Twin Stars 1: Ascension

by Robyn Paterson

  Then a thought occurred to her.

  “Esther, he said Squires are telepaths. Does that mean…”

  “Yes,” answered the Squire before she could finish. “But only while I am a part of this system, and if I actively choose to.”

  Helgi blanched, that meant Esther knew everything!

  “Only surface thoughts,” commented the Squire helpfully.

  That meant she knew how Helgi felt about…

  “I have known your attraction to him for quite some time. I agree, he is a most attractive person.”

  Oh my god, this was so embarrassing! She had to tell…

  “No, you cannot tell your friend.”

  But, if she…

  “You cannot do that either. The Captain has placed his faith in you.”

  Helgi walked over to the captain’s chair, sat down, and tried really hard not to think of anything.

  “A most sensible idea.”

  * * *

  At the Hephaestus system’s Alpha Jump Point, ten boxy shapes flickered into reality. As was normal, they came in at low velocity to avoid hitting debris upon exiting hyperspace, but with weapons at the ready.

  “All ten ships accounted for, Bosslady.” Leederman chimed.

  Ping An watched the main displays as sensors across the fleet began to take in everything they could, and navigation data was compiled with shared real-time data to form the best available picture of the system. It was an unremarkable solar system- just a single red sun being orbited by a large gas giant, but that didn’t make it any less tragic or important a place.

  In a very real sense, this forsaken system was the birthplace of the Empire.

  There had once been a terrestrial colony world here, sitting between the gas giant and the sun, one of the earliest human colonies with a population of a quarter of a billion people. Conflict had broken out between this colony and another, and the other colony had decided to act first. Antimatter warheads had reduced this world to a collection of hyper-dense asteroid clusters in a lonely orbit around their sun, a precious bubble of life wiped from the galaxy by human fear and avarice.

  It had become the spark which caused the other colonies to join together to prevent a war from happening again, and resulted in the creation of the Guard Fleet. It had scared the independent powers enough to make them give up their sovereignty and their freedom for safety. To this day, many still believed it had been staged by the powers of the time to seize control. Ping An wasn’t sure what she believed, but it hardly mattered now. There was little question why the VIPs had chosen it as their meeting place- the Empire that had been born here was now falling apart, and they wanted to remind everyone what the consequences of war would be.

  Once the radiation had faded, and the system had been opened up for exploration hundreds of years later, it had spawned a rush of prospectors and refiners who had descended on the system like locusts to scour it of every possible resource they could. Now, the only inhabitants were a handful of romantics who dreamed of a lucky strike and the few who had been assigned here to do surveys by larger companies with similar ideas.

  Ping An focused on the largest of the clusters and the display obliged, expanding to detail out the cluster and indicating the large asteroid that sat in the middle.

  “Ares Hammer- Refinement Station.” It read.

  A good choice, she reflected. It was a large, automated refinery left over from the old days, tucked away from prying eyes and neutral territory that gave none an advantage. Perfect for a hidden meeting.

  And perfect for a raid, thought Ping An with a rueful smile. It was like someone had planned it.

  The always-shifting asteroid cluster was so dense that it was hard for ships to navigate through it without extremely precise data to help them. Even then, it was crazy for anything larger than a scout ship to even try to make their way through it, unless they had high grade defense fields. This meant that no one would expect an ambush from within the field.

  Which is precisely what was going to happen

  At the edge of the cluster another series of red dots was indicated. This was where her source said the Cutters that were bringing the dignitaries were meeting, and would be waiting for their return.

  “Course, Captain?” Betsey asked, looking up at her.

  “Bring us in through the system using the sun and those asteroids as cover, so they won’t be able to detect us coming.” Ping An ordered. “Then, we’re going to go right through the cluster and come up underneath them.”

  The navigator showed her sharp teeth, “They won’t even know what hit them.”

  * * *

  “I do not understand why you did that, Tysen.”

