The Depths of War (Dark Seas Book 5)

by Damon Alan

  “It is a ring five hundred kilometers in diameter,” Bannick said, his voice almost a raspy whisper. “What do you mean, that it is simply no longer there? Vanished? Like a ghost?”

  “We found the debris of three ships. There are five ships unaccounted for, although we found some debris from one of them. And the station itself. No trace.”

  So that was the reason she lied to him about Hamor. To divert some of his forces to make her theft easier.

  “Very well, General. I have your report,” Bannick said. “You have been in command of the troops on my ship for a long time. You have never failed me once. I will grant you this boon. Find this Oasia, or find me Dayson’s hideout. I will have her. And I want to hit her so fast and hard she has no time to blink away.”

  “I have every scout ship in the ten systems you command looking, Lord Komi.”

  “Then get more scout ships. From Baxtus, my brother. He can keep his mouth shut. He and I have aided each other more than once. I wish to have this resolved before I face my father with the details.”

  “I will contact your brother, Lord Komi.”

  Bannick faced the general again. “General, if you fail me, I do have a backup plan. I realize the task I’ve given you is difficult. The price of failure will not be as drastic as it would be if the task was easy.”

  “I will not fail,” General Vakosi insisted.

  “Let’s not posture. Dayson and her ship have already proven superior to a large number vessels at once. I do not blame our military. You may fail. But if you do, I will not suspect it is because you are weak. I know better.”

  Bannik smiled as the general bowed. “I’m honored by your thoughts of me, Lord Komi.”

  “You are favored by my father. That is enough for me,” Bannick said. “Dismissed.”

  The general saluted and smartly turned a hundred and eighty degrees before marching out of the suite.

  “None of this is his fault, you know,” Palia said.

  “If it were I would have been unkind,” Bannick responded. “You are one of the few who can fail me in any matter. But he hasn’t done anything wrong. If he hasn’t located Dayson in a year, I will have to rethink that, at least in regard to public appearance, but I may still not believe it.”

  “How have I failed you?” she asked, her voice both hurt and shocked.

  “I didn’t say you had, only that you could,” he answered. “For you and this ship are all I love in the universe.”

  “Your father?”

  “Can you love someone you fear as I fear my father?” he asked, answering a question with a question. “Can you love someone who cares more about what you represent than who you are?”

  “I fear you a bit.”

  “You shouldn’t. You’re loyal, you’re loving, you’re delightfully skillful at conversation,” he said, trying to placate any concerns she might have. “I could never harm you.”

  “Even if—”

  “Even if,” he insisted. “Even if you betrayed me, I’d simply let you go.”

  “I will never betray you,” she replied. “Because you are good to me. And I love you too.”

  “I know.”

  He placed his hands palm down on the window, then rested his forehead against it. What would Dayson want with Tandella Station? Does this place she calls home not have enough antimatter manufacturing capacity?

  And exactly how does one move a station of that size without any signs of having moved it? How did Dayson’s new technology work?

  He imagined that sort of mobility in the Palidragon. The thought almost terrified him, and he owned it. The ship was a fleet to itself, with its armament and the other vessels it carried internally. If he had the technology the Oasians used to jump their ships, he’d be unstoppable.

  He could set the rules.

  The Komi Empire would be a lot more forgiving under his rule. His father and most of his siblings might have a different opinion about how to rule, but they’d not be able to stand against him with Dayson’s mobility on his side.

  The question that needed to be answered was simple. Would he be able to lure in the agile Sarah Dayson if he had the right bait?

  “Allison,” he said to his AI assistant.

  The room’s reflection in the alumiglass revealed a holographic image of a young woman appearing before his desk. “Yes, Lord Komi?”

  “Have security bring the prisoner to the observation room. I wish to question her some more.”

  “To be clear, Lord, you speak of Marika Sachelle?”

  “Have I conversed with any other prisoner you can recall?”

  “You have not,” Allison said. “I shall have her restrained for questioning.”

