by Damon Alan
“Damn,” Seto whispered.
“You were behind the shadow of Ember when this started. We notified you as soon as you came out from behind the planet,” Corriea said.
Lieutenant Harmeen burst into the room from the bridge. “Captain, I think you should see this,” he offered, and started the screen again. “I’ve been looking at this in different spectra. Watch that video again, but look at the infrared emissions.”
In infrared the screen flared more brightly as the thrusters and engines of the Amalli fired. But there was something else.
“What's that second heat source on the planet?” Sarah asked.
“I don't know. But watch when I zoom in and switch back to the visual spectrum.” Harmeen zoomed in on the area of the planet that had glowed in infrared. A bay leapt into clarity, next to the city Gilbert mentioned in his briefing.
Sarah wasn’t sure what she was looking at. “What is going on there?”
“The water is boiling, Captain. Whatever they are doing to the Amalli, it is creating an incredible amount of heat. It's affecting their local environment.”
Steam erupted from the large bay and rose skyward, sucking the surrounding air in toward the city. Trees bent under storm force winds. Large clouds formed rapidly, and lightning played among them. The ground below was obscured quickly, leaving the retreating fleet unable to record further.
“As we left I kept watching the area below the Amalli’s entry point, Captain. There were no damage control issues on the surviving ships, so I had the time. An strong series of supercell thunderstorms developed. Larger than we've seen on any of our atmospheric studies of Refuge.”
“That's significant... Well done, Lieutenant.”
“I'm not done yet, Captain. Watch this. I found this just before I came in here.”
Lieutenant Harmeen rewound the visual, back to a point fifteen seconds before the Amalli exploded. “Let me magnify this section.” Harmeen magnified the ship until it filled the entire screen and started the video feed again at one quarter speed. Two objects separated from the small ship, just behind the bridge. Rocket engines flared and the two objects raced away from the picture.
Sarah’s heart jumped. “They made it to the escape pods?”
“Maybe the pods fired from the heat, but we have to assume the crew made it out,” Gilbert said.
“Is that hope Mr. Gilbert? Are we picking up the emergency location beacons?”
Gilbert shook his head no.
Seto raised her hand. “I can explain the lack of beacons, Captain. Ember is the problem. We're in closer now, the radio noise is outrageous. I've been using laser link to talk the other ships in the fleet since we got here. Radio is useless. The ejection pod beacons are radio. There's no way we're going to hear them.”
Sarah’s stomach twisted in a mix of anger with the adepts, fear for her missing crew, and resignation that the Seventh Fleet was facing yet more fighting. “We may have live men on the ground, on a planet where psychic madmen can pull ships from orbit,” she said. “Do I have that right?”“
Harmeen answered her. “Sadly, that sums it up. The ejection pods have supplies for a few months for six crew. If they're down there, they'll stay with the pods unless they're taken prisoner.”“
Taken prisoner.
Sarah breathed deep, and collected her thoughts.
We can’t let that stand.
“Mr. Gilbert, your assessment?”
“We act as if we have men on the ground. Send in my marines and two heavy tanks as the recovery team. A couple of six man squads should do. We airdrop them out of a shuttle, under cloud cover if we can. We treat all locals as hostile since we can't separate the brainers--”
“Brainers?”
“It's what the marines in my ready group have started calling the psychics. I have kept them briefed on the enemy they might face.”
“Go on.”
Gilbert continued. “So we don't know who is a brainer and who—”
I don't like that term.
“Stop right there, Commander. These people are human just like us. I don't want them called brainers. They are adepts. That practice is to stop.”
Gilbert stared at her a moment, looking puzzled. “Okay, Captain, if you say they're adepts, they're adepts.”
“That's what I say,” she replied. “I have the full story from Eislen, and that will be part of our briefing. But if Eislen is representative of most of the people below… then we’ve done well getting marooned here.”
