Veil of Shadows (Book 2 of The Empire of Bones Saga)

by Terry Mixon

  “We can boost at your command. We don’t even need a helm officer. We’d be accelerating so slowly that I could handle everything from the engineering consoles.”

  Jared rose to his feet. “Good work. I like what I’m hearing enough to give it a tentative green light. How long to move Athena to the flip point?”

  “At our best speed? At least three days. Perhaps four.”

  That was a crawl. The flip point had only been a few hours away from Pentagar at maximum acceleration before the battle damage. Still, it was better than nothing. “I’ll let you know when I’m certain the Pentagarans are good with the plan. I know. This is a Fleet ship and they can’t tell us what to do, but let’s be realistic. This is their system and I don’t want to surprise them.”

  “You’re the boss.” Baxter rose to his feet and headed for the hatch. “Give the word and we start moving.”

  Jared thought about this new plan for a moment. Was it the right decision? Maybe not, but it was certainly more interesting than sitting on his butt waiting for other people to save them. If things didn’t work out, they were no worse off than if they didn’t make the attempt.

  He had the duty officer open a channel to the Royal Pentagaran Fleet dreadnaught Mace. Commodore Sanders came on the channel a moment later. “What can I do for you, Lord Captain?”

  Jared still had difficulty with the title they’d given him because the Terran Emperor was his biological father. Back home it wasn’t made so…obvious.

  “I’m on my way down to Pentagar, Commodore. Commander Baxter informs me that he has Athena in the best condition he can manage. He says it can even flip, if it’s stationary.” He filled the flag officer in on what Baxter wanted to do in converting the destroyer into a ferry.

  The older man nodded as soon as he got the gist of the concept. “That sounds like an excellent use of resources and it keeps your ship under your control. I have no objection, of course.”

  Jared hadn’t been expecting him to have an issue with the plan. “Baxter figured it would be useful in training your people in how to control and maintain a flip drive while you’re building your new ships. He told me about the refit program, too. Are you getting everything you need from my people?”

  “Indeed. The exotic elements your people provided did the trick. We’re able to make all the components to a space-time drive now. They also tell me that the elements are available in Courageous’ system. Once we can get some ships there to mine the asteroid belt we’ll be in fine shape. You’ve released us from our cage. Thank you.”

  Jared smiled. “It’s my pleasure. That leads me to the other thing we’ve decided to try.” He filled the Commodore in on Baxter’s plan to renovate Courageous.

  The other man looked even more skeptical than Jared had felt earlier. “That’s a very farfetched idea. Do you think it has a chance of working?”

  “I’m not sure. If it doesn’t, we’re no worse off for trying it. If the flip drive works once, we have Courageous in this system. If it really works, we’ll possibly have a new ship.”

  “Forgive me, but with so many of your people injured or dead, can you control an unfamiliar ship in questionable condition?”

  A stab of pain shot through Jared. He imagined the losses would weigh on him for a long time. “Courageous’ Fleet complement was just over three hundred, but that was manning the ship for battle. I’d like to propose a kind of joint effort. You send along several hundred men and women from the Royal Fleet and we’ll try this together. By the time we’re ready to attempt bringing Courageous back to Pentagar, what’s left of my crew should be fit for duty. At the very least, we’ll all learn a lot about the old Empire technology.”

  Sanders chewed his lip. “Are you talking about making your people like Princess Bandar so that you can run the ship?”

  Jared shook his head. “No. I doubt my people would be willing to go that far.”

  “How is your sister’s recovery proceeding?” The concern in the Commodore’s voice was very touching.

  “I’m told she mangled several rehabilitation machines and ripped a support bar out of the floor this morning.”

  Sanders winced. “Remind me not to shake her hand. How about emotionally?”

  “She blames herself. I denied it, but she knows that I’d have come up with a less risky plan if she hadn’t been in their hands. She sees the blood of all those people and she will for the rest of her life.”

