Libre, A Silver Ships Novel (The Silver Ships Book 2)
Page 29
The boom echoing from Alex’s handclap had caused Andrea and Renée to jump in their chairs. Andrea sent to Renée, grinning sheepishly at her reaction,
To which, Renée laughed and replied,
The two women were waiting for Alex to share his news, but as he sat in the chair next to them, he was already gone.
* * *
The liners, the Freedom, and the freighter Lange Strecken were nearing the FTL exit. Tomas called to wish good fortune to the Admiral, who had just donned a robe to join Renée in their cabin’s main salon.
Tomas said.
* * *
The port-side attacker came directly at the Rêveur. Alex had placed his ship directly between the silver ship and the Unser Menschen. Earlier, Andrea had launched their two Daggers, which had dived under the ecliptic and now were arcing back up.
As the drone closed at its incredible speed, the Outward Bound came over the top of the Rêveur and began firing its missiles one after another until the carousels were exhausted. The sixteen missiles accelerated and fired their stage-two munitions. One hundred twenty-eight warheads flew at the drone in batches of eight, spiraling in various patterns. The silver ship’s beam was cutting great swaths in the mass of warheads, which is probably why the enemy fighter never detected the missiles coming at it from the two Daggers below. It was obliterated in a hot ball of expanding debris and gas.
The second drone, which had been on patrol as well, came from the starboard quarter. The Outward Bound had rearmed itself and stood by to defend the Rêveur, but the enemy fighter didn’t get close to the Admiral’s ship. Fourteen Daggers shot past the Rêveur and loosed a single missile barrage, which became 112 warheads. Immediately, the squadron launched a second barrage.
The Librans were tired of finding themselves backed into corners, first from their own society and now from an alien civilization, and their anger over the loss of thousands of precious elders smoldered in their hearts. Every Libran pilot trainee was in near ecstasy when Commander Reynard ordered twin missile launches.
The drone destroyed many of the warheads in the initial volley before it was swamped and destroyed. Over a hundred warheads swept past the ball of hot gas that had been the silver ship and proceeded to burn out as they headed inward. In time, most would become fuel for Arno.
Sheila felt a twinge of regret for the waste of missiles, but she had to admit that swatting the drone out of existence was a satisfying moment she wouldn’t soon forget. She sent Lieutenant Tanaka and his wingman, Lieutenant McCrery, back to the Rêveur, and added a replacement fighter. Then her squadron began the return trip to the Money Maker.
When Lazlo received news of the successful defeat of the second drone, he ordered Mütter to bring the engines to full power and accelerate to the FTL exit. The Daggers would easily catch his ship, and the Unser Menschen and Rêveur would pass him by before his freighter reached the outer planet’s orbit.
* * *
Alex sat quietly in the Rêveur’s command chair. The raucous celebration of the crew could still be heard down the corridor. Alex’s thoughts weren’t celebratory since he was focused on those they had lost, but he couldn’t resist sharing with Julien.
Alex offered.
This is no time to be thinking of the past, my friend, Julien thought. New Terra is only days away.
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The Unser Menschen passed by the Money Maker, and Alex ordered Andrea to fall off and shadow the freighter. Alex and Andrea were updated by Julien that four more drones had turned to pursue them but were too far away to reach them before the exit point. In fact, the remaining ships of the flotilla would soon pass that invisible gravity line of the last planet’s orbit that Alex and Julien were sure the silver ships couldn’t cross.
“It’s just mindless, Admiral,” Andrea said, observing the great distance the drones had to cross to reach their ships.
“Mindless, Captain?” Alex repeated. “I’m not so sure. Directed, perhaps.”
Before Andrea could reply, Lazlo was on the comm for Alex:
Lazlo said.
Alex was laughing. He could just imagine the expressions on Lazlo’s face—first, when Tatia dropped her challenge, and second, when he lost the bet.
* * *
Late in the evening, Julien announced FTL conditions. Alex had ordered the Unser Menschen to proceed into the exit point earlier that day. The Rêveur and the Money Maker were less than a quarter-hour away from escaping Arno.
