“As many as we’re able. We want to outfit most of the fleet, because we’re told there might be as many as two hundred ships filled with En’or-fueled Ugna coming for us,” Reeve said.
Kan tapped his chin, deep in thought. “I have a question.”
Reeve waited for him to say it.
“What has Fayle told us about their supply of the drug?”
“I really don’t know,” she answered. “Maybe Tom does, but I haven’t heard anything about it.”
Aimie turned to face Kan. “That’s a good point. With all those Ugna needing to be high on En’or, we’re talking about an awful lot of the liquid. What do they have? Almost a million bodies?”
“That’s about right. Maybe more, if they were hiding a supply on Tebas. Ven mentioned the vat of the drug in his village,” Reeve told them. “But we don’t have time to worry about where their supply’s stashed, because they’re going to be here in the next day. All we can do is fight them with the resources we have, and that starts with removing the En’or from their systems and either letting them surrender or destroying their ships.”
“I doubt they’ll surrender without a fight,” Kan said.
“I know,” Reeve agreed. “I wish it were that easy. But it never is.”
Doctor Gaad was being flagged down by a technician in a white lab coat, waving a tablet in the air. “Excuse me. I should see what this is all about.”
“Take your time.” Reeve watched the doctor depart in a hurry, leaving the pair of commanders alone. “What’s your opinion, Kan? Do we have a shot at this?”
Kan was a quiet man, youthful but wise beyond his years. His opinion was important to Reeve at the moment. “If these EN-01s work as you described them, we should be able to give their fleet pause. In a direct fight, I don’t know if we’ll have enough firepower, but with all five flagships, as well as the Ugna fleet we acquired, not to mention the countless partner allies flowing in each day, I think we stand to defend Nolix.”
Hearing Kan Shu say this helped calm her fried nerves. “Good. I think so too.” Reeve glanced at the machines as the next finished product spewed out over the rolling conveyer. “That’s two. I’d better send Tom a message. He’s been waiting for word. Once we have a couple more completed units, we’ll begin the installation. Do you mind overseeing that part of the process with me?”
Kan shook his head slowly. “I wouldn’t mind at all. I prefer to be helpful in times like this, plus Shu isn’t here yet. Lieutenant Commander Asha Bertol is bringing her in, and I guess they’re close now. Their estimated time of arrival is eleven hours.”
Reeve wondered how far away that put Wylen’s force. So far, they hadn’t had signs of them entering the system, but Wylen had tricks up his sleeve. She wondered why he was giving them so much time to prepare. If the scouts had arrived already, she suspected his entire fleet could have as well. Wylen was cunning, and they needed to be prepared for the unlikely to occur.
“Do you think there will be long-lasting consequences from these devices?” Kan asked her.
Reeve had considered this recently but hadn’t voiced her concerns too loudly. It was obvious Aimie had similar reservations, but this might be their only chance of successfully defending Nolix and the Concord. They didn’t have a choice. “We can’t worry about that, Kan. If Fayle is on board, and the Prime is backing us, we’ll be good soldiers and carry out their orders.”
“I understand. I wish we had time to test more.”
“So do I.” Reeve watched as another unit emerged and glanced behind them to see Aimie arguing with one of the technicians. It was going to be a long day.
____________
High Elder Fayle eyed the building from outside the gates. This was a true fortification, set in the mountains a hundred kilometers from the outskirts of Ridele. She was surprised to learn that such a stronghold was located on Nolix, but for the time being, it had been emptied out. Normally, the wealthiest residents and the highest-ranking Concord government officers would use it as a safe house during an attack, but they’d instructed everyone to evacuate a week ago.
If they hadn’t heeded Admiral Thomas Baldwin’s advice, that was on them. Now the building was full of the Ugna from the scout ships, and Fayle was here to interrogate the captains.
