Hell's Reach (Galactic Liberation Series Book 6)

by B. V. Larson

  “Thanks, Lieutenant. Any chance of restarting or salvaging the ship?”

  “Unlikely. We will investigate further and let you know, sir.”

  “Roger that. Straker out.” He turned toward Sensors. “Any emissions from the life-bearing planets?”

  “No EM emissions from any of the three, sir. Initial atmospheric tracing shows hydrocarbon burning—coal and petroleum perhaps—but no radio.”

  “So if there’s any sentient life there, it’s primitive.”

  “Or technologically regressed,” Salishan suggested. “If ships are brought here and can’t get away, they might set down in order to survive. Eventually, the high-tech machines stop working, generations pass... ”

  “Or the butterfly collectors mess with them, take away their tech.”

  “Hasn’t happened with us, yet, sir.”

  “We don’t know how fast they operate. Maybe they move slowly, deliberately. Imagine amoral creatures who view everyone else as things to be studied or played with. Who knows what they might do?”

  Salishan said nothing, merely shook her head.

  Sensors spoke suddenly, excitedly. “Bogey, extreme range, small ship with standard EM signature. Ma’am, database match to Cassiel!”

  “Cassiel? Jilani’s ship?” Salishan asked.

  “That’s what the SAI says.”

  “Comlink them!” Straker barked.

  “They’re more than five light-minutes away, sir, and they don’t have FTL comms.”

  “Of course. Send them a message, standard Breaker channel and encryption. Give them a SITREP, request one from them, and ask them to join us. Captain Salishan—”

  “Helm,” Salishan said, “set course to rendezvous with Cassiel, one quarter acceleration. Comms, inform our squadron. Pass to Bankia”—that was another skimmer—“to scout ahead and intercept Cassiel. Confirm identity and render aid if needed.”

  The officers murmured their aye-ayes and executed the orders.

  Almost forty minutes passed before the expected return message from Cassiel. It was Loco’s welcome image on the vid. “Well, well, well. Fancy meeting you here, boss.” He buffed his nails theatrically and grinned. “Wondered when you’d show up. You must be slipping.” He chuckled and sat forward in the cockpit view. “Seriously, we’re really glad to see you. Our ship could use repairs and supplies. We rescued eleven Breaker men from forced labor in a rhodium mine, and we have them aboard. They’re camping in our hold, and frankly, they’re starting to stink.”

  The bridge personnel applauded and let out a cheer, and several watchstanders whispered into their comlinks, passing the scuttlebutt to the rest of the crew.

  The message continued. “Our information led us to believe Carla and the other women are being held here in Hell’s Reach. You should be receiving a data file alongside this message with everything we know. See you soon.” Loco saluted casually. “Loco out.”

  Straker let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Great news.”

  Salishan sidled up next to him and spoke quietly. “Embarrassing. They did more to rescue our people, and faster than we did.”

  “A battle and a new political alliance got in our way,” he replied quietly. “Still, it does point out the value of small teams. It occurs to me we should establish a Breakers covert operations division, with personnel who can blend in with civilians, gather intel and perform special missions.”

  “If you’re asking my opinion, I’m all for it. If you’re offering it to me, no thanks.”

  “No, I was thinking of Loco, and Jilani if she wants to join in. We’ve got plenty of outstanding regular military officers, but special ops and spying require a different mindset.”

  “Each to their own.”

  “Precisely.” He swallowed. “Good news about the Breaker men.”

  “Flip side, bad news about the women. You think that’s significant?”

  “I really don’t want to think about it, but I have to, Mercy. Why do you think they separated them like that? Why the women?”

  “If the enemy were humanoid, I’d think it was the same old story—sex trafficking. But I wouldn’t figure the Predators would care. Korven violently and indiscriminately implant any oxygen-breathing organics. Arattak and Dusics are immune to nearly all poisons and will drink most body fluids. The Vulps and Crocs are carnivorous. Maybe they think woman-flesh is tastier?”

  Straker made a face, and then stepped over to Comms. “Link to Doctor Straker.”

  A moment later: “Mara here, Derek.”

