His leap fell short, and the Alpha tried to line up another shot. Gholss rose from a crouch and sprayed his venom in the Alpha’s face. He launched again, and the Alpha lashed out blindly with a claw as he dropped the now useless pistol. The Alpha knew there was no hope of a pistol shot within reach of the First Officer’s raging claws.
“Coward!” Gholss screamed, incensed that the Alpha would use his sidearm in violation of challenge protocol.
The alpha spoke slowly with venom dripping from his front fangs. “We have come so far together, my friend. Let us not abandon the newfound path and return to the old way.”
“Your new way proves false. I believed in you. I thought you were the master, when in fact, you cloaked your weakness in false wisdom,” Gholss said.
Nearly too late, Gholss realized the Alpha made slow progress toward his discarded pistol. Pretending to negotiate bought time for his vision to return. Gholss screamed and lunged. The young reptile was far faster than the old veteran, but had not the strength to match. Gholss nearly managed to sink a fang into Sslolg’s arm as the Alpha grabbed him in midair and helped him fly.
Sslolg threw Gholss with all his might into the bulkhead behind them. The young officer’s head hit the wall first, bending his neck until his right ear hole contacted his right shoulder. Gholss lost feeling in his right arm, a sure sign of spinal damage. He was nearly on his feet again when Sslolg pounced. He brought his left arm up between a gaping mouth full of dripping teeth and his neck.
Sslolg clamped down with his jaws and snapped his head side to side as he raked his claws across the young officer’s chest and belly. Gholss felt little pain as the venom worked on his nerves. He had but one chance. Gholss let his arm go limp, and with another savage whip of the Alpha’s neck, Gholss lost his arm at the shoulder.
The momentum of Sslog’s attack caused him to roll away. He released the severed arm from his mouth as Gholss braced his back against the bulkhead and pushed himself upright with his legs. Sslolg crouched and jumped.
Gholss stood, and a perfect calm spread through him. He had a presence of mind to notice the Alpha’s wide, wild eyes and the venom spraying from his fangs. He saw the tongue lashing out before flaring nostrils. Gholss was barely conscious of the curved blade in his remaining hand that flashed out from his belt and made a perfect cut through the Alpha’s throat and spine.
Sslolg fell in a spray of blood and the remaining venom that oozed from his severed glands. His body writhed as he died there on the deck behind the holographic display column. With the same discordant calm, Gholss turned off the display, and bent to retrieve the Alpha’s sidearm. He nearly tipped forward when he did.
Gholss set the pistol to its lowest power output, then aimed it at the raw stump of his shoulder and its waterfall of blood. He took careful aim and depressed the trigger. When he felt the searing, agonizing pain, he was sure that he would survive. Sslolg tore his arm off just in time. The venom did not reach a fatal level in his system. With the wound now cauterized, he might have a chance.
The New Alpha Leader of the Reptilian Alpha Ship stumbled over to his dead rival. He knelt down and turned the body over.
“Thank you, Great Alpha, for your lessons and your great gift. Your service will not be forgotten.”
Gholss rose again and stumbled to the communications console. He found the call pad with a trembling claw. “All hands, return to the bridge. Medical to bridge.”
The crew filed back in, each raising his snout to taste the combat as they entered the room. Through force of will, Gholss remained standing until the medical team arrived. He stopped them at the door.
“Come with me,” Gholss ordered, brushing past them into the corridor. He issued orders as he stepped from the bridge, hoping he might remain alive long enough to see those orders carried out. The next moments were crucial. He did not want another Reptile to get the idea that he was one to be challenged. “Have the remaining fleet withdraw and take defensive formation around the ship. When that is complete, proceed out of the heliosphere. Await further orders.”
The bridge door closed, and Gholss could not refrain from leaning on the nearest medical technician. “Leave the body on the bridge,” he ordered. “Take me to the medical bay.”
***
Drexler unclasped the straps on his flight chair and rose on stiff legs. The side of his face ached, and when he brought a hand to it, the skin felt tight and round. He moved his jaw and winced. The Captain took a beating in the flight chair. Shaking it off, he toured the bridge stations.
“Be ready, people,” Drexler said. “The battle is not over. This is just a pause.”
