Even in the bond, Antreeba couldn’t get a feel for Rask. It was as if there was nothing there to sense. There were no evil intentions but no good ones either. He was the most robot-like person he’d ever met. In fact most robots were programmed with more personality than Marten. Not that Marten never showed emotion, or humor, just that it was rare, seemingly at random and often vanished as quickly as it arrived. Marten Rask unsettled Antreeba, but Antreeba knew that he must not let it affect his duties during this mission, especially now that it was possibly time to unsheathe his claws.
The Mote’s Eye was large, with the hold plenty big enough to hold the Paladins’ twelve Recon Nebula fighters, along with a shuttle, three repulsor cars of varying size and a fleet of pulse-bikes. It had three entrances - the cavernous main hold door, a smaller stock loading and unloading door that led to the rear of the hold where non-vehicular cargo was stored and the crew entry / docking port which led directly into the crew area. Engineering was below decks, accessible only via various points within the main deck.
It was unlikely the four interlopers would attempt to access the ship via the main hold and indeed Antreeba could sense that they were slowly moving towards the crew port. Marten was positioned mid-ship, so that he could move towards either the cargo door or the crew door should he need to, whilst Antreeba, Karlos Tsia’ool and Nathan waited in hiding in the main crew lounge, an area the hijackers would need to pass through to get to either engineering or the bridge.
One of the four intruders finally moved close to the crew entrance. There was no need to discuss their movements, each Edo could sense through the bond what the others felt, thought and knew. Marten slowly began to move back towards the crew area.
They had intentionally downgraded the security of the freighter to allow for a better chance of hijacking and it wasn’t long before the crew entrance ramp slowly extended down. They could sense the person move up the ramp to the door. Silently Marten eased back into the room. Two more of the hijackers moved to the door, the fourth hanging back slightly. The Deep user remained further back, unmoving.
Antreeba knew that they needed to capture at least one of the five alive. Wordlessly they agreed that Marten would slip out and capture the fourth hijacker whist Antreeba, Karlos and Nathan dealt with the intruders.
Even with the bond, Antreeba was surprised when Marten walked straight towards the corridor leading to the crew hatch. The external port hissed open as the hijacker broke through the security. He sensed Marten use Channeling to meddle with the intruders’ perception and hide from their vision. From Marten’s vision projection the three Edo could see that the intruders were a tough looking group, a Maldren with three large blood red cranial horns, a savage looking, heavily scarred Phalee with gloss black fur and a hulking human. They could sense that the three were nervous but confident, almost jubilant, meaning that they assumed that the freighter was unoccupied and their theft was almost assured.
Using precise, overlapping movements the three ship thieves moved down the corridor, towards the three waiting Edo. Antreeba felt that Karlos was excited, keen to apprehend the criminals. Patience, young one, thought Antreeba, let us wait until they are pincered by us.
Outside, Marten moved quietly towards the fourth thief. Again, he clouded the mind of the man, a thuggish-looking Idralish but as he did so he sensed alarm emanate from the Deep user. He slowed his approach towards the Idralish and noted that the Skave did not move, despite that they could now probably see Marten. Interesting. Here to make sure the thieves are successful or to silence them afterwards? Marten stopped, directly in front of the Idralish and waited, he would reveal himself at the same time as the others confronted those inside the ship. He pondered how to best capture the Skave.
Silently, the Maldren moved forward into the crew area. Quickly surveying the room, he gave an all clear sign. The Phalee and the human moved in.
Antreeba paused, resisting Karlos’ urge to move. Wait…
Now.
In perfect synchronicity the three Edo stood, hands carefully at their sides. The Phalee actually yelped in surprise, nearly causing Karlos Tsia’ool to laugh. The thieves were well trained and recovered quickly, dropping into crouches and bringing their side arms to bear. Each covered one Edo.
