“I think he wants you to—”
“Yeah, I get it,” the navigator said, with excitement in his voice.
He adjusted the screen again, and the Urgglatta looked at the blank space for a moment, then bellowed a deep, confident note.
“Move us that direction,” Dean said.
“Those tug ships are closing,” the radar controller warned.
“Speed?” Matsumoto demanded.
“Approaching light speed, sir,” the navigator said.
“We’ll have contact in less than sixty seconds,” the radar operator said.
“What are your orders, Major?” Admiral Matsumoto asked.
“Hold this course, Admiral.”
“And the tug ships?”
“Let me worry about the Kroll,” Dean said.
He didn’t know if he was doing the right thing. But the last thing Dean wanted was to place the burden of responsibility on anyone else at that moment.
“Twenty-five seconds to contact,” the radar officer said.
“What can they do if they catch us?” Chavez said, limping up to Dean’s side.
“I don’t know, Staff Sergeant.”
“If they get in here, we’ll deal with them,” Parker said from slightly behind Dean.
“I don’t think they want in,” Dean said. “I think they just want to find a way to kill us all.”
“Can’t say I blame them after the ass whooping they just took,” Adkins said.
“Even if they do, we won the victory here,” Harper said. “We took out more of their ships then I can count.”
“And we kept the Urgglatta from them,” Tallgrass replied.
“Not to mention the archives,” Ghost said. “Not that I know much about that sort of thing, but I’ve heard people talking about it like it was important.”
The entire platoon chuckled at Ghost’s self-deprecating humor.
“Ten seconds,” the radar officer said.
Dean turned and looked at the plot. Almost as if on cue, the tug ships started to slow; the distance that had been shrinking between them slowly began to expand, until only two were still gaining on the Bushido.
“What’s happening?” Adkins said.
“Are they giving up?” Carter asked.
“Damn straight,” Wilson said. “They finally figured out who’s who in this situation.”
“They have run out of power,” Matsumoto said. “After chasing our seed ships and following us, they have expended the charge on their vessels.”
“There’s still two in pursuit—no wait,” the radar officer said. “That one’s falling off. There’s just one left.”
“One tug ship against an entire harvester,” Parker said, shaking her head. “You’ve got to admire their resolve.”
The tug ship came close, but it failed at the last second and the Bushido, continuing to gain speed, outpaced it. They raced away into the darkness of space, on a heading that made no sense according to the star charts they had received from the Urgglatta, but trusting in the refugees they had saved.
Dean, his mission complete, found a boulder to lean against. His work was over, as far as he could tell. They weren’t going home, but then, they didn’t have a place in the service to go home to. If they’d made it back to Earth, it would have meant facing a court-martial, or worse— and after all Dean had been through, he felt they deserved more, much more. The Wolfpack and most of the crew who weren’t busy manning their posts on the ship gathered around. Some were talking, others laughing and joking. Dean just listened, watching the people around him. He pulled off his TCU and ran a hand through his hair, which was in serious need of a trim. Eventually, Esma came down from the command deck. She looked tired but hopeful. The group made room for her at Dean’s side, and soon they both fell asleep.
Epilogue
For two days they flew blind. Dean worried they weren’t going anywhere, that the Urgglatta was wrong, but the alien stayed by the navigation console, steady and reassuring. The engineers put together a large data pad that was tough enough to handle the weight of the Urgglatta and their hoofed feet. The Urgglatta weren’t big communicators, but the crew of the Bushido made it work.
“I think it wants us to slow down,” the navigation officer said.
“We are dangerously low on power,” Admiral Matsumoto said. “If we stop, we will not have the power to reach FTL again.”
“We don’t have the power to go home,” Dean said. “And we don’t have the supplies to survive the trip without serious rationing even if we did. We don’t have anything left to lose.”
“At least if we die, it won’t be because the Kroll killed us,” Captain Parker said.
The ships began to slow, and as they dropped out of light speed the radar officer alerted the admiral to a nearby star system.
“There’s a planet in the Goldilocks zone,” the officer said. “Yellow star, comparable size to sun.”
“Do we have the power to make it there?” Dean asked.
“Just barely,” the chief engineer said.
“And land?” Parker asked.
“I think so,” the engineer said with a smile.
The next two hours were spent slowing and approaching the planet. The Urgglatta seemed just as interested as the humans. The world had liquid water, an inviting atmosphere, and thriving botanical life.
The landing was uneventful, even though the entire crew was glued to the power readings. Esma and her team set the Bushido down in a clearing with exactly one percent left on their power supply.
Dean led the way outside. The air was fresh and clean, the planet quiet and inviting.
“I’ll be damned,” Chavez said. “We’re alive.”
“We didn’t make it home,” Captain Parker said, “but I’m not complaining.”
Esma came up behind Dean and took his hand. She smiled at him.
“I’ve always kind of dreamed of something like this,” Dean said.
