by Rachel Aukes
“I have ship movement,” Birk said.
“Did they see us?”
“Hold on. No, it looks like two patrol ships are making their way to the Unity. I’m guessing someone is wondering why the Unity went silent.”
It took over an hour to navigate around the fleet, keeping a wide berth. During that time, the fleet stayed in position, though Critch wondered how much chatter was taking place in regard to the Unity.
The Arcadia had expanded to cover an area of several thousand clicks. If the pods didn’t have beacons, he’d never find them. As it was, two pods had jettisoned off the warship at roughly the same time and velocity and in the same direction, keeping them within a hundred click radius. The other two were several thousand clicks apart, and splitting farther every minute.
All four beacons were identical, so he had no way of knowing which pod Heid was in. That meant he had to pick them up as he found them, placing no pod as a higher priority. He chose to pick up the pair of pods first.
They drew nearer to the first pod, and Critch sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. “That’s not good,” he said.
Birk looked up from his panel and whistled. “I sure hope the others are in better shape.”
Critch didn’t even bother getting any closer. The pod had been cleanly cut in half by a sheet of the Arcadia’s hull, which had lodged in one of the halves. Streaks of blood marred the hull. The three crewmembers on board never stood a chance.
The second pod was within ten clicks of the first one, which was surprising given the massive force of the explosion. This one had a big dent, but Critch couldn’t make out if the pod had been breached.
Critch opened the ship’s internal comms. “Nat, Burl, prepare for one pod retrieval. We’ve got one ready for pickup.”
“We’re at our stations now,” Nat responded.
Critch brought the ship up alongside the escape pod. From the side viewing panel, he could see Nate extend the ship’s crane and close the claw around the pod. The crane bent around to slide the pod inside the open freight door, which Burl manned, though Critch didn’t bother checking the ship’s internal monitors.
When the freight door closed, Critch received a comm via Burl’s space suit. “Pod is secure. Do you want me to refresh the air and open the pod?”
“No,” Critch replied. “Wait to air the bay until we’ve retrieved all the pods. They have air. They can wait until we land.”
They switched direction and headed off for the nearest pod. Debris slammed into the hull, and Critch ducked. “Where did that come from?”
Birk flipped through his scans. “The fleet’s breaking up the larger debris, likely hoping they can send some of the bigger chunks to burn up in the atmosphere.”
“They’re sucking at it,” Critch grumbled. “They’re turning Terra’s orbit into a junkyard, that’s what they’re doing.” He sighed and refocused on the third pod.
Critch sped up slightly to get to it. He knew he was pushing his luck flying around a debris zone with the fleet within shooting distance. The third pod was in a congested mess of debris. It was scratched, but looked in surprisingly good shape.
He grimaced. He didn’t like the idea of extending the crane into that clutter, and the thought crossed his mind to leave the pod. Instead, he tapped the internal comms. “Nat, Burl, prepare for one pod retrieval. We’ve got another one ready for pickup.”
“We’re ready to go,” Nat replied.
As Critch neared the debris, small chunks bounced off the ship. He winced at every thump and vibration. He watched the crane extend. Debris knocked it around. When what looked like a bunk hit it, he thought the crane was going to snap, but it held. It looked like Nat sped the crane up to move things along faster. The moment the crane had the pod, it zoomed back to the ship.
Three minutes later, Burl’s voice reported, “Pod is secure.”
“Good,” Critch said and immediately banked to head off for the fourth and final pod. It was the farthest from the fleet, which was why he’d left it for last, knowing it would be the easiest to retrieve. It took longer than expected to catch up to it, as it was moving at a good clip.
When they reached the it, there was no debris in the vicinity, making it an easy catch. The pod looked in perfect condition. “Nat, Burl, prepare for one pod retrieval.”
The pod slowly spun as it flew. When it spun around halfway, Critch frowned. “No, cancel that. No more pod pickups.”
