The Pike Chronicles - Books 1 - 10

by Hudson, G. P.

  The woman speaking to her was different. She not only had the title of healer, but also had knowledge with not even half her grandmother’s years. And she had medicine. Enough to treat everyone on board this immense vessel.

  She also had technology that worked wonders. Alien or not, Breeah hadn’t encountered anything like it on either side of the gate. These people seemed to lack nothing aboard this vessel.

  “How do your people govern? Does your clan have a leader?” Ellerbeck said.

  “We have a council of leaders,” Breeah said. She thought about her husband again. As captain of a warship her husband was one of her clan’s leaders. She enjoyed many benefits through her marriage, as did her daughter.

  With his death, however, her status was gone. She would lose all her privileges, as would Anki. Her father’s title did not help her anymore, and he would advise her to remarry.

  Her husband had been a fool. A reckless fool. And he brought disaster upon them. She did not miss him, nor did she grieve his loss. She had to think of her daughter now and the future. But to remarry? She did not know if she could endure another like her husband.

  “How are members of this council chosen?” Ellerbeck said.

  Breeah didn’t answer. She considered her situation. Everything had changed for her. While she would not betray her clan, there was nothing for her to go back to now. She wondered whether staying on this ship was possible. They were obviously the same species, and according to the healer they both came from the same planet long ago.

  Perhaps she should help them. If she showed them the gate’s location, they might agree to let her and Anki stay on board. Anki might have a brighter future with these people. Still, she needed to be sure.

  She glanced at the guards standing by the door. While obviously advanced, these people were dangerous. These aliens were dangerous. She needed to be careful.

  “I wish to speak to your Captain,” Breeah said.

  CHAPTER 21

  Breeah and Anki had adjusted better to their surroundings since the last time Jon saw them. Anki wandered around the room looking closely at the technology.

  Every so often her mother would utter a warning and the child’s arms would quickly drop to her sides. She would take a step back and shake her head to remove some errant bangs from her eyes. Then she would resume her exploration of the sick bay.

  The Doctor’s scans showed the girl to be seven years old and her behavior clearly backed that estimate.

  The scans showed the mother to be thirty-five. Where the daughter was naturally curious, the mother seemed more calculating. She had quickly come to terms with her predicament and now analyzed her options. There was a shrewd intelligence about her that Jon liked.

  “I will show you where the gate is, but not our home,” Breeah said.

  “You really should tell me where your home is. If our enemy finds it, things will not go well for your people,” Jon said.

  “You mean the Juttari?” Breeah said.

  Jon looked at Ellerbeck and frowned. “Apparently Doctor Ellerbeck has given you a history lesson.”

  “She has explained some things about Earth to me.”

  “I hope she has explained how dangerous the Juttari can be. The last thing you want is for them to find your home.”

  “I will not reveal its location, Captain. I will only show you where the gate is, and only if you let us stay on board.”

  “You don’t want to return home?” Jon hadn’t expected that Breeah would want to stay.

  “No, Captain. My husband is dead. There is nothing left for us there. I want a better future for Anki.”

  Breeah’s request was a logical one. Her people lived in an asteroid field and supported themselves through raids. Not the best way to raise a child. The Hermes, in comparison, must seem like a sanctuary to her.

  She didn’t appear to be much of a security risk. The main risk would be her stealing things which could easily be controlled. When compared to the intelligence value she presented it was an easy decision. If the gate was what he thought, it could cut their trip in half and put the Hermes well ahead of the Juttari.

  “Very well. I will grant your request to remain on board, but there are a few conditions. You will show us where the gate is, and you will act as a guide to help us better navigate the region on the other side of the gate. And there will be no reiving on board my ship. Do you agree with these terms?”

  “Yes, Captain. I agree. Thank you.” A smile spread across Breeah’s face. She called Anki over to her and gave the child a hug. The expression on the little girl’s face didn’t change. She just stared at Jon making him wonder what she thought of him. He didn’t see any fear in her eyes, just a hint of childish curiosity.

  Jon opened a comm to Commander Wolfe.

  “Wolfe here.”

  “Commander, our two guests will be joining us for the rest of our trip. See to it that they are assigned suitable quarters. I’ll explain everything later.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Wolfe said.

  “As I’m sure you’ve guessed, this is a military vessel. There are no other children on board. We will do our best to accommodate you and your daughter, but your access to the ship will need to be restricted. Will that be a problem?”

  While their home may have been an asteroid field, Jon wondered how well she understood what life would be like on board. Allowing them freedom of movement would be dangerous.

  “It will not be a problem Captain,” Breeah said.

  “Not only will there be nobody for Anki to play with, but we have no school for her either. She will get bored quickly.”

  “I will see to my child’s education. Surely you can provide us with some computer access to facilitate this?”

  “Yes, we can provide limited access to the ship’s database so that both of you can learn about us.”

  “That will be sufficient, Captain. Thank you.”

  “Good. My Navigator will retrieve the gate’s coordinates. Now what can you tell me about what’s on the other side of that gate?”

