Relentless: Book One of the Union Warship Saga

by Scott Mullins

  When he was done, he didn’t like what he found.

  He accessed the satellites in orbit as well. Between the two data sources it painted a disturbing picture.

  “Captain.” Lokae said, speaking into his commlink. “Meet me in that place.”

  The captain would know what he meant.

  ***

  The place Kale had been referring to was airlock number three. The captain was waiting, sitting on the bench inside in a space suit. Kale was wearing one as well. He closed the door and cycled the airlock to vent the atmosphere.

  Neither man brought his commlink. This conversation could not be eavesdropped on while they were in the vacuum. The captain stood and walked over to Lokae and pulled his helmet to his and placed a small disc in between the visors. The device would allow them to speak to one another without a radio and without their conversation being overheard.

  “What do you have Kale?”

  “The Enteritor. The colony. It wasn’t Telarians, it was Union. Both the Enteritor and the shuttle received a signal virus that passed from one to the other causing the overload that stranded the shuttle. It was broadcast from a Union Marauder.” The sounds of breaths were evident. “They over looked or forgot about the link with the shuttle. The Enteritor tried to run from an unidentified ship, as it closed on him he was able to identify it visually and tried to send a distress signal but he was jammed. When they realized he identified them they sent the virus and opened fire. The entire exchange was downloaded before impact on the planet. He may have been incapable of informing anyone and was crashing but his sensors and SI stayed online transmitting to the shuttle until the end. We dropped the weapon on that colony. Well, not we, but the Union.”

  He could see and feel Sean slump somewhat as he pondered the information.

  “So we attacked the colony and tried to make it look like the Telarians did it?”

  “It appears that way sir.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know,” Kale said shaking his head inside his helmet.

  “I was told Telarians attacked and destroyed the colony. Any chance the information is fake or falsified?”

  “No sir. I checked. I can’t find any sign of tampering and the satellites corroborate the shuttles data.”

  If Kale Lokae could not find evidence of tampering there wasn’t any the captain knew. Sweat ran down his check.

  “Keep it quiet and keep looking for a rat. Tell Ryan Anders to meet me in here,” the captain said. He may be a rat he thought.

  “Yes sir.”

  ***

  The scene played itself out again a short while later. This time it was Anders coming in instead of Lokae. The captain stood and operated the controls to close the inner door and vent the air. When the cycle was complete he opened the outer door, motioned for Anders to join him by the entrance. They were looking out onto the scorched remnants of Balin Tor V. The captain leaned in to press their helmets together.

  “Tell me the truth about what happened here,” Connor told him.

  “I told the truth in my report. I’m sure you read it.”

  “There is nothing else?”

  “Should there be? I volunteered for the job of colony pilot. I arrived the day before. The day after I arrived Telarians attacked, they shot down the Enteritor and nuked the colony. I barely escaped with the children. Then the children and I spent almost three weeks in that shuttle, if you are trying to infer I had something to do with it you can go screw yourself and toss me out the airlock.” He turned to stare down at the charred cinder of Baling Tor V. “I had turned off the life support before you arrived. I couldn’t watch them suffer any longer.”

  “I’m not blaming you,” he sighed. “I’ll tell you the truth. A Union Marauder class vessel did this. The Enteritor identified it before it attacked him.”

  “A captured ship? The Telarians used it to try and rekindle the war right?”

  “I don’t know. But I don’t think so Ryan. I think it was the Union and it was blamed on the Telarians. That’s why no one came. They didn’t want any survivors. I will get to the bottom of this.”

  “Count me in Cap.”

  “Like I said before I’ll think about it. Right now we need to get those children somewhere other than this ship. It’s not safe here.”

  ***

  Milli had prepared for a lot of things while stocking the ship with medical supplies. Children was not one of them. Who knew they would run into a shuttle full of orphans along the way. She had no clean clothes for the little ones as her and her medical staff got them cleaned up and checked out. She had one of the operations people washing their clothes while they showered. Right now she washing Anna herself. She was such a beautiful little girl, something even the grime and sweat had not hidden.

