by Bob Blanton
“Then we detected the Paraxean colony fleet coming toward one of the wormhole’s exit points. The military immediately made plans to seize it. Analysis showed that it would be difficult to grab control over all the ships, so they focused on what they determined was the cargo ship. As you know we seized it.
“Then we had to decide what to do with the Paraxeans. It was decided that they would be slaves, used to do the tasks that Fazullans didn’t care for. A breeding program was instituted to increase their number. We captured two thousand and we now have over one hundred seventy thousand.”
“This is sick,” Catie said.
“I agree,” Samantha said. “Did no one in your population object to this treatment of a sentient race, much less of your own women?”
“Of course people objected, but it didn’t take long to learn to keep those objections to themselves. The emperor dealt harshly with any critics.”
“So what do those people do?”
“They pray for an end to the empire.”
Chapter 18
Omega Has Risen
“Omega has risen!” Chazqita said to herself. “I thought I’d never live to see the day.”
Chazqita was Admiral Martaka’s favorite wife at this time, so she was with him on his ship. Usually, Fazullan women were not allowed on the ships, but since this was a mission to move the colony and it would last for years, they had made exceptions. The men hated to do the necessary cleaning on the ships, and they trusted their women more than they did the slaves. Two of his other wives were in stasis on the ship in case he got bored with her. Chazqita went to the hold where the stasis chambers were. She was wearing a cleaning outfit, so the men automatically assumed she was just there to clean. As cleaners, the women had access to most of the ship.
Chazqita nodded to the woman who was in the bay where the stasis chambers were located. The man who was there monitoring the stasis chambers ignored Chazqita, she was beneath his notice, even though she was the admiral’s wife.
Chazqita motioned for the other woman to distract the man. The woman nodded back to her, then moved in front of the man and bent over to clean an area of the floor. Of course, the man was immediately distracted as he looked at the woman’s bottom showing through her thin skirt. He was thinking about what he would do with her if she was his wife when Chazqita cut his throat.
“Omega has risen,” Chazqita told the other woman.
“Oh my, we must hurry,” the woman said. She immediately went to the controls of the stasis chambers. With Chazqita’s help, she started the process to bring all the women out of stasis. They also selected twenty men to bring out of stasis.
“Go, I’ll take care of them.”
Chazqita took the sidearm from the dead attendant and hid it under the folds of her skirt. She exited the bay and headed to the crew quarters. When she arrived, she was met by four men.
“We got the signal,” one of the men said.
“Yes. We must take over engineering. Go there and tell them you have been ordered to relieve them so they can rest up for the next phase of the battle.”
“Your will!”
The four men left hurriedly, racing toward engineering as fast as they could. Chazqita continued into the crew section, pausing at the door to her cabin. Looking around quickly, she entered the cabin.
“We are ready,” said one of the six women who had gathered in the cabin.
“Good,” Chazqita said. She moved to the far section of the cabin and removed a panel. Behind it were several weapons the admiral kept secreted in their quarters in case of a mutiny, and she quickly distributed them to the women. “You know the priorities. Only kill if you must. I’ll go to the bridge now and take care of our admiral.”
“Your will.”
Chazqita left the women to take care of the off-duty crew and hurried to the bridge. She paused to catch her breath and relax before entering.
“I have been ordered to clean the bridge,” she said as she entered.
“Then do it, we don’t need to hear from you,” Admiral Martaka said.
Chazqita made a show of cleaning the area around the pilot station. Then she moved to the communication station and dusted around the officer there. She nodded to him and whispered, “Omega has risen.” Then she made her way behind the admiral’s chair. She bumped the chair as she bent over to wipe the back of it down.
“Must you be so clumsy?!” the admiral snapped.
“I’m sorry.”
“Just be careful,” the admiral said as he turned back to the main viewer.
Chazqita slipped the stiletto she had gotten from the arms cache into her hand. She whispered something to the admiral. He laughed, then she pushed the stiletto into his skull. She pulled out the hand weapon and fired at the First Officer who was standing next to the sensor operator.
The navigator pulled his weapon and shot the security guard who was standing at the bridge entry. “Nobody else needs to die!” he said loudly.
The weapons officer reached for his weapon. Chazqita shot him before he got it out of its holster. The rest of the crew on the bridge put their hands up.
The navigator moved to the communication console. “Engineering, status report!”
“Omega has risen,” came the reply.
“Madam, we have the ship,” the navigator reported.
“Very good. Put everyone we don’t trust into stasis,” Chazqita ordered.
“Your will!”
◆ ◆ ◆
“Admiral, we’re getting a message from the Fazullans. It’s from the other side of the wormhole.”
“Put it on,” Blake ordered. He quickly Commed the rest of the strategy team.
When the feed came up a female Fazullan was sitting in what appeared to be the captain’s chair of one of their starships.
“Admiral McCormack, I believe,” she said. “I’m Empress Cyrianisa. I would appreciate your help in getting the status of my fleet that is on your side of the wormhole. Captain Lantaq will explain.”
