“And what is that?” Ki’Bualan asked.
“I have his woman.”
29
Perigee Station
Lee Pearce was alone in the brig, deep within the metal walls of Perigee station. His crew had been taken off by force and herded into cells in other parts of the detention area. Lee’s wing mates were taken to the infirmary under guard. He had been left completely alone in the cell for the past four hours and was starting to wonder if there were any guards outside.
The thick door to the cell was magnetically sealed and coated with a nearly frictionless layer of chemical that made it impossible to get any kind of a grip on. After pacing for an hour, he had eventually decided to just sit on the low cot and think about the mission and what the fleet orbiting the station meant.
Clearly, Commodore Chang had been busy in his absence. The Alliance had become an alliance in more than just name. The array of ships beyond the walls was unlike any he had ever witnessed. His own Resolute was supposed to be the last of her kind but now he knew that there was an entire antique fleet ready to defend Perigee. The Vadne and alien fleet backed up the assumption that Chang was readying the last part of his plan to retake Earth. Lee hoped he would be able to at least watch the battle from the cell.
A thud announced the arrival of visitors to his six foot by six foot existence. The door slid aside without any further noise to admit the commodore and Captain Ortiz. Lee stood and fired a salute to the officers. Chang did not return the salute, but Ortiz sent a nod in Lee’s direction. The door slid shut behind them and Lee thought he saw the commodore relax just a little.
“Lee,” Chang began. “Thank God you’re alive.”
Pearce felt his shoulders collapse at the other man’s tone. Ortiz broke into a wide smile that split his face and made Lee finally feel that he was home. He dropped the salute and smiled back at his friends.
“Commodore, it’s good to be back home.” Lee said.
“First, I want to apologize for the theatrics when you arrived.” Chang said, motioning Lee to the cot and sitting down himself. “I needed to get you out of the spotlight and fast. These are dangerous times for you and I.”
“Dangerous, sir?” Lee asked. “You mean more than me going out and nearly getting myself killed for no reason?”
“Lee…” Ortiz tried to say. The commodore cut him off.
“Captain Pearce,” Chang said curtly. “You’ve been away from the chain of command too long. You’ve forgotten how to talk in the presence of a line officer.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” Lee replied, hanging his head a little. “It’s just that…We lost so many good people out there and we didn’t even get what we set out to get. It all seems like a waste of good lives.”
“Lee you haven’t heard?” Ortiz said. “It wasn’t a waste. Your people were able to hack the Ch’Tauk destroyer’s navigational database. We got the location of their home world.”
Lee blinked at his friend. He could feel his emotions mix up in his head. He had not realized that the plan had succeeded because he had been locked up with no contact. The knowledge that the sacrifices they had made were not in vain made him wants to cry out in joy and weep at the same time. He buried his face in his hands to hide the confusion.
“It was your ship and your crews that turned the tide and let us gain a foothold on Kaya. We’ve dispatched ships to survey how many colonists are left and try to formulate a rescue.” Chang added. “In fact, if it wasn’t for your Resolute, none of the plan to keep the Ch’Tauk off guard could ever have succeeded.”
“What about my crew?” Lee asked. “Are they still here in the brig?”
“No, Lee,” Chang replied. “You are the one that I needed to keep under wraps. The rest of your crew have either been released back to the station or are waiting on Resolute for my clearance. There are certain people I need to keep you from and arresting you was the easiest way to do that.”
“Banu?” Lee asked. “He’s still gunning for my ship isn’t he?”
“No,” Chang replied with a lopsided grin. “He got what he wanted. We found him a new toy to play with. It’s you he wants. I think he wants your head for stealing the ship in the first place. I need to keep him in the dark about where you are. Officially, you are under military custody and are being interrogated. You crew was hijacked under duress. That may keep him off your back long enough.”
“Long enough for what?” Lee asked. “What’s next, Ron? I don’t know how much more running around, acting like a slaver I can take.”