  “The space directly on the other side is safe. There is nothing there and it does not see any traffic. The region of space is controlled by the Kemmar Empire. They control several star systems. Their empire is stable and is a source of considerable commerce. It is common to have other species traveling through their space for trade. When reiving, my people target lone trading freighters. They offer little resistance and their cargoes are often valuable.”

  “You don’t target these Kemmar?”

  Breeah cocked an eyebrow at Jon. “No, Captain. It is not wise to provoke the Kemmar. They are powerful and have a reputation for being ruthless. To provoke the Kemmar would mean slavery, or death if you are fortunate. While we do break their law, by not targeting the Kemmar we have avoided any direct action against us.”

  Jon was amazed at Breeah’s transformation. She had changed from a screaming prisoner, to a galactic tour guide in the blink of an eye.

  “You have been on these reiving raids with your husband?”

  “Yes, Captain. Anki and I always went with him.”

  “Is that common among your people?”

  “Yes. It is how we teach our ways to our children.”

  Jon was afraid to ask, but he suddenly realized that the two ships he destroyed likely had entire families on board. Soldiers accepted that they might die in battle. But children?

  Revulsion gripped him. His stomach lurched and he suppressed an urge to vomit. He silently prayed that he was wrong.

  Breeah studied him and a look of understanding swept across her face. “You could not have known, Captain,” she said, as if she had been reading his thoughts. “There is always the risk of death. It is our way of life. We accept it.”

  This truly was a remarkable woman. He killed members of her family. Her husband. Her friends. Children. Children! Yet she showed him compassion and forgiveness. Was it all an act?

  He didn’t see deception in her eyes. He didn’t sense a
ny ulterior motives. An impressive woman indeed. He made a mental note not to underestimate her.

  “So, these Kemmar are used to different species traveling through their space. Would we be able to travel through without raising much suspicion?”

  “That I do not know, Captain. Your ship is not a freighter. It is clearly a warship. It will attract attention. We avoided the more populated regions and instead targeted known freighter lanes.”

  “Yes, I can see how a warship would raise some concerns. I suppose we’ll just have to introduce ourselves and show we have no hostile intent.”

  “I cannot advise you on this, Captain.”

  Jon shrugged. “Thank you for your time, Breeah. I will need you to advise us again when we embark.”

  “Of course, Captain.”

  Jon turned and walked out the door, the thought of dead women and children floating in space haunting him as he left.

  CHAPTER 22

  From all the evidence he had seen, Jon was sure that the Juttari had stolen the jump system design. It likely had identical features to the Hermes system.

  Based on that assumption it would take the Juttari about eight hours to recharge their drive. He added some extra time as buffer on top of that and then ordered the Hermes to venture out of its hiding place to have a look around and verify that the Juttari had jumped away. Sure enough, they were gone.

  “Helm take us to the jump gate coordinates,” Jon said. Breeah provided the coordinates for the jump gate as she had promised. Jon was happy to be on the move again. He didn’t mind lying in wait for a target, but being the target grated on his nerves.

  The jump system was still offline, and it would remain that way at least for a couple of days. The fires were all out and repairs to the hull breach underway.

  A temporary stabilizing field sealed off the section allowing workers to continue repairs without fear of being sucked out into space. Repairing the hull would take time, but the temporary fixes in place were good enough.

  Leaving the asteroid field Jon caught a glimpse of the debris left by the destroyed warships. The sight filled him with remorse. He didn’t care how Breeah explained it, those families should not have been on board. How could anyone allow children on board a ship that may see combat?

  While it would be easy to blame them and absolve himself of any guilt, he simply couldn’t. He had gone in for the kill, like he always did. The thought of disabling those ships hadn’t even occurred to him.

  He could have at least spared the second ship. He didn’t need to destroy it. If he targeted their weapon and propulsion systems instead of their reactors those people might still be alive now.

  He didn’t make excuses for being a killer. He killed as easily as a cook fried an egg. Still, he didn’t consider himself a murderer. In war you kill the enemy, or they kill you. There is no time for indecision.

  Out here, however, things were different. They had no intelligence on this part of the galaxy. No way of knowing friend from foe. No way of knowing if children were on board a starship.

  Children. How could he live with himself? He had done horrible things in his life, but this? This was too much. Aliens killed children. He didn’t. If not for aliens, his daughters would still be alive.

  Feeling eyes on him he turned to find Tallos staring at him with those damned unblinking eyes. His face betrayed nothing. Had he revealed his own thoughts? Could the Diakan see his pain? His weakness? He’d be damned if he would give him the satisfaction.

  As if reading Jon’s thoughts, Tallos looked away.

  Smart move.

  Did Tallos feel anything for the humans on board those ships? Did he feel anything for the humans on board the Hermes? How could he? How could any alien?

  The viewscreen moved away from the debris and Jon pushed the thoughts away with it. One more regret filed away deep in the recesses of his mind.

  One day it would get too crowded back there and all those skeletons would return. When that happened, there would be a price to pay. Nonetheless, that day was not today.

