by Kal Spriggs
Chuni's hide flushed green with humor, “Yes... like you, I am descended from royalty.”
“So why is this a secret?” Alannis asked. “I mean, shouldn't your people welcome you? Why are you a junior officer?” She cringed at the thought of how easily her friend could have died, both in the ambush and her one-person rescue attempt.
“Because while respect for my line is a founding principle of my people, it is important that I earn their respect. Part of why my world capitulated when the Nova Romans attacked is that the warriors did not trust in my brother's rule. He was a child, he had not had an opportunity to prove himself, to lead his people.” Her hide turned a deep blue and her voice held a layer of sadness.
“So you're trying to prove yourself?” Alannis asked.
Chuni nodded, “I'm trying to gain as much honor, as much Chigathi as I can, so that when the time comes to reveal myself, warriors will be proud to support me.”
Alannis slowly settled back onto her bunk. This was higher level politics that she had definitely not expected. She felt entirely blindsided... but she realized that she shouldn't have. Her friend had asked all kinds of odd questions, about how Alannis balanced her family connections and her military career. No wonder she sought me out as a friend, Alannis thought, she must identify with me quite a bit.
The similarities in their situations was such that Alannis felt an odd echo herself. I'm not trying to prove myself, Alannis thought. Yet the thought felt wrong somehow. She wasn't just trying to prove herself, she really did want to serve... but there was some element of proving herself. Her brother, Lucius, had decades of an impressive military career, while Alannis had been barred from service because of the actions of her father. “Well,” Alannis said, “I'm glad you confided in me... Hycar.”
Alannis realized that one thing she truly appreciated about Chuni was that she understood Alannis's own position. Far too many people assumed that being the sister of the Emperor was a good thing. They assumed that she could do or have whatever she wanted, that her relationship guaranteed her a good assignment and fair --or better than fair-- treatment.
The reality was that it brought far more responsibilities than benefits. For one thing, her brother wasn't about to do her any favors... or at least none he wouldn't do for any other competent officer. For another, she was well aware that everything she did reflected back upon her brother. Being who she was brought far more duties than anything else... and Chuni had seemed to understand that.
As well she might, Alannis thought, she's in the same circumstances.
“It is good to be able to,” Hycar said. “Secrets are rare among my people and it feels wrong to deceive them even under these circumstances. Yet my mentor, Grathir, he feared that if I revealed myself before I have earned chiga, then I would not have the full backing and trust of my people.”
“So then... the story you told us about the Nogathi, that they were needed to lead your people back to the Sacred Stars... are you capable of doing that?” Alannis asked.
Princess Hycar nodded, “That is the thought. I think that my mentor had shared my identity with Fleet Consul Maygar, which is why he sent the Goronto away from the battle at Gebreynr, so that I might survive and lead at least some of my people through the Gates of Hallidas.”
“How will you do that?” Alannis asked.
Chuni's hide flushed yellow, “That, I am not certain. The old stories say that all of my line were gifted with mental abilities, what humans call psionics... yet I have never manifested those. In fact,I fear what may happen if I can't. It would be a final rejection and it might well destroy my people if we cannot get past that barrier.”
“We'll figure it out,” Alannis said. Yet her stomach sank as she considered the problem. She didn't know much about psychic abilities. Her grandmother had been a psychic, though how powerful she'd been, Alannis didn't really know.
Lucius had told her that he suspected their father had been psychic. It was thought that such things were hereditary among humans... but she didn't know what that might mean in regards to the Ghornath, whether for them it was something genetic or something altogether different.
For that matter, neither Lucius nor I have ever shown any signs of such abilities, she thought. Surely if it was genetic, then one or the other of them would have, right?
“My friend,” Chuni said, “Now you know why I hesitated to come to your rescue. My concern for my people, my worry about my responsibilities, they overwhelmed me. I feared what might happen if I followed what honor required of me...”
