Baldwin's Legacy: The Complete Series

by Hystad, Nathan

  This was news to Tom. “I had no idea.”

  “That’s because it was done behind closed doors. We’ve had to make many concessions to keep the Concord from exploding. Once we offered Harris the role, the humans relaxed enough to see the error of their ways,” she said.

  Tom wondered about the truth of the matter. From all accounts, he guessed the Callalay had as much fault as his own people. “And when did the others sign the declaration you gave the Zilph’i?”

  “They haven’t. I faked the whole thing,” she said with a smile.

  Tom froze. “You’re telling me the Founders weren’t advised?”

  She shook her head. “It won’t matter.”

  “How is that possible?” Tom asked, suddenly nervous for everyone.

  “Because we’re going to return with the Concord stronger than ever. Shengin is a good man. Well-respected, caring of his people. The others will see this and be satisfied. Especially when the threat to the Border is done with, now that you’ve secured the Ugna’s assistance,” Benitor told him.

  It might be crazy enough to work. “And did you really wield enough power to make the deal with the Ugna?”

  “It will be done.” She didn’t quite answer him, but it was enough for Tom.

  “If you don’t mind, Admiral. I think I’ll be heading to my suite for some rest. It’s been a hectic couple of days,” Tom advised her.

  She took another drink from her cup, leaving it empty, and rose with a slight groan. “How long until we arrive in Sora?”

  “Twenty-three hours,” he replied.

  “Very well. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She left him alone in his office, and he plopped into his chair once again. He knew he should go check on Treena Starling. She would want to be involved with what was happening, but he couldn’t bring himself to find the energy.

  Something Pha’n had warned him about echoed in his tired mind. “Constantine,” he said, his grandfather’s AI projection appearing across from him.

  “Hello, sir. What can I assist you with?” Constantine asked.

  “It’s just us. Can we cut the formal stuff?”

  “As you wish, sir. Tom. Tommy. What do you prefer?” the AI asked.

  Tommy. Anything but that. “Tom is fine.” Constantine stood, and Tom tried to picture the young projection as the old man he’d grown up around. He struggled to equate the two. “What do you know about the Assembly?”

  “The Assembly. Interesting. Where did you hear that name?” he asked.

  “Prime… Pha’n.” She was no longer the Prime, and that was hard to get used to as well. She’d been a staple in Concord politics his entire life.

  “Where would you like me to begin?” Constantine asked.

  “Humor me, Con. The start?”

  “There have been many groups focused on dissention among the Concord since the beginning of the alliance. Early groups threatened to terrorize the Founders until they disbanded. The first group on record called themselves the Body,” Constantine said.

  “The Body? What did they do?”

  “They were louder than they were dangerous. The Tekol found their home base quickly and destroyed any trace. They obtained a lot of weapons, but nothing that would have been able to harm planets as they threatened.” Constantine paced the room, and now Tom could see the familiar gait of his grandfather, though without his later limp.

  “And after them?”

  “There were a few other organizations classified as terrorist groups by the Founders. Each was above ground, not doing a great job of hiding their tracks. One group was successful in boarding and destroying a cruise ship, one of the earliest models. Companion was destroyed with all of her crew,” Constantine said.

  Tom blinked quickly, thinking about Treena’s previous posting. “Wait, this group… how did they accomplish that?”

  “Records indicate they stole a Concord transport vessel and hired mercenaries to board and kill the crew before detonating the ship. At least, that’s what the reports show,” Constantine told him.

  Treena’s pleading voice rang out in Tom’s mind. Did you learn what happened with my ship? Did you find out which Concord ship did it? “How long ago was this, Con?” he asked.

  “Three thousand years,” the AI answered. Tom should have known. Ships used to be named differently, long before there were famous Concord heroes to name them after. They were once called things like Companion, Expedition, StarSeek. He almost preferred it that way, rather than the way it was done now. He almost laughed, thinking they might one day name a cruise ship Thomas, after him. He’d pity the captain that had to deal with that ship name.

