“Well,” I started, but did not go on, expecting to be cut off, but when I noticed them all looking at me I continued. “I can get on the ship without Spectra, and my way would be a bit safer.”
“How?” asked Spectra.
“Night Form,” I said.
“Great idea, Dusty,” said Shadow. “Spectra, your main job while he is over there is to keep track of him telepathically. That way the rest of us are free in case we are discovered and need to act in some way. Dusty, should we get separated, just stay hidden. We will come back for you. If you are captured, do your best to escape, but no matter what they say you can trust we will come back for you.”
“Your primary goal is to stay hidden and alive, Dusty. If you can get some information while doing that, great, but come back safely,” said Flame.
“Assuming I can find a terminal without getting caught, how will I get the data off the terminal?” I asked.
“That carrier appears to be from retired Imperial Navy surplus. That means the terminals on it should have at least a second generation docking port, if not third, both of which our pads can safely interface with. Just take the pad, dock it, and copy the data down. No need to worry if it is encrypted; you can always reveal it later when you get back. The important part is to get as much data as we can. Knowledge is power, and that is even truer during wartime,” said Shadow.
I looked around for a pad to bring. I was too nervous about this mission to focus, and I could not find one. Spectra brought me a pad, placed her hand on my shoulder, and said, “You can do this, Dusty. Shadow is right, no one can sneak like you can.”
“It’s okay if you want to decline, Dusty. We’ll understand,” said Flame.
I looked back at Spectra and into her big emerald-green eyes where I found something I was not used to seeing. I could see she had confidence in me and believed I could do this. “No, Flame, I can do this,” I said with a confidence that I did not feel. I was reluctant to break away from Spectra’s gaze. There was something about that moment that I did not want to lose, but I did not know what it was.
“Dusty, make sure you bring enough supplies to last at least a few days, especially oxygen,” said Shadow.
“Whoa, a few days?” asked Phoenix.
“Yes, I plan to stay with this fleet a while and learn what we can,” said Shadow.
“Brilliant,” said Spectra.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Operation Show of Force,” she started. “Not only will we show them we can beat them at the barbaric battlefield level, but that we can come and go as we please, even into their most secure and powerful ships. It will build a fear of us, have them constantly looking over their shoulders for us.”
There was an odd tone to her voice, one that I rarely heard from her: one of joy. “Well, Shadow, I cannot carry that much,” I said. Since joining Shadow’s team he had pushed me to exercise more, but I only did it halfheartedly, as there did not seem to be much benefit to it. Now I was wondering if that was wise.
“You will be able to carry enough, and if you need more you will be able to acquire it while you are over there,” he said.
He spent the next several minutes going over my gear, showing me how to stow it, and giving me basic survival tips. The armor that we wore instead of robes was far more effective at carrying things than I realized. Once that was all set he said, “Now remember, no matter what happens we will come back for you. If things go bad, we may have to retreat. If that happens you just hide and wait. Either way I expect you to be over there for some time feeding us information via Spectra. Once we have a good amount of information, you simply come back on board and we will fly on to Aleeryon Prime to meet with their navy. Now, if you are ready, it is time to go.”
I nodded. I steadied myself with a few breaths and took one last look into Spectra’s eyes, trying to drink deep of her confidence, and then cast Night Form. It was a hard and draining spell, but I had got better at it over the past two years. At first I could only keep the form stable for a few hours, and it took forever to cast, but with time I had reached the point where I could quickly cast the spell and keep it going for extended periods of time. Once I was completely incorporeal, I floated down into the floor of the Dust Dragon and then through the walls into the carrier we were parked on. Eventually I was floating in a corridor somewhere inside the inhabitable area of the carrier. The corridors were a total mess and many of the lights were malfunctioning. The total disarray I saw all around me as I drifted down the corridor was not something I was used to seeing in spaceships; normally they were clean and well lit. This mess would make my job of staying hidden much easier.
As I turned a corner, I saw a group of men sitting around a table through a doorway. Their uniforms were in complete disarray, and everything about them was unkempt. I saw them sitting there, talking among themselves, and then a completely alien thought occurred to me. I never would have guessed I could think this, but it occurred to me that I could easily kill them, and they would not even know I was here until it was too late. They were powerless before me, and they had no idea of the danger that hovered near them. I felt an odd energy from that thought, and I could not shake the thought as I drifted towards them.
Chapter Nineteen
I was poring over the reports from the various skirmishes between our forces and the pirates when one of my intelligence officers approached my desk and said, “Admiral, I have good news and bad news.”
“An opening like that usually means the good news is not so great and the bad stuff is really bad,” I said.
“Sir, the good news this time is good. The report is in from the Third Wing,” he started.
“Excellent! Fill me in,” I said. It was taking me a bit of adapting to getting used to working with stealth fleets like the Third Wing. They would only occasionally send updates back in order to prevent being detected. I was used to a very steady stream of information, and that gave me a measure of control over the fight that I could not be part of anymore.
