I ran my hands through my hair. We had to resume our search for the Terran Fleet. There was strength in numbers, safety in the herd. It had been put aside in favor of attacking Braxa, but the four of us trapped together on a shuttle wouldn’t last long, and I didn’t see any other way forward. The only redeeming factor for me was that Braxa had promised I would live until the end, until there was no one left. That didn’t bode well for anyone else if Braxa told the truth.
Our leads had run out on the location of the fleet. Bello’s contacts, to the extent they could be trusted after our run in with Ataraskong, couldn’t provide us anything. My only friend in the galaxy still alive was The Hive, and we hadn’t been able to get ahold of it. I’d sent message after message out but no response.
We knew the fleet must be out there. News feeds seemed to confirm it, but everything was rumor or unsubstantiated stories, gossip passed around like a game of Telephone. I wasn’t about to run around, again, on wild speculation.
“We could try doing the last supply run,” said Bello.
I rolled my eyes. Our dynamic seemed to work best over the radio. In person I found myself snapping at her.
“The one from months ago that was never completed? No one needs those supplies now,” I said.
“Margaret said that after they left with their cargo they’d be contacted,” she said. “Maybe it’s some kind of automated process.”
“And how do we get the supplies?” I said. “We don’t have any currency or even a list of what was needed.”
Bello opened her mouth to respond then closed it and looked down at her hands in her lap. “I don’t know,” she said.
Continuing the conversation wasn’t going to get us anywhere. I turned away from her and looked at a monitor. It was some kind of readout for the engines, which told me nothing about where the fleet was, but I thought that maybe if I stared at something I could zone out and the answers would come to me.
“We have a communication request,” said Bello, pointing to a blinking light on the console.
I glanced over at it. Braxa wouldn’t request communication. He’d force it upon us, opening up a video link and strutting about like cock-of-the-walk.
The video feed popped up on a screen in front of me after I pushed the button. One of The Hive members sat in front of the camera with its helmet off. Its antennae waved about like sea fronds in the ocean current. With a click it closed its mandible and gave me a slight nod.
“Representative,” it said.
“The Hive,” I said. “Good to finally get to talk with you again. I’m sorry about what happened at Station Ter.”
The Hive member shook its head and said, “No problem. It was unfortunate to lose the ship, but it and I can be replaced. It was a minor inconvenience.”
I caught a look of confusion mixed with a little bit of horror on Bello’s face. Even for me it was still difficult to wrap my mind around the intricacies of being The Hive.
“Well,” I said. “I’m glad everything has worked out.”
“Yes,” said The Hive, “but it seems that you are in trouble once more.”
I didn’t detect any sympathy in The Hive’s voice, but it had always been hard to read its mood.
“General Braxa is after us,” I said.
“Not the same General Braxa,” said Bello. She leaned forward and spoke over my shoulder but shrunk back when The Hive focused its gaze on her. “Thought I would clear that up.”
“Yes,” said The Hive. “I’ve heard,” it said, turning to back to me. “It seems there are several groups after you.”
“And we need your help,” I said.
“To find the Terran Fleet,” it said.
I nodded.
“You realize that helping you would most likely bring Braxa’s wrath down on me?” said The Hive.
I had thought about it. It seemed strange that Braxa hadn’t targeted The Hive, but I figured that attacking humans would be message enough to anyone thinking of helping. Why threaten The Hive when it wasn’t with me?
“I thought we were in the same boat,” I said. “Bring humans and you together to fight Braxa.”
“In the same way you’ve fought Braxa so far?” said The Hive. Its antennae started to move around more rapidly.
“No,” I said. The Hive’s words gave me pause. It almost sounded angry. “Bring together the Terran Fleet and your ships. Braxa isn’t the Vantagax Republic. He has access to resources, but he’s still an individual.”
“And what about the Confederacy?” said The Hive.
I shook my head then rubbed my chin trying to buy time while I thought. My plan hadn’t progressed much beyond finding the fleet and confronting the Admiral Board and having the board removed. The Confederacy would see our resolve, leave us alone and then we would beat Braxa. Those things would happen however they happened. They had to. I couldn’t think about any other outcome.
“They’re playing with subterfuge,” I said. “They wouldn’t team up with Braxa. Hell, they just beat Braxa.”
“Then why are they after you?” said The Hive.
I paused. How did The Hive know what was happening with the Confederacy? I knew it was telepathic, but not over a video feed.
“And what about the Terran Fleet’s Admiral Board?” said The Hive. “Are you going to fight them too? Is that why you want to find them so badly? To make them pay for trying to stop you?”
“What?” I said. I shook my head. “How did you know about that?” Maybe The Hive had spies that had infiltrated other governments and organizations. It made sense because that was how rival governments, even if they were allies, worked.
“And if I don’t help you are you going to come after me?” said The Hive. “Are you going to start a fight with me?”
“What are you talking about?” I said. My head swam. The Hive kept throwing questions my way without giving me a chance to answer. It was like they knew the answer or knew their decision but still wanted to hear what I had to say.
“I know what you’ve done,” said The Hive. “I know that you started to attack Braxa.”
