“But the creature still lives?”
“It does. Jon’s symbiont is different in many ways. Not only is it the only symbiont ever to be merged with a human, but it is also unusually robust. It has already behaved in many unexpected ways.”
“You mean how it protects Jon from harm.”
“Yes, among other things. It has bestowed Jon with an unnaturally long lifespan, and repaired any genetic abnormalities. Truth be told, I have never seen a Diakan symbiont as sophisticated and powerful as this one. It is like it is on a higher evolutionary plane.”
“But it can do all this, yet not protect itself?”
“It can, but the toxin used has been specifically engineered to kill Diakan symbionts. While Jon’s symbiont is stronger, it is not invulnerable. Thankfully, it has managed to slow down the toxin, thereby protecting itself, and Jon. However, it cannot withstand the toxin indefinitely. That is why we have to move fast.”
“What do we need to do?”
“We need to take Admiral Pike to Diakus.”
“Diakus?”
“Yes. It is a Diakan symbiont, and the foremost experts on symbiotic medicine are on Diakus.”
“When do we leave?”
“My ships are standing ready to escort you to Diakus,” said a voice from behind Breeah. She turned to see the Diakan, General Dathos, standing there, briefly wondering why she hadn’t heard him come in.
“I’m coming too,” said Kevin, stepping up to the women. “We can take my ship.”
“But Captain St. Clair, my ships are standing ready to take the Admiral to Diakus.”
“I understand, and they are welcome to act as an escort. But Breeah and the Admiral are flying with me.”
“I am coming as well,” said Jonas. “I will not stand idly by while my daughter faces this.”
“We will escort as well,” said Bast. “The Chaanisar stand by Admiral Pike.”
“I’m coming too,” said Seiben, standing defiantly.
“Roderick, there is no need,” said Breeah. “You should stay here with Darla and the girls.”
“No. Jon is my friend, and I will stand by him in his time of need.”
“As you wish,” said Breeah, moved by Seiben’s gesture. “Although I suspect Darla will not be in agreement.”
“Yeah, that might be a bit of a problem.”
Chapter 13
“What business do you have going to Diakus?” spat Darla.
“Jon is my friend,” said Seiben. “He helped us out after the attack, didn’t he? He’s done so much for New Byzantium and the colonies. It’s the least I could do.”
“You’re a fool. A fool trying to be a hero. Jon is an admiral. With a military escort. What can you do? You’ll just get in the way.”
“Maybe, but I have to do this. I’ll be on Kevin’s ship. He doesn’t mind me coming, and he’ll let me know if I’m getting in the way. And, the trip itself won’t take very long. The jump gate network will get us to Diakus in no time at all. Then it’ll just be a matter of waiting for the Diakan doctors to fix Jon. But I need to be there. I’m his friend, and I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Jon doesn’t really have many friends.”
“And what about me and the kids? Are you just going to leave us on our own while you go to the other end of the galaxy? Especially after what we went through on New Byzantium?”
“There is no safer place for you and the girls than right here. Breeah is going to ask you to look after Anki while she is gone, and-”
“Of course I’ll look after Anki. What do you think I am?”
“I know you will, dear. All I was going to say is that the three girls will keep each other busy.”
“Yes, maybe I should be thanking you for that,” she said sarcastically.
“Don’t be like that, Darla.” Seiben tried to caress her cheek with his palm, but Darla immediately slapped his arm away.
“Don’t touch me.”
“I’m sorry. You’re mad. I understand.”
“You understand, do you? Good, then it won’t be hard to comprehend that you won’t be touching me for a long time.”
Seiben cringed. He knew Darla could hold a grudge, and he knew she was determined to make him suffer for leaving.
“I’m sorry,” he said, almost in a whimper.
“Oh you will be. Don’t worry about that. Now go on. Go and play hero with your friends.”