  “Not to diminish your losses, but such a lesson may prevent her from making a much worse decision further down the line. She might one day sit on the Imperial Throne of your people. At the very least, she is a powerful noblewoman. She needs to know what being responsible for life and death is like.”

  Jared pursed his lips. “That’s a hard lesson, Commodore. One I’m still coming to grips with myself.”

  The older man leaned forward. “Forgive me, Lord Captain, but you’re a Fleet officer. You might never have fought a real battle before, but you realized the possibilities. You chose to act in the manner that might best achieve your goals. And even with the loss of all those people, you succeeded. That is what it means to be a combat commander. Of which, I might add, you’re a fine example.”

  “Thank you. You’re right, of course. I’ll give the order to move the ship to the flip point. It would be best if you detached an escort for them.”

  “Of course. When it comes time to go over, I plan to accompany you. I simply must see Courageous for myself. And rank does have its privileges.”

  “We’ll be happy to have you, sir.”

  Jared ended the conversation and started the new plan in motion.

  Chapter Three

  Lord Admiral Sebastian Shrike looked up from his desk at his secretary’s knock. The young officer cleared his throat from the doorway for added emphasis. Shrike wasn’t sure why the man felt the need to interrupt him twice. He fixed a disapproving stare on his minion. “Yes?”

  “Commander Rawlins is here to see you, Lord Admiral. He doesn’t have an appointment.” The man’s disapproval at the last bit of information was palatable.

  Shrike’s irritation vanished as he pushed back from his desk. “Send him in and hold all my calls and visitors until we’re done. No interruptions. Absolutely none. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Jacob Rawlins wasn’t much to look at, a short balding man in his mid-fifties, nondescript in every way. He was indistinguishable from the other mid-rank officers wandering the halls of Royal Fleet Command. That was a benefit to one of the best operatives in the Intelligence Division. It was particularly useful in the tasks Shrike routinely assigned him.

  Once his secretary closed the door behind Rawlins, Shrike inclined his head. “Jacob. A pleasure as always.”

  “Lord Admiral.” Rawlins made a circular gesture with his finger pointed toward the ceiling. His raised eyebrow made the motion a question.

  Shrike shook his head. “While you get settled in, let me pour us a drink. You want your usual?”

  Rawlins pulled a scanning device from his jacket pocket and began checking the office for bugs. “You know how much I appreciate the aged whisky you favor. No ice, please.” It took the man a minute to complete his scan and set the device in the middle of the desk blotter.

  “Once again your people prove their value, Lord Admiral. No bugs. As long as the light stays green, no one is monitoring us. May I assume your summons has something to do with the Terrans?”

  Shrike sat back down at his desk. “Indeed. Their intervention has put the coup into jeopardy.”

  The intelligence officer leaned back in his chair and sipped his drink, nodding. “True, the conditions you’d hoped to foster after the invasion have failed to take shape, mostly due to the Terrans’ counterattack on the Pale Ones. Even though the military suffered losses on par with your estimates, the Royal Family’s public support is even stronger than it was before. Discouraging news, indeed.”

  Shrike’s gaze narrowed. He pitched h
is voice low and added a deceptively genial tone. “Don’t be so distant, Jacob. Yes, the appearance of the Terran destroyer and its space-time drive totally bollixed our plans. The invasion should have left the Royal Fleet in tatters and the average citizen ripe for change. Obviously, that sentiment is now lacking.”

  The intelligence officer smiled, though it didn’t reach his cold eyes. “That’s something of an understatement. The average citizen is now soundly behind the King. With the bloody nose the Terrans gave the Pale Ones, His Majesty has achieved a newfound respect in military matters. I’m quite interested in how you intend to reverse our fortunes.”

  “Lord Captain Mertz has informed Commodore Sanders that he intends to return to the old Empire derelict and make it spaceworthy once more.”

  Rawlins blinked. “Is that a joke?”

