“Take a breath, Jo,” Wynter advised. “The people outside that door need our heads to remain level. We have to present a clear message that shows we are united and that we trust the Conclave.”
Captain Fey tried to hide her disdain for Laurence Wynter. He never felt quite human to her. His motives always appeared as if they were in favour of the people, but the captain knew he only wanted to keep some semblance of power. He was a man who had been in control his whole life and he knew no other way to live.
“Do we trust the Conclave?” Jim’s question was met with silence.
“Our trust in them is irrelevant,” the Captain replied. “We need everyone out there to trust us, and the only way we’re going to achieve that is if we tell them the truth.”
“And what is the truth?” Wynter countered.
“That right now, the Conclave is afraid of us. Something is attacking them and they’re blaming us. But Kalian Gaines is fighting for us, right now, off this ring, trying to prove our innocence and that we belong in this community.” The Captain kept her expression as serious as possible. The thought of Kalian and the others out there opened up a pit in her gut. She hated not knowing what they were doing or whether they were succeeding. The question of whether they were even alive was one that the captain couldn’t even entertain at the moment. Right now, she had to keep the council calm so she could keep the populace calm.
“You still expect us to have faith in a history teacher?” Wynter didn’t hide his disdain for the captain.
“You and I both know he’s more than that.” The captain was ready for a fight if that’s what he wanted. She didn’t know if it was the nanocelium flowing through her veins, but she felt a storm building inside her that wouldn’t be weathered.
“The people look to him as a sort of... saviour,” Sharon added. “He’s an unknown, I admit, but he makes everyone feel a little safer.”
“Regardless of how the people see him, he has never spoken on this council for them or actually saved them from anything.” Samuel couldn’t stop pacing.
The storm was growing. “If Kalian had faltered on Naveen, none of us would be here right now. Even the Conclave has to recognise that. And he may not have spoken on this make-shift council, but he has spoken on humanity’s behalf several times to ensure our survival in this alien community.” The captain’s tone implied she was not to be argued with.
“What exactly are they doing, Captain?” Wynter’s eyes narrowed.
Captain Fey hesitated before answering. “Gathering evidence of our innocence and proving we’re an asset to the Conclave.” The soldier in her couldn’t part with any more information than that. Until they were all back safe and sound, the mission should remain classified to give them every advantage. For all they knew, the Highclave was monitoring everything they said.
“Please, don’t tell us too much, Captain,” Wynter replied sarcastically.
“We’re getting off topic,” Jim interjected before Captain Fey tore Wynter apart. “We need basic answers like: How long are we going to be here? What’s happening to the Gommarian? Where do we go from here? They can’t keep us here forever, we’ll drain their resources.”
Aware that she didn’t have the answers, Captain Fey walked around the table to get a better view from the window. The starry vista was distorted by the traffic of ships and carriers that flitted between the great rings and orbital Translifts, while so many others were drawn to the unveiling of the Sentinel. The battleship was floating in the distance, its green hull shimmering in the light of Ch’ket’s sun. It was a magnificent vessel with a size that could almost rival the Gommarian. The captain didn’t want to think about its armaments.
“Telarrek will have some...” Captain Fey turned around as the door slid open and the sound of the mob momentarily exploded into the room with Telarrek. “Ah, Ambassador, you’re just in time. Have you spoken with the Highclave?”
Telarrek bowed. “Greetings of peace, council members, Captain Fey.” Telarrek’s towering form was followed by his son, Naydaalan. While Naydaalan remained by the door, the ambassador took a seat at the table, no doubt to make the humans feel more comfortable with his height.
“What did they say?” Joseph blurted.
“Jo, let the Ambassador speak,” Wynter commanded.
“I am afraid there is only one thing the Highclave are interested in,” Telarrek began. “They wish to know where Kalian and the others are.”
“Wouldn’t we all,” Wynter added dryly.
