The Deadliest of Intentions

by Marc Stevens

  I was hoping it would not come to contingencies. The Chaalt should be able to figure out on their own that we bailed them out in a big way. Of course, thinking along those lines would put that subject under the heading of “things going our way.”

  “Commander, I have taken our crew members and the Chaalt engineers aboard. On your orders, I will destroy the shield control building and jump clear of the Chaalt exclusion zone.”

  “Get us out of here, Justice!”

  The view of the shield control building filled the command center. One second it was there, and then the screen whited out from a brilliant flash. The brilliance continued filling the command deck, and everything around me faded from reality. The return to normal space-time was uneventful, and it felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. Justice put the image of the asteroid up on the view dome. The Legacy had lingered long enough before we jumped to record the destruction of the base. The screen flared as the base exploded. As the flash faded away, all that was left was a rapidly expanding cloud of rock and dust. I breathed a sigh of relief, but it was a temporary feeling. The weight I had felt I was free of suddenly doubled.

  “Commander, I have no contacts to report, and that would include the Fury.”

  Klutch and the Operative walked into the command center with what could only be described as looks of satisfaction on their faces. That was about to change. I was going to tell Justice that it should be a piece of cake to locate one of his subsystems, but now that Sael was present, I would refrain from letting that particular cat out of the bag. Since Justice didn’t enlighten them, it was up to me to cast some shade on their jovial moods.

  “Sael, we are not picking up the Fury in this quadrant,” I said, breaking the news. “Normally I would not question your coordinates or intel, but Justice ran thorough scans of the space around us. We are alone out here, and the timer is ticking on whether or not your people will follow our DEHD core signature to this location.”

  The Operative stopped in her tracks and frowned at me. “The Fury will be cloaked, but you have always been able to get a location on us in the past.”

  I couldn’t tell if Sael was stating the facts or if she was hinting that she knew Justice was stowed away on the Fury. Either way, I chose to ignore it and move on with a larger search area.

  “Justice, engage our stealth systems and move farther away from our entry point. We will wait and see if the Chaalt decide to come after us and at the same time start searching deeper into the void.”

  “Affirmative, Commander. I would like to note that our present location is at the very edge of the updated star chart information supplied to us by the Chaalt. I will update our records as we progress with our search for the Fury.”

  Klutch sat at his usual station. Sael decided she was going to hang out on the command deck, but I wanted her to give the council members a briefing. They needed to be current on everything that was taking place. I also wanted a heads-up if there was something they could do to dissuade their military from pursuing us. The Fury not being at the rendezvous point had her distracted enough that Sael had the council on the back burner. Justice was monitoring their conversations but said they had little to say since their rescue. They did, however, request permission to speak with Tria when she was able.

  It took the Chaalt fifteen minutes and forty-two seconds. Justice reported the transitions and verified we had sixteen battleships and five light cruisers sniffing around in all directions trying to get a lock on us. Considering how many ships were in the area when we departed Chaalt space, this was a good sign. It would have to be determined at some point who the captains of these ships served. Were they looking to pick a fight, or were they in search of the rightful council? It was time I had a word with Sael and the Chaalt council members. I made my way to the crew quarters and stepped into a discussion I guess wasn’t for my ears, because it promptly stopped. After several awkward seconds, Sael turned and grabbed me by the arm. She walked around to each member and introduced me. They all seemed grateful for what we had done to rescue them, and most spoke of rewards and remunerations. They all inquired about Tria’s condition, and I was happy to report she would recover just fine without going into details.

  The most senior member, Chandra Maring, identified herself as such and stated that Tria would be receiving the star of heroism. It was the Chaalt version of the Medal of Honor. I politely nodded, and when she continued to list the other awards due us, I held a hand up and interrupted. I explained what was going on outside of the hull and that we needed to figure out if it was a hostile pursuit. This put the room into chaos. I had about as much of that crap as I could handle. I pulled Sael aside and told her to get the council to make a message we could put on a buoy, and we would figure out things from there.

  I left without further comment and went back to the bridge. Justice cued me in on the discussion they were having prior to me entering. The council members had been ordering Sael to tell me to take them back to the Chaalt home worlds. It was their belief the Fury must have been destroyed by hostile actions. Going back into that hornet’s nest not knowing who would shoot and who wouldn’t did not appeal to me. The urge to space them all, including Sael, crossed my mind more than once.

  With Justice’s help, Sael showed up on the command deck with a message that in no uncertain terms declared the council on the Legacy the rightful rulers of the Chaalt. The message also stated that anyone disputing that fact was a traitor and would be executed for treason. I shook my head and swore under my breath. Apparently, yours truly was going to be the executioner if they didn’t back down. How nice of them to discuss it with me! My dark thoughts elicited a haunting heckle from the beast. Sael must have felt my reaction and stepped back.