  “Can we fast-forward to the Assembly?” Tom asked.

  “Rumors of a group called the Assembly first began circulating around two hundred years ago. They were unlike the previous conclaves,” Constantine said.

  “How so?”

  “The Assembly wasn’t vocal, and never made threats; they didn’t claim responsibility for attacks. They were silent.”

  Tom was skeptical. “Then how did anyone hear of their existence?”

  “There was enough evidence. The odd person came out of hiding, claiming they were part of the organization. During the War, one such person came forward, and she claimed the Assembly was working with the Statu. Feeding them information from inside our fleet.”

  “And did you hear these rumors back then?” Tom asked the AI.

  Constantine paused. “I heard a little about it, but we were usually so busy, I had no time to concern myself with things I couldn’t control.”

  “Fair enough. But after the War. You must have done some digging?” Tom knew his grandfather, and he didn’t like to let things go so easily.

  “Honestly, I was happy it was over. I let it go. I was with my Yanni and Cleo. It took me a solid six months before I left their side for more than a day. When I finally accepted the role of admiral, so much had changed within the Concord, and I had bigger worries. I didn’t hear anything about the Assembly for years after that.” When Constantine spoke like this, he was a different AI. He seemed so real.

  “And when did they resurface?” Tom asked.

  “I don’t think they ever went away. I have reason to suspect they’d spent a lot of effort to integrate themselves into the Concord. The fleet, our politics. I think they still work behind the scenes, hiding among us.”

  Tom’s mouth went dry, and he crossed the office to have a drink of water. He swallowed a long gulp and set the cup down with a shaky hand. “You think they’re among us? As in, there could be some on my ship?”

  Constantine nodded. He was no longer pacing; instead, he stood three feet from Tom, arms hanging at his sides. “I believe there’s a distinct possibility.”

  “Why didn’t you say something to me before?”

  “I wasn’t positive, sir. And, as with me during the War, you’ve been a little distracted,” Constantine said.

  “Do you have any proof?”

  “No, sir, but…”

  Tom ran a hand through his hair. “The body. The maintenance guy.”

  “Yur Shen. Yes, I believe he was one of the Assembly.” Constantine activated a console along the wall, the screen flicking to different images without the AI physically touching anything. The picture settled on the old Callalay man, red letters under his name proclaiming the worker deceased.

  “He was going to blow up the Drive tubes. We could have been destroyed,” Tom said.

  “You’re correct. But I don’t think they wanted to destroy us. That particular sector would have incapacitated us, rendering the Drive dead. There was only a ten percent chance it could detonate from that location,” the AI said.

  Tom followed his train of thought. “I doubt Yur Shen would have been acting solo. He’d been working in maintenance too long to be one of their leaders, which means he was taking orders.”

  “Someone giving orders would have no qualms about destroying this ship, especially the flagship of the Concord’s new
era,” Constantine said.

  “Are you suggesting the person giving the orders is on Constantine?” Tom asked.

  Constantine nodded. “That’s what I’m suggesting. I also assume they had something to do with Admiral Hudson’s death.”

  Tom sat again, his head pounding. He needed sleep but didn’t expect it would come easily. “I think you’re right, Con. We’re going to have to be diligent.”

  “Yes, sir. The Assembly has someone of great power on this ship.”

  ____________

  Her shift was ending, and she nodded to Brax at the side of the bridge as she exited. Her long hair was braided, and she swung it from her shoulder to dangle behind her. She smiled as she moved to the elevator, directing it to send her to Deck Four.

  “Deck Four,” the computer’s voice said, the doors spreading wide open.

  She stepped out into the courtyard and nearly felt something akin to sadness as she saw all the crew members sitting around, chatting amongst one another. They were friendly, and that was the most difficult part.

  She’d failed in stopping Constantine from leaving through the wormhole, and that was on her. She’d put too much trust in Yur Shen. She really had no idea what had happened during his last moments. Had he gone against her and the Assembly in a change of heart as she ordered him to detonate the Star Drive? There was a good chance only a few would have been killed in that subterfuge, at least below deck, but surely they wouldn’t have stood a chance against all of the warships.