  “Loco and Jilani are in-system with some rescued Breaker prisoners—all men. We’ll pick them up soon. He sent data. Take a look, interview Loco and the Breakers when they get here, and try to figure out why they separated out our women and sent them to Hell’s Reach instead of selling them off like they did the men. There must be a reason.”

  “On it.” The comlink dropped.

  No doubt the news was rippling around the ship now. Once again his nerves sang with the frustrated desire to do something, smash something, kill something.

  “Mercy, can we speed up the pickup?”

  “If we want to burn double fuel, twice. Remember, more acceleration means more deceleration.”

  Straker ground his teeth and told himself to quit micromanaging. “How long?”

  “Ninety minutes, more or less, as they’re heading toward us at higher speed than we’re heading toward them. Cassiel is pretty fast.”

  “Fine. I’m going to make rounds, get in a workout, a meal, maybe a nap... you good for now, Captain?”

  Salishan nodded. “We all have the Bug now, sir. We don’t need much sleep. And one nice thing about being the captain: unlimited food delivery, straight to the bridge.”

  “I’ll be on comlink.” Straker left. He checked his handtab to see which areas he hadn’t visited lately, reminding him of... oh yeah, Sinden wanted to see him. He dropped by a couple of the maintenance shops, marked them off his list, and then headed over to Intelligence.

  The Intel shop was bustling. It looked like Sinden had brought every specialist she could cram aboard. The nearest few shot to their feet and took deep breaths to announce Flag on deck but Straker waved them down. “At ease, carry on.”

  Commander Sinden stepped out of her tiny office and waited for him to wend his way through the people and stations. Inside, she shut the door and gestured for him to sit in the lone extra chair. Once they were seated, she activated a broad-spectrum portable jammer.

  Straker’s eyebrows rose. “You worried about someone spying on us here?”

  Sinden ran her hands through her short blonde bob and sighed. “Zaxby spies on everyone, and if he can do it, others might too. Even this jammer isn’t foolproof. The Thorian can see nearly the entire EM spectrum, including X-rays and exotic particles. That means he can see through walls.”

  “He’s off the ship—and I trust him.”

  “Trust his intentions, sir, but I’m sure Zaxby could trick him into spying for him anyway.”

  “So it’s Zaxby you’re worried about? Some specific reason?”

  “Not until recently. Generally, he’s a Breaker, but only on-again, off-again. He has too many political and economic ties to Ruxin and elsewhere not to have conflicts of interest. That’s one reason I keep a close eye on him. Also, he takes far too many liberties with his orders. That’s another. I’ve always overlooked his activities until now, but... ”

  “But... you said recently?”

  She seemed to have difficulty starting her next sentence. “Sir, this is extremely awkward.”

  “I can see that, but it’s okay, Nancy. Whatever’s going on, I’ll give it due consideration and not act hastily. I know Zaxby plays fast and loose with orders, and you’re exactly the opposite. Both approaches have their advantages. You think Zaxby’s gone too far in some way?”

  Sinden nodded in relief. “I do. Of course, it’s up to you to judge, but I can’t stay silent in this case.”

  �
�Go on. It’s just you and me here, and we’ve known each other since childhood.”

  “That’s just it, sir. Maybe we haven’t.”

  That made no sense to Straker. “What’s that mean?”

  “If I told you, you’d think I was insane. I have to show you. With Zaxby off the ship, it’s the perfect time. And sir... it involves your sister.”

  “Mara? What about her?”

  “She’s working with Zaxby on something... has been for a long time, it seems, ever since the Hive and Crystal wars. Ever since they got ahold of that alien tech, the Mindspark device, and made the rejuvenation tanks. The subquantum reorganization J-tech that’s come out of it is revolutionary, and it’s leading them far beyond the frontiers of what’s ethical, even moral. Like the golems.”

  Straker frowned. He wasn’t getting it. “That was a one-time thing.”

  “What’s done once can be done again—and it gets easier each time.”

  “If I remember a few Nancy Sinden quotes correctly, you were never very concerned with morals and ethics, as long as you got the job done.”

