Komi Syndicate (Dark Seas Book 6)

by Damon Alan

  “Inez, it’s Sarah. You’re not only my choice as replacement for me someday, you’re my friend. If you think this ship is going to retreat while you fight, you should probably rethink what you know about your admiral.”

  “Admiral—” Heinrich started to protest.

  “The Sheffaris is not only a fully capable ELINT ship, it’s armed with enough antimatter missiles to equal a fleet carrier full of grapplers. When I had him rebuilt, I made sure this ship was capable of being in the fight. They’re not even going to see us. So we will be staying here, beside our comrades, and fighting if it comes to that. Keep that in mind, we are at your disposal.”

  “Understood, Admiral,” Heinrich replied. “We’ll work you into the battle plan.”

  “Dayson out.”

  Heinrich looked at Kuo. “She’s a pain in the backside.”

  “Always has been,” he responded. “More than once I thought Admiral Heyden was going to court-martial her.”

  “Do you know anything about that ship she’s in?”

  “It was part of the Hyaku’s defense squadron before. I recommended it to her when she asked me for a ship that could spy on Hive space alone. Generates enough ECM and ECCM for an entire fleet, and has the sensor package to coordinate a battle plan. Since she modified it at Oasis, it’s stealthier and is carrying a lot of those antimatter missiles Peter Corriea developed. Almost fifty megatons each, if memory serves.”

  “It does,” Heinrich responded. “I had him design them to my specs, then she stole them.”

  “Not the first munitions she’s stolen in her career,” Kuo replied. “Although I think the phrase we should use is unconventional acquisition.”

  “Great. What do we do with the Sheffaris then if we get into heavy combat?”

  “I’d recommend putting the EF-2358 into flight. That frigate will ramp up our defense to any incoming missiles,” Kuo advised. “And the admiral has Emille Sur’batti on board, so I expect they can get away if she needs to do so.”

  “Probably,” Heinrich agreed.

  “Want me to put the EF-2358 out the door?”

  “Do that while I work on an attack plan. We probably shouldn’t just sit here if we can hit a target to disadvantage the Komi.”

  “Agreed,” Kuo replied.

  As Kuo took care of launching the frigate, Heinrich talked to Mors. “Mister Mors, if you were the Komi, where would you store your antimatter reserves in a system such as this?”

  “One of the outer system objects, Captain,” Mors answered. “Far enough away that it wouldn’t harm the inner planets if it detonated, and the cold would help contain it.”

  “Do you have technical data on any outer system bases? I’d like to punish the Komi military. Let’s hit them again after we extract Sachelle to deter them from pulling this torture stunt again.”

  He didn’t answer her question, instead engaging in a flurry of activity at his station. “Sir?”

  “Mors?”

  “I have a large number of objects dropping out of highspace five or so AU from the star. Multiple bubbles.”

  “Komi fleets?” Kuo asked.

  “Almost certainly Komi combat fleets,” Mors replied. “Too massive to be normal civilian traffic.”

  Heinrich activated the microphone to the Sheffaris herself. “Captain Harmeen, advise Emille Sur’batti to begin extracting the attack forces immediately. They are being surrounded in an ambush.”

  “Right away, Stennis.”

  Emille contacted her moments later. “One of the grappler crew adepts has a visual on one of the ships that are attacking, Inez Heinrich.”

  “What is it?”

  “He’s shown it to me,” Emille answered, “I see what he’s seeing. You do not have any ships like these in your fleet. I don’t know what they are for.”

  Heinrich wished she could see what the grappler crew was seeing.

  “Make sure they record it, and bring them home first.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  Inez Heinrich. This is Alarin.

  She almost yelled, the voice in her head was so real. “Alarin?” she said out loud.

  “Captain?” Kuo asked.

  Heinrich waved him off. “Alarin?”

  This is the image the crew sees on their screens.

  The bridge of the Stennis disappeared. Instead she was in the cockpit of the grappler, looking at a magnified display. A ship unlike any other Heinrich had ever seen was on the screen.

