Lieutenant Spacemage (Imperium Spacemage Book 3)

by Timothy Ellis

  “Fucking smart plants,” said someone.

  “Fucking dead plants,” said someone else, which I suddenly realized was me.

  I made a serious effort to get my fury under control. Cold became ice. The fact my girlfriend was seriously hurt stopped causing me emotion, and instead became a fact. Like something within me switching on, I was suddenly completely and totally detached.

  “You okay, Spacemage?” asked Eagle.

  “I’m fine. Plan B. I want a wall formation out of their sensor range, where every ship is as close together as we can manage. I’m going to open a rift, and everyone is going to fire into it. And I mean continuous fire. Guns, torpedoes, and missiles. Pull the triggers and hold them. Push the launch buttons and hold them.”

  “Sending jump-to locations,” said Long, unnecessarily, since she’d probably sent them to all the AIs the moment I’d mentioned it.

  I told her where we were going in two jumps. The first jump took us well away from the formation area, which Long had assumed should be our gathering point. It wasn’t a bad choice actually. Our second jump put us just outside battleship gun range of the Trixone fleet.

  “Ready,” said Bentley. “Are you going…, sorry, of course you are. Tell us when to fire.”

  I put a rift across the whole of our fleet, and put the other end next to the hull of a battleship, and less than the size of the ship. That one ship was going to get the compressed fire from everyone.

  “Fire.”

  The plant battleship simply vanished. I mean, one Chaos class could destroy a Trixone battleship if everything it fired hit. But six of them, plus the best part of eight squadrons of Excaliburs, that sort of firepower concentrated in one place didn’t leave much behind after. I moved the end of the rift. Another one vanished. The other remaining three lasted seconds longer.

  I did the cruisers next, then the destroyers. One after the other. Cold hard methodical movement of the end of the rift, as fast as my mind could frame the movement commands. Somewhere in it all, I stopped thinking, and just did.

  When the capital ships were gone, I moved the rift to hose what fighters had launched and were coming towards me. At the same time, I force punched the leading group, which was getting too close for me to bring the rift at.

  “Cease fire, for a moment.”

  The rift remained, and after the last of the missiles passed through it and failed to find a target, I formed them up into a rough line using magic, pointing them at the jump point after the lead fleet which had already jumped through.

  I jumped Long Water myself, to a spot not far from the jump point on the other side, and moved the rift again.

  “Fire.”

  “Cease fire,” I said twenty seconds and twelve ships later.

  I moved Long Water again, this time to where the original fleet were still slugging it out with the Ralnor. As I took in the tactical plot, a Ralnor ship blipped out.

  The end of the rift moved again.

  “Fire.”

  I didn’t bother aiming this time. I simply moved the end of the rift like a garden hose, running it down the length of each of the lines of ships, not caring how much damage any given ship took. Some vanished completely, others broke up, some detonated, those not destroyed took the missiles which missed an actual target which was destroyed, and in less than two minutes, the battle was over.

  “Cease fire.”

  I removed the rift, and moved Long Water back to a position facing Whammy, Bentley’s ship.

  “Everyone can take five now. This battle is done.”

  I was unbuckling as I said it, and started running.

  Nineteen

  “She’s alive.”

  Jane was standing next to a care unit when I ran in, and was looking at the door as I went through it.

  “How bad?”

  “She was lucky. The pulses didn’t get through her suit, but the debris hit was the last straw and more than it could take, and it shredded. There are wounds and burns from the debris that hit her, which must have burned as the ship was destroyed, and was still too hot for skin. The cold didn’t get enough time to do more than superficial damage. She wasn’t without air for long enough to matter. But another pulse would have vaporized her. No internal damage. She’ll be in here for about a day I think, and should be fine when she comes out.”

  I sighed.

  “How are you?” she went on. “I can feel energy radiating from you.”

  “Oops.”

  I let go the connection to the other sun, and downgraded how much energy I was drawing on the nearer one to just enough to keep me functional. I knew instinctively I’d overdone the magic this time, and the moment I let go completely, I’d simply crash.

  “That’s better. Go back to the bridge and finish things there. You need to give command back to Admiral Bentley. Then we need to get our fighters on board and rearmed.”

  I sighed again, took a long look at Serena’s face inside the care unit, nodded to Jane, and walked back to the bridge this time.

  “Jig Carter?” I said, as soon as I was in my seat again.

  “Sir?”

  “Serena will be fine, but you’re now Long Water CAG for today. Home jump the squadron, and get them rearmed. Stay in your ships though for the moment.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  It wasn’t that I didn’t want them crowding the care unit, because I knew they were going to, and would at some point, but more a case of there might be a reason for them to need to jump out again, and being in the med bay would slow them down.

  “Admiral Bentley, sir?”

  “I assume command, Spacemage. Well done.”

  “Thank you. Orders?”

  “We’ll have some support cruisers here shortly, so all fighters will rearm in case they’re needed again out here. But first, get Long Water resupplied, so you can head out and close some jump points along this corridor.”

