“One hundred and fifty years ago, the burgeoning Alliance fought the Terrans to a standstill. We are no longer a youthful conglomeration of races. Today, we are a unified front, powerful and deadly. There will be no stalemate this time. There will be no Accord signed when all this is completed. This time, we will bring the Empire to its knees before we take its head.”
With no more pomp and circumstance, the Wyndgaart stepped off the podium and disappeared off the screen, leaving the audience staring in wonder. As quickly as it had happened, the screens turned back to the evening news anchors, who sat dumbfounded in front of the cameras. Clearly, they had not been briefed on the message beforehand, and now they scrambled to cover the news story as it unfolded.
As quickly as the monitors had gained their attention, the four now quickly ignored the telecasters. Turning to one another, they sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Keryn glanced up once at the monitor, feeling a deep seeded hatred toward the Wyndgaart spokesman. It had been easy to stand before a camera and tell the known universe that there would be a second Great War. But the spokesman wasn’t a soldier, nor were the High Councilmembers. They were politicians who made tactical and militaristic decisions based on anger, frustration, and intelligence passed along second or third hand. They weren’t members of the Fleet or Infantry who would have to lay their lives on the line in order to succeed at their own aggressive plan. In that respect, Keryn realized just how alone the four people at the table truly were.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” Adam said, breaking the silence.
“Which part?” Yen asked sarcastically.
“How much more ‘offensive’ could we get? I mean, we were fighting for our lives against six Destroyers. What do they want from us now? Planet hopping? Wiping out one outpost after another until we finally reach Earth?”
“You joke,” Penchant growled, “but this war won’t be won until we reach Earth. You thought the Fleet was tough, just wait until you run headlong into the Earth defensive system.”
“I heard about that,” Adam added excitedly. “After the battle with the Lithids and the defeat of their Fleet, the Terrans were sure the Alliance would bring the fight to their doorstep. So the Terrans chose to hide on Earth, and built a grid system in orbit around their homeworld. That thing’s supposed to be damn near impregnable.”
“So we’re just supposed to fly right into a satellite grid’s laser defense system?” Yen asked angrily.
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Keryn said, holding up her transponder. They could all hear the low humming tone that signaled a recall to the Revolution. Moments after Keryn held up her transponder, everyone else’s began to vibrate and emit the same tone. “We’re being recalled. Grab your stuff and meet me back at the ship.”
Quickly parting ways with the other two, Keryn and Yen hurried back to their hotel. The streets were already packed with Fleet personnel all hastily checking out of their rooms. The signal they had received was not isolated to the Revolution. Every Fleet ship docked at the Farimas Space Station had sent out their general quarters message, recalling all personnel.
Keryn packed exceptionally quickly, knowing that as the Squadron Commander, she would have more responsibility in the next couple days then most on board the Revolution. Yen seemed lost, not quite certain how his infiltration team would fit into the grand scheme of an Alliance assault. The directive was surprising and would be attempted on a scale far surpassing anything else attempted since the days of the Empire’s Manifest Destiny Directive. To Keryn, her feelings alternated between excited and frightened. She hardly paid attention as she finished packing and wasn’t even sure if she had remembered everything before hurrying downstairs. Keryn sat by impatiently while Yen checked out of the room. As soon as he was done, they left the hotel and ran through the streets, toward the lifts that would take them to the outer ring.
As expected, the lift was packed with returning personnel. As soon as she approached the kiosks that would scan them back off leave, Keryn swiped her card and was surprised to be met on the other side of the kiosks by a pair of burly Fleet security guards. Their shoulder patches identified them as belonging to the Revolution, though she didn’t recognize their faces.
“Commander Riddell,” one of the two said in a tone that made it more of a statement and less of a question. “You are to accompany us at once. Captain Hodge has a vital communication for you.”
“What about Magistrate Xiao?” she asked, gesturing toward Yen.
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” the other guard chimed in. “Our orders were for you alone.”
Keryn turned toward Yen and shrugged apologetically. “Get on board and find the others. As soon as I get done with… whatever it is that I need to do, I’ll find you.”
Nodding, no longer showing the public affection for which they had quickly become renowned since they were once again in uniform, Yen turned toward the lift and was quickly lost in the sea of pressing bodies. Following the guards, Keryn was led to a private airlock, on the far side of which was docked a small transport ship. Motioning for her to step inside, Keryn found herself in the surprisingly spacious confines of a private transport. The entire ship was richly upholstered and, though it could have easily sat nearly two dozen soldiers, it had seats for only six. The rest of the space was filled with personal console tables.
As she looked around, both stunned and confused, the cockpit door slid open and Captain Hodge emerged into the crew compartment. Her smile seemed strained as she shared it briefly, but it was quickly replaced by her stoic demeanor. Wordlessly, Captain Hodge sat down heavily into one of the chairs, gesturing for Keryn to sit in a chair across a console table from her.
“I’m sure you’re a little confused right now,” the Captain said in her melodic tones.
“That’s an understatement, ma’am. I don’t think I’ve had a chance to think straight since the news conference.”
