A Faded Star

by Michael Freeport

  “Where is the Rapier, I wonder,” he said to himself. To his shock, he saw the Broadsword begin to move once again. Someone had somehow gotten the engines to work again. The ship moved on a collision course towards the remaining battlecruiser.

  The impact was incredible. Though heavily damaged and missing near half her mass, the Broadsword had been a large ship. It buried itself in the bow of the crab battlecruiser and then the aft reactor exploded. The battlecruiser followed a few seconds later. If the tactical situation hadn't had any major changes in the last few minutes, there was a small period of relative safety in which the Rapier should be able to escape. “I sure hope they make it.”

  The escape pod was jolted, and Drogue felt the sudden sense of gravity followed almost immediately by him falling to the deck, actually the wall, of the escape pod. Looking around himself, he couldn't see anything other than gray deckplates outside the single porthole. The hatch cracked, and Drogue readied himself for hand to hand combat. The crabs were massive and had exoskeletons, but Drogue wasn't a man who would allow himself to be killed without a fight.

  “Admiral?” a voice said. Drogue stepped through the hatch and found himself standing in the boat bay of what had to be the Rapier.

  Drogue looked over the man in front of him. “Ensign, take me to the bridge immediately.”

  The ensign snapped off a salute and said, “Yes, sir. Follow me please.” He strode briskly from the chamber.

  Drogue followed him through a series of passageways and up two ladders before emerging onto the bridge.

  “Get those last pods into the boat bay, Helm. Once we have them, accelerate to best speed for the FTL point.”

  Drogue recognized the voice of Captain Mosley. Drogue said, “Captain Mosley. Give me a status report.”

  Mosley turned in his command chair and said, “Admiral, welcome aboard. Sorry I couldn't greet you in the boat bay. We've been a little busy. Rapier picked up thirty escape pods. There are about fifteen left, but if we go back for them, we'll be destroyed by that pair of battlecruisers.” Mosley pointed to the tactical display in front of his station. This bridge lacked the large forward display everyone could use at once.

  “Very well, Captain. I approve your decision to leave the system. Make your way to the alliance base once we go into FTL.”

  “Aye, sir. Helm, prepare for FTL jump.”

  “Were there people left on the Broadsword, Captain?”

  “No, sir. We were able to patch in and control Broadsword remotely to take out that last battlecruiser. Ensign Misato came up with it.” Mosley indicated the female ensign sitting at the sensor station.

  “Sir, we've just picked up another contact directly ahead. Looks like a battleship. They just started up their drive and active sensors. They're between us and the FTL point,” Ensign Misato said.

  Drogue looked at the tactical display. “Looks like they've taken the choice from us, Captain. We can't reverse without running into the ships that are chasing us, and we'll be in weapons range of that battleship in less than a minute. They waited until the optimal moment to make their presence known. I bet they've been drifting in front of us for the last hour.”

  “I'm inclined to agree, sir. We have only one option left to us,” Mosley said and looked at Drogue, who simply nodded. “Helm prepare for ramming speed. Power up the FTL drive and punch it as soon as it's ready. Override all safeties. Set a course that leads through the dead center of that battleship.”

  The enlisted NCO sitting at the helm station responded in a high soprano voice. “Aye, sir. Bypassing interlocks, now.”

  Mosley punched up the general announcing circuit. “All hands, this is the Captain. We're not going to make it out of this one. I'm sorry. Make your peace and take comfort in knowing we're going to take at least one more of them with us. It's been an honor to serve with you all.”

  Drogue reached into his pocket and took out the picture he always kept there. It was the last picture he'd taken with his wife before she'd died. Their four children and eleven grandchildren arrayed around her, sitting up in the bed she'd died in. He kissed the picture and whispered, “I'm sorry, Helen. I broke my promise, and I'm so sorry.” He never heard the sound of the helm engaging the FTL drive. All he saw was a brilliant flash of white light.

