“Remind Commodore Price he knows the coordinates for refugee fleet and he can handle the protocol without my input.” Rebecca’s eyes flared. “I am trying to plan a battle here!”
“M-ma’am, he insisted on talking to you.”
Rebecca scowled at the ensign, walked to the communications console, and waved the officer to patch her through.
“Conway,” she said, making her voice as sharp as a spear.
“Admiral, a ship just jumped into the system.”
“So what, Commodore Price!” she barked. “Why are you bothering me with this? Send them the emergency coordinates and be done with it!”
“Ma’am, they claim they know about the aliens and why they are here.”
“What?”
“The captain of the ship, one Raymond Harris, says he knows what’s going on…Admiral, you there?”
“All right, I will take it from here. Conway out.” She waved at the officer to cut the connection. “Mr. Jong, patch me through to that ship. And someone find this ship’s damned first officer!”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
EXTREME MEASURES
“Sir, please!”
Revan growled, hitting his lieutenant one more time. “Don’t you know how to salute!” His knuckles were comets, meeting the poor man’s face with blinding force and speed. “When you see an officer, you salute!”
“Please!” the young man begged but his words were babblings. The man was about to choke on his own blood.
“I grow tired of your lack of discipline!” he activated his muscle augmentation and let the nano-machines flow through his veins, pumping his muscles. He was a tank. He was destruction. Revan raised the lieutenant as high as he could and threw him to a nearby console with all the force he could muster.
The young lieutenant cried in agony and dropped like a bag of sand where he hit. “Mommy…my legs,” he cried.
Revan looked at the man and felt nothing but disgust. He moved in for the kill. A sudden, sharp shock froze him where he stood and he suddenly felt old and weak. Revan felt the power draining from his muscles He tried to scream in protest but his eyes closed instead, his ears dulling.
***
“What…” Revan opened his eyes in his own quarters.
“I’m sorry, Sir,” his second in command saluted. “I had to shock you with a Taser. You were about to kill Lieutenant Burkes.” The man looked ready to run from the quarters the moment Revan flinched.
“You did the right thing.” Revan remembered his rage and felt nothing but shame. “How is he?”
“He can’t speak and he’s paralyzed below the waist. He may be treated back on Earth but our facilities on board can’t help him.”
He nodded slowly. “Leave.”
His officer did as asked but the agent didn’t miss the fear in his eyes. Revan stood up, still feeling dazed by the effects of high voltage shock. He looked in the small mirror attached to his locker. This is not me. I am not a monster.
Oh, but you are, his own voice answered him. How many now, Revan? The blood you spilled can fill oceans.
It was for Marianna! All is for Marianna.
The voice inside his head laughed. And are you the Revan Caius Marianna loved?
Shut up! Revan hit the mirror, breaking the thing. He ignored the pain and blood, reaching for his communicator. He turned on the holographic interface and connected to the private channel he and his mysterious boss used to communicate.
“Report,” the dark figure’s silhouette appeared a moment later, no emotion in his voice.
“The group has escaped Tarra and they have the stone. The ship they have has radar cloak. So far, we could not trace them.”
“I know.”
Revan was caught short. “I am sorry, what?”
“Mr. Caius, you are a tool in a toolbox, and the box has many other tools. Never forget that. They were at the Asteroid B-533 research station, and now on their way to Pendar.”
“I apologize for my failure,” the agent babbled. “There is something else.”
“Yes?”
“Someone else was with the group, a tall man.”
“I know.”
“He is not human. I shot him and he bled blue.”
Revan expected mockery or disbelief, but the man on the screen fell silent. Revan knew better than to interrupt.
After what felt like an eternity, the man spoke. “The group has traveled to Pendar. It is located in the Klaus-Jensen Nebula. You will go there and complete your mission.”
“Eberhardt and the Consortium will require me to report soon. I have been silent for days now.”
