“We have brought Ven, yes. Are we prepared for the assault?”
Ven did the math. Each of these twenty fleet ships carried twenty-five hundred Ugna. That was far more than their maximum capacity. The air recyclers would already be working overtime, not to mention the waste systems, water purifiers, and food stores. But that was none of his concern. He needed to trust that Fayle had calculated this and agreed with the odds.
“We are ready on your word.” Hanli pressed a button in the viewscreen, and a 3D map replaced her face. “Probes have been sent and we’ve determined there are over twenty-seven Ugna vessels in various states of manufacturing. It appears fourteen are completed and, we hope, operational. The rest will need to be destroyed.”
“Good. Very good, Captain Hanli,” Fayle whispered.
Captain Hanli? The map zoomed, showing an orbiting station.
“Where are Wylen’s people?” Gar asked.
“That is the best part. We see no sign of the Ugna, other than the support and plant staff. There is…”
Fayle finished it for her. “No defense. Can we be so lucky?”
Ven didn’t think so but withheld his reservations.
Gar must have been reading his mind. Ven checked his own barrier to ensure that wasn’t the case. It was sealed tightly. “This could be a trap.”
“Life is a trap, is it not?” Fayle asked. “We stick to the plan. Breach the surface, overtake the factories, and regain what’s ours.”
The map swapped with Hanli’s image again. She smiled widely.
“What is it, child? Speak your mind!” Fayle was losing patience.
“There is a surprise.”
“Do not delay. Tell us,” Fayle ordered.
“The Concord flagships, like the one we recovered at Aruto. There are two more. We think they’re functional, as well as a dozen fighters,” Hanli advised them.
“That would be a real win for our side in this war. Add them to the reclamation project. Hanli, you’re in charge of organizing this. Is everyone on the same page for the upcoming battle?” Gar asked.
Ven was pleasantly surprised at this. He realized that Hanli’s “first officer” title must have been stripped and replaced with a well-deserved promotion. War. What better time for advancement?
“All twenty captains have met and agreed on our structure. Would you like to come aboard and join us?” she asked.
Fayle hesitated, and Ven sensed more to it than that. “We will remain in the shuttle, where we can depart on a whim if necessary.” She finally regarded Ven and met his gaze. “The contents are too important to risk.”
Ven bristled at the term. He was not simply contents needing to be protected, but he didn’t voice his opinion. Years of training to accept her advice and teachings had given her an edge over him.
“Understood. We are two hours from arrival. Will you join the procession?” Hanli asked, receiving a nod in return. “Good. Contact me should you have any needs, High Elder.”
Ven still found the casual use of the most powerful Ugna title off-putting. There couldn’t be two High Elders, and Fayle, by taking the claim, had basically refuted Wylen’s place among their people. He appreciated why she used it, even if it sounded strange on their tongues. If everything went to her plan, he would take the title once the war was over, and that was an even harder concept to grasp.
Hanli’s image blinked away, and their picture of the stars once again adorned the viewscreen. “Follow the fleet, but at a respectable distance,” Fayle said. “If we encounter a snare, we will jump to Nolix at once. Please set the course and have it ready.”
Gar did this with a quick flash of his fingers over the console, and Ven noticed Fayle was perched on the edge of her seat. He hoped they were right, that no ambush was waiting for them on Obilina Six, but if there was one thing he’d learned from Admiral Baldwin, it was to always be prepared for one.
____________
Earon Station looked just as it had the last time they’d visited. Treena used her android form while negotiating the corridors of the Concord’s largest floating space station. Conner Douglas was beside her, struggling to hold her fast pace. She slowed when she noticed the beads of sweat dripping from his face and apologized to him.
“No big deal. I understand how important today is,” Conner said.
The double doors slid open as they neared the room, and Conner went first. Treena’s gaze instantly drifted to the huge windows showcasing what they’d all come here for.
“That is impressive,” Conner whispered.
