Precursor Revenants (The Precursor Series Book 1)

by Cain Hopwood

  “I guess I locked it, I didn’t want anyone to fly off with it like I did.”

  “Laudable, but I have just realized it is of no concern.” The admiral rose from the flight couch. “You should fly, I will need to operate communications.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you’re capable, you flew it here after all.”

  Jon swallowed. “I suppose. Though I didn’t really have any other option at the time.”

  “We don’t now either.” The admiral turned to Colonel Whitfield, who was sitting at one of the rear consoles. “Colonel, are your troops ready?”

  “They are. Sergeant Yomai is just instructing them on how to use the harnesses.”

  “They can do that en route.” The admiral turned back to Jon, and then pointed at the forward most flight seat. “Get us airborne.”

  Without really thinking about what he was doing, Jon lay back into the flight seat’s welcoming embrace. It had already molded to his body shape, and fitted like an old, well worn glove.

  ~Welcome preceptor, good-to-meld. Where you-me go?

  Jon held back from completely melding with the ship, so he could keep some level of awareness in the cockpit. “Sir, I’m melded. What’s our destination?”

  “Centarch Shaiken’s starship, the ship will know how to find it,” said the admiral. “Be sure to use the fastest route.”

  Jon let the meld take him, and his mind filled with a variety of orbital and planetary destinations.

  “None of those, our destination is a starship.”

  ~Only one starship in system.

  He drew a sharp breath as his perspective zoomed back to encompass the whole Marbel system. There was only one starship, and he focused on it. The ship obliged by zooming back in.

  “There,” he thought.

  ~You-me few options.

  “Fastest,” he thought back.

  ~Acknowledged, you-me underway?

  “Yes.” Jon felt around himself —the ship— and since all was clear he retracted his ramp and lifted off the ground.

  That was the only prompting the ship needed. It nosed up and fed power to its main engines. Within seconds they were being buffeted as they passed through the cloud layer, and the base disappeared behind them.

  — 49 —

  The flight from the base was Colonel Whitfield’s first proper experience of space flight. He’d been in space before, and recently, but then he’d been enclosed like a sardine in a can on the McDonnell Orbital shuttle. The unit’s deployment, strapped in a gunship inside the Aquina, had been the same, just longer.

  But here, he could see out. And that made all the difference.

  “Moss, how long until we arrive?” he asked.

  It took several seconds for the lieutenant to respond. When he did, it was in a distracted, distant voice. “Not sure, sir. I mean, the ship knows, but I can’t understand the units it’s using. I think we’re about a quarter of the way there.”

  “Thanks.” The colonel checked the time. If Moss was right, they had another fifteen to twenty minutes before arrival.

  He turned to the admiral. “I’m presuming a starship will have defenses, and that we can’t just fly up and dock. What’s your plan for getting us aboard?”

  “Well, our Gaudin friends have already handled the hardest part,” said the admiral. “The mind of this ship is actually Stetlak grown. They must have transplanted it from an old or damaged ship. Frankly, I didn’t think such a thing was possible.”

  “How does that help?”

  “It means the ship will appear on the starship’s boards as Stetlak. That won’t be questioned, the boards are precursor technology. But, we will need to talk our way past the pickets.”

  “And then?”

  “We make our way to the nexus, and I issue a formal challenge.”

  The colonel pursed his lips, this didn’t sound like the kind of assault plan he expected from an admiral. “So, we’re just along in lieu of your usual body guard?”

  “Yes.”

  “All twenty of us?”

  “Do you feel that is excessive?” The admiral tilted his head. “Or insufficient?”

  The colonel didn’t know what to think. This whole operation had been thrown together in a hurry. “You tell me.”

  “Well, two guards are stationed at each of the three approaches to the upper nexus. Six are inside guarding the centarch.”

  The colonel nodded. “Okay, I think we can handle that.”

  “And fifteen hundred in total on the starship.”

  “Fifteen hundred?”

  “Less the twenty your men have already killed.”

  “I’m assuming they’re not all protecting the centarch. Otherwise this will be a short assault.”

  “No. Many are on other duties. As per the centarch’s standing orders, they are the only single force of any size onboard. They are dispersed, but they can muster quickly. We will need to move fast.”

  The colonel took in the view outside. The ship was approaching something blindingly bright. After a moment of contemplation, he turned to the admiral. “Once we are past the guards, you plan to challenge the centarch on the basis that he has dishonored Stetlak?”

  “That is correct.”

  “Have you considered that as he will lose everything, and as he has not been honorable in the past, that he may attempt to avoid your challenge.”

  The admiral stood stock still for what seemed an age, before replying in slow measured words. “Abhorrent though it is to consider a fellow Ka-Li so craven, I cannot ignore the truth in what you say.”

  “Good,” the colonel said, matching the admiral’s somber tone. “That we can work with.”

  A light started flashing on the admiral’s console, but he was gazing out the cockpit. A moment later Moss’s voice broke the silence. “Sir, the ship is getting nervous. We’ve got a couple of rather nasty looking fighters bearing down on us.”