Captain Hodge nodded knowingly. “I understand, but I can’t help you. I told you before that there were many things going on that I couldn’t tell you about, simply because of their classified nature. Now, there are things going on that I can’t tell you about because I simply don’t know myself.” She reached into the jacket pocket on her uniform and pulled out a small disk. “I was given this with direct orders to bring the disk straight to you. I was not allowed to view the contents, nor am I allowed to be in the room when you watch it. This is truly for your eyes only.”
Keryn stared at the disk as it was placed in her hand. With no more words shared, Captain Hodge stood and exited the airlock at the back of the ship, disappearing into the throng of people still waiting for the elevator within the space station. Hesitantly, Keryn turned back to the disk still resting in her hand and was suddenly very aware of the console built into the desk in front of her. Alone in the crew compartment, Keryn slid the disk into the slot on the side of the console and sat back in the plush chair.
The blue screen of the console flickered to life before turning an inky black with a vibrant red symbol in the middle. Slowly, that too faded away, leaving Keryn looking at a horseshoe shaped conference desk, behind which six wizened and cloaked figures stared back at her.
“Hello, Commander Riddell,” the elderly Wyndgaart High Councilmember said. “We have a special mission for you…”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The stage at the front of the auditorium had been converted until it was nearly unrecognizable. A large cylindrical container sat on one end, a series of cables and wires running from it before disappearing behind the thick curtains on either wing of the stage. A series of test tubes and small medical instruments lined tables that had been prepositioned along the back wall. On the far right of the stage, a surprisingly empty table stood, a lonely piece of furniture amongst the bustle of the rest of the stage.
Yen, Adam, and Penchant took their seats in the front of the auditorium, with a clear view of the displayed science experiment. Yen was honestly surp
rised from his trip through the halls of the Revolution. In remarkable time, less than a week, the shipyard had repaired the majority of damage the Cruiser had sustained during the war. Though there were still entire hallways marked as off limits to non-essential personnel, the ship no longer appeared in distress as it had when it first made dock at the space station.
Looking over his shoulder, Yen watched the lines of recalled Fleet personnel filter into the auditorium, but he didn’t spot Keryn among them. Other familiar faces caught his eye as they entered, both previous friends from the Revolution and some newcomers, Iana included. As the crowd began to thin, the last of the people entering the auditorium and finding their seats, Yen began wondering if Keryn would arrive for this meeting at all. When he had just about given up hope of seeing her, he was stunned to see a ghostly figure enter the room. The Uligart male frowned at the gathered crowd as he searched for a seat. Turning back around, Yen slumped heavily into his seat.
“What’s gotten into you?” Adam asked from beside him.
Yen nodded toward the back of the room. “It’s Buren,” he said, still surprised.
Adam turned quickly to look and Yen could hear the Pilgrim’s breath get caught in his throat. “I thought he got out of the service.”
Yen turned around as well, looking again at the stern-looking Uligart. “I did too. Hell, we all almost did after Purseus II. You think it’s just a coincidence he’s on board?”
“Not in a million years,” Adam replied. “Though I don’t like the idea of the three of us being back together.”
Yen felt the bad blood shared between them and the Uligart standing at the doorway to the auditorium. Buren, Adam, and Yen had been the only survivors of the slaughter on Purseus II, the same battle during which Keryn’s brother had died. The three survivors had flown together for months in the cramped confines of the Cair Ilmun before being rescued. Buren had been in shock, barely speaking or interacting with the other two. When they were finally rescued, while Yen and Adam recounted their story to a multitude of ranking officials, Buren had been quietly whisked away. Diagnosed with a severe post-traumatic stress disorder, Buren was admitted to a hospital. He should have been kicked from the service, Yen thought sourly. Instead, Buren stood proudly in the back of the auditorium, in full military regalia. On the shoulders of his uniform shone the brass rank of Magistrate. Despite his medical condition and inpatient care at a hospital, he had been inexplicably promoted to the rank of an officer. It was too convenient to be a coincidence.
Their pondering was interrupted as Captain Hodge climbed the steps leading to the stage. A general hush fell over the crowd as she stepped gingerly over the multitude of wires that coated the stage’s floor. She walked to the center of the stage before turning to address the crowd.
“I’m sorry to have pulled you all from your shore leave. Rest assured, I wouldn’t have done so if I didn’t have a very good reason. By now you’ve all heard the message from the High Council. It’s been decided that the Alliance will go on the offensive against the Terran Empire. For those of you who were engaged in the last battle, you’ve surely asked the same question of yourself that I have many times: how much more aggressive than the last battle do they expect us to be?”
A light laughter filled the room, though it was heavy with nervousness and sadness at the memory of the Fleet engagement.
“I joke, but the truth of the situation is staggering. Before this meeting began, I received a classified communication from the High Council, laying out their plan of attack against the Terran Empire. When they say that we are going on the offensive, they truly weren’t kidding.
