by Finn Gray
Thetis
Commander Graves sat at his desk, fingers laced together, elbows resting on the arms of his chair, and stared balefully at the screen in front of him. He wasn’t certain how long he’d been sitting here. Ever since he’d given the MPs their orders. They weren’t back yet, so probably less than an hour.
“Gods, Dom. If you’re losing track of time, maybe you are too old for this job.”
On the screen, the words NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT stared back in him in bold letters. It was the standard notice. One-half a cycle, unless the fleet had other plans for him. Would they even permit it with the tensions surrounding the Memnons running high?
“They’ll probably be happy to get rid of you.” He let out a low, rueful chuckle. “Bring in somebody younger and lower on the pay scale to mind the old girl. It’s not like they have need of veterans anymore.”
He reached toward the screen and then paused, fingertip hovering above the signature line. Should he do this? Could he? How could he function in civilian life if he couldn’t make it through a single shore leave without getting into trouble?
“You’ll have to learn,” he said loudly. “You’re a relic. They don’t want or need you.”
Before he could change his mind, he pressed his finger to the touch screen, signed Dominic Graves on the line, added his thumbprint in the designated spot, and pressed SEND. That done, he leaned back in his chair, heart racing. How long before he heard back from command? Would he hear anything, or would his papers arrive without fanfare? The thought saddened him.
“Maybe you’ll get a chance to do something that matters before they process your papers,” he muttered.
A sharp knock at the door interrupted his dark musings.
“Enter!”
Diane Jordan stepped inside. “Shall I close the door or do you need your lapdog watching over us.” She made a jerking motion with her thumb, indicating the MP who had escorted her here.
“You forget yourself, Colonel.”
Jordan immediately snapped to attention and saluted sharply. “Sir.”
Graves stared at his XO. He knew she was dying to break the silence, to make one of her usual acerbic comments. But she held her tongue, correctly reading his current mood.
“I want to know everything you’ve been hiding from me, Jordan.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Dom, what the hells are you talking about?”
“You’re on thin ice, XO. This is your only chance to come clean.”
“You think I’ve been hiding things from you? After all this time? She folded her arms. “You know me.”
“I thought I did,” Graves said.
“So tell me then. What am I hiding from you?”
“Graves pounded his fist on the desk. “Let’s start with the fact that you have an enhancement.”
If he had thought that would score a point, he was wrong. Jordan looked at him in scorn. “When I was a kid. It was in my paperwork.”
“Yet you never bothered to tell me.”
She shrugged. “Until recently it didn’t make any difference.”
“It didn’t make any difference until it did. You’re not stupid.” He searched her eyes, seeking answers to his many questions. “Why didn’t you tell me then?”
Jordan lowered her voice. “You think I’m a Memnon? Is that why you had an MP fetch me? Are you going to put me in the brig?”
“Just answer my question.”
“It’s like you always taught me. I let my work, my actions, speak for me.” She closed her eyes, open them again. “You know me, Dom. You have for cycles. Think about it. If, after all this time, I had suddenly come rushing to you making a big deal out of my enhancement, what would you have thought of me?”
“I’d have thought my XO was being honest with me. Trusting me with the truth.”
“Are you sure about that?” Jordan arched an eyebrow. “Or would you have seen an ambitious XO trying to cover her own ass? Admit it. Even had you believed me, your own cautious nature would have kicked into gear. You would have immediately considered the worst case scenario. You have treated me like a Memnon until I proved differently.” She spread her hands. “But how can I do that?”
“Trust is a wall...”
“I know,” Jordan interrupted. “You build it brick by brick. Each trustworthy action lays another brick at the top. Each breach of trust removes a brick from the foundation and it all comes tumbling down.”
Graves almost smiled. “I guess I’ve said that more than once.”
“Think so?” Jordan smirked.
Graves wondered if she was right. He was always slow to trust. Always considered the worst case scenario and proceeded with caution. But was that fair? Surely her years of service ought to count for something. He motioned to the chair on the opposite side of his desk.
“Sit down and let’s see if we can’t start rebuilding that wall.”
With obvious reluctance, she took the seat, folded her hands in her lap, and fixed him with a sardonic smile. “Forgive me if I am not sure how to proceed. I’ve never been accused of treason before.”
“We’re not there yet.” Let her chew on that for a while. “Tell me about your enhancement.”
Jordan let out a soft breath, her eyes downcast. “I was a teenager. My parents heard about an experimental treatment that would stimulate brain functioning, take cognitive processes to a higher level.” She said the words in a mocking voice. “They always wanted to squeeze the absolute best out of me, but it didn’t make any difference. At least, it didn’t improve my results. I was already a high achiever and I stayed there. It didn’t turn me into the best of the best like they had hoped.”
“Maybe you were so high there was nowhere for you to go.” He flicked a grin at her.
She rolled her eyes. “Hardly.”
Graves looked at her file displayed on his vid screen. “It didn’t show on any of the scans but you self-reported it.”
