Chronicles of Benjamin Jamison 4: Empires at War (Part One)

by Thomas A. Wright

  “That’s stupid. I’ll leave Angel for you. She at least has a brain.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  The sound of a metal on metal rang down the corridor. The team froze. “Hey Genius, does this tub have internal sensors?”

  “I think it has some form of internal sensor, but they are offline like everything else.”

  “Captain Adeen, I don’t think we are alone. We have banging noises somewhere about 40 meters ahead.”

  “Watch yourselves. You know what to do.”

  “Yeah, we’re going to continue toward engineering. After it is secure and Genius has what he needs, Harry and I will go hunting. I’ll leave Warlock to watch Angel’s back.”

  “I don’t know about that. Identify the threats first, then we’ll worry about who to leave where.”

  “I’m taking point, Angel and Warlock center, and Harry can cover our rear. I don’t think it’s just an old ship making noises anymore.”

  “What do you think that noise was?” Warlock asked.

  “Sounded like a hatch in the maintenance tunnels was thrown open or slammed shut.”

  ****

  “So hungry—food—we must feed—weak—kill—kill,” the creature whispered, its voice weak.

  “They are strong together,” the other replied. “Control yourself. We must wait and take them all alone.”

  “So hungry…”

  “Then chew on yourself. We will die if we move against them.”

  “I—go—I—Kill…”

  “Go then,” the other said. “I will think of you when I feast on them later.”

  A figure eased from its hiding place into the corridor. It was wraithlike, moving almost silently. Long bony fingers instinctively flexed in anticipation of sating its hunger.

  ****

  “What is that?” Warlock shouted. Snake and the others saw it coming, but remained calm.

  “Stop yelling, kid,” Snake said, hoping the kid would understand it would do no good. “Everyone stay alert, and don’t focus completely on this one. There may be others moving on our position.”

  Warlock heard the whine of Snake’s pistol and noticed it was different than his. “Watch and learn, kid, and stay behind him,” Angel said. Warlock felt her breath on his ear. She stood next to him. He never heard her move.

  The humanoid form moved gracefully toward them. The rags hanging on its body were mismatched pieces of torn bloody uniforms. Teeth protruded at all angles from an oval hole in its face. Skin, tight and leathery, stretched across a skeleton that possessed little or no muscle. Sunken yellow eyes devoid of pupils appeared frozen, lifeless.

  “Normally I would just shoot,” Snake said. “Angel, step up here and do the honors. My pistol is overkill.”

  “You’re just going to kill it?” Warlock asked.

  “Huh? Yeah. If you like you can go kiss it, stick your tongue in its mouth.”

  “Snake, cut the shit. Give the kid a break,” Angel said. At that moment, the target shot forward and closed the distance. Its garments fluttered around it. Mouth open, it moaned in anticipation of killing its prey. Angel’s first shot struck true but failed to slow it. The second missed when it twisted, throwing its body to the side. Closer now, they could see the long-curved talons on the end of its three-fingered hands.

  Snake was a second from pulling the trigger when a huge hairy body pushed him and Angel aside and down on the floor. The creature was in flight, its arms outstretched and aimed for Angel’s throat. Two arms like battering rams struck the creature, batting it away. It hit the steel corridor wall and fell to the floor. Harry grabbed it by the ankles with two hands and swung it like a club. Its head and back collided with the wall with a resounding wet thud. Harry held its legs while it screeched and tried to pull free. A second swing of the body flung blood and fluids until it connected with the wall in nearly the same spot, increasing the size of the gore splatter. Harry let go of the creature’s legs, watching it fall to the floor. The body twitched a few times in death, then lay motionless.

  “Thanks, big guy,” Angel said, getting to her feet. Snake laughed, picking himself up. Warlock had a stunned look on his face.

  “Look, kid, we don’t mess around. If you ever see Harry take that axe off his back, get low and stay low,” Snake said. “We’ll leave that thing right there and clean it up later. Captain, Genius, one dead hostile starboard corridor.”

