Tabitha tilted her head. “Let me get this straight. You’re being chased by some big-bad and you don’t think you can win, but you don’t want to ask for help because you don’t want to put others in danger?”
The alien made a hand gesture that the translation software interpreted as a variant of a nod. “Thank you for your generous offer, but we will be on our way.”
Tabitha raised her eyebrow. “Um, no. Like Tim said, we’re granting you sanctuary. You will be safe here. We will handle whoever was chasing you if they show up.”
The aliens looked as though they would refuse again, but Tabitha held up a finger. “No arguments. Sometimes the universe lends good people a helping hand, and today’s your day to receive it.”
She waved her hand to cut the connection and turned her head to make a comment to Hirotoshi about how effective the Mom Voice was, then sighed when she remembered that he wasn’t there.
Peter reached over and covered her hand with his for a second. “You’re missing your Tontos?”
Tabitha blinked away the shine that threatened to escape her eyes. “A little.” She sighed at Peter’s questioning look. “It’s the damn hormones, okay?”
“I didn’t say a thing,” Peter promised.
Tim looked up from the console he was using to communicate his orders to the defensive line. “I’ve sent them a safe route through.”
The ragtag fleet began to move again. Slowly, the ships began to make their way through the gap in the defensive line on Tim's command.
Achronyx spoke up in Tabitha's mind when the procession was about halfway through. We may have a problem.
What problem? she asked.
Most of these ships have no prior affiliation with each other. Looking at the flight path of each ship, I was able to ascertain that the fleet grew in size as it traveled. There's only one explanation for that.
Tabitha was focused on a speck of light that had just blinked into existence some way behind the refugee fleet. Are you going to tell me what it is?
The twinkling point bloomed into the familiar pale light of a Gate. An Ooken ship emerged, making Achronyx’s reply redundant.
They've been driven toward us.
21
Location Seven, QBS Izanami
Bethany Anne and Michael met Addix in the bay with the drop doors.
Alexis, Gabriel, and K’aia hung around near the back of the bay, talking among themselves while the adults prepared to get the rescue underway.
Alexis leaned up against the wall with her arms folded, her bottom lip set to a certain petulant angle. “I still think we can be more useful than Mom and Dad are allowing.”
Gabriel shrugged. “Pouting about it isn’t going to make them change their minds. Besides, we’re responsible for helping Izanami prepare the triage area for the rescued crew.”
Izanami floated over. “I had the bots deliver the supplies we need for the task to the bay next door.”
“Like that’s going to take long,” Alexis grumped. She got off the wall and raised her voice enough to be heard. “Mom, can’t Izanami use the bots instead, and we come with you?”
Michael fixed Alexis with a stern look. “Didn’t we have that talk about duty not so long ago?”
Alexis nodded, still pouting. “This isn’t going to take long, and then we’ll just be sitting around.”
Bethany Anne looked up from checking that the knives in her boots were secure. “If that’s the case, the three of you can grab some game time until we get back.”
Gabriel whooped, pumping the air with his fist. “See, I told you we wouldn’t be bored. We can play some of those ancient games Aunt Tabitha recreated for us.”
K’aia’s reaction was somewhat more subdued. “Oh joy, more games.”
Alexis narrowed her eyes at her mother, looking for the catch.
Bethany Anne raised an eyebrow. “You will be running the APA scenario under Izanami's guidance. Team training is essential for bonding, after all. Go!” She waved her hands at them. “Get started. We’ll be back soon enough.”
Michael watched the children leave, then turned to Bethany Anne. “Are you sure about taking us through the Etheric? What about the armor issue?”
Bethany Anne held out a hand for Addix to take. “That’s why I had us switch out for the lighter armor. It’s a risk if we get caught in any big fights, but we’re not planning on that.” She smiled pointedly at her husband. “Are we?”
Michael shrugged. “I wasn’t planning on it. However, if anyone does start one, I will have no choice but to end it. We are not at home now.”