“OK, I’ll see you soon,” he said, leaning in to kiss Darla goodbye. Darla turned her face away, and his kiss landed on her cheek rather than her lips. He stepped back and called for his daughters. The two were playing in the other room, and quickly appeared.
“Yes, daddy,” said Alina.
Seiben crouched. “Come here, give your daddy a hug and a kiss.”
The two girls smiled and lunged at Seiben, wrapping their arms around his neck. Seiben hugged them both around the waist and stood up, hoisting both girls off the ground. The girls laughed as Seiben spun them around.
“Now listen to me. I have to go away for a bit.”
“Where are you going, daddy?” said Alina, her eyes big and concerned.
“Jon is sick, and I’m going to go with him to see the doctor. But don’t worry, I’ll be back soon. You know what the good part is?”
“What?”
“Anki’s going to be staying with you while I’m gone.”
“Yay! Anki’s fun.”
“I thought you’d like that.” Seiben set the two girls back down. “Now run along and play, and I’ll see you when I get back.”
“Ok. Bye daddy.”
“Bye.”
When the girls left he turned to Darla, and could see that her anger had turned to worry. “Don’t worry, dear. Just think of this as another long haul freighter run.”
“You don’t run freighters anymore.”
“No, I eat and drink beer instead. But still. I spent most of my life running freighters. This is not the first time I’ll be going away.”
“I know, but that part of your life is supposed to be over. You’re supposed to stay with us now. Not running around trying to compensate for some mid life crisis.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m your wife, Roderick. Don’t think I don’t know you. You’ve been behaving strangely ever since we left the station.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Sure you do. Now listen to me. You don’t need to prove anything to us. We love you just the way you are. You’re our hero. I’m not just saying that. If it weren’t for you, we would all be dead on New Byzantium. You saved us. I don’t know what’s going on in your head right now, but you’ve got nothing to prove.”
Seiben swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. “I told you. I’m not trying to prove anything. I’m Jon’s friend, and he needs his friends right now.”
“Ok. Just don’t do go and get yourself killed. Remember, we need you, and we’re waiting for you.”
“Come here,” said Seiben, spreading out his arms. Darla embraced him and buried her face in his chest. “I’ll be back soon.”
She pulled her head back and looked up at him. “You better. And don’t think I’m not mad at you anymore.”
“I know, dear. You’re still mad, and you’re going to make me pay for this when I get back.”
“You’re damn right I am.”
Chapter 14
“Commander Hurley, what is the status of our escort?” said Kevin, from his command station on the bridge of the Vanguard.
“All ships reporting ready to disembark, Sir,” said Commander Hurley from his post.
Kevin quickly checked his tactical display, showing him all the ships currently in formation around the Vanguard.
General Dathos had assigned seven massive Diakan warships to escort them to Diakus. Kevin carried Admiral Pike on the Vanguard, a powerful UHSF battleship. Colonel Bast commanded the Ronin, a Chaanisar heavy cruiser. Jonas commanded the Reiver, a destroyer. And C
ommander Henderson, Jon’s new XO and former security chief, commanded the Freedom, Jon’s flagship.
All ships were jump capable, yet they wouldn’t need to use the jump system much for this journey. They were going to Diakus the old fashioned way, through the jump gate network.
In reality, Diakus was thousands of light years away from Earth. If it weren’t for the jump gate network, humans and Diakans would’ve never crossed paths. The Juttari would’ve never invaded. They would’ve never run into the Kemmar, and the colonies wouldn’t exist.
He found it odd that something like the jump gate network, which facilitated space travel across these vast distances, ended up being a harbinger of so much suffering. Although in this case, they would use the network to save his friend’s life.
“Let the other ships know that we will be disembarking momentarily,” Kevin ordered.
“Ships are acknowledging our transmission. Confirming readiness,” said Hurley.
“Ensign Hayes, set course for the jump gate.”
“Setting course,” said Hayes, the helmsman.
“Take us out, Ensign.”
