The tigers were an ultra-religious race. They’d venerated the Forerunner artifacts like many Christians did their icons and holy relics. Earl Parthian had gone to Acheron because Holgotha had shown up. That had likely given Jennifer high status. The earl could bolster his crews by pointing to Holgotha.
What had bolstered Visconti’s crews?
Acheron had remained unmolested for thousands of years. One of the reasons was the strange guardian machine. Another reason was the conservative nature of the Lokhars. They had made sure no one went to the ancient planet. Earl Parthian’s ability to get his crews to go there—
I dropped my feet onto the floor.
Something wasn’t adding up.
I went to a comm unit and hailed Visconti’s flagship, OT Mauler Iron Boulder.
Shortly, the baron appeared on the screen. “Commander Creed, I just returned to my vessel.”
“I’ve been thinking about your journey to Acheron. That was an impressive feat.”
“Not that impressive, my friend,” Visconti said. “We failed to uncover anything of use.”
“You substantiated Earl Parthian’s pilgrimage to the planet. The shattered guardian machine proved it.”
“That is true.”
“You found looted mineshafts, proving the earl gleaned ancient tech.”
Visconti nodded.
“Were your crews nervous going to the Acheron System?” I asked.
“Oh, very,” he said.
“How did you convince them to break the ancient taboo?”
Visconti’s left eyelid jerked, quivering a moment before settling down.
“It was difficult,” he admitted. “We had heard about Holgotha, of course. I told them Earl Parthian had gone, and afterward he had become the new emperor. To be honest, Commander, we were desperate. It was much easier convincing them to come here to Earth than it was forcing them to Acheron.”
The baron cocked his huge head. “May I ask you a question?”
“Be my guest,” I said.
“Why do you ask me about Acheron?”
“Curiosity, mainly.”
“Surely, it is more than that.”
I grinned. “So much about this is puzzling to me. I’m trying to understand how Earl Parthian could take the shattered Purple Tamika and raise it to imperial heights once again.”
Visconti stared at me before he shook his head. “I know what you mean. Some in the empire liken the feat to sorcery. They say that Earl Parthian employs magic.”
“This is news.”
“But there is no magic,” the baron said. “It is the tech of the First Ones and the Plutonians that has gained the status of magic.”
“I see.”
“That is why the Shi Feng have grown into a popular cult again.”
I faked a yawn as an idea struck. I needed to get off the line. “I’m getting tired, old friend. It’s time for a nap.”
“Yes. You should be well rested before the strategy meeting.” He hesitated before saying, “Can I ask you a favor?”
“Go for it.”
“Can I join you when you go down to Earth for the meeting? My officers and I agree that it would be wrong for Lokhar craft to enter the Earth’s atmosphere.”
“No problem,” I said.
“The meeting is in six hours,” he said. “I believe we should be prompt.”
“Yes. I’ll take my nap now then. Good-bye, Baron.”
“Until we ride together,” Visconti said.
We both cut the connection. It was at that point that I knew something was dreadfully wrong aboard the Orange Tamika warships.
-41-
I had to check out the possibilities of my gut instinct. First, though, I wanted to talk to N7.
Before I did that, I sealed all the outer hatches into the GEV. Then, I powered up the AI and listened to a summary of all that had happened in and to the stealth ship while I’d been in the stasis tube, healing.
The AI verified the story I’d heard from the others except in one particular. In the Tau Ceti System, no one had seen Orcus’s heavy cruiser escape through a dimensional portal. Instead, the AI recorded the heavy cruiser, or a vessel of heavy cruiser class, accelerate away through the swirling dust and debris until it disappeared behind the dwarf planet. That had been the extent of Orcus’s escape.
“Did you have any indication that Orcus’s ship trailed us out of the Tau Ceti System?”
“No,” the AI said.
“Ella didn’t send a probe after the heavy cruiser?”
“No.”
“Why would she tell me that she saw a dimensional portal open and that the heavy cruiser disappeared into it?”