  Tysen, who was walking down a hall en-route to the ship’s brig, smiled to himself. “Stopped at the bridge, or told her I expected great things of her?” He sent back to Esther through the link.

  “Both.”

  “I stopped by the bridge to keep her awake and show her the seriousness of our situation. I remember what it was like to sit in that center seat when there was nothing to do.” He explained.

  “And your expectations?”

  If Tysen didn’t know better, he’d swear Esther was jealous- however, he pushed that idea aside as ludicrous. Squires didn’t get jealous, did they?

  “Motivation, Esther. To keep quiet, and to stay focused.”

  “I see,” replied the Squire, in a tone that sounded like she was still deciding if she did or not.

  Tysen decided to just ignore it as he arrived at the ship’s brig and stepped past the armored door. There was a short hallway with three small cells on either side- the air filled with the low hum of the shimmering barriers that enclosed each cell. They’d placed the ship’s officers here, while the crew had been confined to a set of personal quarters.

  Just inside the door, Keith Ulstead was leaning against the wall, clearly waiting for him.

  “Come to check on the prisoners, Captain?”

  Tysen indicated he did, wondering privately when he’d passed one of Ulstead’s cloaked warbots in the hallway. Or did they still have access to the ship security systems? Either way, the man in charge of security was clearly doing his job.

  “They’re quiet enough,” Ulstead reported. Then he motioned down the hall with his chin. “Even the boss.”

  “How’s he doing, Mister Ulstead?”

  The mercenary shrugged. “Ah. He’s fine, sir. The nano-meds fixed him up good, and now he’s just resting a bit.” Then he grinned at Tysen. “That Squire of his won’t leave his side, seems the Sheila is pretty attached to him. Reminds me of someone else I know.”

  “Mister Ulstead,” Tysen said flatly. “I thought we had an understanding about that…incident.”

  Ulstead laughed, which made Tysen feel even more annoyed. “Oh, we do mate. I’m just jerking your chain is all. You going in to see him?”

  “I want to have a few words with him.”

  “Don’t you worry, sir. He’s still recovering, and Peony is sitting in there watching them.” Then Ulstead hesitated, and added “’Course, they don’t know she’s there, so do me a favor and don’t let on, okay?”

  “Fine,” Tysen answered as he walked down the hallway to the end. The ship’s officers looked at him balefully as he passed, but he ignored them. In the final cell on the right, he found the Colonel laying on the cell’s single cot while the Squire stood next to him. Tysen was glad to see someone had found her a standard crew smartsuit to wear.

  They’d been talking, but stopped when Tysen appeared. With a thought, Tysen altered the barrier to allow sound to pass freely through so he they could talk. He had considered stepping in the room, but even wounded Cole was an extremely dangerous man, and a Squire could also be a fearsome opponent if ordered.

  “Colonel Cole. Lady Ashe.” It was customary to address the squires of high nobles as “lady” or “sir”.

  “Ah, Captain.” Said the nobleman cordially as he sat up. “I hope you’re treating my ship
well.” His tanned skin was pale now, but he voice was anything but weak. Tysen was right not to get too close to this caged tiger.

  “We are, sir.” Tysen allowed. “She’s an excellent ship, and we are treating her and her crew with great care.” When Cole didn’t reply, Tysen continued. “I wanted to ask you a few questions, if I might?”

  “Can’t this wait?” Asked Ashe, protectively. “My master has not yet recovered.”

  But Cole put a gentle hand on her arm and shook his head as she looked down at him. “No, Ashe. It’s alright.” Then he looked at Tysen, matching his gaze. “What do you want to know, Captain Tysen? We both know I won’t reveal much.”

  “I wanted to ask if it’s begun, sir.” Tysen replied. “Has Admiral St. Rail started to move yet?”