“Yes sir,” he said. He waited to see if she had more to say, then continued. “As I was saying, I believe we should treat all locals as potential hostiles, and engage on contact. We drive straight to our objective, get our boys, and call for pickup. We go in and get out under cover of darkness.”
“All approved, except for engaging on contact. From what Eislen has told me, and I believe him, the adepts are rare. They are the ruling class, so, according to him, they dress like it. I don’t see any reason not to trust Eislen, we’re lucky we have him with us. If you see someone that looks like they don't work for a living, you have permission to engage. But we are not in the business of killing the innocent.”
“He could be saying what the adepts want him to say,” Corriea said.
“They just happened to plant a sympathizer to be injured by your AI drone Mr. Corriea?” Sarah asked. She didn’t wait for an answer. “Come on. You know better than that.”
“This increases the risk to my men, Captain,” Gilbert said.
“Everyone sit in silence,” Sarah said.
Sarah took a few minutes to consider her options, and how her actions would affect future relations with the locals. Peace on equal terms was her ultimate goal. But she would take action to save any Amalli survivors.
When she finally spoke again, she firmed her voice. This issue was not debatable. “These people are human, Mr. Gilbert. We discussed this. Despite my earlier statement otherwise, we're not at war. What we have going on here might be a mistake. A misunderstanding.”
“If you say they're human, Captain, they must be human,” Gilbert said stiffly. “But no human I know uses voodoo to destroy a ship.”
Sarah glared at her first officer. “Mr. Gilbert. We parked our ships in low orbit over Refuge. Our singularity harms the adepts. Without meaning to do so, we may have struck the first blow.”
Gilbert’s face reddened. “That is exactly what puts the human thing in question…”
I need to put him on task right away, before this anger builds and destroys him.
“They are human, Mr. Gilbert. You will be going along with your marines, since if memory serves this is what you did for a living at some point before you walked onto my bridge?”
“Yes sir,” Gilbert replied sharply. “I understand the rules of engagement, sir. You're the Captain. If you say that frogs are cows, then I'll make those frogs say mooo.”
Sarah stared at Gilbert. She really liked him, probably too much. She wouldn't have a first officer with prejudice running in his blood.
Sarah leaned in close to Gilbert’s ear. “Stop being an asshole,” she whispered. “You've lost your first ship. It could happen again. Figure out where you dropped your balls, get them, and put them back on. I need a teammate, not a prick wallowing in his own issues. If you want to discuss this more in private, we’ll do that after the briefing.”
Gilbert's jaw clenched, his face turned even more red, but he nodded his agreement.
Sarah looked at him for a moment, then pulled away. Her officers shuffled uncomfortably in their seats.
Sarah moved the meeting forward. “Okay, let's get the shuttles planned and ready to go. I want marines on the ground right after the long nightfall so they have maximum time before dawn.”
Corriea spoke first after Sarah, breaking an uncomfortable silence. “I can have two shuttles and two G-Ks on the flight roster right away, Captain.”
Sarah furrowed her brows. “Why grappler killers?”
“Air cover.” Corriea answered.
“Scrap the air cover. It won't do you any good. They'll be swatted like flies. Bring the shuttles in low over the ocean. Treetop, Mr. Corriea. Do we have any shuttle pilots remaining that can handle this?”
Corriea's eyes betrayed his uncertainty, but he said, “We have a couple, I believe, I'll work with the Yascurra and make it happen. We have shuttle pilots from the three cruisers too, if we need them.”
“Not from the Stennis, Mr. Corriea, but you can pick from the other two. Mr. Gilbert, I'd like this mission completed without shots fired, I want things to de-escalate, not get worse. Get the Amalli crew and your men back in one piece.”
Gilbert, his composure recovered, nodded. “Nice and boring, Captain. In and out.”
Sarah stood up and paced. “Let’s talk about the enemy. As I said, I learned from our guest, Eislen, that the—” Sarah glanced at Gilbert. “—adepts are unhappy with our singularity. He calls it a demon, which would be hilarious if this were a holovid, but it's not.”
