The Ascendant Stars_Book Three of Humanity's Fire

by Michael Cobley

  Ash was standing before the big angled holoscreens, his face like stone. Gazing down at him were the faces of Admiral Olarevic of the Vox Humana and Vice-Admiral Ngassa. The latter was speaking.

  ‘ … is the sum total of all they are saying, Lieutenant. They regard the Imisil as a direct threat to their allies and an implicit threat to themselves. If they do not leave, Supreme Overcommander Gannor cannot offer any guarantees of peaceful cooperation.’

  For a moment no one spoke.

  ‘Well, they do only have five vessels,’ said Admiral Olarevic. ‘It would not be a loss.’

  ‘I understand that, Madam Admiral,’ Ash said. ‘My concern is the reliability or otherwise of the Hegemony’s fleet’s Supreme Overcommander.’

  ‘Lieutenant,’ said Ngassa, ‘I actually have some acquaintance with Gannor. When I was commodore of the escort flotillas in the Yamanon he was overcommander of their Third Echelon and we cooperated on a number of occasions. I always found him straightforward and honourable.’

  Standing off to the side, Greg rolled his eyes. Aye, and I’ll bet he was a gentleman and a scholar, too …

  ‘Your appraisal is greatly appreciated, Vice-Admiral,’ said Ash. ‘But it would be more helpful if we were to have direct contact with the Supreme Overcommander … ’

  ‘That’s not possible, I’m afraid,’ Ngassa said. ‘Gannor insists that he will speak with no one but myself. Now, time is running out, Lieutenant Ash, and I strongly recommend that you accept these terms and ask the Imisil to depart.’

  ‘I shall give this matter close and urgent attention, sir,’ Ash said. ‘Now I must consult with our other allies before reaching a consensus, which I shall convey to you within the hour.’

  ‘Understood, Lieutenant. Till then.’

  As the screen went into standby, Ash turned to the image of the Vox Humana admiral on the other.

  ‘Admiral Olarevic, could you bear with me for a moment while we establish channels with the other leaders?’

  ‘Of course, Lieutenant.’

  Ash nodded, turned to give terse orders to a waiting subordinate then beckoned Greg and Berg over. Frowning, he prodded the charred slash across Berg’s chest.

  ‘What exactly happened on board Ngassa’s pinnace?’

  Berg delivered a brief account of the adjutant’s betrayal, and the occupying AI’s comments just after the appearance of the Hegemony armada.

  ‘Did the vice-admiral give any indication at any time of having been in communication with the Hegemony commander?’

  ‘Not at all, sir.’

  ‘He was in sight nearly all the time we were there,’ said Greg. ‘Never heard a thing about Hegemony messages.’

  ‘Yet from when you left his ship to before you even got here,’ Ash said, ‘an exchange took place between him and this Supreme Overcommander. Something doesn’t smell right.’

  He broke off when a sub-lieutenant told him everything was ready. ‘Watch closely,’ he told Greg and Berg before moving back into the confer-image zone before the big screens. In addition to the face of Olarevic, there was Braddock, the Tygran officer, K’ang Lo, the captain of the Pyrean rockhab the Retributor, and First Proposer Conlyph, the new ranking Imisil commander.

  ‘Earthsphere Vice-Admiral Ngassa has been in communication with the Hegemony Supreme Overcommander Gannor,’ said Ash. ‘Gannor says he is willing to cooperate with Earthsphere’s stance on Darien’s protectorate status, provided that all Imisil vessels depart from the system without delay.’

  Braddock leaned forward. ‘Did the SO offer to reduce Hegemony military presence in the system?’

  ‘I wasn’t made aware of any such offer,’ said Ash.

  ‘Did the Hegemony commander settle upon particular areas of cooperation?’ said K’ang Lo.

  ‘The vice-admiral mentioned no such specifications on their part.’

  ‘How did Ngassa seem to regard the SO’s proposal?’ said Braddock.

  ‘He takes it seriously,’ Ash said. ‘He certainly seems to think that the offer is genuine and practical.’

  At this, the Imisil commander, a Vikantan like Remosca, shook his head while the spot-clusters on his face pulsed a steady violet.

  ‘Be aware that Hegemony military commanders are not in the habit of negotiating away any advantage,’ he said. ‘They are always seeking to teach lessons, and that huge fleet of theirs will be used to teach all other civilisations the lesson that the slightest defiance will be crushed without mercy. The fact that they have not already launched their attack can only mean that there is another factor in play.’