Slowly, Nathan Bircheno raised a hand in warning. The darkness of his brown eyes, glowing blue from his Channeling efforts, contrasted sharply with his pale complexion and blond hair, and, with a serious expression on his face, as he had now, he looked particularly unsettling, even compared to the Maldren. “Please consider your next actions very carefully. You do not have to die today.”
The Maldren sneered, standing up as he gained confidence. “I could say the same thing to you. We’re the ones with the weapons.” The Maldren blinked as each Edo somehow went from being unarmed to wielding shining Astral weapon projections.
The Phalee spoke. “Entrim, these are Edo. There’s no way we can go through with this now.”
“Shut your mouth, Chask. I make the decisions.” Entrim looked at each of the Edo in turn. “You’re just a kid. You look like you’re not sure what to do with that thing and no-one’s ever heard of a Towpine being an Edo. You’re all just playing Edo.”
Karlos smiled. “Try us.”
“No, please,” said Nathan, “we really are Edo Askari. We are looking for the Skave that attacked Himdel. We believe that the individual who has been watching you attempt your theft is a Skave.”
“What?” exclaimed Entrim. “We were followed?”
“It would seem so,” agreed Nathan. “We will allow you to leave if you assist us now. We need to know who it was who employed you and where you were supposed to deliver the ship.”
“Entrim, I like my limbs still attached to my body,” said the huge human. “Let’s help the Edo.”
Outside, just as the Antreeba, Karlos and Nathan stood up, Marten allowed the fourth thief to perceive him. This one reacted quickly, getting off a loose shot before Marten tore the rifle from his grip.
“Please, don’t fire at me again. I would prefer not to have to kill you.”
“Grettspit!” said the man, another human. “Where did you come from?”
“I was here all - “
With blinding speed, Marten reached out and used the Astrals to stop a Jovenar, a Skave throwing dagger, in midair. It had been intended to piece the man’s throat.
“It would seem,” said Marten, “that your benefactor no longer deems your existence advantageous.”
The man stared incredulously at the dagger, hanging impossibly in the air, a mere finger’s breadth from his neck.
“How?”
“Your employer is a Skave. I am an Edo. I suggest you stand behind me.” The thief didn’t need much encouragement. Marten allowed the dagger to drop, smashing as it hit the hard surface.
Marten used a Channeling technique to empower his voice. “Skave. I feel your presence. Face me, you must, if you wish to silence this human.”
A dark shadow stood, the only discernable detail a glistening bandolier full of the deadly Jovenar daggers.
“You are the broken Edo,” said a darkly alluring voice.
Rask assumed she meant his personality change. It was difficult to understand why she was stating a simple fact, if in strange terms. “I am what I am. Surrender.”
The Skave laughed. “I don’t think so.”
Just at that moment Antreeba emerged from the ship. The Skave didn’t wait for more Edo to appear. Dagger after dagger was hurled at Marten, Antreeba and the fourth thief, by means of the Deep and through physically throwing them. Marten blocked one after another but there were too many. There was a cry from behind him as the hijacker was hit and Marten felt a slight tug on his robe as a dagger passed too closely. Calmly, logically, Marten considered his options. He evaluated each and since he wished for no further loss of life within his group of Edo or the thieves, he decided on the most expedient choice.
Marten Rask drew deeply on the
Astrals, Channeling the power into a vicious stab through the Skave woman’s mind, and then tore. She dropped silently to the ground, not even having time to cry out. Airborne daggers no longer held by the Deep fell and smashed on the ground.
He felt the shock from the other Edo. Being battle-bonded they had been there as he decided on his action and bore witness to its gruesome result. Their reaction confused him, even though he could feel their emotions, their thoughts. They were alien, those thoughts and emotions. Incomprehensible. But rather than shy away, Marten basked in them, knowing that their feelings would once have been his own.
He looked back at the fourth thief, feeling his life-force drain away. He knelt down, took the man’s hand. Blood spread out from underneath the man. The man looked back at Marten, eyes already dimming.
“I am sorry I could not save you. Go peacefully.”