“No,” Alannis held up one hand, “I said before that you made the right decision. Knowing your secret, I say there is no doubt. Fighting and dying there in the street would have accomplished nothing for myself or Lieutenant Commander Douglass and it would have imperiled your race's future. It was a bad situation to be in... but you made the right call.”
After a long moment, Chuni gave a slow nod, her hide still blue with sorrow. “Still, I owe you a debt as your friend. This enemy, this Reese, who you told Captain Beeson about, who is he? An enemy of your family?”
Alannis grimaced, “He's my former husband and...” she hated to even say the words, but she forced them out, “he's the father of my son.”
“What?!” Chuni's hide turned yellow. “He abandoned you? Why would he do such a thing?”
“He didn't abandon me,” Alannis growled, feeling extremely off-balance. She hated to even explain it, it brought back her feelings of betrayal even more. “He and I disagreed about my pursuit of military service to the point that he left me over it. He came back and said he'd try to accept it and we'd started to try to put our relationship together. Only I learned that he hadn't accepted it, he decided to hack my fertility implant to make certain I'd get pregnant and to prevent me from joining the military.”
Chuni stared at her for a long moment, “I'm not fully certain I understand... but it does seem as if he betrayed your wishes. Certainly, though, offspring are something to celebrate?”
Alannis nodded, “Yes. I love my son, Anthony. Sometimes it's just hard... he looks so much like his father.”
“It must be hard,” Chuni said softly, “not only to be the only parent for your son, but also under such circumstances. How old is he?”
“Three standard years,” Alannis said
“Ah,” Chuni nodded, “Among Ghornath, that is when we are first taking interest in things beyond food and shelter. We learn our first words, then, too.” Chuni gave a slight sigh, “It would be nice to have offspring of my own. I know that when I am Empress, I will no longer have a choice about such matters. I will be forced to select a mate and produce heirs.”
“Have you any, uh, likely mates in mind?” Alannis asked.
Chuni flushed an odd pinkish color, “No!” Her protest came too quickly, though, and Alannis wondered if the big, warrior female thought about Rastar. I'm sure they'll find a way, Alannis thought, though I'll have to make her see that it's possible. She wanted her friend to find someone.
“Have you given any thought to remarrying?” Chuni asked. “It is good for a child to have two parents.”
Alannis flushed, “That's, uh, not something I've really thought much about.”
“I have noticed that Lieutenant Perkins is a skilled officer...”
“Princess Hycar,” Alannis said as she flushed deeper, “that's probably not something I should discuss right now. Lieutenant Perkins is senior to me in rank...”
“Ah, yes, you will need to get promoted, which will require you gain honor in combat,” she said. “Victories are earned in battle and nothing heats up the blood like a good fight.” She clapped Alannis on the shoulder and actually winked at her.
This conversation turned a corner I certainly didn't expect, Alannis thought.
***
Chapter XIV
The Constellation, Shadow Space
December 22nd, 2407
“Sir,” Commander Bowder said, “I think it's time to revisit
the decision not to send a message back to Fleet.”
Daniel had already half expected the XO to say something like that, especially after the other man had asked to speak with him privately. “Why do you say that?”
It was clear that Commander Bowder didn't feel entirely comfortable with what he had to say. He flushed and it took a long moment before he could speak. “Sir,” he said, “we've lost one of our senior officers. We very nearly lost the ship, if not for the actions of Lieutenant Perkins and the words of those two civilian scientists, we would have lost the ship. The Emperor's sister was kidnapped. If anything happens to us at this point, the Fleet needs to know.”
Daniel gave a nod, “They do, which is why I gave an encrypted chip to James Conley to send back to the United Colonies.”
His XO gave a wave, “Sir, even assuming we can trust him to do that... there's no guarantee that his ship would cover the distance. Worse, there's every chance they'll be fired upon as pirates --justifiably so-- when they do arrive!” He shook his head, “Captain, we have the means to send a fast and secure message via ansible, to confirm with Fleet that we should continue on this mission...”