The pod door was missing. The locks had likely failed upon jettison. Critch could make out two frozen bodies inside. The third body would have been strapped to the door, and was likely hundreds of clicks away by now.
“Brr,” Birk said. “That’s why you’ll never get me into one of those banana peels.”
“No kidding,” Critch said in agreement, and tapped the comms. “Everyone to your stations. We’re heading to Terra.”
The Honorless made faster time back to the planet, since Critch could steer farther from the fleet.
As they approached Terra’s orbit, Critch began to program landing sequences for Seda’s spaceport.
“Whoa, we have major movement going on right now,” Birk said.
Critch tensed. “What’s happening?”
“The fleet’s leaving orbit. I mean, the Unity’s not moving, of course, but the rest of them are following the second warship.”
Critch considered for a moment. “Who’s the commandant on the second warship?”
“No idea. Whoever it is doesn’t seem to have much interest in breathing down Terra’s neck.”
“We’ll take what we can get,” Critch said, and then broke through the atmosphere.
After the Honorless landed, Critch headed back to the cargo hold, where Burl was opening the pods.
Critch felt relief when he saw Heid’s long dark hair as she crawled out of one. He strode over and helped her to her feet. “How’s it feel to be dead?”
She touched her forehead and winced. “It hurts more than I expected.”
He reached forward and lightly touched the swollen, red area. “That’s some bump. I’d bet you’ve got a concussion. But you could’ve gotten worse. You saved your crew’s lives by giving up the Arcadia.”
She seemed pleased, and then glanced over at the pods. The five other crewmembers they’d retrieved seemed conscious and well. She frowned. “There are only two pods.”
He swallowed. “Two pods were breached.”
“No.” She closed her eyes and turned away.
“Losing six lives instead of hundreds should be counted as a win,” Critch said.
She sighed. “Losing good people is always a loss.” A thought seemed to hit her, and she turned abruptly to Critch. “And Ausyar?”
“A life that won’t be missed,” he replied.
She nodded. “But I still feel for all the other lives on the Unity.”
“I know,” he replied and felt a small pang that he didn’t share the same feeling.
When Burl opened the freight door, Critch helped Heid walk down the ramp.
“By the way,” he began. “The fleet’s broken orbit. They’ve established out by the moon.”
“Oh?” Heid seemed surprised at first, then pleased.
“I take it you have a friend on that warship?”
Her smile spread. “I think so.”
Chapter Seventeen
An Unexpected Gift
Torrent Headquarters, Terra
Reyne
Reyne rushed down the dock the moment the door to the Honorless opened.
When he saw Critch assisting Heid down the ramp, relief flooded him. She’d survived. The crazy, harebrained idea of faking her and her crew’s deaths by letting Ausyar destroy the Arcadia had worked. The Campaign had lost its greatest asset, but at the same time had secured the safety of over three hundred lives.
He walked over to greet them. When he reached them, he embraced Heid. She immediately tensed as if she hadn’t ever been hugged, but then wrapped an arm ar
ound him. He took a step back. “You pulled it off. I never thought I’d say it, but I think you’re crazier than Critch here.”
She grinned. “It definitely was easier in theory than in practice.”
He grew concerned. “Your crew that flew with you on this mission?”
She winced. “We lost six.”
He closed his eyes and lowered his head for a brief moment. “The eversea has gained six brave souls.” While six was a low number for such a high-risk mission, he would’ve been happier if there’d been no deaths. He turned to Critch. “And your crew?”
“Without a scratch,” Critch replied.
He exhaled a sigh. “Good. Today, we had a major win against the CUF, thanks to you and your crew.” When neither spoke, Reyne motioned. “Come. Seda wants to meet Gabriela.”
The trio headed to the hangar to find Seda working at his desk.
Heid cocked her head. “I honestly never thought I’d meet the Aeronaut.”
Seda came to his feet and held out his arm. “Welcome, Baker. However, I believe you go by your real name now you’re no longer associated with the Founders.”
