“This doesn’t feel right,” Conner said. “I can’t believe they suspended trade already. This war is bringing everything to a halt.”
“Couldn’t risk letting them send anything to the city that might explode. Or worse,” Teller said.
“What’s worse than a bombing?” Darl asked the grizzled commander.
“Lots of things. Dissention. Viruses. Don’t underestimate Wylen. He’s already been traipsing around the Concord, pretending we’re attacking our own partners. He will do anything necessary to win, which is why we have to think the same way.”
Treena was beginning to agree with the man more and more each day. “Darl, bring us in to dock. You’ll stay with the ship in case we need a quick exit. Commander, you and Douglas are with me.”
She regarded the ship’s AI and smiled at Constantine. “Thank you for your quick action. It’s been nice having you on the crew.”
“Thank you, Captain. The pleasure has been all mine,” he told her.
They moved for Cleo, taking the elevator before boarding the ship named after Constantine’s daughter. Treena felt like an intruder, with so much of Baldwin’s history and lineage tied into the vessel. It had never quite been home for her.
Conner took the pilot’s seat, Treena beside him while Pol Teller and his aide Missy sat on the bench behind them. The moment they detached from Constantine’s hull, a light flashed, and a massive vessel propelled toward Nolix and their position. For a moment, Treena thought it was the Ugna, ready for battle; then she noticed the sleek shape, the coloring of the flagship, and knew it was either Shu or Legacy.
“Incoming from their bridge.”
“On screen,” Treena said, and Thomas Baldwin’s face surfaced.
“Captain Starling, we’ve just returned from Obilina Six,” Baldwin said.
Treena saw Ven and Fayle behind him, as well as the rest of the familiar faces, some from her own crew. “Then we have lots to discuss.”
“Let’s meet at the Concord headquarters. We’ll be right down,” Tom said, ending the communication.
“You heard the man. Make for the surface,” Treena ordered, and Conner only grinned as he started the descent toward the capital city below.
Less than an hour later, they were all piled into a giant boardroom overlooking the city. Prime Xune’s and Admiral Benitor’s projections took the two lead seats at the table, the images flickering every few seconds. They were still at Earon, anticipating the attack that wouldn’t be coming.
Treena sat beside Conner, with Reeve and Brax next to one another. Rene and Tom sat with Ven and Fayle on the opposite side, with Teller almost dozing at the far end of the table.
Prime Xune started. “I’m going to have to ask that Teller’s aide leave the room for this meeting.”
All eyes drifted to the old man and the young girl behind his chair. Missy turned red and started for the door. When no one objected, the girl exited and the meeting started.
“Is there a reason my girl was booted?” Teller asked in his usual gruff manner.
“We think someone’s been feeding intelligence to the enemy. I’m not saying it’s her, but she wasn’t trained by the Concord Academy, and we’re going to limit vital details to the executive crews of our flagships for the time being,” Xune said.
“I have some important information,” Tom said.
“So do we,” Treena told them. “I don’t think Wylen is going to Earon.”
Tom shook his head, blinking quickly. “Then where’s the target?”
“Here.”
“We’re on the same page,” Tom said. “We encountered Wylen’s colony ship at Obilina Six.”
Everyone started talking at once, Xune asking questions and Conner wondering why no one had mentioned this earlier. It was Benitor whose projection lifted an arm to silence them. “Silence. Some courtesy is necessary. Thomas, tell us what happened.”
Tom nodded toward Ven. “It’s best if he explains it.”
Ven stood, arms relaxed at his sides as he faced their leader’s glowing images. “Wylen arrived in an effort to thwart the true Ugna’s reclamation of their fleet manufacturing plant. It was a trap, but he wasn’t expecting retaliation. I was able to prevent him from winning, and I read him at the same time. It was clear he is coming for Nolix, rather than Earon. That was misinformation, meant to grant him easy passage to the capital.”
“Damn it. We’ve brought nearly everyone to Earon, and without Nek-modified drives, we’ll never make it there in…” Xune slowly stopped speaking.