  “We saw, from your spot on the floor. Good job, Harry,” Adeen said. “I agree, clean it up later. Stay sharp, people.” Snake led everyone toward engineering and hoped they didn’t run into any more surprises. He spared a second to look back, just to be sure.

  ****

  “I’m going to need you on the bridge tonight,” Sashet said. Natalia nodded, acknowledging her. “I won’t claim to know a lot about any of you or defend him, but I do know he has a lot to contend with. Courting the Queen of Cjittan could drive a lesser man to take his own life.”

  “I’m fine, let’s leave it at that,” Natalia mumbled. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “We will see him soon enough. If there is little or no Khalnalax presence around Kanlost, I don’t plan on being too far away.”

  “That isn’t what he ordered you to do.”

  “I’m not so good at obeying orders. He can appreciate that, I’m sure. Watch change is in a quarter cycle. I’ll be there for half your watch and we can discuss your training. He wants you to know every station.”

  “He wanted that for his daughter. That’s not me, or so I’ve been told.”

  “You have a lot to learn, little girl. You may not be flesh and blood, if the story I heard is true, but you are one hundred percent his daughter. He knows that. One little fit of anger is nothing. Get over it.”

  Natalia looked down at the floor. She didn’t want to argue with Sash. “I hoped when we went to Athena and tracked down the people who had caused him a lifetime of pain, that he would have some closure. Taz was different then too. She was a pain in the ass, but more like a rich girl on a vacation shopping spree. Happy, carefree, it’s not my money.”

  “She had to come home and face her responsibilities again. Then, on top of it, a war has started. Governors scream, populations die and their planets with them. It is only right that she put him down on the bottom of her list. I need you to focus on your duties. We are responsible for the lives of our crew. Being angry and distracted can get us all killed.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “That’s all I ask. Now, let’s not let him and the Allond have all the fun.”

  “I think you’re right. Let’s go kick some ass. It’ll make us all feel better.”

  ****

  I smiled all the way to Kimit’s ship. The muscles in my face would be sore if I kept it up. New weapons made me smile, or maybe just the thought of being alone with new weapons. No Taz, no Natalia, no contact with anyone I knew. The Allond I would travel with, while friendly, weren’t exactly friends.

  “Welcome, Reaper, aboard our blessed emperor’s warship Black Scythe,” Kimit said as I stepped foot on deck. “Cousin Dakkon told me they took the idea for its name from your Claymore. Naming the warships after more personal weapons appealed to Emperor Xamand. Your Claymore was the first in this line of warships. A totally new design. There are ten more, counting this one.”

  “I didn’t know that. What I can’t believe is that they were going to gift it to the Allith raiders.”

  “Do not remind them of that,” Kimit warned. “Dakkon and Jinwasys pleaded with Xamand to change his mind. Emperors don’t like to be reminded they made the wrong decision. The gift was coveted, but not appreciated by the Allith. It was meant to draw them into the empire with the rest of their clans that live among us in peace as vassals of the Empire. You obviously know the story, you lived it. Dakkon refers to the skirmish about his ship often.”

  “I do know the story and often wonder at the decision they made to gift it to me. I’m not complaining. Next to the Allond E
mpire’s fleet, I have best ship around.”

  “I will take you to your quarters. You will have no need of your armor or weapons, so stow them in the weapons locker in your room and relax. We will discuss your objectives for this mission later and how best we may be able to aid you.”

  “Thanks, it should be a short discussion. Nothing complicated.”

  “I’ve heard that about you. I remember when I first met you. Even after you were beaten, later at the dinner you picked a fight with General Raza. Insulted him multiple times, if memory serves.”

  “He insulted my friend Nedra; he had it coming.”

  “He only stated a fact. Nedra is beneath his station. As am I, for which I’m thankful and I’m sure Nedra is also. It saves us from the attentions of males like the general.”

  “I can see how that could be a good thing.”

  “Here are your quarters. I will send someone for you later. You will dine with me and my officers and we will discuss our options.”

