Starship Valor (The Galactic Wars Book 5)

by Tripp Ellis

Slade pushed back from the table and stood up. "Well, if you're not interested." She glanced to Walker. "Let's go.”

  ”What are you offering?” Nimval said.

  “I'm not going to waste my time if you're not going to listen."

  He paused a moment. “I’ll listen."

  Slade sat back down. “How would you like to get out of here?"

  “What’s the phrase…? Don't blow smoke up my ass.”

  “You know who I am, don't you?"

  Nimval nodded.

  "Do I seem to you like the kind of person who blows smoke?”

  Nimval was silent a moment. “They beat us. They abuse us. We’re malnourished. We don't get medical attention. They use us as slave labor, against every galactic convention.”

  “I'm willing to set you and your comrades free."

  Nimval looked intrigued, then skeptical. “What's the catch?"

  “You fight for me."

  Nimval laughed. “You can't be serious?”

  “I have an armada of Decluvian ships and no one to fly them."

  “You want my men to take their stations and go into battle for you?"

  "Yes."

  “And then you’re just going to let us take those ships back to Decluvia?”

  “Yes. Provided you and your troops swear an oath to never attack New Earth again.”

  “And what makes you think we'll keep our word?”

  “Honor among warriors.”

  Nimval chuckled. “You want us to defy the Emperor?”

  “Your Emperor led you into an unjust war. Sacrificed countless lives. Left you all here to die without any negotiation for your return. With the fleet under your control, you wouldn't have to listen to the Emperor.”

  Nimval pondered this for a moment.

  “Who knows, there could even be a regime change?” Slade said.

  The Decluvian’s eyes sparkled with the possibilities. “I believe I can persuade my troops to agree."

  “Excellent." Slade stood up and offered her hand. She knew the Decluvian’s skin could be toxic. They were an aposematic species—they could secrete a toxin through sweat at will. Almost instantaneous paralysis and loss of autonomic function would result. But it was a gesture of faith.

  Walker watched with concern as the two clasped hands.

  42

  Tyler

  Tyler tapped on his earbud. "Talk to me, Donovan."

  “Slight technical issues,” she said. “We'll get her started." She and Horton were still stuck on the surface, unable to start the drill rig.

  “I’m coming back for you.”

  “And what’s that going to accomplish, sir?" Donovan said. "There's no room for us in your vehicle. All you're going to do is risk more lives."

  Tyler clenched his jaw. He knew Donovan was right.

  “It's not worth compromising the mission, sir. Who knows, maybe we can get this thing started? If so, we'll see you at the command center. If not, I'll see you on the other side.”

  Tyler felt his throat tighten. He always liked Donovan, even if she hadn’t recommended him for promotion. She was a damn good operator. She may have been as tough as nails, but she always put the needs of the platoon first.

  Tyler jammed on the brakes.

  “What the hell are you doing, Ensign?” Elliott asked.

  “We’re going back for them.” Tyler started to make a K-turn in the tunnel. But the click of a handgun changed his mind. He felt the cold steel barrel press against his neck.

  “Keep driving, Ensign,” Elliott said. “Stick to the mission objective. Your priority is the safe return of Dr. Noble to New Earth.”

  Tyler clenched his jaw.

  “What are you doing, Weston?” Holly asked.

  “Shut up.”

  In such a confined space, Tyler's options were limited. He’d normally attempt to disarm someone that had a gun to his head. But he knew the odds were high that the gun would go off during a struggle. Even if he could avoid the initial blast, the ricochet might kill him, or someone else.

  Faulkner’s hand crept toward his sidearm.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Elliott yelled. His eyes were wide, and he was full of adrenaline.

  Faulkner held steady. His eyes darted to Tyler's, looking for guidance. Tyler gave him a nod to back down.

  “Those chemical tanks could blow at any minute,” Elliott said. “Start moving.”