  The AI blinked out.

  Palia’s arms slid around him. “Remember, if you lose your temper and damage her, the lure may not work.”

  “I never lose my temper,” he said.

  “You’ve never been pressed as hard as Dayson is pressing you,” Palia reminded him.

  He felt her breasts on his back, and any thought of questioning his self control slid away. Turning to face her, he slid his arms around her svelte form and kissed her against the backdrop of Mindari’s largest ocean and a swirling typhoon.

  Chapter 54 - Down But Not Out

  08 Mai 15332

  The examination booth was cold, the metal drained her heat everywhere she touched it. She was walking again, in a limited way. While not exactly whole, she was functional.

  “Now I match the Stennis,” she said, grinning. “There are parts of me that weren’t included with the original design. With any luck I’m not going to be stuffed in an asteroid for repairs anytime soon.”

  The nurse in front of her smiled at Sarah’s weak comparison. Behind her Thea Jannis studied medical screens, checking Sarah over for each and every problem she could find.

  “I don’t see anything that will keep you from working, although you’re still a mess,” Thea said. “But the test of your ability to return to duty will be once I destroy the nanites inside you. It’s going to hurt, and if it’s too much we’ll have to re-dose you, delaying your release.”

  “Why can’t I just take them with me?” Sarah asked.

  “They’re not internally powered. They’re powered by wireless input from this floor of the hospital, and it’s coded to prevent it being accessed for other purposes. If we had them internally powered they’d consume too much of your injured body’s energy, preventing healing. Also every dopehead and adventure junkie in the galaxy would be using them illegally.”

  “Oh,” she replied. “Then do it. Cut them off.”

  Sarah cringed as the directed EMP inside the examination booth killed off the nanites in her system. The pain which had been blocked for so long rushed into her like a small tsunami of nerve impulses, overwhelming her for a moment.

  Her knees started to buckle. The feeling of being burned flooded her sensations.

  Then the pain lessened.

  It will be alright.

  “Salphan,” she whispered, so quietly not even the nurse next to her made out what she said.

  “Yes, I am here,” he said out loud as he gripped her arm, holding her upright in the examination machine.

  I can help you. When I suggested it to Thea Jannis she said no. She wants you to stand on your own. But I am your constant companion now, Sarah Dayson, and I will assume some of your pain.

  Sarah nodded subtly as she stood upright again. If Salphan was going to help her put one over on Thea, so much the better. She needed to get back to work.

  “How does that feel?” Thea asked.

  “Like you smashed a brick into my skull for a moment,” Sarah answered, “but then I got it under control. Do you have any non-nanite medicine that will help?”

  “I have something for your off duty use, but it will make you a bit foggy for command if you take it around the clock.”

  “Then I will only use it when I leave the bridge,” Sarah said.

  “If you�
��ll excuse me, I want to go let Master Edolhirr know of Sarah Dayson’s recovery,” Salphan said.

  The nurse took his spot standing next to Sarah, helping to keep her steady, Salphan gently released his hold.

  I will sustain you from the other room. I believe you’re strong enough to command again, and both your people and mine need to see it. Thea needs to see me leave to avoid any suspicion.

  Sarah smiled at her friends, wondering if she’d be able to do so if Salphan wasn’t aiding her. “Thea, I’m good. Let me walk out of here.”

  “You’re not walking anywhere,” Thea huffed. “You’re going to use that chair over there, or if you like I can have you fitted with a body snugged power suit. But your spine is still awash in drugs that are regrowing your lower body nerve connections. You walk, you fall. Something you can’t handle at the moment.”

  Sarah looked at the power chair near the door. She had to use that? What a miserable turn of circumstances. “What will I need on the ship?” she asked.

  Thea grinned. “You’re lucky there, as you’ll be normal in space. So nothing in zero G, but under any acceleration at all you’ll need to be in your gravcouch or in the chair.”

  “Or powersuit,” Sarah finished.

