by T. R. Harris
“That’s the problem. I can’t think of anything, and that’s when I begin to worry. Now, I’m going to ask you to take your little party and leave the command center. As they say, there can be only one, and at this time that’s me. I’m sure there are places around here where you can observe. Go there and do that. You just might learn something.”
“Yessir, right away, sir.”
Adam turned and hustled his people out of the loud and chaotic operations room.
“What did he say?” Sherri asked.
“He said we should take his ship and go stop Panur…at least from turning over the Mark IV to J’nae.”
“He did? I thought that would be the last thing he’d say.”
“That’s Andy for you…always doing the unexpected. Now, let’s move before the skies become filled with Sol-Kor ships.”
********
“May I inquire?” Arieel said to Adam as they all entered Andy’s Mark IV starship—which they had come to learn was called the The Falcon—not the Millennium Falcon, just the Falcon.
“Of course, Arieel. What’s up?”
“It seems odd to me that you are telling Admiral Tobias he cannot follow Panur to Kor, yet that is exactly what you are planning for us. Is there a secret you have not told us?”
The two of them entered the bridge. Adam slid into the command chair and Arieel rested her hands on the armrest. He leaned over to her. “It’s not so much a secret as a wish. I know of a spaceport on Kor that doesn’t have a lot of security. It’s primarily used by mining ships. And with the unique ability of the Mark IV’s to hop between positions in space, I figure we might be able to get to the surface without too much fanfare.”
“And how do we stop Panur then?”
“Honestly, I don’t want to stop him. If he can subdue J’nae somehow, then I’m on his side. All I want to do is destroy the Mark IV. Once it’s on the surface—and so are we—it shouldn’t be too hard, not like it would be in space.”
“This will be extremely dangerous.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” He spoke up so the rest of the people on the bridge could hear. “Listen up, right now the Sol-Kor are probably throwing everything they have against the planet J’nae. Hopefully, that means fewer defenders for Kor. Even so, we won’t be coming into their main spaceport, but rather one some distance from the M-1 pyramid. I say we then steal a ship from that port and use it to destroy the…the Najmah Fayd—”
“Thank you!” Riyad said.
“—while it’s on the ground.”
“What of Panur?” Lila asked.
“Listen, sweetheart, I’ve met the new Queen, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that I don’t want to get in the middle of a battle between her and Panur.”
“But I could help.”
Adam looked at his daughter with concern. “I’m sure you could, but you could also do a lot to protect us.” He smiled. “After all, we’re mere mortals. Panur can take care of himself.”
“Like he did when the Juireans attacked?”
“No one was expecting that. This time he knows exactly what he’s up against. After all, he created J’nae.”
The frown might have left Lila’s face, but it remained on her forehead.
“I’ll tell you what,” Adam said to his daughter. “Once we destroy Riyad’s ship—and if the opportunity presents itself—we’ll go look for Panur.”
“I will stay with the ship when you do that,” Benefis offered.
Adam smiled at the tall alien. He’d never met a cowardly Juirean. “Look, you’re a pretty big dude. You could come in handy in a fight.”
“If I wished to fight I would have stayed with my people. I would rather negotiate my advantages than use physical means to acquire them.”
“To all of you, most of this will be pantser planning.”
“What is panster planning?” Arieel asked.
“It means by the seat-of-the-pants…or spur of the moment, so be ready for just about anything.”
“Why did you not say that in the first place?”
“Maybe I just like the sound of your voice.” Adam stretched a wide smile. “Prepare for launch. Everyone take a station. Oh, and by the way…ignore any frantic calls we may get from Admiral Tobias.”
Sherri shook her head in disgust. “I knew it!”
********
“I knew it!”
Admiral Tobias glared at LCDR Paulson. “I just had a feeling.”
“Admiral, we have a couple hundred kay of assets available. We could send some out to get your ship back.”
“No, don’t do that, Tom. Cain’s in a Mark IV. We’d never catch him in time. Besides, hopefully he’s out to correct this prior screw-up by destroying the other Mark IV.”
“Even the technology from a standard IV would give the Sol-Kor an advantage, if they ever find a way back into our universe.”
“Acknowledged. But seeing the largest space battle in history is about to take place, the SK’s may be radically different at the end of it.”
Paulson smiled. “So could we, sir. So could we.”
“What’s the latest hostile count?”
“Only about twelve thousand.”
Tobias smiled. “That’s just the initial sortie. Once they get wind of what the Hal’ic have available, every unit within ten thousand light-years will be sent our way.”
“So…we knock out their initial force and head for Kor?”
“That’s the plan. Let’s make an impact while we can. I’m afraid to say, but even two hundred grand of starships probably won’t come close to what the Sol-Kor can eventually bring to bear. And here we are with a fleet of pollywogs.”
Tobias scanned the tac screens before him. He felt like an orchestra conductor about to present the opening measure. Although most of the Hal’ic in the room had their eyes glues to their stations, they were all awaiting his orders.