  And I think I know what that is, thought Greg.

  In the next moment, the Vox Humana admiral said: ‘I have heard high-level rumours that Hegemony scientists have uncovered technology left behind by the Forerunners, working technology … ’

  ‘But why should that cause them to stay their hand?’ said Braddock.

  ‘This is speculation,’ said Ash. ‘We need to focus on how to respond to the … ’

  He paused when the comms sub-lieutenant started gesturing urgently at him. ‘Sir, you need to see this – it’s being widecast from a low-orbit satellite that popped up from the planet’s surface just minutes ago … ’

  ‘Who’s it from?’

  ‘Someone claiming to be president pro-tem of Darien.’

  ‘Show me.’

  Another screen came to life and Greg found himself staring in disbelief up at the bearded visage of Vashutkin, the Rus politician.

  ‘My name is Alexandr Vashutkin,’ he began. ‘I was minister for energy and transport under President Sundstrom, the Darien colony’s last legitimate leader. The president and his cabinet were murdered by extremist xenophobic terrorists – only I survived because ill health kept me from attending that fateful meeting. These same terrorists have been holding me prisoner until I was freed by forces loyal to the Hegemony ambassador, the exalted Utavess Kuros.

  ‘As the last surviving minister of the Sundstrom government, I am now declaring myself president pro-tem, as is permitted under the articles of the Darien colonial constitution. My first executive edict is as follows – the military forces of Earthsphere, the Vox Humana, the Pyrean asteroid-habitat, and the Sendrukan Hegemony are permitted to remain in orbit about Darien, provided all combat-ready postures are downgraded to neutral. All other vessels must leave this star system immediately. I understand that you came here believing that this colony was under some kind of threat. Darien’s new protectorate status, and the negotiations now ongoing between the Earthsphere and Hegemony commanders, prove that there is no threat. Therefore there is no need for you to remain. Please leave.

  ‘There is one further matter I wish to address, that of Gregory Cameron, former head of research at the Giant’s Shoulder excavation site. Anyone watching this announcement should beware of taking at face value anything that Mr Cameron says. He is an adventurer, a brigand and a liar, and later today I shall be issuing a warrant for his arrest on charges of treason. If any ship in the skies over Darien is harbouring this man I strongly urge its captain to hand him over to any Earthsphere vessel.

  ‘For the time being, that is all. In the name of peace and justice, I wish you well.’

  The moment the message ended, Ash turned to his comm officer and said: ‘Have that vid analysed – I want to know what kind of equipment it was made with and anything else you can find out.’

  Meanwhile, all eyes were on Greg, who was half infuriated and half full of an urge to laugh out loud.

  ‘That lying, scheming, scum-sucking toerag!’ he growled.

  ‘I assume that you’re not going to let that go unanswered,’ said Ash, with the ghost of a smile haunting his lips.

  ‘Bloody right I’m not,’ Greg said, striding forward. ‘Can you put me out on the same channel? – let me know when to begin.’

  ‘Look up at the screen and start whenever you are ready,’ Ash said.

  Greg nodded, tilted his head back a little and put on a smile.


  ‘Hello, Alexandr. Greg Cameron here. That’s right, Greg Cameron, adventurer, freedom fighter, and grudge-holder. I saw that wee movie of yours and I must say it’s the funniest piece of gobshite I’ve heard since, well, since that spineless weasel Kirkland went on live vee to tell everyone what great friends the Brolts were, how much they cared for us ground-hugging Darienites, while they were rounding up anyone who stepped out of line. So your little proclamation was fine, sincere gravitas and all that, but there’s a few things that you missed out – like the facts.

  ‘Fact number one – you weren’t imprisoned by terrorists. Truth is, you’ve been working and fighting alongside members of the resistance for the last couple of weeks. And here’s juicy fact number two – while you were doing that, you were also trying to think up some way to stab me in the back and still come out o’ it smelling flowery. Then along came that vital mission to Giant’s Shoulder. You invited yourself, helped fight off the pack of combat mechs we found there and just at the very moment when I was on my knees, exhausted, or as a good friend would say, right scunnered – then you turned your gun on me.’

  Greg, his eyes flashing, face animated, almost snarled up at the screen.