“Yes,” I said.
“And that you killed innocent people,” said The Hive.
“No,” I said. “We did no such thing. We only attacked Braxa’s facilities.”
“With people who worked there still inside,” said The Hive. Its antennae were going wild, whipping around in circles. “You killed people who were there to work, to earn a paycheck and then go home.”
“They worked for Braxa,” I said. “They supported him and his family in genocide.”
“I’m not saying Braxa is innocent in this,” said The Hive, “but you’re not much better. You killed indiscriminately. Is it any wonder that the Admiral Board and the Confederacy want to stop you?”
“To protect my people,” I said, almost shouting. Why was The Hive not on my side on this? It’d stood with me before against Braxa and Kaur. It’d helped me recover and then start my search anew. If anything, The Hive helped me get to where I was now.
“And what about the Corse that you killed? He was trying to protect his family,” said The Hive.
“Ataraskong sold humans out to the Confederacy,” I said. I turned to Bello looking for some kind of support. I held on by my fingernails trying to rebut The Hive. She sat, legs pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs, and stared at me with wide eyes.
“And the Confederacy worked with the Admiral Board to feed Braxa information,” said The Hive.
“No,” I said without looking at the screen. It couldn’t have been true, but my gut told me it was.
“Are you going to attack all of them?” said The Hive.
“Yes,” I said without hesitating. I would attack anyone who stood against me including the Admiral Board. Anger tears squeezed out of the side of my eyes.
“Are you going to attack me?” said The Hive.
I jerked my head up and wiped my eyes. “Why?” I said. “What did you do?”
&n
bsp; “Nothing,” said The Hive. Its antennae stood still, pointed direct towards the camera. All of its focus was on me. “I was approached by the Confederacy and the Admiral Board to help them lure you and your followers into a trap. They were concerned you were going to start something that would spin out of control.”
I clenched my fists and turned my head from the screen.
“I denied their request. I would not be a part of their scheming, but I didn’t warn you,” continued The Hive. “You were – are – out of control. If you aren’t stopped you’ll create a swath of destruction until you flame out.”
“You could have saved lives,” I said in a harsh whisper.
“I did save lives,” said The Hive. “Just not the ones you wanted.”
I contemplated turning off the feed. The Hive’s remarks cut deep. I thought it had been on my side, if not with equipment and information than with a mutual support, a mutual hatred of the Vantagax Republic. I thought that our time fighting against the Republic and Kaur had solidified us in our position.
I was wrong, but I still needed one more thing from The Hive.
“Where is the Terran Fleet?” I said.
“What are you going to do?” said The Hive.
I couldn’t bring myself to look at the screen and instead focused on a single spot on the console. Anger might get the better of me, and I could say something that would prevent The Hive from giving me the intel we needed.
“Return to my people,” I said. “The only damn thing I’ve been trying to do since I was woken up.”
The Hive didn’t say anything. I heard a single click of its mandible then the feed turned off and the screen went black.
Bello’s chair squeaked when she leaned forward and looked at the console. “We’ve got coordinates,” said Bello.
I flicked my gaze over to her.
“Do you think it’s a trap?” she said.
I stood and made my way off the bridge but not before ordering her to take us to the coordinates The Hive had given us. It didn’t matter if it was a trap. For everything The Hive did or didn’t do, it wasn’t on my side anymore.
And for three days while we traveled I ruminated on our situation, without coming to a conclusion, in my quarters until Bello called me to the bridge. Shaaban and Yazov sat to the side, watching the main video screen as the Terran Fleet grew larger and larger as we got closer and closer. It was considerably smaller in numbers than the last time we had seen it.
Shaaban looked ready to cry, and Yazov had a hint of a smile. Bello sat stone-faced. It was unclear if she was stealing herself for something or if the magnitude of the situation hadn’t hit her yet.
A communication window popped up on the video screen, overlaying the feed of the Terran Fleet. The face of a man I didn’t recognize filled the window. He spoke too loud, his voice shouting over the bridge intercom.
“Terran shuttle TFS S-45 you are cleared for landing in shuttle bay 75,” he said. “Our computers are taking over control of your vessel to guide you in.”
The shuttle rocked as our path changed without our input. The thrum of the engines altered as our velocity decreased. Bello took her hands off the console and sat back in her chair.
The four of us stood in silence until Bello said, “You have no idea how happy we are to see you.”
Somebody said something in a hushed whisper off screen. The man leaned to the side, taking his eyes off the camera and nodded. He leaned back in and cleared his throat.
“Surrender and prepare to be arrested,” he said.
Bello gasped. Yazov cursed. Shaaban gave a shout. I grit my teeth but wasn’t too surprised. It wasn’t like they were going to welcome us back with a parade. I’d hoped the imprisonment would have come a little later though.
“Force can and will be used if necessary,” he said. “Do not make us.”
Chapter Sixteen
We stood shackled in front of the seven-member Admiral Board. Guards were posted at the exits. The room was smaller than the one I’d been in before. Where that one was large and ornate this one was small and simple. The Board still sat up above us but the ceiling was low, the light was harsh and there were no video screens showing exterior shots. It was altogether almost claustrophobic.