  “What’s on the menu?”

  “Khalnalax.”

  “Perfect,” I said and chuckled. It was unusual an Allond having a sense of humor. “Kimit, you won’t mind if I take my dinner in my room? I would like to rest and think while I have no distractions.”

  “My officers will miss having the chance to question you. Many of us close to Dakkon have heard about your exploits. They are curious, you understand?”

  “Apologize for me and tell them I will make a point to dine with everyone the next time we meet. I should have new stories to tell by then.”

  “Enjoy your solitude. We will speak later.”

  I watched her walk away. She was different, in a good way. Not a royal. I walked into my quarters. Not any surprises here; I had a ship exactly like it. Even the bunk felt the same. I closed my eyes.

  ****

  “Captain Kimit, Captain Dakkon is requesting an audience.”

  “Thank you, go ahead.”

  Kimit was the first to speak. “Captain Dakkon, I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”

  “You are making very good time, Captain. I thought I would check in. We will be out of range soon for visual contact. How is your passenger?”

  “He is quiet.”

  “Quiet. Has he received any messages or spoken of his plans once you reach Kanlost?”

  “No. He was supposed to dine with the officers last night but declined. I know nothing of his kind. You know more than anyone the nuances of this human.”

  “He recently had a falling-out with Queen Tazleaha and his daughter Natalia. Did he mention anything about it to you?”

  “No, I will tell you his activities since arriving and you can decide if there is something I should do. When he first arrived, he seemed in good spirits. He had the new weapons. At his quarters, he indicated he wanted to rest and I left him to it. I went to retrieve him later for dinner and he was involved in something like a ritual training, perhaps. His body secreted water as he worked through a form of weapons training. He never halted the training, even when apologizing and declining to join us for dinner. I quote: ‘Sorry, I really need to stay here and work some shit out.’ My translation led me to believe it was gastral distress and offered our doctor to aid him, but then he informed me it was mental. I left him, my confusion preventing me from asking anything further.”

  “There is nothing you can do, Captain. Although I am concerned he has not nourished himself. When you check on him next, remind him to eat.”

  Kimit heard the bridge security question someone. She turned her head toward the doors. “It seems that you can tell him yourself, Captain Dakkon. Let him pass.”

  ****

  “Thank you, Captain,” I responded, seeing someone important on the screen. “Should I come back at another time?”

  “No, Captain Dakkon was just inquiring about you. I told him you requested solitude to sort shit out. Am I correct?” Kimit asked. Her creepy smile said she was amused.

  “That about sums it up.” I replied. “I need some supplies, and have a couple questions. Aside from that, I’m good.”

  “What supplies are you in need of?” Dakkon asked.

  “Food and water for at least a week and explosives. Some with timers, some without.”

  “Is that all?” Kimit asked.

  “I think so. I believe at least one of my ships should be here to pick me up. Unless you’re staying.”

  “What questions did you have?” Dakkon asked.

  “Has anything changed between Allond, Cjittan and the Khalnalax?” I asked. “It’s only been a couple days since we talked last, but things have a way of changing quickly.”

  “No. We are still open to providing aid to Cjittan for a price. Our navy is on alert, patrolling our borders maintaining the security of our empire. Captain Kimit has her orders, and they came from the highest level. It is no coincidence that her ship is providing you transport.”

  “I thought the captain wanted in on the action. Her marines are bored.”

  “I am sure she does, but you should know any aid she provides that is not a part of her orders is not sanctioned by the Allond government. We will deny it. She is to play the part of a ship having to stop for repairs. Our engineers know exactly what to do and it should pass any scrutiny, albeit a direct physical inspection.”

  “Ok. If that is the case, can you loan me a shuttle?”

  “That we cannot do, but what we can do is collect data for you while we orbit Kanlost. The Khalnalax won’t like our proximity, but the captain will stall as long as she can.”

  “Sounds like the way I originally thought it would go down. Minus the data collecting. Thank you, and Dakkon, tell Emperor Xamand thank you.”

