by J. N. Chaney
“Prepare to be boarded for inspection,” he directed. “The Union—”
“Hold it,” I interrupted. “You will not be boarding us. We are here to discuss an accord. The terms of this meeting were already laid out and agreed to. Do you intend to violate those terms?”
Another long pause. “An escort will meet you as you exit your vessel.”
“And the boarding party?” I asked.
“There will be none,” he replied.
I turned the comm off. “Siggy,” I said. “Are we all set?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good.” I nodded and turned to Abby. “Alright, let’s go.”
It was silent as we entered the airlock and prepared to board the Centaurus. Between everyone fidgeting, and checking and rechecking their weapons, the anticipation and unease was palpable.
We made it through the airlock and were met by none other than Vice Admiral Vick himself, along with a small detachment behind him.
They were all armed to the teeth, and he regarded us with obvious distaste. Vick wasn’t a big man, but he was trim. His demeanor reminded me of General Brigham, which made me dislike him even more. The feeling was no doubt mutual.
“Captain Hughes,” he greeted in a bland voice. “You will not be permitted weapons aboard Centaurus.” He stared beadily at me, then eyed the rest of my crew
I stared right back at him. “Vice Admiral Vick, you don’t seem to understand. We will not be boarding Centaurus without means to defend ourselves.” I motioned toward the rest of the crew behind me. “Are you worried about a small group like this? There’s less than a dozen of us. Don’t tell me you find this intimidating.”
He puffed up and opened his mouth to snarl something back at me when a voice interjected.
“That is completely understandable, Captain Hughes.” A man stepped forward and held out his hand. An admiral, according to the insignia on his chest.
“And you are?” I asked, not taking it right away.
Unoffended by my rudeness, he smiled. “Of course, my apologies, Captain,” he said graciously. “I’m Admiral-General Patrick Shaw. You will be meeting with myself and a number of other Union officials to discuss your proposal.”
I took his offered hand and gave him a curt nod.
“If you attempt to access the Dawn while we attend this meeting, failsafes will be activated,” I said, casually.
“Failsafes?” asked Shaw.
“Better you don’t ask,” I said, walking past him and into the nearby corridor.
We set off deeper into the recesses of the space station, my group behind me, then Vick and his army bringing up the rear. It gave Shaw and me a few minutes alone, and he used it to talk candidly.
“You’ll have to excuse Vice Admiral Vick. He and General Brigham were close. He also believes your intentions to be somewhat—”
“I’m not here to start a fight,” I said.
He nodded. “I believe that, Captain, which is why you and I are speaking now. My correspondence with Alphonse has led me to believe you to be an honorable man in your own right, despite our disagreements.”
“Disagreements?” I asked, scoffing. “That’s one way to put it.”
“In any case, Vice Admiral Vick may take some time to adjust to whatever comes of this accord, but I believe him to be a rational and loyal soldier all the same.”
“Ah,” I said, nodding. “Brigham was a determined man. He would’ve chased us to the end of the galaxy if he had to. If Vick is as stubborn as him, I’m not sure he’ll ever accept us.”
Shaw looked thoughtful at this before looking at me sideways. “Are you here to destroy us under the guise of a peace treaty?”
“No,” I said honestly.
“Then I don’t believe you have anything to fear from Vice Admiral Vick or myself,” he replied, giving me a smile.
It wasn’t long before we found the meeting hall, a large room with an ostentatious table at the center of it. One side was already partially filled with Union officials. Shaw motioned for me and my crew to take the empty seats opposite the others.
Once we were all seated, he spoke. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to discuss a potential treaty with the former Renegade known as Captain Jace Hughes. We will allow him to speak”—he looked pointedly at Vice Admiral Vick—“then we will discuss the proposal. Captain, the floor is yours.” He tipped his head to me.
I was surprised at his civility and for the first time felt that this might end on a positive note.
“There’s not much love in this room. I’d be blind to think otherwise,” I said, looking around at the unfamiliar faces across from me. “But there’s been a discovery that threatens every man, woman, and child across the galaxy.”
A few of the officials shifted in their seats at the sound of that. It was exactly the uncomfortable reaction I’d hoped for.
“They’re called Celestials,” I said, emphatically. “And they are more powerful than you can imagine.” I slid a pad with the image of the one we had killed across the table toward Admiral-General Shaw.
He picked it up and studied it, maintaining his calm demeanor, then passed it to his left. He had, of course, already seen the image. Alphonse had sent it to him to press the importance of what we were dealing with. No doubt, the other men and women at this table had already seen the picture as well, but they were far less collected than Shaw, and their faces reflected that.
“It is an imposing creature,” conceded Shaw. “How many have you encountered?”
“Just the one,” I admitted.
His eyebrows shot up at this. “And this single instance compelled you to put all of your considerable contempt for the Union aside?”
“Yes. This particular Celestial was a scout. It had a natural ability to cloak itself and even conceal its own body heat.” I paused. “I don’t mean they used a cloak, either. I’m saying they could do it organically. As if that wasn’t enough, it could also phase through solid objects.”