  Chapter 10

  Aden Patho became dimly aware of consciousness. He knew he was lying on his back. A sudden awareness of pain, intense pain radiating from everywhere below his waist. His throat hurt mightily as well. There seemed to be some kind of tube sticking down it. The feeling made him feel like he should swallow or throw up. He really couldn't decide which sounded better at the moment. Rather than make a decision, he opened his eyes instead. One eye opened. The other seemed to be held shut by something. His sky blue eye panned around the room. There was a light fixture hanging from a nondescript ceiling above him. He turned his head and saw he was laying in what had to be a hospital room. Looking down, he saw his legs were held rigidly in heavy fibrous casings, meant to prevent him moving them.

  Curious as to how he'd arrived in the current situation, he pondered his life for a moment. Sudden awareness flooded through him as his memory of the explosion returned. Turning his head this way and that, he tried to figure out how to let someone know he was awake. His arms seemed to be made of lead. His left arm was more functional than his right, so he stretched it across the top of the bed, looking for a button or something just to let someone know he was there. His movement caught the attention of someone passing outside his room.

  A man of middle age entered his room and said, “Relax, commander. My name is Anthony Holden. I'm a nurse. You've been in a pretty bad accident. Can you understand me?”

  Aden nodded his head.

  “Good. I'm going to remove the breathing tube from your throat. Try not to speak right away. Your throat will be pretty sore for a few days, okay?”

  Aden nodded again and watched as the nurse removed a remarkable amount of tube and gauze from his face before grasping the tube and sliding it out of his mouth. Aden marveled as the thing kept coming and coming out. He was sure it must have reached to his leg.

  Aden mouthed the word water to the nurse who nodded immediately. “I'll get you some, hang on, please.”

  Nurse Holden walked from the room and returned a few minutes later with a huge jug of iced water. Holding the straw to Aden's mouth, he let Aden drink a few mouthfuls. He suddenly set the mug down and said, “I'd better sit you up so you don't choke. Try to stay relaxed. You've had several surgeries since the bombing. Please don't try to get up or sit up, commander.”

  Aden nodded at the man to let him know he understood. His throat felt like someone had been practicing with a belt sander in there. The bed he was lying in made a whirring sound and slowly inclined the upper half of his body to a sitting position. The nurse put a corded control stick in his hand.

  “This will control the entertainment screen, the bed, and you can use it to call for a nurse if you need one. Your water is next to you on the bedside table. I'll alert your commanding officer that you're awake.”

  Aden nodded yet again, wondering if there was any way he could regain the use of his voice before someone from the Navy showed up. He looked around the room for a while and then pulled the corded remote in front of his face. Puzzling over the markings, he figured out how to turn the entertainment screen on and off and was about to try his hand at getting the water from his bedside table when Halford Kri walked into his room. He was in a crisply pressed uniform, and his left arm was in a sling across his chest.

  “Aden, I'm really glad to see you awake. You really scared us.” He looked at Patho expectantly for a moment and then said, “Can't talk?”

  Aden shook his head.

  “Want some more water? Might help.”

  Aden nodded. Kri held the straw to Patho's lips and let him suck greedily. While he was drinking, Stokes wheeled into the room in a wheelchair. His right leg was in a stiff cast.

  �
�Commander Patho, good to see you awake.” Stokes looked him over for a moment, concern playing across his features. “Commander, I know you just woke up, but I want to give you an update on what's happened to you. Do you feel up to it?”

  His heart skipped a beat. He knew he'd been hurt quite badly in the explosion, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know the full extent of the information yet. Giving himself an internal shake, he decided it didn't matter. No matter how he felt, the situation he was in was the situation he was in. Refusing to hear about it wouldn't change it. He looked Stokes in the eyes and gave him a firm nod.