  She wasn’t in a high-enough position to be told how her superiors knew about the Statu, but she was confident they were behind the leak about Greblok’s ore. With the Statu planning a return into Concord space, the Assembly could have made their move for power. They could have destroyed Nolix while the entire pathetic fleet was pitted against the warships. The Assembly cared nothing for the Statu, and she was confident that by the time all the dust had settled, the Founders would have been destroyed along with the Statu, leaving the Concord up for grabs.

  But that hadn’t worked, and here they were. She was being given a second chance. At first, she’d been directed to kill Prime-in-Waiting Harris, or at least find a way to convince someone else to do it. But after the title had been stripped from Harris and given to the Zilph’i man, he no longer mattered. Part of her was pleased to see one of her own race being named Prime. It was a proud time for her people, even if she’d essentially turned her back on them when she joined the Assembly.

  She was under strict rules to never give her position away. They wanted her on board Constantine for as long as necessary. But the way things were going, she expected her time was coming to an end.

  Captain Baldwin was leading his people into their trap, and no amount of Ugna escorts would help his cause this time.

  She walked to the side of the room and ordered a Reepa Mudslinger from the ServoBot, taking a seat along the bar. The viewer behind the robot showed the streaking stars as they raced through Concord space at hyperlight.

  An older Callalay woman sat down beside her and tapped the bar top. “I’ll have whatever she’s having,” The woman told the ServoBot. A few seconds later, one slid in front of her, and the woman took a sip, her lips smacking after. “This is good.”

  “The best. I was stationed at Reepa for a while. It may be the worst place in the Concord, but they make a mean cocktail,” she said, laughing.

  The Callalay woman nodded. “Name’s Gree Suul.”

  “Junior Officer Zare,” the spy said, smiling widely.

  “I’ve seen you around. You’re gaining quite the reputation on board,” Gree said, and Zare’s heart leapt in her chest.

  “Is that so?” she asked meekly, hiding behind a sip of her drink.

  “Sure. The crew loves you. They think Baldwin might give you a promotion after we return to Nolix for the coronation ceremony,” Gree said.

  “Really?” Zare relaxed. “What do you do?”

  “Work on Deck Two. Daak is a good boss, but I’ll never be much more than a wrench spinner. I mean, I can read a blueprint like no other, but I never had the tenacity to program software like the younger ones,” she admitted.

  Zare laughed and pointed to Gree’s upper lip, where the brown viscous liquid clung below her nose. “It’s the one downside to a Mudslinger.”

  Gree wiped it and finished the drink. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Zare. Keep up the good work.”

  “Nice to meet you too. I’ll see you around,” Zare said, wrapping her hands around the half-full glass.

  She’d been looking for someone to put the heat on, and now seemed the right time. If she could convince them it was Gree, no one would suspect what was coming when they eventually made it to the Tingor Belt.

  It was perfect. Both Gree and Yur Shen were Callalay, so there was already a connection. It would be simple to plant the evidence and point the fingers.

  “Another?” the ServoBot asked, and Zare shook her head in reply. The Bot rolled away, heading to the far end of the bar, where a human stood waiting.

  “I’m sorry, Gree. But someone has to take the fall,” she whispered to herself, almost feeling bad for the woman.

  Almost, but not quite.

  ____________

  Reeve wished she had more time with the glasses, but this would have to do. It wasn’t much to look at, but she didn’t think Treena would care at this point. She only needed for her friend and commander to be able to distract herself.

  She held the case in her hand as she walked through the executive crew’s residence corridor, and stopped at Treena’s door. She buzzed, and Nee’s nurse Kelli smiled as the door opened. “Hello, she’ll be glad to see you.”

  “Thanks, Kelli. Do you mind if we have a few minutes alone?” Reeve asked the kind human nurse, and Kelli nodded, saying her goodbyes to Treena.