“Of course I did. I thought if something ever happened and they needed to poke around in my brain it might be a good idea for them to know it was there. As to why it doesn’t show in scans, I can’t say.” She bit her lip. “I hope you can understand why you and I didn’t have a conversation about it. It was a failed implant, dead inside of me. It was part of my record. I could have hidden it if I wanted to, but I chose not to.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about the sabotage of the fledglings’ Cobras?” He delivered the question like a quick jab, thinking the sudden change of direction my catch her off guard, but instead she laughed.
“I’m not seeing the humor.”
“I was about to tell you that I included it in my daily reports,” she said, still laughing, “and that I’d been too busy trying to find the culprit to have a conversation with you about it. Also, there was nothing I had to report that wasn’t already written down.”
Graves frowned. “I still don’t get the joke.”
“Hunter and I had this same exact conversation, and he gave me the same excuse I was about to give you.” She shook her head. “Maybe I need to be busted down to Captain.”
“That isn’t like you. Ordinarily you tell me far more than I want to know.”
“See? I can’t win with you. It’s either too much information or not enough.” Her wistful smile melted into a serious look of introspection. “I don’t know, Dom. I think, on some level, I really wanted to handle it myself. Prove my worth. You know, something I can throw into command’s face. Show them they should have promoted me.” She held up a hand. “And please don’t make one of your jokes about what command likes having shoved in their faces. It’s crass.”
Finally, Graves cracked a smile. But there was still one question he had to ask and she wasn’t going to like it.
“Diane,” he said firmly, “are you a Memnon?”
“No.” Her reply matched his in tone, her expression equally grave. He felt the tension drained from his body. “I’m not, but I think my parents were.”
Graves sat up straight. This was not the reply he had expected. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“They never said so, but I always thought it. They certainly had an unhealthy interest in artificial enhancement, though we didn’t have the money for more than the one failed attempt.” She patted the base of her skull. “I’ve never thought the way Memnons do, never supported their beliefs. I’ve served this fleet loyally.”
Graves ran his fingers through his close-cropped hair, as if he could brush away the confused thoughts. “You realize if this gets out it could be a problem.”
Jordan nodded. “So, what are you going to do? Are you going to report me just to be safe?”
Graves was spared the need to reply find the sudden whine of the ships alarm in the beeping of his comm. He tapped it. “What is it?”
“Commander,” the breathless voice on the other end said. It was Cassier, his communications officer. “You’re needed on the brig. I think we’ve got a mutiny on our hands.”
Chapter 25
Battlecruiser Osprey
Thetis
“What in the gods’ names is going on here?” Sabre looked around the bustling flight deck. Everyone seemed to be running about, pell-mell. “Is somebody going to take care of my bird?”
“Sorry, sir,” an orange-clad deckhand said. “Something...is going on.” Before she could respond he turned and ran in the opposite direction.
“Hey! Get back here!” Teeth gritted, fists clenched, she stalked across the deck looking around for his chief. “If he thinks that’s how he can talk to a superior officer...” She hadn’t taken more than ten steps when a blinding pain at the base of her skull caused her knees to buckle. She hit the deck and knelt there, hand pressed to the back of her neck, eyes closed. This was hardly the first flare-up, but it was by far the most intense of the past several weeks.
“What is happening to me?” As if in reply, the pain subsided, replaced by a strange feeling that she could not quite put a name to. It was a sense of purpose, coupled with a calm certainty that nothing could stop her. Problem was, she didn’t know what that purpose was.
She stood and looked around. At the far end of the hangar, several men were fighting. No weapons, just fists.
“Not my problem,” she muttered. “I’ve got business to attend to. If Vatcher can’t control his crew, that’s on him.” But as she continued to walk she realized that she could not remember what that business was. It was something the commander had ordered her to do. Of that, she was certain. But what was it, exactly?
Despite her misgivings, the sense of purpose and confidence did not abate. She continued to move along as if guided by an invisible force. She supposed she should report to the bridge. By then perhaps she would remember what, exactly, she was supposed to do.
But she didn’t take the corridor that would lead her up to the bridge. She had visited Osprey enough times to know her way and to be aware of the fact that her feet were carrying her in the wrong direction. Still, that strange presence in her mind gave her the strong conviction that she was doing exactly what she needed to do.
She moved along the corridor, the echoes, angry shouts, and cries of alarm dull in her ears. Was that gunfire? She ought to find out what was going on. No, she had something to do.
She continued walking, wending her way deeper into the bowels of the battlecruiser. She was vaguely aware that she was leaving the chaos of the ship far behind. Perhaps this...thing that had taken hold in her mind was guiding her to safety. No, that wasn’t right. She definitely had a purpose in being here. She still couldn’t remember the commander’s instructions, but clearly her subconscious was guiding her. Just relax. It will all be fine in the end.
She was in the middle of an empty section of barracks when the thought suddenly hit her. This isn’t right. This is like the times I walked in my sleep. It’s not my subconscious. It’s something worse.
The thoughts swirled in her head, her conscience and, indeed, consciousness, coming to the fore. She was now convinced that whatever sense of purpose she had was not coming from herself, but from a force that was to be distrusted.
