by John Dizon
"It appears that the strong survived," Vernu said softly. "Natural selection, as they say. They could've aligned themselves with any of us. They chose their independence, and they paid the price."
"When we compromise our humanity, we're no more than human animals struggling against nature," she insisted. "That's what we're in danger of becoming. If we keep threatening each other, invading each other's space, we're forcing each other to resort to our baser instincts. Look what we've accomplished, look what we've done to get here. We can't accept this. We can't allow ourselves to backslide, to endanger all we've earned and fought for."
"I agree," Vernu met her gaze. "You know what this is. The Terranean Alliance on Beta has grown soft and weak. They do not share our vision of expansion and development. They are withdrawing into their protective shell, they have become passive and reclusive. They are losing control of their frontier. It is being overwhelmed by pirate gangs and rebel forces. Our military has been forced to cross into Betan territory on countless occasions in pursuit of marauders over the past decade. We will have no choice but to consider more aggressive alternatives if the Betans cannot control their quadrant."
"You know where this is leading, and you know we can't abide by it," Marcella's voice thickened. "If your forces occupy the outer regions of the Betan quadrant, you'll not only be compromising the sovereignty of Beta, but you'll eventually have ships on our border. The Allied Federation could never allow that to happen."
"Sign our treaty, Madame President," Vernu leaned forward in his seat. "A Non-Aggression Treaty between our nations is the logical solution to all our problems. The Federation and the Empire are the true powers representing the future of mankind. The Betans and the Deltan Republic are docile, retreating into themselves. You and I can join together and lead our nations into a glorious new future. We can make a separate peace so that our interests are never conflicted."
"Mr. Hyte," she was earnest, "you know the Federation is a democracy. Even if I agreed with you, which I don't, my people would vote me out of office if I were to allow you to occupy the Betan Quadrant. They're pressuring me to sign a Mutual Protection Pact with Beta. Only I know that it would create a conflict between our nations, and I am resisting as best I can. I implore you to abandon any plans to send your fleet into Betan territory. Let me do what I can, and I'll work with the Betans to rid their frontier of these criminal elements."
"I am in the same position as you, Madame," Vernu shrugged. "It was only through the political influence of my mother that our nation was able to overcome the brutality of the Scorpius regime. She anointed me as Supreme Leader, but everyone realized that I am a figurehead, nothing more. Though she remains the power behind the throne, the military would stage a coup if they felt we were selling our Empire out. I cannot allow you to place troops on our border than you can allow me to do so."
"Talk to your mother," Marcella pleaded. "We can bring our case before the Council and ask for an interplanetary force to initiate a police action. Together we can all eliminate the threat and restore peace to the System."
"I'll do my best," Vernu was reassuring.
Somehow they both knew that it was never going to happen.
CHAPTER FIVE
A ndromeda Aries graduated from the Cetan Starfleet Academy four years after new recruit Gravas Drachna. It was after the Civil War, and the Emperor had been exiled before Andromeda began her ascent along the ranks. She achieved the rank of Commander after four tours of duty in combat against assorted insurgent groups loyal to Emperor Scorpius. Politics was never a consideration for her. She only sought to do her duty for family, country and Empire. Only when she was assigned to duty as first mate under command of Captain Drachna, her life began to change.
The Invictus was a Class III starship, scheduled to be replaced by the faster and more destructive Class IV ships. Although a Liquidation Order was in place, its crew was greatly loyal to the older ship built to support unparalleled firepower. They resisted the order to abandon ship despite threats and warnings from Starfleet Command. It was at point that Captain Drachna grew increasingly vocal and opinionated about the direction Starfleet was taking. He was becoming a political animal, something Andi had never seen before.
She was entirely fascinated by Grav Drachna, something she would or could not deny. He was a magnificent figure at nearly two meters tall, almost one hundred thirty kilos of titanium steel and sex appeal. His thick black mane and piercing cobalt eyes were captivating, not to mention his sensuous baritone voice. She was overly careful not to betray her feelings, blending in well with his senior officers. The Scorpion Starfleet left barely a crack in the window for personal relationships, and it suited Andi just fine.
The political discourses by the Captain created a ripple effect on board. As it turned out, there were far more crew members in agreement with Drachna's opinions than those who opposed the potentially subversive exchanges. It was nearly a couple of weeks before the Invictus was scheduled for decommissioning that Drachna played his hand. They had completed a search and destroy mission against a rebel outpost manned by troops still loyal to the Emperor. Many of the crew's former comrades had been annihilated and nerves had been rubbed raw. She would never forget the announcement reverberating throughout the starship on that day:
"All hands on deck. This is your Captain speaking. I am sure that we are all recuperating from the effects of our mission on Xylon-B, both physical and emotional. I want you all to know that I share your feelings, and this is the reason for this message.As you know, we have been ordered to return to Scorpion in compliance with the decommissioning order given by Starfleet. You are also aware that the senior officers aboard are greatly opposed to this command. The Invictus is the most accomplished ship in the fleet, with firepower unmatched by any other vessel ever created. The order to disable this ship is not only preposterous but wasteful and unethical.