Bethany Anne rolled her eyes. “Men.” She took them into the Etheric and brought them out in a shadowed area behind the outpost wall. The pit they have the prisoners in is near here. Let’s get this over and done with, so we can get on with the actual war. She led them out and into the outpost, using the crawl spaces under the buildings as cover.
Addix peeked over the ledge and looked around, her mandibles showing more bemusement with every turn of her head. What kind of layout is this? It’s chaos.
Michael looked at the Ooken construction, which was more of what he and Bethany Anne had seen previously. It is how they build. I quite like the style. It’s efficient for the way they move.
I think you must be mad, Addix replied. I’ve never seen anything so convoluted, and I’ve visited Triome. You know how weird that place is on the senses if you move your head too quickly?
Bethany Anne snickered. We went there in a delegation one time, and Darryl threw up so often I ended up sending him back to the ship. She ventured out of the shadows, sensing that the area was clear. It’s not going to matter when there’s no Ooken architecture left to debate.
They made good progress. Since the Ooken didn’t use the ground at all they didn’t think to check there, making it relatively simple for the three to work their way along without being spotted.
It’s always a bonus if I get to use the enemy’s cultural ignorance against them, Bethany Anne remarked as she and Michael waited for an Ooken to pass overhead so Addix could make her way across to them.
Of course, it isn’t a new tactic for you, Addix chuckled.
Her humor melted away when another Ooken joined the first and they paused on the walkway overhead. Oh, screw this. I can use the environment to my advantage, too. She leapt and grabbed hold of the underside of the walkway, then worked her way over to Bethany Anne and Michael that way. I have to mention how much easier this is without pounds of useless fabric hanging from my body.
She dropped onto her feet. I also prefer this light armor to the regular heavy armor. Here’s to traveling through the Etheric all the time.
Bethany Anne snickered. Nice try, but no.
I thought it was worth it, Addix told her good-naturedly and pointed. Is that the pit they’re keeping the Leath in?
Bethany Anne and Michael looked in the direction Addix was indicating.
Michael’s lip curled when he touched the minds within and felt their fear. It is.
How many? Bethany Anne asked.
Twenty-one, he replied. Too many for one trip?
Hmmm. She conferred quickly with ADAM and TOM, then sent a message to Izanami with the details of how many to prepare for. No, we’ll be fine. Addix, you’re on. We’ve got you covered.
Addix stayed low and darted across to the six-foot cage over the top of the pit. She ducked so as not to be seen and whispered to the Leath below. “Hello, my name is Addix, and we’re here to get you out of there.”
The Leath looked up. “No. You can’t do anything.”
Addix risked standing enough to peer down into the pit. Twenty-one angry Leath stared up at her. “You don’t look very subjugated,” she commented, testing the cage and finding it could be easily broken. “Why can’t we do anything? Come to think of it, why did you allow them to take you in the first place? I watched it happen, and you backed down a bit quickly for Leath warriors.”
“Do we look like warr
iors?” one of the Leath hissed. “We’re merchants. We took a consignment for a Federation general to pay for fuel to take our family home to Leath, and those abominations took our young.”
Bethany Anne heard all this from her place in the shadows. She sighed angrily, rubbing her eyes with a thumb and forefinger. Why do they always take the kids? Doesn’t matter where we go or who “they” even fucking are. They always take the kids, and I fucking hate it.
Addix and I will take care of getting the Leath free, Michael assured her. You work on getting their young to safety.
Bethany Anne walked through the Etheric—right into the pit with the Leath.
Who all but shat themselves.
She held up a hand. “I know, I’m not supposed to be here. Big surprise, the human lied. Now, if we’re all done with the truth part, let’s get you all the fuck out of this pit so I can do what I do best and reduce this fucking planet to rubble.”
The Leath remained frozen to the spot until Bethany Anne clapped her hands. “Come on. I haven’t got all day. Your children need to be rescued.”
Devon, Interdiction, QBS Achronyx, Pod Bay
The six fighter Pods spread out as they exited the Achronyx.
They formed up loosely behind Peter and went straight in to attack, pushing back against the smaller Ooken ships that were nipping at the tail end of the refugee fleet.