  Tyler throttled up and plunged the vehicle down the ramp. The main passageway spiraled to a depth of 2.9 miles underneath the surface. Hundreds of tertiary passageways branched off the main tunnel. All of the passageways were well marked, so it was fairly easy to keep oriented. But all bets were off if the tunnels collapsed.

  It took 10 minutes to reach the command center as they snaked through the passageways. Tyler hit the brakes, and the rig ground to a halt. He killed the engine.

  “Open the hatch,” Elliott barked.

  Tyler unlatched the hatch and threw it open. It squealed, then clanked as it slammed against the hull. Tyler climbed out and scanned the area. There didn’t seem to be any of those creatures running around.

  Elliott waved the pistol at Faulkner, motioning him to get out. Faulkner climbed through the hatch.

  Elliott pulled the hatch shut, sealing himself and Holly inside the excavator.

  “What are you doing?” Holly asked.

  “We are going to stay inside this vehicle and ride this thing out. Then we’ll dig our way back to the surface and wait for another rescue team.”

  “I am not sitting in this vehicle with you.”

  “You’re mad because I did what’s best for us?”

  Holly sneered at him.

  “Holly, this research… your research, is more important than any grunt. This will ensure mankind as the dominant species in the galaxy. We can completely obliterate our enemies with almost no loss of human life.”

  “All of my research is in the lab. And that’s about to be obliterated.”

  Elliott dug into his pack and pulled out a specimen container. It was full of larvae in a stasis solution.

  Holly’s eyes went wide. “What are you doing with that?”

  “I took it from the lab.”

  “You shouldn’t have done that. Those need to be transported in secure bio containers.”

  “Trust me, I’m not going to drop it,” Elliott said. “Do you have any idea what this is worth to the company? You and I will be set for life. We’re talking trillions.”

  “What good is it if we’re all dead?”

  “I will do whatever it takes to keep us safe. I love you, babe. As far as I'm concerned, this whole platoon is expendable—and they have been since the beginning. The only thing that matters is you and me."

  Holly looked dumbstruck. “I don't think there is a you and me anymore."

  Elliott looked flabbergasted. “What? I fly all the way across the galaxy to save you, and you break up with me? Have you lost your mind?"

  “No. Actually, I think I'm having a moment of mental clarity."

  “Wow. Talk about ungrateful.”

  “No. I am grateful. I’m getting to see what a jackass you really are,” Holly squinted at him. “I know there may be no profit potential in it, but I do actually care about other human beings.”

  Holly moved to the hatch and started to unlock it.

  “Don’t be stupid, Holly. We’ve got a great future together.”

  “No. We don’t.” She released the latch and pushed the hatch open.

  Tyler grabbed her and pulled her up. Once she cleared the portal, Tyler tossed a canister of CX-40 into the bucket and slammed the hatch shut. He could hear the muffled pop of the canister through the hull of the rig.

  Dr. Noble looked alarmed. “What was that?”

  “Relax, he’ll be fine. It’s just going to put him to sleep for a little while.” He helped Dr. Noble climb down from the rig.

  “I say we waste the little weasel,” Faulkner said.

  Tyler c
ould hear Elliott coughing inside the bucket. Then things went silent. After a few moments, Tyler opened the hatch, and white smoke wafted out. He and Faulkner stepped back to avoid the fumes.

  Once the smoke cleared, Faulkner dropped down into the bucket and grabbed Elliott. He hefted his body up, and Tyler pulled him through the hatch. He slung Elliott over his shoulder and jumped off the rig. Tyler's boots smacked against the hard rock. The sound echoed throughout the caverns.

  The cooling system in the mineshaft wasn't working. At this depth, the air temperature was 135°. The geothermal gradient increased the deeper they went. Vega Navi had an internal core temperature around 7000°. The air was thick and stifling.

  Dr. Noble moved to the main entrance of the command center. She punched the access code into the keypad and the door slid open. The team filed in, and Tyler closed the door behind them.