“Our singularity?” Harmeen asked.
Sarah looked at Harmeen and smiled. “I thought the same thing. I don't know why it bothers them, Lieutenant, but if we are to be enemies I'm glad it does. I want to work on potential ideas that will use it as a weapon. I think their stone throwing tantrum was due to our low orbit and the proximity of the drive core as we passed overhead. They may be terrified of it or damaged by it, I don’t know. But they responded with hostility. We had no way of knowing beforehand, so we deal with the results.”
“You mean we really did attack them first?” Seto asked.
“I think harmed is a better word. We didn't actually attack anyone,” Sarah replied.
“I doubt they see it that way,” Harmeen said.
“Regardless, of how they see it, we’re on unfriendly terms now. That's okay, because Eislen told me that the zhenghi, his word for adept, control the population with an iron fist. He said the adepts treat the common population like cattle. That does not suit our long term goals.”
“What are our long term goals?” Harmeen asked.
“Security, safety, self governance, the preservation of humanity. As far as we know this system might be the last place humanity exists when the Hive is done with the galaxy. We have an obligation to our species to preserve this place. On top of that, I think we have an ethical obligation to ensure the remnants of humanity survive in freedom, not bondage.”
“That's...” Harmeen started to speak, then stopped.
Sarah wanted a free sharing of opinions. “That's what, Mr. Harmeen?”
“We should discuss it later, Captain, in private. I'm not sure we have the right to impose our views on these people.”
“Bullshit. We didn't survive the Hive War and find Refuge just to become the subjects of mad psychics. I don't care what the kind kissy feely thing to do is, I believe it is time for a change of governance on Refuge.”
“As you say, Captain,” Harmeen said.
“Mr. Harmeen, sooner or later you're going to want to settle down, have a family, and get on with life. So is Seto, Corriea, and even my surly marine Mr. Gilbert. Even me, I have another hundred and fifty years if Dr. Jannis has anything to say about it. For us to live in peace, and the non-adepts to be free, the rule of the adepts must either end or change fundamentally.”
Corriea spoke haltingly. “So... so you're saying we are no longer representatives of the Alliance? We're a power unto ourselves? Because knocking off a planetary government violates quite a few regulations.”
“That's exactly what I'm saying, unless you see an alternative Mr. Corriea?” Sarah queried.
Corriea shook his head. “I don't. I wish I did. But I don't want my future kids to be slaves to the adepts either. You're right about that.”
Sarah looked around the table. “Anyone else have a different plan?”
Lieutenant Seto surprised Sarah with her answer. “Heck no. After the Amalli I think it's pretty clear that it's us or the adepts.”
“Harmeen?”
“I don't know Captain. I realize we're on our own, but these people were here first. That makes me uncomfortable. But I'm not ready to roll over and die either. I'm glad this is your decision.”
“Yeah, I'm elated. I think if we don't depose the adepts, eventually they'll eliminate us because they see us as a threat. They know we possess the power to disrupt the thing that gives them power over the people. We need Refuge to survive at this point, not only as the last bastion of humanity, but because we dangled it in front of the crew. We can't take it away and expect to remain a cohesive unit.”
“Yes, you're right,” Harmeen sighed. “I just can't help but feel this isn't the reason we find ourselves here.”
Sarah frowned at Harmeen, but continued around the table. “Dr. Jannis?”
“I'm with Harmeen, I'm uncomfortable,” Jannis said. “It's my duty to help people, not harm them. I don't think we have the right to play God.”
“Duly noted, Doctor,” Sarah said. “Gilbert?”
“Lock and load.”
“Then we're are mostly in agreement with one dissension and a few uncomfortables. The adepts attacked us, and are a threat to our existence as long they remain in power.” Sarah stood up and leaned forward to rest her palms on the table. “I don’t want to fight. But we will prepare for one. I want ideas for a counterattack, should it come to that. We have our position in space, and we have weapons they can’t even conceive of. Our offensive capability ranges from my sidearm to five megaton nukes. I want all of you to work on ideas for utilizing our resources to engage them where we have the advantage.”