  “Apparently not. His engineer seems to believe they have some possibility of success. As much as it annoys me, their technical superiority gives his assessment weight.”

  Rawlins sat in silent thought for a few moments. “That does change things, but I’m not sure how you intend to use it to our advantage.”

  Shrike picked up his own glass and sipped the aged whisky. Its smooth fire spoke of many years in a barrel. “If we possessed such a vessel, the entire Royal Fleet would bow before us. And as Fleet goes, so goes the Kingdom. While I’ve had some success in putting men loyal to me in some commands, it’s less likely that the remainder will resist if we possessed such a ship.”

  “That’s a bold plan, but I see a few flaws. Such as the fact that we can’t even get to the system containing the wreck until the first of the Fleet conversions takes place. If we could, we wouldn’t know the first thing about operating it. We have to have the Terrans’ assistance even to build space-time drives. Or as they refer to them, flip drives.” His face took on a look of distaste at the last bit of reality.

  The Lord Admiral leaned back in his chair. The rich leather creaked softly as he shifted his weight. “The Terrans have agreed to take a number of Royal Fleet personnel with them for training purposes and to help man the ship. Lord Captain Mertz envisions that a large percentage of them will accompany his ship on the way back to their Empire, I’ll wager. I should be able to get some of our people into the program.”

  Rawlins smiled like a shark. “And you envision a coup much like we’d planned for the Royal Fleet? That could work.”

  “Eventually. Most of the people I send won’t be part of our organization, so I doubt we could take the ship right away. That said, we could put a cadre of people in place to learn what they can and to form a plan to seize the ship. Can you assemble a team on short notice?”

  “On how short a notice?”

  “Four hours.”

  “Difficult, but I’ll manage. Will we have an opportunity to send a larger group later?”

  “I believe so, but we can’t count on it.”

  The intelligence officer drained his glass and set it on the desk blotter. “Then I have my work cut out for me.”

  The Lord Admiral smiled. “Meanwhile, I’ll start working on events here on Pentagar. Since the political situation is souring for us, I might as well stir up some trouble.”

  Chapter Four

  More tests followed lunch. Kelsey was heartily sick of being an invalid. She was even more disgusted with all the blood and tissue samples Lily insisted on taking for her nano search. Modern medicine didn’t normally require invasive procedures, but even the diagnostic equipment the doctor had available didn’t show the tiny machines. The samples would go to a lab to find them.

  It was late afternoon by the time Kelsey returned to the old Empire scanning machine. Doctor Leonard and Carl Owlet were gone. She wondered what they’d discovered and where they’d gone. She’d expected them to camp here until Lily threw them out.

  Lily brought Kelsey’s grav chair to a halt beside Workstation Twelve and headed for her office. “I have a ton of work waiting on me. Yell when you’re ready to go back to your room. Or if you need some kind of help with this.”

  “Will do.” Kelsey closed her eyes. She knew she didn’t have to, but she was tired.

  Diagnostic Scanning Workstation Twelve?

  This unit hears you, Kelsey. How may it assist you?

  I don’t think I’m correctly accessing my implants. Can you tell me how this process should work?

  The machine only paused for an instant, but Kelsey noticed. This unit has completed a diagnostic routine on your hardware. All higher functions are in standby mode. Your trainer should have brought them online as the implant stages were complete.

  What kind of stages?

  The implantation procedure for commando hardware takes place in stages. Stage one is the cranial hardware and nanites. Stage two is the optical, olfactory, and auditory hardware. Stage three is the pharmacology unit. Stages four, five, and six are the artificial musculature and bone reinforcement. These procedures have a recuperative period of between four and seven days between stages. During that time, the patient integrates the new hardware. Subject matter experts then train the patient on how to control the new hardware.

  Kelsey felt like laughing. Not because it was funny, but because it partly explained why this sucked so bad.

  Diagnostic Scanning Workstation Twelve, you performed all of those stages in one session and I have no trainer. I can’t even walk.

