“No, sir.”
Halliwell looked at the HUD. Two Dusan ships were approaching the outpost. But according to this, it was dead in the water. What the hell—suddenly he knew.
“Commander Gaedon, which ship is your Leader commanding in this fight?”
“Our leader?” The unease in his voice was all the answer he needed.
The son of a bitch.
He looked at communications. “Tell Foster and Loren to prepare to engage outpost defenses.”
At least we’re holding our own. Those cloaked ships will make short work of the Dusan fleet…
“Sir! Multiple contacts emerging from hyperspace at six o’clock!”
To add emphasis to that report, the ship got hit with multiple shockwaves. Several bridge monitors blew and bodies went flying.
“Medic! Medic to the bridge!”
“Sir, they’re too close. Counter measures ineffective at this range!”
Shit.
“Room is secure, Captain.” Perkins sounded calm, but Sara could still hear anger below the calm.
She got up, another hundred years older, found the power controls and flipped them back on. The room lit up and she could feel the outpost’s systems coming back on line. Her connection was back. It didn’t feel as good as she thought it would. At least she was connected to the Dusan network again. She started sending data to mother. The Dusan ships had just exited hyperspace. Only two of them. She’d hoped to draw more from the fight, but at least it was something.
She turned around. The Marines were lining the Ojemba up against the far wall. One man kneeling, one standing, hands clasped behind their heads. Some of them looked like their eyes were still spinning the sockets.
Kalian stood in the middle of the group, watching her warily. He’d recovered quicker than his men. He was wearing a uniform, one that showed, rather than hid the power in his body. This was the real deal. No more prissy boy.
“You have succeeded in surprising me.”
“You thought my feelings for him made me weak.” Sara paced toward him, her M4 coming up, the red dot stopping over his heart. “You were wrong.”
He stared at her with lifted chin, his eyes calm.
“If I had surrendered, you would have killed him.”
It wasn’t a question.
“I would have killed him.”
Sara felt her finger tightening on the trigger.
“He was resisting capture, Captain.” Perkins’ voice was deadly cold. “You didn’t have a choice. You had to shoot him.”
Halliwell saw the outpost come back on line on the virtual HUD. Luckily he could still think it up. The fixed HUD station had a nasty crack all the way across it and one side sagged drunkenly.
Finally some good news.
The past few minutes had been brutal. He didn’t know what the Dusan did to their missiles, but damn, they’d delivered a beating, despite the upgraded shields. It was almost as if they’d been designed to slam into shields and shake a ship to pieces. Maybe even make the shields become a negative?
One of the medics was trying to stop his nose from bleeding. Halliwell didn’t have time for this, but the guy wouldn’t go away.
Now he started to get the first of the relayed data from the Dusan network.
Seize the Earth ships for information. Take no prisoners. Destroy the rest.
Okay, that wasn’t good. Information. Was Xever after their intergalactic propulsion?
Another bone jarring impact rattled through the ship. He got on the ship’s internal intercom.
“All personnel prepare for boarding parties.”
Kalian stared at her, no fear in his eyes.
She wanted to kill him more than she wanted to fly again. But she’d never shot an unarmed man. Life still wasn’t fair. Her finger eased up on the trigger. Kalian must have seen it in her eyes. His shoulders relaxed a little. She turned her back on him, then spun around and slugged him as hard as she could in the jaw. He staggered back into the wall, his eyes wide with surprise. A little blood trail formed at the side of his mouth. He angled his head, moved his jaw, then dabbed at the spot. Looked like she’d surprised him again.
Surprise spread both directions through his Ojemba ranks. She turned her back on him, on them, and made a face.
Damn, that hurt.
Perkins hid a grin. “They make it look easy in the movies, ma’am.”
“No kidding.” She flexed her fingers, feeling the nanites move in. Lucky they didn’t get tired of fixing what she did to herself. “We gotta stash these guys somewhere before the Dusan land.”
“The Dusan?” Kalian’s voice was sharp.
She spun back around. “Yeah, the Dusan. News flash, we had a plan and you almost screwed it up. I should just let them kill you.”
One of the Ojemba l
ooked at her. “We wish to fight them with you.”
Sara stared at him. “I need people I can trust at my back.”
“You don’t have to like us, but you know you can use us.” Kalian hesitated. “This is our fight. Or theirs, if you won’t let me fight. Let our deaths count for something.”
Sara got in his face. “You mean like Fyn’s? His death counted for so much.”
“Now you are a woman.”
Damn him, he was right.
“What do you want to do with them?” Perkins asked her.
“They’re damn lucky it isn’t our way to execute prisoners. Take ‘em to the roof. Henderson’s picking you up there. It’s his call, not mine.” She turned away. “Just get them out of my sight.”
Kalian stopped in front of her. “Xever is coming?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Must have been something I said.”
“With Fyn down you need someone at your back. Let me help.”
“You want Fyn’s spot, you go with them.”
“I don’t believe he would leave you to face Xever alone.”
“Clearly he had more faith in me more than you do.” She checked the sensors. “Even if you were right, which you aren’t, I don’t trust you to act in our best interests.” She looked at Perkins. “Get him out of here before I change my mind and shoot him.”
One of the marines jabbed him in the back with his M-4, making him move away from her and finally, finally she was alone. She didn’t have long. Two transport ships were leaving the Dusan mother ships. First she radioed Henderson and told him about the Ojemba’s offer of assistance. She didn’t care if they got left to die, but Henderson could probably use the help.
“Can we trust them to do the job?”
“It is their reason for living, but you decide.”
He signed off. That left one thing to do. She knelt by Fyn and touched his face, one last time, her palm tingling again.
“I’m so sorry.” Her tears hit his face. She rubbed them away.
She stroked her finger across his mouth.
