The damaged Ch’Tauk ship suddenly surged forward as its power systems came back on line. Despite the massive damage, the ship seemed eager to rejoin the fight. It fired its forward cannons at Austerlitz. The Terran destroyer righted itself and turned towards the attack to reduce its target potential. The forward cannons sputtered a stream of plasma energy that dissipated before reaching the Ch’Tauk ship. The enemy returned fire, burning hull plating from the bow of the human ship.
Genghis Khan entered the fray and fired its broadside cannons at the enemy ship. Another blast from the surface sizzled past the battle cruiser but did not impact its shields. Kabul swept past the cruiser and landed heavy hits along the enemy destroyer’s flanks. The ship seemed to shrug off the hits but slowed. Austerlitz accelerated away from the big battle cruiser, trailing the other destroyer in its wake.
From the sunrise, a blue-brown swirl announced the arrival of a new ship. When the corona of energy bled away, an older model battleship raced towards the moon. Rows of plasma cannon emplacements opened fire on the moon. A blast shot up from the surface but was evaded by the smaller ship. Although large for its time, the battleship was a relic of an older generation and now looked more like a smaller cousin of the big battle cruiser. It continued to pour red-orange fire down to the surface. It took almost a minute of continuous fire before a cloud of smoke and fire announced the destruction of the ground emplacement.
Austerlitz swung around to try to draw fire from the Genghis Khan. The big ship was taking the brunt of both of the Ch’Tauk destroyers. Kabul had shaken off its own pursuer and had now turned to face the two attackers. Khan was listing under the damage, unable to control its inertial movement when hit. The two smaller Alliance ships moved into a defensive position to protect their larger cousin. With the ground cannon destroyed, the mysterious battleship turned to face the Ch’Tauk ships.
Outnumbered and outgunned, the alien ships broke off their direct attack of Genghis Khan. As they attempted to escape, the battleship nosed down under them and twisted. As the cannons opened up on the enemy ships, more hull plating came loose. The battleship was relentless in its attack of the alien ships. Even as the banded plating peeled away, ejecting equipment and bodies into space, the Terran destroyers moved in to attack from above.
An explosion of coppery metal and vented atmosphere rocked the battle zone. The Ch’Tauk destroyer became consumed in its own plasma energy core as Kabul fired a lucky shot straight into the engine room. The companion destroyer tried to escape but was cut off by Genghis Khan and the aging battleship. Desperate fire lashed out from the ship as it tried to pull up from the battle. The battleship dipped its bow and flew under the alien ship again, strafing the belly and opening up more holes.
Now it looked like the sharks were circling an injured swimmer. The Ch’Tauk ship lashed out at multiple targets. The Alliance ships held their fire but circled the injured ship. The enemy vessel dropped its own bow and poured on speed, evading Kabul as it passed under. The battleship arced around to pursue but the cruiser was already there. A sheet of combined plasma fire flared from the big ship’s flank. The enemy ship cracked open like an egg under the barrage. It split in two halves that tumbled away from the center.
Kabul and Austerlitz each fired finishing shots at the pieces, blasting the halves into thousands of components. The ships flew away from the expanding cloud of debris. Austerlitz’ shields snapped back into place as her Alliance crew repaired her systems. Khan slowed to a stop near the LaGrange point between the gas giant and the moon. The two Alliance destroyers returned to form the original delta configuration. The battleship turned away from the other ships as they pulled alongside the cruiser.
There was a blue-brown energy surge and another M-space entrance opened. The battleship slowly entered the vortex, leaving the other combatants alone over the planet. As the vortex closed, the Alliance ships began to take stock of their damage and evaluate repair time. The battleship left nothing behind to record its presence except a cloud of alien debris and there rescued ships.
20
Five Years ago
Harpy Prison Station
The man known locally as prisoner z/92376 was escorted into the interrogation room in chains. Small electronic fixtures secured the locks at his ankle and wrists. Any attempt at freedom by breaking the locks would result in explosive amputation of the limbs. The prisoner was seated in the low metal chair bolted to the floor. The ankle bindings were magnetically locked to the chair legs. His hands were placed on the table and locked to the surface.
The guards that had escorted the prisoner into the room stepped back and unslung their plasma rifles. Each man held the rifle tip towards the prisoner. The bound man looked over his shoulder at the guards with a sneer. His hair was long and greasy. He had a long beard that made his face look thinner than it was. He wore the standard grey of the prison, but his had a large, dark stain across the chest. The stain smelled coppery and appeared wet.
“You bastards really think those things would slow me down?” The prisoner said. “You’d have to hit somethin’ vital the first time or I’d rip your head off and shove it up your…”
“Shut the hell up.”
A voice from the other side of the room signaled the arrival of someone new. The man was tall with a narrow face that made him look intense. He wore a severely cut suit that spoke of culture and money. The man stepped into the direct light over the table and looked down at the prisoner. The man held a data pad under his arm. He pulled the pad out and stared at the file being displayed.
“Sixteen counts of murder, four counts of high piracy with violent intent, suspected in the deaths of the passengers and crew of two passenger yachts.” The man said. “You have been examined by Terran Confederation psychologists and found competent for this interrogation. You understand me?”
