“T cells are responding to the nanoweapon,” AI said. “This is an interesting development.”
“What is?”
“Your T cells are much more efficient than the normal human version. It is as though your immune system has been augmented, although I cannot find any trace of such an upgrade.”
“I don’t understand, AI. What is happening?”
“Your body has dispatched T cells to kill the nanoweapon, and they are actually succeeding.”
“This does not happen with an unaugmented human?”
“No. Unaugmented humans have no defense against the nanoweapon.”
“Then I am not going to die today?”
“Not by the nanoweapon, although the Kemmar might succeed in killing you.”
“I am disappointed in you, AI.”
“You are outnumbered. The odds do not favor your success.”
“I am a Chaanisar. The odds have been against me since my birth.” Jarvi broke into a run, gunning down three more Kemmar insurgents in the process. Energy bolts chased after him, but he found cover again before they could do any damage. “What happens now?”
“Your T cells have destroyed the nanoweapon inside your body. The speed of your immune system’s response is remarkable. Everything is accelerated.”
“Is that why Chaanisar do not get sick?”
“Yes,” AI said. “You are already producing antibodies capable of neutralizing the nanoweapon. For an unaugmented human dealing with a typical virus, that can take up to two weeks.”
“Then I am developing an immunity to the nanoweapon?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“Am I a carrier?”
“No, your immune system has killed all traces of the nanoweapon in your system.”
“Excellent. Then all I have to do now is kill all the Kemmar in this camp.”
Chapter 16
The cloaked Taymati ships poured through the jump portal into the rebellious star system. Rebel defenses irradiated the Taymati ships the second they came through, disabling their cloaking systems. Once visible, automated weapon systems lit up their shields with an intense barrage.
Undeterred by the onslaught, the Taymati fleet continued to flow through the shimmering gate, relying on their numbers to overwhelm the gate defenses. Thousands of smart mines zeroed in on them, further complicating their task.
Taymati shields fell and the first warships to cross through succumbed to their injuries. Exploding reactors filled the void with brilliant flashes. The first through were also the first to fall.
More Taymati warships entered the system, their cloaks failing upon entry. A rebel armada appeared. Hundreds of rebel ships decloaked and backed up the gate defenses with their own guns. Jump bombs, energy bolts and missiles pulverized the vessels trying to enter the system.
The onslaught proved devastating for many Taymati vessels. Their shields fell quickly, and they too blew apart in blazing blasts of light. But where they fell, more continued to stream in and their weapons responded with lethal force. These were Taymati warships after all, their battle prowess unparalleled in the Empire.
The Taymati adapted. Understanding the weakness of their position, they chose a mobile response instead. Using short-range tactical jumps, battle groups attacked the rebel defenders throughout their line. They identified vulnerabilities and struck like packs of wolves. They jumped in, made their kill, and jumped out before the rebels could reorient their fire.
By the time Emperor Kriss’s flagship entered the system, the battle raged in a see-saw contest. Unlike previous engagements, a Taymati beachhead had not been decisively secured, and Kriss wondered if they had made a fatal blunder.
This system was not supposed to be heavily defended. It was expected to merely surrender without putting up much of a fight. But the rebel Generals had outplayed Kriss, sneaking their own fleet into the system unnoticed. For the Taymati, the objective shifted from victory to survival.
“How did the Generals know that we would be coming through this system?” Kriss said angrily to General Kiith on the comm display.
“Espionage,” Kiith said. “Someone has betrayed you, Majesty.”
Kriss let General Kiith’s words sink in. Despite all his precautions, he had been betrayed. He fixed Kiith with a piercing gaze. “The traitor must be a Taymati officer.”
“Unfortunately, I agree, Majesty. I take full responsibility. I should have been more vigilant.”
“Never mind all that now. What are the chances that we will win this engagement?”
“Not good, Majesty. The enemy ambush all but destroyed our vanguard. Despite superior tactics, we are badly outnumbered and out of position.”
“Then you believe we should retreat?” Kriss said.
“It is the prudent response. If we jump away, we can keep the remainder of the fleet intact, regroup and send for reinforcements. If we stay and fight, we might win the battle, but at a high price.”
Kriss considered his options. This could be the decisive engagement he was looking for. If his ships were victorious, they might break the back of the rebellion. Even if his fleet suffered great losses, the enemy losses would be insurmountable. The rebels would not bounce back. A victory like that would finish the rebellion.
On the other hand, his fleet was at a disadvantage. Not only were they outnumbered, but the enemy had caught them by surprise. He had no doubt that his Taymati were the superior fighters, but even so, could they overcome these disadvantages? Perhaps it was better to retreat and fight another day. Better to do battle on his own terms rather than the enemy’s. That would give him time to root out the traitor.
His main display filled with the blinding flash of another destroyed Taymati warship and he made up his mind. “I concur with your reasoning, General. Give the order to retreat.”
“As you wish, Majesty,” Kiith said and vanished from the comm display.
The order went out, and the fleet abandoned the system, jumping as one into an empty region of space some ten light years away. The empty blackness helped calm the Emperor’s frayed nerves. Here they could regroup in peace, figure out what went wrong and find the traitor in their midst.