Kevin felt the Vanguard’s engines come to life, causing an almost imperceptible vibration in the floor. On the bridge’s main viewscreen the ship sailed steadily toward the jump gate.
Several Diakan warships took position directly in front of the Vanguard, and he knew from his tactical display that the rest were spread out around them, with the Freedom, Ronin and Reiver covering the Vanguard’s flanks.
Fighter squadrons from the Freedom flew in tight formation around the Vanguard. They were close enough to protect the Vanguard, and be captured in its jump field if a jump was required.
He opened a comm with sick bay, and Dr. Ellerbeck’s face appeared. “How’s the Admiral doing, Doctor?”
“The symbiont is trying to fight the toxin, but it’s a losing battle, and the Admiral’s condition is steadily deteriorating. We need to get to Diakus as soon as possible,” said Ellerbeck.
“We’re on our way, Doctor. We’ll reach Diakus shortly.”
“I’ll do what I can in the meantime. Ellerbeck out.”
Kevin ended the connection, and pulled up a navigation display. Zooming out, he had it display a jump gate chart, and highlight the route they would take to reach Diakus.
They needed to cross through twelve gates. Going through each jump gate was instantaneous. Traveling between jump gates was not.
Some gates spit them out at one end of a star system, and the next gate would be at the other end. Normally they would have to travel across the system, avoiding the busy space lanes between the system’s planets. Considering the urgency of their trip, however, they would use their jump systems instead to reduce the travel time.
The trip was entirely through allied territory, so Kevin expected it to be uneventful. Any surprises would be met with deadly force, however, and nearby ships were warned to keep their distance.
They weren’t taking any chances. They had no clues as to who poisoned Jon’s symbiont, but it had to be someone close. Someone in the mountain complex with trusted access to Jon. But who?
First Colonel Brock vowed to find the culprit while they were gone, and Kevin didn’t doubt it. If anyone could get the job done, it was the Chaanisar. He hoped there wouldn’t be much fuss over the investigation. Many still didn’t trust the Chaanisar, regardless of all assurances to the contrary.
Hell, he figured many probably didn’t even trust Jon. He’d come out of nowhere, to take the reigns after the destruction of earth, bringing his Chaanisar army with him. Not the easiest thing for an Earthman to get behind. But in the end, there wasn’t much of a choice. Jon was the new order. Either toe the line, or step aside.
But what if Jon died? Who would step in?
Kevin hadn’t given much thought to what might come next, but it wouldn’t be simple. Without Jon, the Diakans could pull their support, or try and take over. Earth would return to a puppet government.
The Diakans had leverage. If they refused to support the war effort, humanity would have a hard time defending against both the Juttari and the Kemmar. Kevin considered the motives of the poisoning. Could it be part of some kind of power play?
Chapter 15
Seiben sat in sick bay with Breeah, watching the approach toward Diakus on one of the displays. Marines were posted inside sick bay, as well as just outside the door. He could practically taste the tension in the air.
Jon had become more than an admiral. More than a hero. He had turned into some kind of messiah, leading the human race out of the wilderness. He brought hope where none existed. Light where there was only darkness. And now this man, this Atlas, could die.
Seiben tried focusing on the display to distract his mind. “Have you been to Diakus before?” he asked Breeah.
Breeah gave him a confused look at first, clearly lost in her own thoughts. Glancing at the display she seemed to understand Seiben’s question, as well as his intent to ease the tension. “No. I have not.”
“Me neither. It’s enormous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an inhabited planet that big before. Hell, you can probably fit five Earths inside it.”
“It is extremely large. Perhaps a planet of that size is required to give birth to a galactic empire.”
“Maybe. Look at all that water. It makes the oceans of Earth and New Byzantium look like puddles.”
“When I first saw New Byzantium’s oceans, I was awestruck. In the asteroid field where I grew up, water was extremely valuable.”
“That must have been hard.”
Breeah shrugged. “It was our way. The natural order of things. We knew nothing else, so we did not think it difficult.”