A drone hovered overhead, and she peered at it, sure she was being recorded. “Don’t worry about this,” the guard on her right said. She was flanked by two Tekol, each carrying XRC-14 guns in their meaty grips. Normally, she wouldn’t have wanted the weapons nearby, happy to let her own abilities defend her, but after being used as a test subject, she was devoid of the Vastness. She felt empty. Depleted of a soul.
Even her feet dragged on the dirt path as the gates swung open, granting them access. She followed the guards, walking the three hundred meters to the building’s entrance. The place was only two stories high but seemed to go on forever in both directions. They were centered in a valley, with steep cliffs on either side, and the structure was built butted up to the mountains. It felt impenetrable, but that was rarely the case.
The thick doors opened, and a hovering round drone scanned them before granting access. The guards took it without comment, and Fayle let the bright light comb over her. Nothing was the same, and she didn’t know if it ever would be.
“Where are the captives?” she asked, and the guard on her right shrugged.
Clipped bootsteps echoed from a distant hallway, and a short man with miniature glasses and shaggy brown hair arrived, his hands clasped at his chest like he was appraising a piece of artwork. “High Elder Fayle, welcome to Stone Shelter. I’m Administrator Caleb.”
“Well met, Caleb. Can you show me around?” she asked, trying to keep light and friendly. In her current mood, it was a real chore.
“Absolutely. Come.” He waved her forward, and the guards remained behind.
“We’ll be here when you’re done,” one said.
Fayle nodded and walked with Caleb. The surroundings were comprised of stone blocks, making the name of the place apt indeed. It was almost like being underground, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe, but she didn’t let the administrator notice her discomfort. This would all be over soon, and she could return to the open air and see the bright sky once again. She never used to have issues with confined spaces, but perhaps that was due to her Ugna abilities.
She tried to picture the flame but couldn’t.
“This is where we’ve stored the majority of the crew members. They’ve been placed in opposite regions to keep them separated. We didn’t want any wires crossing in regard to their stories. Collusion and what have you.” Caleb smiled, like he’d done them a huge favor. She didn’t care to speak to these workers, just the leaders, but she peered through the glass in the hallway, finding a giant open room below. There were rows upon rows of cots, which would be used in times of trouble for the migrants bunking, but now they were full of the En’or-deprived Ugna.
“Have there been any incidents?”
He fiddled with his glasses. “Incidents?”
“Any fights? Any attempts to take their own lives?” she asked nervously. She didn’t tell him she’d considered the act only a few hours ago. But Ven needed her. Her people did too, even if she wasn’t herself for the foreseeable future.
“Nothing like that. They are very… withdrawn. They don’t often speak. They’ve eaten little but have hydrated,” Caleb told her.
“Good. Can you show me to the first captain?” she asked.
He nodded, marching through the corridor. The halls rounded here, and they crested a corner, arriving at another room, this one far smaller. “We have them shackled.”
“Who are they? Do you have their names?” she asked.
Caleb slid a pocket-sized device out and tapped over the screen. “One is Bol Trellix, the other Corul Wollav.”
Corul Wollav. She knew the man. “I’d like to speak with Wollav, please.”
Caleb pointed to the right. “By all m
eans.” A Tekol guard remained posted at each interrogation room, and the woman stepped aside, using a code to open the door.
Fayle stepped inside, finding the captain behind a desk, chained to it. He didn’t seem to notice her, but she understood the slouch in his shoulders well. It was the posture of a man with nothing to live for anymore. The door closed behind her, and she took a deep breath, trying not to let the windowless room disturb her. “Corul, look up.”
He was a tall man, like most of them; his head bald, his eyes red. Corul glanced from his position and got to his feet in a hurry, his chains rattling against their clasps. “Elder Fayle! You live?”
“Child, of course I live. What foolishness have you heard?” She stood across the table from him, and he stretched a hand toward her, the shackles keeping him from touching her.
“The High Elder said you were dead. He told us that Ven Ittix murdered you by command of Thomas Baldwin, and that they were preparing to slaughter of us all on Driun F49,” Corul advised her.