“It was me who sabotaged the Cobras. It has to have been. Whatever this is inside my head, it must have told me to do it.” She knew she ought to turn and run, ignore the impulses that fought to control her, and make a run for the bridge. But the strange compulsion was still strong enough that she knew her destination was just around the corner and she couldn’t help but keep going just a bit farther.
I should find out what it is. Maybe I can destroy it. That’s it. I’ll keep going, but I won’t do whatever it wants me to do. With that thought firmly in her mind, she drew her sidearm, moved to the corner, and peered around.
An armed man stood before a barracks door, obviously standing guard. But keeping watch over what? Something important? Whose side was he on? Did the strange power control him too? Maybe she should eliminate him and take what was inside. No, she couldn’t just kill him in cold blood. Making up her mind to take a chance, holstered her weapon, and rounded the corner at a brisk pace.
The guard’s eyes bulged when he saw her. “Stay where you are, sir!” He immediately turned his weapon on her.
“What the flying fuck is going on here, Corporal?” she asked. “Didn’t anyone tell you I was coming?”
The bluff worked. The man’s eyes narrowed, clearly off balance, and he let the barrel of his gun drop. “Sir?”
“I’m to take over here. You’re needed at the bridge.” She was inventing wildly now, testing the waters. She had enough of her own awareness back to piece together what she had seen and heard along the way—fighting among the crew, orders being shouted. She now understood that a mutiny was afoot, and she bet the Memnons had something to do with it. Maybe everything.
The man’s eyes widened with excitement. “So we’ve done it? We’ve taken the ship?”
Sabre shook her head. “Just the bridge. But we need to hold it. That’s where you come in. Once we’ve secured control of the command center, a general announcement will be made. Hopefully the holdouts will surrender at that point.” She flashed a sly grin. “We don’t get paid enough to die unless it’s for a damn good reason.”
The man gave a nod. “Ours is a noble cause.” A canny look suddenly filled his eyes. “Don’t you agree, sir?”
“Of course it is, but why die unnecessarily? I’ll wager most of the crew members are not prepared to lay down their lives just to make sure Simon Vatcher stands at the bridge. Give them a chance to surrender first.”
“I agree with you, there, sir. But what’s going to happen to them? Are they staying here for now?” He inclined his head toward the door he was guarding.
Sabre understood. He had someone imprisoned in there. At least two someones. But who had they taken captive? Officers of the ship? Maybe, but Sabre’s gut told her it had to be someone of importance.
“I have instructions on how to deal with them,” she said. “How this situation is handled is critical to the success of our plans.
“Forgive me, sir, but your name is unfamiliar to me. I was fully briefed on the mission and my part in it.”
“You were told as much as you needed to know. Now the situation has changed, as have your orders.” Sabre’s heart raced. The man was coming to a decision point and she had no idea how he would react.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I will need to get confirmation. I’m sure you understand.”
“Absolutely. Just make it quick.”
Her immediate acquiescence surprised him and, by his relaxed posture, put him slightly off his guard. He reached up, touched his hand to his ear, and began to speak. It was the best chance she was going to get.
Sabre drew her sidearm and fired. The shot was just a notch off the mark. It caught him in his right eye. She’d been aiming for the bridge of the nose. Either way, it did the job. Kneeling over his prone body, she took out his security chip and inserted it into the lock. The door slid to the side, reve
aling a pair of familiar faces.
“Who are you?” Catalina Navarre, Imperial princes of Aurora, sat cuffed to her bed, her ankle in a splint, but her tone and demeanor suggested she was anything but a prisoner. Her sister, Valeria, was similarly imprisoned, and stared at Sabre with suspicion.
“I am Lieutenant Serena Sabrakami. You can call me Sabre if you like. I’m here to rescue you.”
“Where are we?” Valeria asked.
“You are on board the Osprey,” she said. Before she could continue, Catalina exploded with rage.
“The Osprey! Simons ship! I knew he was in on this.” She rounded on her sister. “How could you not have seen this coming?”
“I already told you I didn’t know,” Valeria shouted. “Stop blaming this on me, you bitch!”
“Highnesses!” Sabre shouted. “There’s no time for this. The guard confirmed that there’s a mutiny afoot. They are trying to wrest control of the ship from the commander. Whoever it was that abducted you, he’s not one of them.”
They gaped at her for a moment.
“I don’t appreciate your tone,” Valeria said.
Sabre had no time for this spoiled girl “Do you appreciate being held captive? If so, I’ll gladly leave you here.”
“Fine. What can you do to help us?” Catalina asked.
“I’m a pilot. The corridors leading to the flight deck were empty on the way in. I can’t take you both in my fighter, but if we can steal a shuttle, I’ll get you to safety.”
“We’ve had enough of military types taking us into shuttles,” Valeria snapped.
The compulsion surged strong inside Sabre. She suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to gun these two down. It rose up, along with more daggers of pain, from that spot at the base of her skull. She suppressed it with only the greatest of efforts. I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I won’t let it win.
“Are you well?” Catalina asked.
“Just a headache. Look, I’m bugging out. If you don’t want to come along, suit yourselves. I’m not going to hang around here to get captured or killed.” She stepped out the door, relieved the fallen guard of his sidearm, and turned back to the princesses. “Either of you know how to use this?”
