“Something about those stealth ships keeps nagging at me,” Dash said, breaking the silence. “They didn’t look like Imperial ships. Or like any ships I’ve ever seen.”
“They must have come from Daspal,” Ali replied. “We know the Empire uses it for advanced research.”
“That’s what I thought, but it still doesn’t make sense. Those ships looked nothing like the normal Imperial designs.”
“Maybe it’s related to the stealth,” Jess said. “Whatever the technology is might define how the ship is built.”
“Maybe it would partly, but the ships would still look Imperial, or human built at least. Even if they set out to build ships that didn’t look Imperial, there are still certain ways of doing things that turn up on all ships. Things so basic that no one would think to change them. Those ships… they just looked so…”
Dash trailed off, seemingly unable, or unwilling, to finish the thought.
“Alien?” Jess prompted.
“Yeah. Sounds crazy, but… well, you saw them. And it would explain the other thing that’s been worrying me. If the Empire can build ships like that then we’d know about it. Not specifically what they can do, those ships would probably destroy anything they chose to attack, but we'd know the Empire had something that was a game changer. Something that meant we were suddenly losing far more ships, or our secret operations were being discovered and closed down. None of that has happened.”
“Could it be because they’ve just started building them?” Jess asked.
“It could… but my gut says not, because of the way they look again. It would be an awful coincidence too, us stumbling on them as they’re first being built.”
“Elizabeth told us that tar pits were very rare. She said there were rumours they’d been taken from alien ships, and that the Empire had no idea how to build them. Could it be the same with these ships?”
“I’ve been hearing those rumours for years, and dismissing them every time. Now I’m on a ship that has displayed some truly scary technology, and which features an intelligent creature that looks like a walking, furry coffee table with a neck. Yes, it does seem possible now. Maybe even likely. It certainly explains why we haven’t seen large numbers of those stealth ships, or the effects of large numbers anyway.”
“Could those have been the only three?” Ali asked.
Dash considered for a moment, then shook his head.
“No. If you only had three then you wouldn’t use them in any way that gave away their existence, or put them in danger. If they hadn’t fired on us we’d never have known they were there. They have more. Maybe tens, maybe hundreds. Not enough to make a difference throughout the Empire, but more than enough to make a big difference where they’re used.”
“Well, there are three less of them now,” Jess said with satisfaction.
Chapter 44
To Jess’s great relief, the Steady Light was moving, and moving fairly well. Elizabeth had not only managed to repair the thrusters faster than Jess had thought was possible, she’d managed to coax a reasonable speed out of them. The ship wasn’t moving fast, but it was far better than he'd hoped.
Now the Steady Light and the two freighters were following the route Dash had given them. Jess had the Wanderer flying rearguard, constantly watching for any sign they were being followed. They’d seen nothing so far, but that made him more jumpy rather than less.
He’d considered throwing the Wanderer through jump space to try and spot any hidden ships, but the chances of finding any were minuscule. They had no starting point to work with this time.
The next twenty minutes crawled by, but still there was no sign of pursuit. Jess was sure they were far enough from the area of the battle to be impossible to detect. That meant they were clear, unless something hidden was following them.
At the same time the delicate operation to remove the wasp from Sal was ongoing. Finally the Wanderer indicated everything was ready. Sal wouldn’t feel a thing, but Jess was still worried. A large chunk of her flesh would be removed with the device. Once deployed, barbed spines had activated to keep it from being easily taken out. While the Wanderer could keep Sal alive and repair the damage, it was still a major operation.
“Ready?” he asked Sal.
“Ready to get this thing out of me?” Sal asked? “Too bloody right. Just… be careful.”
“Of course,” he promised, sending the activation signal.
Sal tensed. Dash placed his hands on her shoulders and spoke quietly to her. She relaxed a little. The others would see nothing much, Sal was laying on her back and the device would disappear into the structure of the Wanderer.
Jess could see it all though, through the Wanderer’s sensors. He winced inside at the amount of Sal which was pulled away, fields preventing any bleeding. Parts of her shoulder and ribcage went with it. As soon as the wasp was clear the Wanderer started work on rebuilding the damage. Jess knew the ship was more than capable of handling that side. He kept his attention on the wasp, rushing it through the ship’s structure and ejecting it into space.
It wasn’t alone. He’d added a simple device, controlled by the Wanderer. Once the wasp was well clear he activated the device which separated the activation pad from the wasp. Within a second the wasp detonated. The Wanderer’s sensors confirmed that the explosion was devastating and exceptionally short ranged, just as Dash had said it would be.
Jess breathed a sigh of relief. Sal was safe, the wasp was gone. Now all they had to do was get all four ships to the point where Dash’s information said they’d be able to make a long distance jump.
* * *
“You were right,” Jess told Dash. “We can jump from here. It looks clear for far enough out, then we can make a course change. The question is, where are we going? The prisoners in the other ships are still in their transports. They won’t last forever.”
“There is somewhere… and it’s quite close. It’s a staging post my organisation uses. There’ll be relatively few people there, but quite a few ships, and it’s large enough to house everyone we free till they board those ships.”