  “Do you like ice cream?” Milli asked her as she scrubbed.

  Anna nodded.

  “After we get you cleaned up would you like some?”

  She nodded again. She wasn’t talking to Milli yet. Dr. Pendrie just kept her best smile going. The little girl would come around.

  Chapter Seven

  Nacuru

  Nacuru, (from Naguru, an ancient Bvaltari word meaning deceit or lies)

  The space station Nacuru hung silently in space above the planet. It had been commissioned during the war as a research station primarily for stealth technologies. It had a shape similar to a mushroom. The stalk was more or less conical with bulges and recessed areas tapering to a bulging tip. This was pointed directly at the planet’s surface and the hood top faced open space. Most space stations were built in orbit around their planets and orbited them their entire life but the Nacuru and others like it had jump drives. They could jump from planet to planet in an effort to keep their location a mystery.

  With her other projects nearing completion and the treaty being signed Kara Novellas asked for an out of the way assignment and it seemed the Nacuru was about the only thing that fit the bill. She had spent the better part of five years designing and consulting on a radically different battleship. It surely would have changed the tides of war in the Unions favor had the war not ended.

  Her son Jacob lived with her on the station. He was a bright energetic boy with deep brown eyes and dark hair. He looked just like his father she often thought. He even had the same mannerisms it seemed, even though he had never met his father. His intellect and reasoning was well above someone his age and his skills in science and mathematics amazed her at times. When he became a teen she was surely in for some interesting debates about rules.

  These past five years on her last project had been tough ones raising a child along with her other responsibilities. She had taken the assignment begrudgingly with stipulations that her schedule be flexible. It wasn’t a dream job but she was given wide latitude.

  Today she was working on reducing the gravity signature of a jump drive. The gravity displacement was extraordinary when a ship jumped. Currently one tried to use tactics to work around the problem but no scientific way had been produced to lessen or mask the wave. Similar to ripples in a pond but more like an explosion under the water as it radiated in all directions. The gravimetric explosion was caused by the “snap” of the fabric fold returning to its previous state. She currently was working on a theory that if she could slow the “snap” it would create less wake. Even though they had discovered how to use and focus gravity it was still largely a mystery. She wanted to unravel those mysteries. Not just to invent a way to do things better but she had a longing to know what made the universe tick. We could anticipate it, measure it, manipulate it but we did not know it intimately.

  She was exhausted mentally and physically after this long day. Going over calculations and simulations over and over, she was spent and close to tears. Today she was overwhelmed. She crawled into bed with Jacob as she would on days such as this. She needed to be close to someone she loved and Jacob was all she had these many years. She cuddled up to him and held him with a love only a parent co
uld know and drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  “Captain. A Telarian ship has just appeared within weapons range. They are hailing us. Audio only,” the operations officer told Captain Meramax.

  “Open a channel and put it through the speakers,” the captain replied a little shocked and unnerved.

  “This is Captain Tomac of the Telarian vessel Tanari. I require your cooperation in a matter of utmost importance to me.”

  The voice over the speakers was calm but urgent.

  “How can we be of assistance?” replied Captain Meramax.

  “You have a scientist on board. One that goes by the name of Kara Novellas. I need her transferred to my vessel as soon as possible.”

  Captain Meramax pondered the strange situation. A Telarian ship requesting that he hand over Kara. What if she didn’t wish to go? He couldn’t let her go. She knew too many things about clandestine projects and was one of the most protected engineers he knew of. He gave the kill communications gesture. A closed hand thumb extended pulled across the throat. As soon as his operations officer gave him the all clear nod he went to work.

  “Spin up the jump drive and execute jump immediately.”

  “Yes sir.”