“You were not, Mr. Caius,” the mysterious voice laughed. “I feed them with the necessary paperwork. They believe you are still negotiating for Canaar’s crash back on Bunari. They have other matters to attend to.”
“So, it has begun?”
This time, the laughter was deep, threatening. “Yes.”
“I will be on Pendar.”
“One more thing, Mr. Caius; you are my best agent. Someone who is looked upon by others with envy. However, if you persist on being incompetent, I cannot guarantee the future of Marianna.”
The screen flickered once more and turned off. Not once in his career had Revan ever been shamed, accused of being inefficient, but he didn’t care. The dark man’s words about Marianna were all that mattered.
“Computer, bridge!”
“Sir?” the voice of one his lieutenants echoed in his quarters.
“Set a course for Pendar system, Klaus-Jensen Nebula,”
“Aye, sir.”
Revan pulled out a worn photograph. Marianna held David as she always did whenever he cried. Revan smiled, remembering how David had fallen from the swing, hurting his arm. “It is only a scratch.” He could hear Marianna’s voice. “Come on David, smile.” She was wiping away the tears. “Revan, take a picture, will you? Now, David, you have to smile, remember.” Revan had carried the photograph close to his heart since the day they’d lost him.
He noticed neither his own tears nor the time he spent sitting, looking at the picture.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
MARA’TTHANE: PART II
“If I have to tell who we are one more time, I’ll start shooting!” Sarah fingered the flight console.
“It’s a wonder some trigger-friendly sergeant hasn’t shot us yet.” Ray checked the communications terminal. “I think we have clearance. They’re sending the docking barrier codes.”
“Half an hour! One would think bureaucracy stops when there’s a hostile alien fleet hovering in the distance.” Sarah mumbled something colorful and started the thrusters.
“Wow, some ship,” Brother Cavil was mesmerized by the super-dreadnought’s size as the Fox approached the docking bays under the belly of the ship. “It must be thousands of meters long!”
“Eight thousand something,” Sarah said.
“And she looks marred.” Ray pointed at plasma marks on the hull. “Those look recent.” Dozens of personnel hovered around the hull plating in EVA suits and utility tugs carrying scrap pieces, patching the wounded ship. The drone traffic around the super-dreadnought was like the airways of London, buzzing with activity.
“I don’t know, that thing looks pretty scary to me.” Sarah waved at the huge Baeal mother ship standing on top of the planet in the distance. “Yeah, this one looks cool and all that, but I wouldn’t bet my money on her. I’m glad that there’s some distance in between us.”
“Is this the ship that destroyed yours, Ga’an?” Ray asked, turning to look at the tall man. He’d been awfully quiet since they arrived on Pendar.
“No,” Ga’an nodded slowly. “But there were many escort ships, like this one.”
Sarah’s jaw dropped, “That’s an escort ship?”
“It is, Sarah Davis. The mother ship I clashed with was many times larger.”
The flight computer beeped three times, halting their conversation.
“All rig
ht, buckle up, we’re entering the gravity field,” Ray warned them.
The Fox flew past the escorts and cut the engines, positioning under one of the hangar doors with a huge “3” written on them. The group watched the massive gates open slowly, illuminating them with shining bright light from inside the ship. Now the only thing they could see was the super-dreadnought’s hull plating.
The ship ascended slowly, entering the hangar. Fighter craft were positioned near launch tubes, numerous men and women in orange uniforms working on them like bees in a hive. Sparks flew near one of the bigger ships—a bomber, Ray reasoned—while technicians tried to fix its broken wing with their welding torches. He silently admired the pilot who’d landed the thing without a wing.
Larger ships were parked at the far end of the hangar. From the corner of his eye Ray saw a small freighter and a gunship very much like Fox, but focused his attention on landing his own. The service platforms were as tall as small buildings, with big cranes attached to their intersecting rails. The cranes hovered above the crew and extended meters above the docking clamps. The hangar bay looked like an industrial district of a city.