  Reeve entered, and Kelli glanced at the object, unable to keep the curiosity from her stare. Reeve didn’t comment, only shut the door behind the nurse and walked over to Treena’s bed. “Hey, Treena. How are you doing?” she asked.

  “Miserable. I know Kelli means well, but I’d prefer to be alone.” The voice carried through her speakers. Reeve watched as Treena’s body lay unmoving. Reeve saw an errant hair and pushed it from her eyes.

  “I have something that might brighten your mood,” Reeve said. She’d started building this in her spare time, the moment she learned Treena wouldn’t be offered a new body for several months.

  “Not another training manual, is it? I’ve listened to them all twice,” Treena said, with a hint of humor to her voice. That was a good sign.

  “Nothing like that. I have…” Reeve knew the commander couldn’t see it, at least not well. She opened the glasses’ carrying case.

  “What is it? You realize I have no idea what you revealed, right?” Treena asked.

  “Glasses,” she said.

  “...Glasses.” There was a waver to Treena’s voice.

  “Nothing like what you had, but you should be able to see.” Reeve bent over, placing the glasses on Treena’s face. Speakers were built into the sides, as well as an earpiece.

  “I can’t believe you did this,” Treena said.

  “It’s not as good as before, but at least you’ll be able to see through these.”

  “Even if I can only see, that will be enough. You have no idea how hard it is staying in here,” Treena said. “Two years ago, all I wished to do was hide in my room, and now it’s the last thing I want.”

  Reeve grabbed the plug-in software and pressed it into Treena’s console. It beeped, and Reeve used a remote keypad to finish running the parameters. A green light flashed on the glasses when the connection was finished. “Are you ready for this?” she asked Treena.

  “I’m ready,” the commander’s voice said through the speakers. The glasses were metallic, smooth, and painted black. The cameras were located on the top corners of the frames. The earpiece dangled over the side of Treena’s head.

  With high ho
pes, Reeve pressed the program on and waited for Treena to react. At first, she thought the test had failed, but a second later, she heard Treena laugh lightly.

  “This is strange,” Treena said through the speakers. She couldn’t move her head, but she was facing Reeve.

  “Can you see?” Reeve asked.

  “I… I can see you,” Treena said, her voice growing thick with emotion.

  “Good. Why don’t we play a game? Maybe you can teach me that one you play with Tarlen,” Reeve suggested.

  Treena didn’t move, but her voice was crystal-clear. “Thank you, Reeve.”

  Reeve’s wrist vibrated. “Executive Lieutenant Reeve Daak, you’re wanted on the bridge. We’ve arrived in the Sora system.”

  “I have to go,” Reeve said. “Sorry about this. I’ll send Kelli in.”

  “Can you find Tarlen instead?” Treena asked.

  Reeve was glad the two of them had taken a liking to each other. It was good for Tarlen to have such a strong role model and mentor. “Of course. I’ll make sure he stops by very soon.”

  She left, sending a note to Constantine to track down Tarlen and ask him to visit the commander.

  ____________

  The star was bright orange, an unmistakable image burning in the center of the viewer. Tom waited anxiously as the probes were sent out, jumping to the corners of the solar system. The two days had passed so quickly, he didn’t feel prepared for battle, but he knew that instincts from years of training would kick in the moment it was necessary.

  Malrun XBH was the third world from the star. Two moons, one half the size of the other, were on opposite sides of the planet. Tom saw nothing to indicate an enemy force on the radar. The system seemed quiet, perhaps too much so. “What are the probes telling us?” he asked, unable to wait any longer.

  “There’s nothing out of the ordinary, sir. We see two vessels in-system only. One is in the far reaches, an old-model mining vessel. The other is a compact transport vessel heading toward Malrun,” Ven said.

  “Where are the attackers?” Tom asked softly. They’d been sent out here in a hurry and had the aid of ten Ugna ships. If this was for nothing, it meant the Concord either had bad intel or they were being sent to the edges of the Border as a diversion. Tom clenched his jaw, hoping that wasn’t true.