  The admiral’s eyes snapped to his console. “We’re being hailed. It will be the picket. Let’s hope they don’t recognize my voice.”

  He activated the controls and a shimmering field surrounded him. After speaking soundlessly for a moment, the field vanished, and the admiral slumped. “That was difficult, but the operator believes we are the regular supply run.”

  “Untruths dishonor,” muttered Colonel Whitfield. Then his voice strengthened. “But sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. The centarch may not expect us to try to sneak aboard.”

  “Oh it would occur to him. But in this case he would expect a more frontal approach, especially from me,” Katona said. “Pilot, how much traffic is there in the vicinity of the starship?”

  After a few moments of deliberation, Moss spoke. “There are two large military ships near it, and a few smaller craft coming and going.”

  “The two will be Spear and Sword, heavy cruisers. Assigned to protective duty. That is normal. If he suspected an assault, there would be many more.”

  The colonel idly tapped his finger on the arm of his flight couch. “Are there any large ships nearby that you control?”

  “My flagship, Lance, is in orbit around Marbel.”

  “In an emergency, how long would it take to break orbit and approach the starship?”

  “Not long, Carriers are fast. Though it depends on its orbit.”

  “Are we talking hours, or days?”

  “Hours.”

  Colonel Whitfield smiled. “I have an idea.”

  — 50 —

  Captain Tohm paced slowly around the bridge. He didn’t really need to check that all was in order at Lance’s stations. She was, after all, crewed with General Admiral Katona’s most senior ratings; as his flagship should be.

  But the captain checked anyway. It had been a long and uneventful watch, and attentions of even the most dedicated crew could wander. Even if something got past them, nothing would get past him.

  His com pod trilled, the tone reserved for high command. “Captain. Report to my quart
ers immediately. Come alone.”

  “As you command admiral.”

  He stood stock still for just a moment before moving. Odd, he thought, how did the admiral manage to get aboard without his knowledge. The admiral had made a very brief visit earlier in the watch, but the captain had seen him off personally.

  Nonetheless, he made his way to the admiral’s quarters.

  He arrived to find them empty, and was just turning around when his com pod trilled again. “Captain, are you there?”

  “I am.”

  “Are you alone?”

  “I am.”

  “Good. Your orders are to move Lance out of orbit and join Spear and Sword in protective duty. You will log the orders as coming from me, and you will announce to the bridge on your return, that you have just spoken to me and received these new orders. Am I understood?”

  “Completely sir.”

  “And one more thing captain.”

  “Sir?”

  “Secure my quarters. No one is to be allowed in.”

  “Very good, sir. Will that be all?”

  “Just one more item captain. As you will have undoubtedly figured, the rest of the crew will assume that I am on board, and issued these orders in person. I would look very favorably on you for further promotion, should you do nothing to dispel that assumption.”

  The captain blinked, was the admiral asking him to dishonor himself? “I will do my best, sir.”

  “I’m sure you will, captain.”

  Captain Tohm’s com pod crackled as the admiral severed the connection. Maybe the admiral was performing a test of some kind. As he made his way back to the bridge he reconsidered, no it was much more likely that the admiral was trying to flush out one of the centarch’s subversive political officers. With all the reassignments throughout fleet over the last year, they were riddled with the useless individuals.

  Maybe one had managed to get onto the bridge crew, he thought with a shudder. Who knew what kind of damage their incompetence would cause in battle. He quickened his pace, eager to get back to the bridge.

  Admiral Katona broke the connection with Lance and slumped in his flight couch. It had taken more effort than he expected to keep his voice clear and steady. At least he hadn’t had to worry about a stray scent giving him away.

  He heard a thudding of boots. A moment later Sergeant Yomai burst into the cockpit, carbine at the ready. “Admiral, what’s happened? Your distress is clear out to the main hold.”

  “Nothing sergeant. I have stretched the truth slightly to provide us with a diversion, that is all.”

  The corners of Colonel Whitfield’s mouth turned up. “And it was nicely done too admiral. As soon as the centarch sees your flagship moving towards the starship, he’ll focus on it.”

  “I would expect so. As long as Captain Tohm is not asked directly where I am, the crew will assume I’m aboard. Especially, as I suspect the centarch has several political officers in Lance’s bridge crew. They will report the events exactly as they heard them.”

  Sargent Yomai was reeking of disgust. “Admiral, I cannot believe you dishonored yourself purely to provide a tactical ruse.”

  Katona straightened. “The ruse was necessary. But, there was no dishonor, at least not technically.”

  “I heard the whole thing sergeant,” Colonel Whitfield said. “And let me assure you that everything the admiral said was the truth. The ruse, and I suspect the source of the admiral’s discomfort, was that we deliberately created a situation that makes it appear the admiral is aboard Lance.”

  The colonel’s words did not appear to placate the sergeant. “Think of it like this,” Katona said. “This is like a swordplay feint. We are making a move, and allowing them to assume I am aboard Lance. When the centarch responds to that move, we will slip under his guard.”

  This appeared to appease the sergeant. He bowed, if a little stiffly, excused himself, and exited the cockpit.

  — 51 —

  Colonel Whitfield took in the view through the cockpit. They were approaching something blindingly bright, presumably their destination.