“What if I can bring you one of these adepts back alive?” Gilbert offered.
“Too dangerous. I suppose if you capture an unconscious adept, you could keep him sleeping until you get back. Then we could suppress his ability with the singularity.” Sarah considered it a moment. “Dr. Jannis, give the extraction team the drugs necessary to keep a large person unconscious for a week.”
“Do we need an adept? We have Eislen,” Dr. Jannis said.
Sarah considered Eislen’s potential. “Eislen tells me he isn’t an adept. He’s untrained, we don’t know the capabilities of an actual adept. I think Eislen’s usefulness is limited to translator and proof of our goodwill.”
“We'll see how it goes,” Gilbert said. “I’m not in a hurry to meet them.”
“That’s good,” Sarah said to Gilbert. She stepped back from the table, and straightened her uniform. “Okay, everyone, let's get this rescue on the road. I want my people back. Dismissed. Corriea, stay seated.”
Sarah talked with Gilbert outside the briefing room door. She tapped his sleeve. “A word Commander Gilbert?”
Gilbert smiled, anger gone from his face. His demeanor was much more relaxed. “Of course, sir. I'm sorry for what happened in there. You're right, we talked about this in your quarters. People are people, and who is to say I might not have done the same thing in their shoes?”
“That's not what I want to talk about, I know you're a good man, you’re just shaken up.”
“What is it then, Captain?”
“You did nothing wrong. I agreed to put the fleet in orbit around Refuge. I always tell myself this isn't true, but it is. Sometimes you just don't have a winning answer. The Amalli was lost. Now you get the honor of rescuing them.”
Gilbert's easy going attitude returned, reminding Sarah why he was her first officer. “Nobody gets left behind, Captain. It's a marine saying, but it applies to us all now that we're alone out here.”
Sarah felt a flush rising inside her. “I agree. Do me one more favor, Commander.”
“What's that, sir?”
She touched his arm, and she felt the flush break out on her face. “Come back.”
Gilbert's eyes widened, and Sarah noted a change in his breathing. “You know I will, Captain. I'm like a bad rash that way,” he said.
She laughed and pushed him toward the
shuttle bay.
Chapter 19 - Take the Long Way Home
09 ORS 15327
Sarah walked back into the briefing room to speak with Corriea. “Peter, I need to ask you a favor. As a friend, not as a Captain.”
“Of course. Not that there is a lot of difference in how I'd respond.”
“I'm aware of that, that’s why I'm asking you.”
“Anything,” he replied.
“Rumor is you’re a good pilot. I know you were pulled from flight school for reasons that aren't reflected in your file. I'd like to know why.”
“I didn’t know you knew,” he said.
Sarah grinned. “That you were getting stick time? It’s my duty to know, Lieutenant.”
“My father is the reason I was pulled from pilot training.” Corriea rolled his eyes, and anger flashed across his face. “My family has a lot of clout back home. Dad didn't want me killed, or left behind after a battle when the capital ships retreat. He pulled some strings, and I was the puppet.”
“That's not the answer I expected. How far along were you?”
“About two months from certification on the Shivari class grappler.”
“Sometime I’ll have to share the story of One-Eight in the Captain’s mess with you.” Sarah smiled, she and Corriea now had one more thing in common. Grapplers. “So basically full qualified then. How long has it been since you've flown?” she asked.
“Three years, officially, but the fleet pilots always give me the stick when I'm on a shuttle. I think they feel sorry for me, which really pisses me off. But I'm not going to turn down a chance at stick time.”
“That's between you and me. I want you to start flying more. I started my career in grapplers, I didn’t make the cut for pilot. I was a navigator because of that, but you were just robbed. You're a fantastic navigator, but that’s not what I need at the moment. I need a pilot, as well as a trusted friend.”
“Are you trying to get me to kill someone for you Captain?” Corriea joked. “That's a lot of flattery.”