  “Yes, Sarah, or powersuit,” Thea confirmed. “Do you want me to order one constructed for you?”

  “Please do,” she answered. “I want to walk.”

  “I’ll get on it,” Thea said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a city to run. The nurses will finish up your check out, fit you for a suit, and then send you on your way.” She gave Sarah a hug. “You’ll need to be in an isolation chamber during the launch to orbit. Being submerged in water will help lessen the stresses on your body.”

  “We’ll get that set up too, doctor,” the nurse holding Sarah up said. “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of her.”

  Thea smiled at the nurse, then picked up her briefcase. “Sarah, call me from orbit. I want to know you got there okay.”

  “Sure thing, Mom,” she answered.

  Grinning, Thea left the room. Salphan walked back in.

  “She loves that I have to do things her way,” Sarah told him.

  “You think so? She worried over you constantly during your recovery,” he answered. “I believe she missed more than one important event because she was holding your hand.”

  “Really?” Sarah asked, a bit surprised. “I assumed she thought I was unkillable.”

  “The opposite seems to be true.”

  Outside, in the hallway, four Marines peered through the glass wall of the exam room at her. She smiled at them and they smiled back, seemingly overjoyed.

  She studied Salphan for a moment, examining the burn scars on his face. “Come closer,” she told him.

  When he stepped next to her, she reached out to touch his scars. “Thank you,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve said that. Do they still hurt?”

  He flushed, and shook his head no. “I can block any pain,” he replied, stepping back out of reach to prevent her from feeling every crevice of his burn scarred face.

  “Pain isn’t always physical,” she said. “I have spent a big part of my life hiding from pain nobody could see, that which comes from loss. You risked it all for me, and lost something. You’ll have emotional scars. When you need to share them, I’ll listen. You were there for me.”

  “You couldn’t be allowed to die at the hands of a traitor.”

  “Pffft,” she responded. “You’d have died for any one of us. You’ve been in my mind a lot during my recovery, but doing so opened up yours to me as well. You’re selfless.”

  “No, I’m not selfless,” he said. “I simply have a sense of justice. Allowing the strong to harm the vulnerable isn’t part of who my people are.”

  “I know,” she said. “Karanya was a fluke. The growing sickness of a family in charge far too long. The adepts are inherently good, and every bit as much human as anyone else.”

  He nodded his understanding.

  Sarah looked at the nurse. “Help me get to that power chair. I need to get to orbit. I’ve been useless far too long, and there is work to do.”

  Salphan and the nurse helped her across the room.

  Chapter 55 - Split Forces

  28 Mai 15332

  She’s picked the perfect ship for what she had in mind, and rechristened it to suit her mood.

  “Welcome to the Sheffaris,” she said as she greeted her friends boarding from their shuttle.

  Alarin and Emille floated past her. Peter and Eris. Heinrich and Kuo. Harmeen and Seto.

  “If this isn’t a collection of Refuge’s power couples, I don’t know what is,” Sarah said to Salphan.

  He smiled subtly behind her, sharing his mild amusement directly with her mind.

  “Heinrich and I are just friends,” Kuo said, winking at Sarah.

  “Aaah. Amazing things start from friendship.”

  “Is that so?” Alarin said to her, but she had the strange feeling her friend was looking at Salphan.

  Sarah looked at the First Adept strangely. Salphan said nothing.

  “This is a nice ship,” Harmeen observed. “Lots of gadgets.”

  “This was the Solid Mystic,” Kuo said. “Part of my old fleet. What’s your plan for it?”

  Sarah gestured down the gangway, then pushed down it herself, toward the front of the ship. Everyone followed after her as she led them to a briefing room.

  “Get comfortable, and I’ll let you know the plan,” Sarah said. She floated in front of a display panel, which she activated. Once everyone was seated and strapped in, she began.

