“What if we were never supposed to make it?” Selina murmured, turning away. “What if this was nothing but a cruel joke?”
Asten smiled, even though his wife couldn’t see it. “Then we’ll make it all the same. All rivers flow to the sea sooner or later. Besides, we’re not alone out here. Drackson will find us. I know he will.”
Selina nodded. “Yeah,” she said, trying to project some cheer in her voice. “You’re right.” However, even as she spoke, more tears slid down her cheeks.
“We’ll keep going through the night,” Asten said. “The river’s wide so we’re not going to run up hard against a bank or anything like that. And we can use one of the cooking heaters as a makeshift light to keep an eye out for any rocks. In fact, I’ll tell you what. If you can heat up tonight’s rations and position our light, I’ll keep watch while you get some rest.”
“I slept all afternoon,” Selina said.
“So?” Asten asked. “You can sleep all night too. Believe me, you’re not going to be missing anything.”
Selina laughed at this, sniffing as she did. Then she wiped away the remainder of her tears and nodded to herself, steeling her resolve.
“Good point,” she said, reaching under her feet for her backpack. “I’ll get started on those rations then.”
The moon that night hung low in the sky, illuminating little, its waning form broken by the line of trees on the riverbank. Asten watched ahead, discerning the ripples of water only from the light of Selina’s portable cooker near the front of the canoe.
Selina was asleep, lying back with her head and shoulders in his lap, while he trailed his paddle in the water behind him, the eerie silence of the forest lulling him into a near trance-like state.
With the shadowy edges of the river blending seamlessly into the foliage that clasped and clawed at its banks and a myriad of stars above him and beckoning towards him from the horizon ahead, gliding over the water’s surface felt strangely like drifting through the void of space. What he would give to be back safe and sound on the Lady Hawk...
He tried to put the thought from his mind. The Lady Hawk was gone. Deramar Ardeis had stolen it from him. All that was left to him and Selina now was the river and the hope that dwindled with their supplies. A few days at the most now, one way or the other, their ordeal would be over.
He thought of his wife. He thought of his unborn child and the life that was slipping out of their reach. And with Selina now sound asleep, he no longer tried to hold back his silent tears.
19. Border Encounter
Eroim stepped onto the bridge of the Lantern and smiled at the lone occupant, the rather pretty Felariam woman by the navigation controls.
“Hello, my young lass,” he said. “What are you doing here?”
Kailis smiled back. “Just a routine position check. I had to make some minor corrections. A slight gravitational tug from some wandering meteoroid started us drifting. But what are you doing here?”
“I’ve got some checking to do of my own,” Eroim replied, sitting down at the communications station. “Well, well. The captain will want to know this.”
Kailis frowned. “What is it?”
“Just a moment, lass,” Eroim replied, tapping at his controls. “Captain?”
“Yes, Eroim?” Carla replied over the speaker.
“You’d better come to the bridge and get Marlin up here too. I’d say he’s got some flying to do.”
“Kareim’s on the move?”
“Heading for Imraec Tarc,” Eroim said, “as expected. We’ve got to cut him off ourselves if we want to hold him until your friends from the Phalamkian task force can get someone out here.”
“Thanks, Eroim. I’ll be right up.”
Carla was on the bridge less than a minute later, with the Tollum pilot of the Lantern right beside her. He sat down at the helm, while Carla settled herself in her customary seat.
“All right, Kailis,” she said. “Talk to me. Can we see any opportunities for capture?”
Kailis grimaced. “It’s going to be tight. According to the projections I’ve made from the ship’s present course trajectory, there’s nothing in its path that would force it to drop to sublight speed until it reaches the outer perimeters the Imraehi have set up around their system. Thankfully, those borders are very far out, considering how little territory they can legally claim for their own.”
“Then there’s something to be said for their inflated egos and self-entitlement,” Carla said. “So what happens when Kareim reaches the perimeters?”