Fayle’s blood thrummed in her veins, and for the first time since losing her En’or, she felt alive. “This is deception at its finest. Wylen has been planning this coup for longer than most of our people could guess. He’s using lies to fuel his mission. Ven Ittix has done nothing to harm me, but I will tell you now that he will be the leader of the Ugna when we defeat Wylen and his fleet.”
A tear fell down Corul Wollav’s cheek as he stared at her. “Had we known, we wouldn’t have sided with Wylen. He’s fooled us all. Everyone is so angry with the Concord.”
“There has to be a way to remedy this,” Fayle said.
“Perhaps there is. Our ship… we have the means to communicate with the others. You could contact them directly. It could turn the tides,” Corul suggested.
Hope filled in Fayle’s chest. Maybe they’d accomplish this without tearing the Vastness from each of their people. “Would they listen to me? Would betray Wylen? Be truthful.”
“Not all. There are others from Tebas, blindly following the old Elders. It appears as though the Ugna are much deeper in this than any of us realized. Wylen claimed it was necessary for our survival, and everyone believed him,” Corul said.
“And you? Would you side with us now? Fight for the Ugna and align with the Concord?” She watched him closely.
“I would give my life for you, Elder Fayle.”
He said it so quickly, she almost didn’t believe him, but his tone was filled with compassion. “Come with me to your ship. Show me how to link to the network.”
Corul agreed, and she knocked for a guard to release him. They did so hesitantly, but demanded he remain cuffed outside the cell. As they walked for the exit, Corul leaned in closer and whispered to her, “Will it ever return?”
He didn’t need to elaborate on what he was asking. He missed the Vastness. “I do not know.” It was the only answer Fayle could give him. She wished it would, but the sacrifice had been made.
Sixteen
“Captain, we’ve had word from the fifth partner. The Dathe were unsuccessful in their plunder of Quarzo Dol. The locals put up a great fight and sent the invaders running,” Conner told Treena before she entered the room where the Alixes man waited for her.
“That’s good news for once. Ensure Harry has the drive loaded and charged. When I’m done with this interview, we leave for Nolix,” she told him, and he nodded, rushing from the meeting room.
Conner Douglas was a good officer, and she sensed there was more to his constant efforts with her. But now wasn’t the time to ponder her own growing feelings for him.
Karle, Primary Captain of the Divine, walked around the room, unarmed. His armor had been removed, and he wore a dark brown sleeveless leather jerkin, his arms covered in black tattoos.
His eyes were serious, his nose pointed but straight. Karle’s hair was long but shaved at the sides, and it fell to frame his scaled face. “Captain, thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”
Brax had demanded she bring a guard in with her, but Treena had reminded him that she was a powerful android with superior strength. He’d relented, but being in the room with this man, she didn’t feel anything remotely close to a threat from him.
“Have a seat, Primary Captain,” Treena told him, and he bowed deeply.
“I’d prefer to be addressed as Karle. I do not wish to be associated with the Divine at this time,” he told her, and she only nodded.
“Okay, Karle. Tell me what you couldn’t divulge over the communicator.”
He sat close, turning to face her at the corner of the massive table. “The Ugna. They’re everywhere,” he said quietly. His gaze darted to the door, then toward the ceiling, as if he was seeking a listening device or camera.
“What do you mean, everywhere?”
“My people would never have agreed to this a few decades ago. I was but a boy when things shifted, but I was old enough to see the differences. The fleet changed; the training altered. Our leader vanished one day. They claimed it was illness, but a few weeks later, a new leader was chosen, one that had traveled from a distant star. He was introduced to us after the visitation of a strange man. It was the one you call High Elder Wylen.
“Most people accepted the transformation of governance as the will of the Divine, but many, like my mother, questioned it. She was killed at a rally. Things changed then, and I joined the Divine when I was orphaned, hoping to find answers.
“When Wylen called upon partners to unite against the Concord, Chief Hunya didn’t hesitate. He offered us as tools to defeat and distract. I objected and was threatened with my life. We each were. We only came because they detained our families at home, so I need your assurance that you will assist us.”