“It’s more than that. It’s unheard of.” Treena walked across the room, which was mostly empty at this point, and stopped at the edge. The gathered fleet was greater than any ever assembled within the Concord in their history. From the looks of this, they should have no problem locating the Ugna and decimating them with ease.
From her experience, theory and practical application rarely lined up.
She noticed thirty or so of their older fleet. Ships like Andron were being repurposed, as they had been since their journey through the wormhole to the Statu system. The Concord wasn’t going to let something like a few decades prevent a vessel from being useful during the impending altercation with Wylen and his Ugna army.
Missy entered the amphitheatre with the ancient and gnarled Commander Pol Teller on her arm. He limped inside, meeting Treena’s gaze with a smirk on his face. They headed toward her and Conner, albeit very slowly.
“Captain Starling, I never in a million years expected to get that communication,” Teller said, a string of spit sticking to his chin. He looked in rough shape, and his voice had the faint slur caused by his medication.
“Which one?”
He rasped out a laugh. “The one that said you were requesting my attendance at Earon Station before we departed in Constantine.”
“I’m going to need you to call them the enemy, or the Ugna, and leave out the derogatory terms,” Treena ordered, doubting it would ever work.
“I call them as I see them, Captain, and if they’re against us, they’re bastards to me,” he said, winking at Conner.
“Executive Lieutenant Conner Douglas, meet your superior, Commander Pol Teller,” Treena said. This should be entertaining. She expected the commander to make some snide remark about Conner jumping ship, or to tease him about his perfectly styled hair and firm jawline, but he surprised her.
“Well met, Douglas. I’ve heard good things. I’m glad you decided to choose the best ship in the fleet,” Teller said, making Treena swell with pride.
Conner glanced over his shoulder, and Treena spotted Rene Bouchard entering with Kan Shu at her side. Doctor Nee was with them, and she waved at the Kwant. He’d recently requested to work on Shu, but Treena hadn’t had a chance to ask him why yet. She hoped to do that now.
“Don’t let Captain Bouchard hear you say that,” Conner warned Teller.
“I’ve never been afraid to speak my mind, and I’ve made it this far.” The commander coughed, and it turned into an ongoing hack. Missy looked prepared, and she injected something into his neck before passing him a tissue.
“Thank you, M. Don’t know what I’d do without you,” Teller told the young woman, and Treena was glad to see him treating his aide better.
Treena started away. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t be long. The show’s going to start in a few,” Conner said, leading Teller toward the seating theatre.
“Doctor Nee, do you mind if we have a word?” Treena caught the doctor at the refreshment station, using his gloved hands to fill a cup of Raca.
“Captain, it’s good to see you. I’m sorry I didn’t report for duty—”
She cut him off, wishing she was in her own body so she could enjoy a beverage. “I wasn’t expecting you to. I saw the transfer request.”
He lifted a glove, his hand moving from side to side. “I didn’t want to do it that way. We were just running out of time.”
&nbs
p; “For what?”
“I was asked to join Shu, at Admiral Baldwin’s request.”
“Now why in the Vastness would Tom ask that of you?” Treena was missing some vital piece of information.
The room was beginning to fill up with faces from all around the Concord. Treena hadn’t seen some of them since graduating the Academy. She’d read the reports and knew that many of her old professors were being recruited to run teams in this war. Many of the older retired members had already been conscripted over the last couple of years, and Treena smiled at a few as they walked by, speaking fervently to one another.
Nee was nervous, and his gaze darted around the amphitheatre. A sound chimed, indicating their meeting was about to begin, but Treena still hadn’t received her answer. “Nee, just tell me what’s going on. I don’t mind if you’re looking for a different leader or want a new challenge.”
Nee stepped close, his mouth right above her shoulder. “Rene is pregnant.”
Treena actually gasped in shock. It was rare for that to happen to someone without planning, and she wondered if that was the case. “Who’s the father?” It was the first thing in her mind, and from the frown on Nee’s face, he wasn’t going to spill the beans.
Nee moved first, breaking the standoff. “Come, let’s take our places.”