A klaxon blared, and Kriss turned to his tactical screen where enemy contacts had appeared all around them. Waves of jump bombs were launched at the intruders. Concussions rocked Kriss’s flagship, and the gravity of the betrayal dawned on him.
Kriss opened a comm with General Kiith once more. The old general appeared on the display, his demeanor stoic despite the grim circumstances
“The traitor has given the enemy the jump tracking technology,” Kriss said. “How many of your officers have access to that information?”
“Several, Majesty,” Kiith replied. “Each ship’s chief engineer needs a working knowledge of the tech, as do some of their subordinates. Many of the ship captains also understand the technology. It will take time to track down the traitor, but we will find him. I promise you that.”
“That does not help us now. What are your recommendations, General?”
“If we keep jumping, the rebels will simply follow us. We are too far from our own space to reach it with the jump system. We would need to use the portal which means going through the gauntlet of portal defenses again. I believe our only option is to face the enemy.”
“Then that is what we will do,” Kriss said. “The fate of the Empire is in your hands, General. Do not disappoint me.”
General Kiith bowed his head and vanished from the display. Kriss’s eyes moved from one screen to another, trying to take in the full scope of the historic battle taking place. It seemed odd that a momentous event like this would happen in such an empty region of space, light years away from the nearest celestial body.
Kriss watched the ongoing battle from his flagship’s throne room, feeling increasingly impotent. As always, he wanted to fight. He couldn’t stand sitting in his throne room doing nothing. But, alas, his birthright sentenced him to the role of
observer. So, he watched as brave soldiers on both sides died to decide his fate.
With each loss, the Emperor grew angrier, until he could no longer sit idly by while others died in his name. He jumped to his feet and stormed out of the throne room, his personal guard scrambling to keep up. The Emperor may not have an active role in the physical combat, but he could have an impact in another arena.
The Emperor rushed through the ship’s corridors, painfully aware of the active role every crewmember played in this pivotal battle. Finally, he reached the flagship’s temple. His personal guard remained outside, and he entered alone. Once inside, Kriss dropped to his knees and beckoned for the Antikitheri to come.
As before, the Builders did not show. Hours passed, and his knees throbbed with pain, yet the Emperor persisted, humbling himself before the immortal aliens. He ignored his discomfort and continued to pray for an audience. Even as his ship shook from repeated concussions, Kriss did not move. All he could contribute now was his tenacity. He would stay on his knees until the Empire’s gods answered, no matter the cost.
His joints went numb, and he lost track of time when the Antikitheri finally appeared. Three swirling forms took shape in front of him, red, blue and green. Large, alien eyes looked down on his prone figure as if appraising his worthiness.
“Your request has been granted,” a booming voice said, startling the Emperor.
“Thank you,” Kriss said, keeping his head bowed.
“What is it you seek, mortal?” the blue form demanded.
“I need your assistance,” Kriss said.
“We have already granted you assistance.”
“Yes, and I thank you for doing so, but there has been a complication. The knowledge you shared… my enemies… somehow they have obtained it.”
“Your Empire is divided,” the red form said.
“I understand, but that was why I requested the knowledge in the first place. I needed it to unite the Empire.”
“We provided knowledge,” the red form said.
“And I am grateful for it, but now that the rebels also have the knowledge, they might defeat my forces.”
“That is a true future,” the blue form said.
“I don’t understand,” Kriss said.
“There are many futures. Many paths. All of them true.”
“Okay, so if I understand you correctly, my forces may win.”
“That is also a true future.”
“But how do I ensure victory?”
“Victory is for the worthy,” the red form said.
“But I need your help. I’ve done everything you’ve asked. You must help me.”
“Silence!” the green form said, electrical surges arcing from its swirling form. “You dare make demands of your gods?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. If I lose this war, the Empire may lose its way. Its people might lose their faith.”
“A faith you do not possess,” the blue form said accusingly. “A faith General Tok holds dear.”
“General Tok? The rebel leader?”
“The contest before you is not what you perceive it to be. It will not only decide the future of your Empire but will also reveal the true believer.”
Realization suddenly took hold of Kriss. “It was you. All along it was you. There is no traitor. You gave Tok the same knowledge you gave me.”
“Always there must be balance. But, more importantly, there must be fidelity. You, a mortal, sought to deceive your gods.”
“No, that is not true-”
“You have been judged, and your faithfulness has been found wanting,” the green form said, the electrical arcs reaching the ceiling.
“I am faithful. I have given you everything. You can’t do this to me.”
The three swirling forms began to fade away, first becoming translucent, and then vanishing. Emperor Kriss remained on his knees, staring at the spot where the Builders had just been. He tried to wrap his mind around what he had just heard. There was no traitor in the fleet. The Antikitheri had betrayed him. They favored the rebel leader, General Tok.
The deck shuddered below his knees as fresh weapon fire hammered his flagship’s hull. Still on his knees, he opened a comm with General Kiith. “General, what is our status?”