The Guardian teams joined the line, pushing the drones into the path of CEREBRO’s tender care—and the railguns mounted on the satellites.
Tim took a position where he could see the whole operation to direct it and accepted the request for communications from the lead refugee ship.
“Commander,” the captain’s trembling voice began. “We are sorry for this attack. We did not want this.”
Tim dismissed the apology. “This was their plan all along, and there’s no blame to any of you. You were only ever bait as far as the Ooken were concerned. It’s us they want. Just keep everyone calm and orderly and moving. The sooner you’re all safe behind the line, the sooner we can deal with them.”
Tim requested a private channel with Peter. “I’m pretty fucking nervous, Pete. What if it all goes to shit out there?”
“Then it goes to shit and you deal with that,” Peter replied. “You’ve got this, Tim. It's your show. I'm just here to remove the unwelcome houseguests from my front door.”
“You know, paternity leave only counts if you actually leave,” Tim pointed out. “You didn’t have to come out here today.”
Peter's humor faded at the reminder of why he was here. “This is every bit as much of a part of my duty as a father as changing Todd's diapers. My son will have a place to live in safety, and the people who fled this way in terror will sleep soundly tonight in the knowledge we are watching over them.”
Tim struggled to speak for a moment. “Dude, I think I want to hug you right now. Go fight for your kid. I've got this.”
Peter turned his fighter in a tight arc above the beleaguered convoy, opening fire on a group of small drones that had managed to get past the other defenses.
There was time for a single deep breath before Tim opened the channel to the Devon fleet. “Hey, Peter, how much you looking forward to showing these kids how to kick Ooken ass in style?”
Peter's easy grin returned. “Oh, man, like you wouldn't believe.” He tuned the rest of the fleet out, keeping it to just the five of them, with Achronyx listening in and relaying comments for Tabitha.
“More like we're gonna show you up,” Ricole retorted.
“Yeah,” Mark cut in. “You're talking to a man who has an unbelievable amount of experience in the flight simulator.”
“You tell the old men how it is, baby.” Jacqueline snickered. “Even if the amount of experience you're claiming really is unbelievable.”
“Hey!” Mark exclaimed.
Peter joined in the protest. “Who are you calling an old man?”
Mark snorted. “Didn’t you used to know Jacqueline’s dad back in the day?”
Jacqueline cracked up. “He’s got you there.”
“You’re a traitor to male solidarity, Mark.” Peter grinned as he spun his Pod to avoid being hit. “Besides, if I’m old, what the hell does that make you?”
“A rare vintage,” Jacqueline replied airily. “Finely matured and aged to perfection.”
“Yeah, right.” Ricole snickered as she shot back at a seeker. “As if that’s going to beat out our generation’s oneness with tech.”
Jacqueline took out two drones with one puck. “Did you see that?” She turned her fighter on the spot and released another into the seeker the Pod’s EI alerted her to. “Okay, you want to play it that way? We’ll see whether experience or youth wins in the end. One point for a drone, two for a seeker. Most points wins.”
Achronyx spoke in Peter's mind, cracking him up. He cut in over the others. “Tabitha wants to know how many points she gets for taking out a destroyer.”
Tim dropped into their chat for a moment. “Tell Tabitha no fair,” he complained. “She's got a freaking battleship!”
Peter laughed again. “I did, but she says she's counting that destroyer either way.”
“She's welcome to it,” Sabine told him. “What’s the prize?”
“Not money,” Ricole added as a condition. “That’s actually getting to the point where it’s boring, we have so much of it.”
“Speak for yourself,” Mark countered. “I wouldn’t say no to a few zeroes being added to my account balance.”
Another Gate opened nearby. Ricole and Mark pivoted their fighters and sent a barrage of Etheric charges into the shimmering light.
“I wouldn’t mind your account getting those zeroes, either,” Jacqueline murmured, joining them to fire a spread of her own before the Gate destabilized and collapsed in on itself. “I saw these shoes the other day…”
“What is it with women and shoes?” Peter demanded.