Admiral Liu cleared her throat and then looked up and down the table at the other members. “It appears that we were in error sending you away,” she said.
“If we had given you up to General Braxa then we could have avoided this entire mess,” said Okafor.
Varma cleared her throat.
“The Board reminds Admiral Varma that she has been censured,” said Liu without looking at Varma, “for supporting a known criminal. The Board also reminds you that your speaking privileges for the duration of this hearing have been revoked.”
Varma chewed on her cheek and curled her upper lip. Her face turned red. The vein in her forehead throbbed, and the tendons in her neck were taught.
My filter dropped, and I said, “I’m not a criminal.” The others mumbled agreement.
“Aren’t you?” said Walsh. “You attacked Vantagax facilities. You destroyed property. You killed innocent workers and security.” He ticked off each of his points on his fingers. “You murdered an innocent Corse. All unprovoked.” He leaned forward. “It sounds like you’re a criminal.”
“What’s worse is that you corrupted the minds of law abiding Terran citizens,” said Okafor, gesturing towards Shaaban.
“You brought the might of General Braxa down on this entire fleet,” said Liu. “Your actions directly caused the death of thousands of people.” She paused as Varma leaned forward, shooting the other woman a glare. Varma narrowed her eyes and sat back in her chair.
Liu turned back to me and said, “What do you have to say for yourself?”
“General Braxa is out to destroy the human race,” I said. “He will stop at nothing. It isn’t just me. He won’t be happy if I’m handed over. He won’t be happy if I’m dead. He won’t be happy until every single last Terran is killed, and our memory is wiped from the galaxy.”
I panted, sucked in air through my mouth and exhaled it through my nose. No one on the Admiral Board said anything. Walsh had a smug smile across his face.
“We have to fight back,” I said. “We can’t be divided. We have to stand up and –“
Walsh slapped the table with his open palm. “We aren’t fighting,” he said. “Your rebellion against the powers of the galaxy won’t work. Your crusade against the Vantagax is nothing but a smoke screen to hide your misdeeds. I don’t know what exactly you did out there, but we won’t protect you anymore, and we won’t --”
“What I did was help stop a madman,” I said, trying to speak over Walsh.
“Admiral Walsh,” said Liu in a sharp, curt tone.
Walsh continued to stare at me for a few moments longer. I didn’t break eye contact. We didn’t stop glaring at each other until Walsh turned to Liu.
“General Braxa has made a formal request that we turn all of you over to him,” said Liu.
Bello gave a choked sound. Yazov muttered profanities. Shaaban stared straight ahead.
“We have decided to honor his request,” said Okafor.
“Not going to try and play this from the shadows then?” I said. “Going to be Braxa’s lapdog directly?”
Liu glared at me. “What are you talking about?” she said.
“You made sure that Braxa knew about our plans. You knew we got our information from Ataraskong and gave him up to Braxa,” I said. “You and the Confederacy.”
Bello started to quietly sob.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Liu.
“Don’t play stupid,” I said, spitting out my words in disgust. “It’s too late for that.”
Liu looked to the side then flicked her gaze over me then back to the other Admirals. She made a move to say something, but Okafor cleared his throat. Walsh rocked back and forth in his chair. He steepled his fingers over his
chest and had a shit-eating grin as he spoke.
“You’re right,” he said. “Admiral Okafor and I, with the help of the Confederacy, made sure General Braxa knew as much about your actions as possible.”
Varma leaned forward and started speaking almost before Walsh stopped. “You and Okafor unilaterally worked with another government to feed information to a known aggressor without going through the proper channels or even notifying anyone else?”
She continued to speak, but her mike was cut off and her voice was muffled by something. It was unclear if she knew no one could hear her.
“You are cut off, Admiral Varma,” said Liu. She didn’t look at Varma when she addressed her. “You have already been warned and have overstepped your bounds.”
Varma continued to rant, but Liu ignored her.
“Now,” said Liu turning her attention to Walsh and Okafor, “it appears that what you did was outside the proper channels, and in the future will not be permitted.” She cast a sidelong glance at us. “However, due to exceptional circumstances I’m going to let it stand. Admiral Walsh’s and Admiral Okafor’s actions were warranted in this case. The Admiral Board retroactively blesses their decision as we were already looking into reaching out for an alliance, albeit through official channels.”
The other Admirals nodded and agreed.
Varma’s eyes looked like they were going to pop from their sockets. She stood and stalked from the Admirals’ dais. Her footsteps thundered in the room as she marched out through a side exit.
The guards stationed at the door came up behind us. An additional four appeared from somewhere outside my peripheral vision. They all stood ramrod straight, weapons at the ready, eyes forward.
“You four will be restrained until we have met with General Braxa,” said Liu with a sniff. “You will be handed over into his custody. You will be tried by the Vantagax Republic. The Admiral Board will accept their judicial decision.” Liu nodded, as did the remaining Admirals, and we were led away.
The Terran Shepherd (The Terran Series Book 2) Page 10