“We have taken heavy losses, Majesty, but the enemy losses are greater. The enemy is no match for your Taymati. We will-”
“General? General Kiith, are you there?” No matter what he tried, Kriss could not establish a comm with the Taymati General.
“Enough of this,” Kriss said to himself. Both knees cracked as he tried to stand and for a moment he thought they might give out. His joints held. He stood up, straightened his uniform, and marched out of the flagship’s temple. Activating his comm once more he contacted the bridge and the ship’s captain.
“Yes, Majesty,” said a surprised Captain Neek.
“What has happened to General Kiith? I cannot reach him on my comm.”
“I regret to inform you, Majesty, but General Kiith has fallen.”
Kriss cursed under his breath. “I’m coming to the bridge.”
“Majesty?”
“Is there a problem, Captain?”
“No, Majesty. Of course not.”
“Good. I’ll be there shortly.”
Chapter 17
When Kriss arrived on the bridge, he studied the battlefield for the first time since leaving the throne room many hours earlier. The empty region of space they had jumped into was now strewn with debris. Both sides had taken heavy losses, but the rebels still had greater numbers and were better able to absorb the carnage.
Most of his warships had taken considerable damage. They fought valiantly, but Kriss could see that he would lose many more if things continued to progress in the same direction.
“Order all ships to sync their jump systems with ours,” Kriss commanded.
“Yes, Majesty,” Captain Neek said and transmitted the order to the fleet.
“Am I correct in assuming that the enemy cloaks have been neutralized?” Kriss said.
“Yes, Majesty, that is correct,” Neek said.
“Good. Plot coordinates for a five light year jump. The enemy can track our jumps and will follow. I want all ships to launch jump bomb strikes the moment the rebels land. You will have another five light year jump plotted, and we will jump immediately after the strike. When the rebels follow us, we will repeat the tactic. Do you understand? We will do this over and over until the rebels stop pursuing us, or until we finish them off.”
“Yes, Emperor, I understand. I am relaying the Imperial commands to the fleet.”
Kriss winced as another Taymati battleship blew apart. Today had been a disaster, but he felt sure that he could save what was left of his ships. The rebels had the tracking technology and had likely grown overconfident. He was about to show them the error of their ways.
“All ships are standing by, Majesty,” Neek said.
Kriss studied the main display with unflinching determination. “Jump.”
The stars on the main viewscreen changed position as the Taymati fleet landed five light years away, at the outskirts of a star system. Kriss focused on the main tactical display, waiting for the enemy to show.
“Jumpspace disturbance detected,” the computer said. “Launching jump bombs.”
The rebel fleet appeared, and their shields glowed red and white as they absorbed the jump bomb strike. Those ships that had lost shields in the battle were hit hard. The jump bombs landed unimpeded inside them. When they detonated, they created fresh hull breaches. Some of the smaller ships were literally broken in two by the blasts.
Before the rebels could counter, the Taymati fleet vanished, jumping five light years away.
Emperor Kriss waited for the enemy to appear again. “Is our next jump plotted, Captain?”
“Yes, Majesty, all is ready,” Captain Neek said.
The computer announced a jumpspace disturbance and the rebel fleet was hit with a
nother punishing jump bomb attack. This time, a couple of the larger enemy ships were destroyed.
Kriss wondered why those vulnerable ships didn’t stay behind. They were too damaged to be much help in a battle. Perhaps the enemy just wanted the extra firepower. They had grown overconfident, chasing their fleeing prey. They had bloodlust and would not be denied their kill. But the Taymati fleet denied them that kill and jumped again before the enemy could strike.
The same scenario continued to play out over and over with the rebels stubbornly refusing to give up the chase. They paid dearly for their foolishness, and the Emperor refused to give them the great battle they craved. Kriss was perfectly happy playing cat and mouse for as long as it took, and with each jump, he whittled away at the rebel defenses.
Over time, shields failed, and gaping holes appeared across many hulls. Yet still, the Emperor refused to meet the enemy in battle. He would fight them on his terms alone, and that would not happen until he had sufficiently weakened their fleet.
Eventually, the rebel fleet jumped in, landing just outside Taymati jump bomb range. “Fine by me,” Kriss said. “Hold positions until they enter jump bomb range.”
They waited where they were, but the rebels did not advance. So, the two Dvorkan fleets stared at each other across the void, each waiting for the other to blink.
“Majesty, the General Tok is requesting an audience,” Neek said.
“Tok is with the fleet?” Kriss said.
“Yes, Majesty.”
“I’m impressed. I didn’t think he had it in him. Very well, patch him through to my station.” Kriss strode over to the Imperial station and lowered his giant frame into the chair. Moments later, Tok’s face appeared on his comm display. “Well, well, the traitor shows his face,” Kriss taunted.
“Your words mean nothing,” Tok said. “You are a relic of a repressive past. I am a patriot. I will return glory to the Empire.”
Kriss rolled his eyes. “What do you want, Tok? I don’t have time for your pompous tirade.”
The Pike Chronicles - Books 1 - 10 Page 201