"I have requested the opportunity to test the prototypes of the new starships in simulated battle conditions against the Invictus. This request was arbitrarily denied.There are also political considerations in place. Instead of offering peaceful negotiations to our former comrades, we have been ordered to hunt them down and exterminate them like demented mutants. I do not believe there is a sailor on this ship who has not been affected by what we have just done. We landed on their asteroid and fought them as if attempting to subdue pirates. When they managed to repel us at risk of their lives, we withdrew in order to disintegrate their base. There was no quarter asked and none given. Those soldiers deserved far better than that.
"I have now learned that Styrena Stone, the daughter of Allied Federation President Marcella Stone, has been kidnapped. Not only is she a personal friend of mine, but I believe this was the work of extremists operating at the behest of top officials in our government.We all know who these extremists are. These are fanatical sectarians who seek to convert our entire society to their twisted ideology. Those who have exiled our Emperor are leading us into a greater evil than the one they claimed to be saving us from. They are asking me to destroy my ship, exterminate my fellow soldiers, and worship some strange devil which I know not.
"I am hereby declaring my opposition to the ruling powers and redeploying this ship in search of Styrena Stone in an attempt to restore the peace of our Solar System. I will return Miss Stone to her people and remain in custody of the Federation until an agreement has been reached for us to return safely to Scorpion without any penalties or ramifications. Anyone who wishes to join us on this mission is welcome to remain aboard. The rest of you will be provided vessels and directed towards the nearest outpost so that you can be returned to Scorpion at the most immediate convenience."
She remembered it being the tensest half-hour in her life. Only after it was over, not a single crew member asked to leave. They had all sold their souls to Grav Drachna, at the risk of the risk of being tortured and killed as traitors to the Scorpion Empire.
The problem was that Andi had degrees in
psychology and behavioral science. She felt they would be essential in dealing with settlers on remote asteroids along the Outer Frontier who had been isolated from planetary society for extended periods. Only now she was seeing distinct trouble signs in the routine of the Captain and began turning to her fellow officers for help.
"The entire universe has gone mad, my dear," Dr. Pretorius, the chief medical officer, scoffed when confided in by Andi. "At least Grav has found himself a position of strength from which to negotiate. Not only is this the most heavily-armed ship in the fleet, but it's commanded by the most capable skipper who ever set sail. If Vernu Hyte were to send the other three starships in pursuit, I have no doubt that they would be annihilated in a showdown. The Empire has no choice but to let Grav find his sweetheart and come home with all forgiven."
"He's become reclusive," Andi insisted. "He's becoming unapproachable. He locks himself in his quarters for hours at a time. All he talks about is rescuing that woman. And these contingency measures–-those Tiger commandos. This is an unspeakable undertaking that is contrary to everything we stand for."
"Come now, my dear," the gray-haired Pretorius cocked an eyebrow. "Exactly what is it that we stand for? Sending wild-eyed religious loonies across the border into peaceful settlements, beheading and butchering people in the name of the Devil? You can turn your face from it and deny it's happening, but it's the reason why every man jack on this ship agreed to stay aboard. They've spread the fear of whatever god one believes in throughout the universe. Only Drachna has found something that they fear even more."
Thoughts swirled through her head as she approached the Captain's quarters. She punched the panel by the door and awaited his response.
"Andi. Come in, make yourself comfortable."
The cabin door slid open, and Andi was greeted by progressive music accompanied by an aromatic nature scent. She was always comforted by the Captain's 1800's seafaring décor and the antiquated oil paintings adorning his walls. Only she was braced by the sight of the navigational screens dominating the anteroom. It was what she saw as the source of Drachna's obsession.
"Any new developments?" she asked.
"It was what I was about to ask you," Drachna shut down the screen with a wave of his hand, coming out to meet her in the drawing room.
"You know that if there was anything, you'd know long before I got here."
Andi was a very attractive woman with long chestnut locks that reached down her back, ivory skin and green eyes that accentuated her impish nose and ruby lips. It was her misfortune that she was raised on a Deltan sub-planet that exposed her eyes to their green sun. It caused a sensitivity that greatly enhanced her visual capacity while forcing her to wear a visor to protect them from light. She often wondered why Drachna had never shown any physical attraction to her, unlike most of the men on the ship.
"Quite true," he beckoned her toward the back room of his cabin. At once the far wall was illuminated by a map of the entire Outer Territory of Beta. Each and every asteroid, moon and planet could be identified by the touch of a finger. It could also provide an extensive report on the specifics, including populace, political affiliation and industrial capacity.
"It's unrealistic to think they would have deposited her anywhere," Andi insisted. "If it's a cruiser that has her, it's the most hunted vessel in the System. Holding her for negotiation is the only thing that would help them escape disintegration."
"We've gone over this time and again," Drachna grunted. "This solar system is surrounded by a band of outer darkness that may be the beginning of a black hole. The scientists of the Council are entirely confounded by it. The nations may see it as foreboding and impenetrable. Yet consider this: where would a fugitive ship be most likely to hide? They have retreated along the Outer Territories, and that is where we will go to find them."