Reeve raised a finger, and Ven took his seat. “We think he’s out of fuel for the jumps. He was playing a card, one that he imagined would end his internal opposition. He failed and will be upset about that, but Wylen used up his Nek with those two jumps. I did the math. The stolen supply had just enough to get those Protectors here, maybe with a return flight at best. It’s imperative to have more than you think you need, because we created the schematics that way. I doubt Wylen would have gone outside those parameters.”
“If all of this is accurate, Wylen’s stock of Nek is depleted, and he’ll be flying to Nolix with his fleet,” the old Callalay admiral said.
“Then you’re really going to want to hear what we saw,” Treena told them.
“Go on, Captain. Inform us,” Xune urged her.
Treena went on to recall their trip to Tebas. They’d thought the world might be empty, and how instead she’d discovered the large enemy fleet. She shared recorded footage with them, and everyone leaned in as the colony ship arrived, and gasped when Tebas exploded.
For a moment after, the room sat in silence. Elder Fayle was the first to respond. “If Wylen has destroyed Tebas, he really has lost it. That was his home and training ground for a very long time. He’s making a point to the other Elders.”
“What kind of point?” Conner asked.
“There is no returning from this. The Ugna are here to win, and nothing else matters.” Fayle’s dark words hung in the air over the boardroom table.
____________
Ven had much to accomplish, and he was concerned his time was running short. The room’s energy was frantic and worried. He needed to calm them down, but with everything against them, he thought it was impossible.
“We have an idea that might help win this thing,” Tom said.
Ven didn’t know what to make of the plan. Wiping every Ugna of En’or could actually do it, but they still had a giant fleet to contend with.
It would even the odds.
If all else failed, there was the mountain he was going to search out and find. Fayle was confident she remembered the coordinates but hadn’t revealed them to him yet.
“What is it, Thomas?” Benitor asked.
The admiral told them about the Muni people of Carip. He described the process by which the BX-29 was removed from their bloodstreams, and the entire room listened.
Prime Xune didn’t hesitate. “No.”
“Why not?” Tom asked.
“We don’t have time to work on something like this. There’s a massive fleet aimed for our capital, and they’re going to crush us if we don’t act now,” Xune said.
“I think it’s worth exploring, Prime,” Fayle told him.
The man’s projection flickered a few times. “Fayle, you haven’t always been deceitful, but if we find out you’re the one screwing with us, there will be no mercy.”
Ven sat in contemplation, watching the incident like a fly on the wall.
“Prime, you are correct. I have made some unpleasant choices, but I am determined to help the people of the Concord, as well as my own. I think that removing the En’or might be the only saving grace we have left. Otherwise, we need to kill them all, and I only want to kill their nefarious leader. With Wylen gone, we can implement Ven as the new High Elder, and our people will reunite.”
“Are you suggesting we let these traitors back into the Concord?” Prime Xune asked.
“I am suggesting you let us retur
n to Driun F49 as a whole race, one without corruption and poor leadership. Surely, as the head of the Concord, you can understand that more than anyone. Did your entire alliance not just endure something similar? A leader that was corrupt. Decades of lies and hidden secrets. Are we that different?” Fayle asked, and Ven felt the change in the room. Fayle was winning the Prime over, and the rest of them at the same time.
“Very well. I appreciate the parallels, and we’ll consider this in the future. If there’s a way to stop the Ugna, kill Wylen, and retain our Concord, we will do it.” Xune rubbed his forehead, and Ven noted his fatigue through the projections. “It’s come to our attention that five of our partners have sided with the Ugna.”
“Who?” Treena asked.
The Prime listed them off. “The Kad, Moker, Alixes, Dathe, and Nus’az.”
“The ties that bind must be tested to ensure nothing snaps.” Thomas surprised them by quoting the Code, making Captain Starling grin.
