When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars)

by Korenman, Adam

  “Fah rosha lanen,”Hanweh began. The Nangolani wore a neatly pressed uniform with a simple design and muted green colors. Like all Nangolani clothing, the material seemed to shimmer like a metal.“It is good to see you both alive. I know Midwaywas lucky to survive the attack.”

  Hiro smiled and bowed his head.“Appreciated, Domin. Likewise, I saw the damage Barennontook. We have angels on our shoulders.”He shared a look with Admiral Walker.“What is the meaning of this call?”

  “I will be brief,”Hanweh said.“There is a situation developing with our leaders in the Magistrate. I must attend to it at once.”He looked off to the side, seeming pensive.“I know the situation is bleak, and to have our vessels leave would cast a shadow over your pilots. I promise, if we can return to aid you in this fight, the Barennonwill be there.”

  Hiro was about to speak when the Admiral cut in.“Goddamnit, Hanweh. We have a fucking alien armada attacking our planet. We have an alliance. Does that mean nothing to you? To your leaders?”

  The Domin reacted to the question with a sneer, but composed himself quickly.“I cannot speak for the Magistrate.”

  “Domin Shodon,”Hiro said.“Most of our vessels are under repair. We are still establishing a functional supply line that avoids Boxti airspace. Without the Nangolani ships, I don’t know how we’ll handle another attack. You came to us for help once, we need your help now.”

  “I am sorry.”Hanweh’s voice trembled.“I must protect my people as well.”He seemed ready to leave, but held on a moment longer.“We will return as soon as we can. I promise you, the Domin do not abandon allies.”The line cut out before any more could be said.

  Hiro turned to his crew.“Show me the Nangolani fleet. Now!”

  One of the walls dissolved into an image of the blockade. On the right flank, silver ships began to veer off and fly away. Even at this distance, Hiro could see the small motes of blue light wink into existence as every alien craft fled New Eden’s orbit. In a few minutes, nothing remained but a slowly fading blue glow.

  Admiral Walker was livid.“Son of a fucking whore.”He slammed a fist down onto the communication desk.“Cowards just left. Flew off to hide and lick their wounds.”

  “Something is wrong,”Hiro said.“Hanweh was troubled. He said he had to save his people. What does that mean?”

  Walker paced the bridge.“It means we’re down a much needed cruiser and a dozen frigates. It means that this treaty wasn’t worth the paper it was written on.”He wiped his face with both hands.“It means we need to come up with a new battle strategy. I’m calling the other Admirals. We’ll get them up to speed and start working up a tactical assessment.”

  “And what of the Nangolani?”Hiro asked.

  “Fuck them,”Walker said bluntly.“Humanity made it this long without help. We can make it a little while longer.”

  Hiro sighed. There was more to this change in tone from the friendly aliens, he just knew it. But arguing with the FleetCom would do no good.“Should we inform the High Chancellor?”

  Walker thought for a moment.“All the bigwigs are at their damned convention in Colorum. If the Emperor has something to say, he can do it to the HC’s face.”

  * * * * *

  “Absolutely not, Ray.”A thick vein stood out on Director Chavez’s forehead, throbbing with each spat-out chastisement. The verbal assault had started almost immediately after entering the office, and hadn’t relented once.

  Ray hadn’t sent out any of his findings. At first he’d rationalized it by saying he needed to recheck the data, but after a while he knew he could never out an entire race. Especially not when it would probably mean the death of a close friend. In fact, given the tense political climate, it could mean the exile of every alien in every human controlled system. Still, the truth would escape somehow. If he buried the results and tried to wish them away, he’d wind up in the middle of the fallout. So he went to Chavez while Mara went off to the Nangolani Royal Magister.

  The director had not, thus far, been receptive to the idea of an alien double-cross. His advice was to wipe the information off the mainframe. Destroy the evidence and be done with the whole mess. There was no happy ending to such a revelation.

  “Sir,”Ray said.“People have to know. The Council has to know.”

  “The Council and the High Chancellor are all on board with a united intergalactic front. If we show them this, we’re talking about a universe-wide riot.”Chavez wiped a hand over his sweaty mouth.“This could bring down the Federate.”