  “You were crushed under a concrete slab that weighed a couple of tons. Your pelvis was broken in several places, both legs and feet were also badly broken. You suffered damage to your bladder, kidneys, and spleen. Your left eye was also badly scratched by flying debris. The good news is all of your injuries have been seen to and with time, you should be good as new. Your bone breaks have been set with bone paste and should set within a week or so. The soft tissue damage will take another couple of weeks. By the end of a month, you'll be largely back to normal. There is one other thing. You suffered minor nerve damage to your lower spine. The doctor packed it with cultured stem cells, but you may have some motor skills issues and may experience some strange sensations while you recover. You will have to work to regain full strength and range of motion in the areas that were damaged in the explosion. I'm sure the doctor will be in here eventually to tell you all of this, but I thought you would want to know.”

  Aden tried to speak, but only a whisper of air escaped his lips. Wanting to growl in frustration at his inability to express himself, he made writing motions with his left hand.

  Kri caught on immediately. “Hang on, Aden. I'll grab you a pen and paper.” The man walked from the room. He returned a few moments later with a pad of paper and a pen.

  Patho took them and wrote 'Anyone die?'

  Matthews read the note and then said, “Are you sure you want to know?” When Patho nodded, Stokes continued. “Admiral Blackwood and Admiral Vesper both died in the explosion. Fleet Admiral Coffee was critically injured and is in far worse shape than you are. He's in surgery right now. Lieutenant Simmons escaped with only a few scrapes and a ruptured ear drum. Cobb got out of it with a pretty bad head laceration and a dislocated shoulder. Mister Kri and I are, of course, right as rain, as you can see.” Stokes gave Kri a wink and Kri nodded immediately in agreement.

  Aden wrote 'How long?'

  Stokes said, “It's been two days since the explosion. Cobb set up camp with planetary forensics and has been leading the investigation.” Stokes' expression darkened, and he continued, “He suspects Karn separatists of the bombing.”

  Patho wrote, 'Makes sense. Who else would do?'

  Stokes nodded. “That's the prevailing thinking. I think Cobb will come by as soon as he hears you're awake. He probably thinks your family is involved. He seems to have some harsh feelings towards you for some reason.”

  Patho shook his head. He wrote, 'Don't know why.'

  Stokes said, “I don't either. The man is stuck in old ways of thinking. I think it's a symptom of his chosen profession. If he gets too pushy in his questions, just ask for legal counsel.”

  Aden nodded again. He felt like if he had to keep nodding so much, his head might roll off his shoulders. He wrote, 'Aeternum?'

  Stokes said, “We can't talk about it here. Once we get back to headquarters, I'll give you the classified briefing. Suffice to say that there is a lot more going on than I can tell you right now.”

  Aden tried to shrug with only a slight twist of his shoulders to show the effort. Sighing, he wrote, 'Rampart?'

  Stokes read the word and said, “Still docked. Refitting for system defense. We're going to need your skill at the drone station again soon, I'm sure.”

  Aden wrote, 'Tired, sir. Going to sleep.'

  Stokes gave Patho a smile and said, “Good idea. Get some rest. I'll check on you tomorrow.”

  Aden didn't really hear the last few words as he was already snoring softly, his head lolling to one side. Kri went over and reclined the bed back to a flat position.

  Stokes said, “Cobb better take it easy on him, or I'll put his head on a spike outside my office.”

  Kri said, “I know, sir. That man gives a whole new meaning to the word paranoid. I think he blames the Karn people for bad weather. Not to mention he gives me the heebie-jeebies. The way he looks at you sometimes, as if wondering how many different ways he can use you... or kill you.”

  “I suggest you don't broadcast those feelings too loudly, Commander. While I'm inclined to agree, he has a lot of pull inside the political arena. His assignment to Rampart was no accident. He's one of the president's most trusted agents. Never forget his priorities are to protect the Lashmere government, no matter the cost.”

  “I'll remember, sir.”

  The pair left Patho's room together.

  When Patho woke up next, he saw Marli Simmons sitting in a chair next to his bed, reading a book off of a data pad. She jumped up when she saw him looking at her.

  “Aden! I am so glad to see you. She leaned over his bed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Aden did his best to awkwardly pat one arm. He was sure he smelled quite bad, having been at least two days without a shower. Reaching out, he grabbed the mug of water. All the ice had melted, and the water was warm, but he didn't care. His throat hurt a lot less now that he'd had some time to rest.