In response, the man bound to the table spit at the cultured man. The spittle arced at the suit but when it came down, the man had evaded the impact. The prisoner had barely noticed the other man move. The interrogator had stepped silently to one side without taking his eyes off the prisoner.
“I take that as a yes.” The man said. “My name is Jon Sandoval and I represent the Terran intelligence Bureau. I need to ask you a few questions.”
“I ain’t talkn’ to no spook.” The man replied, looking away from the agent. “I got nothin’ to say to you people.”
“I don’t think you understand, prisoner z/92376, I have…”
“If you want to talk to me, you call me by name!” The prisoner shouted.
“You have no name, prisoner.” Sandoval replied calmly. “You have a number. The first time you killed a man, you lost the right to your name.”
“Ya’ll took my life. All I got left is my name.” The prisoner said. “I ain’t sayin’ nothin’ else until I hear my name.”
“I have been authorized to offer you certain courtesies in exchange for your cooperation, prisoner.” The man said. “We can make your stay much easier until your execution.”
The prisoner stared forward past the agent. He refused to acknowledge the other man’s presence. The agent looked back at the data pad and pressed a key. There was a chirp as the device adjusted its knowledge. The agent looked back to the prisoner. He seemed to be sizing up the other man with his dark eyes.
“I am sorry, prisoner,” Sandoval said. “I made a mistake. We can make your stay here at Harpy for the rest of your natural life.”
The only response was a derisive glance. The agent tapped the keys on the data pad again. The device let out a low groan as the data readjusted itself. The agent set the pad on the table where the prisoner could see it. It showed the sentence restored to execution in less than one Earth month. The prisoner turned up one corner of his mouth.
“I see,” Sandoval said. “I think we have a misunderstanding here, prisoner. I have the power of life and death right now. You have only your pride to fall back on. I think it’s gotten a bit stuffy in here, don’t
you think? Gentlemen, can you step outside for a moment?”
The agent motioned for the two guards to lower their weapons. The taller of the two, a guard captain named Deacon, shook his head in reply. The agent stood and stepped around the table to stand next to the captain. He held up his wrist link and showed the display to the man. The captain looked away from the prisoner long enough to see the identification badge. He nodded and lowered his rifle. The other guard did the same and the two men stepped away from Sandoval. He pressed his palm to the pad by the door and heard the lock slide open. The two guards stepped out of the room. Before the door closed, Sandoval noticed the two take up positions on either side of the door.
“There,” the agent said. “Now isn’t that better? Now it is just the two of us and we can talk in private.”
The prisoner again refused to look to the agent. Sandoval stepped up behind the man and grabbed a fistful of the long hair. He pulled the other man’s head back sharply. The prisoner choked as his airway was pulled back. The agent held the prisoner’s head back as far as biology would allow. The prisoner struggled against the magnetically locked bonds. After several long seconds, Sandoval released the hair and stepped away. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands.
“Prisoner,” Sandoval said. “I can make this interrogation very bad for you.”
“What the hell do you think you’re doin’?” the prisoner said, choking on the fresh air. “You can’t do this to me. I got rights!”
“You have whatever I decide you have!” Sandoval yelled back. “You are nothing more than a means to an end to me and if I can’t get what I want then I have no use for you.”
“What the hell do you want?” The prisoner asked. “I don’t know nothin’ about the Confederation.”
“I need to know who your contacts are in regards to the Ch’Tauk Empire.” Sandoval said. “I know you have done business with them and I need to know what you know.”
“I don’t know about the bugs, man.” The prisoner replied. “I just sold’em a few things like anyone else.”
“What did you sell them?” Sandoval asked.
“What difference does that make?” The prisoner said with a snort. “It ain’t like I made anything from it.”
Sandoval ripped his hand across the prisoner’s face. The man jerked in the chair, struggling against the cuffs that held him tight. Blood appeared at the top of his lip, trickling into his dirty beard. He looked back at the agent with rage.
“You son of a bitch,” the prisoner said. “I’ll kill you when I get loose. I’ll tear your arms away from your body and…”
Another hand slammed into the prisoner’s head. This time, the prisoner’s head snapped back and the man lost consciousness. The agent wiped his hand again on the clean handkerchief. He sat in the chair opposite the prisoner’s and waited for the other man to wake. For a short time, he tapped keys on the data pad, apparently playing a game while the other man slept. Finally, a gurgle of breath spit from the prisoner’s throat. He sat up again and stared at the agent. A large cut had opened on the prisoner’s forehead.
“Now this is where you answer my question.” Sandoval said. “I asked what you sold to the Ch’Tauk.”
“Say my name.” the prisoner said, spitting blood onto the table.
“If that is what it takes, then.” The agent replied, taking the pad and looking at the file. “What did you sell to the Ch’Tauk, mister Jakes?”
The man sneered at the agent. He had a lopsided smile that did nothing to make him look pleasant. A laugh bubbled up from the man’s chest. He shook his head as he looked back at Sandoval.
“Say the whole thing you government bastard.” Jakes said. “Or you get nothin’ from me.”