“I appreciate the sentiment, Admiral, but we’ll need more than our history to win this. With five partners already seeking the opposition, we’re going to be in a real dogfight in the coming weeks. The other admirals are in the process of communicating with each and every partner at the moment, assuring them of our actions and convincing them to help us, rather than the Ugna. No good will happen by letting this charlatan in as their leader. No offense, Fayle and Ven.” The Prime set his ghostly hands to hover above the table.
“None taken, Prime.” Fayle glanced at Ven. “There is one other thing.”
“Go on,” Benitor said with an impatient wave of her hand.
“Ven will not be here for the fight. I request he take the shuttle with an appropriate amount of Nek, and set out on an imperative mission,” Fayle said.
“And just where is Ven Ittix destined for?” Benitor asked.
“The Vast stone,” Ven answered.
“I’ve heard of this,” Xune said. “In an ancient religious text. The Code is built on the Vastness, but a sect of Zilph’i once mentioned a planet where the Vastness is linked. Is that what you speak of?”
Fayle nodded in reply.
“There is a chance I can shut the flow off. If the admiral’s goal of removing the En’or doesn’t work, then we’ll have a backup,” Ven said.
“Wouldn’t this remove all of the Ugna’s telekinesis and other attributes?” Conner Douglas asked.
“That is correct.”
“Are you saying we have access to the Vastness, and that you have knowledge of its location?” Admiral Benitor’s projection stood, and she turned away from them slowly.
“That is what Ven Ittix is saying,” High Elder Fayle responded. “And yes, I do know where it is. Because I have visited the Vast stone.”
Eight
The thing that bothered Tom the most about war was the waiting. Mostly, it was space travel, intertwined with the occasional in-system battle over a planet or resource. One side would come out the victor, and the other would retreat; then, more travel. That was one of the reasons their War with the Statu had lasted a decade.
This war was growing in momentum, with the entire Ugna fleet all moving for the same location. They’d all watched the feeds from Constantine’s cameras, seeing the unstoppable force destined for Nolix. If they didn’t figure out how to defeat the Ugna and their power, this wasn’t going to last more than a day, let alone a decade.
Tom walked off his shuttle and into the hangar, instantly calling for Constantine. He needed the wisdom of his grandfather. That was the only person he could think of who might ease his mind about their coming decisions.
“Admiral Baldwin, what a pleasure it is to see you again,” Constantine said with a smirk.
“Can you cut the formality?” Tom asked.
The youthful image of Constantine Baldwin shrugged and followed Tom as he moved to the side of the hangar. “Sure, Tommy. Shall we find somewhere more inviting?”
“I don’t have a lot of time. I’m meeting with R-Emergence in a couple of hours, but I wanted to talk with you first,” he told the AI.
“Does R-Emergence mean the doctor? The one you were dating?” Con asked.
“Yes, we were dating, but that’s all over with. I think she’s okay with it, but…”
“I heard Doctor Nee has been moved to Shu,” Con said nonchalantly.
“So you know.” It was almost a relief that he did. “Surprise. You’re going to be a great-grandfather!” It was meant to be a joke, but Tom instantly saw Constantine’s expression go slack.
“I used to wonder if you’d ever be married. Being only grandchild, and after my own child was killed, you were my only link to the future. I died before knowing what would happen to our name. Baldwin. I was so glad your mother kept it. Now it seems like such a fruitless endeavor,” the AI said.
“What does?”
“The entire concept of our personal legacies. As if carrying on a name is nearly as important as carrying on survival. We’re all so focused on our own stuff that imagining something as substantial as the Concord being threatened seems like someone else’s problem,” Constantine said.
“Until it becomes your responsibility.”
Constantine sat beside him on the storage crates. “Exactly. Congratulations, Tommy. I know it wasn’t what you expected, but Rene is a great woman and will be an even better mother. Just keep her safe. And whatever you do, keep your child safe. I wasn’t able to—”
“Con, you were a grown man, and Mom was an adult with a child of her own. You couldn’t have done anything,” Tom assured him.