“No more acting, Lee.” Ortiz said his expression suddenly serious. “I think you and your crew should have medals pinned on every available inch of your body, but they won’t let me do it.”
“Rao would want to do the pinning and he would probably do it with a sword.” Chang finished. “The best I can do for you is let you get back to work on Resolute. Farthing looks a bit mangy from stress and he practically begged me to give you the ship back.”
“I’ll bet he was,” Lee said. “He really needs to relax, you know.”
“Tell me about it,” Chang said. “He was my XO for three years, remember? In any case, I have a new mission for you.”
Lee sat up straighter in the cot. Of all the things he expected, to be sent back out again so soon was not high on his list of things to do. An exchanged look between the commodore and the other captain made Lee curious. If there was a mission that required him to skip a shower and it was important enough for the two of them to come together, he would need to pay attention.
“I understand, Commodore.” Lee said. “I hope you can give me enough time to get a shower and clean up.”
“I’m going to leave the captain to fill you in on the details, Lee.” Chang said standing and holding the release for the cell door. The thud sounded again as the door opened. “I need to go and see about some other arrangements.”
Lee stood again and saluted the other man. This time, Chang returned the gesture before leaving the small room. Lee had not noticed how stuffy the room had become until the man had left and he was alone with Ortiz. The two men had shared so many experiences through the years and it seemed natural that the captain would be the one to pass on the new instructions.
“Lee, I want you to know that I asked for this information to be held from you for at least a few days.” Ortiz said in an unusually grave tone. “I thought you would need some time before we sent you out again.”
“What information, Alfredo?” Lee asked. “What’s going on?”
“The commodore had all your people sequestered when they first arrived. We offloaded the freed slaves first onto the Hope.” Ortiz explained. “Your Wellick was pretty beat up but he stayed upright long enough to get the survivors on board and give up his downloaded data.”
“Survivors?” Lee asked, afraid of the answer. “How many made it?”
“Of the two-hundred that you originally picked up on the Phanoi, more than half were killed during the uprising.” Ortiz said. “Most of the folks from Diamond Sole are okay. Honestly, Lee, don’t beat yourself up. These people were already dead before you got them out. You gave them a fighting chance.”
“Alfredo, I killed these people just as sure as if I had pulled the trigger.” Lee said, slumping back onto the cot. “I was so focused on getting the coordinates of the Ch’Tauk, I endangered all of them. “
“Lee, we checked the records on board the Phanoi,” Ortiz said. “These people had already been sold to a buyer. They were going to be used as feed for the indigo cattle on Tirapinar four. Those that died did so on their feet and with a fighting chance. Anything would be better than that.”
Lee tried to understand what he had just heard. The cattle that he had seen at the auction had come from Tirapinar. He never realized that the Ch’Tauk were selling humans as food. The monstrosity of the crime was almost more than he could handle. Taking Earth was one thing but this was beyond evil. It strengthened his resolve to punish the alien invaders the next
time he encountered them.
“What did Wellick get?” Lee asked, trying to keep his heaving stomach under control. “You said we got the coordinates?”
“Yes, but that came after we got the data from your man.” Ortiz said. “What he got was mostly prisoner transfer and patrol details. Chang had me scan the data before bringing it over. I found something.”
Ortiz pulled a small data pad from his jacket pocket. He tapped a few keys and pulled up the encrypted data files. Another few taps and the symbols rearranged themselves into Terran standard. Ortiz handed the pad to Lee. Most of the data on the screen was exactly what Ortiz said it was, but there was a highlighted file that Ortiz had obviously wanted Lee to see.
“What is this?” Lee asked. “The file says priority prisoner transfer. Was the destroyer carrying someone important?’
“No, it was just a patrol ship.” Ortiz answered. “It seems that the Ch’Tauk security database is decentralized. They send out transfer information on high priority issues fleet-wide in case a ship needs to be rescued.”
“That doesn’t make sense. What if one of their ships is captured?” Lee said, trying to reason like a Ch’Tauk. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to keep intelligence tight to the chest?’