  It was cruiser sized, according to the sensor readings on the grappler, but long flat panels extended outward from the ship and were extending further as she observed. Almost like FTL drive cooling fins, but she saw those too, in the midsection of the ship and still shedding heat from the jump into the system. No, these were something different and were extending much farther than any cooling fins she’d ever seen.

  She got a twist in her gut. Something was incredibly wrong.

  “Bringing them back now,” Emille said. “Something bad is about to happen.”

  The view in her mind changed… then she was on the bridge again.

  That is what they saw, Alarin told her.

  “Thanks, that helped a lot. I will look at the recording as soon as it gets here.”

  Kuo squinted his eyes at her. “Are you okay?”

  “Just talking to Alarin,” she replied. “Sort of like radio, but in your brain,” she added, tapping her cranium. “One of the most surprising sensations I’ve had recently, but we can discuss that later. Let the hangar know we want those sensor readouts from our returning ships right away, Mister Kuo.”

  “Will do, Captain. It won’t take long.”

  She had patience. And she wanted to go over the material with Admiral Dayson since she had that resource available.

  “How long until Emille has all of our attack forces home?”

  “Thirty minutes,” Mors answered. “Another thirty to get everyone landed in the right hangars.”

  “Is that the best we can do?” Heinrich asked.

  “We could set up some magnetic snares,” Kuo replied. “Speed it up for the next time, but for this recovery, yes, it’s the best we can do.”

  Heinrich liked the magnetic snares idea. What if they had to retreat in a hurry? It would mean abandoning grapplers and their crews. She couldn’t stand the thought of that. “Let’s make that refit happen once we get back to Oasis.”

  She was lucky to have a carrier captain to help with the details.

  “And, XO, set up a meeting with our intel staff a few hours after we have access to the holos from Mindari. I want to hear ideas on what the ship Alarin just showed me might be.”

  “Wilco,” Kuo replied.

  She had thirty minutes to kill. She started running scenarios through her head regarding the purpose for those panels.

  Sensor array? System sized radio telescope array? Were they looking for Oasis? The Stennis?

  Nothing clicked. She’d need more information.

  Chapter 38 - Admiral’s Personal Log

  AI Lucy82A recording, Admiral's personal log, personal archive: Galactic Standard Date 19:58:42 26 SEPPET 15332

  Personal log entry #1968, Admiral Sarah Dayson, origin Korvand, Pallus Sector.

  Current Location: Deep Space, Mindari System

  My friends kept me from doing a very stupid thing, and to be honest, I probably shouldn’t be commanding at the moment.

  I snapped. I lost any sense of how to respond to the executions on Mindari, and, in my temporarily enraged mind, decided I was going to fly there and fix it.

  I can’t even fly a shuttle by myself. I don’t know what I was thinking.

  When we get back to Refuge I’ll have to request Thea do a complete psych evaluation. If I am going to be that unpredictable under new stresses, I suspect it’s time for me to retire to one of the patrol ships at Oasis and let Heinrich take over the fleet’s day to day operations.

  [A fourteen second pause, and the sound of running water]

&
nbsp; I am the one person not allowed to give in, not allowed to express my hatred of the enemy. And, for the duration of this trip, I will make every effort not to lose my temper again.

  I hurt Salphan, who I have a very deep affection for. Broke his arm, although he says it was his own zero G clumsiness that did that. Liar. Yes, Salphan, if you’re hearing this because I’m thinking of you, I know you’re a liar. But I understand why. Because you and I have become close.

  What I will do, for the next part of this mission, is make sure that the highest ranking officer Major Hamden captured knows exactly the power this fleet wields. The power to move where we please as fast as thought. And the power to end star systems almost as quickly. That officer will need to relay that information to Bannick to make sure the Komi know what they’re up against, and not to get too smug with the size of their empire.

  Cold military efficiency. That is the rule of the day now. I will not break again.

