by M. D. Cooper
“Most?” Tangel asked.
“Waiting on Jeffrey’s orders.” Krissy’s expression appeared sour. “If it were up to me, they’d be tried for treason. I’m hoping that the president feels the same way.”
“How many are there?” Sera asked.
“A drop in the bucket,” Tangel said, though she still looked troubled. “All-in-all, this went a lot better than it could have.”
“We’re fighting a final group of ships that are holding out near Jove, and then we’ll have the entire Huygens System under our control.”
“Thus ends the Transcend’s civil war,” Jason intoned.
Krissy shook her head. “If only. Our alliance is fractured. I doubt that many of the systems that declared for themselves will come back into the fold.”
“Do they need to?” Tangel asked. “So long as they’re not a drain on resources, we can focus on defeating Orion and then ending the war in the Inner Stars. The major conflicts could be resolved in as little as four years.”
“Now that would be a miracle.” Krissy took another sip of her wine, glancing at Sera.
“I think Tangel’s right,” Sera replied. “Even once we put out the current fires, new ones are going to spring up. The echoes of this war could take a century to fade away.”
“Well, I did say ‘major’ conflicts,” Tangel emphasized. “But I take your meaning.”
“What about you, Sera?” Krissy asked. “What are your plans now?”
Sera ran a hand across her brow and through her black hair. “Well, I had planned on turning over the Hand to Seraphina…or more like relinquishing any claim to it, as she was already taking the bull by the horns. I don’t know how that will shake out now, so I suppose I’m still in charge of that division.”
“And your father?” Tangel asked. “What do you think he has in mind for you?”
“Stars…” Sera muttered. “I have no idea. I’m beginning to suspect that he wants to keep the government at Khardine for now—”
“A good plan,” Krissy interjected, earning nods from around the table.
“So maybe his summoning is because he wants ‘em to run the Hand from there?” Sera looked at Krissy and shrugged.
“Well, he didn’t share anything with me,” the admiral said. “That much hasn’t changed from his prior incarnation. He’s still just as tight-lipped.”
“Well, I’ll put in a request for you to rejoin us as soon as possible,” Tangel said. “Can’t go long without my right-hand woman.”
Sera’s eyes widened as she turned to look at the field marshal, catching a twinkle in the woman’s eyes.
“You offering me a job?”
“Well, you are an honorary citizen of New Canaan,” Tangel replied. “I could use someone like you out there.”
“Hey, hey!” Krissy cried out. “No pilfering my Sera. You get the other two versions to Earnest and get them patched up. Then there will be plenty of Seras to go around.”
Sera shook her head. “I’m not sure if I should be amused or insulted.”
“What of your newest sister?” Tangel asked. “Has Dr. Rosenberg had a chance to look her over in detail?”
“She has, but the doctor is withholding final judgment. Let’s just say that mother took more liberties with the latest version of me. She’s more…divergent.”
Admiral Krissy shook her head. “Looks like an angel, behaves like a demon. Funny how you’re the opposite of that, Sera.”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to credit our Sera’s behavior as angelic.” Jason spoke for the first time in several minutes, knocking his knee against Sera’s.
“Umm…thanks?”
“I’ll second that,” Tangel added.
Krissy rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t being that literal. You forget that I’ve known Sera since she was a little girl.”
“Little demon, you mean,” Sera replied, grinning at her cousin, who nodded.
“Exactly.”
“So,” Tangel again brought the meeting back to business with that one word. “Let’s talk about how we plan to clean up the Transcend so I can focus on Orion.”
The conversation shifted to logistics and politics within the Transcend, carrying on for several hours. In the end, it was agreed that Krissy’s fleets were in a position to hold Airtha, should any of the separatist allies attempt to reclaim it. A secondary strike force was being assembled at Styx in preparation to hit Orion on the anti-spinward front and finally drive back the encroaching forces after two years of losses.
When the meeting finally concluded, Jason placed his hand on Sera’s.
“Care to take a walk down to the lake with me?”
She chuckled, though nodded emphatically. “Can we make it a bit longer than that? The lake is only a hundred meters away.”
“I bet we could find some path to follow together.”
As Sera bid farewell to Tangel and Krissy, she wondered if Jason had intended a double meaning. In her experience, men were less likely to do that, but Jason was also not an imprecise person.
Once outside of Tangel’s lakehouse, they walked silently to the shoreline, turning left to follow a path that led into the woods that lined the lake.