“What does that mean?” asked Shaw.
Alphonse cleared his throat. “Simply put, this particular Celestial could pass through solid matter, be it stone, metal, or what have you. All except neutronium-based materials. This appears to be another biological-based ability, although we are still conducting tests to determine the full extent of it.”
Shaw blinked. “So, not only was it able to cloak itself, but it could also pass through anything it touched? Remarkable.”
“It is also highly intelligent,” continued Alphonse. “Alone and without aid, it managed to nearly destroy an entire colony by quickly deducing social dynamics within a foreign society of which it previously had little knowledge or insight, and exploit them in real-time, all without the aid of a distinguishable language translator. It managed to adapt and determine weaknesses in the colony’s design to enact a previously unknown process that ultimately resulted in the total destruction of said colony. Its power is truly magnificent.”
“Says the traitor,” said Vick.
Alphonse didn’t react.
“Watch the insults, pal,” I said, giving the vice admiral a cold stare. “Alphonse organized this meeting in the first place. He’s much more detail-oriented than I am, so you should thank him for taking the time to plan a sit-down. I probably would’ve just shown up unannounced. If not for him, today might’ve played out differently.”
There were more murmurs from the Union side of the table, but I ignored them.
“This creature was damn near indestructible,” I continued. “Bullets passed through it and we had an impossible time tracking it. There was only one weakness we found that allowed us to take it down, and that was neutronium.”
“When the Celestial came into contact with this substance, we discovered its abilities were hindered,” explained Alphonse. “Even knowing this, we were unable to prevent it from destroying buildings and infrastructure, not to mention the sheer loss of life that followed.”
Vick could no longer control h
imself and scoffed. “So that’s your game. You’re after our neutronium.”
“No,” I said bluntly. I briefly considered telling him that we had more neutronium than they’d ever seen buried beneath the Earth’s crust but decided against it. The less information they had about us, the better. “My people believe there are different variations of them, different classes of Celestials, each one specialized in its own skill set.”
“That sounds like speculation,” remarked one of the Union officers.
“It sure as hell is,” I said, snapping my head to look at him. “You think we know every detail about them after one encounter? Use your godsdamn brain.”
My tone made the man stiffen.
“My point is, there’s no telling what other variations of them there are out there or how powerful each one might be,” I said, shifting my eyes back to Shaw. “They aim to kill us all, human and Eternal alike. Best thing we can do is band together to fight them. Huddled rats and all that.”
“Huddled rats?” asked Shaw.
“Keeps the cat afraid,” I finished.
“In all likelihood, sirs, there’s an army out there right now trying to figure out how to find and kill every last one of us,” said Alphonse.
“So, then we should let them have you and stay out of their way,” derided Vick, cutting me off.
I spared him a glance, long enough that he knew I thought he was an idiot, then spoke again. “You could do that,” I agreed. “But do you really think they’re going to stop with us? To hear people tell it, they destroy anything that they come into contact with.”
“How do you know this?” A different man spoke up this time, another official.
“From the people who have been running from them for their whole lives,” I answered. “A group of Eternals.”
More murmurs came at the sound of this. As I’d expected, news of our pale friends had yet to reach their ears.
“And these friends of yours couldn’t give you any more information?” asked Vick.
I shook my head.
“Why?” asked a dark-haired woman.
“Because very few people that have had encounters with them have survived.”
The room fell silent as I let that sink in.
Vick shook his head. “This is nonsense. You expect us to believe something so ludicrous? No one has ever seen a so-called Celestial.” He picked up the pad with the image on it and tossed it in my direction. “This is clearly fake. I’ve seen better work on the holonet. We should arrest you now and charge you with treason.”
“Vice Admiral Vick.” Shaw gave him a look rife with disapproval, but I waved him off.
“You could do that,” I said agreeably. “Although that would be unwise.”
Vick scoffed. “You don’t actually believe that this little rag tag group of thieves, a nun, a historian, and a traitorous dog”—he paused to toss Alphonse a scathing look—“have any chance of leaving here alive unless we allow it, do you?”
“No, I don’t,” I said. “But you will.”
“If you think we won’t fire on one of our own ships, you’re mistaken. I would much rather it be destroyed if it means bringing you to justice.”
I took a slow, steady breath and leaned over the table, while staying seated. “At this moment, there are—let’s call them bombs, because that’s what they are—resting on your hull. If we don’t make it to our ship within the hour, or if I give the signal, my ship will automatically detonate every last explosive and leave this station in a mess of a situation.” I looked Vick square in the eyes. “And you along with it, I’d imagine.”
The room burst into chaos, but Shaw raised a hand, and within moments everyone had gone silent; although, I wagered their fear and anxiety remained.
“You have my word that you will be able to leave unharmed and uncontested,” said Shaw. “You’re free to leave, Captain. We’ll be in touch with our answer very soon, I assure you.”
I stood up, as did the rest of the crew. “And if you decide you’re not interested in my offer?”
“Beyond today, I can make no further guarantees,” he said. “I’m sure you understand.”
I looked at Vick. “I’m sure I do.”
