Alliance: Legacy War Book 3

by John Walker

  Desmond tapped the computer and leaned back in his chair, taking a deep breath. Turbulence began to shake the ship, which struck him as odd that it took so long. The rattling only lasted a couple of minutes before everything went silent and they had achieved orbit. Experiencing such motion while in control didn’t bother him but when someone else flew …

  He didn’t care for being at the mercy of other pilots, regardless of how good.

  “I trust everything’s ready for us,” Thayne said. “Your communication seemed to be about our departure?”

  “Admiral Reach is already on board,” Desmond explained. “I’m curious how he finds the ship so I’m anxious to get aboard. I was able to sneak up there yesterday for a quick inspection of my own but now I need to know how he did. In fact, I’m pretty sure he sent me to get you so he’d be able to check things out alone.”

  Thayne tilted his head. “Why would he do so?”

  “Sometimes, people will say something different when their boss is around,” Desmond said. “It’s a tactic used by leaders the world over. Believe me, I’ve used it with a couple of my department heads when trying to understand how we’re doing with a particular situation or problem. And before you ask, yes, I think it sounds like undermining too.”

  “So why do it?”

  “As someone in charge, if you have to take point to solve an issue, then it’s best to get your information from the horse’s mouth.”

  Thayne’s brows furrowed and he leaned back. “How do you extract such things from a beast? Is it painful?”

  Desmond chuckled. “Sorry, it’s just a phrase. It means you go to the source to find out what’s going on and talk to the people directly. That way, there’s no translation, no salving of the information. You know exactly what’s happening. You can craft a solution because you personally heard what’s going on.”

  “I see … A personal investment works better for science too, I assure you.” Thayne turned to look out the window. “Unfortunately for me, I became detached from the base level experiments. I was elevated to an administrator and suddenly was in charge of a team of scientists. It was not as fulfilling and often times, I didn’t feel like I knew what they were doing.”

  “Then you have a good understanding of what I’m talking about,” Desmond replied. “Men of action tend to have a hard time with the transition to leadership. You have to trust other people to do the work you’d been doing before. When you see them working inefficiently, for example, you have to remember you’re there to coach them, not scold. So I get it.”

  “Yes! Oh, the trials we have faced.” Thayne smiled at his own drama. “Thank you for this talk, Captain. I feel better.”

  “Good.” Desmond smirked as well, looking out the window at the Gnosis. They would be there in a few minutes now and he could get to work. He felt an urgency to get aboard, a sense that he had a lot to do. Relax, he reminded himself. These few minutes might be the quietest you experience for a while. Take them in and enjoy it while you can.

  Desmond drew a deep breath and settled into his seat. He might not be able to get all the way to relaxation but he could at least not stress about the workload ahead. There was plenty of time for that. Just then, he enjoyed the uncharacteristic silence of traveling through space without the constant demands on his time he could expect soon.

  Chapter 4

  Cassie secured her quarters for departure and took a moment to go over her calendar throughout the flight to the space station. She had a mandatory rest period stuck in the middle of things but also a number of brief conversations with the engineering team and Thayne. Vincent sent her a personal invite for a meal as well.

  A knock on her door drew her attention and she double checked to see that she was free for that period. No one should’ve been contacting her, not without notice and she hadn’t made enough friends on the ship to warrant a random visit. Considering they were less than a half hour out from dropping into hyperspace, she wondered if there might be some problem.

  “Come in,” Cassie called. She stood before the door opened, feeling ridiculously formal in her white uniform. The pants suddenly felt restrictive and the jacket gathered under her arms, pinching the skin. I swear, I need to get one of the crew uniforms here and toss this fancy ass thing.

  An unfamiliar woman stood in her doorway, wearing the dress uniform of the military. The rank on her shoulder said she held the rank of major, a ground force designation and there were a couple of ribbons indicating she’d served at least three tours. Dark hair was gathered in a neat bun and her blue eyes scanned the room in an instant.

  “Cassandra Alexander, I presume.” The woman entered, clasping her hands behind her back. “I’m Major Christina Dawson. I believe you were informed about me.”

  “I was told you wouldn’t likely make contact unless you needed to,” Cassie said. “Is something the matter?”

  “No,” Christina shook her head. “But I like to put a face to the name before I have to rely on them in a pinch. Call me superstitious, but it’s important in our line of work. Your support system literally becomes your life in many cases. This is an unknown situation to the extreme and the admiral has no idea just how dangerous it might become.”

  “I’m sure he has a good idea,” Cassie replied. “He’s spoken to Thayne … er … Doctor Rindala so he’s got a solid understanding of what to expect from the Pahxin.”

  “You forget, I’ve been in those meetings and I can tell you with absolute certainty, our illustrious leader has no idea what he’s walking into. Thayne isn’t being as forthcoming as you’d like to believe.”

  “What do you mean?” Cassie fought hard to keep a neutral tone but she felt a sense of indignation hit her. Thayne was becoming something of a friend and she didn’t like where the conversation was going. Did they truly doubt his honesty? His integrity? Had the AIA become too paranoid for their own good? “I’ve spent a lot of time with him. He seems on the level.”

