by TR Cameron
"No, Commander. That is of the past. And while valuable as a remembrance, it is not relevant now."
Kate opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off as Pandora spoke again. "The Xroeshyn have maneuvered us into a position that poses some danger. There are two sets of what you call ribbon ships converging from separate vectors. May I have permission to deal with them?"
She exchanged a glance with Claire. The ship had acted on its own in similar situations. "What do you intend?" Kate asked.
"To destroy them with torpedoes, Commander."
"By all means, then, permission granted."
The thrum of the missiles leaving the ship was sensed, rather than strictly felt, and then they appeared on the screen. Each of the six ribbon ships had two torpedoes detailed to them. As they flew, the missiles took separate paths, curving and seeming to aim for the locations where the ribbons emerged from the ships. Seconds later, the torpedoes emitted a continuous beam from their noses, which connected them to the enemy ships. Their sensors reported that the beams were drilling into the enemies’ shields to create a funnel in an otherwise strong defense. The missiles plowed through simultaneously, and the six ships fell away—one destroyed, the other five heavily damaged.
"Those vessels are no longer able to catch us, Commander."
"We seem to have many options for our torpedoes," Kate said. The ship was silent in response. Again, she looked to Claire for her opinion and found her similarly bemused.
"Diaz, are we safe from the enemy?"
"Affirmative, Commander," replied her tactical officer. "We’re maintaining a good distance from them, and countermeasures are proving adequate to destroy anything they launch at us.”
"Excellent. Communication, are you monitoring the battle net?"
"Yes, Commander. They’re continuing with the initial strategy. Nothing has changed, except the decision by the enemy to assign half of their forces to us. This has allowed the rest of our ships to eliminate some of theirs, but the odds are still not in our favor."
Kate nodded. "Pandora?" she asked.
"Yes, Commander."
"How did you come to be on that planet?"
"After our last great war, the race that created me became dormant for a time. All their ships and people returned to hidden enclaves throughout their territory. The chamber where you found me was mine."
"How did you get in there?"
"There was a tunnel, rigged to collapse once I was inside."
"Can you tell me about the people who created you?"
Kate was sure she was imagining the hint of regret that colored the ship's next response. "I’m sorry, Commander. That level of access is not yet available to you."
"Understandable, Pandora. Thank you for what you have shared."
"You’re most welcome, Commander."
"Peterson, connect me to Cross." Moments later, the connection was established, and communication officer Lieutenant Lynda Peterson lit up a telltale on Kate's display to indicate it. Kate tapped that glowing dot and said, "Cross?"
"Kate, what the hell is going on over there?"
"The Pandora did the armor thing by herself. She is a sentient artificial intelligence, created by—" she shook her head. "There's no time for the whole tale."
He laughed, and she heard the strain his voice.
"Is there time to go after that witch Indraat?"
Kate made a sound of pleasure deep in her throat. "Oh, we definitely have time for that."
"My group will lead. You follow us in and take whatever opportunities present themselves."
"Good deal."
"Kate, be careful. For once everyone seems to like you even less than they like me."
"Is this how it feels for you all the time? No wonder you're so spiky." She cut the channel before he could reply, and her crew responded with grins and outright laughter.
"You all heard the man. Fall in line behind the Washington and her escorts. We’re going headhunting."
Cross's four remaining ships arranged themselves in a front pair and a back pair, with the rear two in a stacked position instead of side-by-side to provide clear lanes of fire over and under the front two. Kate could see the opening on the battle display that Cross was going for, an end-run around most of the defenders that would arc them in at the command ships. As she watched, a set of four enemy ships launched torpedoes their way, but didn’t disengage from their individual battles. Between the Pandora and the human ships, their countermeasures were adequate to remove the enemy's missiles from the board.
"Does this seem too easy?" Kate asked Claire.
"It kind of does."
"That’s because it’s a trap, Commander, Lieutenant Commander," offered Pandora. On the main display, a series of translucent lines emerged, showing Pandora's projection of what was about to occur.