He took a deep breath, cracked his knuckles and then the symphony began.
“All right, here we go. Using the planet and the star as shields, send half our forces out of the system and into a staging area beyond, in preparation for an assault on Kor. We don’t want to give the SK’s time to prepare a planetary defense. Then launch an initial countering force of only two thousand ships at the approaching units, yet continue to supplement our numbers as the battle progresses. Let the SK’s think they have us outgunned, at least at first. Once they see that the Hal’ic forces are larger, they’ll continue to commit more and more resources to the local battlefield, staying in the fight longer than they should before reassessing. At that point, we strike Kor. Gentlemen, the results of this initial battle are pretty much a foregone conclusion, thanks to the incredible preparation that has gone into building your fleet. However, it’s all the battles to follow that will determine victory or defeat. Even so, let’s begin our season with a great big double-u.”
Tobias saw Estor Jan frown. He winked at the alien. “It means let’s start things off with a win. What can I say? If I hadn’t been a naval officer, I would have become a football coach, hopefully for the Georgia Bulldogs.”
The confused look on Estor’s face only got worse…which was standard-operating-procedure. Andy had worked with far too many aliens to expect anything else. But he also had to be true to himself, and do whatever it took to relieve the pressure building up inside—as it always did at game time.
He punctuated his cathartic pre-battle routine with an emphatic: “Go Dawgs!”
Chapter 25
The comm link was established in a heartbeat, or at least in what was symbolically a heartbeat within the chests of the two immortal mutants.
Panur was pleased to see that his image had caught his creation off guard. That meant she was still developing, still learning, and had not reached the point of prescience.
“I hope you are not disappointed, Panur,” J’nae said, “but I should have known.”
“Yes, you should have.”
“With all that has transpi
red over the past two months, I felt your influence had to be behind most of it.”
“You will find that, even in spite of our genius, things sometimes just happen without our foresight.”
“So…are you the one who has helped your paternal ancestors develop such a technologically-advanced civilization only six light-years from Kor? Or is that one of those events that just happened?”
“I can tell from the timing of your attack that you already figured that out. For that, I must compliment you. Even I was not aware of the Hal’ic until only recently.”
“You can thank your friend Adam Cain for that.”
“Adam? Oh…I see. His escape had to be orchestrated by an advanced race, hidden from the Sol-Kor, yet still within close proximity. That would leave only…J’nae.”
“You also made the mistake of naming me after the planet. That only confirmed my conclusions.” J’nae looked to the side. “You are approaching in a ship with a unique gravity signature. Since the last I heard you were still in the Human universe, can I assume you are in a Human ship and not one of Hal’ic design?”
Panur smiled. “It is indeed.”
J’nae narrowed her eyes. “And since there are no transit portals open between the two universes, can I also assume the ship arrived here…on its own! Incredible…and congratulations. This is indeed a remarkable advancement. It was done with a gravity vortex linked to the CW generators. That would be the best approach.”
Panur had said before that he experienced emotions, and what he was feeling at the moment was intense pride in his creation. Just as Tobias and the others had suspected, J’nae was able to invent her own trans-dimensional drive within her mind simply from knowing that it was possible.
“Why have you returned, Panur? It cannot be so you can present me with your latest invention. As you can tell—and your emotions reveal—I already know how to build one.”
“This is the only ship of its kind—at least until you direct the construction of countless more. I thought you could still learn from it…or even view it as a trophy of sorts.”
“I would surely welcome that opportunity. However, I sense deception on your part. You were content to remain in the Human universe with your cross-breed companion. Now you have invented a new way to travel between universes and have arrived precisely at the moment my ships are engaged in a major space battle with a previously unknown enemy. Coincidence? I do not think so. I believe you have come to Kor with another purpose in mind, and that purpose will not benefit the Colony.”
“I am of the Colony.”
“You were. Not any longer.”
“Will you allow me to land?”
“Yes, I will, just so I can see inside your ship. However, I do not believe I will allow you access to M-1.”
“That is understandable. Once on the surface, I will attempt to change your mind. You are my creation, and as such there is a special bond between us. I feel no such attachment to the Humans, or to anyone else for that matter. Yes, I have had my infatuations with the Humans, yet that is over. I see just how unstable they truly are. The only creature in any universe that I can even remotely relate to is you.”
“Creator—may I call you that?” Panur nodded. “Creator, I truly seek your acceptance and your support. My position here has been thrust upon me suddenly, and I am still learning. Yet, as I mentioned before, I cannot allow you to get near me. I am free now of your bonds and influence. My destiny is in the process of being fulfilled. So please land the craft in a designated area but then remain inside. And believe me when I say I know of your vulnerabilities. There will be safeguards should you decide to test me.”
“I will not test you. Indeed, I will seek your acceptance and your support.”
J’nae studied his face on the screen, studied it as intensely as anyone or anything could. Panur fought with all his might to maintain the expression, fearing that at any moment J’nae would see the truth.
She broke away. “Land at the designated coordinates, yet remain in the vessel. We will be in contact.”