  “Ah … Are you developing a friendship then?”

  Cassie hesitated before answering. “I wouldn’t say that.”

  “I see. You haven’t been in the field before then.”

  “This is my first field assignment, yes.”

  Christina nodded. “The first rule you should’ve been told is to keep things professional. As soon as you find yourself falling into a personal relationship, your objectivity will falter. In the case of Doctor Rindala, you need to remember that he came to us after being under duress. He’s not the most reliable of allies because he joined us out of absolute necessity.”

  “That doesn’t mean he’s against us,” Cassie replied. “I believe he genuinely wants our people to cooperate.”

  “Perhaps so. But I’ve heard him give vague answers when it’s fairly clear he could be more direct. Add to that the fact he’s got a close friend who just happens to be a Pahxin criminal, one that we had to leave behind on Earth to avoid causing an incident or risk having to give the man up. Those are compelling facts to worry about.”

  “I see.” Cassie chewed the inside of her cheek before continuing. “So … is that what you’re here to tell me? That I should be cautious?”

  “No, I just wanted to meet the woman I’d be relying on if something terrible goes down on the station. I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to protect the admiral … and whoever else I can save. Let’s ensure you have access to my personal com.” Christina tapped at her computer. “You should be receiving an encrypted application.”

  Cassie frowned at her screen. “This is pretty intense. Who developed this code?”

  “One of the newbies.” Christina shrugged. “Seemed pretty robust so I decided to use it this time. Please ensure you can access my com before we leave the system. I’m not sure how many opportunities we’ll have to meet after this.”

  “I will. It’s going to take a while to install.”

  “I figured.” Christina sighed, looking around the room again. “So … how bad is hyperspace?”


  Finally, something she doesn’t seem to know everything about. “That depends on the situation,” Cassie replied. “Sometimes, you barely notice but under duress, we’ve had to make some pretty crazy plunges. You mostly notice the first time.”

  “Ah …”

  Cassie noticed nerves playing at the corners of Christina’s eyes. She tried to mask it but the signs were all there. “It won’t be a big deal. We’ve done it plenty of times now so you probably won’t even notice. In other words, all the scary tests have already been performed. It’s becoming pretty routine.”

  “Good. I suppose you can be brave in many situations but flying faster than light … traveling quicker than anything ever has in history … It’s pretty intimidating.”

  “I felt the same way our first time. The crew already did it twice before I came on board. Once to the outer reaches of our solar system and once to get back. They were pretty cool customers when we initiated the last couple trips, even when we were all about to die from the planetary core explosion.”

  “I read about that.” Christina shook her head. “You guys sure know how to play it rough out here.” Salina’s voice announced that they would be initiating hyperspace in twenty minutes. “I’d better get to my quarters. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I really appreciate it and I look forward to working with you.”

  “You too.” Cassie watched her go and flopped into a chair. The doubts Christina put in her head made her angry. She didn’t want to worry about Thayne or any of the others for that matter. How long had it taken for Christina to become jaded? She didn’t look all that old so it couldn’t have taken too long.

  Lord, I hope I don’t follow that path. Becoming like her … It would be like sacrificing one’s humanity. And for what? Security? At the cost of indulging the ultimate paranoia. The AIA constantly looks for threats in the shadows but how long does it take before every motion looks dangerous? I’m walking a fine line here between loyalty and maintaining my sense of self.

  This mission would not test Cassie, not terribly but she felt like a day would come when she’d be expected to take some kind of stand, make a decision she didn’t agree with. When that time came, she wondered how she would handle it, both during the event and after. If she dreaded anything at all, it was the point of no return she knew was out there, waiting for her arrival.

  ***

  Desmond took to the bridge on the verge of leaving hyperspace. Vincent sat beside him and the admiral took the seat normally occupied by Cassie. His aide, Christina Dawson, stood, holding the safety bar near the elevator. He didn’t know why she needed to be present but he didn’t bother to ask.

  The departure from Earth went off without a hitch, despite Deacon’s nerves. The young man practically trembled when he initiated the process and the admiral congratulated them all. Reach seemed impressed by their efficiency and he complimented them for their professionalism during what he considered the most frightening part of his career.

  “I’ve read the reports about hyperspace,” Reach said, “but I could not possibly imagine what it was like to go into it. Thank you all for your patience with my staff and I. Believe me, we all hold you in high regard for your bravery. Such a test … that first time you launched … must’ve been equal parts terrifying and exciting.”

  “Believe me, it was,” Desmond replied. “But we were confident in the simulations and tests. Our own departure came after years of study. Those scientists wanted a victory.”

  Reach left them alone throughout the flight but he returned to be on hand when they were able to communicate with the Pahxin. Chances were good they would have communications the second they dropped out of hyperspace. Desmond was glad to relinquish the first contact responsibilities to his superior.

  Much as I thought my soldiering days were over, after our last three missions, I’ve found myself leaning more heavily on my tactical skills. Desmond considered the situation for a moment, thinking back to why he joined the Gnosis in the first place. I thought I’d be an ambassador to other planets … even if there were no people to meet.