  A star system was displayed on the screen. “This is Shingald and all of the major bodies of that system. Adriat Markus has family there, and we’re going to rescue them,” she told the assembly. “His wife and three children are on an asteroid station called Durmana, in the second rocky belt.” The asteroid belt she spoke of flickered twice to make sure they saw it. “Fleet Captain Heinrich, you will ascertain the location of Durmana at this time and feed it into the fleet database. Whatever combat ships we have functional and fully staffed by the start of the mission will jump, as a fleet, directly to Durmana to eliminate any military ships in the area. Then we’ll hit the…”

  Sarah explained the plan to them, and asked them for any changes they might suggest.

  “Why hit them so hard?” Harmeen asked. “Why not just send in a shuttle with an extraction team and yank his family out?”

  Sarah zoomed in the display. “This is why Darmana exists.” The screen showed a huge docking complex, with room for several bulk freighters. “Rare earths. This asteroid is filled with them, and it’s huge. Almost eight hundred kilometers in diameter. At any time there are several bulk freighters there in varying stages of loading, we will take the ones with enough metals to make it worth our while.”

  “Rare earths?” Seto asked.

  “Critical to our manufacture of advanced electronics,” Peter told her. “And Oasis doesn’t have much.”

  Seto nodded her understanding.

  “Everyone on board?” Sarah asked.

  Nobody dissented. Their next mission was to secure a large supply of materials critical to the manufacturing they needed to do so Refuge would be properly defended.

  “Glad to have you back, Admiral,” Harmeen said.

  Everyone shook their heads in agreement to that.

  “I won’t be coming with you,” Sarah said. She looked at Heinrich. “As of 1200 Galactic Standard Time today, Inez Heinrich, your promotion to Fleet Captain is permanent. After the trip to Mystery, after you secured Tandella station, I think you’ve proven yourself. Congratulations, Fleet Captain Heinrich.”

  The room erupted. A mixture of congratulations for Inez, and whining that Sarah wasn’t going on the raid.

  She gestured for the room to go quiet, and after a few seconds, it did.

  Heinrich looked at Sarah with an undeniable expression of gratitude and awe.

 
; Sarah laughed. “You look at me like that now, but let’s see how you feel in a year.”

  The room laughed again.

  “As I said, I’m not going along on the raid. I have another task to accomplish, long overdue,” she told them. “Heinrich, I’m taking some of your best and brightest with me. Lieutenant Commander Seto, I’d be honored if you would transfer to the Sheffaris to help with the mission.”

  Seto looked at her husband, reluctantly, but Harmeen smiled back at her. “Of course, Admiral, whatever you need.”

  “Don’t look so pathetic, Halani, because Mister Harmeen will be coming along. He’ll be captain of this vessel during the mission if he accepts. I am in no condition to command while I am healing. I will be here simply to consult and see to the execution of our main task.”

  Harmeen practically beamed. “I don’t know how you thought I might not accept,” he said.

  “I didn’t think that,” Sarah responded. “Of course you’d accept.”

  Everyone laughed once more. Sarah hadn’t seen morale this high in a while.

  “Heinrich, Kuo, you two will retain your current positions as Captain and XO of the Stennis. After the Durmana raid, you will take the lead in subsequent engagements, running anything past me for final approval. Clear?”

  “Clear admiral,” they both answered in unison.

  “Alarin and Emille will be with me,” she said. “Don’t worry, Inez, Emille’s location relative to her swarm is irrelevant, she has assured me, otherwise she couldn’t bring them home from missions. While she’s with me, she’ll be able to execute the Sheffaris’s main mission and run your fighter ops.”

  “What is the Sheffaris mission?” Heinrich asked.

  “To begin the explosive destruction of Hive controlled territories.”

  The room erupted again. The eager voices of her staff made her smile.

  “That’s why you chose this destroyer,” Peter said. “Now I get it.”

  “Yes, what better ship to solo into enemy territory with than a small ELINT ship?” she responded rhetorically. “The electronic intelligence equipment is far more likely to buy us any time needed for escape than a weapons loadout.”