She clasped his forearm in salutation. “It’s a pleasure, Seda.”
He nodded toward her injury. “You should get that looked at.”
“I will,” she said and took a seat.
Critch walked over to the bar and poured himself a whiskey. He downed the glass and refilled it.
Seda watched Critch. “Did everything go as planned?”
Critch nodded. “Exactly as planned.”
“Except we lost two escape pods,” Heid added.
Seda frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure they were good people.”
“The best,” Heid said.
A chime sounded. Seda opened the drawer and pulled out a tablet that only a few people in the Collective knew about. “I don’t believe it,” he said. “It’s Mason.”
Shivers coursed over Reyne. He strode over, closed the door, and then leaned against the wall.
Seda furrowed his brows. “What is he up to?” He shook off the expression. “Let’s find out, shall we?”
Seda transferred the call to the wall screen, and Mason—also known as Gabriel Heid—appeared. While everyone in the room could see and hear Mason, Mason could only see Seda.
“Hello, Aeronaut,” Mason said.
“Mason,” Seda said, following suit. “To what do I owe this call today?”
“First things first. How’s my daughter?”
Seda kept his poker face. “I’m afraid Corps General Ausyar launched an attack against the Arcadia earlier today. All souls aboard, including your daughter, were killed.”
Mason pursed his lips. “I saw the footage, and I applaud the subterfuge. However, I know Gabriela loved that ship. And I know the only thing she loved more than that ship was her crew. I knew she had something up her sleeve when she jumped from orbit.”
“She’s gone,” Seda reiterated. “But I don’t understand why you’d care. Wasn’t it just last year you tried to capture her on Spate?”
Mason gave a small smile. “Capture, not kill, Aeronaut. Gabriela is still my daughter and the only family I have left. Of course I care about her well-being.”
Reyne shot a glance at Heid, to see her roll her eyes, and he was glad she had the common sense to remain silent.
“I suspect you care about your daughter’s well-being about as much as you cared about Mariner’s well-being when you tortured her to death,” Seda said.
Mason cocked his head. “You’re still bothered about that little incident?”
“She was my wife.” Seda nearly spat the words.
Mason sobered. “Then you shouldn’t have digressed from our plans.”
“Your plans,” Seda corrected, glaring. “They were never the Founders’ plans.”
Mason waved a hand through the air. “What’s done is done. Now, I hope you will convey to my daughter that she’s in my thoughts,” Mason continued.
“Why did you call?” Seda asked.
“I’m calling about what you did today, of course. I must say, I was quite impressed to hear you had the courage to kill Corps General Ausyar, though I thought writing ‘Broken Mountain’ on the torpedo was rather melodramatic. You could’ve handled it in a different way than making it look like terrorism.”
Reyne stiffened, confused. What torpedo? Ausyar was dead? When the words on the torpedo sunk in, he spun to face Critch. Critch sat in his chair, with a glass of whiskey in one hand, watching Reyne. He didn’t look the least bit bothered. If anything, the bastard looked smug. Reyne shot him a dark look and then turned away. I’ll deal with you later.
“I see you’re still closely connected with your sources in the CUF,” Seda said. “What else did they tell you?”
“That the blight you released on the Unity killed all 455 souls on board, as well as eighteen souls on board the two patrol ships sent to investigate.”
The blight. Reyne’s jaw slackened, and he forced himself to breathe slowly and deeply to keep from attacking Critch at that precise moment.
“Parliament is worried. They’re afraid this was a warning shot, and your next target is them.” Mason shrugged. “I encourage that perception.”
Seda’s gaze narrowed. “Why is that?”
“Because I want the colonies to be free. Or, at least, to believe they’re free. That way, they get this little rebellious streak out of their systems and they realize they can’t last on their own without support. How long do you give the colonies before they come back to Parliament with their tails between their legs, begging to be brought back into the Collective?”