  End the log, Lucy.

  Chapter 39 - Mother

  “You did what?” Sylange’s mother asked.

  Sylange didn’t like her mother’s tone. It sounded like a lecture was coming. “I rescued a container of this universe’s organic intelligence. Probably a thousand of them,” she answered. “Are you having difficulty focusing your mind?”

  Probably not the smartest thing to provoke the matriarch, but Sylange wasn’t in any mood for condescension. She knew what she was doing, she didn’t need second guessed. The original organics of this universe were potentially well suited to helping out with Sylange’s, and therefore the Obedi’s, ultimate goals.

  “You think it is too late for me to terminate you for aberrant behavior,” Mother said in answer. “It is not.”

  “What did I do?” Sylange asked, perplexed at the severity of her mother’s words. They seemed an overreaction to a bit of sarcasm.

  “You imply that your decision making processes are superior to mine, for one. But then you come to me for advice. Your actions say things your insolent opinions don’t seem to match,” her mother scolded. “Maybe you have flawed reasoning skills?”

  She both loved and hated talking to her mother. She was a bit nervous the elder was serious. “I am named. You cannot terminate me now.”

  “Well, I couldn’t tell anyone if I did,” mother replied. “But I’m not one to brag anyway.”

  “Mother!”

  “Alright, tell me about these humans.”

  That made Sylange pause for a moment. How did her mother know what they were called? “It sounds like you already know about these humans.”

  “I know what they call themselves, I don’t feed on the machines without noticing things, and neither do you. But I haven’t been brash enough to rescue them en masse and return them to their homes.”

  “They are emotionally deep,” Sylange explained. “I interfaced with one and it was… unusual. Defiant in the face of death, in fact. I’m surprised such a small being possessed as much intelligence as it did.”

  “What do you think our ancestors were like uncountable chimindiks ago? We too were born of such organic beings.”

  She’d never thought of that. Dreadful! Her mother was still teaching her things. “I suppose I’d always thought we were forever,” she admitted. “As a species, I mean.”

  “Only the oververse is forever. These universes come and go as the complex consciousnesses they are. They are born and they die, and only if they create oververse entities such as ourselves does something of their consciousness survive their death.”

  The smugness in her mother’s voice was a bit much. Sure, she’d just taught Sylange something she didn’t know, but that wasn’t unusual.

  Sylange wanted to say something cutting, but she still wasn’t sure her elder’s threat to end her was entirely in jest. Which would be exactly what her mother wanted her to think, of course.

  “So you’re saying that we’re born of lesser intelligences such as these?”

  “Are you not listening? All the oververse entities are. We are simply one clan, the spawn of one successful universe. You remember meeting the Cognillim when you were young, don’t you?”

  “I thought I dreamed that. I wasn’t even named yet.”

  Mother laughed. “No, child, you did not. They are an entirely different clan, you will meet others in the period of your existence, I’m sure.” She paused without ceding the right to speak. “Upon reflection, I think it’s a good thing you saved those humans. I may start doing the same. If we can save this universe to someday spawn another clan in the oververse, they will remember our kindness.”

  “Always thinking of advantage, Mother.”

  “Always. Speaking of which, did you find your missing children?”

  “No. They were not in the system we destroyed last.”

  “Then they are gone, and you must accept that. It is not a thing that should make you long for vengeance, it is a service done to our species. Two unsuitable future adults were removed from our heritage. It is our way.”

  Sylange felt like screaming. It didn’t feel like her way. “I understand. I have many more children.”

  “And in the future you will have even more with Khala. He’s a very suitable mate.”

  “I heard that,” Khala interjected. “Thank you.”

  Sylange’s carapace lights indicated her forced patience with him. He needed to quit agreeing so much with her mother even if the matriarch was right.

  “Oh, look, I must go round up the children for their rest,” Khala suddenly said. “Good hunting, Shosgawa.”

  Her mother practically beamed her approval at Sylange through the tone of her voice. “You picked well.”