“The Imraehi have scattered mines around that section of their border,” Kailis explained. “Incoming ships need to come out of lightspeed to get navigation routes.”
“And are there just mines or could there be Imraehi patrols there?”
“That’s the question,” Kailis said. “We won’t know until we arrive.”
Carla sighed. “All right. Plot an intercept course. Marlin, take us out.” She turned to the old man at the communications station. “Eroim. Raise the Liberator and divert the call to my ready room.”
Eroim raised his eyebrows. “Are those nice young friends of yours traveling on one of their fancy Dreadnoughts now, Captain?”
Carla shook her head as she climbed out of the seat. “Just make the call, Eroim.”
The old man grinned. “Aye, aye, Captain.”
The journey took the Lantern fourteen hours, bringing them to the intercept point three hours ahead of the other vessel.
Reece entered the bridge once they dropped to sublight speed.
Carla turned to him. “We’ve got him, Reece. His ship is a heavy freighter, presumably modified with all sorts of weapons upgrades, but the Lantern’s got a few surprises of her own.”
Reece looked anxious. “Let’s hope it all works out.”
Carla watched him for a moment and frowned. He wasn’t anxious about his safety or that of the crew, she knew. He was anxious about what she’d think of him for getting them into this situation.
“Hey,” she said, keeping her voice down so the others on the bridge couldn’t hear - or at least so they’d realize she didn’t want them listening in. “I’m not afraid to do what has to be done here, Reece.”
“I know,” Reece replied. “I know that. I’m just thinking about what you said the other night.”
“And?”
“Well, since Kareim’s coming here, I didn’t have a chance to make my choice.”
Carla smiled. “But I’m glad about that, Reece.”
Reece sighed. “I’m not. I was going to show you that I would have listened to your advice. If Kareim didn’t make the whole discussion academic, I wouldn’t have gone back to Felkar to find him. I would have stayed here with you. But now, I’ll never have the chance to prove it.”
Carla reached out and clasped his hand. “You don’t have to prove yourself to me, Reece. If you say that you wouldn’t have gone back to Felkar alone, then that’s good enough for me.”
“But I’ve lied before.”
Carla shook her head. “Forget it. When all this is done, we can start over.”
Reece looked at her once more, really looked, and she saw his face light up as though he had cast off the pain and grief he’d been carrying ever since he’d come aboard the Lantern.
Giving him another smile of encouragement, she turned back to look at the display that Kailis had put up on the viewscreen.
The minutes passed by, taking the hours with them to wherever it was that time went once it was spent, and then the ship that they had been waiting for appeared on the screen.
Carla straightened her posture and took a breath to compose herself. “Eroim,” she said. “Open a channel and put it on speaker.”
“Yes, Captain.”
There was a momentary pause.
“All right, Captain,” the old man said. “When you’re ready.”
“Long Haul, this is Carla Casdan, captain of the Lantern. We have you in our sights. Please respond.�
��
“What’s this?” came a gravelly reply.
“We believe you’re carrying one Jered Kareim, wanted for at least eleven murders. We want him.”
“Never heard of him.”
“He may be traveling under the name Mareis Draydan,” Carla said with a sweet tone in her voice to mask the vindictive feelings that were struggling to surface in the rapids.
“Long Haul to Lantern. You’re high on something. We have no idea what you’re on about. Now clear off or we’ll open fire.”
Carla smiled. “That’s all we need. Lantern out.” She signaled to Eroim and he cut the transmission. “Marlin,” she said. “You have the helm. I’ll leave our approach to your good judgment.” She hit a switch on the side of her chair. “Olev. Tatiana. Fire when ready but target the engines. We want that ship crippled, not destroyed.”
The brother and sister manning the Lantern’s main guns acknowledged their order simultaneously.
Carla turned to the man beside her. “You might want to strap yourself in, Reece.”
“Got it,” Reece replied, leaving the bridge.