“Mister Connor Jakes,” the agent said. “I will only ask you this one more time. What was the nature of the merchandise you sold to the Ch’Tauk?”
“I sold humans.” Jakes replied. “The bugs wanted humans and I sold them slaves.”
Both men stared at one another. Jakes’ face was bleeding freely into his beard. Sandoval stared back calmly. There was no communication between the two but the silence spoke volumes. Sandoval stood suddenly, pushing the metal chair he was seated in over with a loud crash. The noise echoed in the small space. Jakes jumped at the sound as if it was the sound of his own death. Sandoval leaped over the table and grabbed Jakes by the narrow collar.
“You traitor!” Sandoval said. “How could you sell your own kind to those creatures?”
“I didn’t care what I did as long as they paid.” Jakes replied. “It was either that or kill’em myself. God knows I did plenty of that in my time. I figured that slavery was better than death.”
Sandoval drew his arm back and began slamming his fist into Jakes’ face. The prisoner was unable to fight back and was pummeled by the blows. Blood splattered on the agent’s suit as Jakes was beaten. After several minutes, Sandoval stopped raining blows on the man and stood back. He looked at his hands. They were covered in the other man’s blood. Jakes gagged and spit up blood. His nose was broken and lips split in several places. There was a dark bruise growing over his left eye.
“Do you remember?” Sandoval asked. “Do you remember all of your victims, mister Jakes? Do you remember the passengers on the Tahoe Dream? It was about two years ago. You hijacked the ship and killed the crew?”
Jakes drew in a wet breath. Sandoval couldn’t tell if the man was able to hear him. He grabbed the man’s lapel again. Sandoval’s open palm slammed into Jakes’ face, cracking something in the man’s jaw.
“You really don’t remember, do you?” Sandoval said. “You’ve killed so many people that you actually forgot this one, didn’t you?”
Jakes blinked his functional eye. He looked back at the agent and began to laugh. The sound was thick and unpleasant. Jakes tried to open his mouth to speak but his jaw bent painfully and he screamed. For a moment, Sandoval thought the prisoner had passed out again but a shuddering breath gave it away.
“I’ll see if I can remind you.” Sandoval said. “The Terran Dream was owned by my parents. The day you decided to take that ship, my family was taking a vacation. Aunts, uncles, cousins and brother were all on board. Your ship attached itself to the hull and blew out the lower decks. From what I read, you and your men boarded the ship and killed the crew. The on-board cameras showed you pulling the triggers on the captain and first officer yourself. The cameras also showed you taking the passengers off the ship. Did you sell them, mister Jakes? Did you sell my parents into slavery?”
“Whe…” the man’s voice trailed off in pain. Sandoval pulled him closer and held his jaw into place. “Where were you?”
Sandoval pulled him arm back and punched the man in the face again. He kept throwing blows at the other man’s skull. Jakes continued to cough out a laugh even as he was beaten. It took several minutes for the sound to stop. Sandoval continued to hit the body for some time. After he released the body, Sandoval slumped back against the table.
The agent walked around the table on unsteady legs. He picked up the handkerchief and tried to wipe away the blood. He noticed how much was already on his suit and took the jacket off. The white shirt looked strange as the exposed neck dripped blood. He pulled off the tie and threw it at the dead pirate.
There was a noise as the door slid open. The two guards entered the room and dropped their aim at the bleeding body. Sandoval looked calmly up at the men. His face was covered in spattered blood. The scene was surreal as the agent stood with his back straight and his hands dripping on the floor.
“Sir, what happened?” The guard captain asked. “What did you…”
“He was very cooperative.” Replied the agent calmly. “I got what I needed.”
The agent walked from the room past the two men. Sandoval stepped down the corridor leading to the control center with even steps. He heard the guards radio the warden ahead. The door to the control tower was opened. As he stepped through the door, the station alarm s
ounded. Sandoval held his arms out and awaited arrest. The guards in the room ignored him as they ran from one station to another.
“Agent Sandoval?” The warden said from the far side of the room. “We need you over here.”
Sandoval walked slowly to the warden and stood still. He still didn’t know why he had not been arrested. He was still covered in blood but no one seemed to notice in the alarm. He looked at the readout on the screen. There was massive activity scrolling across the screen.
“What is happening?” Sandoval asked. “I don’t understand?”
“It’s an invasion, Agent Sandoval.” The warden replied, still not looking at the blood-soaked man. “We’ve lost contact with Earth and the whole Confederation. All we’re getting is reports from private vessels.”
“Is it some kind of malfunction?” Sandoval asked. “Maybe some kind of publicity stunt?”
“I thought so too, Agent Sandoval, but it’s on all channels.” The warden said. “Whatever it is, it happened all over at the same time.”
The warden looked up to see the agent. For the first time, he noticed the blood dripping from the man’s knuckles. He drew back and looked to the government agent. Sandoval looked back at him calmly. The two guards from the cell ran into the room, holding their weapons on Sandoval. The agent raised his hands.
“It’s over anyway, warden.” The man said. “I might as well be just like him, now.”
“Like who, Agent?” The warden asked.
“Connor Jakes.”
21
Now
Resolute Uprising (The War for Terra) Page 16