The man took a last, gurgling breath. Marten stood to face the other Edo and the now disarmed thieves. Karlos looked at Marten strangely, all wide-eyed. His expression had no meaning to Marten. Antreeba lumbered over to the dead Skave.
“Well,” said Nathan, composing himself. He looked at the three thieves. “Time for a little chat.”
Chapter Four
Admiral Petrina Adami paced around her private chambers, waiting for Doyen Weststar to respond to her comms projector request. He liked to play these games, the knowledge of which did nothing to ease her frustration. She appreciated what he had done for her after her failed coup, and understood their positions so why he felt the need to constantly remind her she didn’t know. Yes, she could be vicious and vindictive but she had never betrayed anyone, especially not an Imperial. She had thrown her lot in with Weststar, come what may. She hadn’t had much choice but that was neither here nor there. She would be loyal and eventually he would learn to trust her.
Finally Weststar’s face materialized from blue coherent light above the comms projector dais.
“Petrina, apologies for keeping you waiting. We’re having quite an interesting time in the Dominion at the moment.”
“Amos. Do tell.”
“Our esteemed leader has decided to implement a couple of new schemes - the Imperial Royal Defenders and the Emperor’s Fists.”
“Indeed,” said Adami, impressed but not overly so.
“What Brams failed to tell us was that the Guard and the Fists are Edo.” Weststar smiled at the surprised look Adami couldn’t prevent. “I see you understand the import of this news. We have already began countering them and fully intend to, ah, neutralize each and every one of them. We will teach them what happens to those who meddle in the affairs of the Dominion.”
“Weststar, tread carefully. The Edo are not to be underestimated. I have suffered at their hands on more than one occasion.”
“Oh I know you have, Petrina, but then you didn’t have Zhur Thoggu technology to aid you or my resources. Together we will stop them from foiling our plans. Brams will fall. Their involvement ultimately change nothing.”
Adami swallowed hard, unmoved by his rhetoric. “We shall see, Amos.”
Weststar seemed unfailingly confident. “Oh, yes we shall. How goes our operation?”
“The field trial was a complete success. The cruiser and Delta bomber tackled a freighter convoy defended by two Buderimian cruisers. The Ulorbana nanite steel absorbed all damage caused to the cruiser and the Delta bomber destroyed one of the cruisers single-handedly.” Adami smiled broadly. “All our other projects are now ready to test.”
“Excellent, excellent! You have worked miracles, Petrina. Please arrange for their testing to be completed as quickly as possible. I have a group of, ah, experts who are with my fleet - they will be retrieving a copy of the data so that we can start mass producing it here. Please ensure they are provided with the maximum of courtesy.”
Adami frowned. Why was he making such a big deal about their arrival? She already knew that she needed to provide the data to Weststar, of course he needed a copy. The safe transportation of the data back to the Dominion was important and so of course he needed someone he trusted to do so but that was hardly a matter he needed to impress on Adami.
She tilted her head. “They will be treated as if they were my own.”
“Wonderful, thank you my dear Petrina.”
Why did Weststar look nervous? Strange.
“I will impose no further on your time, Admiral. I will be in touch once the plans are on their way back to me.”
“Until then, Doyen Weststar.”
Weststar leant forward and switched off the comms projector. He turned to face a shadowy figure, sat in Weststar’s favorite arm chair across the room from his desk.
“Everything is proceeding as planned,” he said. “The Edo have arrived, just as you said they would, and the Zhur Thoggu technology is nearing fruition. We shall soon be ready to depose Brams and take rightful control of the Dominion.”
“Patience, Doyen Weststar,” replied the other, his voice soothing yet commanding. “The Edo must come first. That was our arrangement. I would not like to imagine what would happen were our agreed terms not honored.”
Weststar blanched. “I meant no such thing, Doyen Niettha.”