  ‘I remember it perfectly, Alexandr, that sickening moment of betrayal. I was lucky, though – someone else pulled me outta there and saved my life. But I wonder if you remember that moment, Alexandr – do you? Ah, but then it’s not really Alexandr Vashutkin I’m talking to, is it? No, you’re some kind of AI creature, something cooked up in a Hegemony lab … ’

  Suddenly a loud, stuttering alarm sounded, interrupting him, and a voice came over the address system.

  ‘We are under fire from unknown hostiles – brace for battle turbulence, repeat, brace for … ’

  Greg had already grabbed hold of a nearby fixed Sendrukan-scale chair, but he wasn’t ready for the ferocity of the impact. It came up through the deck and knocked everyone off their feet, with many, like Greg, losing their grip. He was thrown across the deck and tried to roll into it. As he came to a halt, face down, he felt a slow wave of weightlessness pass over him and for a second he found himself lifting slightly into the air, before he slumped back down again.

  Ash, however, was already back on his feet and working at one of the consoles while the comms officer fitted him with a onesided headset.

  ‘Attention all crew – we have been fired on by units of the Hegemony armada. From here on it is going to be a rough ride so stay at your posts, maintain body security, and be ready. Stormlions advance!’

  As the battle cry echoed along the corridors, Greg got to his feet and went over to join Ash.

  ‘What the hell was that?’ he said.

  Ash gave him a sardonic look. ‘Might have been something that you said, Mr Cameron … ’

  ‘Hey, I’m good but I don’t think I’m that good.’

  The Tygran shrugged. ‘Well, whatever the reason, they launched their attack with precision.’ He pointed up at a schematic of the defending vessels near Darien with a larger X-shaped formation approaching. ‘Ninety-eight capital ships, including twenty maulers, each mounting at least a dozen heavy beam projectors and pulse cannon. It was their combined punch that nearly ended the show before it began. Our auto-system brought up the shields just in time but others weren’t so lucky – the Vox Humana have lost three ships already and right now if it weren’t for the coordinated shields of the Imisil and Ngassa’s heavy cruisers, half our fleet would be glowing wreckage.’

  ‘A sneak attack,’ Greg said, glancing up at the tactical overview. A hundred ships – and that’s just a twentieth of what they’ve got. ‘So how long can we hold out?’

  ‘You should be more optimistic, Mr Cameron,’ Ash said. ‘After all, we do have a secret weapon.’

  ‘We do?’

  ‘Most certainly – ah, speaking of which.’

  On the left-hand screen, a frame expanded to show the head and shoulders of K’ang Lo, the commander of the Pyrean rockhab, the Retributor.

  ‘Shih Ash,’ K’ang Lo said. ‘My news is good – the dragon is ready to breathe. My engineers now require only a clear line of sight.’

  ‘Excellent, Duizhang! I am about to create it for you.’

  K’ang Lo’s image shrank a little off to one side while another appeared in its place. It was Vice-Admiral Ngassa.

  ‘Lieutenant, where’s this counterstrike of yours?’ Ngassa said. ‘Maintaining these shields is draining our cells at an unsustainable rate.’

  ‘It’s ready now, Vice-Admiral. If you pull your vessels back from a channel along these coordinates then wait for the shield signal … ’

  ‘I have the coordinates now, Lieutenant. This shouldn’t take long.’

  ‘The Pyreans have a weapon?’ Greg murmured as Ngassa’s picture shrank into a corner. ‘What does it do?’

  ‘Something they got from the Roug,’ Ash said. ‘I just hope it’s enough to take out some of those maulers. Otherwise we’ve got real problems … ’

  Moments later Vice-Admiral Ngassa confirmed that the manoeuvres were complete, as did the Imisil commander. Ash then informed K’ang Lo, who smiled.

  ‘My engineers have monitored the progress and we have already acquired our target. The dragon is ready.’

  The Earthsphere vice-admiral nodded gravely. ‘Shield will open along that channel in ten … nine … eight … ’

  The other screens still showed the Hegemony formation, the spread-out X of vessels with the mauler ships clustered around the centre. They were firing off massive bursts of energy and energised particles which were hammering against the interlocked shields of the defending fleet. Then the vice-admiral’s countdown reached one … and for a heartbeat there was nothing, an instant of hollow dread, a millisecond of panic …

  Then the dragon roared.

