“Are you sure we’ve got the right place?” Asten murmured to Selina.
“Yeah, it’s not quite the same as when we first arrived, is it?”
From the communicator, a hailing signal came through. Selina leaned across the board and hit the switch to put it through. “This is Selina Erama on board the Harpy. We read you.”
“Hello,” a familiar voice said. “I thought I recognized that ship of yours.”
Selina smiled. “Yeah, that’s us. Hello, Drackson.”
“Why don’t you come on board and we’ll talk? I’ll activate a landing beacon to guide you to the right ship.”
“I thought you’d be down planetside,” Selina told him.
“I was,” Drackson said. “My mother and Braesk have just met with the Empress. Quite a mature young woman. But we had some things to take care of back here. Are you reading the beacon?”
“We are,” Selina replied. “We’ll see you shortly.”
The bridge of a Harskan warship was smaller than Selina expected, but on reflection, it was exactly what she should have expected. If the Harskans were nothing else, they were efficient. And a whole lot of space that served no purpose was not a feature they’d intentionally include on their cruisers.
So it was just as well then that they had kept their party small. Asten was there, along with herself, and Zak and Maia as well, and, finally, Laila and her daughters. Well, relatively small, Selina silently amended as Lady Araujion showed them to the anteroom off the bridge. Drackson and Braesk were already there when they entered.
“Captain Braesk,” Lady Araujion said. “I have some new guests who you haven’t yet met. More of my son’s esteemed companions from the Frontier worlds.”
Braesk rose from his seat and bowed to that particular section of the party. “Welcome aboard. I am Captain Braesk. As Lady Araujion would say, any friend of Drackson’s is a friend of mine.”
Standing beside him, Drackson introduced him to Zak and Maia, then Laila, Lyla and Alia, who each bowed to the Harskan Captain.
“How did you know what was going on?” Asten asked Drackson as they all sat down.
His friend shrugged. “We didn’t. But when I left you, we were all rather under the impression that a hostile breakaway group from the original Levarc nation had designs on this sector and possibly the Frontier and the Federation as well. When we arrived and discovered that the long-range communications were down, we suspected they’d attempt a strike against Minstrah.”
Braesk stirred beside him. “Although it became clear that we weren’t dealing with Levarc the moment we arrived. These people did not have the command of their ships that the Levarc had. Whatever else you could say about the Levarc, they were formidable warriors.”
Asten nodded. “That’s what everyone says.”
“How were these Minstrahn upstarts able to get the finances to modify the Levarc ships though?” Alia asked. “That’s something I don’t get. The Minstrahn Empire seems to be a lightly populated sector... which is great, mind you. I’m all for people having a bit of space. It’s just that unless Lord Ilian could inspire selfless devotion in all his people, he would have to have paid them.”
“Maybe he did inspire that loyalty,” Lyla suggested, then shrugged. “Although if he had to resort to frightening Knight Admiral Alenski to keep him in line, I concede that it’s probably unlikely.”
“The Empress found the truth from Lady Valinski,” Lady Araujion explained. “The true orchestrator of all this. Lord Ilian just found the Levarc ships. It was Lady Valinski who decided what they would do with them.”
“Lady Valinski decided to cooperate?” Asten asked. “Just like that?”
Lady Araujion smiled. “I think she decided that since she was ruined anyway, she wanted everyone to know how clever she was. When everyone was talking about how devious Lord Ilian had been, it was more than she could stand. You should have seen it. The power that pride holds over some people is incredible.”
Asten nodded. “So, what was the truth?”
“The truth was that Lord Ilian almost crippled his quadrant to carry out the scheme, and Lady Valinski assisted by siphoning funds from her brother, Lord Valinski. Although, she showed more restraint. While she wasn’t happy with Lord Ilian taking all the credit for the scheme in their dealings with the other members of their conspiracy, she didn’t have any objections to his quadrant taking the heaviest strain.”
“What a charming woman,” Alia commented.