  The entrance opened into a lounge area. There was a cafeteria next door and several corporate offices. There was a command station, and beyond that were living quarters. There was a med center, rec-room, and a weight room.

  Tyler marched into the lounge and flopped Elliott onto the couch. From his pack, Tyler pulled out a few zip ties and hogtied Elliott. “That ought to keep him out of trouble.” Tyler turned toward the door. “Faulkner, keep an eye on him.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  “Where are you going?” Dr. Noble asked.

  “Back to the surface for Donovan and Horton.”

  “You’ll never make it in time,” Dr. Noble said.

  Tyler tapped his earbud. “Donovan? You there?”

  There was no response.

  “Donovan, do you copy?”

  Still nothing but digital static on the line.

  “You won’t be able to get a signal this far down,” Dr. Noble said. “It can’t penetrate the rock.”

  Tyler took a look at his PDU—no signal from the drones. He was blind as to what was happening on the surface.

  If Donovan and Horton stayed in the drill rig, they’d likely still be alive. But Tyler knew Donovan wasn’t one to stay put. If Donovan was going to die, she’d want to go out in a blaze of glory. The Master Chief was probably emptying magazine after magazine into those horrid insects.

  Holly grabbed Tyler’s arm. “If you leave us down here, and don’t make it back, we’ll be stuck. Either way, somebody dies.”

  43

  Walker

  "I'm sorry, but that's just not possible," Sawyer said. He was flustered, almost panicking. “The prisoners have certain… responsibilities here."

  Slade’s disdain for this guy was growing exponentially. “I realize that the prospect of losing over 30,000 free workers is going to negatively affect your bottom line. Perhaps it might solve your protestor problem. But in case you haven't noticed, New Earth is currently occupied by hostile invaders.”

  “And you want to let more hostile forces on the loose?" Sawyer scoffed.

  “I'm not asking.”

  “This is a private facility. You have no jurisdiction here."

  “You are operating this prison camp under the direction and control of the UPDF. As the ranking officer in the fleet, you are obligated to comply with my request."

  “I'm sorry, Admiral. But I'm going to need authorization from the Department of Defense, or the President himself.”

  “Have you ever witnessed the destructive capabilities of an Avenger class destroyer?”

  Sawyer flashed a smug grin. "Of course. You know, Sokolov Industries designed and manufactured those.”

  “I'm in command of one. She's taken a lot of abuse recently. I'd hate for her weapons system to malfunction and accidentally destroy your manufacturing plant. That would be a tragedy, wouldn't it? Very costly, I assume.”

  Sawyer's face tensed. "You wouldn't dare."

  “Do you want to find out?"

  Of the 30 Decluvian warships, 27 were functional and ready for battle. The ships had been infected with a virus before their capture, so they really hadn't suffered much physical abuse.

  The guards watched nervously as thousands of Decluvians lined up to board the ships. Their hands gripped tight around their weapons, waiting for insurrection. But it never came. The prisoners proceeded in an orderly fashion.

  Slade watched the massive lines flow. Walker, Violet, and Mitch stood by her side. She hadn't died yet from the handshake with Nimval. She figured if the toxin hadn't taken effect by now, she was probably in the clear.

  “For the record, I think you’re making a terrible mistake," Sawyer said. "I have noted my objection in the company log."

  “Thank you, Mr. Collins. I appreciate your support.”

  Sawyer grumbled something under his breath and stormed away.

  “You’re sure the operating systems have been restored?” Slade asked Violet.

  “It was a challenge, but everything is updated and functioning. I've also left a backdoor into the system. If things should not go as planned, we can remotely disable system operations."

  Slade smiled. “That makes me feel a little better about this whole thing."

  The Decluvians loaded into the ships and took their stations. The massive destroyers rumbled to life. The engines ramped up and the thrusters glowed. Plumes of dust spread from underneath the warships as they lifted into the air and ascended into the upper atmosphere.

  Slade never thought she’d be standing in a situation room with 27 Decluvian captains, but there she was.