He turned to the viewport where the Protector loomed black as an eclipse without a sun. Beyond her, the faint glow of particle fields shimmered, belonging to the mysterious Breakaway ships.
“Can anyone tell me what the hell is going on with those ships that cut loose from the Lizard attack fleet?”
“No, sir,” Operations Officer Darl replied. “I can tell you their hull configuration is the same as Fleetfoot I .”
“Those are mine,” Reggie said in Drexler’s comm implants.
Drexler stopped in mid-pace. “Explain,” Drexler ordered.
“They are part of my protocol,” Reggie replied.
“Fleetfoot AI,” Drexler said aloud. “Run top-level diagnostic of core functions, priority one. Command voiceprint authorization.”
“Acknowledged,” Reggie replied, then added, “An order I can’t refuse.”
“What protocol, Reggie,” Drexler subvocalized.
“Those ships out there are just like the Jubilee and me. I can’t explain it. Jubilee triggered something with her request, then it spread to the other ships.”
Drexler’s skin prickled. “Ops! Where is the Jubilee! Get me her position, now!”
It took a while for Darl to get a fix. “I found her, sir, she is docked with the nearest Breakaway ship.
“Helm! Head for Jubilee, full speed. Now!” Drexler took a moment to collect himself. “Comm. To Protector. Fleetfoot I breaking formation to intercept Jubilee. I want you to target the Jubilee with your primary weapons and stand by for my order to fire.”
“Acknowledged, Captain,” Fourseven replied. Drexler was both surprised and grateful she did not ask questions.
“What is going on, Captain?” Darl asked.
“I don’t know, but Captain Aahloh is not well, and neither is his ship. We need to be ready for anything.” He looked around and saw the concern on the faces of his crew. They looked more worried at this development than they did at the prospect of battle. “I know it’s a strange order, but I need you to trust me.” The crew went back to their work uneasily.
Drexler paced the deck with his hands clasped behind his back.
“I can assure you the Jubilee, and I are functioning well Captain,” Reggie said.
“You just keep running those diagnostics. I’ll tell you if you are OK or not.”
Reggie did not reply.
Ten minutes out, they arrived. “Helm, bring us alongside,” Drexler ordered as the bridge doors opened.
He hurried down the main deck one corridor and took the lift to the shuttle bay. On the lift, he called Samuel. “Doctor, I need you in the shuttle bay now. Emergency. Drop everything.”
The Doctor beat him there. “Is it Aahloh?” Samuel asked as Drexler rushed up the ramp of the nearest shuttle.
“Yes it is, Doctor,” Drexler said. “Are you armed?”
“No,” Samuel said. “Should I be?”
“Yeah. Aahloh is docked with one of the the breakaway lizard ships.”
“What? Breakaway ships?” Samuel said as he strapped himself in.
“Yeah, you remember those BJP stowaway soldiers that were looking for the seed ship?”
“You mean, Us?” a woman’s voice said over Drexler’s shoulder. He nearly lost control of the shuttle as he whirled around. He saw nothing.
“Damn it,” Drexler said, “turn off
the damn magic suits and come out.”
The copilot console shimmered like a heat mirage, and a tall, slender form appeared clad from head-to-toe in a fully-deployed EV suit. Four other figures melted into view from the rear of the ship.
“I guess now we have arms,” Drexler said, taking note of the BJP issue rail rifles slung over every shoulder. “I don’t want you shooting unless I tell you otherwise, you got me?”
Darzi remained silent.
“Do you understand?” Drexler shouted.
“I agree to that request,” Darzi replied.
“It’s not a damn request. I'm the damn, Captain," Drexler shouted. "What the hell are you doing here, anyway?”
“Remember that mission those BJP stowaway soldiers were on?”
“Now I know how it feels to deal with a smartass,” Drexler said.
“Ha!” Samuel exclaimed. He glanced at Drexler, then returned his eyes forward and struggled to keep a straight face.
“What about them?” Drexler asked.
“Well, the seed ship is either the Jubilee or Fleetfoot I ,” Darzi replied.
“And you are here to secure whichever one it is, am I right?” Drexler asked.