“Actually, she is,” Lady Araujion told her. “Even when one knows what her true nature is. I suspect that helped her a lot in her schemes.”
“Maybe,” Alia said. “Although I imagine it’s worn off now.”
“True,” Lady Araujion agreed. “She’s done her worse. However, the Minstrahn Empire has suffered greatly through this, and the trust that held its people together has been destroyed. Possibly irreversibly. The fact that there were so many people working for Lady Valinski and Lord Ilian is of great concern to the Empress, and it should be. It will take some time to know for sure just how many people were involved and it may never be known.”
“Will the Harskans assist in the recovery work?” Laila asked her.
Lady Araujion frowned. “I am not sure. However, as you can see, things are changing quickly for my people. It is very rare that Harskan task forces travel beyond our borders. It may be that the isolation which has been so characteristic of my people will become a thing of the past and that we will have closer ties to Minstrahn, and to the Frontier and the Federation as well. But time will tell.”
She looked at her son, sitting across the table from her. “I for one, however, certainly hope so.”
“It probably wouldn’t be anything major like massive population migrations between the Harskan Sector and its neighbors,” Braesk explained. “However, the Elders are open to notions of exchanging news and the possibility of some trade with other sectors.”
“However,” Drackson pointed out, “that’s a matter for others to decide.”
“Indeed,” Braesk agreed. “As the Lady Araujion said, our part in all of this is finished. And it is time for all of us to return to our home sectors.” He turned to Drackson. “And for I to say farewell to my friend Drackson once more.”
Drackson smiled. “But you shall see me a lot more often from now on.”
“That’s true,” Braesk said, shaking his hand. “And I believe your mother is still waiting to take you up on your offer to show her the Frontier and the Federation.”
Lady Araujion smiled at her son. “That is also true. Bringing me to a battle zone is a poor gift.”
Drackson bowed slightly and smiled. “You’re quite right, Mother. I promise I shall make it up to you when I next return.”
Then, as everyone stood up to leave, Alia shook her head in bemusement. “You know, I never thought I’d hear myself say this. But I think I’m going to miss this place.”
Epilogue
Serec, the security minister for the Federation, nodded as the Empress Tenenial finished. “Well,” he said, “speaking as a duly appointed representative of the Federation, I do believe we have a vested interest in assisting you in this matter. We certainly don’t want the Minstrahn Empire to collapse. An unstable region of this size so close to the United Frontier and the Federation could easily become a haven for large pirate organizations like the Basilisks, or worse. Yes, the long-range communications are back in place but the damage Lady Valinski and Lord Ilian did goes quite some way beyond that.”
He turned to the other person present at their meeting. “Admiral Roth. What do you think of the situation?”
“Well, the Kyrias quadrant will require close observation,” Roth said. “The younger Lord Kamais will need assistance in restoring the infrastructure and getting the quadrant back on its feet. Perhaps for their penance, those who crewed Lord Ilian’s ships during Knight Admiral Alenski’s attempted coup could assist in agricultural production, which was almost completel
y neglected under Lord Ilian’s mismanagement. And I believe the Federation will need to assist in patrolling the sector until enough new personnel can be trained to crew the Minstrahn cruisers there.”
“Do you have any people in mind who you could trust with this?” Serec asked.
Admiral Roth smiled. “As a matter of fact, I do. I have promoted General Kellahav to Rear Admiral. He has demonstrated that he understands the Minstrahn and the problems that they face. And I believe his task force would be more than up to the task of maintaining security in this region.”
“But we need Kellahav in the Federation,” Serec said. “He’s one of our best commanders. And you of all people know what a deficit the fallout after Phalamki left in the upper echelons of the fleet.”
“All too well,” Roth replied. “But for the time-being, the Minstrahn need Kellahav more.”
“Very well. I’ll authorize it when I return to Corsida.”
“Thank you, Minister.”