I left them to debate and discuss the merits of my proposition, but I decided to expect the worst. Even the friendliest of them had been my enemy, so counting on any of them would be a mistake. I’d made my offer, best that I could, and now it was up to them. In the meantime, I wouldn’t spend my time waiting. I’d plan, coordinate, and prepare for whatever fight lay ahead of us.
“Let’s go, Siggy,” I said, taking a seat on the bridge of The Galactic Dawn. “Take us home.”
“Setting a course for Earth, sir,” Siggy replied.
As we moved away from the Centaurus, Abby stood by my side, staring into the dark.
“Do you think we got through to them?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Admiral Shaw seems like a straight-shooter. I hope so, but I can’t say the same for Vice Admiral Vick. Let’s just pray they make the right decision.”
She smirked, placing her head on my shoulder. “Not that you’ve ever prayed.”
“Not to the gods, anyway,” I said.
6
I opened my eyes on the floor of the interrogation room. The ensign and Lieutenant-Ratchel were still where they’d fallen. My head was still pounding and even the dim light was too bright, making me squint, and my face throbbed from the hit I’d received.
But I was still alive.
My memory was coming back, too, thank the gods. The meeting aboard the Centaurus, going back to Earth, being ambushed by these Sarkonians. So much had returned to me about the last few days, but so many details were still hazy.
I groaned and sat up, careful of my side, but quickly found that it wasn’t all that bad. Surprised, I looked down at my shirt to see where the blood had stained it, and noticed it was no longer wet. The blood had dried, stiffening the fabric. In place of the dirty bandage I had haphazardly tied around myself was a fresh, clean one.
“Mr. Hughes, you’re awake!”
Lex was suddenly at my side, her eyes large and relieved.
“Did you . . . do this?” I asked
“I sure did, Mr. Hughes,” she replied, pride evident in her young voice. “How do you feel now? Is it better?”
Using the table to pull myself up, I looked around the room. Another medkit lay nearby on the countertop, some used dressings, wipes, and a can of the clotting spray piled neatly next to it.
“How about that,” I muttered, looking from her to my dressings. “Thanks, Lex.”
She smiled at me, all the prior fear wiped clean from her face, replaced by the same joyful expression I’d grown to adore in her. “You’re welcome, Mr. Hughes.”
I grinned. “How did you manage that? You did a damn good job.”
“Abby and Octavia taught me while I was helping out at the hospital,” she explained.
“Oh,” I replied. “That’s lucky for me.” Now that she mentioned it, I recalled how often I’d seen her there. It made sense she would have picked up a few things, always playing helper to the others. She was such a smart kid, quick to learn and eager to act.
“Um, now that you’re better, can we get out of here?” she asked, eying the two bodies on the floor with an unsettled look. “I want to go home.”
“Sure, kid,” I said, clearing my throat. “Just gotta find a way to turn this ship around. Think you can wait a little longer?”
She nodded.
I took a long breath, trying to think.
I still didn’t recall how exactly I’d gotten onto this ship. Then again, I wagered I could piece most of that together.
The more pressing concern was what to do about the rest of the crew and our current trajectory. If they reached their destination and sent their transmission to the Union or the Sarkonian Command, Earth’s location would be compromised. I grimaced at the thought.
If Lex had bee
n the only priority, I would have been content to find a way off the ship and head home, but not now. I couldn’t risk the Union learning about this.
The truth was, while I felt well enough to walk, I didn’t know how I was going to do all of this with a hole in my side. In fact, I was pretty sure that the bullet had nicked a rib on its way out. Whatever Lex had done had helped the pain, but I wasn’t anywhere near full strength. I was light-headed, sluggish, and sloppy. An easy kill for a talented soldier.
One thing was certain. The only way to contain the problem was to kill every Sarkonian on this ship. Or at the very least, disable them.
There were now seven of the crew down. That meant if the ensign hadn’t been lying, I still had four to go. If he was bullshitting me . . . well, we were going to need a godsdamn miracle.
“You hungry?” I asked, remembering the food I’d pulled from one of the first soldiers I’d killed. It wasn’t much, but if we were going to take this ship, we’d need to keep our strength up.
She touched her stomach. “Starving.”
I produced the water, chips, and sleeve of cookies, which were a little smashed, having been in my pocket throughout all the fighting. I tried to give her the larger half, but she noticed and pushed the extra pieces back at me.
“Uh uh. You need it because you’re hurt, Mr. Hughes. Abby says that food helps you get better faster,” she said sternly.
There was no arguing with her, so I ate my half along with another of the pain blockers. When we were finished, she collected the leftover trash and placed it with the discarded bandages. I smiled at this, given that there were two dead bodies in the corner and blood all over the floor, and yet she still thought it best to dispose of our trash correctly.
I walked to the men and started going through their pockets. Lex decided to help, and I found myself watching her expression as she searched the ensign’s pack. She seemed unmoved by the fact that she’d just killed one of them, and I didn’t know how to feel about that. We lived in a cruel universe, full of death and things that meant to hurt us, but I never wanted this for her. I still didn’t.
