Stars & Empire: 10 Galactic Tales

by Jay Allan

  “Full countermeasures,” he ordered. “I don’t want anyone to know we’re here until it’s too late.”

  “That could be a problem,” Doc said from the sensor station. “There’s an automated ConFed listening post sitting in orbit over Kessmet.”

  “What the hell?” Jason said, alarmed. “Why is the ConFed watching this backwater planet? Show me.” Doc sent the data to the pilot’s station so Jason could see where the probe was orbiting the planet.

  “Looks like a Class III, Type B,” Doc went on. “They’re monitoring com traffic as well as plotting all ships as they move through the system.”

  “I don’t think it’s detected us yet, Captain,” Kage said from the copilot’s seat. “We haven’t been pinged with any transponder inquiries.”

  “It may be on a completely passive, intel-gathering mission,” Jason disagreed. “Is there a slip-space field around it or is it just collecting and storing information?”

  “Looks like it’s just storing data for now,” Doc said after messing with the passive sensor array. “I can’t detect any slip-space fields at all, much less something localized for a com node.”

  “Target the listening post with an unguided kinetic weapon,” Jason said after a moment of thought. “As soon as the computer can predict its orbital position with ninety-five percent accuracy, launch the weapon. I want a mild, steady acceleration curve and I want it going in cold, no guidance on its final approach.”

  “Weapon is ready,” Kage said after a few minutes. Jason squeezed the trigger on the control stick twice to give Kage weapon release authority. He nodded to the Veran. “Launching,” Kage said. “Weapon is away.”

  Through the canopy they could barely see the exhaust trail of the missile as it accelerated away at a leisurely pace, looking like just a harmless piece of debris.

  “Now we wait,” Doc said.

  “It won’t be too long now. Hopefully,” Jason replied, looking at the mission clock ticking away on his main display.

  It was six hours of waiting before Doc perked up at the sensor station.

  “Contact,” he said. “I’ve got dissipating slip-space field near the orbit of the fifth planet. It’s our ship.”

  “Now we’ll get to see if Kage screwed up or not,” Crusher muttered from where he’d been dozing in a seat, the composite creaking under his bulk.

  “Not only will you see a feat of brilliant programming, but you’ll also get to see the ConFed down one listening station right … about … now,” Kage said.

  “Go active, scan Kessmet’s orbit,” Jason instructed.

  “Direct hit!” Doc reported. “The probe is spinning wildly off course and is breaking … oh shit.”

  “What?” Jason demanded.

  “It’s heading right for an orbital refueling station,” Doc said. “It looks like it’s also automated, but there are ships detaching and bugging out.”

  “Surely the refueler has the capability to—”

  “The fueling station is hit,” Doc said. “Looks like there is significant damage, but its orbit is stable and it appears to still have attitude control. Active scans are showing reactive thrusters stopping the spin the impact induced.”

  “Damn, Captain,” Twingo muttered, “this is a lot of collateral damage for being the beginning of a mission, even by your standards.”

  “Talk to your four-armed partner over there,” Jason retorted. “I didn’t knock a hardened probe into a refueler with sloppy shooting.”

  “Sloppy shooting?” Kage demanded. “Let’s see you run the calculations to hit a target from nearly a billion kilometers using only the passive array.”

  “Let’s just focus on what’s coming up next,” Jason said, changing the subject. “The Ka’adekk freighter will be negotiating a docking slot with the orbital station.”

  “We’re sure there’s nothing on that station?” Doc asked for the third time.

  “Just a bunch of slave-trading Ka’adekks,” Jason said. “The data on the ship’s computer said they transfer detainees to and from the surface as needed. They run a skeleton crew on the station itself.”

  “We’d better start moving into position,” Kage said.

  “I’ll be down in the armory getting ready,” Crusher said, heaving himself out of the seat with a grunt. Jason eased the throttle up and began flying down Kessmet Prime’s gravity well toward the planet, careful to keep his speed low enough that he wouldn’t overtake the freighter as it decelerated for orbital insertion and an eventual docking with the orbital platform.