  She projected a three-dimensional image of the robots’ mega-structure near Auva Prime. It was a sleek modular colony that had been home to the robots since they fled from New Earth over a century ago.

  Several months prior, the Navy Reapers had performed a long-range reconnaissance of the structure. The facility had been mapped and detailed information about defenses recorded. Commander Walker personally participated in the mission, and had intimate knowledge of the mega-structure.

  “This is our target," Slade said. “According to our recon data, and a comparative analysis of the fleet currently occupying New Earth, only twenty warships were left behind to defend the colony.”

  “Only twenty?” one of the Decluvian’s said, his tone thick with sarcasm.

  “Relatively speaking, I think that gives us pretty good odds,” Slade said.

  “We know nothing about these warships—their shielding, materials, weaponry…”

  Walker stepped in. “From our previous engagements, we know they have a very sophisticated defense system. Highly accurate tracking systems allow them to target and eliminate inbound nuclear threats quickly. We haven't been able to analyze their composite material firsthand, but it appears to be twice as strong as anything we've been able to create. And they also have electromagnetic shielding”

  “You're not painting a very encouraging picture. Are we just going to rush in and hope for the best?"

  There were chuckles all around.

  “Engage the enemy fleet, distract their focus, and our spec-ops teams will do the rest,” Slade said.

  Walker displayed a high resolution recon photo of the mega-structure. He pointed at the screen. “There is a primary reactor that powers the entire structure, located here. There are no external exhaust ports. We believe they are using liquid cooled heat exchangers to dissipate the heat.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “Because I’ve been inside the structure before,” Slade said. “Violet was able to access data and schematics.”

  “These are maintenance access hatches,” Violet said, pointing to the display. “These will allow a point of entry. A charge placed in this shaft will be enough to take out the cooling system. Which in turn will take out the reactor.”

  “Who’s the lucky bastard who gets to do that job?” one of the Decluvians asked sarcastically. “Sounds like a suicide mission.”

  Slade glanced at Walker with worry in her eyes.

  44

  Tyler

  The mission objective was to recover Dr. Holly No
ble. Attempting to rescue Val Donovan would put that objective in jeopardy. It was a no-win situation, and Tyler didn't like no-win situations.

  His skin was still searing from the DETMT. It was red and blistered. He was definitely having some type of reaction. Faulkner didn't seem to be as affected.

  “This was designed as a secondary command center and emergency facility in case of tunnel collapse,” Dr. Noble said. “There are enough supplies down here to last for months. All the comforts of home. There are showers, a jacuzzi, even a sauna.”

  “Shit, when’s the party?” Faulkner asked.

  “Anytime now,” Tyler said, looking at his watch. His tone was grim. They were past the estimated time of explosion. From here on out, it was anybody’s guess when the big boom was going to happen.

  Elliott was beginning to regain consciousness. It didn’t take him long to realize he had been restrained. He was still quite foggy from the CX-40.

  Tyler got in his face. "You're lucky to be alive. I usually kill people who point weapons at me."

  Elliott was trembling. His eyes were wide. "I was only thinking of our mission objective."

  “Save it, scumbag."

  “You should know, he's got a specimen container of the larvae in his pack,” Dr. Noble said.

  Tyler scowled at Elliott. He dug through the smarmy little man's pack and found the specimen container. Tyler pulled it out and stared at the squirmy translucent creatures inside.

  “That's property of HK,” Elliott said. “It needs to go back to New Earth.”

  "New Earth is the last place this needs to go back to."

  “You don't understand the potential.”

  Tyler clenched his jaw. He was seething. “I don't understand the potential? I just lost an entire platoon. What exactly do you think I don't understand?"

  “This could end war as we know it. No platoon would ever need to fall at the hands of the enemy again."

  Elliott had a point. But the risk was too great. Just one of those insects loose on a populated planet could wreak havoc. And in the wrong hands, it could mean the end of humanity.