“I do not know,” the AI said.
“Can you give me a conjecture?”
“She is pranking you.”
“Why would Ella do that?”
“I do not know.”
I sighed. “Can you give me a conjecture as to the reason?”
“None with a reasonable probability of accuracy,” the AI said.
“Give me one with an unreasonable probability, the highest among them.”
“There is a three percent probability that Orcus teleported to the GEV before boarding his heavy cruiser. While in the GEV, Orcus hypnotized Ella.”
“Without you sensing any of that?”
“That is why it is only a three percent probability,” the AI said.
“Give me a lower possibility.”
“There is a one point five percent probability that Baron Visconti has brainwashed Ella regarding the incident.”
“Brainwashed her with a Jelk mind machine?” I asked.
“The Lokhars could have such a machine, but that is pure speculation.”
“Suppose Baron Visconti brainwashed Ella. Can you give me a reason why?”
“There are a variety of reasons,” the AI said.
I didn’t ask the computer for any more reasons, as I already had one of my own. Instead, I went to the comm and hailed N7.
The android had remained on Earth during our mission to Tau Ceti. I’d wanted someone staying behind to watch events and give me an honest account later. N7 had seemed like the best candidate for the job.
I used a secure channel and soon saw the choirboy-looking android on the screen. He was in New Denver, with a window behind him showing snow-topped mountains.
“N7, I’d like a timeline concerning the Orange Tamika Fleet in the Solar System.”
“I do not understand,” the android said.
“When did the OT fleet arrive?”
“When your two light cruisers returned,” N7 said.
“Wait,” I said. “That happened two weeks ago?”
“No. You and the Orange Tamika Fleet arrived four days ago.”
“Oh.”
“Is everything well, Commander?”
“Fine,” I said. “Are you curious as to why I haven’t spoken to you before this?”
“Ella spoke of serious injuries when you faced Orcus.”
“Yeah,” I said. At least she’d kept that part of the story straight. Ella had told me earlier—like a week ago—that we were already in Earth orbit. Now, though, we were out here near Luna with the Orange Tamika Fleet. How had Ella—or whoever—managed to trick my AI concerning the false timeline?
“Why aren’t we in Earth orbit?” I asked.
“Commander?”
“Just answer the question, N7.”
“General Briggs convinced Diana to tell the Lokhars to keep in Luna orbit while we awaited developments.”
“What kind of developments?”
“Is this a secure channel, Commander?”
“Yes.”
“The Starkien Fleet is coming.”
“Any reason why?”
“General Briggs has a suspicion regarding—”
“N7, Briggs has the suspicion?”
“You are right,” the android said. “Spencer, the Police Proconsul, was speaking through Briggs. Spencer distr
usts the Orange Tamika arrival.”
“Any reason why?”
“Orange Tamika maulers fought with Purple Tamika a year ago. Until this moment, we did not know that any of Orange Tamika had resisted Earl Daniel Parthian’s sudden rise to power.”
That was news, as in devastating news. “Has Ella or Rollo been to Earth yet since our return?”
“No.”
“Have you spoken with them?”
“No. You are the first of our party that I’ve spoken to, Commander.”
“We returned with two light cruisers?”
“And a derelict heavy cruiser in tow,” N7 said.
“They’re all in Luna orbit?”
“Yes, Commander.”
“How many Earth Force battlejumpers are in Earth orbit?”
“Thirty-eight, sir,” N7 said. “More are coming. General Briggs informed me that in another week we should have fifty-two battlejumpers. Given the lower numbers these days, because of continuing battle attrition, that is an impressive fleet size.”
“Right. Thanks, N7.”
“Is something amiss, sir?”
“No, N7. It’s all good.”
The android studied me. “I suppose this is something Dmitri could appreciate.”
“I totally agree.”
N7 nodded sharply. “Is there anything else, sir?”
“I’m good for now. I’ll see you at the strategy session.”