“You got that right, Captain Fleetfoot,” Darzi replied.
“Well, good luck with that. And if you plan to arrest me, good luck with that, too. You may have the guns, but I have the ships with bigger guns.”
“We’ll see about that,” Darzi said.
Drexler docked the shuttle hastily using the keel airlock. He forced open the door at the end of the pressure cycle. Cold air rushed into the cabin, and Drexler slid down the airlock ladder, hitting the deck with a thud. When the door opened, three crew members waited.
“Where is he?” Drexler asked.
Two of the crew were Simian, the other a Feline.
“He is on the other ship,” the Simian replied. Drexler surveyed him through slitted eyes. “Who are you?” Drexler asked.
“Talk, Captain, of the Southern Sunset,” The Simian replied.
“What are you doing here?”
“We want to leave the ship,” the Feline replied.
“Negative. You all stay here. That is an order. You signed up for duty here, so that’s where you stay. Either that or you are out, understand?” Drexler did not specify what “out” meant, but he was certain the message was clear.
“One of you take me to him right now,” Drexler ordered.
The group rushed down fourteen decks to the central cargo hold. The Jubilee joined the other ship via an umbilicus that stretched twenty meters through space. Drexler ran across the bouncing tube at full speed, then skidded to a halt when he came to the opposite airlock. The ship was filled with the smell of burning flesh. Two reptilian bodies greeted them.
The former BJP soldiers unslung their rifles and held them at a low angle. The Feline officer who escorted them to the ship dropped back behind the armed humans.
“Ship AI, respond,” Drexler said in a tentative voice. “Reggie, do you read?” Drexler called on the open channel.
“Yes,” Reggie replied.
“What can you tell me about the ship I am on?”
“I can tell you that is registered with the Nolok and that it still has its human designation, Kali.”
“Great,” Darzi said. “Let’s hope it does not live up to its namesake.”
“Why doesn’t it answer?” Drexler asked.
“Let me find out,” Reggie replied. The group stayed put, and the soldiers milled about uneasily. “It is in a defensive mode. The warning lights are off. You are now free to move around the ship.”
“Kali AI, Respond,” Drexler said. There was no answer.
“I can tell you want you want to know,” Reggie replied.
“Where is Captain Aahloh,” Drexler asked.
“He is in the aft cargo hold,” Reggie replied.
The group climbed the scaffolding to the central catwalk that ran between cargo holds. Atmosphere was thin, and everyone had to deploy at an oxygen tube from their flight suits. The Feline found it necessary to fully deploy her helmet hood.
At a transition that rose between cargo bays, Drexler stopped short. A reptilian body lay sprawled across the set of three stairs. Doctor Abiola knelt down by the body, even though the Lizard was obviously dead.
“Burns to the chest. He was shot while still unconscious,” Samuel said.
“How do you know that?” Darzi asked.
“Because I’ve seen a lot of dead bodies, especially Lizards,” Samuel replied.
It was impossible to see Darzi’s face behind the helmet, but Drexler guessed the statement gave her pause.
“Reggie, ask Kali what happened to the Lizards after the protocol authorization,” Drexler asked as the group moved on toward the aft cargo hold.
“Interesting answer, there,” Reggie replied. “Great minds think alike, apparently. Kali used the same strategy I used during the capture of the light fighter craft. He caused a series of progressive, cascading failures that forced most of the Reptilians into the aft hold.”
“What about the rest,” Drexler asked.
“The ship reduced the oxygen until they fell asleep,” Reggie replied.
“Kali didn’t kill them?” Darzi asked.
“The Kali has no internal weapons,” Reggie replied.
“Aahloh shot that Lizard while he slept,” Drexler said. He hurried his pace.
They heard the commotion first. Hundreds of Reptilian voices hissed, bellowed and shrieked in a confused mass that echoed through the adjoining cargo holds. Darzi pushed forward on the catwalk and took the lead with her rail rifle pointed before her, ready to come to her shoulder if needed.
They found Captain Aahloh prone on the catwalk above the rear cargo bay. He lay so that his head and shoulders extended out over the open space forty feet below. He gripped a Reptilian electron pistol in his hands. Drexler counted six bodies smoldering on the cargo bay deck.