“Sir, the short version is the bombing run was a complete success, and the Scorpion’s battleship fleet was annihilated,” he said.
“What about our losses?” I asked.
“None, sir,” he said.
“Wow, that is very good news. Let me see the fight,” I said.
“Yes, sir,” he said as he pulled up a tactical simulation of the battle.
The battle was very short. A simple bait move by the non-stealth members of the wing, followed by a bomber run, was all it took. Once the bombers launched their ordnance, the whole wing jumped out. It was a textbook-perfect execution and starting to look like our navy had finally found its niche in war. We could not hold our own ship-to-ship with the pirates, but the Third Wing and the other black ops wings have been making some impressive inroads. Perhaps it was time to expand our black ops.
“I see that the Dust Dragon assisted in the battle,” I said.
“Yes, sir, they took out a third generation drone command ship and a very large number of drones with apparent ease,” he said.
“That is one fine ship they are flying. Makes anything we have seen on either side of this war look like an outdated toy. I wonder if we can convince them to share the design?” I said.
“Doubtful, sir. It’s currently their only ship as we understand, and it would not be wise for them to give away their best technology,” he said.
“True, but you said there was bad news?” I asked.
“Yes sir, the Dust Dragon is no longer with the Third Wing,” he said.
“Where are they?” I asked.
“Sir, when they learned that a carrier fleet was en route to assist the battleship fleet, they decided to go after them,” he started.
“WHAT? Shadow took that little ship after a carrier?” I asked. I took a few deep breaths while trying not to think about my baby sister being on the Dust Dragon.
“Not exactly, sir. They cloaked up, an
d we have not heard from them since. If they had planned to attack, our scouts in the area would have seen the battle,” he said.
“How good is their cloak?” I asked.
“It’s perfect, sir. When they were cloaked to fly with our fleet, we tried to scan them down and could not find even a hint of them,” he said.
“So we have no idea where they are?” I asked.
“Not directly, sir, but they did say they were headed to the carrier fleet, so our best guess is they are there spying on them,” he said.
I thought hard about my next call. I knew what my responsibilities as Admiral were, but my baby sister was out there. I sighed and asked, “Do we have a bomber fleet ready?”
“Yes, sir,” he said.
I stood and began to pace and then asked, “I guess you are going to tell me if we do not send the bombers in now, the carrier fleet will move on, and we will miss our chance?”
“Yes, sir,” he said.
I sighed and paced some more. If we sent the bombers in, there would be little chance that the Dust Dragon could make it out. That would surely mean the death of my sister and potentially a really bad situation with Alpha Academy. If we did not strike, then this carrier fleet would move on and probably destroy more of my people before we could catch it again like this.
“Sir, if I may, the Dust Dragon has our encryption keys and our command codes. The pirate fleet appears to be searching the area, looking for something. We could delay a bit, give the wizards time to do whatever it is they are planning, and attempt to contact them at the last minute before we make our run,” he said.
“Contacting them like that could tip our hand too much,” I said. I looked again at the reports, and the carrier fleet was fully deployed. All their fighters and drones were searching the wreckage for something. “For now, do nothing, but make sure the bomber wings are ready. Keep scouts on the fleet and keep me informed as to what is happening out there.” And Shadow, whatever you are up to, make it fast, I added to myself.
Chapter Twenty
Meanwhile, the old man was back in his office watching the conversation between Admiral Bill MacGregor and his officer. The steel-eyed man was there also, watching with such intensity that it seemed as if he was trying to kill with his gaze. They watched the scene unfold in a three-dimensional projection in front of them. Once the officer left the Admiral, the old man waved his hand, and the projection faded away.
“Excellent,” said the old man.
“How so?” asked the steel-eyed man.
“That carrier has some of the others on it,” he said. “They will be forced to act, which will expose them nicely for us.”
“I see. Then what is our plan?” the steel-eyed man asked.
The old man walked over to his desk, rested back in his seat and said, “For the moment, we wait for Shadow to tip his hand.”
“Shadow?” asked his companion. “I thought he was no longer of concern to us?”
“He will always be a concern. His destiny is unclear, but he will play a major part before all is said and done. However, that is not our problem just now.” As he said this he leaned back in his chair and with a gesture brought up an image of Shadow climbing a wall. Then he said, “Do you know why Shadow climbed that wall?”
“I assume for exercise?” the steel-eyed man responded.
“Well, there was that, but it was more that it was in his way. He wanted to hike that trail, and no wall was going to stop him,” said the old man.
“Admirable trait,” said the steel-eyed man. His posture at this point revealed that he was unsure where the conversation was going, but was unwilling to question its direction.
“Yes, that it is,” said the old man. “You see, I have come to know Shadow pretty well, and I am confident that right now he is not just hiding in the debris field. He is up to something.”
“What does this have to do with the wall, and how does it help us?” asked the steel-eyed man.
“Patience,” chided the old man. “Shadow in his heart is a warrior through and through. He wants a fight, but it is more than that. Darkness still burns in him. He desires blood, the blood of the ones that killed so many of his people in the Great War. He knows already that the very same sorcerers that attacked his precious empire are behind the Scorpion Gang, and he wants them.”