“Acceptable. I greatly look forward to our reunion.”
********
Once the link was cut, Panur pre-programmed the navigation computer for a soft landing at the main spaceport on Kor. Then he went to the aft cargo bay and located a fireproof container and straps. He removed all his clothing and placed them in the container, and strapped the pack around his chest.
A monitor screen was on in the bay, and he watched as the planet Kor grew larger by the second. The ship began to slow, entering the atmosphere from a direction east of the ridge of pyramids where M-1 was located. At the proper moment, Panur opened the rear cargo door.
The bay’s atmosphere was instantly sucked out by the incredible difference in air pressure between the room and outside. And Panur’s body was also sucked out.
The ship was still over sixty kilometers above the surface. As he fell, Panur’s body began to heat up from atmospheric friction. His skin began to glow and peel off, only to be instantly replaced. Eyes, ears, nose, fingers and other extremities were burned off, replaced, and burned off again.
The air thickened and his velocity diminished some. His body cooled to where his extremities began freezing. Cold was not a friend to regenerative cells, slowing the process to a crawl; however, the temperature rose again as he neared the surface.
Panur arched his body and began gliding through the skies of Kor, making subtle adjustments to his flight path with his hands and feet as his target came into view. He was on the proper course. It would only be a matter of seconds now…
Panur’s body crashed into the upper levels of the M-1 pyramid with the force of a small meteorite, blasting a hole thirty meters wide in one of the huge rectangular building blocks. The force of the impact would have been much greater if his body had been solid, more dense. Instead he was soft and fleshy, allowing energy to be absorbed rather than passed on to the building.
For a moment after he came to rest, Panur’s body was a red and pink mass of flesh covering an area approximately eight meters in diameter, splattered over both the floor and a wall of an interior room.
Three Sol-Kor had been in the direct path of the collision. Parts of their shattered bodies were mingled with his.
The clumps of flesh that were Panur began to coalesce, drawing together to rebuild what had been broken. The entire transformation took less than twenty seconds.
Once reconstructed, Panur scanned the room for his pack. It was covered in blood—someone else’s. He removed his clothing and dressed.
By this time, reports of an object hitting the pyramid had reached emergency crews, and Sol-Kor were forcing their way into the damaged area. They weren’t looking for bodies—if there were any dead or gravely wounded, they would just be recycled. They were seeking to know what had hit the building and whether or not structural integrity had been compromised.
Inside the crash zone they found a thinly-grinning, four-foot-tall, pale-skinned creature with huge black eyes, dressed in a gray tunic and wearing odd foot coverings—called flip-flops in another universe.
They recognized Panur, and being Sol-Kor, none overreacted to his presence. They were there to do a job, and Panur was a privileged presence within the Colony.
He slipped out of the room and entered the nearest working elevator in the area of the impact damage. He headed for the ground floor—and the Queen’s chambers.
Chapter 26
Riyad swung the Falcon around to the opposite side of Kor from the M-1 pyramid and then made a finely tuned jump to within twenty-thousand feet of the surface. Adam had never flown a Mark IV before, so he had deferred pilot duties to his friend. He fidgeted in the command seat, feeling vulnerable without a control stick in his hands.
Yet Riyad was every bit the pilot Adam was, and as soon as the jump stabilized, he dipped their nose and the Falcon raced off toward the ground, anxious to find cover from any electronic surveillance in the area, such as Sol-Kor radar.
They had only so much time to locate the Najm—the Star Panther—and destroy her. Of course, once the Hal’ic attacked, they might do the job for him, but he couldn’t leave that to chance. J’nae would realize the importance of the ship, and thinking long-term, might have it evacuated to a more secure location, even as she would be willing to concede Kor to the invaders.
She could always return with a million warships if need be to liberate the planet.
The small pyramid atop the low hill came into view, and as Riyad steered the ship around the eastern side of the rise, they came upon the small spaceport and its nearly-deserted landing field.
Apparently, even mining ships were being called into action. Adam wasn’t familiar with them, but they must carry suppressor beams or plasma weapons—or both—to be called into duty. He panicked briefly when he counted only nine ships remaining in port; they could be broken-down units, unable to join the fight. If that was the case, they would have to skirt along the surface in the Falcon until they found another spaceport where they could steal a ship, or made it all the way to M-1…without getting swarmed upon by defenders.
“You realize the main spaceport may look like this, too,” Sherri pointed out to him, sarcasm evident in each syllable. “Maybe we should’ve started there?”
Adam ignored her. “Set us down, Riyad, weapons hot. Be ready to disembark the moment internal gravity is cut.”
Those who needed them popped a tiny red pill into their mouths, giving them immunity to the annoying mix of gases within the Kor atmosphere. That meant only the Humans. The aliens had no problem with the mix. Hell, Lila didn’t need an atmosphere at all. In a moment of introspection, Adam found himself experiencing a flash of fatherly pride. My daughter’s a friggin’ superwoman—literally!