“Give me a minute,” Blake said. The security guard was already on his way to retrieve Lantaq. “I’ll continue this in my office.”
The empress just sat there smiling while they waited for Captain Lantaq. When he entered, upon seeing the empress he immediately saluted. “Empress, your will!”
“I need to know how we have fared on your side of the wormhole,” the empress said.
Captain Lantaq turned to Blake. “We have been planning a takeover of the empire for years. This situation provided the perfect opportunity.”
Blake opened the Comm channel to the rest of his team. “Thoughts?”
“I say we let him call in,” Samantha said.
“Very well. What do you need?” Blake asked.
“Open the same channel,” Lantaq said.
“It’s open.”
“Omega has risen,” Lantaq said.
“Captain Lantaq, it is good to see you,” Chazqita said as she came on the channel.
“I have the empress on another communication channel. She is asking for an update.”
“I am Chazqita, the late admiral’s wife. Is it possible to combine the channels?”
“Of course,” Blake said. “Sakira, please combine the channels.”
“Done.”
“Chazqita, it is good to see you. Can you tell me the status of your squadron?” the empress asked.
“We have control over fifteen ships. We are still fighting for control over the other five.”
“Admiral Blake is it possible for you to provide assistance before more of our people are killed?” the empress asked. “We could also use some help on this side of the wormhole as well; we have seven ships that we are still fighting for control over. They’re immobilized, but that could change quickly.”
“Captain Clements, can you take the Enterprise and Victory to assist the empress? I’ll use the Sakira and Roebuck to take care of the problems here.”
“Yes sir,” Captain Clements said. “We a
re one hour from the wormhole. We should have enough momentum to reach the Fazullan fleet in three hours.”
“Can your people hold out that long?” Blake asked.
“We will have to. I’ll send you the identifiers of the ships we need help with. Chazqita will send the same for her problem ships.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“Captain McCormack, you need to pick up Marines from the Galileo,” Blake said. They had to use the Roebuck and the Sakira to deal with the Fazullan ships since it would take a microjump to get close to them.
“We are under max deceleration now. We should match velocity with her in two hours,” Catie reported.
“Very well. We will be ready to jump in two hours as well. We’ll take the three ships in the second wave. You take the other two.”
“Yes sir.”
“Do not allow the Roebuck to get close enough that they can capture you.”
“Yes sir. We will send our Marines over in the Lynxes with Foxes as cover.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“I still say we should put Takurō in another Lynx and send it to the other side of the ship!”
“Very funny,” Takurō said. “Now mount up!”
“Yes, Sergeant.”
The platoon boarded the Lynx wearing full space armor. Takurō nodded to Ensign Racine as she boarded the second Lynx. Her team would provide backup until Takurō’s team entered the Fazullan ship, then they would go and take the second ship.
“We’re ready,” Takurō reported.
“On our way,” the pilot replied.
The Lynx left the Roebuck’s flight bay, followed by two Foxes. Ensign Racine’s Lynx then followed with two Foxes on her tail.
“The blue team reports that they have control of the airlock,” Kasper told them. They’d designated the empress’s Fazullans as the blue team, and they were all wearing blue armbands.
“We’ll be ready to board in one minute,” Takurō reported.
“You’re clear to engage,” Ensign Racine said. “Good luck.”
“Thank you, ma’am. Check your suits,” Takurō ordered his team. “Make sure you’re airtight, we’re decompressing this bay in thirty seconds!”
The airlock of the Fazullan starship was opened and a blue flag was attached to the door. A Fazullan with a blue armband was standing in the doorway.
“We’re off,” Takurō announced as he and four other Marines launched toward the airlock. Once they reached it, they quickly cycled into the ship to allow the second group of five Marines to launch.
“Status?” Takurō asked the Fazullan on the other side of the airlock.
“We have the bridge and crew section, we were unable to take engineering,” she reported.
“Good, that’s what we were told. We’re here to remedy that. Please lead the way.”
The bad guys were holed up in engineering and environmental. They had about one-third of the ship and, unfortunately, they controlled the power and the air. They hadn’t opted to escalate the situation since the blue team had control of the weapons, so it was a standoff. Neither side could afford to force the issue without risking their own destruction.
The second team of Marines went directly to the main entrance to engineering, while Takurō’s team went to the back door.
“Our schematics show that there is an access tube here,” Takurō said.
“There is, but it doesn’t go to engineering.”
“We know, but it passes right by this air duct between environmental and engineering. Our plan is to cut through the air duct and access engineering that way.”
“Won’t they notice the loss of airflow?”
“We’re going to create an airlock. That way we can get in with minimum disruption.”
“What do you need from us?”
“We brought all the toys we need. It might help if you could create a distraction, maybe start negotiations again.”
“We will do that,” the woman said as she Commed the bridge.
“Jackson, you’re on,” Takurō said.
“Okay, Diaz, you’re with me. You bring that blow-up chamber and I’ll carry the tools.”