“They don’t think like we do, Lee.” Ortiz said. “At least, most of them don’t. You should read some of the political updates we found. The place is practically renaissance in their political machinations. Anyway, I opened the file to see what was so important.”
Lee tapped the pad and brought up the file. He slid the data open and began to read. After a few seconds his face went slack. The story detailed a capture from the battle of Karisia. Apparently, something called a Primero had seen fit to capture a confederation fighter that was spinning out of control. The prisoner was taken to the home world for display before their ruler. Lee’s hands began to shake as he read about the prisoner. She had been tortured and shuffled between prisons all over the Ch’Tauk Empire. A scan file was attached. Lee hesitated before pressing his fingertip to the screen and opening the file.
He had almost forgotten how beautiful she was. Her golden hair was matted and caked with what looked like sweat and blood. Her strong jaw was bruised and swollen. The only thing that remained exactly as he remembered it was her eyes. She looked back at the scan with a fierceness that penetrated his heart and awakened the love that he had thought was gone. He felt numb as he stared back into the eyes of his love.
“Alice…” Lee whispered through tears he hadn’t known he was shedding. “What have they…”
“Lee,” Ortiz said. “Lee you have to focus. I know it’s hard but we need you.”
“You need me?” Lee said, anger rising in his voice. “You need me! What about her? She needed me and I went off playing games for Chang. If I had known…”
“I know, Lee.” Ortiz said, trying to calm his friend. “We all know, but if you hadn’t been out there, we never would have known about her. You’ve got to focus.”
“Focus on what?” Lee yelled. “Focus on Banu Rao and his stupid games! Focus on Chang and his plans? Do you want me to focus on this goddamn cell!”
Lee threw the data pad across the small room. The sturdy device bounced back and landed at his feet. Lee wanted to kick the pad, but it had landed face up. Alice’s eyes stared back at him through the screen. He wanted to smash the screen, but couldn’t bring himself to raise his foot. If the device had some clue as to where she was, he needed to find it.
“What do you want, Captain?” Lee said as he picked the device up again. “What do you people want of me now?”
“We want you to find her, Lee.” Ortiz said. “We’re sending you out to find her.”
Lee stared back at his friend in confusion. He looked back at the pad and Alice’s face looking back. Ortiz had a serious expression and Lee knew he wouldn’t make a joke out of this.
“You’re sending me out to get her?” Lee asked. “That doesn’t make any sense. She’s being moved around in Ch’Tauk space. Why would the commodore want me to go there just for her?”
“It’s not for her, Lee.” Ortiz answered. “It’s for him.”
Ortiz reached across the pad and tapped another set of keys. A Ch’Tauk image appeared on the display. To Lee’s eyes, all Ch’Tauk looked the same. He knew that distinct whorls and designs on the armor set them apart from each other, but he had never bothered to study the patterns while they were shooting at him.
“Who is this?” Lee asked, looking closely at the image.
“Apparently, he’s the guy who planned the attack on Earth.” Ortiz explained. “He’s also the guy who caught Alice. Chang thinks if we get him, the whole thing will fall apart.”
“If they are as decentralized as you said, killing this guy won’t mean a thing.” Lee said, switching the image back to Alice. “They’ll just slide another bug into place.”
“Not this one, Lee.” The other man said. ‘This guy, apparently his name is Keybra or something; he’s been promoted and is pretty important now. He’s been keeping Alice close in case we come for him. If you find her, you’ll probably find him.”
Lee continued to stare at the picture. He wanted to race straight to the heart of the alien world, but knew it wouldn’t be that easy. His ship would need repairs and his crew had to have time to heal. He needed a plan and time to enact it. He shook his head as he switched the image back to the Ch’Tauk. He would need to burn the image into his head so that he could recognize the alien markings on sight. He would leave nothing behind but a body.
“I’ll do it, but I need to get out of this cell.” Lee said. “I’ll choose the crew and request volunteers. How fast do we need to go?”