Kate punched the button on her display to connect with the Washington. "Cross, Pandora thinks it's a trap. She's been right so far."
"Dammit," Cross growled. "Break off. Repeat break off. Retreat to our lines."
No sooner had he given the command than the alien ships launched on to new vectors, many of them following the projected actions that Pandora had illustrated.
"This is so weird," Kate breathed. In a normal volume, she said, "Thank you, Pandora."
"You’re welcome, Commander."
On the screen, Kate could see that more than half of the enemy's forces had turned their attentions to her ship. In fact, they all had.
"Pandora, is what I'm seeing on the battle display accurate in real time?"
"That is correct, Commander. The enemy has completed its assault on the base, which will soon succumb to the gravitic mines. They’ve broken off from their singular battles, and all of them are now coming at us."
"Are we safe from them?"
"Negative, Commander. We cannot succeed in evading this many. Over a long enough time frame, they’ll box us in. I recommend that we leave the sector."
"Have tunnel blockers been deployed?"
"Yes, Commander."
"Are there preservers out?"
"Yes, Commander, but we’re unlikely to reach a position to take advantage of them. The gravity wells in this sector are plentiful, and we’re right in the middle of them."
As Kate's mind registered the fact that they were trapped, her communication officer relayed an announcement from the battle net. "All ships, the enemy is breaking off. The starbase is evacuated. Initiate system exit plan Omega. Execute."
Chapter Three
"Commander," began Matthews from the tactical station.
"I see it," Cross cut him off. "Helm, proceed toward our exit point, but chart a course that puts us between Kate and their ships."
"Affirmative." Lieutenant Lee tapped the appropriate controls, and the Washington veered onto its new heading.
"Commander, incoming group 113, forty-two low."
Cross's head swiveled, and he spotted a set of eight enemies led by a familiar ship in scarlet.
"Well, it's good to see she hasn't lost her determination." Cross tapped messages into the battle net to alert the other human forces in the sector of the presence of the command group. "Weapons, try to discourage them. Tactical, stay vigilant."
As the Washington neared the ships attacking Kate, and the Ruby Rain closed in on the Washington, a flurry of things happened all at once. The Xroeshyns launched their weapons, but not at the Washington. Eight ships' combined output smashed into the Pandora at once, causing her to stagger. The majority of the enemy force that had been closing on Kate's ship refocused, sending a massive barrage at the Washington.
"Countermeasures," Cross said in a calm tone.
"Countermeasures, aye," replied the tactical officer. Point defense cannons and anti-missile torpedoes intercepted about a third of the incoming munitions, leaving more than enough to blast them into pieces several times over.
"Evasive," Cross ordered. It quickly became clear that the Washington couldn’t evade all the fis
h following her. Cross flicked a switch on his chair and said, "Take hold, take hold, take hold," across the ship’s announce system for the benefit of anyone who hadn't strapped in already.
On the real-time display, a high-speed blur interposed itself between the Washington and the incoming weapons, absorbing the blast from several torpedoes and shielding Cross's ship from energy damage for a precious moment, allowing her shields to firm up.
"Open a channel, Fitzpatrick."
Seconds later she nodded, and Cross said, "Thank you, Beijing."
Dima Petryaev's gruff voice came back over the connection. "Happy to assist, Washington."
"They’re just full of tricks."
"They are indeed a worthy opponent."
Cross, too, enjoyed a good game of chess, but the note of respect in Dima's tone for their shared enemy was an inaccessible feeling for him. He simply wanted them gone, either dead or back to their own corner of the galaxy where they could do whatever the hell they chose as long as it didn't involve humanity.
The channel dropped, killed by the Beijing as the AAN ship moved to its next task. Cross reviewed the battle schematic and saw his allies winking out one by one as they achieved enough distance from the various gravitational pulls in the sector to activate their tunnel drives. As their quarries vanished from sight, enemy ships that had been pursuing them joined the group engaged with the Pandora. The display filled in with color as the sensor officer overlaid gravity wells. Cross nodded in appreciation, then scowled as he realized the aliens would block Kate's ship before she could make it to an exit.