Across the table, the Empress stirred. “Yes, thank you, Minister Serec. Now, there’s another matter that hasn’t been addressed yet, and I would like to discuss it before you leave. What will become of the remaining Levarc ships that are still out there?”
“The matter hasn’t been decided yet,” Serec told her.
“We have not yet been able to get to them,” the Empress said, “but I’m presuming you have. Am I correct?”
“Yes, your Imperial Highness.”
“How many ships are there, may I ask?”
“There were originally thirty-six,” Serec replied. “Now there are thirty. Three of them were destroyed in this system by Lady Araujion’s task force. Three Dreadnoughts are now in the joint custody of the Felariam and the Phalamkians, and are as such outside our jurisdiction. The remaining thirty are various fighter carriers and conventional Levarc cruisers. They are powerful ships, yes, but there are no more Dreadnoughts there. Lord Ilian took them all, it seems.”
“All the same, those ships can’t be allowed to fall into the wrong hands,” Tenenial said. “They sound far too dangerous. If it were up to me, I would have them destroyed.”
Serec exchanged a brief glance with Admiral Roth. “That might be a possibility,” he replied, turning back to her. “However, as I have already said, the matter has still yet to be decided. I can tell you though that the ships are presently being moved to a secure location. If there are any dissidents still out there who knew their original location, they would not be able to find them again.”
The Empress Tenenial sighed. “I suppose that is some comfort. But what you are telling me in other words though is that these ships are now in the possession of the Federation.”
“Yes,” Serec replied, his tone sympathetic.
“I just hope you know what you are doing,” the Empress told him.
“We will certainly endeavor to do our best,” Serec said, standing up. “Although, I will take your concerns on board as, whether you believe me or not, they mirror my own. However, one thing is certain. It looks as though the Federation will be involved with the Minstrahn for some time yet.” He gave the Empress a bow in parting. “Your Imperial Highness.”
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Captain Arkei crossed the bridge of the Retribution to where Admiral Harlan Roth was standing. “Sir. The task force will be returning to sublight speed in thirty minutes. All ships report full battle readiness.”
Harlan smiled, hiding his anxiety. “All ships, Captain?”
The younger man breathed in, ready to reply with strength and confidence... and then faltered. “No, sir. Goshawk is still reporting power failures to the starboard battery systems and they still can’t run their shields at more than half capacity.”
Harlan nodded. “Well, I suppose Captain Mendes would consider his ship to be at battle readiness under those conditions and it’s certainly good to have such dedicated officers. But if he can’t run his shields at full strength, I’ll have to reconsider where I’ll position his ship.”
Arkei frowned. “What shall I tell him then?”
“For the moment, don’t tell him anything. We don’t know if any of Valaekei’s ships will be there. And given the Anharas Kuhr’s last known position, Valaekei can’t possibly be. ”
“Yes, sir.”
“That’ll be all for now, Captain.”
As Captain Arkei turned away, Harlan’s thoughts turned to that Levarc commander who was doing so much to add to the Federation’s already considerable woes. The Federation hadn’t been lax in its preparations to deal with the Levarc. When Prince Jeirenaul and Count Zaraekur had begun their series of lightning raids along the Frontier, he, Admiral Sharnost and the rest of the admiralty had been quick to mobilize, supplying aid to those systems that needed it and, finally, deciding on direct military intervention.
They had anticipated a joint campaign with the more powerful nations of the Frontier whereby they’d be able to match Jeirenaul and Zaraekur’s forces and drive them back but the swift victory they had counted on hadn’t eventuated. Before they had made any headway, a new royal - Prince Askaera - had entered the scene, waging a far more direct war against the Federation. A far more capable commander than his counterparts on the Frontier, he had in his initial attack annihilated an entire Federation task force with almost negligible losses on his own side and while that had been bad enough, it was discovered shortly afterwards that another royal, his younger brother Valaekei had simultaneously raided a nearby populated world, destroying the local defenses and killing many people in the process. Now, like Jeirenaul and Zaraekur in the Frontier systems, the two brothers were working in tandem, exhausting the navy as they forced ships back and forth to protect the Federation.