  The crawl across the system was torturous, but eventually they were able to get close enough to train the Phoenix’s optical sensors on the orbiting logistics hub just as the Ka’adekk freighter made soft lock and was then grabbed by the station’s docking mechanism for a hard lock.

  “Fifteen seconds, Kage,” Jason said. “Then pop the hatch and give them our little gift.”

  “Counting down,” Kage said, watching his display. Before they had departed in the Phoenix, Twingo and Kage had rigged the Ka’adekk freighter to fly the approach to the station autonomously. The gift was a low-yield thermobaric missile with a hardened nose that was rigged in a launcher mounted just behind the main hatch. “Hatch is opening now … confirmation that it’s fully open … firing.” Kage stabbed at his display and everyone turned to watch the station, each holding their breath.

  A moment later, explosions could be seen ripping the guts of the platform apart. The hardened missile did its job and penetrated all the way to the station’s core before detonating, setting off a chain reaction that was splitting the platform into pieces. After the explosions seemed to be settling down, Kage keyed in another command and the reactor of the freighter, already running well over acceptable limits, went critical and blew huge chunks of debris and machinery in all directions, completely fouling the orbital lanes.

  “Uh oh,” Kage said as he watched the sensor feed. “Part of the ship’s drive section is heading for the refueling station.” Jason winced as, against all odds, the drive section clipped the already struggling refueler with just enough force to completely destabilize its orbit. The computers onboard made a valiant attempt to sort things out, but it was doomed. It would likely enter Kessmet’s atmosphere within hours given its substantial velocity.

  “That can hardly be considered our fault,” Jason said. “We were a victim of the laws of physics.”

  “I’m sure the authorities will see it that way,” Twingo said.

  “Nothing for it now,” Jason said, swinging the gunship toward the surface. “Crusher, Lucky … we’re making entry now. Stand by for ground ops.”

  The Phoenix bucked and shook as Jason drove her into the atmosphere at a steep angle, relying on the shields to protect them from both the friction and any stray anti-aircraft fire. He spiraled all the way down to a few thousand feet before leveling out and streaking over Kessmet’s sun-scorched surface toward a small settlement in the northern hemisphere. The gunship thundered over sparse villages, an enormous plume of dust and dirt pulled along behind her in the wake of their passing.

  “I’m going to soften them up a bit,” Jason said over the intercom as their target appeared on the horizon. He selected the main plasma cannons on his armament panel and lined up a few of the largest buildings before squeezing the trigger. The cannons belched out streaks of red plasma fire, demolishing two of the taller buildings and setting fires all about the settlement. “That should kick over the hornet’s nest.”

  He yanked the nose up and chopped the throttle, allowing the Phoenix to descend a bit further and bleeding off the rest of the speed they were carrying, settling into a hover twenty meters up and just outside of the town’s perimeter.

  “You’re up, Doc,” Jason said, abandoning the pilot’s seat and running back to the cargo bay to ride the transit beam down with Crusher and Lucky.

  Once the ground assault team was on the surface, the Phoenix throttled up and moved out of the area, ready to provide c
lose air support if needed. Jason, Lucky, and a fully-armed Crusher ran into the small town, weapons up and ready to engage. The settlement was where this particular band of Ka’adekk slavers operated out of. Its remote location meant it was conveniently overlooked by most government officials, but it also meant that every Ka’adekk they saw would be considered an enemy combatant. It made their job a bit easier.

  Confused Ka’adekks stumbled out of burning buildings, all of them carrying some type of weapon. Omega Force gave no warning as they opened up on those milling about in the streets, all the while pushing toward the town center and the building that should house the tribe’s leadership and the records of their operations. The scene was utter chaos as Ka’adekks fired sporadically at the unexpected invaders only to be put down with withering fire from plasma cannons or Jason’s railgun.