Jacqueline chuckled. “You’ll have to ask Bethany Anne, since I was thinking of them as a gift for her. They were beyond my price range in any case.”
“Just how expensive were they?” Sabine inquired. “I do your accounts, so I know you're not hurting for funds.”
Jacqueline casually dropped a number and the only sound over the team comm for the next few seconds was silence. “Exactly. I suggest we all put a thousand credits in, and then whoever tallies the highest score chooses the prize.”
“You would, if you're planning to drop that much on a pair of shoes,” Sabine teased.
“I'd like to know why you're not doing my accounts,” Mark bitched.
“Because you don't pay me for doing them,” Sabine shot back. A flash of light distracted her from any further snarky reply. “Shit, what’s happening now?”
Two more Gates spiraled open, one on each side of the Interdiction line. The Gates solidified, casting an eerie light over the battle for the lives of the refugee fleet.
Tim let the EI take the strain of running the Pod while he cycled through the masses of incoming reports. He thanked fuck yet again for Bethany Anne's gift of enhancement to his cognitive function and jumped back in on the fleet-wide channel. “The Astraea will be inbound shortly,” he informed the teams. “We also have more destroyers incoming from the other side.”
He wanted the numbers to even up. CEREBRO, it's playtime. Get your ass in the game and give those ships some cover.
We thought you would never ask, Commander, the many voices of the EI group replied. The sides of the satellites fell open and CEREBRO activated their drones, each group remotely piloted by an EI with a grudge to settle and a scoreboard to top.
Achronyx contacted CEREBRO when the satellites released the first wave. Can I borrow a couple hundred of those?
CEREBRO redirected the requested number of drones to the Achronyx and sent the rest to back up the teams in the fighter Pods.
The drones moved to blanket the space around the convoy, making it impossible for the Ooken dro
nes to get near. It became a stalemate, drones on each side, the Guardians in their Pods outmatching the unmanned Ooken seekers, the larger battleships and destroyers facing off uneasily.
The QBS ships stood fast, backed up by the might of two of Bethany Anne's superdreadnoughts. The Adrastea and the Astraea were more than intimidating enough to keep the Ooken destroyers at bay.
On the Achronyx, Tabitha jumped up and down at her console. “You know, it’s looking like we have the upper hand,” she squealed, punching the air. “Is it wrong that this is the most excited I’ve been in what feels like years? I kind of get why Bethany Anne went all stabby-killy-kill when we ran into those grubs.”
“I like that we pulled their own dirty move on them and stole their technology,” Achronyx proclaimed.
Tabitha grinned. “I know, right? But of course, we improved on it. The Ooken version is dependent on time to build up the payload. Since we’re using the Etheric instead of messy old plasma, it’s more efficient on all counts.”
“How do you know all of that?” Achronyx received the last of the drones from CEREBRO and got to work reprogramming them.
Tabitha made a face. “Very funny, Achronyx. Michael and I saw some of the reverse-engineering process while we were visiting William about something else.”
“Oh, yes?”
She waved a hand distractedly. “Michael wanted to arrange another hunt, but then this war happened, so I suppose it’s on the backburner for now.” She cursed softly when twin Gates appeared on the Ooken side, followed by two more, then four more.
Everywhere Tabitha looked, more Gates winked into existence, each spitting out another Ooken ship.
“Damn,” Achronyx piped up.
“’Damn’ doesn’t even begin to cover it,” she forced out between gritted teeth. “Pete’s out there with the kids. They’re screwed.”
“Not while I’m around,” Achronyx’ tone was resolute. “I’ll have to say ‘watch this,’ since I don’t have a beer to ask you to hold…”
Devon, First City, The Hexagon
Winstanley observed the odd group approaching the main entrance. She contacted the penthouse apartment’s hub and was answered by Hirotoshi. “Hirotoshi, there is a group of Bakas behaving suspiciously outside.”
All’s Fair in Blood and War (The Kurtherian Endgame Book 4) Page 21