“I am glad we landed in one piece this time,” Brother Cavil said, giving Ray a meaningful look as he heard the satisfactory sound of landing gear touching down with a gentle shake.
“If you count the asteroid, this is the second time, old man.” Ray smiled, patting the Brother Cavil’s shoulder, “All right, let’s do this as quickly as possible.” He gestured them to follow. “Oh, and Ga’an, don’t tell them you’re an Ancient unless it’s a matter of life and death.”
“Why not?”
“Because, well, you’re an Ancient.”
Ga’an raised a brow.
“The first Ancient my kind ever met. Not everyone, especially the military, would be so welcoming. Hell, before we know, you could end up in a laboratory. You look human enough. Weird, but human. If we don’t tell, most people will take a glance and pass by.”
Ga’an didn’t say anything, but clasped his hands behind his back.
“I am glad that we will finally—” Brother Cavil’s smile froze when he saw the armed soldiers when they reached the gunship’s ramp.
“Hands above your head!” one of the marines barked. “Now!”
They ended up detained no matter how hard Brother Cavil had protested and Reverend Marcus educated them about today’s youth being disrespectful. Ray tried to explain the soldiers why they had come and that they’d been cleared by one Admiral Conway, but the squad commander was deaf to their pleas, especially after the rather lengthy sermon from the elder duo.
The guards escorted the group to a cellblock. Brother Cavil still tried to reason with the commander, but Ray had accepted their fate and shifted his attention toward inspecting the craftsmanship of the colossal ship. He admired the engineering work behind the behemoth and wondered what it would be like to captain a super-dreadnought, no matter how much he hated authoritarian structures.
“Great Light!” Brother Cavil puffed, slumping down on a bench in the cell, watching the guards disappear down the corridor. “No matter what, we always end up crashing or in jail.”
Sarah tried to calm him. “Relax, old man. They wouldn’t have even let us dock if someone important wasn’t interested in our story.”
“Humph,” Reverend Marcus took a seat at the other side of the cell and pulled an old pocket-size book from one of his sleeves. Soon, he had shut out the world, giving himself to his read.
“Any ideas?” Ray turned to Ga’an. The man stood in front of the barrier blocking the door, looking at it with great interest.
“I do not understand why they have these rooms, Raymond Harris.”
“It’s Ray. And this is a jail cell, Ga’an. You don’t have those?”
“The level of comfort is too high.” He turned and scanned the cell. It was illuminated with warm, bright light and had seats that converted into beds. “If this were the Empire, we would have been executed by this time.”
“Well, I’m glad we’re not in the Empire,” Ray said, smirking. “Do you have any ideas on how we can find the next stone? Is it really here?”
“It should be, the Ijjok pointed Pendar,” Sarah said.
“I am sorry, Raymond Harris. I do not know.”
“No sweat.” Ray smiled, then went back into the corner to sit and relax.
It looked like they’d be staying for a while.
***
“Wake up!” someone shouted in front of their cell.
Ray opened his eyes immediately, jumping to his feet. “What?” he mumbled, trying to come back to his senses. He had no idea how long he’d been asleep. Long, he figured from the numbness of his body.
“The admiral will see you now,” the man in uniform said in a formal tone. A lieutenant commander, Ray realized from the insignia. You don’t send a lieutenant commander to escort everyday prisoners.
The group roused to follow the officer. They were battling with their dullness all the way. No matter how comfortable it looked, it was still a cell. Six armed men and women escorted them to a nearby meeting hall.
“Ma’am, the detainees,” their escort announced.
Two soldiers stood at the far end of the room, one in each corner. In the middle of the room, a clerk in his early forties took notes from star charts on one of the screens embedded into the ellipsoid table. The only other thing in the room was a tray with several metal mugs and a coffee pot, on the meeting table. The woman was staring through the observation window, hands behind her back. The stars on her white uniform were unlike any other they’d seen on their way. Although she looked upright, gray hairs hinted at the toll of her position. The Admiral.