Alex and Renée were sitting on their cabin’s lounge when the door chime signaled. Alex scanned his crew and located Andrea waiting outside. He signaled the cabin door open and sent her name to Renée.
Andrea came through the door and her steps stuttered to a halt. She attempted to cover her embarrassment at finding Renée curled in Alex’s lap, wearing the sheerest wrap she had ever seen.
Renée noticed Andrea’s halting steps and the flush on her cheeks, and took pity on her. “Oh, New Terrans,” she pronounced and exited to the sleeping cabin for her full-length robe while Andrea sat a tray on the table.
When Renée returned, Andrea was apologetic: “Your pardon, Ser. I didn’t mean to interrupt a
n intimate moment.”
“Nonsense, Captain,” Renée replied. “What have you brought us?”
Andrea brightened up. “I would like to offer a toast,” she said, pouring a pale amber liquid into three small cups.
“A toast?” said Renée, intrigued by joining in on a new custom.
“And what did you discover that we could toast with?” said Alex, eyeing the unlabeled bottle.
“The ‘who’ had it, Admiral, should remain anonymous, but the ‘what is it’ is a homemade cactus concoction,” Andrea replied as she filled and handed cups to Alex and Renée.
“One moment,” said Alex, then sent,
The cabin’s main screen displayed a side silhouette of a man’s head and shoulders. The ubiquitous hat was settled on the head and an odd, curved item extended from between his lips.
“The Sleuth is present,” Alex announced. He reached across the table for another cup and poured a small amount of the drink. “The Captain wishes to extend a toast, Julien, and I thought it appropriate that you share in it.”
Julien was overjoyed. He searched his databases to find the appropriate words, but nothing seemed to satisfy the moment. So he took refuge in the traditional. “One is most honored, Admiral.”
Alex held up Julien’s cup along with his own and looked to Andrea.
“To saving a world and to those we lost while doing it. Skål,” Andrea said, draining her glass.
Renée saw the others empty their cups in a single swallow, so she imitated them. The alcohol burned down her throat and her stomach felt as if it had been punched. She coughed heavily, gasping for air. “What?” was all that she managed to choke out.
“Oops,” Alex said as he steadied Renée.
By the time Renée caught her breath and received an explanation about New Terran alcohol, the drink had warmed her belly and its heat was spreading throughout her body.
“Julien, may I have the honor of consuming your toast for you?” Renée asked.
“I would be most pleased, Ser.”
Renée deftly snatched Julien’s cup out of Alex’s hand. Getting into the moment, she refilled Alex’s and Andrea’s cups. Then she extended her cup toward the vid cam at the top of the screen. “To Julien, whose efforts and wisdom enabled us to accomplish the impossible.”
Three cups were drained in honor of Julien, which caused his applications to come to a halt. For a brief moment, not a single process ran.
Andrea wished the three of them good evening and left her present behind. Julien also said good evening as the Rêveur entered FTL. The last three ships of the flotilla were safe.
“I have one more toast to make,” Renée announced as she filled both their cups. When Alex drew breath to speak, she touched a finger to his lips to silence him and held up her cup. “To the Admiral, who is saving my people; and to the man, who is saving me.”
She downed her cup, feeling her blood pounding though her body. A wicked smile crossed her face as she stripped off her robe and said, “Now where were we?”
* * *
The entire flotilla had safely exited FTL two light-years from Arno and was circling back to their exit point to ensure they hadn’t been followed. Based on what had been learned, neither Alex nor Julien considered it a possibility. But when the alternative was the destruction of a home world, zero risk was the only course to follow.
Tomas sent invitations to Alex, Renée, Eric, and the flotilla’s officers. A memorial was planned for the fallen. Several shuttles had been repaired, enabling the transfer of the honored guests from the seven other ships to the Freedom for the services.