“Ready for evasive maneuvers,” Marlin called out.
“Don’t wait on my account,” Carla told him.
The Lantern lurched forward, spiraling as the other ship came towards them launching a salvo.
“They’ll have to do better than that,” Marlin said, his feathers flattening against his skin.
On the viewscreen, Carla saw the Lantern’s response as several blasts splashed over the enemy’s shields.
“Their shield status, Eroim?” she asked.
“Holding,” the old man replied, “but definitely under strain.”
Carla smiled and tapped the communicator at her side. “Good shot, guys. A few more like that and we’ll have them.”
Tatiana gave a cheer over the speaker, while her brother muttered something the communicator didn’t quite pick up.
Carla shook her head. “What was that?”
“Punched right through that time, Carla,” the girl replied. “They’re listing to port.”
“Take out their engines and strip their weapons from their hull,” Carla said.
“We’re on it,” Tatiana replied.
“And,” Carla added, “well done. Both of you.”
“Thanks, Carla.”
Carla smiled as she flicked the communicator off. “Well, that was easier than I thought.”
“Hold on,” Kailis called out, leaning over her console. “We’ve got visitors. Three nondescript vessels. Two modified freighters and the other’s some kind of gunboat.”
Carla turned to the communications station. “Who are they, Eroim?”
“From the IDs they’re broadcasting, these pirates are part of the Imraehi Defense Forces.”
“I guess they’re an irregular unit then,” Carla said. “Can you raise them?”
“I can try,” Eroim replied. “Here we go... On speaker for you.”
Carla nodded her thanks. “This is the Lantern. We detect your vessels -”
“Lantern?” came the brusque reply. “You’re about to be fireworks, baby!”
Carla signaled Eroim to cut the transmission, which he did straightaway.
“Classy,” she muttered, switching on the shipboard communicator again. “Tatiana, we’ve got trouble.”
“We’re ready for it, Carla,” Tatiana replied. “We’ve taken care of the Long Haul and it’s going nowhere.”
“Glad to hear it but we’ve got three pirates coming in and they’re not friendly.”
“Got it. We see them now. Priorities?”
At the communications station, Eroim glanced back at Carla. “Tell them to take the gunboat first.”
Carla frowned and tapped the communicator. “Take the gunboat first. I’ll leave the other two to your discretion.”
“And we love you for it, Carla. You can count on us.”
Carla chuckled. “Thanks, Tatiana.”
Then there was no more time for banter as the enemy ships closed in on them. Marlin executed a roll to throw them off their aim and then he tried to swing the ship around to give Tatiana and Olev the best shot he could. They took several, taking care to fire in short controlled bursts to keep the guns fully charged for every single shot.
However, the Lantern was outgunned and the shields took several successive hits. They did take first blood, with Tatiana shredding the enemy gunboat, but Carla was now contemplating a retreat. Before she gave the order though, the viewscreen lit up with a bright flash. For a moment, she didn’t comprehend what she’d seen but as the glare faded, she saw the debris of one of the pirates’ modified freighters drifting across the screen. Then, as she watched, successive blasts tore through the remaining freighter, ripping it to pieces.
Eroim turned around again. “Captain. We’re being hailed again. I think it’s a friend of yours this time.”
“Put it on speaker,” Carla said.
She then heard a very familiar voice. “Hey, Carla. You’re a long way from home.”
Her eyes widened and for a moment she was speechless. She laughed and wiped away a tear of joy. “I could say the same thing about you, Alia. What are you doing out here?”
“We’ll pull up beside you and then we can talk about it in person,” her sister replied. “We’re in something of a hurry but for you, sis, I think we can spare a few minutes.”
“Well, that’s very kind of you,” Carla said, beaming. “I’ll see you soon then.”
Once she’d ended the transmission, Carla turned to her communications officer. “Eroim. See what you can do about jamming the Long Haul’s transmissions for the next little while, will you?”