“I pointed out that the four of them escaped custody without your permission, but I also tried to convince the Highclave that Kalian and the others only wish to help. Unfortunately, the council does not recognise an internal threat, and therefore lay everything at your feet.” Telarrek rested all four hands on the table.
“How can they still not understand that we have done nothing wrong?” Joseph clenched his fists in frustration.
“Learning of Esabelle the way they did has not earned you any trust,” Telarrek explained, “and they know for certain that Professor Jones is a threat, a threat that originated from your ship.”
“Not our ship,” Jim Landale pointed out. “It was never our ship. This seems to be a fact that the Highclave can’t get out of their heads. We are not the Gomar or even the Terran for that matter. We didn’t choose to be created and we didn’t choose to have our world blown to hell. Now I admit that the Gommarian holds a few secrets, some that we shouldn’t have kept from them, but we are just as victimised as the Conclave, maybe more so!”
“Jim...” Wynter held up a hand to calm him. “Right now all we can hope for is that the Highclave recognise Kalian and the others as a rogue group, acting beyond our control.”
“We should be united,” Captain Fey replied defiantly. “If they prove our innocence and help to eliminate a threat to the Conclave, it should be seen as an effort on behalf of our entire race.”
A smug politician’s smile crept across Wynter’s face. “That’s the beauty of it. If they succeed we will come out supporting their efforts and win favour; if they do nothing but wreak havoc, we have deniability.”
Captain Fey inhaled deeply and blinked slowly in an effort to control her anger. Wynter was happy to sit on the fence and see where the chips fall, then pick the winning side.
“How long do we have to stay here, Ambassador?” Sharon asked.
“It will only be temporary, I’m sure. The Highclave would not reveal their plans in full to me, but I know they will not wish to keep you on Ch’ket for long. What I am certain of, however, is that you will not be returning to the Gommarian.”
“Well, that’s a given,” Samuel snorted. “They’ll pull that ship apart until they know all its secrets.”
“Can we hope for somewhere with a little land?” Jim asked.
“I cannot say,” Telarrek lowered his head. “Much will depend on the outcome of Kalian’s findings.”
“Well I suggest we strongly hint at that in my announcement to the people.” Wynter clasped his hands together. “Give them some hope of a new world.”
“I thought the Captain would be giving the speech?” Sharon looked as puzzled as everyone else, who for the most part nodded in agreement, except for Samuel Vock who looked fearfully at Wynter.
“Very well...” Wynter slowly lowered his chin onto his clasped hands, staring at the blank wall at the other end of the table.
Captain Fey met the looks of expectation. “Fine, I’ll make the announcement. But I’m not going to lie or offer any false hope of a new world. We need them to have hope and trust in us. We will go out there together and tell them everything we know. Kalian and the others won’t let us down.”
“Is that what we know?” Wynter was pissed off. “One of these others is Roland North, an unpredictable, highly trained killer.”
A sharp grunt came from Telarrek’s throat. “It was Roland North who saved you from the Gomar, and he has already assisted in the discovery of a possible threat insi
de the Conclave AI You should have a little more faith, Mr. Wynter.”
“Well said.” Captain Fey spoke before Wynter could. “We will address the people and iterate our faith in them to remain calm while we negotiate with the Highclave.”
With that, the meeting came to a close and the councillors braced themselves before leaving. Wynter gave the Captain a look of derision, clearly believing her faith to be naive. He would spin tales to appease the crowds and have them wrapped around his little finger. She lingered for a moment until it was only herself and the Novaarians left in the room.
“Have you heard anything?” the captain asked seriously.
“There are rumours coming out of Vallara that humans have been sighted, but there is no recorded data to collaborate.”
The captain walked away, her hand over her mouth as she considered the odds they were against.
“They will succeed, Captain.” Naydaalan spoke with such certainty, it was hard to argue.
“I know. I suppose it’s a good thing nobody knows where they are...”