"Talk about finding a needle in a haystack," Andi shook her head. "There are cosmic storms brewing constantly in that maelstrom. Our sensors and scanners are useless in that environment. Even if we had an idea where they could be, there's no guarantee we wouldn't be sailing straight into an asteroid field, a meteor shower, or god knows what."
"That is what will work to our advantage," he insisted. "They are working an extortion scheme, not a suicide mission. Once we get an idea of where they may be, we can force them towards the darkness and trap them where we want them."
"Would you actually risk the life of Styrena Stone in doing so?" she asked quietly.
"Her life will never be at risk," Drachna stared into her eyes. "Ever."
It was at this point that Andi decided to throw caution to the winds in discussing their plight with her comrades. She met with Dr. Sardonicus, sergeant-at-arms Ken Mazola and chief engineer Igor Vodik in the officers' lounge. She made it clear to one and all this was going to be a highly confidential discussion.
"We've got a serious situation on our hands," Andi confided as she began the meeting.
"That's the understatement of the year," Sardonicus scoffed, drawing chuckles from the other two men.
"He's thinking the kidnappers have retreated into the Outer Darkness," she retorted angrily. "If he has the slightest inkling they're out there, he'll sail this starship right into the void. At best there's a fifty-fifty chance we survive such a move."
"So are we having second thoughts about standing behind the Captain and his act of mutiny?" Igor asked. He was a deep thinker with a 180 IQ and was well known for his logical thinking which seemed computer-like at times.
"You're the big brain, aren't you?" Ken was sarcastic. "You've got this all figured out from top to bottom. You went with this, but now are you getting cold feet?"
"I considered the Captain's offer, and it appeared to be rock solid," Igor replied. "Only at this point it seems that we may have the entire Interplanetary Council against us. I've been monitoring all the communications we've been able to intercept as per the Captain's orders. Not only is the Empire searching for us, but the Betans as well. Not to mention the Deltans trying to find their missing cruiser, and the Federation looking for their President's missing daughter. There also seems to be a handsome reward for Styrena Stone's return, which has every bounty hunter and pirate gang in on the chase. If we find her, we may have ships throughout the entire System trying to relieve us of our responsibility."
"You know what his response to that would be," Sardonicus snorted. "Bring it on, he'd say. It's the reason why we stuck with him. There's not a ship in this System that can bring the Invictus down. Even a fleet of smaller ships might probably end up on the short end. Only Andi's got a strong argument here. If he thinks we can withstand the Dark Territory, we might be heading out on our last voyage. This is something we may have to agree upon before the time comes."
"Here's my plan," Andi was emboldened. "If we locate the suspected Deltan cruiser and are certain Ms. Stone is aboard, by all means we go for it. It's our best chance of avoiding capture by the Empire and being disintegrated for treason. Only if they go for broke and head for the Darkness to escape…I think we'll have to relieve the Captain of his command."
"Yeah?" Ken sneered. "And who's gonna do it, you?"
"Excuse me," Sardonicus narrowed his eyes, "Isn't that your job description?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna arrest the Captain," Ken said mockingly. "Me and what army?"
"Perhaps you can come up with a sedative," Andi looked to Sardonicus.
"Oh, really? And how will I administer it, by shooting him in the arse?"
"We might consider a smaller dosage as preparation, possibly having him ingest it," Igor speculated. "If the potion is in his system, it would take a smaller yet precise dosage to trigger the reaction."
"And what about those monsters down in steerage?" Sardonicus demanded. "If he has a way of releasing them, everyone on board is at risk."
"That's not a problem," Ken assured him. "They're unarmed. I'll bring security down there and waste the lot of them."
"Okay, then we agree," Andi insisted.
"Only if the Captain compromises the safety of the ship. Other than that, Ms. Stone becomes our negotiation piece when we can rescue her from the kidnappers. Either way, the end game is to surrender to the Federation and seek political asylum."
"And let us not lose sight of who we're dealing with," Igor admonished them. "Captain Drachna is a living legend to this crew. If we make a move against him, it must be a quick and surgical strike. If the rest of the crew gets involved, we may well end up in steerage as dinner for Drachna's monsters."
~+~
On Miro 3, Mick Rhymes and Daisy Dukes were convening a meeting of their own. Three warships were in orbit above the asteroid on the opposite side from the devastated farmland. The occupants of the ships were seated at a large row of tables in a vacant warehouse, eyeing each other apprehensively as they awaited Mick's proposal.
"Gentlemen, I want to thank you all for being here," Mick began. "I told you all a little about us, and I'm sure you know each other. As you all know, we're fugitives from the Empire. They destroyed our colony and slaughtered our families. They're hunting us down so we can't tell anyone what they did. We called this meeting so we can join together and have a chance to fight back. As I mentioned, my plan can make this a very profitable venture for all concerned."
"Our success in our campaigns against the Empire have been a result of battles at the time and place of our choosing," Cygnus Beryllium snarled. He was the leader of Hydra Force, one of the biggest rebel armies in the System. His right eye had been gouged out in an Imperial prison, replaced by a robotic eye that gave him superhuman visual ability. It was larger than his other eye, its unblinking feature giving his stare a withering look. "I will not compromise my forces in this foray of yours until we have examined it thoroughly."