  The machine was silent for a full five seconds. Records confirm. This unit is at a loss as to why it did so. This violates all protocols and places the patient in significant danger of implant failure or death. The machine actually sounded shocked and dismayed.

  Blame the people that reprogrammed you, Kelsey thought. You can’t do anything about those who came before me, but you can help me recover. How many times have you done this before?

  Accessing records. This unit has performed this illegal procedure five hundred sixty-two thousand, four hundred and ninety-two times. The first illegal procedure took place five hundred twenty three years, four months, and twelve days ago.

  Over half a million people forced to become like she was and then made slaves by the rebels. And that didn’t count the Fleet personnel that already had implants. The scope of the horror made her sick.

  You can’t do anything about that now. You said I have a set of commando implants. That’s a marine, correct?

  Incorrect. Commandos are a specialized group of marines with the highest degree of enhancement. The standard marine package, while capable, has significantly less comprehensive hardware. Nanites, but no artificial musculature or bone reinforcement. Basic ocular and auditory implants, but no olfactory implants.

  So, commandos were the elite marines?

  Correct.

  Did Fleet officers have different levels of implants?

  Negative. All cranial implants are identical. Support equipment varies between Fleet personnel, marines, and commandos. Fleet officers only have cranial implants. All have medical nanites, though the commando-grade nanos are markedly more capable.

  That was the first useful information she’d gotten for them. Hopefully, there was a lot more.

  Okay, Diagnostic Scanning Workstation Twelve… I’m going to refer to you as Twelve going forward. That other unit cut me open like I was a fish. Shouldn’t there be painkillers and regeneration of the incisions?

  Regulations require anesthesia for the procedure. Accessing implantation unit. This unit is detecting that the regeneration equipment is not active. The unit should also perform the surgery in a slower and more controlled manner to minimize injury to the patient. I have reset it.

  That was useful. Or it would be if anyone else were crazy enough to put themselves through the procedure.

  So that brings us back to me, Twelve. I have no idea how to use these implants. I can’t even walk. I’ve destroyed things because I can’t control my own strength. Can you do anything to help me?

  Step one is to bring your hardware to active mode. Once it is fully online, you sh
ould be able to achieve consistent control.

  Kelsey opened her eyes and waved at one of the nearby technicians. “Would you get Doctor Stone for me?”

  “Certainly, Your Highness.” The man hurried over to Lily’s office and sent her back.

  Lily smiled as she hurried over. “That was quick.”

  Kelsey frowned. “How quick?”

  “A couple of minutes.”

  “Huh. It felt like Twelve and I were talking longer than that.” She filled Stone in on what she’d learned.

  The doctor excused herself and retrieved her tablet. She had Kelsey go over it again and made notes. “A commando, eh? Your father would be proud.”

  Kelsey snorted. “He’d be horrified. I want to bring all my hardware online. Maybe then I can walk.”

  “I’d recommend against that, but I know how effective that’s likely to be. Let’s get you into a scanner so we can watch the process.”

  It took half an hour to get everything set up to Lily’s standards. Medical personnel now packed the room looking at an array of instruments. Doctor Leonard and his programming henchman returned and wired her up like a stolen grav car. Only then did they allow her to start the process.

  Twelve, let’s bring my implants online in the manner you think best.

  Acknowledged. Close your eyes and relax. Bringing higher functions out of standby mode.

  She felt the indescribable sensation of something inside her head turning on. Her entire body twitched.

  “The processors just kicked into a lot of activity,” Doctor Leonard said. “More than I saw in any of them after they’d been removed from the hosts.”

  Lily leaned over Kelsey. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I just feel weird. Like I can feel the implants.”

  What now, Twelve?

  Stabilization subroutines are now active. You should be able to stand and move normally. Your internal governors have locked your speed and strength to levels appropriate for normal duty. They will remain at that level unless you chose to override the governors or your implants determine that you are in danger.