  “My thinking has evolved, sir. I’ve performed a deep analysis of all major moral and ethical systems—in theory, in practice, and in outcomes—and have concluded that no sentient society can long prosper without firm ethical foundations. I’ve therefore synthesized my own ethical code from all the most effective sources, and have pledged myself to live by its principles. It’s the rational thing to do, for the greater good.”

  Straker suppressed his amusement at her earnest declarations. It was a common failing of brainiacs that they thought of life as a problem to be solved, and once they thought they had, they saw everything through that lens. Put another way, when they invented a hammer, everything became a nail.

  “You’re still young, and I’m sure your thinking will continue to evolve. That’s good. So, what part of your code has been violated to the point that you have to tell me in secret?”

  “As I said, sir, I have to show you, and the answer will become clear.” She stood and strapped on her sidearm. “Please come with me to Zaxby’s lab. Could you have Steiner and several armed marines join us there? And a laser team, just in case we need to cut something open.”

  “Sure.” He hid his astonishment. “Let’s go.”

  On the way, he comlinked Steiner and told him to bring six armed marines and a cutting team to his location, deliberately not mentioning Zaxby’s lab. Whatever this was, Sinden seemed to want to keep it hush-hush. Steiner would use the ship’s SAI to track Straker’s comlink and rendezvous with him—which would happen to be outside the lab.

  Halfway there, with Sinden leading him nervously through crowded corridors, klaxons whooped and the public announcement system spoke in the SAI’s piercing voice.

  “Alert Condition One. Battle Stations. General Straker to the bridge. Alert Condition One. Battle Stations. General Straker to the Bridge.”

  Chapter 28

  Hell’s Reach, SBS Trollheim.

  “Sorry, Commander, this will have to wait,” Straker bellowed to Sinden over the din of the SAI announcing Battle Stations, and then turned toward the bridge. He shoved in his comlink and acknowledged.

  “Aye aye, sir,” Sinden yelled and backtracked toward Intelligence.

  His comlink beeped. “Steiner here, sir. You still need us and the cutters?”

  “Not now. I’ll let you know. Straker out. Straker to Salishan. What’s happening?”

  “Enemy ships emerging from a wormhole, fleet strength.”

  “On my way.”

  On the bridge, the main screen showed a view of a wormhole, with at least thirty ships nearby and more arriving. The holotank reflected the same, identifying the wormhole as the one from which Cassiel had emerged.

  “Sir, those ships are chasing Cassiel. They’re a mix of Predators ranging up to heavy cruisers. No DNs yet, but as it stands, we’re far behind in combat power.”

  “Will they catch Cassiel?”

  “No, but the four shipkillers chasing them might. I’ve already ordered our two available skimmers ahead, recalled Teredo, notified Redwolf, and we’re at Condition One. I’ve also launched a spread of six shipkillers under positive control. We can use them as antimissiles if we have to. Expensive antimissiles.”

  “I’m aware of the equities involved,” he said dryly. “Hell of a way to fight a battle, always worrying about how much things cost.”

  “I’m not concerned about the money, sir. It’s running out of expendables with no resupply available that worries me.”

  “Understood. What’s the timeline look like?”

  “Fifteen minutes to shipkiller intercept. Twenty-five minutes to our rendezvous. Those ten minutes represent the danger window, and no, we can’t cut that window. If we accelerate more, we’ll shoot past Cassiel. If we do, we’ll either have to turn and burn huge amounts of fuel, presenting our stern to be raked, or we’ll have to make a firing pass through the enemy formation. We’ll hurt them bad, but they’ll hurt us worse. Trust me on the tactics.”

  “I do.”

  “The skimmers will get there first. The sims say they should be able to destroy the shipkillers, ninety percent.”

  “Seems like you’ve got everything covered.”

  Salishan shot him a glance. “I’ve tried, sir. You see something else?”

  “No. Only, we’ve never fought the Dusics, Crocs or Vulps. We can’t assume we know everything about their tactics or tech. No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.”

  “Commander Sinden has provided briefings on what we do know... but yes, sir, I take your meaning.” She sighed. “Here’s a case where true fighter craft would come in handy. I know they’re mostly useless for fleet engagements, which is why carriers became obsolete, but right now we could use some speedy, heavily armed attack craft.”