“That’s why you’re all so tough.”
Breeah smiled at the compliment. “Perhaps you will have an opportunity to sample the Diakan seafood before we leave.”
“Once they cure Jon, I’ll give it a try. So long as it’s edible.”
“You believe they will heal Jon?”
“Of course. I’m sure of it.”
Breeah nodded, staring at the floor. “I have experienced much loss and sorrow in my life. It is difficult to be so optimistic.”
“I understand,” said Seiben. “But I’m telling you, these Diakans will get this sorted out. Hell, they cleaned up Earth didn’t they? You think they can’t figure out some symbiont poison?”
“I hope you are right.”
A door slid open and Dr. Ellerbeck entered the room.
“How is Jon, Doctor?” said Breeah.
“Not good,” said Ellerbeck. “The symbiont is fighting a losing battle. I don’t know how long it can hold out. The sooner we can get him to the surface, the better.”
Breeah simply frowned.
Dr. Ellerbeck turned to Seiben. “Will you be coming down to the surface with us, Mr. Seiben?”
“Yes, if that’s ok,” said Seiben, looking at Breeah.
“Of course it’s ok. Why would it not be? I want you there, and so would Jon,” said Breeah.
“I don’t have any objections,” said Ellerbeck. “We’ll be heading down shortly so you better get ready.”
“I’m ready. I don’t need anything.”
“How about you Breeah?” said Ellerbeck.
“I do not need anything either.”
“Dr. Ellerbeck,” said Kevin’s voice over Ellerbeck’s comm. “We are entering orbit around Diakus. Please transport the Admiral to the hangar bay.”
“Understood,” said Ellerbeck, returning to the other room.
When the doors slid open again, Ellerbeck reappeared with Jon on a hovering gurney. Breeah jumped up to Jon’s bedside. “He is still unconscious?”
“Yes,” said Ellerbeck.
“Can he hear me?”
Ellerbeck gave Breeah a sympathetic look. “Probably not.”
Breeah gripped his hand and walked alongside the gurney out the door.
“Jon?” said Breeah, scrutinizing him for any sign he
heard her. “Jon?”
Chapter 16
“Jon?”
“Yes, my love.”
“Do you have to go?”
Jon looked into his wife’s pale blue eyes, still as beautiful as the day he first saw them. As she lay in bed beside him, he wished he never had to leave. “I don’t have a choice, Tess. You know that. This is a war, and I’m a soldier. I go where they send me.”
“I hate it when you’re gone.”
“I hate being away from you and the girls.”
“I just don’t understand why we’re still fighting. The Juttari are gone. Earth is free. Why are we still at war?”
“Earth is only free of the Juttari, my love. But do not make the mistake of thinking it is free.”
“The Diakans,” Tess said with a frown.
“Yes. Earth is in their debt, and it needs their protection. That means we are not free. But we will be. One day humans will be free.”
“Now you sound like your father.”
Jon smiled. “He taught me everything I know.”
“Do you know how long you’ll be gone?”
“I don’t”
“Did they say where you’d be going?”
“Not yet.”
Tess pouted. “Surely they understand how hard this is on families like ours.”
“Who? The Diakans, or my human superiors?”
“All of them.”
“Well, I don’t think the Diakans care much how we feel about things. And my superiors? Most of them only know how to kiss Diakan ass.”
“Stop that,” Tess said reproachfully.
“It’s true. You can’t attain any position of power without sucking up to the Diakans. Anyone who tries to stand up to them is quickly demoted. But what do I know? I’m just a soldier. I fight, they kiss Diakan ass.”
“You’re too hard on them. I’m sure we have a lot of smart people in power.”
“Oh they’re smart alright. They know how to play the game, that’s for sure.”
“You are too cynical, Jon Pike.”
Jon pulled her close to him. “Not when it comes to you I’m not.”
The Pike Chronicles - Books 1 - 10 Page 120