  “Resupply?”

  “One of the cruisers will jump in not far from you, so turn yourself one eighty ready for it, and dock nose to nose.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  I made a twirl gesture to Long, and the ship turned to face the other way. Almost immediately a cruiser appeared in front of us. The navmap was showing five more. Lieutenant Commander Okuda’s face popped up on the console. Another face I didn’t know popped up with him, also with Japanese features. The shoulders had the new AI insignia.

  “You better dock with Long Ocean,” said Okuda, smiling. “We are a bit bigger than you after all.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  I turned to Long, and nodded. The ship eased forward, adjusted direction and attitude slightly, and within a minute, were docked front airlock to front airlock. Okuda vanished, but the AI remained. He looked at Long.

  “Long.”

  “Long.”

  There was a long pause.

  I lost it.

  In spite of my worry for Serena, I couldn’t help laughing. They were just so serious. Both of them looked at me sternly, as if I’d insulted them.

  I deflated suddenly, wondering how I could laugh like that, and suddenly realized how close to hysteria I actually was.

  The earlier icy cold was gone.

  The detachment was gone.

  The worry was gnawing at me from within an invisibility cloak.

  “Requirements list sent,” said my Long.

  “Received,” said the other Long. “Resupply commencing.”

  They sat there looking at each other, ignoring me. It occurred to me they were actually communicating at AI speed, and the verbal was just for my benefit, or for anyone else who could hear on Long Ocean’s end.

  It didn’t take long. By the time my fighters were rearmed, what had been used by them and the ship had been transferred as well. Long Ocean undocked, and moved away.

  In the meantime, Eagle had been giving orders, and squadron by squadron, Excaliburs had been jumping into available space on the cargo decks of the cruisers, and being rearmed there, bef
ore jumping out again.

  Jane popped up a map of the area, with the jump points to be sealed on there, and I took the hint and sealed the jump point we were near. Over the next hour Long Water jumped into a dozen systems, and Gitte and Haynes jumped out with an escort of half the squadron, minus one, and the three of us closed up each system. The escorts were not needed, but it kept everyone with something to do.

  I knew this was temporary, the Ralnor would want their systems back at some point, but for now, we avoided the Trixone fleets heading towards the battle site, and simply sealed them into this pocket of space.

  When we arrived back where the fleet was, the cruisers were on both sides of the jump point now, with salvage droids out cleaning up the mess. Eagle and Bentley were debating if we stayed here for the night, or went back to Haven. In the end, they both won the argument. The dreadnaughts were going to stay with the Ralnor so they could answer the next call faster, even if all they could do safely was join them for a slugfest, as Bentley put it. But I had the impression she relished that sort of fight.

  The rest of us started jumping for home, and I finally let the others leave their fighters. They went straight to the medical bay. Once the ship was docked at Haven station, I joined them.

  Serena looked paler than usual, the wounded area on her side very obvious, but her face looked serene. It totally freaked me out, but I made myself calm and composed for the team’s sake.

  Jane told us to leave, and she’d remain with Serena for as long as she was in the care unit. I led them through the rift to our living room, and since it was approaching dinner time, we headed for the mess. It was a noisy exuberant place when we entered, and I guess they were all entitled to feel that way. It had been a big victory, after all.

  But our table was a somber one in the sea of jubilation. A butler put food in front of me, and I pushed it around the plate for a bit.

  “Bud!”

  “What?”

  “I said,” said Jill, “you should go to bed. You look totally done in. After what you did today, I don’t know how you’re still on your feet.”

  I refrained from pointing out I was still connected to a faraway sun. I started to release it, but stopped as my vision went blurry.

  I looked at her.

  She flinched.

  “How can I?”

  “Easily. Just walk to your quarters, and lie down on the bed. Release whatever you’re drawing on to stay functional, and let sleep take you. Mum’s on her way to look at Serena. We’ll wake you the moment there’s any news.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  I looked around the table, and saw the same promise on all their faces.

  “Fine. Good night then.”

  I rose and left. Once in my bedroom, I used my sight to look in on Serena, and she looked unchanged. An older version of Jill with colonel insignia was bending over her with the care unit open. Jane turned and looked at me, even though I wasn’t there. She nodded, and I dropped my sight, shifted to a belt, lay on the bed, and switched off the lights and my PC HUD.

  Darkness took me.

  Twenty

  We made love like it was our first time.

  Her skin showed no signs of her wounds, and her face was alive with passion. She ended up straddled over me, looking down at my face.

  Her smile faded.

  “You have to let me go, Bud.”

  “What do you mean? Go where?”

  “The great mystery, Bud. You know. Into the light.”

  “Why would you want to go there?”

  “I don’t want to go. But it’s my time.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Bud. My love. I’ve always known my journey ends here.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “All seers know the time of their death. We see it as one of the first things to come as a vision. Why do you think I’ve been pushing the boundaries and breaking the rules to be with you? A short but eventful life was all I was given.”