There were mountains all around with tall stately trees. They had familiar shapes, but their foliage was completely different than anything on earth. The harvester ship was in a clearing with a thick forest on one side. Crew members went to explore and came back with different types of fruit they had found. It was the first fresh food Dean had eaten in ages. It was juicy, sweet, and just a little chewy.
In the other direction from the forest, there was a river of crystal-clear water flowing into a lake. After running various tests they declared the water to be clean and ready for consumption.
Dean had finally discarded his battle armor. He had washed in the water from the river and found some utility fatigues to wear. They had been on the new planet for two days with no signs of any animal life. The Urgglatta spent most of their days munching grass and learning to communicate with the crew of the Bushido. It was more idyllic than Dean had imagined.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get us back home,” Dean told Esma, as they walked hand-in-hand beside the river.
“It isn’t your fault,” she said.
“Of course it is. I was in command.”
“So the results of the mission fall squarely on your shoulders?”
“That’s right,” Dean said. “Including the loss of two invaluable ships and eighty-seven crew members.”
“I think you’re forgetting the over forty Kroll ships that we destroyed, the Urgglatta refugees that we saved, and their archives.”
“Have you seen any archives?” Dean asked.
“I think the refugees are the archives,” Esma said. “And we saved two hundred and twelve of them. That’s what you did.”
“I didn’t get us home.”
“We didn’t have a lot to go home to.”
“What about your family?” Dean asked.
“Oh, I’ll miss them if we never get back, but I always knew that was a possibility. We all did. It was part of being selected for service. Besides, we get to start something brand new, on a planet no one has ever been to before.”
“N
ot many colonies like this,” Dean admitted.
“This is paradise,” Esma said. “We may have to be vegetarians, but I can live with that.”
“I think we could build a life here,” Dean said, unable to contain his smile. “I just didn’t want to rob you of your choice.”
“I’ve had enough of fighting, Dean. I think we’ve earned a rest.”
They walked beside the river, listening to the water as it splashed over the rocks below them. Eventually, Esma turned to Dean.
“Do you think they’ll come for us?”
“The Kroll or EsDef?” Dean asked.
“Either.”
“Well, if the Kroll continue their ways, it’s possible they’ll find this world some day. But I don’t think they’ll be able to follow us. There weren’t many left alive in the Urgglatta system when we left.”
“What about EsDef?”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Dean said. “We have one ship left that could probably make the journey home.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Pergantee ship,” Dean said. “I had some of the engineers look for it after the first day. They found a small flying saucer. It has power and enough room for one or two people inside, depending on how many supplies they pack on board.”
“You think someone should take it back to Earth?” she asked.
Dean couldn’t tell what she thought of the idea. His plan had been to send the Urgglatta archives back to Earth. That was what his duty called for, even though part of him was hesitant. It wasn’t just that the Urgglatta archives weren’t on a disk or computer drive; it was the realization that if they sent word back to Earth that they were on a habitable planet, eventually more humans would come.
Dean had no illusions about the fact that the stranded crew would eventually disagree. There were still plenty of weapons on the Kroll ship, and all the old problems of Earth would spring up given enough time, but Dean wanted to preserve the peace as long as he could. He wanted a quiet life and time to dispel the nightmares that haunted his dreams. The sight of Private Loggins lying beneath the ship was still vivid whenever he closed his eyes—but he didn’t want to keep Esma from returning home if that’s what she wanted.
“I don’t know,” Dean said. “There’s no doubt the powers that be would want to retrieve the Urgglatta and exploit their knowledge.”
“For the good of all mankind?”
“Maybe,” Dean said with a lopsided grin. “Maybe not.”
“A world like this would fill up fast,” Esma said. “Pollution, industry, vehicles flying back and forth in the sky. I just can’t see it.”
“I can’t either,” Dean said. “There’s something so perfect about this place. I’d love to build a cabin for us. Go exploring, maybe.”
“It sounds perfect.”
“Would you be my wife and live with me here?”
“For how long?” Esma teased.
“Until we can’t stay anymore.”
“Why couldn’t we stay?” she asked.
“Because the Kroll are still a threat. And either the people who hate us will come to kill us, or they’ll come to their senses and realize they can’t survive without us.”
“And then what will we do?” Esma asked.
“That is yet to be seen,” Dean said. “But one thing is certain: we’ll be ready.”
“Major!” Chavez shouted, waving to Dean and Esma.
They altered course and found Dean’s platoon gathered along with several other crew members. Ghost and Harper were together and seemed happy. Tallgrass refused to leave Chavez’s side, and he seemed just fine with all her attention. The rest of Dean’s platoon had found crew members of the opposite sex, as well—even the HA Specialists had paired up with women who looked almost like children next to the towering soldiers. It was obvious to Dean that most of the relationships had been building for some time on the journey from the solar system into Kroll space.
“What’s going on here?” Dean asked.
“We’ve decided to stay,” Chavez said. “We’ve put in our time.”
“That’s right,” Ghost said. “Let someone else carry the burden for a while.”
“So what are you saying?” Esma asked.