The doors opened and another man with a data pad in his hands entered the room. “I’m sorry I’m late, Admiral, I must have overslept with the pills the doctor gave me.”
The Admiral didn’t say a word, but in her reflection on the window Ray saw her jaw tighten and eyes focus on this new man.
“Have a seat,” the man said without looking at the group, seating himself beside the clerk. “I’m Commander Matthews and I believe you’ve things to tell.” He looked at the data pad he held.
Ray felt the group looking at him, expecting him to lead them. He grunted. He wasn’t sure he liked this shift from friendship to admiration. The girl thinks I’m special. The priests think I’m special and the alien thinks I’m a prophet. Great.
He cleared his throat and told about their encounter with Baeal back on Asteroid B-533, the scriptures about the Arinar, how the gate stones worked and how he and his group had ended up involved. He chose his words carefully, leaving out the part about Ga’an being an Ancient and himself being the Lohil. Wow, no matter how many times I tell the story, it sounds weird and crazy.
“Interesting story,” the commander said, raising his head from the data pad and looking at the group with judgmental, even teasing eyes. “So, you’re telling me that this…What was their name?”
“Baeal,” Ray said evenly.
“Baeal, yes. They are from another plane, and the only way to stop them is to use these stones you speak of.”
“Yes.” Ray nodded, trying to control his anger. Every second they messed around, the enemy drew closer; invading their space and who knows what they were doing on Pendar. It wasn’t the best strategy to circle around words and mockery.
“So, where are these stones you speak of?” Commander Matthews stood up, wandering around the room. Ray saw marines with eye bags darker than space. Technicians in the hangar bay were like walking zombies. Commander Matthews looked different. He looked lively, his face showing no signs of exhaustion. Some pills they must’ve been.
“We’ve recovered two of the five. One’s located here on Pendar and that’s probably why they’re hovering over the planet like flies on a pie,” Ray explained patiently, clenching his teeth.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Harris but we have no time to lose with chasing after fairy tale
s,” the man finally said, “Lieutenant, please escort these people back to—”
“Admiral!” Ray darted from his seat, dashing through the room to reach the woman who had stared through the observation window this whole time.
“Hold it right there!” As expected, the guards were on him like hawks, their weapons aimed at his chest.
The man who had questioned him blocked his path to the admiral, gun in hand. “Detain this man!” he barked to the guards.
“Admiral, please!” Ray begged, “Just listen to our plea.” He struggled to free himself from the guards’ grasp without success. “Our whole race’s in danger!”
The group was on their feet but the prison escorts were on top of them, guns pointed at their heads.
“I can activate the stones!” Ray cried out in despair, “Let me show you! This isn’t a crazy fairy tale!” Ray tried to free himself from a marine’s grasp. “Look out the goddamn window and tell me you see these things every day!”
“Stand down, Matthews,” the Admiral said calmly after a brief moment, completely ignoring the chaos behind her. She sighed and turned to Ray.
***
Rebecca’s father had taught her a person’s words and actions may be nothing but lies, but the eyes cannot hide the truth; a precious teaching, one she’d always found useful in her fifty-some life span. This man believed what he said, no matter how ridiculous it sounded. And then there was the fact that an alien fleet hovered in the distance.
“Commander Matthews, you can resume your duties.”
“But, ma’am…” Matthews protested but she silenced him with a stare.
“Commander Matthews, perhaps your beauty sleep hindered your ability to hear. I said resume your duties.”
He saluted, although his stance hinted he would do otherwise if he could, and left the room with the prison guards, leaving Rebecca and her personal guards alone with the group. Rebecca couldn’t help but wait for the commander to leave before saying anything. The man had been absent for over a day, couldn’t be found in his quarters and popped out of nowhere to join a meeting with these strangers. It didn’t add up. She had to look into it after resolving this mess.
Shadows Bear No Names (The Blackened Prophecy Book 1) Page 23