Cross drove the Washington toward the Pandora, no longer pretending to head for his assigned egress. He angled to cut off the largest group of inbound ships, or at least delay them. Ahead, Kate was under a brutal assault from the Xroeshyn forces. An unending stream of energy hammered her shields, and the occasional torpedo joined them to soften her up. It was clear that once again the enemy was attempting to capture rather than destroy the alien vessel. As the Washington reached launch position, the Ruby Rain and its squadron slashed down in front of them, forcing the Washington onto a new trajectory and blocking her attempts to assist.
"Dammit," Cross growled, restraining himself from slamming his fist on the arm of his chair, but only just barely. The Washington exchanged blasts with the command ships, to no effect.
The battle net crackled into a louder volume as he received a direct communication. "Okoye to the Washington. You should be at the system exit by now. Commander Cross, you have your orders."
Cross was about to speak, to argue, when the biting tones of his former Captain finished, "We will discuss this at the rendezvous point, Commander. Chicago out."
The channel crackled again, and Dima appeared on the main display, the bridge behind him a bustle of activity. "Commander, the Beijing is recalling his fighters and heading for a system exit. My squadron has given orders to retreat, and I must obey them.
"I understand."
"If it was only the Beijing, I’d make a different choice."
"I understand," Cross said again, his flat voice an indicator of his racing mind.
It seemed as if the older man wanted to say something else, but then he disappeared from screen, leaving only the real-time view of the Pandora getting pummeled.
"Lieutenant Lee, come around to 290, thirty high," Cross ordered.
"Aye," Lee replied in an eager tone that illustrated his opinion of the order to abandon Kate and the Pandora.
"Weapons, tunnel torpedoes in all tubes, distributed among the eight ships in the command squadron. Send a couple extra at the wench in the red ship."
"Now you're talking, Commander," the perennially enthusiastic Marcus Walsh replied.
After waiting just long enough for the heading change to register with enemies and allies alike, Cross countermanded it.
"Attack pattern Delta, targeted on the Ruby Rain. Execute."
The officers at helm, tactical, and weapons scrambled to their tasks as the Washington curved back into battle. The moment she changed course, however, another salvo of missiles erupted from the aliens, who kept their energy beams trained on the Pandora, while sending a multitude of torpedoes toward the Washington.
"Break off attack. Evasive. Countermeasures." Cross was sure his anger and frustration came out in the clipped commands. The Washington evaded most of the weapons headed her way, and the ones she couldn’t splashed against her shields, depleting them but not penetrating.
He stabbed the button to connect to the Pandora. "Kate, you need to get out of here. Because we're not leaving until you do."
Chapter Four
"Tactical, report," Kate said.
"Well, Commander," replied Lieutenant Santiago Diaz, "it appears that all our allies save one have left the sector, and every alien ship is now firing energy weapons at us."
"Are we strong enough to ignore it?"
"Negative. We can take the abuse for a while, but eventually even Pandora will succumb to these numbers."
Kate opened the channel to the Washington. "Cross, this is a losing battle. It’s time for you to get out. We’ll meet you back at the rendezvous or a starbase as soon as we’re able to flee the sector. You know me," she forced a positive tone out between her teeth, "I can fly my way out of anything."
She was about to finish with something he’d understand as regret for the time they’d no longer have together when the Pandora intervened.
"Commander, we cannot meet the Washington at the rendezvous after we leave the sector." Kate caught a motion out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see a slightly translucent being step into view—clearly a hologram but a superb one, Kate's analytical mind supplied. She was smaller than Kate would've expected, at just under a meter and a half. Her proportions were female, whether in keeping with the gender Kate had applied to the ship or naturally, she had no way of knowing. The alien most resembled an elf from a fantasy story of the distant past, with sculpted features, sweeping ears that came to a point, and eyes that showed a blend of intelligence, wisdom, and playfulness she’d never seen in a living being before.