“I hope your sisters recover, and not just for our sake,” Jason said after a minute. “I feel like the three of you were starting to develop something special.”
Sera gave a caustic laugh. “Well, after growing up with a sister like Andrea, we all wanted something better.”
“I think it was more than that—though I do wonder what will become of Andrea.”
“Hopefully she’ll get lost in the dark layer…forever.”
Jason shook his head. “You don’t really mean that, do you?”
“No, I suppose not. But I would be happy if she just disappeared.”
“I won’t fault you there,” New Canaan’s governor replied. “I’m curious. Would you like me to give you a lift to Khardine?”
“Jason Andrews’ interstellar taxi service?” Sera asked with a laugh.
“Well, just a way to spend a bit more time together before I have to return to New Canaan. Getting a bit more face time with your father won’t hurt, either.”
“Why?” Sera asked. “You don’t need his permission to court me.”
A snort burst from Jason’s mouth, and he gave Sera an amused look. “Gaining his approval for our relationship is the furthest thing from my mind. I’m interested in cementing New Canaan’s relationship with the new-old president of the Transcend.”
“That’s good, because my father—well, the man who shares the same face as my father—doesn’t really know what to think of my sisters and I. As far as he’s concerned, we’re just painful reminders of his lost wife.”
“Maybe.” Jason shrugged. “I think that can shift over time. Either way, he asked to see you, and since Tangel wants to send Sabrina and the Voyager to help Corsia with the Trisilieds….”
“OK, OK.” Sera laughed and bumped her hip against Jason’s. “I’ll let you fly me around in your fancy space ship. I tell you, though, I’m worried about things out there. Would be a lot easier if the Hyadeans actually helped.”
“Don’t count on it,” Jason snorted. “I don’t blame them for being wary of the Trissies. Those bastards are turning out to be much more problematic than we expected. Heck, the Hegemony seems to be an easier egg to crack.”
“Sure,” Sera replied. “But we have Scipio in the mix. They’re no slouches.”
“That’s for sure,” Jason replied. “And Diana…whew! I met with her not long ago, what a whirlwind of a woman.”
“Oh?” Sera cocked an eyebrow. “Thought you liked whirlwinds.”
He gave an
easy laugh. “I suppose I do. Maybe she’s a maelstrom, then. Or a supernova. Something that’s clearly more dangerous than fun.” Jason slipped his hand into hers. “You, Sera, are more fun than dangerous.”
“Huh… I suppose I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“So, all that aside, do you want a ride to Khardine?” Jason asked.
Sera glanced at him and laughed. “I feel like you’re asking me on a date to another star system.”
“Maybe I am.”
“Okay, then I’m in. But just so you know, Roxy, Jane, and Carmen are coming with me.”
“Sure,” Jason nodded. “I read the reports. Roxy has quite the past.”
“She does…I’m very optimistic about her.”
“In what way?”
Sera chuckled. “Well, it’s optimism that involves making her assistant director of the Hand.”
Jason joined in her laughter. “Sneaky!”
“All part of my master plan to shuck all responsibility,” she replied, turning to catch his gaze.
Jen interjected, and Jason laughed.
“Maybe you’re not pulling your weight,” Sera countered, joining in Jason’s laughter.
After a moment, Jason asked, “So what do you plan to do once you’ve handed over all your duties?”
A sly smile formed on her lips. “I was thinking of seeing if Cheeky needed any crew.”
The governor placed a hand on his chest. “Oh! You build up my hopes just to dash them!”
“Well…I bet they could use a new supecargo.”
“Pilot, Sera. If I sign on, it’s as a pilot.”
“Now you’re talking.”
PART 4 – ESCAPE
LAST DITCH
STELLAR DATE: 10.11.8949 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: ISS Lantzer
REGION: Coreward of Stillwater Nebula, Orion Freedom Alliance
“Tell me you have power!” Jessica demanded, not looking up from the holotank, certain Karma would know she was addressing him.
“Not yet, ma’am,” he muttered. “Rails are all still offline.”
Her husband sighed, sounding like the weight of the galaxy was on him.
“Fuck!” Jessica swore, then turned from the holotank and closed her eyes, drawing a deep breath.
She normally prided herself on her ability to remain calm in the face of danger, but the past seven days of playing cat and mouse with the Caretaker ships had worn her down. She grabbed a drink off a nearby console and threw it back before turning to look at the holotank once more.