“Chang wants you to be ready in less than a month. He’s timing everything now according to his schedule.” Ortiz explained. “Once you are ready, you will be transferred back to Resolute and kept away from open comms until you are ready. We’ll transfer Farthing back as Captain for official business.”
“That’s good, Alfredo.” Lee said, standing. “How much damage has the ship taken? How long until we can get her fixed?”
“Booth is already on board and we sent the elves.” The captain replied. “Resolute is a tough old horse. She’ll be better than new in less than a week.”
“I’ll get some plans together for the commodore,” Lee said, now thinking of a strategy to get to Ch’Tauk space. “It sounds like we can get under way pretty quickly.”
“I’ll tell Chang that you are in.” Ortiz said, walking to the door and pulling out the control box. “Thank you, Lee. I know this is going to be hard.”
“I’ll do what you want, Alfredo.” Lee said. “I’ll get Alice and take out your bad guy.”
“I know you will, Lee.” Ortiz replied with a touch of sadness.
“By the way, Captain,” Lee said, suddenly remembering a question he wanted to ask. “What happened to Eddie Chang?”
“That was why Ronald wouldn’t stay for your briefing, Lee.” Ortiz said. “Eddie Chang died in the fighting. His brother is going to bury him.”
30
Now
Earth
The ship flew low over the rough terrain. Stands of trees struggled to breathe in the smoke-filled atmosphere. The blasted land below showed wounds from orbital strikes and random fires left unchecked. As the vessel rose into the dense sky, the clouds of soot and smoke began to thin. Finally reaching above the darkness, the ship broke into open sky. The stars above looked down on Terra with pity. From above, the planet was no longer the glistening blue marble from years past. It was a gray world that reflected only the remains of death and despair.
Levelling out, the ship entered a stable flight path. A small hatch slid aside into the icy night. In the near total darkness, six figures leapt from the open hatch and into the inky sky. They fell through the clear sky and into the thick haze below. The ship closed the ramp and pulled out of the stable path. It arced up and into space, leaving its cargo to plummet to
the ground below.
The falling creatures were cloaked entirely in tight black suits. Developed far away the suits quickly began to fade from view until the only trace of their passing was the parting of the haze. Impossibly fast, the silhouettes raced towards the ground. There was no sound of their passing. No one on the ground would have seen the falling wraiths.
When the air had thickened, the image of a blooming sail of cloth could be seen for only a few seconds. The cloth faded from view as soon as it had reached a rigid state. Only thin lines could be seen and those were lost in the haze. It took only seconds for the lines and the invisible people hanging from them to strike the ground. The cloth became visible as it crumbled over the grounded creatures. Quickly, the grounded ghosts gathered the fabric close, scanning the sky with helmet mounted sensors. The figures waited, listening for pursuit. When it became obvious that they had not been detected, the human-shaped figures activated electrified lines inside the cloth. The parachutes began to dissolve on the ground. They produced no heat or light, but faded away as if burning from within.
For a moment, one of the men returned to visibility. He motioned for the others and they all came into view. A quick show of embedded health indicators satisfied the leader and they all faded away again. Inside the suits, each man was looking through a glass facemask at the surrounding world. They were on the side of a mountain that had once been covered in trees and snow. A scan of the mountain showed a faint heat signature nearly one hundred feet below their position. The men started down slowly. They stopped frequently, listening to the stifled air. There were no sounds of life around them. Where there might have once been insects or even a lonely wolf cry, there was now only silence.
Nearing the energy signature, the lead figure crouched behind an exposed rock. He could not see any signs of life that could be creating the heat. He noted the indicators showing his team spreading out around the spot. A single word, spoken on the internal comm told the team to wait for their leader as he moved to investigate. Of the six, three moved forward, covering the potential trap in a crossfire view. Withdrawn pistols became exposed as the figures watched their leader approach the heat source.
Resolute Uprising (The War for Terra) Page 22
