The Pike Chronicles - Books 1 - 10

by Hudson, G. P.

  “And if the Captain resists? He is a formidable opponent,” Kinos said.

  “Then we will require leverage to ensure his compliance.”

  CHAPTER 35

  Kevin lay back onto the firm mattress, exhausted. It had been a grueling battle, and he lost some good men.

  The events had taken him by surprise. One minute they were battling one ship, next they were battling six, and then they were boarded. Combat was fluid and things could change quickly, but today’s events should be added to the training manuals.

  The Kemmar were ferocious fighters. He had to admit they impressed him with their strategy and tactics, as well as their courage.

  Boarding the Hermes was a ballsy move, to say the least. The boarding party was outnumbered and on a probable suicide mission. Enemy or not, they showed great bravery.

  Kevin was especially proud of his team. The Kemmar would’ve relied on speed to incapacitate the Hermes, but his Marines stopped them before they could inflict greater damage. It was a testimony to his team’s readiness.

  He started to relax, and his thoughts turned to Sol. He wondered when he would make it back home. Even though nobody waited for him there, he still missed Mother Earth.

  Space Force may be his family, but Earth was his home. Nothing could replace the azure waters of the Pacific. Of all the planets he had seen and all their wonders, he had never seen anything to equal the beaches he played on as a child.

  The wars had destroyed great swathes of Earth, to be sure. And the horrors inflicted on his home planet were unthinkable. Yet somehow, his small island home was spared.

  Too small, perhaps, to be worthy of bombardment. Of no real strategic value to anybody, it retained its beauty. In some ways, growing up there was like living in a bubble. But eventually all bubbles pop.

  His popped when he was called up for service. At seventeen, he was already larger and stronger than most men, and a man himself as far as the military was concerned. At that age, all able-bodied men and women were drafted into military service. And so, he met his new family, the Space Force Marine Corps.

  The training, while challenging, inspired him. He had never pushed himself as hard, and he wanted to see exactly how far he could go. When he joined the Special Forces he got his wish.

  The training was easily the most intense experience of his life up to that point. For the first time he questioned his ability and struggled with the daily fear that he would wash out.

  It wasn’t that he couldn’t handle the physical training. Rather, it was the psychological part that he found unbearable.

  To operate behind enemy lines, he needed to withstand all sorts of terrors. Of course, he had to show he could withstand pain. Not just any pain, but the intense pain of torture. He did expect that going in. But it was the other stuff that got to him. The psychological mind games.

  They would mess with his mind daily, trying to break him. They would put things in his food that weakened his mind, making him more anxious and fearful. They would give him something else to make him paranoid. Or something to make him careless. Every day it was different. Yet, he still had to undergo excruciating physical training.

  If he was captured, he wouldn’t just be tortured. The enemy would add mind altering chemicals to the torture to break him.

  Every operative received a full workup of counter agents which made them immune to the effects of most mind-altering chemicals. Still, they never knew what they would encounter and there was always the possibility of a new drug. So, he needed to experience the effects and know inside that he could withstand them, and that he had the strength to make it.

  While he experienced many close calls, he had never been captured. He never had to rot in an alien prison. While he thought his training had been challenging, the missions he went on were even more intense.

  He specialized in search and destroy operations and spent several years with the Space Cavalry. He and his team would typically be inserted onto an alien planet with the goal of either assassinating an alien VIP, or destroying a strategic facility of some sort.

  Stealth shuttles were used to drop them in from low orbit. Specialized combat suits allowed them to streak down and land as fast as possible.

  Once landed, Kevin and his team would complete their objectives and get off planet before the local military had time to respond. If compromised, they would unleash their special horrors on whoever stood in their way, before making an escape.

  While he enjoyed all the challenges, he often got homesick. Whenever he got some leave, he would race home to see the beautiful island he grew up on. It rejuvenated him. He always felt that his strength was drawn from that place.

  But war had changed him. No matter how homesick he became, after the first few days at home he craved the action of his military life. It was like he had two hearts and could never fully belong in either place.

  Something told him that this mission would make going home even more difficult. Closing his eyes, he saw the white sand and blue waters and drifted off to sleep.

  He didn’t know how long he was asleep when the computer woke him. Apparently Kinos was at the door and wanted to see him. Goddamn Diakans, he thought. Don’t they ever sleep?

  He rose from his bed and threw on some clothes. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he walked to the door and it slid open. What he saw was confusing. It was not just Kinos standing there, but another Diakan as well. Both were armed.

  “What’s this about?” Kevin said.

  “May we come in, Chief?” Kinos said. “We need to speak to you about a matter of great urgency.”

  “Sure. Come in.”

  The two Diakans walked through the door and it slid closed behind them. Kinos walked ahead of Kevin, and the other Diakan stayed by the doorway, just behind him. Since Kinos was the one doing the talking, Kevin faced him, turning his back to the other Diakan.

  “Chief, we have a problem,” Kinos said.