  “Nathan, I had nothing to do with the council’s statement. I find it distasteful that they would continue to hide in your shadow. I must also admit they have no others to cower behind at the present.”

  “Justice, we need to deliver the council’s message, and I don’t care how you do it.”

  That got the Operative’s attention. Justice made a snap jump that put us right in the middle of the Chaalt ship formation. The Legacy came into contact with at least three of the ships’ shields. We were bounced about by our warp bubble pushing the much larger ships aside. Justice dropped the buoy and jumped deep into the uncharted void.

  “Sael, I would like to hear your thoughts on why the Fury seems to be missing. Are there alternate coordinates that we should take a look at?”

  My question seemed to snap Sael out of a trance. She stared at me with a frown. “I have a few theories, and none of them are good.”

  “Give me the best-case scenario.”

  “There is no best case. There is the possibility the captain I entrusted with my command may have betrayed me. I would like to think that Captain Cirral thought we were killed on the insertion to the research center and decided to fight the coup on her own terms. I no longer believe that is the case. All of my IST comms are going unanswered. She knows I live. My comms not being acknowledged could mean the Fury was destroyed, which I doubt, or the comms are being ignored.”

  That bit of news made me shake my head in derision. What the hell? Had one of the most technologically advanced races suddenly all gone mad? I stared at the Operative and wondered if this new twist was some kind of elaborate plan cooked up by her to expose the fact that Justice had indeed infected the systems of the Fury. The expression on her face gave nothing away. This entire mess had me looking in all directions for the next conspiracy. The best solution I could think of was to return the rightful council to Athella.

  “Justice, jump us to Alpha Base.”

  “Roger that, Commander. DEHD core operations will be available in eleven minutes. I would like to report that the Chaalt warships that pursued us to our jump destination have all jumped out of the area with the exception of one. It is broadcasting on several IST channels attempting to contact the Operative. Shall I allow open IST
comms traffic to receive on our systems? I must caution you: it will allow the Chaalt to locate the Legacy.”

  Sael scowled. “You have the ability to eavesdrop on my IST or block it?”

  Why Justice would choose to reveal that information after I already told him to suppress other data pissed me off. The only thing I could come up with was it could make the Operative speak the truth about her communications with her military counterparts.

  “Put it through to Sael.”

  Her scowl turned to a face I had seen only when she was executing Gredda’s troops. She then verbalized out loud her orders to whoever was on the other end of the discussion.

  “Release the crew from detention but confine them to quarters until I can speak with them. The rightful ruling council will determine our next course of action. I want all military commanders of the ships that followed the illegal orders of the traitors arrested. Let them know if they refuse, they will be executed. Those who comply will be given every chance to exonerate themselves of all charges. You will be updated directly from the ruling council from this point forward, so expect orders within the hour.”

  Sael’s oration left little to my imagination. It sounded like the coup was put down when it became known we had rescued the legitimate rulers. I just needed the details to figure out where we fit in. The scowl disappeared from her face.

  “Nathan, I need you to take me back to your base and load my shuttle. We will then need to return to Athella so I can return the rulers of my people to power. Captain Cirral has indeed betrayed me and the people she once served. She jumped the Fury to Athella and placed the crew in detention. She then took on a new crew of her choosing as well as the leaders of the coup and jumped to an unknown destination. I need to brief the council on what has taken place. We need to return as soon as possible. I will see to it you and your followers are compensated for your service to my people. For now, I can only thank you for what you have done.”

  The end to this mess was finally in sight. If it were not for the injuries Tria had sustained, I would have felt overjoyed at the outcome. We had jumped headlong into hell. While I could not say we escaped unscathed, I thanked my maker we made it out at all. I reached out and grabbed Sael’s arm.

  “Just so we have an understanding that Tria’s service from this point on is voluntary.”

  “You have my word, Nathan,” Sael said. “I will make it known that she is no longer an asset to be used to obtain your compliance.”

  The bridge started flaring a brilliant white as my reality faded away.

  “Commander, I have four hundred and twenty-two Chaalt warships in the neighboring star systems,” called Justice upon return to normal space-time. “All are cloaked and appear to be monitoring the space around our planetary system. I have uploaded an intelligence brief from Alpha Base. The data shows that most of the ships took up station when it became known we were making our rescue attempt at the research station. None have made an attempt to enter our system. It would be speculation on my part, but I believe their present locations represent a defensive posture.”

  That information put a smile on the Operative’s face.

  “There are many who have not forgotten your service to my people,” she said. “I will return shortly with the orders of my council. It may no longer be necessary to jump back to my home worlds.”

  I hoped she was right. We could all use some rest.

  “Justice, what is Tria’s status?” I asked.

  “She is sedated but doing well considering the trauma she sustained. Her prognosis is good, and once she adjusts to the use of only two appendages, she will make a full recovery.”