  Lucky breached the heavy door of the headquarters building and ran in, plasma cannons firing, as Crusher ducked in behind him and Jason continued to cover the town square, picking off targets as they presented themselves. Once it was apparent that nobody else was willing to come out and fight, Jason walked into the building to find three Ka’adekks on their knees with his friends covering them.

  The three looked to be older and wore robes instead of the normal ornamental breastplate. Each looked livid at the intrusion.

  “So … which one of you assholes is in charge?” Jason asked as he walked in, retracting his helmet. When the trio just glared at him, Jason switched his railgun to low-velocity mode and shot the Ka’adekk on the right square in the chest. The other two watched as their comrade’s body crumpled to the stone floor, then looked back at Jason with what could be called apprehension. “And now?”

  “I am leader here,” the Ka’adekk on the left said.

  “Where are your records kept? I want to know everything about your operation, not just this little dirt farm here,” Jason said, stepping toward him.

  “You will get nothing from—” he was interrupted by a high-velocity ferrous slug obliterating his heart as Jason squeezed off another round. He turned to the remaining survivor.

  “As you can see,” he said, “I’m short on patience. Give me what I want, and we’ll leave.”

  “The floor safe behind that desk,” the Ka’adekk said, raising a shaky finger. “Encrypted copies are in there.”

  “Lucky,” Jason said. The battlesynth strode over to where the Ka’adekk had indicated and pulled up a square slab of stone that had been behind the door. He then bent down and, with a shriek of rending metal, yanked the door to the safe off its hinges and tossed it over his shoulder. A moment later, he rejoined the others carrying a stack of encrypted data cards and other storage devices. “See? Was that so hard?” Jason asked before nodding to Crusher, “kill him.”

  “Wait! We had an agreement!” the Ka’adekk wailed.

  “One I fully intend to honor. Now that we have the information we need, we’re leaving. I said nothing of leaving you alive.” He turned and walked out of the building, not turning back. There was a single shot from a blaster behind him.

  The town was deserted as they emerged from the building. Either they’d completely sterilized the settlement, or there were a few more hiding in the various buildings. Jason shrugged and was about to call for a pickup when his com unit chirped first.

  “Captain,” Doc said. “We’ve got four ConFed warships that have just entered the system. We’re already being told to land and await their arrival.”

  “Go ahead and put her down outside of the town,” Jason replied, looking down at the data cards Lucky had handed him. “I’ve got what I need.”

  -o0o-

  “And that’s when you guys showed up,” Jason said, leaning back in his seat again.

  “So you’re going to paint yourself as the reluctant hero in this absurd tale you’ve spun?” the agent said with obvious scorn.

  “Reluctant?” Jason laughed. “I’m pretty sure I made it clear this was something I actively pursued with gusto.”

  “Do you realize you’ve just admitted to quite a lengthy list of serious crimes?”

  “I don’t see it that way,” Jason countered. “You know as well as I do who those guys were … I can’t believe ConFed Intelligence is really going to waste the effort prosecuting someone for doing more or less the same thing they would have, given the opportunity.”

  “We operate under a legal charter,” the agent said. “We’re not a group of self-styled vigilantes randomly destroying millions and millions of credits worth of equipment to take out a handful of slavers.”

  “To each his own,” Jason shrugged, feigning disinterest in the conversation. His next plan was to try and leverage the fact that one of the prisoners was human and couch the argument as a sovereignty issue.

  “Indeed,” the agent said. “Well, I think—” There was a chirp from his com unit that interrupted whatever he was about to say. He scowled at the device and stormed out of the room. Jason could hear shouting in the corridor beyond between the agent and a voice he recognized as being a high-ranking officer on the heavy cruiser he was being held on. After a moment, the agent came back in, his face contorted in anger.

  “Jason Burke, there will be no charges pressed against you or your crew at this time,” he said, the last three words in a manner that made the threat implicit. The agent stormed back out as three security officers came in, unshackled him and helped him out of the seat since his legs had long since gone numb.