They crawled into the access tube and worked their way up and over to the air duct. Jackson quickly cut a hole in the access tube, allowing them out into the open space between the decks. There were lots of vertical bulkheads put in place to prevent just what he was planning to do, go from one compartment to the next.
Jackson assembled the bubble against the air duct sealing it into place, then he inflated it and used ties to attach it to the various struts and bulkheads so it would stay in place. He entered the bubble, sealing it behind him. Pulling out a sharp knife, he prepared to jam it into the air duct.
“I could use a little noise right now.”
Takurō nodded to the two Fazullans who were waiting for his signal. They started a fight, shouting at each other. Then one threw the other into the bulkhead. It was a pretty good feat to accomplish in microgravity, but the two seemed to have done it before. Jackson counted to three, then hit the knife with his hammer just as the second Fazullan was thrown into the opposite bulkhead, the one adjoining engineering.
With the incision made, Jackson took out his shears and cut a large opening into the air duct. Then he put tape on the edges to avoid anyone snagging it.
“Your portal is ready.”
Takurō’s team climbed through the access tube and made their way to the bubble. One at a time they entered the bubble, sealed it behind themselves, then climbed into the air duct, sealing it behind themselves as well. Thirty minutes later, all five members of the team were in the air duct. The Fazullans had wanted to join them, but Takurō had told them that his crew had trained as a team, and adding someone else into the mix would upset the chemistry.
The team edged their way to the various outflow registers and prepared to make their entry into the engineering compartment. They released six hornet-sized drones into the room. They allowed the Roebuck to control the drones, placing them in the optimal position to give the team a full view of the enemy positions inside the engineering section.
Four Fazullans were lying on the deck, apparently dead. A fifth was tied up and wedged between two pieces of equipment. The remaining four Fazullans were spread around the engineering space, all of them were armed. And unfortunately, they were wearing battle armor, so it wouldn’t be easy to take them out.
“Positions, everyone,” Takurō ordered.
“We’re in position.”
“Arm the charges.” Each air register had a set of charges placed on it that would blow the register into the engineering compartment allowing the Marines to dive into the room.
“On three. One . . . two . . . three!”
On two, the fight in the corridor escalated with two other Fazullans joining in. On three the registers blew and the Marines pushed off soaring into the room right at their assigned Fazullan. Each had a blade in their hands; it was easier to drive a blade into the joints of the Fazullan armor than to shoot and try to get something through it.
Takurō hit his man dead center; he grabbed his helmet and used his knife to slide under the edge and hit the carotid artery. He pushed the Fazullan away from him and turned to see if anyone needed assistance.
CRACK!
One of the Fazullans fired a shot as he was falling to the ground. The frangible projectile hit one of the modules of the gravity drive, shattering into pieces and ricocheting into Takurō’s right hip. Two small pieces managed to catch the seam and tore into his thigh.
“Damn it!”
“Hey, what did I say? It never fails, same leg too.”
“Lance Corporal, if you want to keep those stripes, then I suggest you save your comments for when you and your mates are having a drink. Because right now I have no sense of humor!” Takurō shouted.
“Yes, Sergeant,” the lance corporal said. She turned to one of her mates, “Just saying.”
“I can still hear you!”
Takur�
� stood up and drifted over to the main hatch.
“Engineering secured,” he announced as he opened the hatch, thankful that he was in microgravity and didn’t need to support his weight on his injured leg.
The team waiting outside the hatch entered engineering and looked around. “Do you want us to take environmental?” the team leader asked.
“I’d appreciate it,” Takurō said. “I’m not sure I can stand getting shot in my leg again.”
“You’re not serious?”
“As a rip in your spacesuit.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“We’ve secured the ship,” Takurō reported.
“We’ve secured ours as well,” Ensign Racine reported. “Should we return to the Roebuck?”
“Yes,” Catie said. “We’ll leave the Fazullans to clean up.” She switched to a private channel. “Uncle Blake, how are you guys doing?”
“We’re done here,” Blake said. “We’re waiting on Clements’ team to finish up. They’ve got one more ship to take care of. I’ll call a meeting in thirty minutes.”
“Okay.”
“Hey, Sweetie,” Marc said as he broke into the channel. “So things went well?”
“Ensign Racine is a real badass. Only casualty on our side was Takurō getting shot in the leg again. Just a flesh wound this time. The Marines killed all of their bad guys. Racine says dead men don’t shoot you in the ass.”
“I guess I’d have to agree with her. See you at the meeting,” Marc said before he signed off.
◆ ◆ ◆
“Empress, Madam Chazqita, are you ready to discuss the situation?” Blake asked.
“We are. I see you have Ambassador Newman there. Will he be leading the negotiations?” the empress asked.
Samantha’s avatar smiled, then dissolved, leaving Samantha’s image on the screen. “Yes Empress, I will be leading the negotiations.”
“Ah, I see you really have a balanced society,” the empress said.
“Not balanced, but we’re getting there,” Samantha said. “Delphi Nation works hard to support people as individuals, ignoring things like sex, race, or other preference. But we all bring our biases to the table.”