“And possibly give warning to whoever it was that attacked the Ghornath Fleet?” Daniel interrupted.
“We have no confirmation of that, sir,” Commander Bowder shook his head. “In fact, given the large number of pirates we've already encountered it seems more and more likely that some kind of pirate alliance attacked them.”
“How did they follow them back?” Daniel asked.
“Maybe they didn't,” Commander Bowder said. “Maybe they were two different groups. Maybe it was unrelated. There's so much we don't know, sir, including what we might run into in the Akris system.”
Isn't that an understatement, Daniel thought. The Ghornath had not made it that far. James Conley, pirate king, had said that no one returned from there, be they refugee, slaver, or pirate. Akris wasn't a recently charted star system, the shadow space coordinates they had were decades out of date. They'd plotted their emergence for off the elliptic plane and close to the edge of the system, the better to be away from any potential threats.
It might be a local hazard that caused ships to disappear... or it might be whoever had attacked the Ghornath Fleet. “The problem is,” Daniel said, “we don't know. If these unknown enemies do have the ability to monitor our anisble transmissions, then we'd be giving them warning.”
Commander Bowder looked mulish, but he didn't argue. Daniel could admit to himself that he felt more than a little skeptical, but Kandergain had said that it might be possible for a psychic. Rory seemed to think it would be possible to build a device to do the same thing. Neither of them had any idea how to do it though. What they did know for certain was that intercepting ansible communications would also allow them to triangulate their position.
If they were right, then it meant someone --more importantly, someone hostile-- had that ability. If Daniel were to send off an update via ansible, he would give away the only advantage they had: surprise. No matter how cryptic he made that transmission, the enemy would know right where the Constellation was... and any further communications would give them their exact course.
“I don't like it either,” Daniel said. “If nothing else, then Lieutenant Commander Douglass's family should get the information about how he died... but we cannot risk the ship and this venture.”
Commander Bowder pursed his lips, but he nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Somehow his XO's reluctant agreement didn't make Daniel feel any better. It was Daniel who had sent Lieutenant Commander Douglass and Ensign Giovanni without a Marine escort. What had happened to them was his fault. It was a stupid decision on his part and it was one that haunted him. What if this were another?
“Sir,” Commander Bowder said, “by your leave, I'll get back to my duties.” Daniel could see that his Executive Officer looked tired. Clearly he had personal demons to wrestle with, especially given his past. He'd fought a mutiny against his commanding officer to support the United Colonies government. He'd seen close-range death... and he'd come away from it a cynical man. Daniel just hoped that whatever demons the death of Lieutenant Commander Douglass had stirred up, that his XO would be able to dispatch them and move on... or seek help.
That's the real problem with travel through shadow space, he thought, too much time to think. “Dismissed, Commander,” Daniel said. A few minutes later, he was left alone again to wrestle with his own demons.
***
The Constellation emerged in the Akris system with Daniel Beeson aboard the bridge, every sensor scanning, and every weapon system online, and the crew ready for anything.
Anything but this, Daniel thought as alarms shrieked and all the sensors on one side of the ship went blind. “Status report!” From the way the Constellation had heaved, they'd experienced severe frame-shift as the ship emerged from shadow space, a sure sign that their jump calculations had been off by a significant margin.
“Radiation warnings, gravitational shear warnings... this stuff is off the charts,” Lieutenant Cassat reported. “My god... there's no system primary...”
Daniel blanched as he caught the details from the sensors they did have. The system's primary star, a blue-white super-giant was simply gone. Worse than that, a densely-swirling cloud of gasses and debris angled along the system's plane. He realized what he was seeing just as Lieutenant Cassat spoke, “Sir, it appears that Akris Prime has gone supernova and has produced a black hole.” The Goronto with Strike Leader Burbeg emerged only a few hundred kilometers to their flank, he saw.