The Blade flowed through the traffic that surrounded the capital planet, always keeping its prey in sight. The unassuming ship with pronged engines held his prize. Kubrackk had swelled with elation when North and the red-head separated from not only the Rackham but also from the Terran. The fact that The Laronian was helping them was a little more disturbing, though he had no idea what any of them were up to. It was downright moronic of North to return to the capital after the chaos his last trip caused, especially without the protection of the Terran.
Once again they followed the bounty hunter into Clave Tower, where they immediately blended into the traffic heading to its apex. Kubrackk stroked his long jaw as he thought about their direction. Surely he wasn’t going back to Protocorps? Security had doubled since their last incursion and not only with Protocorps’ private army, but the Conclave’s forces as well.
Spelnar was sat by his side, manually adjusting the Blade’s course since they couldn’t hand over the controls to the AI without knowing their destination. The Trillik’s double-ended tail moved over the console, tweaking the ship’s systems, while his hands kept the flight as smooth as possible. Kubrackk found himself having to dodge the occasional flick of Spelnar’s tail and gave the Trillik a look that could melt a Raalak.
Eventually, the rush hour traffic died down and the Blade came to settle down on a landing pad, not too far from the unassuming ship. The Protocorps HQ loomed in the distance, hanging over the tower. The gleaming red hull of the Conclave’s security forces could be seen patrolling in and around the towers that surrounded Protocorps.
“What the hell are we doing back here?” Spelnar polarised the viewport to ensure no one outside could see them.
Before Kubrackk could answer, the main console chirped with an incoming call. Spelnar used his tail to access the comm systems and identify who was trying to contact them. A holographic image popped up above the console with the stilled image of a Brenine.
“It’s Revus...” the Trillik sounded confused.
“How does he know we’re here?” Kubrackk turned on Spelnar with fangs exposed.
Spelnar gulped. “It must be something Lole wired into the comm relay to alert him when we’re in system.”
A low growl slowly erupted from Kubrackk’s throat. “Fix it, now.” The Trillik didn’t say another word before leaving. Kubrackk took a deep breath and activated the comm feed. “Revus...”
“Kubrackk, back so soon I see.” The Brenine was sitting in his office above the Abyss.
“What do you want?” Kubrackk kept an eye on the surveillance feed Spelnar had set up after landing. The Novaarian could see the ship North arrived in, though the human bounty hunter was yet to reveal himself.
“It’s not what I want, it’s what he wants.”
That got Kubrackk’s attention. “Why is The Laronian involved?”
“The why is his business.” Revus relaxed into his high-backed chair. “It’s what he wants that’s important.” The Brenine paused to let the significance of his words sink in, much to Kubrackk’s annoyance.
The Novaarian looked away to keep himself calm. Revus might not be as powerful as The Laronian but he was still a heavyweight in the underworld. Pissing him off would only cause more trouble down the line when Kubrackk had finished with his vendetta.
“You have to drop this obsession you have with Roland North.” The Brenine’s words hit Kubrackk like an Intrinium bolt. “Whatever he’s doing now is sanctioned by The Laronian, and he doesn’t want you getting in the way.”
A rage began to grow within Kubrackk; a rage he felt could destroy the entire Conclave if he unleashed it. How dare they order him to leave his brother’s murder un-avenged, and for what? Profit was the most likely answer and the Novaarian hated it.
“Now don’t worry,” Revus went on. “I’ll throw you a bone. I’ve got a nice job all set up for you. It’ll be the easiest bounty you’ve ever had, and the pay is good.” The Brenine looked closer at the feed on his end since Kubrackk had yet to respond. “You still there, Kubrackk? Tell me you understand.”
Something snapped inside the bounty hunter. He had spent too long under the thumb of people like Revus and The Laronian, taking orders and jobs that were below him. He should be free to ply his trade as he liked, not constantly trying to fight his way out of debt to the various syndicates that run the Clave. He could run the entire underworld better than all the bosses combined, including that eccentric dick-wit on Vallara. A blood-vendetta was his right as Torvrackk’s brother.