Jess stared Dash in the eye. “I think you’re on the level. If not, you’ve already seen what this ship can do.”
Jess half expected anger from Dash, instead he laughed.
“Fair enough, Jess. Fair enough. I’m asking you to fly to one of my bases, you’re bound to be suspicious. Everything will be fine. and we can sort out new paperwork for all four ships, papers that show you’ve been traipsing around a different part of space for decades.”
“All right, give me the coordinates.”
Dash hesitated. “OK… you only, though. The other ships don’t get them until we need to make the last jump. I don’t want them heading off and selling us out.”
Jess smiled now. “All right, but don’t forget that the Wanderer can keep track of the other ships in jump space. If one drops out then we’ll be asking them some hard questions.”
Jess signalled to the other three ships, coordinating their actions. Exactly sixty seconds later all four ships leapt into jump space. Jess grinned at Ali. They were on their way. They were leaving Daspal, and its dangers, far behind.
Chapter 45
Sal moved her arm gingerly, the skin still felt slightly tingly across her shoulder and back where the wasp had been removed. Other than that, she felt fine. Physically. Her mind was in turmoil. It was time to confront Sovon.
Jess had pumped him full of drugs designed to make him compliant, using the medical sensors to give as high a dose as was possible without causing serious harm. Now it was time to wake him and get answers to her questions.
Jess, Ali and Roberto would be in the room, too, but hidden from Sovon to begin with. Jess had one of the robots in the room as well. Just in case, he’d said.
If the drugs worked then Roberto had many questions to ask, but that if was important. Roberto had warned them Imperial agents had extensive training in resisting interrogation, whether by drug
s or torture.
Sovon’s eyes flickered open and Sal’s heart skipped a beat. For a few seconds they remained glazed, then they focused on Sal.
“Do you know who I am?” she asked, managing to find her voice.
“Yes. Hello, Sal.”
“Where do you know me from?”
“From prison.”
“It’s true, then? You’re really Markus?”
“No.”
Sal felt her heart drop. What did he mean?
“I am not really Markus,” he continued. “But you knew me by that name. I am really called Andreas.”
Sal felt a lump in her throat. This truly was Markus, yet the rest of his answer made it very likely he was an Imperial agent. That Markus hadn't ever really existed. She asked the question.
“Did you feel anything for me? When we were together?”
“Of course!”
His passionate insistence made her heart beat faster, until his next words crashed into her.
“I felt disgust. I felt contempt. What else could I possibly feel for vermin like you?”
For a moment Sal nearly crumpled. Something died inside. She was surprised to find herself still standing. Not only still standing, but stronger than before. The confession had just confirmed something she had already come to strongly believe. It hurt, there was no getting away from that, but it didn’t hurt as much as she’d expected. There was a strange sense of peace about finally knowing for sure.
That didn’t stop the anger. She punched him in the stomach, then smacked the flat of her hand into his nose. Blood started to pour immediately. She would have done more but Roberto was there, pulling her back. For a moment she fought against him, but he wouldn’t let go.
“Please, Sal. Don’t do it. For your sake, not his. In days to come let yourself look back at this moment and be proud of what you did, and what you didn’t do. I know you want to hurt him. Really hurt him. But that’s your anger and your pain talking. If you listen to them now then you’ll never let them go.”
Roberto’s words got through to her. Instead of fighting against him she clung to him, shaking as sobs wracked her body. He held her close as the anger and pain washed through her.
* * *
Sal sat on a sofa waiting for Roberto to speak. He’d spent nearly two hours questioning first Sovon, as she now knew him, and then the other two prisoners. His grim face told her the news wasn’t good.
“All three are Imperial agents,” he said.
Ali looked as surprised as Sal felt. Jess just nodded. Sal realised he would have been listening in on every interrogation.
“Sovon, or Markus or Andreas, is a nasty piece of work,” Roberto continued. “I know the details of how he infiltrated our organisation. Some people are going to get visits they won’t enjoy. The woman was as bad, if not worse.
“The other man… well, he’s more the hired muscle than the brains of the outfit, but he’s still neck deep in horrific acts. We’ve got everything we need out of them now, and all of them know too much to let go.”
Sal recoiled slightly inside at what he was suggesting. She understood the necessity, and had killed more than a few people in the past while controlling the Wanderer’s robots and offensive drones. This was different though. This would be cold-blooded execution. Yes, they deserved it… but still…
“You think we should kill them,” Jess asked.
“I do. Let me have a gun again and I’ll make it quick for them.”
“Because you’re a soldier?” asked Jess.
Sal caught something strange in Jess’s voice. What was going on?
“Yes,” replied Roberto. “Because I’m a soldier, and they are the enemy.”
“That’s what I thought,” Jess said.
A screen sprang to life, showing the three prisoners. Each was secured in place sitting against the wall. One of the Wanderer’s robots stood nearby. Suddenly the robot surged to life, aiming a weapon at the woman. Several shots rang out and her body slumped as far forward as the restraints allowed.