The old man stopped there for a moment and changed the scene from Shadow climbing the wall to an overview of the Scorpion Gang’s fleet. The scene slowly shifted across the field towards the carrier. “If I know Shadow like I think I do, he will be near that carrier somewhere,” said the old man as he used the scene before him to search the area.
“Wait! There, what is that?” asked the steel-eyed man.
“Good catch,” said the old man as the scene zoomed in to reveal the Dust Dragon parked on the side of the carrier.
“Clever, they do not even need a cloak to hide there. They are completely lost in the energy signature of the carrier,” said the steel-eyed man. “But what is he up to?”
“By now, he has boarded the carrier, I am sure, or possibly sent … yes, I’ll bet he sent Dusty,” said the old man.
“Dusty?”
“Yes, of course, that is why he chose him. Based on your reports, Dusty is very accomplished at the concealment arts. Shadow, as commander, would not risk abandoning his crew, and thanks to Dusty he does not have to.”
“If Dusty is alone on that carrier, then the sorcerers that Shadow wants so badly will go after him,” said the steel-eyed man.
“Exactly, and that is the gold that moves Shadow,” said the old man.
“Which gives us leverage,” said the steel-eyed man with a grin. “Perhaps we have not lost Shadow yet after all.”
“No, not yet. Now, put some men on that carrier. When those sorcerers make their move, we should be there to help Dusty, you know, like any good friend would do.”
“That’s right, we would not want to see our good friends get hurt. But what about the bombers?” asked the steel-eyed man.
“They will destroy this fleet, for certain, which will be a crippling blow to the Scorpion Gang,” said the old man.
“Then we will have to make sure that the Dust Dragon gets out in time,” said the steel-eyed man.
“I am confident Shadow can get them out in time. However, this blow to the Scorpion Gang will force the sorcerers who back them to become more active and tip their hands. Now, while you see to the carrier, I have another issue to take care of. Good-day,” said the old man as he faded away from sight.
Chapter Twenty-One
As I drifted among the men seated at the table, I paused to let myself enjoy the pleasure of the power I had over them. Uncontrollably, decades-worth of hearing, “Dusty, you are nothing but a failure!” bubbled to the surface in my mind. The jeers from my peers in training and the embarrassment of failing time and time again urged me to show the galaxy who had the real power now. I could kill these men so easily, a simple touch on their hearts to freeze them solid. Yes, it would be so easy, I thought to myself as I reached out, but then I caught myself.
Dusty, you fool, what are you doing? I asked myself as I pulled my hand back. I mentally shook myself. What came over me? I wondered. Back in control of myself, I continued to drift on through the corridors of the carrier. I was looking for a terminal. The carrier was just too big to wander aimlessly in the hope of finding the bridge or another important place.
There! I thought as I finally spotted one that looked like it was in a private area. I drifted over to it and reached out to touch the controls, when my hand passed right through it. I had forgotten that in Night Form I couldn’t directly interact with normal matter. “Spectra … any chance you have a map of this ship handy?” I asked over our telepathic network.
After a moment she sent, “Dusty, Shadow is checking, but we probably do not.”
While Shadow looked, I went back to drifting aimlessly. I was slowly building a me
ntal map of the carrier, but without any idea of scale or layout it was still only random guesswork that directed my path.
“Dusty, I cannot find much that would help, but if you head towards the center of the ship, you should find the bridge somewhere around there,” sent Shadow.
“Ummm, but which way is that?” I asked.
“That entirely depends on where you are,” sent Shadow.
“Here, I’ll send the map that I have so far,” I replied as I sent a mental package with the map I had created in my mind.
“Based on that, my best guess is to head down for a while and see if you can find any clues,” sent Shadow. “At some point you will have to give up Night Form and access the terminal for a map, but I would rather you do not risk that yet.”
“Okay, Shadow, I’ll make contact again when I find out more,” I sent and returned my focus to the ship around me. I drifted down through the floor and counted off a dozen levels before stopping to look around. This level looked just like all the others: a mess with partially functioning lighting. I wandered the halls for a while until I came across a weapons locker. I floated into it, easily passing through the secured door and security screens. Once inside I found a terminal. This will be perfect. No one could see me behind this door, I thought as I canceled my spell and hooked up the datapad to the terminal. I set it to download all it could while I searched for a map. I finally found one and was working on memorizing it when I heard the door to the room opening. I quickly grabbed my pad and wrapped myself in a low level-cloaking spell, making myself completely indiscernible from the background.
Just as I finished, several men barged into the room with their weapons drawn, shouting something I could not understand. I slowly moved around behind them as they searched the room. Blast! I must have tripped an alarm of some kind, I thought to myself. I slowly and carefully eased out of the room through the door they had left open. Once in the hall I saw they had more men waiting. These were behind secure barricades. They came looking for a fight, but at best they could have known there was one person in here. It seemed odd to bring this many men just to capture one person.
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