  Ray laughed nervously.“You’re kidding.”He saw that the director was not.“You’re being melodramatic. There’d be fallout, and no planet would be safe for the Nangolani for a few months, but it would pass. It was a terrible thing they did, but it was only the Nangolani leaders. Their citizens had no idea, I’m sure of that. And Earth and the colonies would agree.”

  “Don’t be so naive, Ray. Millions of people are dead. Millions. They have that counter in Vienna, the one they put up after Tallus. What the Nangolani did was enable genocide. Do you really think people will ever let that drop? They lured monsters into our backyard and tricked us into picking a fight.”

  “People forgave Germany after the Holocaust,”Ray said.

  Chavez held up a hand, cutting him off.“They were still human. And we forgive each other for the sins of our fathers. This is an alien race that started lying to us the moment they arrived, all to put us in the crosshairs and save themselves.”

  “It was to save their species. The Boxti wiped out whole civilizations.”

  The director shook his head.“Jesus, Ray. Whose side are you on? None of that matters, anyway.”He reached into his desk and pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes. Ray wrinkled his nose as Chavez lit one and took in a deep drag.“The war’s almost over. Any day now, they’ll finish that treaty on New Eden. We lost a lot of lives last year, but it’s amazing how quickly people forget if there is even a modest bit of distance between them and tragedy. They won’t remember who the real enemy is if our so called friends are behind the biggest conspiracy in the last hundred years.”

  “So what do we do?”Ray asked, throwing his hands up in frustration.“Bury it? Pretend none of this ever happened? The truth is going to find a way out.”

  Chavez inhaled smoke and let it out through his nostrils.“We hold it as long as possible, then try to weather the storm that will come. If you’re really friends with that alien scientist, you should tell her to get the hell out. Tell them all to get out.”

  - VII -

  “For you, this war is just begun. The pain and loss you have suffered is but a taste of what the Boxti have wrought upon hapless trillions throughout the galaxy.”Anduin paused for effect, his gaze cast out among the assembled crowd. They hadn’t seemed interested in his speech at first, but slowly their attention had become singular and focused. He had them.“You just recently learned of life beyond your own solar systems, but you should weep for the races already lost. Voices you will never hear. Temples you can never visit. Histories you will learn from books rather than from the beings themselves. The Voga, the Drek, the Binar. All turned to ashes because they would not bow down.

  “Humanity is young by all standards but your own. The Nangolani were proud and prosperous when your people were fighting over the fields of Gaul. We built an empire before you mastered masonry. When you discovered flight, we watched the planets of our allies burn beneath the endless barrage of the black fleet.”

  Cameron and Adeline listened to the speech from near the wall, close to the podium. While the aide seemed entranced by the passionate speech, the pilot didn’t know whether or not he should seem impressed with what amounted to a verbal beatdown. Anduin’s damning statements against the Federate seemed to conjure some small spark in the politicians, but not much. The pilot wondered if the assembly actually heard the words being used or simply relegated it to white noise. The alien’s message was painfully clear: Anduin did not expect humanity to survive the coming war. The
Terrans had lost interest in their first intergalactic conflict once the blood had congealed, barely even looking up when a sovereign planet came under invasion. What no one cared to admit, the harsh reality that Anduin explained, was that humanity was losing.

  A few members of the press lazily held out their recorders, though most mingled with the Council members and governors. A group of aides conversed with an attractive trio of media assistants, each hoping to gain something from the other side. Soldiers mostly kept to the back, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone not wearing dress grays. All the while the leader of an alien nation begged for an audience that would never come.

  Something else caught Cameron’s attention; subtle movement in the corner of his eye. Anduin had his own guard, an elite group of Nangolani soldiers dressed in ceremonial garb and carrying powerful weapons. Each one now stared out the windows, mumbling something in their own language. They had been standing, seemingly in prayer, for the last few minutes. Cameron shook his head, trying to tune back into the speech.

  “In the study of humanity, we realized that what separates a lost cause from a rallying banner is often one tragic event. Your race loses interest when the body count climbs too high, but holds when the life of one is in the balance. We watched wars be fought over high ideals and fail, while those without purpose carried the spirit of nations. We watched, and we learned.”