Eroim grinned. “Sure thing, Captain. I’ll send out an earful of static using one of those invasive signals the Levarc used during the war.”
At this, Kailis glanced his way. “Where did you pick up that trick?”
Climbing out of her seat, Carla laughed and shook her head. “I’d say you don’t want to know, Kailis. All right. I’m going to stand by the main hatch. Don’t get into trouble while I’m gone.”
On board the Albatross, Carla embraced her sister.
“Good to see you, Alia.”
Alia gave her a grin. “Good to see you too.”
Carla hugged Drackson as well. He wasn’t, by nature, inclined to such overtly affectionate embraces between friends but Carla was one of a select few he made an exception for, and gladly so in her case.
Then, still smiling, Carla gave a polite nod to Drackson’s other companion. “Hello, Naima.”
“Hello, Carla,” Naima said, giving Carla a smile of her own. If she thought anything of the fact that she was excluded from this hugging ritual, she was too polite to comment. The truth of the matter though was that, while Carla knew Drackson and Naima were inseparable these days, she still wasn’t quite sure how to act around the Harskan woman. With her checkered past, she was very much the bad girl type and even now, Carla sometimes found herself surprised that Drackson had chosen to spend the rest of his life with her. And she still couldn’t believe he had already ‘brought her home to mother’. She wondered what Drackson’s mother had thought at the time.
“Now,” Drackson started.
Carla frowned. “Wait. Where’s Jiang?”
Drackson then brought her up to speed on what had happened to Jiang, Asten and Selina, while Carla filled him in on her own situation.
“If Jiang, Asten and Selina are waiting for you,” she told them once they were done exchanging news, “then don’t wait around here on my account. They’ll need you more than I do.”
“Maybe,” Drackson said, “but perhaps we can help each other. If we help you deal with this Jered Kareim, then maybe you can help us out.”
“But Zak will send someone as soon as we raise him,” Carla pointed out. “And it’s not as though Kareim and his friends are going anywhere. We can raise the Liberator, let Zak know where he is and then we can all head in to Imrae
c Tarc together.”
“Zak’s force is going to Katara first,” Drackson said. “Anyone he sends here is going to be heading out of their way. Besides, Naima and I can take care of this. What do you want to know? What this man was up to? Anything else he knows about Imraec Tarc’s defenses? We can find that out.”
“And what about finding a holding cell for him?” Carla asked.
Drackson frowned. “This man killed eleven people by burying them alive. I don’t think he’s worth the hassle. Do you?”
“Drackson,” Carla said. “I’m not comfortable with this.”
Drackson turned to the other Casdan in the room. “Alia. See if Jiang’s records from her old department include any information on this man.”
Alia raised her eyebrows. Then, with a shrug, she plugged a pad into a terminal and made a search. It was a rather short process.
“Here,” she said, handing the pad to Drackson.
The Harskan inspected it in silence and showed it to Carla. “Here’s the short summary, Carla.”
Theft. 3 Federation assault shuttles, 1 Federation frigate, 15 heavy freighters privately owned.
Heavy arms smuggling. See attached reports.
52 counts of murder. See attached reports.
Directly responsible for arming the militia behind the Qorharis insurgency which left 43, 000 civilians dead, supplying them with three heavy cannons, 1700 mines and 1 Federation frigate.
Carla skimmed the rest of it and, with a sigh, she handed the pad back to Drackson.
“I’d say your friend Reece has done a huge public service in tracking this man down,” Drackson told her. “And now Naima and I will perform another one.”
Carla sighed. “It’s just... killing someone in cold blood...”
Drackson put his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t think about it, Carla. I know you could never do that and I respect you for it. More than you know. Leave it to Naima and me.”
On board the Long Haul, a man readied the high powered rifle he’d taken from a weapons cabinet. “Cripple us and then leave us in the lurch?” he muttered. “I’ll show that bitch.”
Descent Page 19