“I know, Tommy, I know. You’ll be a wonderful father. Be there for them.”
“All I have to do is the opposite of what you did for me, right?” Tom asked jokingly, but regretted his words instantly.
“That’s right.” Con surprised him by smiling at the comment. “I didn’t do a lot of things right in my life, despite what everyone thinks of me. I wasn’t even a true hero. I had the chance to change things after Yollox, but I kept my head in the sand so I could remain at home with my wife and daughter. I know that when your time comes, you’ll weigh the balance of your obligations better than I did.”
“You did what you thought best, not to mention you were in an epic showdown that lasted a decade. I think you can sleep well enough at night,” Tom told him.
“That’s kind of you to say.” The AI raised his hand toward Tom’s shoulder, and it passed through. What was it like to have all the man’s memories but to be nothing more than light and programming? Would Tom’s own memories be poured into a ship’s system one day? Would he experience something similar to what his grandfather went through now?
“Don’t worry about me, Tom. You have bigger prey to catch,” Con said.
“Don’t we know it. What do you think of our plans?” Tom asked. He’d sent the specifics to the ship before arriving, and Constantine would have devoured the detailed report in seconds.
“I think you’re ambitious, but even if things work as anticipated, you’re going to need one hell of a fleet to fend off their assault. If you manage to remove the En’or or cut the flow of the Vastness, the Ugna will stop at nothing to retaliate. Do you recall the Statu?” he asked.
“Sure. It wasn’t that long ago,” Tom reminded him.
“Not them, but the previous generation. They were cowards, really, using our people as puppets. Brainwashing our allies and turning them into soldiers. But more than that, it was pure genius. It created an army to protect them. Their people were safe at home on Cosanu, while ours were waging war against ourselves, with neither of us being aware of it. The Statu were the only ones in the know at the time.”
Tom pondered the meaning behind this. “Are you suggesting we turn the Ugna against their own people?”
“Isn’t that what you just did when the freighters and transport shuttles arrived at Nolix last month? They were about to fight you—and you, not anyone else”—Constantine poked a projected finger at Tom’s chest—
“were able to stop them. Think along those lines again, Tommy. Find a way to stop this fight before it begins, and you’ll go down in history as a hero. Not like I did, after being the last man standing in a ten-year conflict. Be the man I see before me.”
Tom clenched his teeth together, wondering if what Constantine said would even be possible. “I’ll try, Grandfather. I’ll try.”
“I miss you on board,” Con said after a few silent moments.
“Starling’s a good captain.”
“Very good. Maybe one of the best I’ve seen,” Con said with a wink. “It doesn’t change the fact that she’s not my grandson.”
“I have another ship now,” Tom said.
“One without an AI.”
“I couldn’t choose. I didn’t want anyone but you, Con.” Tom had declined the AI computer system, against Benitor’s advice. She still expected him to pick someone to load into Legacy, but he didn’t intend to, using the current situation as an excuse. The truth was, Legacy would never truly be his. He was an admiral, and resigned to sitting at a desk after this was done with—if there was a desk for him remaining at Ridele.
“It’ll all work out. And you and Rene can be wed, give birth to your son, and move on,” Con said.
“Wait. Who said anything about a wedding, or a son? What makes you think…”
“I know you think Rene is too independent to consider a relationship, but I’ve seen the way she handles herself around you, and how you are with her. You’ll be a good pair.”
Tom stood, brushing off the layer of dust from the crate he’d just sat on. “I highly doubt there will be a ceremony any time soon. We haven’t even… not since…” He felt embarrassed to be talking about any of this with the AI. “I’d better return to Nolix.”
“Yes, the meeting with Gaad. Will Rene be present?” Con asked.
“No. She didn’t want to be there, plus she’s working on getting her crew to guide Shu to Nolix as we speak. The entire fleet from Earon is on their way, and we can only hope they reach us in time.” Tom walked to the shuttle, stopping as Constantine flickered before him.
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