The crew of Sabrina was in the midst of a brief reprieve; both of the fishbone ships had made high-speed passes and were out of weapons range as they came about.
For the first time in days, both of the enemy ships were on the same side of the Lantzer. That meant that when they came back in for another pass, she would only have to power shields on one side of the ship.
Jessica’s fervent hope was that running the shields at only half coverage would finally give them the power needed to punch through one of the fishbone’s shields. Of course, that plan was contingent on the railguns being online.
Jessica shook her head in disbelief. Despite days of desperate defense against the two fishbone ships—and nearly no sleep at all—Glenn seemed to be in high spirits, as though he thrived on this sort of insane conflict.
“That mirrors my assessment,” she replied quietly.
A fear had begun to take hold in Jessica’s mind. A fear that no matter what they did, the Caretaker ships would prevail. After seven long days, the Lantzer had only managed to score a few hits that made it through the enemies’ shields. Glancing blows, nothing more.
They were down to three ARC fighters, the others suffering cascading system failures as a result of the EM burst that had initially dropped the Lantzer out of its jump. She’d had to spend time destroying the remains of those craft, knowing that the last thing her people needed was for the Caretakers to gather stasis shield technology from those hulls.
We just need a few more hours. Just enough time to finish repairs on that damn gate!
Trevor and West had been hard at work piecing together a functional gate when a series of system failures across the ship had derailed them. It hadn’t been the first time.
Constructing a functional gate from the four in the ship’s holds had been the primary goal for the past six days—except it kept slipping to secondary, due to the ever-present need to stay alive.
She decided that there was no time like the present, and left the bridge to get coffee and more of that bizarre, green energy drink that Karma loved.
Though a lot of things that should have been present on the ship were listed in the inventory systems as being ‘backorder-delayed’, Karma’s energy drink was present in volumes large enough to keep them going for a year.
It was suspicious to say the least, but had provided a much-needed bout of levity at one point, when West had accused Karma of breaking some sort of unknown regulation to get so much of the drink aboard. Karma, for his part, had claimed he hadn’t even put in for a huge stock of the drink.
After West’s ire had simmered down, it had turned into a bit of a running joke with the beleaguered crew.
By the time Jessica returned to the bridge with a carafe of coffee and a few pouches of Karma’s drink, West had called up with good news.
she announced gleefully.
The ship was falling apart, and they all knew it. Even though they’d weathered days of attacks, just the power draw alone for weapons and shields was burning out one temporary fix after another.
In all honesty, it was a miracle that the Lantzer had held together as long as it had.
You’re a tough old girl, Jessica thought, hoping the ship could hear her and would gain some measure of encouragement.
Karma rose from his console and walked to Jessica’s side.
“Yes, Ensign?” she asked.
“Umm… ma’am. Are you going to let me have one of those drinks, or just clench your fist around it until it explodes?”
Jessica started, looking down to see that she had a white-knuckle grip on the energy drinks. “Sorry.”
She handed them to the ensign, and he gave two to Lucida before resuming his seat.
“Rails are reporting full readiness,” he announced upon settling. “Guns one and two are loaded with slugs, and three has the grapeshot.”
“Get three ready to fire a spread in pattern delta-three. Given what our friends out there are doing, that stands the best chance of getting them where we want.”
Thus far, the Lantzer had managed to fire six salvos of grapeshot from the third railgun. The first had hit the target designated ‘F2’ and weakened the shields enough to let the beams penetrate and do limited damage. Following that, the enemy had been very careful to avoid the field of fire that railgun three covered.
It was frustrating, but it did reduce the enemy’s avenues of approach, which had its own benefits. However, the shot that was loaded into the third railgun was different this time, being filled with small pellets that were capable of independent maneuvering.
Jessica had been saving this ammunition, waiting for the enemy to grow complacent and think she was behaving predictably. When the railgun fired next, it would appear to fire on one vector, while the grapeshot would end up elsewhere. With any luck, that ‘elsewhere’ would be the same place the enemy ships were.
Even so, chances were fifty-fifty. Space was large, and the enemy had a lot of maneuvering options. But even though they were supposedly dealing with ascended beings, the Lantzer’s bridge crew had spotted patterns as well. There were preferred vectors the fishbones would move to when grapeshot was coming their way.