  A pillar of force and energy leaped along that channel cleared through the loose formation of vessels and stabbed out towards the oncoming Hegemony ships. It was almost too bright to watch but the visual systems quickly filtered and enhanced. Greg stared open-mouthed as that ferocious torrent smashed into the Hegemony vessels, scything through hulls like laser drills through paper, cutting them apart, grinding them up. In fact, those formerly fearsome ships appeared to be dissolving in that annihilating incandescence.

  And abruptly, it was gone.

  Without that immense sunfire-spear, all seemed to suddenly plunge into darkness until the visual systems adapted. One screen showed the remnants of the X-formation in full retreat, leaving clouds of glowing fragments in their wake. Greg could hear cheers from elsewhere on board but he couldn’t help thinking about the hundreds of Sendrukans who must have experienced a moment or two of searing agony before being sent to their deaths.

  They would have surely done the same to us and without hesitation, he thought. Disnae make me feel any better, though …

  ‘Why have they stopped firing, Lieutenant?’

  Vice-Admiral Ngassa’s face was glaring down at Ash.

  ‘The weapon can only fire continuously for about fifty seconds, Vice-Admiral,’ Ash said. ‘Then it needs just under three minutes to charge.’

  ‘Three minutes?’ Ngassa was incredulous. ‘If that’s true then we cannot maintain our current position. They are already preparing the next attacks and we must not become a sitting duck … ’

  Ash switched his attention to the screen with the long-range scan data and schematics, seemingly taking it all in with a two-second glance.

  ‘Carriers and launcher platforms,’ he said. ‘Could be a problem.’

  ‘Worse than that, Lieutenant – the Supreme Overcommander is toying with us, advancing another of his hundred-piece formations rather than committing his entire force.’

  Ash grinned. ‘Perhaps we should move out to engage with the next wave and unleash the dragon when it’s ready.’

  ‘Aye, but if it was up to me,’ Greg said, ‘I’d find out where the Supreme Thingummy is hiding hisself and go after him, full tilt
, all guns blazing.’ He paused, suddenly aware of Ash and Ngassa’s intent stares. ‘But that’s just me … ’

  ‘Actually,’ said Ash, ‘that is a fair summation of the Imisil commander’s recommendation.’

  ‘My tactical officer proposes a curved trajectory around Darien,’ Ngassa said. ‘With the Retributor positioned at our formation’s leading flank it can target that weapon across a wider field. Using short bursts more tightly focused – and watching out for the Supreme Overcommander’s flagship, of course.’

  By now they had been joined by Admiral Olarevic, the Imisil First Proposer Conlyph, and the Duizhang K’ang Lo, who was quick to agree with the Earthsphere plan. Olarevic was reluctant and had to be convinced, essentially by the possibility of Vox Humana ships being left to fend for themselves.

  It took just over a minute for all the vessels of the combined fleet to embed the new course data, then they set off in unison. At the same time some had to manoeuvre aside within the cluster of ships to allow the bulky, irregular mass of the Retributor to move forward. All this while the Hegemony forces kept up a sustained bombardment of pulse rounds, missiles and submunition clusters – ninety per cent of their vessels were maintaining their stand-off positions yet they were still contributing to the incessant barrage of destruction that clawed at the defenders’ interleaved shields.

  ‘Duizhang K’ang Lo,’ said Ngassa. ‘Is your weapon ready to fire?’

  ‘Yes, Vice-Admiral,’ K’ang Lo said. ‘Our dragon knows where the enemies are.’

  ‘You have control of the shields, Duizhang. The timing is fully in your hands so please, teach these intruders a lesson.’

  K’ang Lo smiled wordlessly before his image vanished.

  This time Greg could see the weapon itself. Visual feeds relayed from ships near the Retributor showed an odd geodesic-like structure on top of the asteroid habitat. The dome’s polyhedrals were translucent, almost with a shimmering moiré effect, while within a knot of something impossibly bright burned. Then with a shocking suddenness the dazzling column of energies lanced out for two seconds then cut out. Then it appeared again, pointing in a different direction, two seconds then off. And again and again and again. On the big screens Greg could see the sheer havoc that the Roug weapon was wreaking in the ranks of the enemy, ships sliced in half, some half-wrecked but spiralling off with uncontrolled thrust drives burning, others blowing themselves apart and catching other vessels in the blast radius.