Next the robot targeted the man Dash had described as the hired muscle. Sal didn’t know his name. Several shots later it didn’t seem so important. He was dead.
Now Jess turned towards Markus. The first two had died so quickly Markus was only just starting to register the shock, the fear that he would be next.
Jess didn’t give him time to be sure. More shots rang out from the robot and Markus slumped down too, blood pouring from his chest. Sal stared at the screen for a few moments, dumbfounded. Despite everything she had learnt earlier she still felt as if the love of her life had just been gunned down.
“Why, Jess?” Sal whispered hoarsely.
Jess nodded towards Roberto.
“For the same reasons he gave. I am a soldier now, and I swear to protect the innocent. Those three were the enemy. They caused so much suffering for so many thousands of people, if not more. I stand by my decision.”
Sal saw a look of approval on Roberto’s face.
“So you’ve declared war on the Empire?” he asked.
“Yes!” Jess said, nodding his head vigorously. “I want to reach the Wanderer’s home and find out if anything there can help us, but then I’ll be returning and stars help the Empire if they stand in my way.”
“I’m with you,” Ali said fiercely. “You know that.”
“Me, too!”
Sal was surprised to have spoken for a moment, then she realised she meant it absolutely. The anger of discovering the truth about Markus still burnt strong within her. She wanted to make the Empire pay.
“Count me in, if you’ll have me,” Roberto said. “I might even be able to bring a few people with me. People we can trust, not like Hackett and his crew. People that were with me from the beginning.”
Sal held her breath, waiting for Jess’s response and suddenly realising how much she would miss Roberto if he left them now.
Jess smiled and offered his hand to Roberto.
“Of course. If we’re going to fight a war, then we need an army.”
The two of them shook hands, then Jess spoke again.
“Let’s get our passengers somewhere safe, pick up your friends, then get going.”
Sal smiled. It already felt as if the Wanderer was changing course, starting the long journey. She felt excitement course through her body.
She looked forward to seeing the Wanderer’s Home, but she looked forward to returning and declaring war on the Empire even more.
* * *
Not far from where the damaged stealth ship had self destructed, something stirred. Barely a metre long, the device was mostly engine and guidance. It lacked the stealth features of its parent, but was small enough to have avoided detection by the Wanderer's scans. As it was intended to.
Now active, the device fired up its engine and headed in towards Daspal. The journey would take more than a week, but eventually it would reach the Imperial forces. When it did it would fulfil its purpose… delivering a record of everything that had happened up to the destruction of its parent ship. Details of the battle that had been fought, and of the amazing abilities the Wanderer had demonstrated.
And when that information reached the Empire, everything would change.
Wanderer Tainted Universe
Part I
The Crashing Wave
Chapter 1
Admiral Vorn sat in silence, studying the battle recording as it played out on the screen. His officers sat to either side, tensely studying both the recording and the Admiral, desperately trying to guess what his reaction would be so they could match their own reactions to his.
So far he’d let nothing show. This was the third time the recording had played. His only reaction so far had been snapped commands to show the recording again. The pressure was starting to show. Several of the officers, hardened men who had been through many battles, were sweating. The Admiral’s temper could be unpredictable at the best of times. These were far from the best of times.
/> The admiral wasn’t a large man. Most of his officers were taller and more physically imposing. His black hair was receding, his face slightly harsh looking. He was well aware of the effect he had on his men. Normally he played on it, reinforcing their fear and loyalty. Not now, though. Now his attention was riveted on the battle before him.
He watched for the third time as a single trading ship, tentatively identified as the Wanderer, ripped its way through three corvettes and their supporting fighters. Then the recording jumped, taking his perspective with it. Now the view showed a firing run on the Wanderer, taken from one of three Banshees as they attacked the trader.
The Banshees were invisible to any scans and visual identification. They also packed in far more powerful weaponry than was normal for ships of their size. The Wanderer’s shields were steadily worn down by firing run after firing run. The ship was on the brink of being destroyed when it did something impossible. It disappeared, ripping its way into jump space, which should have been impossible from that location. Jump space in the area was far too turbulent.
The recording skipped once more. The Wanderer hadn’t got far and the three Banshees soon closed in again, having briefly broken comms silence to coordinate their next attack. Once again weaponry ripped into the Wanderer’s recovering shields.
The first time he’d watched the recording Vorn had expected the Wanderer to jump again, starting a game of cat and mouse. What else could they do when under fire from several invisible ships which were tearing down their shields?
They didn’t run. They fought back. Firing volleys in several directions they got incredibly lucky, hitting and disabling one of the Banshees as it reached its own firing position. The recording shuddered and fuzzed at that point before stabilising. It came from the Banshee that had been damaged.
Almost immediately the Wanderer struck at a second Banshee in the same way. Now there was no question of luck. Somehow the Wanderer had detected the two Banshees, or worked out where they would be. This time the Wanderer unleashed everything it had, destroying the Banshee it targeted.
Wanderer's Odyssey - Books 1 to 3: The Epic Space Opera Series Begins Page 50