  “How about Coonts? Is he going to fully recover from the weaponization?”

  “Yes, Commander. Coonts no longer requires coma recuperation and is now undergoing light physical therapy. He should be able to return to normal duty within the week. I have downloaded our mission to his implants, and he is hoping to meet with you and the rest of the crew.”

  We were back to things going our way, and for a change I did not feel like it was going to bite me in the ass. I headed to the galley for a quick meal. Justice had warned me the Troop Master was already there. He was packing away rations at a rate that would entail us making another supply stop in the near future.

  “What about the Prule biomass sample?” I asked Justice.

  “The Troop Master has cut back on his daily ministrations to every other day. The Prule are perishing daily. The data from the containment chamber confirms the live entity count is now one hundred and sixty-two. What remains of the Hivemind’s existence is begging for its life. The live count will drop below one hundred in two days. It would be a good time to ransom information.”

  The thought of getting usable intel from the enemies of all in exchange for Klutch pissing on the piece of pus they lived off of almost made me laugh out loud. The murderous bastards were finally getting what they deserved. As I rounded the corner into the galley, I was met by Xul.

  “Commander, you might want to consider coming back after the Troop Master has finished his meal. It is questionable whether or not he has ever had table manners. As of right now, I can testify that he does not.”

  The little Grawl turned and walked away, shaking his bulbous head. I had seen the Tibor eating enough times that I had grown immune to his rather messy habits. I would make it a point to sit on the same side of the table and out of his spew zone if he tried to strike up a conversation. Normally when he eats, he eats and has little to say. I was hoping it would be one of those occasions. I got my tray and sat two spaces down from him. He gave me a nod and kept shoveling it in. I thanked my maker for the small favor.

  I had about half my meal down when Sael and the council stepped into the galley. I stood and told them to make themselves at home, which most of them did. I made it a point to tell Sael to seat them behind the Troop Master. When she saw the food splattered around his table, she nodded and instructed the council accordingly. When they were seated, I picked up my tray and joined them. They were polite and quietly ate, but the noises coming from the Troop Master finally left them staring wide-eyed. Most pushed their trays away and decided to let me know what was on their minds. Senior member Maring asked for a word in private. I got up and walked into the corridor, and they all chose to follow.

  “Nathan Myers, it is our wish to return to Athella, but not on one of our ships that have encircled this star system. While we would like to think our security could not be compromised aboard one of our own vessels, the uncertainty of what has taken place brings a certain amount of doubt as to the loyalty of our commanders. There is no such uncertainty about our security aboard the Legacy. We kindly ask that you transport us to Athella, and we will depart in the Principal Investigator’s shuttle. Sael Nalen will ensure our safety from that point forward.”

  “Justice, what is our ETA to Alpha Base?”

  “I have finished my scans and have no hostile ship movement in our star system. ETA twelve minutes. I will have the Chaalt shuttle loaded within fifteen minutes of our arrival. DEHD core operations will be available in thirty-eight minutes. I have the location of the military garrison near the capital of Athella plotted as our outgoing destination. If the council has another destination in mind, please have them alert me before we depart.”

  I guess Justice decided to let them know he did a little mapping while he was out joyriding around the Chaalt home worlds. Council member Maring cleared her throat and stated that was their intended destination. The council members all politely excused themselves and went back to the crew quarters. Once they were gone, I decided I needed a no-shitter from Justice.

  “Justice, what are you doing? You seem to be giving away sensitive information for no other reason than to rub the council’s and Sael’s noses in it.”

  “I have been carefully studying the Chaalt council members and have determined that most of their interactions with us are from the standpoint of superiority. It is my intention to
let them know that what they perceive as a marked technological advantage is, in fact, not the case. I can assure you that my observations now reveal they have changed their viewpoint. They now believe more than ever that a lasting alliance with us can only improve their chances of gaining tech that will bring them parity with our present technological levels. Those were lead council member Maring’s words, not mine.”

  I should have known the scheming AI was working angles that I would have never thought about. Justice was taking out insurance policies that would pay future dividends. I just wish I was in the loop more often but could find no reason to chastise him for his methods. He was always working to our benefit, but I needed him to occasionally tell me in what way. He knew he had made his point and moved on.

  “We are making our approach to Alpha Base and will touch down in one minute.”

  17

  Our touchdown in the hangar gave me a feeling of closure. The worst of the mission had come and gone. Justice alerted me the Grawl were all present and waiting for us to disembark. I went down to the crew quarters and told the Chaalt that it would be a small delay before we left for their home worlds. I told them the base was at their disposal and the cafeteria was available for those who were hungry. All asked to speak with Tria if possible. I told them if Justice cleared it, she would be available before we took them home. This seemed to make them all happy, and as a group we headed down the boarding ramp.