  This direct question earned Tysen a mocking laugh from the Colonel. “I’m just a soldier, Captain Tysen. I’m afraid the Grand Admiral doesn’t confide in me much these days.” He grinned, then after a moment his serious manner returned. “However, I will tell you this- if he has moved, it’s because of that bunch of revolutionaries you’re going to meet. They want to hand the place over to the people- the same people that got us into this mess in the first place. What we need is order, and when order is done- then we can talk about who’s in charge next.”

  Tysen frowned. “We’re soldiers, sir. Our job isn’t to make policy.”

  Cole gave him the look that his instructors had when talking to the still too-young cadets. “People with power make policy, Captain. In times of crisis, who better than soldiers? They know how to organize, to move, to get things done. Isn’t that what’s needed right now?”

  But Tysen held his ground. “But when do we return it? A soldier’s duty is to serve the state, not the other way around.”

  Cole just shook his head. “They filled you full of a lot of stuff and nonsense in the academy, didn’t they boy?” He said, then looked directly at Tysen again. “Well, think as you want. If I were you, I’d be more worried about where you’re going to go next. If the Grand Admiral has moved, all you’re doing is delaying the inevitable by helping these traitors. Not a good choice when your necks are on the line.”

  “You have an alternative?”

  “Join me.”

  Tysen shook head. “No.”

  “Give me my ship back and I’ll see you get amnesty.” Cole continued, sincere. “You might even be able to keep your commission- we’re going to need good men like you, Captain.”

  Tysen laughed. “I’m a disgraced officer already, Colonel Cole. I doubt I’d last long in your new order.”

  Then he heard Esther’s voice. “Tysen, you asked to be informed when we were about to return to normal space.”

  “Understood.” He sent back, then looked at the prisoner. “I need to go. Good day, Colonel. My lady.”

  “Think about it, Captain.” Cole reminded him before he put the silence field back up. “You may not have much time left.”

  * * *

  “They are hailing us, Captain.”

  Standing in the command pod, Tysen nodded. They’d just come out of hyperspace a short distance from the asteroid cluster at the pre-arranged co-ordinates. “Authentication codes?”

  “They are genuine.” Esther answered. “These are the five vessels we expected to meet here at the field’s edge.”

  “But we’re not the one they expected to meet,” Tysen mused. “Send them the codes from the Crystal Leaf and open a link.”

  “Opening.”

  A midsized holo-window appeared in the air a metre before Tysen, and after a moment the stern, mustached face of Commodore Earnhardt Sorrell peered out at him. He looked no less intimidating, or happy, than the last time Tysen had seen him at his court martial.

  “Lieutenant Tysen, you are late.” He said with a frown. “The rest of the delegation has been here several hours.”

  “Sir, I know this must appear very strange,” Tysen said calmly. “But, before I explain I must warn you- a fleet of ships will be here in less than seven hours. We need to evacuate as soon as possible- our opposition knows about this meeting.”

  That clearly caught the Commodore off guard, and Tysen saw surprise pass through the man’s eyes before he steadied himself and went back to a more bland composure. “I see.” He said, clearly trying to decide what to make of this new development. “Well Lieutenant, please transfer your logs to me and we’ll review the situation. Do not move or take any other action while we consider this information, or you will be fired upon. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes sir. I do.” Tysen replied. “We’re transmitting them now, and will stand by.”

  The window snapped shut, and Tysen let himself let out a long, slow breath.

  “Sir? What do you think they’ll do?” Asked Helgi, who was standing on the other side of the command chair, watching him.

  Tysen wanted to reassure her, but the best he felt he could muster was a tired smile.

  “Listen, I hope.”

  * * *

  “I’ve found them.” Leederman called out. “They’re sitting at the edge of the field where we thought they’d be. A new one just dropped in, and I followed the gravitic wake.”

  Ping An glanced at the corner of the main tactical display, they were less than thirty-six minutes from the field’s edge.

  “Betsey, how long to get through the field?”

  The navigator paused to check her calculations, and then replied- “Assuming the models for the field are correct- forty-eight minutes. The more off they are, the longer we’ll be.”