  Something flashed in the distance, out near the asteroid field. A distant speck, barely noticeable to anyone in the room, had turned toward the station. No one but a fighter pilot would even have noticed. From the subtle side-to-side motion, Cameron could tell it was a ship and not a projectile. Still, it was approaching at incredible speeds. He looked around the room, wondering if he should mention the vessel to security. Anduin’s voice reverberated off the walls as his speech reached its climax.

  “Tonight marks a momentous occasion. I hope that my words have imparted some semblance of wisdom onto you. I hope that you can understand the dire straits my people have been in for the last hundred years. We watched our skies burn, our lakes boil away and our people die in agony, all to buy us the precious few moments we needed to escape. We honor them and remember their sacrifice, and that memory unites our race.”He paused, taking a deep breath.“And I hope that your sacrifice will unite your people for the struggles ahead.”

  A wave of murmurs washed across the room as the politicians wondered aloud what the Emperor was saying. Cameron didn’t notice. His attention was locked on the incoming ship. From this distance, he couldn’t make out any markings. What he could see were the three other ships flying in along side the first. Then it was five. Then six. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. A coppery taste filled his mouth. One by one, the incoming vessels ignited afterburners and raced for their target.

  Cameron turned and grabbed Jerry’s arm, squeezing tight. He stared into the old man’s eyes.“We have to get the High Chancellor out. Now.”

  Anduin stared at the confused masses, anticipation growing in his chest. He had prepared for this moment countless times, but nothing could ready him for the fear. Will it be enough?It had to be this way. Would that things had taken a different turn, he would have preferred to stay and serve his people. Maybe, in this small way, he could. Anduin swallowed a lump in his throat.“For JohGal,”he cried out, raising his arms in the air. Around the room his soldiers’voices joined their Emperor. As the kamikaze strike force closed in, the screams of the humans echoed throughout Imperion.

  Alexander couldn’t speak. One moment he was trying to understand the alien’s speech, the next he was being dragged down the hall toward the exit by the pilot and his chief of staff. Jerry led the way, shoving past a crowd of onlookers as they made their way toward the emergency shuttles. Cameron’s grip on the politician’s arm didn’t let up as they entered the stairwell. Many crew and passengers stood around in confusion waiting for someone in authority to give a command. Reality dawned as Imperion rocked violently to the side, the sound of metal on metal lost in an enormous explosion as passengers and crew were tossed to the ground. Smoke filled the corridors, mixing with flashing emergency lights to completely disorient everyone aboard. Screams of pain and terror added to the deafening decompressions and warbling klaxons.

  Seconds later, the second ship tore into the bridge. Three tons of liquid explosives vaporized the captain and flight crew, blowing the entire room out of existence.

  Alexander shouted over the din.“What the hell is going on?”

  Cameron lost his footing and went headfirst into the wall, coming away bloodied and disoriented.“We’re under attack, sir. We need to get you out of here.”Another impact punctuated his remark. Three hits so far. Cameron tried to remember how many ships he’d seen through the window. Five or six?“Where’s the escape pod?”He stumbled and started to head for the floor.

  A hand appeared from behind and steadied the pilot. Donald Groves, bleeding from a cut on his forehead, pushed to the front of the pack and led the way. He charged forward toward the stairs, ignoring the injured and screaming civilians. The group followed close, passing small gaggles of panicked aides and secretaries.

  Adeline stared at their pale, vacant faces. I know these people. Why can’t I remember their names? The Secret Service agent dragged her away, and suddenly sound returned to her world. Screaming and crying mixed with the roar of fire and the groans of twisting metal.

  A female voice came over the loudspeaker, warning all aboard to abandon ship. Alexander’s chest tightened as he fought to breathe in the burning air. The smell of slag and blood drifted in the smoky hallway, mixed with the sweet crisp stink of burnt flesh and piss. They wound through a maze of winding halls, turning left and right again and again. He feared they were lost inside the ship when suddenly they found themselves in the hangar. Smaller shuttles were already overloaded with passengers trying to escape the dying vessel.