Rene was having a baby. Not the most ideal timing, but Treena supposed it never was. She glanced at Conner seated beside Pol Teller and wondered if that was the reason he’d asked to join her crew. Could he have slept with Rene, found out, and decided to bail on the responsibility? They were nearly the same age, both attractive, working closely with one another every day in tight quarters. It wouldn’t be the first time something like that happened; it wouldn’t even be the thousandth.
The stage was twenty meters across, and an officer stepped behind a lectern, preparing the microphone. This felt more like a graduation speech than the final meeting for the majority of the Concord fleet before venturing off to fight a powerful telekinetic foe.
Their fleet had over two hundred vessels, fifty being older starships, along with every armed freighter, ice hauler, and private vessels ranging from R-Emergence guardships to Concord partner government craft. Treena noticed a contingency of the Bacal and saw Penter, the former guard turned leader. A young man sat beside him, and Treena thought he looked familiar.
The doors opened again, and in walked Admiral Thomas Baldwin. Nearly everyone’s gaze slipped toward the man as Prime Xune and Admiral Jalin Benitor appeared behind him. The rest of the admirals were already seated near the lowest level of the theatre, and various gathered crew members filed into their seats.
Treena squinted at Tom, watching him closely. He peered at Rene, and Treena saw the two of them make contact. A slight grin at Rene’s lips, a scrunching of the eyes from Tom.
“It’s his,” Treena whispered, too quietly for anyone to hear.
“Come on, Treena. Show’s about to begin,” Conner said, and she joined him alongside Teller and Brax. Thomas Baldwin was going to be a father. It shouldn’t have been the most shocking part of her day, but despite the looming war they were facing, she smiled at the news.
____________
Tom continued down the steps toward the stage. He’d been asked to discuss the war with the crew of the flagships, as well as the supporting fleet. There had to be a thousand executive Concord members in this building on Earon Station, and he tried not to imagine how many of them would die before the altercation with the Ugna was over.
Tom walked past Rene and Shu. Benitor and Xune had selected seats right near the stage, and all Tom could hear in the eerily silent amphitheatre were his boot steps over the stairs and the beating of his own heart. It was hot, and his skin prickled under the uniform, bristling with sweat. He patted his forehead before turning to face the audience, and he recognized an abundance of familiar faces. Many of them had gone to the Academy, worked on a crew with him when he was young and starting out, or were familiar from the years of trailing around behind Constantine Baldwin on his never-ending diplomatic endeavors.
The lectern was clear, and his speech materialized on the top screen, ready to follow his voice and move at the necessary speed. But the moment Tom read the first line, he knew he couldn’t say the words. Instead, he cleared the console and set his sweaty palms on the table.
“Good morning. I am Admiral Thomas Baldwin, and I’m here to inform you that the Concord is at war.” A few voices cut through, a variety of coughs and muttering from the back rows. He waited a moment for silence to blanket the stage. “We’ve been in civil wars, Border battles with pirates and over-zealous neighbors, and have faced a formidable foe, the Statu, from beyond the wormhole they created. But we’ve never had to deal with something like this.
“We invited the Ugna into our fold. We asked them to become partners, and to take a planet, Driun F49. By every account, they are still members of the Concord, even though nearly all their population has elected to join their leader, High Elder Wylen, in his efforts to destroy us from within. His choices to produce mock-ups of our ships and to confuse our partners through tactical maneuvers was foiled, but the people remain uneasy.” Tom stared at the faces, seeing Treena Starling beside Douglas. They listened closely to what he was saying, and he clenched his jaw before speaking.
“We’ll end this hard and fast, before Wylen’s reinforcements arrive. We have reason to believe they were waylaid by Captain Starling’s quick thinking, but we don’t know for how long. Wylen has gathered his forces at a planet called Tebas, and we suspect he’ll be moving for Earon first. It’s the closest target, and even though the human world is the youngest of the Founders, this Station and its valuable fleet docking makes it an appetizing objective.”