  “Can you ever keep yourself out of trouble?” a familiar voice said from behind him as he walked out into the corridor. He turned and smiled at the being with long, white hair who was approaching him.

  “Crisstof,” he greeted his sometimes benefactor. In truth, Jason was surprised to see him after the manner in which they’d parted ways the last time. “Fancy meeting you here.”

  “Hmm,” Crisstof Dalton grunted noncommittally. “Let’s get you out of here before these guys change their mind about prosecuting you.”

  “Is the Phoenix still down on the surface?”

  “Right where you left her,” Crisstof confirmed. “Kellea just took the rest of the crew down a moment ago before I was able to officially secure your release. We’ll take my private shuttle down. The ride will be nice and long so you’ll have time to tell me what, exactly, Omega Force was doing laying waste to three orbital assets and razing an entire town.”

  “Sure,” Jason said. “It’s a fairly boring story though.”

  ----o0o----

  THE FOREVER GATE:

  PARTS 1 & 2

  ISAAC HOOKE

  -o0o-

  BONUS!

  “CATERPILLAR WITHOUT A CALLSIGN”

  (ATLAS SERIES Short Story)

  THE FOREVER GATE:

  PARTS 1 & 2

  ISAAC HOOKE

  © Isaac Hooke

  All rights reserved.

  o0o

  PART 1

  “THE DREAM”

  3740 A.D. The ice age has immobilized the world. Colossal walls seal off the cities from the uninhabitable Outside. Humanlike entities called “gols” run society, and force the humans to wear collars that block the innate powers mankind has evolved.

  One man rises up …

  CHAPTER 1

  Hoodwink stared at the sword that would take his head tonight.

  The weapon was sealed away in a glass case for all to see, set there to remind the particular occupants of this section of the dungeon what their short futures held. It was a simple sword of dual-edged copper, with a blunt point. The jailer had taken the blade to the whetstone this very morning, and those edges gleamed in brutal anticipation. Scenes of agonized victims and delighted torturers etched its surface. The blade seemed rusted in places, perhaps from years of bloodletting. But copper didn’t rust, so those dark brown marks had to be something else. Maybe stains from the headless men who’d shit themselves.

  Hoodwink fingered the metallic collar around his neck. If he didn’t have that bronze bi
tch on he would’ve broken down the dungeon cell with a bolt of lightning, taken the sword, and cut his way out of here in a storm of electrical glory.

  The torchlight flickered and a draft of cold air kissed his neck. The touch brought him back to the present, where, outside the bars, Briar had been rattling on the whole time.

  “Are you listening to me?” Briar said.

  Hoodwink nodded. “Listening for all I’m worth, I am.” Viewed through the long vertical bars embedded in the stone, Briar looked thinner somehow. Or maybe it was the rich, patterned silks the man had recently started wearing. Hoodwink recalled a time not too long ago when Briar had been the one in the dungeon, and Hoodwink the one on the outside. Briar sure wasn’t dressed in silks back then.

  “Look,” Briar said. “I’ve got the whoremongers lined up. Clerks, witnesses, and so on and so forth. Damn shame the judge is a gol though. He would have been the first to bribe. Ah well, just have to pay someone else to take the fall. You know how it is. So many poor folk in this city. Do anything to support their families. Even die.” He winked conspiratorially.

  Hoodwink squeezed his fingers around the bars. “No.”

  Briar knotted his brow. “What did you say?”

  “No.” Hoodwink straightened his back, and stared the man down. “The only one who’s taking the fall is me. You’ll bribe no one, you won’t.” He had to protect her, no matter what.

  “Oh please, don’t you give me that holier-than-thou bullshit.” Briar’s face flushed scarlet. “This is hardly the time. It’s your life we’re talking about here.”

  “There’s too many witnesses. They all saw me.”

  Briar threw up his hands. “They can be silenced. You know that. Each and every last one of them. And if they won’t take the bribes…”

  Hoodwink crossed his arms. “I don’t want your help. Don’t want no one’s help. I don’t. I’ll take the blame for my actions.” For her actions.