Pandora was covered with what appeared to be a light layer of downy fur, which she’d mistaken for skin at first before the bridge's illumination caught its texture. She wore what Kate would call a dress, a tunic that ran over one shoulder and ended in a long skirt that brushed the floor when she moved. Wrapped around her neck was a furry creature she continuously stroked. Its sleepy eyes seemed to watch Kate as she took it in.
"There's so much I wish to ask you, Pandora, but right now clearly isn't the time. What do you mean, we need to go elsewhere?"
Kate gave Claire Martin a pointed look, and her executive officer replied with a nod and two fingers raised. So, they had two minutes before events would become critical.
"Your species is doomed to destruction by the Xroeshyn," Pandora said. "The only thing that can prevent this is visiting another system where at least one of my sisters is at rest. You will need better technology to persevere in this war."
"How do you know this?"
"During our time among your people, I have accessed all the information in your records and added it to my existing data about the Xroeshyn forces. There is no question about the outcome, Commander."
"Why are you helping us?"
The alien tilted her head in a quizzical look. "Self-preservation, Commander. I do not wish to end my existence, or to become the property of the Xroeshyn."
"Where will we go?" Kate asked. Martin was holding up one finger behind Pandora.
The main display flickered and changed, showing an ultra-wide view of the galaxy, then drilling in to an unexplored sector. The zoom continued until a system with two suns locked in orbit around one another and a number of planets within their combined glow took shape.
"Okay. You've been dependable so far, and it's not like we have any other immediate task. I'm laying in a course to escort the Washington to the nearest tunnel location. If we can h
it it at the same time, great, but if we need to run interference, we will loop back to follow. Communication, send that information over to them."
Both ships changed heading, driving together for the wormhole. They each took blasts from the aliens seeking to block the way, but their own combined fire held them at bay.
"Commander, we can't both make it," said Diaz. Kate saw what he was referring to on the main display. In order for the Washington to have a chance at escape, the Pandora would need to veer away and hope the attackers followed her. Kate set a new heading, turning into the teeth of the enemy seeking to block the Washington. She triggered the channel. "Go, Cross. We’ll follow you." She cut off his protest by killing the connection and watched with satisfaction as the Washington tore from the sector.
"Tactical, Claire, find me a way back to a tunnel point," she commanded. On the main screen, the Pandora raced ahead of the alien forces, but they were clearly moving to create a globe around her ship.
"I've got one," Diaz announced, "but you’ll need to destroy these enemies to punch through." A series of six ships and their projected paths was highlighted.
Kate was about to give the orders to engage them when Pandora spoke again. "There is another way, Commander." On the main display a new image appeared, a rippling force moving through the sector. "We can use this gravity wave."
Claire and Kate looked at each other. "We have a gravity drive?" Claire said.
"That is correct, Lieutenant Commander," Pandora replied.
"Get us out of here, Pandora, right now." Kate's voice was a mix of hope and fear.
With only the Xroeshyn there to see it, the Pandora caught the gravity wave and vanished from the sector in a wash of color.
Chapter Five
Small sounds echoed in the vast Cathedral as its lone occupant, hierarch Kraada Tak, knelt in meditation. He was the picture of calm—wings gracefully folded, hands resting on his thighs, head turned up to view the statues of the eight that crowned the holy space. He felt the gaze of Evran, god of war. That deity's judgment was palpable—his disappointment in the execution of the campaign against the humans radiating to fill the room. He felt the gaze of Lelana, his patron goddess, who castigated him for not being subtle enough and not playing a suitably deep game. Finally, he felt the gaze of Vasoi, whose empty pedestal mocked him and resonated into the depths of his soul, chiding him on behalf of his people's ancestors, still trapped in the in-between, still waiting for their deliverance.