Treena considered his story but shook her head. “I can’t grant you that, Karle. You’ve been fighting our ally. Why should I trust you?”
“Because of the information I’ve offered. There are Ugna everywhere,” he said.
She opened her mouth but snapped it shut, unsure how to respond.
“If he’s replaced our chief without anyone’s knowledge, why couldn’t he have done so with a Concord captain or an admiral? Maybe even the Prime.”
Treena thought about the scenario with Prime Xune, and how quick Benitor had been to accept him into the Concord. She’d also helped secure Driun F49. What if… No, that was impossible. Maybe not impossible, but at the least, it was highly improbable. Could Admiral Benitor be an Ugna? Or Prime Xune? Or both?
“I can see my words have sunk in. You might have someone on your ship at this moment that is undercover,” Karle told her.
Zare had been working for Keen when they’d started out, and she’d done so right under their noses. What this Primary Captain was suggesting was possible. Not to mention, there was the human president, Gordon Basher. He looked like any other human, not red-eyed and bald.
Treena stared at the man, who was obviously begging for her help. “If your information proves useful, I will suggest the Concord join you in your return home. We will help save your families.”
That did it. He melted into his seat, relief washing over his face. “Thank you.”
Treena stood, indicating the meeting was over.
Karle stopped before her at the exit and spoke firmly. “Be careful, Captain. They are deceitful, with little regard for anyone but themselves. Stay vigilant.”
He started away, a guard following behind, holding a PL-30. “Until we meet in the Vastness,” she whispered to his back.
Treena walked the long route to the bridge, wanting to decompress after the difficult news. If the Alixes’ Primary Captain was correct, anyone could be Ugna. Did she have someone on her ship this very moment?
She took her time, slowing before entering the bridge. A few crew members walked by, nodding to their captain. Were they enemies? She tried to recall the woman’s name near the bridge doors, working on a wall screen, but couldn’t.
You need to stop being so paranoid. Karle couldn’t know fo
r sure. He’s speculating based on his own experiences, not yours. Treena shook it off, walking past the open doors. Pol was there, dozing soundly, with his aide Missy lingering nearby. Brax remained in his seat, watching the departure of the Alixes fleet.
“I still think we should have detained them,” Brax said.
“We don’t have time for that. Is the drive charged?” Treena asked.
Conner threw her a big smile and added a wink for good measure. “We’re all set to return to Nolix, Captain. On your word.”
Treena sat in her chair and waited a moment, trying to figure out what it might look like when they arrived at their final destination. Was the battle for the Concord in full swing?
Before she could order the return to Nolix, Lieutenant Darl screamed, his hands rushing to his ears.
____________
Their fleet had crept closer over the last day, slowly but surely nearing Nolix. So far, they’d encountered no resistance, which normally would have worried Wylen, but he felt that they were waiting for some miracle to arrive and save them. Only that wouldn’t happen.
Wylen was positive the Concord knew their current position, but he didn’t care any longer. Victory was going to be his within the next day. His people sensed it, and so did the Concord. They were waiting for his fleet, guarding their gluttonous planet with a scattering of ships. Their defense wouldn’t be enough, not against hundreds of thousands of En’or-fueled Ugna.
“Sir, what are you orders?” Captain Nerlip asked. The man wrung his hands like a nervous wreck.
“What word from the Protectors?” Wylen asked.
“Nothing yet, sir. No sign of them whatsoever. I’ve attempted communication, but they aren’t anywhere near us.”
That wasn’t good. Wylen was still confident, but the added assistance from Earth’s Ugna would have solidified his standing with that segment of his people. Their distant cousins should be part of the victory, working alongside him, earning their spot in power. But maybe their not showing up was for the best. With Basher caught and interrogated, they might change their minds to barter for him, even if he was human by most accounts. He wasn’t a pure Ugna. He had been selected and modified to access the Vastness.
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