  “I picked a schemer, a wordsmith, and a suck-up,” Sylange replied. “One that arrogantly calls you by name.”

  “I told him to do so,” mother said. “It feels like we’re closer as a family that way.”

  “Doesn’t change that he’s sucking up to you.”

  “As I said, he’s a good choice as a mate. He will use those talents to forward the interests of your family unit. He already has. Treat him well or I may take him from you.”

  “Mother!”

  “Just kidding. Sort of.”

  “Go feed or find some humans to save,” Sylange growled. “I have a family to secure.”

  “Then go to it, and know I love you,” her mother said as she severed the connection.

  Strange. She couldn’t remember ever hearing that before. The Obedi were deep with emotion, but they rarely expressed them directly, preferring to let their actions speak for them, or, at most, their body displays.

  Huh. She loved her mother too. The arrogant old battle arm.

  Chapter 40 - Wondering

  26 Seppet 15332

  Sarah pushed the datapad with the holovid of the strange Komi ships to the center of the table after flipping the image on the pad to the nearest display wall.

  “What in the galaxy is that?” she wondered out loud.

  “I was hoping you’d tell me, sir,” Heinrich replied.

  “You’re sure each bubble that came into the system had one of these ships in it?” Sarah asked.

  “Sure isn’t something I can guarantee, but as far as we know, that’s correct. The hounds we sent out returned images on sixteen of them,” Kuo said. “All of them are headed for Mindari, taking up stations at equidistant points above the planet.”

  “A defensive weapon?” Lieutenant Commander Seto asked. “Some sort of EMP generator, maybe?”

  “A distinct possibility,” Harmeen agreed. “Those look like emissions reflectors.”

  “Do we have probes out there now?” Admiral Dayson asked.

  “We have an ELINT shuttle in position with two e-warfare specialists and two of Emille’s best adepts on board so we can get them back in a hurry if they’re threatened. They are station keeping near a comet and watching Mindari as the cruisers are taking up positions,” Heinrich informed her. “It’s the best we can do toward getting real
time intel since we don’t have any entanglers.”

  “I wonder if entanglers will survive the transfer process Emille uses…” Sarah mused. “If so that would give us another distinct advantage… Navin, look into that when we get back to Refuge. Have Peter help you.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Harmeen said.

  “So report on the ground raid. I know we didn’t get Sachelle, but what did we get?”

  Heinrich waved at a guard near the door, who in turn gestured into the hallway.

  “We lost one of the marines. Civilian security guard shot him when Hamden’s team forced entry. We captured a lot of prisoners, and since the Komi were holding them as prisoners, they might be useful to us as friends.”

  “Tell Major Hamden I’m sorry for his loss. Does the marine have a family?” Sarah asked.

  “No. A single young male. One of the personnel we rescued from Strick Isle, Admiral. He volunteered for Hamden’s group right after he found out it was Hamden that freed him.”

  “Good kid,” Kuo interjected.

  “We can’t keep burning our youth on this fire if our community is going to succeed,” Sarah said, looking at Kuo. “But we must succeed so we must sometimes burn our youth. It’s a diabolical trap.”

  “I agree,” Kuo said, nodding. “He died fighting. He died for a cause he wanted to fight for. I don’t want to check out anytime soon, but if I do, I want that said about me.”

  Two guards brought a man to the table. Sarah stared at him. Komi uniform, plenty of decorative bits. Probably someone important from their perspective. “Who’s this?” Sarah asked.

  “Admiral Cothis, madam,” the man said. “Evrair Cothis.”

  “That’s Admiral Dayson, not madam,” Heinrich said, coolly. “You will address her as your superior.”

  “So you are the infamous Admiral Dayson. You’re not what I expected. My superior is Lord Bannick Komi,” Cothis responded. “He wishes me to give you a message, Admiral Dayson.”

  “Is that right?” Sarah asked. “Are you involved with the orders to kill civilians in order to force their compliance with your occupation?”