  He tried to speak. At first, his voice came out hoarse, and he knew Marli couldn't understand him. Taking another large gulp of water, he tried again. “Marli,” his voice was barely more than a whisper. “Good to see you. Thanks for being here.”

  “Of course I'm here. Where else would I be?”

  “Aeternum?”

  She shook her head. “Don't even say that word around here. Once you get back to headquarters, you'll understand. I can't say anything else.”

  “Okay. Sorry. How are you doing?”

  “I'm fine. I got a few scrapes, and my left ear still isn't right, but the doc says my eardrum will heal eventually although I might have some hearing loss. I can't wait till you get this cast off.” She stood and stretched sensuously. “Now that we're not assigned to the same command anymore, I have plans for your recovery. You'll need to regain your stamina.”

  Patho laughed quietly to himself. “I might not be up to snuff for a while, Marli. They're saying three weeks until the worst of the soft tissue damage is healed, but I should be out of the cast in another seven or eight days.”

  Marli stood over Patho's bed and tapped the end of his nose. Patho was sure she was trying to be cute, but the gesture irritated him for some reason. She said, “Don't worry, I'll take good care of you.”

  Aden forced a smile and said, “I'm sure you will.”

  Further conversation was cut short when Theo Cobb knocked at the door and then walked in to the room.

  “Mister Patho, I see you're awake. Do you feel up to talking to me for a few minutes?”

  Simmons bounced up and said, “I'll grab you a snack from the cafeteria. Be back in a few minutes.” She walked to the door and cast a worried look over her shoulder to Patho. She mouthed the words 'be careful' before she vanished from sight.

  Patho focused his attention on Cobb and said, “I can try, agent. What do you want to know?” Patho's voice got stronger with every passing word. He sounded nearly normal now, just as though he was getting over a bad cold.

  Cobb said, “I want to know everything you know about Lieutenant Barnes.”

  “Barnes?” Aden was perplexed, but he tried to answer the question. “He was a semester behind me at the academy. I think he was an operations specialist, rather than a tactical school guy, like me.”

  “Did you know him before you entered the academy?”

  “I didn't. He was from the southern coast. I'm from much further north, near the old border.”

  “Your family still lives there, don't t
hey, commander?”

  “I think so. I haven't actually been to the house in over four years. My brother and I did meet up just before Rampart left for shakedown, but we didn't go to the house. We just met at a coffee shop.”

  “What did you talk about when you met up with your brother?”

  Aden didn't miss how smoothly the agent switched from talking about Barnes to talking about Asher. He pondered the answer for a few seconds before answering. “Mostly, it was personal. He doesn't like that I joined the Lashmere Navy. He had some choice words about my decision.”

  “Is that all?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “He didn't try to recruit you?”

  “Recruit me?”

  “Yes, into the Karn separatist movement.”

  “Agent Cobb, even if he had tried, I would never join. I refused to give up my career in space when he accused me of betraying my family. I certainly wouldn't give it up to join a doomed cause against the Lashmere government.”

  “I see. Perhaps you could help me, then, commander.”

  “How can I do that, agent?”

  “I need to understand how and why the Karn separatists would choose to launch a bombing attack at the time they did. Lashmere intelligence is operating on the assumption that your brother stands near the top of the separatists. Can you give me some insight into his motivations?”

  Aden sighed. He wondered when the day would come that he wouldn't constantly be forced to choose between his heritage and his dreams. He hoped that day would come soon. He was tired of it. “Agent, all I could guess at is that Asher hates the Lashmere government. He hates the Lashmere Navy most of all. He views it as nothing more than the Ebrim Navy with a name change. When we last spoke, Asher told me I'd betrayed my family and heritage to join the enemy. If he is a part of the planning that went in to the bombing, I would bet it was an irresistible target for him. Wipe out the vile military leaders who were responsible for our father's death and his traitorous brother at the same time. That would be my guess at least.”