  “Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

  There was the sharp sound of an energy discharge, and Kevin felt a piercing pain in his back. He collapsed just as realization of what had happened washed over him.

  CHAPTER 36

  The Hermes needed significant repairs before she could take on the Kemmar again. That would take time. Time that Jon knew he didn’t have. The longer they took, the more opportunity the Kemmar had to find the Reivers. He had given them a bloody nose, to be sure, but it wasn’t enough to stop them.

  What were the chances they would return to Kemmar space and leave the colonists alone?

  They might want to conduct their own repairs. They might feel they needed reinforcements. That would buy the colonists some time. Or, they might stay put and keep searching until they found the colony. After the battle with the Hermes they would be much more motivated.

  They saw the jump system in action. There could be no doubt they would want the technology for themselves. They would believe that the colonists had access to the technology as well. The Hermes was defending them after all.

  Was it foolish to risk the ship to find the colonists? Was he doing this out of guilt?

  Maybe. It started that way, anyway. But it quickly turned into something more. They were out here to find the lost colonies, and to explore uncharted space. That was their mission. The jump system, however, was their chance. Humanity’s chance at being something more than mere alien puppets.

  The government back on Earth was filled with a bunch of “yes men”. They did what the Diakans wanted and didn’t really stand for Earth or humanity.

  Of course, in their eyes they were doing what was best for all. Nobody complained because the Diakan technology made their lives better. And really, after 500 years as Juttari slaves, many believed they should be grateful for their freedom and not rock the boat.

  But Jon believed in something greater.

  He chose to defend the colony because someone needed to stand for humans, wherever they may live.

  He couldn’t change things
on Earth, but he could make a difference out here. They knew nothing about where humanity had spread. If there were humans living here, then they could be anywhere.

  Officially they were looking for the lost colonies, but wasn’t this a lost colony as well? And what of other human colonies they might find? Aren’t they lost colonies too?

  Who’s to say which lost colony is the true one? Humanity’s diaspora needed protection and unity. Only then could humans have a chance for something more in the galaxy.

  “Special Envoy Tallos requests admittance,” the computer said.

  Speak of the devil. Jon really wasn’t in the mood for Tallos’s lectures right now. He’d have to find some excuse to get rid of him. “Send him in.”

  The door slid open and Tallos entered with two other Diakans in tow. All three were armed, which was abnormal. Perhaps they were spooked by the day’s events. They stood directly in front of Jon’s desk, with Tallos in front and the other two a few feet behind him.

  “What can I do for you, Special Envoy?”

  Tallos produced a Space Force command chip and placed it on Jon’s desk. Jon knew what it was. He gave Tallos a suspicious look and then proceeded to sync the chip with his system. Once he verified that it was an authentic Space Force command chip, he brought up the contents on his display.

  “As you can see, Captain, Space Force has given me oversight authority for the success of this mission,” Tallos said

  Jon read the orders, and his stomach started to tighten. Space Force Command had sold out the mission to the Diakans. Those spineless pieces of shit.

  “So what? This may give you oversight, but it doesn’t give you command. That authority still rests with the Captain.” Tallos was obviously trying to pull some kind of power play, but Jon wasn’t going to let him get away with it.

  “It does give me the authority to assume command if the success of this mission is threatened.”

  “And?”

  “It is my conclusion that your act of war against the Kemmar has threatened the success of this mission, and your plans to engage the Kemmar again represent an unacceptable risk. Therefore, it is my duty to notify you that I will be assuming command of the Hermes immediately.”

  Jon’s body began to coil and harden. “This mission is not at risk, Tallos. And I don’t recognize your authority over me, or my crew.”

  The two Diakans behind Tallos rested their hands on their sidearms. Tallos himself didn’t budge.

  “Tell your bodyguards to let go of their weapons or I will cut off their hands and feed them their fingers one by one. We can have this discussion in a civilized manner, or we can shed some more blood today. You decide. But I can assure you the blood shed will not be mine.”

  Tallos turned and nodded to his men and they dropped their hands. He turned back to Jon and spoke again. “Captain, the orders are clear. If you refuse to relinquish command, you will be violating direct orders. That could be considered treason.”

  “Bullshit. You’re out of line Tallos. I am acting in my lawful capacity as Captain of this ship. If anything, what you are trying to do is mutiny. I think I may have to lock you up for the rest of this mission, as you are obviously the real danger to its success.”

  “Then you will not stand down peacefully, Captain?”

  “No.”

  “I anticipated this behavior.” Tallos opened a comm link with another Diakan. “Have the human speak to the Captain.”

  “Captain?” Breeah’s voice came across Jon’s comm. She sounded anxious.

  Jon stared at Tallos, using every last bit of strength to suppress his rage. “Yes, Breeah. What’s going on?”

  “Captain! They… they have taken us.”

  “Slow down. Who has taken you?”

  “The Diakans, Captain. They came to our quarters with weapons and took Anki and me away.”