“I’ll be honest with you all. The Revolution was the least damaged Cruiser in the Fleet following the last battle, and we are still a few weeks away from completing repairs. Other ships have received just enough repairs to remain space worthy. But our time is short; so short, in fact, that we don’t have time to wait for the rest of the repairs before we begin flying toward our target. The remaining repairs will be conducted in midflight.”
Captain Hodge tapped a series of buttons on the console imbedded in the podium. The lights in the auditorium dimmed and a holographic representation of Empire-occupied space appeared.
“Earlier this week, we received information that a massive Terran Fleet had left orbit around the Empire’s home world of Earth.” Small red dots appeared in the hologram, showing the large Fleet heading toward the Demilitarized Zone. “Based off our most recent battle, it is safe to assume that the Terran Fleet is heading toward Alliance space with the intent of conducting a full-fledged assault on our strongholds along this side of the Demilitarized Zone. From their angle of advance, the border stations near the Indara Nebula will be the first to fall. If not stopped, the Fleet will continue its advance until it reaches more inhabited planets.”
The Captain’s voice dropped, though it still carried through the room. “I don’t think I need to remind you of what happened during the Great War. If the Empire still has access to any Planet Killer weapons, then everyone we know could be in danger.”
“So we’re going to face the full Terran Fleet?” Yen asked loudly, his voice cutting through the silence in the room. “With a third of our ships damaged, we’re going to face a Fleet that has numerical advantage?”
Captain Hodge smiled. “No, Magistrate Xiao. We are not going to attack the Fleet. The first thing I told you was that the Terran Fleet had left orbit around Earth. They left their home world defenseless. We’re taking the war to Earth!”
Stunned chatter erupted throughout the room. Penchant and Adam both leaned in and the three talked amongst themselves, echoing the sentiments of those seated around them.
“This is suicide,” Penchant growled. “The defense grid around Earth would decimate the Fleet as soon as we got in range.”
“Something tells me that the Terrans would be ready for something like this,” Adam added. “They wouldn’t just leave Earth defenseless.”
Yen sat in silence, trying to block out everyone’s panicked conversations. There was something they were all missing, and Yen was patient enough to wait to find out what it was.
“Silence!” Captain Hodge yelled, her voice cutting through the conversations. As everyone turned back toward her, they found the Avalon glowering at them, her face flushed with anger. “Do you honestly think that the High Council doesn’t know about the Terran defenses around Earth? Do you truly believe that they would knowingly send us all to our deaths without any sort of defenses of our own? Don’t be fools!”
Taking a deep breath, Captain Hodge continued. “You’ve all heard the rumors of Earth’s defenses.” Pushing a control on the console, the holographic image changed to that of a blue-green planet. Around it, floating in a synchronous orbit, small metallic satellites could be seen. Their orbits ensured complete coverage above the atmosphere of Earth. “The fact is, they’re true. The Terrans do have a satellite system in place capable of annihilating our Alliance Cruisers. But there’s a plan to get around their defenses. To explain it further, I’d like to introduce Doctor Birand, a representative of the High Council.”
A rail-thin Uligart took the stage, looking fragile in his oversized laboratory coat. A general hush fell over the audience as they watched the nervous man run a hand through his thinning hair and push his glasses up further on his face. Yen frowned. Surrounded by what Yen had to assume was his own technology, there was still something that seemed to keep the scientist on edge. He had learned long ago that when a man seemed nervous about his own plan, it was usually doomed to failure. Gingerly, not wanting to alert anyone to what he was doing, Yen began to probe the scientist’s thoughts.
“Thank you, Captain, for allowing me to be here,” Dr. Birand said softly, with a faint stutter. He glanced up at the holographic portrayal of Earth, hovering above his head. Smiling, he began pacing the stage as he talked, as though the movement helped him gather his thoughts. His speech came slower as he methodically selected his wor
ds for greatest effect. “You can all see the image hovering above the stage. Ever since the Great War, Earth has spent a small fortune building one of the most elaborate satellite systems in history, a system so complex that no ship stands a chance of passing through without being summarily destroyed. The access code changes every twenty-four hours with the new codes being shuttled to inbound crews only when they enter the solar system, and that only happens after a whole litany of authorization codes have been verified by Earth’s central command. Even if we tried, we would stand no chance of gathering all those access codes from any of the captured Terran crews.”
Yen saw the flicker of faint images, peeled unwillingly from the mind of the scientist. Broad golden lasers, the result of harnessed solar energy, fired from satellites surrounding a blue and green planet. His heart beat faster. To wield such power would make a man unstoppable.
The Uligart stopped pacing and faced the crowd, a look of confusion temporarily cast upon his face before he continued. “So what options do we have?”
“Don’t attack Earth at all,” someone yelled from the back of audience. Nervous laughter sputtered through the crowd, though Yen was pretty sure the man wasn’t joking.
Dr. Birand smiled softly. “No, unfortunately we will be attacking Earth. It does, however, still leave us with the problem of Earth’s defenses. For the past few years, I have been heading a secret research project that would be invaluable in just such a situation. The results of those years of research are sitting on this very stage with me.”
Fall of Icarus bod-2 Page 20