  Alone against a planet full of hostiles sounds like fun…

  Chapter 19

  Snake and his team cleared the corridors between the bridge and engineering. Engineering was only midway through the ship on the lowest level. He knew getting the ship underway was more important than anything else they had to do. The minute Genius had power to the bridge, he was going to talk to Binda about sending more people over. Not the women and children just yet, but men and boys. She was holding them back on purpose and it was understandable. He didn’t trust most of them, so why would she? They were a lot easier to watch on the Claymore. Turning them loose this monster of a ship might be trouble. They would eventually, but later when the team had more control of it.

  The fact that the ship might not be the only monster was already proven, although monsters worried him less than getting the ship into shape. The living monsters could be killed and disposed of. If it was a really bad infestation, they would clear and lock down the critical areas, open the hatches and doors, and vent the whole damn ship to space. Pest control 101. Worked on pirates, too, but now there were only a few letters in the word ‘privateer’ that separated them from the pirates. They had already stolen fifty million credits from their benefactor—or had they?—and now this ancient Cjittan Generation ship. It was a slow giant piece of shit, but it had those genetic cloning labs.

  Hell, if he couldn’t find a woman he liked, he could have one made. Now that would be something. A little DNA from Angel for her great body and Shawna for her nympho sex drive. Binda would add the maturity and stable emotions. Hot damn! If she turns out black, white and green, who cares. It sounded sexy the more he thought about it.

  “Snake, asked you a question,” Harry said, his voice a rumbling thunder.

  “Oh, sorry man, got a lot on my mind.”

  “Like what, not doing your job?” Harry punched him in the shoulder, knocking him on his ass.

  “Ow! What the hell, Harry?” Snake yelled and rubbed his arm. He realized a little too late that it wasn’t good to yell at the guy with four fists. Harry grabbed him with his lower arms and lifted him up.

  “Snake, Benjamin isn’t here to keep you in line, and you be mouthin’ off a lot while he gone.”

  “Since when do you even talk, man? I’ve know
n you for about a year and you haven’t said ten words to me or anyone.”

  “I talk to Nedra, Benjamin and Natalia and the others. Even Imelda talk in my head.”

  “Oh, I get it. You talk to everyone but me.”

  “You teach me nothing.”

  “C’mon, I’ll teach you somethin’. Just stick with me.”

  ****

  Tazleaha sat in her quarters. Once again, she had forgone walking the ship and associating with anyone. The duty cycles passed as the Khalnalax ship made its way through Cjittan space. Her space, her empire. It had only been a week in human time since she left Benjamin, but it felt longer. Surprisingly, Dela’maah remained close to her and she found she didn’t mind. Letting go of her old prejudices was easy once she tried. She had Dela’maah keep a watchful eye on everyone, especially the captive Khalnalax crew members. Dela’maah instituted an on- and off-shift head count every duty cycle. At random times, the assigned security officer would check on every member of the crew, seeing to it that they were at their assigned location. Dela’maah was currently out checking on the security officer. She had explained that the security officer was the weak link. If he didn’t do his job, the system failed.

  The screen in front of Tazleaha showed the latest in a list of messages she had written, and, like the rest, this one was about to be discarded. Since Dela’maah’s brother and the ambassador’s husband had gone missing, everything about her relationship with Benjamin had gone wrong, but that situation wasn’t totally to blame. Since meeting him, it had been a life of highs and lows. It had never been perfect; then again, could it ever have been? No, not with him being so unpredictable.

  He should be at Kanlost by now. All the time in solitude preyed on her mind. She doubted her actions, her handling of the war, Benjamin, telling him it was over between them. It was for him that she did it. It’s the right decision, it must be.

  “Queen Tazleaha, we will be at our rendezvous early in the first duty cycle,” her com announced. “Have you decided to continue on to the capital at Xanlos?” Dela’maah asked. The sound of her voice startled Tazleaha. She stared at her com for a few seconds before answering.