  “Where did they take you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Computer, identify the location of this comm transmission.”

  “Location is unknown,” a synthetic voice said.

  “You will not find them, Captain,” Tallos said. “We have taken precautions to shield their whereabouts from the ship’s scanners. But I can assure you no harm has come to them.”

  “I will have you all thrown out of the nearest airlock. Do you understand me?”

  “If any harm comes to us, Captain. Both the mother and her child will be terminated. If you do not surrender command of this vessel and allow yourself to be taken into custody, they will be terminated. Do you understand me?”

  Jon knew one thing about Diakans, they didn’t bluff. He was sure they would carry out their threats if he didn’t do as they said. He couldn’t be responsible for that.

  He needed to buy some time. His first priority, however, was to get Breeah and Anki released. After that he could focus on getting the ship back. “If I surrender command of the Hermes, you will release Breeah and Anki?”

  “Once you are confined, and no longer a threat, they will be free to go.”

  Jon grimaced. The Diakans were going to win again. Once they locked him up, he would have no way of getting out. He hoped he was wrong, but things did not look good.

  CHAPTER 37

  Commander Wolfe had a million things on her plate. The battle with the Kemmar created an endless list of fires she needed to put out.

  From the damage to the ship, to crew deaths and injuries, the list of things needing her attention was overwhelming. Thankful that they got out of the battle in one piece, they had little time to get everything done before the Captain tried to save the Reivers again.

  She didn’t understand why he was so obsessed with saving these people. The Reivers made the Kemmar their enemies, and they had to deal with the consequences.

  Of course, it didn’t seem like they had much in the way of options. They lived in an asteroid field, after all. They had been using the gate to raid Kemmar space for generations. That was probably all they knew. It wasn’t like the Reivers could just go and settle down in Kemmar space.

  It was easy to judge others when you didn’t know much about them. She knew better than that. These people were humans, and aliens were threatening them.

  The Captain had surprised her by turning into a man of principles. At first, she thought he was nothing more than an assassin. She even questioned his ability to command. But now she realized that he was someone she could follow. Someone with vision. A rare quality among humans these days.

  It wasn’t the typical Space Force vision, mind you. In truth, it was something she never considered. Up until this point, the priority had been the liberation and protection of Earth. But the Captain saw something greater.

  The lost colonies were out there somewhere, and here were humans 250 light years from Sol. How many human colonies were there in the galaxy? What if they all banded together? Would they still need alien help?

  Just then the door to the Captain’s ready room slid open and the Captain emerged with Tallos and two other Diakans. All were armed except for the Captain. Something wasn’t right.

  Tallos approached her while the other two Diakans stood on either side of the Captain. “Commander, consider this official notice that I am taking command of the Hermes. The Captain is relinquishing command and will be taken into custody.”

  Wolfe immediately stepped back, drew her sidearm and pointed it at Tallos’s head. “Marines! Secure the Captain!” she ordered.

  The Marine sentries raised their weapons, pointed them at the Diakans flanking the Captain, and charged forward. The action surprised the Diakans, and they reflexively moved their hands to their weapons, but realizing they had no chance they stopped.

  “Stand down, Commander,” Jon said, a tired resignation in his voice.

  “With all due respect, Sir, I cannot follow that order. I am not going to let them take over the ship.”

  “They have the authority to do so, Commander.”

  “What?”

  “Spac
e Force has given us the authority to take command of the Hermes, Commander. If you would be so kind as to lower your weapon, I will show you the orders.”

  She looked over to the Captain who nodded in agreement. What the hell was going on here? The Captain would never relinquish his command to Tallos, orders or no orders. She needed more information. They must be forcing him to do this somehow.

  Deciding to play along for a bit, she lowered her sidearm and ordered the Marines to do the same. The Marines looked confused, exchanging questioning glances with each other and the Captain, but in the end they complied. Everyone on the bridge had stopped working and watched to see what would happen.

  Tallos handed Wolfe the command chip. “You will verify that this is an official Space Force command chip, Commander. Once you examine it you will see that my authority in this matter is legitimate.”

  Wolfe took the chip and walked over to her command console. She accessed the chip and verified its identity. It was indeed authentic. She examined the orders. Tallos did have authority to take command if the mission was threatened. What represented a threat to the mission was up for debate, however.

  “The command chip is authentic,” Wolfe said.

  “Then, Commander, as per Space Force regulations I am the commanding officer of the Hermes and you are to follow my orders. Will there be any problems with that?”

  Wolfe pointed her weapon at Tallos again and the Marines followed suit, aiming directly at the Diakans. “I’m afraid there are going to be a few problems with that.”

  “Stand down Commander,” Jon said.

  “No, Sir.”

  “Commander, I am giving you a direct order. Stand down.”

  “With all due respect Sir, I cannot follow that order. I don’t know what the Diakans have done to make you surrender, but your security is my responsibility, and I am not obligated to follow your orders if you are under duress.”