“When will they arrive?” an unfamiliar older man in the middle of the theatre seating asked.
“Likely within the week,” Tom said. Tebas was only five days’ travel with the current Bentom drives, but if they had Nek capabilities, it would be much sooner. His answer created a flurry of more questions, but he raised a hand. “You will each be notified of your roles. We will protect our partners, our Founders, and everyone under our bubble with everything we have. You know this. It’s up to us to win this war against a mystical powerhouse. Wylen has the ability to do catastrophic things, but we believe we understand how to defend against it.”
The doors at the rear of the theatre opened, and a young aide rushed in, her steps short but hurried. She darted down the stairs and stopped at Benitor and Xune’s seats, leaning close. Xune stood, gaze shifting to Tom.
“What is it?” Tom asked, stepping away from the lectern.
“We’ve received word from Elder Fayle. Obilina Six. That’s where she’s brought their fleet. She’s hitting them in their own heart, taking any remaining vessels and likely destroying the rest,” Benitor said loudly enough for the others to hear.
Tom tried to think, but the noise in the room was affecting his concentration. “Why wouldn’t she have told us? What am I missing?” He had a sinking feeling about this mission. Ven was with her, and if they were flying into a trap, the only Ugna in the Concord on their side would be wiped from existence. Tom needed more information from Fayle about how to stop the telekinetic strikes, and he didn’t have those details yet.
“Why do you have that look in your eyes, Admiral?” Benitor asked him.
Tom didn’t answer. He was still without a complete crew, and he hated the fact that he’d been too distracted with Bouchard to have finalized the team for Legacy. He pointed at Reeve Daak and her brother, then to Kan Shu, and they seemed to understand him, standing at attention. His eyes glazed over the room and settled on a familiar face. He almost laughed, despite his urgency, and pointed at the young man. Tarlen rose, grinning from ear to ear as he sprinted up the steps to join the others.
Rene stepped out into the aisle and blocked Tom’s passage. “I’m coming with you.”
“No you’re not. You’re…” He stopp
ed himself, as others were watching intently.
Rene’s green eyes bored into his. “Tom, you don’t get to make this decision. I’m coming.”
“Fine. Let’s hurry.”
Xune grabbed Tom’s arm and spun him around. “Don’t let anything happen to those ships… or Fayle and Ven. When we win this, they’ll lead the Ugna at Driun F49.”
“I’ll see to it,” Tom told him, glancing at Benitor, who appeared ready to speak. A second later, her lips sealed, and Tom left the room behind.
“We’ll talk about this later,” Rene assured him as they gathered in a circle in the hall outside the theatre.
Tom ignored the remark. “Okay, we have my ship, Legacy, which has been modified with a Nek drive. It’s docked in quadrant three point seven, and we don’t have much time to reach Obilina.”
“Have we tested the drive?” Brax asked, and he stepped aside to reveal Tarlen. The youth wore a white collar on his slate-gray uniform top, and Tom raised his eyebrows.
Reeve answered for him. “I’ve run the scans and put every nook and cranny of the boiler room through the wringer. Wherever Wylen found the schematics for our flagships, he did them justice, except for the dirty floors and dusty cabinets.”
“You always did hate a messy workplace, sis,” Brax told her.
“Tarlen, welcome to the crew,” Tom told the man from Greblok, nodding to him. Two years had been good to the youth. He’d filled out, and the recent Academy grad looked like a young man, no longer a skinny kid.
“I can’t believe you’re with us,” Brax said, putting an arm over his shoulders.
“Me neither. Are you sure you want to bring me?” Tarlen asked, his voice lower than before.
“We started this together; why not finish another war?” Tom would have loved to catch up, but there were pressing matters and he took the lead, not quite running, but lightly jogging past workers and visitors to Earon Station. It took five minutes or so to arrive at three point seven, and his ship’s gray hull was visible through the immense window across the corridor.
Baldwin's Legacy: The Complete Series Page 139