  He focused on the gate and the Kemmar Empire. Planets and moons floated by the viewscreen until they finally stopped in front of what appeared to be barren space.

  “Ping the gate,” ordered Jon.

  “Pinging gate,” replied Wolfe. The Hermes broadcast a command into empty space. Within moments the blackness began to shimmer and then turned into a translucent field. The field was circular and immense. Ten ships the size of the Hermes could travel through it without bumping into each other.

  The Juttari and the Diakans both had developed battle groups designed specifically for gate assaults. These battle groups were intended to move fast and deliver a powerful punch to the defenses on the other side of a gate. They would establish the beachhead so that the rest of the attack force could follow.

  The Hermes would travel through alone, however. Jon hoped Breeah was right about the gate being in a remote region of Kemmar space. If someone was waiting for him in force on the other side, Jon didn’t think the Hermes could fight its way through it.

  “Contact! It’s coming through the gate,” said Petrovic.

  “What?”

  On the viewscreen a massive vessel emerged from the translucent field. Its bulky black hull seemed to stretch out without end.

  Clearly a warship, it had alien markings on its hull and was covered with an array of formidable looking weaponry. The Hermes stood in front of the monstrous ship, blocking its advance, alone and out gunned.

  “This must be the Kemmar,” Jon said.

  “I thought they didn’t know about the gate?” Wolfe said.

  “It seems things have changed. Tactical, is the ship showing any signs of aggression?”

  “Negative, Sir,” Petrovic said.

  “So far so good.”

  “Sir, we are being hailed,” Ensign Yao said. “Running hail through AI for language analysis.”

  The AI analyzed the language of the hail against its massive database of all known galactic languages. After a few minutes it decoded the language and translated the hail. “This is Commander Botheseer, of the Kemmar battleship Senthahar. Identify yourself and state your reasons for being in this system.”

  “Send back the following message. This is Captain Jon Pike, of the Sol Space Force ship Hermes. We are exploring this region of space.”

  The message was broadcast back through the AI translator. When the Kemmar responded the AI instantly translated the message. “This is a lawless region of space. We are pursuing dangerous fugitives who are known to reside in this system. Your position indicates that you planned to use the gate to enter Kemmar space. Were those your intentions?”

  “As I said, we were merely exploring this region of space. We discovered the gate and planned to travel through it and make contact with your Empire to establish trade between our civilizations.”

  “Your vessel is a warship, not a trade ship. Your ship is also showing several signs of recent combat. Your request to enter Kemmar space is denied.”

  I don’t remember asking your permission, Jon thought. “Commander, we have a very long journey ahead of us. This gate would greatly shorten the distance. We mean no harm to the Kemmar. We merely seek to travel peacefully through Kemmar space.”

  “Your request to enter Kemmar space is denied. Furthermore, this region of space has now been claimed by the Kemmar Empire. You are now trespassing and are hereby ordered to leave this system.”

  “Commander, we are in the middle of repairs to our ship. Our propulsion system has received heavy damage. Please allow us some time to make the necessary repairs.”

  “You have one of the nearest planet’s cycles to conduct your repairs. In the meantime, do not interfere with our operations.”

  “Understood. Hermes out.” Jon dragged his hand across his neck telling Yao to cut the comm link with the Kemmar.

  “Commander Wolfe and Chief St. Clair, report to my ready room.”

  “Captain, I feel that
I should also attend your meeting,” Tallos said.

  “My apologies Special Envoy, but this meeting is for senior officers only.”

  “Captain, my role as adviser should require my presence at this meeting.”

  “Your role is that of an observer, Special Envoy. You will be briefed accordingly after the meeting.”

  “Captain, I must protest.”

  “You are free to do so, Special Envoy.” Jon stood, turned his back to the Diakan and made his way to his ready room.

  CHAPTER 23

  “Ok, let’s hear it. What are our options?” Jon said, sitting back in his office chair, knuckles rapping impatiently against the armrest.

  “That ship is a monster. It’s easily twice the size of one of our battleships, and twice the firepower. We can’t slug it out with them,” Kevin said, pacing back and forth.

  “And we can’t access the gate with them blocking the way, so we can’t use Kemmar space as a short cut,” Wolfe said, sitting upright on one of the chairs. “So, we have to use the jump system and the Juttari have a head start.”

  “No,” Jon said.

  “No?” Wolfe said, a stunned look on her face.

  “No. We are not leaving this system.”

  “I don’t understand, Sir,” Kevin said, a confused look on his face.

  “There are humans out there in that asteroid field. Humans. There are probably more children out there. Regardless of who they are or what they’ve done, I’m sure as hell not going to let these aliens slaughter or enslave them.”

  The room fell silent. Jon’s officers did not know what to say, so they said nothing. Kevin sat down, the chair creaking in protest against his heavy frame. He folded his large hands together just in front of his nose and looked back at Jon over them, clearly contemplating what to say next.

  Wolfe uncharacteristically let herself lean back into the chair and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Her chin rested on her collar bone and she looked like she was about to speak, yet no words escaped her half open mouth.