“If we stay here,” Tallgrass explained. “Eventually we’ll have to deal with the Pergantee ship and the responsibility of sending someone back to Earth.”
“I don’t want any part of that,” Harper said.
“We were thinking that perhaps we could find a new place to settle,” Adkins said.
“There’s enough of us,” Chavez said. “We should be safe, if there’s anything to threaten us on this planet.”
“We all know each other,” Tallgrass said “We know how to work together. We can build a new future that’s free of the past.”
“But we want you to come with us,” Chavez said.
“And Captain Dante too,” Harper said.
“Call me Esma,” she replied. “I’m not a captain anymore.”
“I feel that,” Wilson said.
“Like, a thousand percent,” Kliner agreed.
“What do you say?” Dean asked Esma.
“I think I would like that very much.”
“We’re in,” Dean said. “I just need to talk to one more person.”
An hour later, Dean found Vanessa Parker sitting in the shade. She looked more like herself than Dean had seen in a long while. The worry and grief were fading away, and there was a sparkle in her eyes again.
“Hello Major, did you need me?”
“I don’t need anything from you, but I did want to speak to you,” Dean said. “I guess you’ve heard some people are leaving.”
“The Wolfpack has to roam,” Parker said with a grin.
“Indeed,” Dean said. “They want to build a life here, and I don’t blame them.”
“Why do they need to leave to do that?”
“I think they’d like to be as far from the Kroll harvester as possible,” Dean said. “Away from the painful memories. I know I would.”
“I suppose Captain Dante is going along too.”
“She is,” Dean said, not exactly sure what Captain Parker was hinting at.
A long time ago—it felt like a lifetime ago—Dean had kissed Parker in OTA. It had been an impulsive reaction to his fears, tension, and frustration at the academy. They had never spoken about it. He was an ensign and Parker was a captain, and she was more than a decade older than Dean. But she was an attractive woman, and Dean felt a tremor of fear that he was somehow disappointing her.
“I gave my heart and soul to the service,” she said. “Along the way I found someone to share myself with, but he was taken from me. Taken by the people now enjoying the freedom and safety we bought at such a high price. I can’t let that stand, Dean. Is it possible for you to understand that?”
“You’re going back,” Dean said.
“The admiral and I have already spoken about it. It’s the right thing to do,” she said.
“You’ll tell them about this place,” Dean said, his disappointment bleeding into his voice.
“No,” she said. “I’ll tell them about what happened in the Urgglatta system, but I won’t tell them about this place. They would come after the Urgglatta, and we can’t let them do that. We have to protect them and their knowledge of the universe. I don’t think humanity is ready for it.”
“It will be a hard trip,” Dean said.
“True, but I have enough burning desire to see the people who killed Colonel Davis brought to justice to get me through it.”
“They’ll court-martial you,” Dean said. “They might even kill you to keep you quiet.”
“They might, but I won’t go without a fight,” she said with a smile. “It’s something I need, Dean. Can you understand that?”
Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the silver oak leaves that Colonel Davis had pinned to his collar when he promoted Dean to Major.
&
nbsp; “I do,” he said, handing her the pin. “He gave me two of these. I think he would want you to have one.”
“What for?”
“To remember me by,” Dean said. “And to remember him.”
“Thank you, Dean,” she replied.
“You won’t tell them about us?”
“I’ll tell them you stayed with the ship and that I don’t know what happened to it,” she explained. “I’ll tell them that after we left the Urgglatta system, I was sent back because at least one of us had to survive to tell the tale.”
“They’ll probably believe that,” Dean said. “The media loves a good story much more than the actual truth. If you see Major Gheridelli, tell him I think of him often and I hope he is happy and prosperous.”
“I will,” Parker said. “Now go—be with the person who makes you happy. Build a life, have babies, and forget all the ugliness in the universe.”
“It has been my great honor to know you, and to serve with you,” Dean said. “You’ll always have a place in the Wolfpack.”
“I may need to take you up on that one day,” she said.
“You know where to find us,” Dean said. “If you need us, we’ll be ready.”
“Once Force Recon, always Force Recon.”
“First in the fight,” Dean said.
“Tip of the spear,” Parker replied.
She got to her feet and saluted Dean. He returned the salute, and then he hugged Vanessa Parker. She was trembling, but he didn’t ask why. He just smiled, squeezed her shoulder one last time, and walked away.
Author’s Note
I want to thank you for reading the Wolfpack series. As you might already know, most of my novels are in the Fantasy genre, but I’m constantly imagining new worlds and new stories. Writing a Military Space Opera was a dream come true, and one I will revisit again I’m sure. The Wolfpack series was so much fun to write and the reader response was so well received that I’ll be writing science fiction again soon. In the meantime I hope you’ll leave a review for the books on Amazon so other readers will be able to find Dean and the Wolfpack platoon.
Coming Soon
Can’t wait for more mythic adventure from Toby Neighbors? Don’t worry, a brand new series will be available soon. Look for My Lady Sorceress in paperback and ebook in March, 2018
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