  No sooner than the jump drive started spooling up the station rocked with an explosion. A most accurate shot from the Telarian ship disabled the drive instantly, permanently. The Telarian captain surveyed the damage on his monitor. The drive was destroyed and its singularity was no longer contained. It would slowly consume everything around it forever more. This was not his concern. His now captive audience would maybe listen to reason.

  “Hail them again,” he said with that same calm tone.

  “You have initiated an unprovoked attack on a civilian research station. We implore you to cease hostilities,” Captain Meramax began but was cut short by Tomac.

  “Firstly sir, it was not unprovoked,” he started calmly. “It was not only provoked but necessary. I asked for your assistance in this matter. Your attempt to flee had to be stopped. You have something—or better yet, someone I require. If you turn her over to me your station and your crew shall not be harmed any more than already was necessary. I will give you time to think about your situation as I dispatch a ship to retrieve her.”

  He ended the transmission needing no further response from the captain of the Nacuru. His terms were plain and set.

  “If the station offers any resistance disable her further as you see fit Commander and have our boarding team assemble in the shuttle bay I will lead them myself.”

  “Yes sir,” Malik responded. “I took the liberty of having the team assemble beforehand, they are awaiting your arrival.”

  Tomac smiled. He liked how Malik thought.

  Shortly afterwards the shuttle exited the bay and adjusted its course to intercept the station. It could hardly be called a shuttle really. It was heavily armed and armored. It was also currently filled with some of the best Telarian combat boarders. The captain was seated behind the pilots of the shuttle peering out the windscreen and checking sensor readings. As the shuttle neared the space station the lights of the station notably dimmed as she went to action stations. This was a sign that Tomac expected to see as they diverted power to weapons and defensive measures. He stood up from his seat and patted the pilot on the shoulder. This was acknowledged by a nod and the captain went aft to join the boarding party. Once in the crew compartment the captain sealed the door and began outfitting himself with stun grenades and ammunition for his various weapons.

  His suit of body armor appeared bulky. The armor plates seemed a solid metal. In reality they were a densely woven, light weight, spongy material. It was nonconductive, he could not be stunned by electricity and was all but impervious to energy based weapons. His suit had a built in rebreather to prevent being incapacitated by chemicals or purging the air from compartments. He donned his helmet which sealed his suit. He checked his bracers, they had several forms of weapons and a screen that displayed suit data. All was in the green, he was fully loaded and ready for battle, except one thing. He reached in an overhead compartment and produced a sheathed sword. This he slung over his back and it seemed to latch itself into place. He retrieved his rifle from the same compartment and loaded it as well. He checked the safety, squeezed the trigger just slightly and pressed a button on his bracer. Inside his helmet the heads up display lit up and displayed all suit data plus his rifle status, magazine full.

  A blast rocked the shuttle.

  “Plasma cannon sir,” a voice said over his suit intercom.

  “Begin boarding procedure.”

  The captain took a seat as the shuttle darted this way and that. Explosions rocked the shuttle occasionally as it continued its approach. The sound of the shuttles automated countermeasures meant they had released drones as the shuttle got closer. As it began its final approach it spun around one hundred eighty degrees putting the aft of the ship towards the Nacuru. It extended large serrated claw like spikes that penetrated the outer hull and drew the shuttle to it.

  Having your outer hull made of a magnetic substance was detrimental if you were being boarded because most boarding ships had mag locks that attached them. The Telarians had perfected theirs and mag locks were available but unnecessary. In this case the hull was nonmagnetic. The claws cut through the hull plating like butter as retro thruster dashed the ship into the side of the station. Cutting apparatus started cutting in to the hull as the drones continued their onslaught. The crew of the Tanari started a selective barrage of their own to defend the shuttle and selectively disable weapons, defenses, and power on the station.

  ***

  Kara woke with a start. She had been having nightmares quite frequently as of late and in her dream the station was being attacked and a blast had woken her. Just as she decided it was just a dream and lay back down another blast followed.