  “What do you mean ‘time of their death’? Jane said you were going to be fine.”

  “Jane lied. She needed you functional, and in charge. My injuries were always fatal. Even Jill’s mother can’t change that.”

  “But…”

  “No buts, my love. I can see the light forming for me. I’ll wait for you on the other side.”

  I rolled her onto her back, and now it was me straddling her, on my hands and knees above her.

  “Don’t go.”

  “I must.”

  “NO!” I screamed.

  And woke up, to find myself alone on the bed, and on all fours, looking down at my pillow.

  “No!” I yelled, and moved myself.

  I found I was inside the care unit, my back pressed against the lid, Serena below me. Her chest moved with the attempt at a breath.

  “Stay with me!”

  I raised my right hand, and willed Thorn’s, now my, staff into my hand, and pressed the red crystal between her breasts.

  “Live!” I yelled at her.

  The crystal pulsed with light, and went out.

  “Kali, please. This is not her time to pass.”

  I said it softly, almost reverently, hoping for an answer.

  “How do you know that?” said a female voice inside my head.

  “I KNOW it. Every fiber of my being says this is not her time.”

  “Then heal her.”

  The crystal glowed softly and went out. I reached out to the distant sun I was still connected to, and connected it directly to the staff, and as I pulled as much energy as I could from it, this time it glowed a red so bright I was forced to close my eyes.

  I heard her last exhale, braced myself against the lid, and with my left hand, I searched for her right hand. I pressed hers against mine holding the staff still between her breasts.

  Her chest rose again, and I heard her breathe in.

  “Breathe, my love,” I said softly. “We need you still. I need you still. Come back. Heal.”

  The red glare continued for what felt like hours, but was probably only seconds, and then faded slowly.

  I opened my eyes.

  Serena’s eyes were still closed. Her wounds were gone. Her breathing had returned to normal, and she looked as if she was sleeping normally.

  The staff vanished, and I released the sun.

  A wave of total weakness swept over me, and I pushed myself over onto my side next to her, and with one arm pressed into her side, and the other across her chest just under her breasts, I felt myself sinking back into the darkness.

  “That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” said a voice, seemingly at a great distance.

  The darkness took me again.

  Twenty One

  Someone had put a blanket over us.

  Serena was awake, and smiling at me.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Hi.”

  “I had the most amazing dream.”

  “I know. I was there.”

  She kissed me.

  Which was when the applause started. I was still lying beside her, and pushing myself up a bit, I could see over her. The rest of the team were all standing there clapping, and grinning.

  “Okay. Everyone out.”

  The voice had command in it, but wasn’t Jane.

  “Yes, mum,” I heard Jill say. “We’ll be on the station training deck if anyone needs us. Come on you lot.”

  The room emptied, and the colonel I’d seen with my sight stepped up to the care unit. The lid slid back.

  “You two might want to shift into something,” she said.

  Serena giggled, and shifted into a flight suit. I did the same before I realized someone had to have put a new belt on her while we slept. The colonel held out a hand to her, and she took it and was helped down. I followed.

  “How do you both feel?”

  “Weak,” said Serena. “But okay. I’m a bit hazy about what happened though.�
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  “Any pain?”

  “No. Should I have?”

  “After the treatment you had last night, normally the answer is yes. Even if it’s just the two small punctures in the neck the care unit gives you while connected to it while giving treatment beyond what the medical monitor in the PC can do. But whatever Bud did seems to have healed those as well.”

  “What did you do?” Serena asked me.

  “Apparently more healing than I thought I was capable of.” Neither of them looked convinced. “I was trained for healing along with all other forms of magic, so I knew I could do some, but apparently connecting to a sun gives it more potency.”

  “Potency?” asked Jill’s mum. “Is that what you call filling the room with a light so bright red it took me an hour to see properly again?”

  “Oops.”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I think my eyes are actually improved now. But whatever you were doing, it seems to have worked.”

  “Just don’t tell anyone.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’ll get transferred to medical, and spend the rest of my life bored out of my brain, healing people.”

  She laughed.

  “I’m medical, and no you won’t. But whatever power you have might be called on again. Are there other mages who can bring people back from the brink of death like you can?”

  Serena shot her a look.

  “I was dead?”

  “Officially, yes. But only for a few moments. Bud appeared over you, and that red light seems to have brought you back.” She looked back at me. “So are there any other mages who can do that?”

  “I’m not up to date with who can do what. But there should be some. Maybe not bring back from the dead level, but certainly able to heal many forms of sickness which might otherwise be fatal, even if untreatable. But it has a lot to do with the soul of the person.”

  “I know. Back in the Darkness War we used to lose people who shouldn’t have died, and some who should have survived. We had people doing reiki on a lot of them. It helped some people let go, and brought others back. I assume healing magic is just a more advanced form of reiki and other forms of spiritual healing modalities.”