“Very good, sir,” N7 said.
I cut the connection and thought about what N7 had told me. The Dmitri reference was a code word between us. It meant that something was seriously wrong and I was going to check it out. He was to hold down the fort until I talked to him again.
Of all the former assault troopers, N7 remembered the old code words best.
It was time to look inside the OT Mauler Iron Boulder.
-42-
If you’re thinking I put on the Shrike Lord Phase Suit, you would be one hundred percent correct. This was going to be more difficult than last time, however, because I couldn’t just walk to the mauler while out of phase.
I donned a thruster pack over the phase suit, attaching an extra fuel tank to it. That made the pack excessively heavy. I’d thought about wearing the second skin to give me extra strength. But I was already too suited up for the mission.
The suit’s phase generator would have to work overtime with every extra kilogram of mass I added. Living mass required far more energy than “dead” matter to go out of phase.
I grunted as I staggered into position. The combination of phase suit, thruster pack and extra tanks taxed even my herculean physique. I turned on the generator, taking myself and all my gear out of phase.
The load wasn’t quite as heavy while I was out of phase. With lurching steps, I moved through my GEV, passing through bulkheads, and I walked through the Lokhar light cruiser we’d captured, the one holding my vessel. As soon as I became weightless, I knew I’d moved through the light cruiser’s outer hull and into space.
To double check that I was headed in the right direction, I surfaced into ghost-phase. I saw Light Cruiser Thistle Down behind me. Beyond it was the Moon. I rotated until I saw points of light, the Orange Tamika Fleet.
In the faintest ghost mode, I activated the thruster pack and began heading toward my target. Finally, seeing I was going in the correct direction, I fully phased out again.
The thruster pack would propel me faster and farther while out of phase. I didn’t know the physics of why this was so, just that it was.
I’ve always been more concerned that something worked in whatever way it did rather than in why it did such a thing.
I ghosted up several times to check on my heading. Each of those times, I stopped thrusting. I wasn’t sure how sensitive the OT Fleet sensors were, and I definitely did not want anyone in the fleet to know I was coming.
Despite my velocity and the relatively short distance, I had a lot of time to think. What did I believe had happened?
Well, it seemed to me that Orcus had never fled into a dimensional portal. The Lucky Thirteen had survived: that had been the twelve of us floating in space amidst the heavy cruiser’s debris and Ella aboard the GEV. Orcus must have teleported onto the GEV and done something to Ella.
Orcus wouldn’t have been able to teleport into the heart of the craft, however, as it was rigged to repel anyone attempting that. Somehow, the cloned First One had tricked the AI, but not completely so. Afterward, Orcus had come up with his brilliant idea that included the Orange Tamika Fleet.
This was only a theory certainly, but it seemed to fit what I knew and it explained the little oddities I’d been witnessing since leaving the stasis tube. But theories weren’t facts, as Ella used to be fond of telling me. One had to test a theory in the real world to see if worked or not.
Well, baby, that’s what I was doing out here, thrusting through space while out of phase. I’d only done that one other time during a harrowing mission against the Greta De of Hollis 1-10.
I ghosted up again into partial phase and saw the Orange Tamika Fleet. It was much closer than before. There were ten huge ball-bearing-shaped maulers. I saw their sealed weapons ports. If those opened and the tigers started beaming, enemy ships would go down. In this case, “enemy ships” would be our carefully and painstakingly gathered Earth Force battlejumpers.
Alone out here, I felt like the Italian frogmen of the Decima Flottiglia MAS who’d raided the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt on December 19, 1941.
An Italian submarine had released three manned torpedoes that the frogmen had nicknamed maiali (pigs). The sub had done so at the depth of 49 feet, about 1.3 miles from the harbor entrance. The frogmen steered the manned torpedoes underwater, moving through the murky depths much as I maneuvered out of phase toward the Lokhar ships. The frogmen managed to attach limpet mines to British Royal Navy hulls, disabling two battleships for many months. Some of the frogmen had been captured that day. Others had been taken prisoner later.