  “Kara...” a voice came over the speaker.

  It was Captain Meramax.

  “Yes captain,” she responded, “Are we under attack?”

  “Yes Madame and they are here for you, I am afraid, according to their demands,” the captain told her.

  She felt the blood drain from her face as panic gripped her stomach in a vice. She had to save Jacob.

  “Understood sir,” she replied weakly as she got up and went to lock the door. She turned around and surveyed her quarters looking for ideas as she processed escape routes. What should they do or where should they go? As her mind raced with plans and worry she roused Jacob quietly.

  “We have to go baby, put your shoes on” she told him.

  “What’s going on,” he queried rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

  “We have to go, we have to hide. Some bad men are here in the station and they mean us harm,” she answered him honestly. “I have a place but we must get there with haste.”

  “Telarians? I’m not afraid of them momma,” he told her proudly.

  “I know you aren’t baby but still for safety’s sake I wish us to hide instead of fight, nothing good comes from taking another’s life,” she said reminding him of her beliefs in peaceful resolution. Still she grabbed her firearm from the wall safe and loaded it quietly. She stuck it in the back waist band of her pajamas and pulled her shirt over it. She grabbed Jacobs hand and went to the door. She pressed her ear against it listening for movement in the hallway beyond. Nothing. Nothing on the door camera either. She unlocked the mechanical door lock and pressed the open button. She peered down the hallway both ways, grabbed Jacob’s hand and led him to the storage area for the lab.

  ***

  The Relentless crew was continuing its investigation in orbit around Balin Tor V when the distress call came in. Captain Connor had just returned to the bridge after his conversation with Anders.

  “Sir. We are receiving a distress call from the Nacuru, a research station. He is under attack by a vessel that matches our metrics of the Telarian ship we are hunting for. They have lost critical systems and
are being boarded,” Lokae told Captain Connor.

  “Damn it!” He had a ship full of children. “Mr. Deas, plot a course to rendezvous. Are we ready for battle Mr. Galloway?”

  “We haven’t finished our trials yet,” complained Galloway. “I can make no guarantees.”

  “Everything works well enough for now right?” replied the captain. Galloway shrugged, he knew it would be pointless to argue. “ETA Mr. Deas?”

  “Thirty-three minutes at best possible speed captain,” Deas replied.

  “Get us there Dax.” The captain knew it would be over by then.

  The space in front of the Relentless warped and swirled into a bright blue and gray shimmering vortex and the ship entered and disappeared.

  ***

  The station was no longer being rocked with weapons fire. Kara knew that was bad news. It meant one of two things. The boarding ship had arrived and the enemy stopped firing as to not damage their ship or the station was sufficiently disabled it no longer posed a threat, maybe both. Then she pondered, there was the possibility the aggressor ship gave up and left or was destroyed but she quickly dismissed that thought. No matter what was going on she was getting Jacob to the safest part of the station. Near her lab was a storage area where she had built a small hiding place. She would put Jacob in it and no one would ever find him. With stealth technologies being the main purpose of this station it had been easy to construct and hide this cubby hole for Jacob.

  They arrived at the storage area without incident. Once inside she manually locked the door. She led Jacob through the maze of storage containers to the back wall. Here she pushed what appeared to be a large, heavy container out of the way. Obviously it weighed almost nothing for she appeared to do so with little effort. She placed her hand on the wall that was once behind the container. The surface beneath her hand glowed briefly in an outline. A seam appeared where there was not one before. A panel approximately one meter per side opened as if on hinges. Behind the panel was a round hatch with a small window and a hand pull style latch. She wrapped her hand around the handle pull and pulled. The hatch opened revealing what appeared to be a small one person cockpit. There was one seat surrounded by controls. It was not a cramped space. An adult could fit comfortably with some room to move. Anyone familiar with such would recognize it as an escape pod. She turned to her son.