The assembly was held at the city-ship’s grand central park. Alex could see that the crew and passengers had not wasted their days aboard the city-ship. The park was immaculate. The plantings had been completed, and the flowers displayed a riot of colors. Small, brightly painted fish swam in the pools. Around the park, the small shops had signs, which proudly proclaimed their businesses.
At the start of the memorial, Alex, Renée, Tomas, Terese, Eric, and the flotilla’s officers stood together at the edge of the park. Nearly 8,000 Librans were scattered throughout and around the park.
Tomas opened the ceremony. “Our memorial celebrates the lives of the people we’ve lost, whose courage and dedication helped us escape devastation. We owe the efforts of this afternoon’s presentation to the Admiral, who brought an incredible artist to our attention, and she has authored this ceremony.” Tomas returned to his place beside Terese, his hand slipping into hers.
Cordelia’s voice, soft and mellow, filled the minds of those in the park.
The light emanating from overhead of the park dimmed, and the tiny footlights that lit the park’s walkways in the evening slowly brightened. The landscape took on a twilight appearance. Everyone knew of Cordelia’s magic, and they opened their implants to participate. Music, offered by Mütter, played in their minds as Cordelia continued her narration.
Fiona Haraken appeared on the shadowed walkway, her slender, straight, but aged body clothed in a traditional Independent wrap.
The figure of Fiona raised an arm, palm up in an offer to Alex. Tears threatened to spill from Alex’s eyes as he walked up to the figure of Fiona and placed her hand into the crook of this arm. He felt her other hand lay over top of his and her weight pull against him as they strolled the pathway through the park’s center. As they walked, everyone heard Fiona’s farewell to her people again. Tears ran down the faces of many of the Independents surrounding the park. Fiona’s words ended as Alex reached the end of the walkway. He heard and felt her whisper of farewell in his ear—and she was gone. Slowly Alex turned and looked back along the walkway.
Cordelia continued,
Eric Stroheim stepped up to the young man, who smiled tentatively at him. Heinrich had always been shy. For one of the few times in his life, Eric dropped his personal barriers. He was proud of young Heinrich, who reminded him of the son that he had lost along with his wife during an alien attack. His family had gone to visit friends and associates on Hellébore while awaiting the arrival of Renée de Guirnon for her marriage.
Eric extended his hand to Heinrich, aching to feel the contact of his lost son. When he felt the young man place his hand in his, the pain of the loss he had kept tamped down for decades welled up from deep inside. The tears that flowed obliterated Eric’s view of the park and the walkway.
They walked along the pathway together, and Eric Stroheim never felt prouder in his long life than he did at that moment. When they reached the end of the walkway, Eric wanted to continue to hold the boy’s hand as if willing him to live. But when the pressure left his hand, Eric joined Alex to look back along the walkway, unabashed by the tears that ran down his face. Eric felt the Admiral’s powerful hand grip his shoulder and was grateful for the continued touch of another human.
Hatsuto let go of Miko’s hand and walked up to the image of Gary. He was frightened. Hatsuto had exper
ienced Cordelia’s power once before on the Rêveur’s bridge, and the thought of walking with an apparition stirred old superstitions.
The music’s strains played sweetly while people stood in respectful silence. When the music faded, the lights of the park shifted from twilight to afternoon. The people looked around with uncertainty. Reality was often jarring when people emerged from Cordelia’s dream world.
“Thank you for your participation today in honoring those we have lost,” announced Tomas over the park’s speakers, which ended the event and people began to drift away.
Renée and Terese trod the walkway to the three men, who still stood there, the impact of their walks with Cordelia’s ghosts still gripping them. Terese produced refresher cloths for Alex and Eric, items sorely needed for both men.
* * *
Tomas and Eric invited Alex and Renée to join them for some refreshment. When Alex glanced toward Terese, who held Tomas’s arm, she sent privately,
Terese’s curiosity was satisfied by a query to Julien. A “First Lady” was how she thought of herself when she was with Tomas.
The group walked to a small eatery. The entire staff, which included the operators, stood in a line at the entrance. They held hands to heart, dipping their heads as Alex and Renée passed.