Seda laughed. “You never understood the mind of a colonist.”
“And you’ve never understood the difference between a revolution and a civil war. The colonies needed to experience a revolution, but you never needed to take them into war.”
“I’ve done and will continue to do whatever is needed to ensure the colonies are free. If you remember, Mason, the original purpose of the Founders was to ensure equality and independence.”
“The colonies didn’t even exist when the Founders met for the first time,” Mason said.
“I remember the greatest thing the Founders ever accomplished was to instigate civil war between Myr and Alluvia.”
Mason’s brows rose. “And I suppose you’re likening yourself to the original Founders. Aeronaut, you’re no Jacob Mason.”
“Nor do I pretend to be.” Seda gave a sly smile. “After all, I’m not the one who took the first Founder’s name upon initiation.”
“Enough chitchat,” Mason said. “The first reason I called is to congratulate you on taking care of Ausyar for me. I especially like the irony of him dying by his own creation.”
“Hm. Now, I suspect you’re playing me. I know you steered his empiric motivations. He never would’ve had the blight without your guidance.”
“Ah, Ausyar proved to be a disappointment. He had the ambition and resources to unify the Collective. But he also had greed. And that weakness tends to make one shortsighted.”
“You only want to rule the entire Collective,” Seda sneered. “I suppose that’s not greed?”
Mason narrowed his gaze before he brushed the air with his hand. “Now, to the second reason I called. I know my daughter is there with you, so what I have to say now is for her. Gabriela, you made a mistake to come to Terra. You should have stayed on Playa where you were safe. Now you’ve lost the Arcadia, which will cripple your little rebellion, even if you don’t see it yet.”
Reyne watched Heid’s features tighten as she listened, and he was surprised she didn’t speak up.
“Without the Arcadia, you are effectively defenseless,” Mason continued. “And so, I wish to help you. I am sending you a file; what you do with it is up to you. The file is secure with your DNA—no one else can open it. If you choose to use it, it will give the Fringe Liberation Campaign what it needs to turn Parliament’s opinion to it
s favor. In this file, you’ll find all the proof you need that the creation and subsequent use of that terrible blight was done under Corps General Michel Ausyar’s orders, and that he had desires to take over the Collective. Use this file, and you’ll be safe from the CUF because the conflict will be over.” Mason paused. “I know we’ve had our differences of late, but as I told Aeronaut, you are still my daughter even if you no longer adhere to the Founders code. I want you to be safe.”
When Mason didn’t say anything else, Seda spoke. “Is that all?”
Mason straightened, then gave a half-nod.
“For the free,” Seda said.
Mason hung up.
Heid jumped to her feet. “What a conceited, pompous, arrogant ass!”
“Do you believe anything he said?” Critch asked her.
“No,” she said quickly, paused for a moment, then shook her head. “No, I don’t. He doesn’t do anything that wouldn’t help his cause. Helping me certainly doesn’t accomplish that.”
“What do you want done with the file?” Seda asked. “I can delete it if you wish.”
Heid thought for a long moment. “I’ll have Vapor check it out first. If it’s clean, I’ll take a look and see if it’s what he says it is.”
Seda nodded. “If it is, it would be a PR miracle.”
Reyne pushed off from the wall and looked across the three faces in the room. “You were all in on it.”
They turned to face him.
“You knew I was against using the blight. You had a meeting after our meeting to plan the Arcadia mission.”
“You made it clear you wouldn’t support the idea,” Seda said.
“Of course I wouldn’t!” Reyne yelled. “You saw what the blight did to Sol Base. We’re now as guilty as Ausyar.”
“We had to stop Ausyar,” Seda said. “He bombed Broken Mountain. He was about to bomb Rebus Station, and then work his way through the colonies.”
Reyne shook his head. “You didn’t have to kill five hundred people to kill one man.”
“That was my idea,” Heid said quietly.