Kubrackk spoke very slowly. “When I’m finished with North, I’m going to come for you, Revus. And when I’m done gutting you, I’m going to find The Laronian and remove his head. Tell me you understand.” With that he cut the feed, ending the conversation. Using the main console, Kubrackk opened the internal com system. “Spelnar, forget the relay. Load up and prepare that ID check for Protocorps HQ. We’re moving out in five!” The Novaarian knew that was all they would have before Revus sent his goons to attack the Blade.
14
The Rackham hurtled through subspace at maximum yield as it pushed on towards the Helteron Cluster. Beyond its dull bronze hull, there was nothing but darkness, a void so vast it could never be filled. Kalian preferred to confine his awareness to the ship’s interior while they journeyed between the fabric of reality. The abyss of subspace was a cold thing to touch with his mind, its feedback so empty and lifeless that it felt unnatural.
“You’re wasting time sitting there.” Esabelle walked onto the bridge.
Slumped in the pilot’s chair, Kalian had used his extra senses to follow her movements around the ship. He could hear her bones grinding against one another as she moved, while the scent of her sweet perfume filled his nostrils. If he focused hard enough, he could even taste the faintest drops of sweat on her skin. His own skin could literally feel the impact of every particle in the air being displaced by her body. This was all surplus to the way his Terran mind could map out the Rackham’s interior and feel the impression everything made on the physical universe. That last one was a hard sense to define. Li’ara had asked him about it before, but he could only shrug in reply. It was a sad thought that only a Terran could truly understand what it felt like.
“We wouldn’t be wasting any time if you just... poof.” Kalian opened his hand like an explosion.
“If I transported us through subspace I’d be too weak to fight on the other end, and I’m fairly certain there’s going to be fighting.” Esabelle came to lean against the curving main console in front of Kalian.
“At what point in my training do I learn that?” He swivelled in his chair to face her. “Because ALF downloaded a lot of Terran training programmes in here,” he tapped the side of his head, “and there was nothing about travelling through subspace on the power of the mind alone.”
The holographic image of ALF suddenly appeared by their side, emitted from Kalian’s waist. “And with good
reason!”
They were the only words he managed before Esabelle waved her hand over Kalian’s armour and shut the projection down. Kalian felt the tingling sensation pass over his skin as the electromagnetic pulse passed through his body.
“I don’t like him listening,” Esabelle stated flatly. “Though he did have a point. It took me thousands of years to learn how to manipulate energy like that, and I still needed some juice from the Rackham. Why do you think Savrick had me plugged into the Gommarian? I needed complete sensory deprivation and the ship’s energy to push that thing through subspace. Even now I don’t feel a hundred percent after escaping the Gommarian. For someone as young as you, you’d need the power of a star to achieve that kind of feat; you’re centuries away from having that kind of power, Kalian.”
“Thanks, coach.”
“I mean it. Don’t even try it. Besides, you have plenty of the basics to practise in the meantime. We don’t know the extent of what the cube’s done to Garrett. He won’t be easily brought down, especially if he’s surrounded by Protocorps security.” Esabelle had her stern teacher’s expression as she forbade him from experimenting.
Kalian gave her a sideways look. “You want to train right now, don’t you?”
“Well, whatever’s waiting for us in the Helteron Cluster, it’s definitely going to try and kill us, and out of the two of us I know I’m not the one that’s going to die.” Her expression was serious but Kalian knew there was an element of play to her.
“Then I guess I should train...”
Only minutes later were they both in the cargo hold of the Rackham. Esabelle spread both her arms and telekinetically pushed all the crates and boxes into the wall. Kalian stood in the middle of the room, in no state of mind to train right now. Esabelle circled him slowly, as she always did before her pre-fight lecture.
“You’re distracted,” she stated softly.
It caught him off guard and he had to turn his head as she walked behind him. “I’m just thinking about everyone on the Gommarian,” he replied.
The Terran Cycle Boxset Page 81