Prince Valaekei. Lord Valaekei as well, apparently, suggesting that in addition to his other duties, he also governed a particular region of the Levarc Kingdom directly. A royal and a royal pain. He and the Third Division of the Levarc Royal Navy tied down Federation forces at critical moments, preventing the Federation from meeting Askaera’s forces with its full strength.
However, this was only one of the reasons for Harlan Roth’s present unease. Since Valaekei’s attack on Fel Vaschal eight days earlier, Harlan had been attempting to track the Anharas Kuhr to prevent Valaekei from attacking any other systems in his retreat from Federation space. Then Admiral Sharnost had announced he was leaving for Corsida as he couldn’t raise Fleet Command and wanted to investigate. That was eight days ago as well and Harlan hadn’t heard anything back from him. Actually, he had been against Sharnost leaving the phalanx in the first place, as flying his flagship unescorted during a Levarc incursion was very risky. But if there was a problem in the communication signals, then it was imperative that someone investigated it. All in all, there were a lot of reasons for Harlan’s present unease.
He watched the bridge chronometer, observing each minute as they prepared to drop out of lightspeed. When there were twenty minutes remaining, he conveyed his new orders to Captain Mendes on where to position the Goshawk. Then he prepared for whatever they would discover when they returned to sublight speed.
The remaining minutes ticked over until they arrived at their destination and then a hailstorm of blasts and missiles crashed into the task force.
“Evasive action!” Harlan snapped. “Flag and all vessels to port, bank portside. All vessels to starboard, circle to engage and fire at will. Radar, give me a rundown of everything that’s out there. Bring visuals onscreen.”
“Sir!”
Harlan Roth shook his head. The Levarc’s tenacity was almost admirable. The bastards had wanted him to follow them and he had obliged because the idea that captains retreating from an engagement would immediately attempt to set up another one was too far outside his understanding of the conventions of warfare. He looked at the screen.
“The Anharas Kuhr’s not here,” one of the radar
officers reported with notable relief in his voice. “And no carriers. That cocky bastard firing at us is one single heavy cruiser but there’s another coming in to flank it and two more are coming in from port at attack speed - two minutes tops. There’s another ship, maybe a frigate, possibly a cruiser, six minutes away to starboard. And there are...” The officer frowned. “Past that ship, which looks like a frigate now... Close to the planet but not in the gravity well.”
“Bring them up on screen,” Harlan told him.
“Sir.”
“Helm, bring us around and engage the nearest cruiser. Signals, Goshawk to cover our flank. Other units hold back and fire on its support. Shield status?”
“Running at full capacity.”
“Good,” Harlan said. “Forward batteries. On my mark. Three. Two.”
Ahead of them, the nearest Levarc cruiser lurched forward out of the range of their guns.
“Signal Behemoth and Guardian to pursue that cruiser. Starboard group, hold fire on the second cruiser, establish a defensive formation in line with the Retribution and Goshawk and launch two fighter squadrons to harass those other two on our port side until they’re in range.” Harlan glanced at the bridge viewscreen and the odd looking ships displayed on it. “They’re Levarc tankers.”
The tankers were among the more dangerous weapons in the enemy’s arsenal not because they were a threat in and of themselves but because they could readily supply fuel to mobile strike forces for up to several weeks, giving the Levarc incredible freedom of movement within the Federation. They were cumbersome things however and the Levarc didn’t deploy them lightly. They were not as fast as a cruiser and carrying as much fuel as they did made them obvious targets. And that told Harlan Roth that Valaekei’s forces had not intended to lead him here.
“Signals,” he said. “Send out an invasive signal. They’ve used them to mess up our communications at every opportunity. Let’s see if it’ll jam theirs.”
“They may be able to clear it, sir.”
Beyond the Veil Page 27