I was hoping to avoid their fate. Fortunately, I had tech superior to the enemy’s, unlike the frogmen of Decima Flottiglia MAS. For one thing, space wasn’t nearly as murky as the harbor of Alexandria.
I counted ten maulers, two heavy cruisers, six light cruisers and three sleek pursuit destroyers. I noticed a few shuttles moving between the vessels.
So far, no Earth-crewed vessel had joined the Lokhar ships. I had no doubt the newly constructed silos on Luna were primed to launch missiles against the “friendlies” if the need arose.
Visconti wanted to join me on the ride down to Earth. What was the real reason? Was the baron attempting to gain our full trust, or did he plan to attack during the meeting?
When I said the baron, I meant the mind controlling the baron. Was that Orcus?
It was time to try to find out.
-43-
I rotated myself and used the thruster pack to brake my velocity to a slow drift. Afterward, I approached the flagship OT Mauler Iron Boulder. I felt like a space flea as I neared the giant hull, reading the huge lettering.
The ship name had a pre-Lokhar Space Age connection to the era when the tigers had fought each other medieval style. They hadn’t used horses like humans had, nor any horse-like animal. The sword and spear-fighting tigers of that time had, however, built castles and catapults. Before the tigers invented gunpowder, they had developed trebuchets just as we had done on Earth. A catapult used the torsion of twisted rope or hair to hurl its load. A trebuchet used gravity-assisted counterweights. Such a weapon could hurl its missile farther and harder, and remain in operation for a longer time period. With a catapult, the ropes or hair lost their tension over time, affecting accuracy and requiring maintenance.
In any case, a clever tiger of that era had been inspired to use iron boulders against some of the more stubborn castles. The iron boulder had become a symbol in Lokhar terminology for massive destructive power.
I reached and slid through the outer hull of the Mauler Iron B
oulder. Since I was no longer weightless, I staggered until I came to a large ammo hold. I debated a growing idea and finally decided to take the risk. By that time, I was panting from the exertion.
I detached the thruster pack and its extra tanks, stashing them in an out-of-the-way place in the hold. A tiger might find these if he came in here, but I felt it was worth the risk so I could move freely and more quickly in the phase suit.
Once I’d shed the extra weight, I phased out again and trudged inward toward the bridge, which was in the very center of the ship. That was the safest and sanest place to put a bridge. The idea that the command crew would be outside the main hull on top for easy targeting was ludicrous.
Every time I ghosted up for a look around, I saw regular Orange Tamika tigers going about their duties. There was nothing sinister or underhanded about their actions. I’d gone on more than one expedition with Lokhars. This all seemed normal to me.
As I’ve said, an OT Mauler was a huge ship. It thus took time to cross the intervening territory. Finally, though, I neared the bridge.
I carefully ghosted down until I could hardly see a thing. The Lokhars in the corridors as well as the bulkheads all seemed very faint, ethereal even. I stayed within the bulkheads for the most part, poking my visor out for an occasional look-see.
The first clue I might be right were big Lokhar guards. They wore tiger battle armor, space marine suits weighing an ungodly amount and with exoskeleton power. Their batteries could store an amazing amount of juice.
The idea of small nuclear motors powering battle armor was crazy. Not even galaxy-center aliens had that kind of ability.
The space marine tigers all wore combat armor. I ghosted up enough to see the blinking lights on their weapons, indicating they were ready to fire. A squad of Lokhar space marines stood at the entrance to the bridge.
No one was getting past them, well, no one who didn’t own a phase suit like mine.
I pushed into the bulkhead and began moving. My heart was pounding. I hated the idea of Baron Visconti being under enemy control. I hated even worse the idea of a Lokhar battle fleet waiting to backstab us at the worst possible moment.
Target: Earth (Extinction Wars Book 5) Page 16