Daniel nodded slowly. “Do we have time to plot an escape course?” They had planned for intelligent threats, but not a natural hazard. A lesson I should learn from and make certain to instruct the crew on... assuming we survive the next few minutes.
“If we didn't have our defense screens and radiation shielding at full power, we'd already be dead,” Lieutenant Forsberg said. Unlike in the entertainment vids, the real threat to a ship wasn't the gravitational forces. It was the radiation generated by the gasses in the condensation cloud that surround the newly formed singularity. The whirling disk spun at such high speeds closer to the black hole that the impacts produced a constant stream of high energy electromagnetic radiation.
“It's actively feeding, but we're just off angle... I think,” Lieutenant Forsberg said.
Daniel looked at his navigational officer, “Well, Lieutenant Forsberg, get us out of here.”
“Plotting a course now, sir,” he responded. “I'm having issues, the nova's expansion wave is occluding our forward sensors. We can't get a good visual of the Gates.”
Daniel frowned. “Strike Leader Burbeg, do you have any way to generate coordinates?”
The reply was a mix of garbled static… and then the Goronto leapt to shadow space. Clearly their psychic pilot had plotted a course… and just as clearly they’d transmitted them and the transmission was scrambled by the background mess of radiation.
Without Burbeg’s ship, they didn't have any kind of jump coordinates for the Gates of Hallidas. The only way to do that was to make small navigational jumps in that direction, which required visual observation of nearby stars along the path and then sampling of shadow space along the way. If they couldn't see physical features of stars to compare against existing data, they wouldn't be able to extrapolate on relative momentum or positions. They'd be jumping blind. Worse, they'd be jumping out of the twisted space around a singularity which could send the ship spinning or or hurtling at high velocity into cosmic debris when they emerged from shadow space.
It would be difficult jump under any circumstances, he thought, but if we can't even get visual sensors of our target...
Even as he thought that, though, he saw Chuni had unstrapped from her console. The big Ghornath walked towards navigation, almost as if she were in a trance. She gently pushed past Lieutenant Forsberg and then, slowly, began to type in commands on his console.
“What are you...” Lieutenant Forsberg trailed off as he watched.
Daniel's eyes widened as he realized what she was doing. A navigational course appeared, overlaid on his screen and the navigational computer chirped to acknowledge the coordinates. Chuni stepped back and her hide went pale as she looked around.
“You're psychic?” Daniel asked in surprise.
“I...”
Alarms shrilled again and Daniel saw red lights flash across his displays. “Sir!” the XO snapped, “we're seeing a fluctuation in the defense screens, they're not going to hold much longer!”
“Lieuteant Forsberg, initiate the jump,” Daniel snapped. He just hoped that Chuni knew what she was doing.
With a flare of light, the Constellation dropped into shadow space.
***
“What's our status?” Daniel asked a few hours later. In the immediate aftermath of the jump, he'd put all hands on standby and tasked his department heads with checking for damage.
“Defense screen magnetic coils are taxed, but they held up well,” the XO said. Commander Bowder gave a shrug, “Then again, if they hadn't, we'd have been dead before we realized it.”
“The crew still sustained abnormally high levels of radiation,” Lieutenant Wohlberg said. “I've already prescribed a series of anti-radiation doses for the crew, depending on their locations and exposure throughout the ship. It should flush everyone's systems of any irradiated particles, but I'll still need to monitor overall crew health for the rest of the voyage.”
Daniel nodded. He wasn't looking forward to the check-ups, but he knew it was necessary. The radiation they'd been exposed to could be enough to mess with the crew's DNA. It could lead to a number of nasty short-term issues and in the long term, it could cause cancer and other terminal diseases.
Their life extension treatments should have stabilized their DNA and also prevented a lot the mutagenic hazards, but that only did so much in the face of high exposure. It could only repair so much of damaged cells and DNA and generally it was best to have boosters given as necessary.