  Fate had another plan for humanity and as they were plunged into a galaxy of conflict and dangerous organizations, Desmond adjusted easily into the combat role. He hoped it would not be necessary when they arrived at the station. Thayne made it clear any fighting between humanity and the Pahxin would not go well.

  They have an entire fleet of warships and we’ve got one and a half. Their orbital defense vessels could travel about the solar system quickly enough but they lacked the ability to travel to distant stars. As the hyperdrive technology sophisticated, they would be retrofitted accordingly but until that time, the Gnosis was the only ship that could leave Sol.

  So we have to be polite with these guys. I wonder how Reach was briefed by high command. Desmond tried to breach the subject to find out what their orders were but the admiral wouldn’t discuss them. That made Desmond all the more nervous. If they were there strictly for a diplomatic mission, why keep any of it a secret?

  I really hope we’re not going to try to pull some BS here. Clever as we are, these people have dealt with many others in their time and they likely have a better grasp over not only the technology at their disposal but in deception as well. This is not the time for intrigue. We should be putting our cards on the table.

  Desmond personally believed that handing over an Orb wouldn’t have gone amiss. They could take one anyway so why not provide some good will right away? On the other side of the argument, he understood the desire to keep them both. After all, they were learning a great deal, more than ever before. Advances might come quicker.

  And that could put us on an even ground with our new allies.

  “I’m disengaging the drive,” Zach said, “in thirty seconds.”

  Here we go.

  Desmond noticed Admiral Reach’s knuckles turning white a moment before the deck rattled and the viewscreen cranked on. Space opened before them and the other members of the bridge crew launched into action, compiling reports from the various departments throughout the ship. He waited patiently but he could tell his superior was anxious.

  “We’ve worked out most of the little bugs.” Desmond kept his voice low. “And engineering monitors all the major systems. Whatever we hear in a few moments should be fairly positive overall.”

  “What’re you most concerned about?” Reach asked.

  “Getting a hail from our potential allies,” Desmond replied. “I want them to know it’s us who just hopped into the area and that we’re not here to cause trouble. Whether we’re talking to the Pahxin government or the station administrators, I’d put announcing our presence at the very top of our priority list.”

  “All departments report green,” Vincent said. “Zach, how close to our coordinates did we arrive?”

  “We’re thirty-thousand kilometers off,” Zach sighed. “I thought we did a better job but I guess it’s not too bad.”

  Desmond explained to Reach, “We’ve managed to come much closer to our planned arrival point. Regardless, we ensure we’re aiming for a space which has plenty of room for massive miscalculations. That’s why we’ve been so far out from Earth when we’ve returned from our missions.”

  Reach nodded. “Considering how far we just traveled, I’d say thirty-thousand kilometers sounds pretty reasonable.”

  “I can do better, sir,” Zach said. “But thank you.”

  Desmond stood and joined Salina at her station, peering over her shoulder. She was scanning the area, staring at the screen intently. He waited for a few moments, trying to make sense of the figures dancing across the monitor on the right. When he couldn’t make heads or tails of it, he finally just asked.

  “What do you have?”

  “I wish Cassie were up here,” Salina replied. “She’d be able to help with some of these energy readings but other than those, we’re definitely where we’re supposed to be. Three hours to get to the station too so while we weren’t where we wanted to be, at
least we’re closer to our end destination.”

  “Other ships in the area?”

  “Not that I’ve detected yet.” Salina hummed, gesturing to a blip on her screen. “The station is on my scans and it’s pretty big … though not as large as the other place we visited. I’d say three hundred people could live there without feeling too cramped.”

  “Can you hail them from here?”

  “Once we start moving,” Salina turned to him, “I can get them on real time com in a half hour.”

  “Sounds like we’ve got a little time to kill then,” Desmond said. “Zach, get us moving toward our destination. Vincent, let everyone know we’ll be ready to get over to the station in just under four hours.”

  “I think I’ll stick around,” Reach added. “When we can speak to the station, I’d like to be on hand for the conversation. Christina, head down and let the rest of our party know when we’ll be leaving. See about the shuttle and ensure we’ve got everything we need. I suppose we’ll want to take a quick meal break before going as well.”

  “Yes, sir.” Christina seemed hesitant to leave, which struck Desmond as odd. As an aide, she’d proven to be particularly clingy to Admiral Reach. She was a new addition to his staff, someone who joined him just before the trial tests of the Gnosis but as the program progressed, she became more prominent at his meetings.

  I wonder what her deal is. Trying to get bumped up to colonel, I suppose. I’d love to take a look at her records. Desmond knew there was little chance of checking up on the admiral’s personal staff but he felt curious. Maybe a quick chat with her before we get back to Earth will reveal something. I’ll try to set something up.

  Vincent spoke to the admiral, “Do you think this is going to be a straight forward conversation, sir?”

  “I’m hoping so,” Reach replied. “We’ve been preparing for this since we sent the message. It’s time to see whether or not our efforts have been well spent. My advice is if we simply do all our jobs efficiently, we should come out with a new ally and be prepared to meet these various threats you’ve encountered with a unified front.”