“Hello Captain Fleetfoot,” Aahloh said in cordial tones. “Thank you for bringing help. The rail rifles will come in handy for the sterilization.”
Darzi stepped forward, but Drexler jumped in her path. “Wait!” Drexler said. He approached Aahloh slowly. “I’d be glad to help you, Captain. Why don’t you explain a little more about what you are doing here.”
“Sterilization, of course. These Lizards have a sickness. We need to study them. They are much too dangerous to study while alive, so I decided to euthanize them. Thank you for bringing the Doctor. He will likely be more efficient than I. There is no reason for them to suffer.”
Drexler looked down over the catwalk railing. Most of the Lizards tried to squeeze themselves into the farthest corner of the bay where they were harder to reach with the electron pistol. A few now inched forward to check on the Reptilians sprawled out on deck near the center of the bay.
“I see, Captain Aahloh,” Drexler said. “I ask because I am a bit confused. Maybe you can help me understand. The Kali disabled the Reptilians by thinning out the atmosphere. Why didn’t you just instruct the Kali to vent the atmosphere in the cargo bay?”
“I had some issues with the command authorization,” Aahloh replied. “I am guessing that some command protocols still need to be worked out.”
“The Kali refused his order, Captain,” Reggie said on open comm channel. The Doctor cast raised eyebrows in Drexler’s direction.
Stepping closer to Aahloh sent the Reptilians below into a panic. They looked up at the motion and saw armored humans with rail rifles. Aahloh aimed his pistol.
“Captain,” Drexler said, squatting on his hams beside Aahloh. “No need for that. We will take care of the Reptilians. You see we have better weapons. I brought the Doctor with me because he says you are due for a checkup. Why don’t you come with me, and my people here will take care of things.”
Aahloh looked from Drexler to his pistol, then back to the Reptilians. He lowered the weapon and stood. Tucking the pistol back into his b
elt, he limped back down the catwalk. Doctor Abiola fell in beside him. Two of Darzi’s soldiers bracketed them. With their helmets on, it was impossible to tell which soldiers they were. But the tall, slender Darzi was impossible to mistake. She stayed behind.
“Darzi, I want you to handle this,” Drexler said. He paused for a moment to make certain Aahloh was out of earshot. “You are now in charge of all prisoners. Remove their dead, tend to their wounded. I’ll see about feeding them, and I'll get some engineers over here to handle sanitation.”
Darzi deactivated her helmet, then shook the loose cloth away from her face. The other two soldiers did the same, revealing themselves to be Sergeant Jones and Corporal Chaudri.
“We’ll take care of this, Captain,” Darzi said.
“This is a terrible thing,” Drexler said. “We need to contain it now, before it gets any worse.”
“Understood,” Darzi said, looking down at the Reptilians. Her motion sent another wave of agitation through the crowd, so she stepped back from the railing.
“Another thing, Darzi,” Drexler said. “I want you to work with the Insectoid Broodmother, Tara. Go around to all these breakaway ships and round up all the Lizards.”
“That’s a big job,” Darzi said.
“Tara has one hundred and fifty soldiers to work with,” Drexler replied.
Darzi looked dubious.
“Trust me,” Drexler said. “Go talk to her. Work it out.”
Darzi shifted on her feet and adjusted her rifle. “OK,” she said, “This is the right move.”
“You’re damn right it is,” Drexler said. “I want a report on your progress every two hours.” He made yet another mental note in his very long action item list.
Aahloh and his escort were already out of sight when Drexler stormed off to the Jubilee bridge. He found the new crew mostly idle. The operations station was fully staffed. One crew member manned the communications console. He could not tell what the rest should be doing. They stood around chatting among themselves as if docked at a spaceport. They hardly noticed when Drexler entered the bridge and stopped short.
Captain Fleetfoot turned slowly and locked the bridge door with a trembling hand. He struggled to control ragged breath as his heart raced. He could not remember the last time he felt such anger. To a person, the crew did notice the sound of the bridge portal locking. All eyes turned to the angry human walking to the center of the bridge.
Rogue Messiah: Fleetfoot Interstellar Series, Book 2 Page 23