  On the far side of the room, a small door sat next to a hand scanner. Alexander barely felt Jerry grab his arm and place his palm on the cool metal. Electricity buzzed over his fingers and the door slid open, revealing the small escape pod. A wave of nausea washed over him, but he swallowed it down.

  “Get in,”Jerry ordered.

  The world came rushing back and Alexander took in his surroundings.“No, you go. I can find another ship.”His words tripped over numb lips. He couldn’t focus on his friend’s face. The room seemed to pitch from side to side.

  Donald stepped forward, putting his hands on Alexander’s shoulders and pushing.“Get in, Alexander.”He was stronger than the politician and had him in the doorway in moments.

  “Damn it, Don. No!”

  “Sir,”Cameron said, his voice crisp and commanding.“There isn’t time. Get in the ship. We’ll be fine, but you need to get clear.”Another floor-shaking impact sent the pilot to his knees. As he tried to stand, a figure appeared just behind him and slammed a pistol into his temple. Cameron crumpled to the ground.

  A shot rang out and Donald dropped to his knees, a look of pain and confusion on his face as a dark stain spread from the center of his chest. Adeline shrieked, her hands pulling at her cheeks. Alexander watched as the figure pointed the gun at Jerry and fired into the Chief of Staff’s gut. The older man grunted and fell against the wall, blood pouring from between his fingers. He slipped to the floor, smearing the bulkhead red with his back. Arthur emerged from the shadows, his handgun smoking.

  “Get in the capsule, Mr. Burton.”

  The High Chancellor could barely speak.“Arthur?”

  The young man smiled.“This isn’t exactly how I planned, but one has to be flexible in politics.”He gestured with the weapon.“I’d rather not have to drag you inside, but time is of the essence. Would you like me to shoot your knees first?”He fired into the air. The sound got Alexander moving and he entered the pod, hands raised over his head.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  Arthur pushed him further along.“Jonah doesn’t like to be
kept waiting, boss. And I’m not sure how much more this old boat can take.”Looking over his shoulder, Arthur smiled.“Adeline, I’m so sorry. There’s really only room for two. Best of luck.”He pressed a button on the wall and the door sealed shut with a hiss. The automated launch sequence took over and the engines rumbled to life.“Now sit down and shut up. We have a long ride ahead and I’ll be more than happy to explain along the way.”

  Adeline watched the door close, her entire body shaking. She was frozen in fear, unable to react in any way. All around her, people ran in panicked gaggles toward broken and burning shuttles. Some managed to rush aboard, but the overpacked vessels barely had the strength to leave the floor. As soon as they cleared the hangar, they were shot down by ships waiting outside. A sudden noise broke Adeline from her trance. The pilot was stirring.

  Cameron came to in time to watch the High Chancellor’s pod rocket out from its cradle into space, trailing smoke and debris. As the shuttle sped away, a missile appeared out of nowhere and pursued. The High Chancellor’s ship went blue seconds before impact, disappearing into the ether. Other pods weren’t so lucky. Cam’s eyes welled with tears as he choked back bile building in his throat. Get up! Get in the fucking fight!

  He looked around the room, his eyes dancing over the burning doorways and vents. They fell on the pretty aide to the Chief of Staff. Madeline? Abby? Goddamnit, what was her name again?“Adeline! Are you okay?”

  The staffer’s face flashed a kaleidoscope of emotions before settling on fear.“He took the High Chancellor.”She spoke so softly it was almost impossible to hear over the incredible din.

  Summoning all his strength, he rose to his feet. The pilot stumbled over to the chief of staff, placing his fingers against the man’s neck. His pulse was weak but steady. The security chief lay on his back, eyes staring blankly at the smoke-covered ceiling. Cameron grabbed Jerry and dragged him across the hangar. Adeline followed numbly, her eyes completely glazed over. They found a battered transport hiding between two burning shuttles. Cameron had to shout commands at Adeline before she was able to open the door and let them inside. The pilot gingerly climbed the ramp, laying the wounded politician on the deck. It only took a few moments to figure out the controls and he had the start-up initiated.