  “Lance is moving out of orbit,” Moss announced in a deadpan voice.

  “Good,” he replied. “How long until we dock?”

  “A couple of minutes, but I’ll need the admiral to talk me in. I’m not sure where our designated bay is, and the ship doesn’t seem to know either.”

  The colonel lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the starship’s engines. “Damn, I was hoping to get a good view, it’s a shame we’re approaching from aft.”

  “Aft? We’re approaching from starboard.”

  He squinted. “That can’t be. Why is it so bright?”

  “Beat’s me,” Moss said. “Maybe once we get closer…”

  As they approached, the full form of the starship revealed itself, and the source of the blinding light became apparent. From a distance, it resembled a big, grey, rectangular manta ray. But as they flew closer, and surface details resolved, he could see that the hull was far from smooth. It was covered with bays, doors, indentations and antennas. And, like barnacles on some enormous sea creature, superstructures jutted up out of the main mass at random.

  And the ship was huge. The colonel knew this of course, the dimensions of the chamber they’d been billeted in on the way to Marbel was measured in kilometers. And it was somewhere inside this beast. But, that chamber was such a faithful representation of a planetary surface, that he hadn’t thought of it as inside at all.

  But now, as they closed, the starship just grew and grew. However, the size wasn’t the most extraordinary thing about it. Two thirds of the way along its length was a hole. Surrounding the hole were four huge structures that extended out of the main body of the ship like claws.

  And centered in the enclosed space was a star.

  The colonel pointed. “What is that?”

  The admiral looked up from his control panel. “The starship’s heart.”

  “It looks like a small star.”

  “Yes, it is. Why else did you think it’s called a starship?”

  “Because…” The colonel blinked. “Never mind. It’s incredible. How did you ever build this?”

  “Build this? We did not build the starships, the precursors built the starships.”

  The huge ship was looming, and they banked to fly alongside.

  “Admiral, where am I going?” Moss asked.

  “Our designated dock is in bay dash six seven. Fly along the starboard flank, I will point it out. It will be towards the stern.”

  The colonel lost count of the number of bays they passed. Some were small, with doors only a couple of hundred meters in size, while others were so large they didn’t have doors at all. Bay dash six seven appeared to be medium sized, but internally it stretched the full height of the starship.

  The admiral directed Moss to their dock, which was simply a platform that jutted out from the wall, and he settled the ship down as instructed.

  “That was easier than I expected,” The colonel said.

  Katona gave a snort out of his eye slits. “As it should be. There are hundreds of ships out there. The centarch will have his flight operators looking for any military vessel, not a cargo hauler.”

  “What about guards? Surely someone can’t just fly into a starship, abandon the craft they arrived in, and wander around. You must have controls.”

  “No, it is just not practical.” The admiral stood and removed equipment from his harness, then he removed the harness itself. “Do you have controls that stop people entering and leaving all your cities? Besides, we will all be wearing the centarch’s colors. No one would dare question us.”

  With that, Katona left the cockpit. Colonel Whitfield followed him to the main hold where they both found a red harness and donned it.

  The colonel raised an eyebrow, then nodded slowly to himself. Okay, he thought, we’ll be impersonating a police force. That might work. Well, for a while at least.

  — 52
—

  Jon leapt out of the flight couch the moment the Gaudin ship released him from the meld. The cockpit was already empty, which was fortunate because the moment his skids, no his feet, touched the cockpit floor, he stumbled, nearly collapsing.

  He clutched at the flight couch for support. “What’s happening?”

  ~Nothing. I am docked. Power on standby. Gal standard one environment in place. Gravity is also gal standard one, provided by docking platform.

  “I meant… Don’t bother. Are your controls still locked?”

  ~Yes.

  Jon thought for a moment. He should release the lock, just in case he was injured or didn’t make it back. But he didn’t want to allow just anyone to fly off with the ship. “Can you lock yourself so only humans can meld?”

  ~I am not familiar with the caste ‘human’. Many preceptors on board. Two client Ka-Li.

  “Okay ship, only allow control from the preceptors currently on board.”

  ~Confirmed.

  For a moment, Jon wondered what a preceptor was, maybe it was just the ship’s term for a caste it didn’t know. Then the noise in the main hold drew his attention, so he joined the others.

  He was just in time, the colonel was lecturing while tightening his harness. “First things first. The hangar is in vacuum. So make sure your harness clima-fields are active.”

  This prompted a round of nods and grunts from the troops. Jon pressed the actuator on his own harness, and felt a tingle like static electricity, then a flood of warmth. The harness was set to what Ka-Li considered comfortable.

  “Bakowski will take point,” Colonel Whitfield said. “Moss cover our rear. I’ll flank the admiral with the rest of you. The admiral will issue directions, and I’ll relay them over tactical.” The colonel turned to Katona. “What’s the plan, sir?”

  “We move fast. Once the centarch knows we’re aboard, he will shut down transport. The nexus is a long way from here on foot, so we must get as close as possible before that happens. We will travel in transit tubes most of the way. Have you been briefed on how to use them?”