Niettha leant forward, his face emerging from the shadows. He smiled. “I am glad, Amos. I believe we understand each other. We must weaken the Edo. Once this is accomplished my allies will carry out the final vanquishing of the Edo sect. The Commonwealth, already without the Edo, is crumbling from within. With no Edo to rescue them it will then be time for you to claim the Dominion and defeat the Commonwealth, finally uniting the galaxy under your rule, Emperor Weststar.”
Niettha’s words were intoxicating, irresistible. As Neittha spoke Weststar felt giddy. Every word rang true, how could Niettha be anything but right.
“Yes…. yes,” was all Weststar could say. Emperor Weststar! All would tremble before him.
“Welcome, Fists,” said the Lieutenant, saluting smartly to Wren Furlan and Malene Zhao. “We appreciate you both coming to aid us with the thefts we’ve been experiencing. It is most unheard of, I assure you. We run a very tight ship here.”
Wren looked around. The weapons factory was very impressive. Humans and robots worked closely together within the enormous main hall, which stretched out as far as Wren could see. She sensed thousands of humans within the complex, all working with focused determination. The young Lieutenant Frast really did run a tight ship.
She looked at Malene Zhao, the Vynterian Edo. She gave off slight feelings of unease but to look at Malene, you would never had thought so. Serene, composed, assured. Wren felt a pang of jealously. At Malene’s age Wren was still struggling to overcome her shyness, lack of confidence and had had issues with how her beauty could be used. Wren had grown a great deal since then but still, she envied Malene’s natural poise and manner. I will watch this one, she thought. There is much she can teach me.
Malene smiled at the Lieutenant. Wren felt the impact it had on the young man, like a Channeled Astral push to his face. Wren almost laughed.
“Would you take us on a tour of your impressive facility, Lieutenant Frast?” purred Malene Zhao. Wren could tell Malene wasn’t Channeling but already she had the man helpless.
“Of course, it would be my honor,” replied the poor man, far too excited to be decent. Malene winked at Wren as the man turned. Wren rolled her eyes.
The inspection revealed little information, but it did provide plenty of opportunity for the two Edo to be seen in their new Fists of the Dominion uniforms. It was not lost to the Edo that their role was twofold - seek out those opposing Brams and build support for him. Word would spread of their visit, increasing their reach and influence throughout the Dominion. Each appearance by the Fists would help combat the loss of support for Riccard Brams by showing that he was doing something about the problems. Wren hoped it would be enough.
“Perhaps we can go somewhere secure so that we can go over the specifics of the last theft,” asked the Lieuten
ant.
Malene teased him. “Why? You just want to get us alone, don’t you?”
He actually blushed. “Of course not,” he stammered. “Please, this way.”
Frast led them into an office complex. Men and women worked studiously at their terminals, with only small furtive glances betraying their knowledge of the Fists’ visit.
“My office is not far, I have a presentation set up ready for you.”
Wren wasn’t listening. One of the workers, an overweight middle-aged man, was nervous about something. She sensed he was also about to carry out some sort of action.
“You,” she shouted, pointing at the man. “Stop whatever you’re about to do.”
He looked alarmed but a sense of grim determination colored his thoughts and his hand pressed at something concealed within his shirt. The man sat back, worried but relieved.
“Lieutenant Frast, that man. I need to know what he just did,” said Wren as she turned to Frast.
Frast motioned to a pair security officers who rushed to the man and grabbing an arm each pulled him to his feet.
Frast glanced at the man’s name tag. “Mister Enisli, report. What did you just do?”
“Sir, nothing!” exclaimed the man, trying to feign confusion. Wren was frustrated from having to hide her Edo abilities. She could have easily stopped the man from moving his arm but his paralysis would have been hard to explain. Nor could she just tell the man she knew he was lying.
Wren looked over at Malene. “Fist Glurner, cover the room please.” Malene nodded and moved away, alert.
“Now, Mister Enisli, I assume you know that I am a Fist of the Dominion and I answer only to the High Doyen?” He nodded his head, still pretending to be confused. “I also assume you know that I saw you press something underneath your shirt.”
The Rise of The Dominion: A Dominion War novel Page 6