  “We’ll say an hour to get through, then.” Ping An said, thinking aloud. “Remember we’ve got to go slow as we’re approaching the targets. We don’t want to tip them off.”

  “I’ll do my best to think like a rock.” Betsey joked, spreading her clawed hands out in a calm zen-like fashion.

  “Like that’d be hard!” Leederman called out from the back, and they all laughed, even Betsey for letting herself walk into that one.

  “You can make yourself as much like a rock at the bar as you want when we’re done.” Ping An said dryly. “Just get us through that field with as few scratches as you can.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Leederman,” Ping An turned to her operations man. “Have the weapon crews do another drill, and the flight crews do another check. Keep them busy.”

  “You got it, Captain.”

  That done, Ping An looked back at the display, focusing on the red dots on the other side of the field.

  Ninety-three minutes, her mental clock said.

  That was just about on schedule.

  * * *

  “I’m not sure I like this, ma’am.”

  Lady Whitcombe, who was about to board a shuttle in the Cutter’s small hanger, paused at the edge of the ramp and turned to look at the young officer. “Captain, if this meeting is so important then we must use whatever time we have to do what we can.” It was not a tone that brooked argument. “You said yourself we have some time before that fleet arrives, and Admiral Veers would not put you in danger if he did not feel it was necessary, would he?”

  “No, your Ladyship. He wouldn’t.” Tysen reluctantly agreed. They’d had a response from the Admiral less than twenty minutes after they’d arrived, with orders to send down the emissary. Tysen didn’t like it, but as the Admiral did have the facts available, he must have known what he was doing.

  “Then the matter is settled,” she answered with satisfaction as she turned and continued up the ramp, then paused at the entryway. “I will inform you if I need your assistance. Good day to you, Captain.”

  The side of the sleek black shuttle pod closed the entry port, and as Tysen stepped back the ramp was withdrawn. A loud hum filled the bay and a shimmering field appeared around the shuttle- then the pod smoothly lifted off and passed out through the barrier field that kept the atmosphere inside the hanger.

  “Well, that went well.” Kip commented. As second officer, he’d come
with Tysen to see the lady off, but had stayed back near the door while his Captain did the more official duties.

  “Yes, it did.” Tysen said without enthusiasm. He continued past Kip and into the corridor- the other man falling in beside him as they walked.

  “Well Al,” Kip said, slapping his friend on the shoulder. “You tried your best. At least we’re free of the old bat.”

  “Count our blessings?” Tysen said, frowning.

  “Something like that,” the second officer answered. Then his grin turned into a look of concern. “What’s wrong, Al? You look like someone stepped on your grave.”

  “Something’s bothering me.” Then he stopped and looked at his first officer. “How good are the sensors on this ship?”

  Kip shrugged. “Well, it’s a special forces ship, so I guess first rate. Why?”

  Tysen considered this, then said- “I need you to do something for me.”

  * * *

  The Ares Hammer Refinement Station was a large, fifty-four level labyrinth carved out of three million tonnes of nickel-iron and silicates. During its peak, it had a standing staff of nearly a hundred thousand personnel and nearly twice that number in visitors and merchants. It was the center of commerce in the system, and the hub of all commercial traffic.

  Those days, however, were long past, and now except for occasional maintenance staff or researchers the complex saw few, if any, visitors. Progress in mining techniques allowed the system’s few miners to do most of the processing aboard their own ships, and most avoided the costs associated with using the station’s services. So now it sat, a dark, empty testament to mankind’s desire to squeeze every resource it could from the stars.

  The station had thirty-seven hanger bays of various sizes for use by visitors, most of which were currently sealed or otherwise shut down. Of the eight that remained active, only one was currently in use, and it was this one that opened to admit the cylindrical black shuttle pod as it approached.

  As the other pilots loitering around the hanger watched, the incoming shuttle spun as it entered, and then slowly backed into a spot next to the other five similar craft already present. Once it had settled in, a ramp extruded from its side, and the shuttle’s skin split to produce an exit.