  “Like the anti-Opter cutters?”

  Salishan snapped her fingers. “Exactly.”

  “We’ll put them on the wish list.”

  Straker paced and Salishan drummed her fingers on the arm of her captain’s chair as the minutes ticked by. The tension rose as the enemy shipkillers neared the fleeing Cassiel.

  The two leading skimmers began firing beams at their long range, trying to pick off the six enemy missiles—which began random evasion patterns, jinking and twisting while still following Jilani’s sloop. One of the missiles disappeared and a cheer rose from the watchstanders—until suddenly there were eleven missiles showing in the holotank.

  “Decoys,” Salishan said, slamming her hand on her armrest as she stood to join Straker at the holotank, staring fiercely at it as if to influence the battle by sheer will. “One of them was a decoy pack. Or possibly a multi-pack with conventional warheads. Split into six, looks like.”

  Straker refrained from an I-told-you-so. “Chances now?”

  “I’d say fifty-fifty,” Salishan said. “Weapons, give me a sim run.”

  After a moment the weapons officer had an answer. “Fifty-nine percent positive.”

  “With our shipkillers included?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Salishan swore in her ancestral tongue. “Message to Bankia and Midiya. All weapons free, expendables authorized.”

  “What’s that?” Straker asked, squinting at the holotank. “Zoom in.”

  “Redwolf. Gods and monsters, she’s fast. She’ll actually beat the missiles to the intercept.”

  “That yacht is Murdock’s baby. She’s over-teched with everything he could load into her.”

  “I wonder how much money he spent.”

  Straker glanced sharply at Salishan. “Good question—for Colonel Keller, for later. For now, I hope he spent enough to save their lives.”

  A shipkiller—or a decoy, there was no way to tell—winked out, then another, as the skimmers continued to fire. Closer and closer the icons grew, and the holotank zoomed in further and further to keep them separated in the view. Another winked out, then another, and then the
display whited for a moment.

  “Our shipkillers,” Salishan stated, arms crossed and waiting for the blasts to clear from the EM overload. When they could see again, three missiles still closed on Cassiel.

  One of the skimmers—Bankia—lined up on a missile and charged directly at it. “What’s he doing?” Straker asked.

  “Not sure. I hope he’s not sacrificing his ship... ”

  The skimmer and missile merged in a tremendous explosion.

  “Great Creator... what the hell?” Straker pounded the rail. “Damned stupid heroic Ruxin war males. Zaxby better not have ordered his people to—”

  “Look!” Salishan pointed. Bankia appeared beyond the remaining two missiles, clawing into a tight turn. “Underspace!”

  “Of course,” Straker said. “Must’ve dropped a mine in the missile’s path and skimmed under. Fine timing.”

  “Put that skimmer captain in for a medal.”

  “Two more... ”

  The other skimmer, Midiya, attempted the same maneuver, but must have mistimed the drop. The explosion missed. The enemy missile sprinted toward Cassiel. Lasers slashed out from the skimmers, but the wildly maneuvering shipkillers avoided their doom with machine speed.

  Redwolf entered the holotank’s view, and the lead missile broke apart close to its target’s exhaust plume. Zaxby must have used something unconventional—the grav-beam, maybe?—because there was no heat flash from a laser strike.

  The last missile boosted to sprint mode and detonated behind Cassiel, whiting out the display again. Straker found his grip leaving dents in the hard polymer of the rail as he waited, waited...

  ... and Cassiel floated free. Her engine was silent, she was tumbling slowly, and she looked as beaten and battered as any tramp freighter—but she seemed intact.

  “Was that a shield I saw on Cassiel?” Salishan asked.

  Sensors replied, “Yes, ma’am—shield emissions detected. A Langston modular, probably a model 2013, the database says.”

  “Miss Jilani’s full of surprises,” Straker said.

  “Saved their lives,” Salishan replied. “Helm, coordinate and maneuver for min-time pickup, and then keep us away from the enemy fleet. Comms, pass the word for grabships to bring her in. Damage control and repair to stand by on the flight deck.”