“Taylor?”
Kelly nodded.
The man offered her his hand. “Lieutenant Taylor, my name’s Brigadier Potter. I’m the head of the Mythos Territorial Guard at Sherland, and I’ve come to take you home.”
*
The men and women of the rescue team helped Kelly and Enrique from their holding cell, hurrying them down winding corridors and through numerous sets of doors, towards the exit. Towards freedom.
Kelly’s surroundings were decorated with bullet holes and the bodies of those that had fallen in their defensive and offensive goals. She saw little else of her environment as they moved, only a blur of hallways and doors, and snatches of faces of those who marked points along their route. Then they were into the stairwells, descending rapidly, taking the steps two or three at a time, as those who escorted her raced to bring her to safety. At the speed they were moving, she’d never have been able to find her way back to that cell, not even if she wanted to.
All around the stairwell, more Territorial Guard and Confederate Mobile Infantry were stationed at points, guarding the route and guiding them down, calling instructions to one another, either via shouting to those above and below, or conversing on radios. She caught bursts of conversation – “Enemy armour, clear!”, “Landing zone hot!”, “Shuttle?”, “Roof …”, “Escorts?”, “Admiral Zackaria, gone!”, “Commodore Rissard, gone!”, “Affected planet leave …”, “Do not fire!”, “Repeat, do not fire!”, “Packages secured!”, “Southern stairwell secured!”, “Exits secured!”, “Transit waiting …”, “Move, move, move!”
So many people. So many, many people. All for just her and Enrique? Surely not. She looked around. Two of the rescue team held Enrique behind her, half dragging, half carrying the exhausted man as they went.
Soon, they were at the bottom. She remembered passing through this reception area on the way in. It had been a lot quieter back then. Now, the shouting, thuds of cannon fire, explosions and fizz of energy weapons were almost deafening.
Her rescuers told her to get her head down and she did so, now seeing only her feet and a short distance in front of her as she went. A larger group formed around her, obscuring her vision. She became aware of a dull hum coming from around her, emanating from some sort of shimmering blue device.
Legs continued to move, threatening to become tangled within one another. They never did, and a short time later she heard commanding and congratulating voices. Some sounded familiar. They were calling her name. People around her seemed to relax. Grips slackened.
She raised her eyes and was greeted by familiar faces. Dodds. Estelle. Chaz. They were alive. Along with Enrique and the other three, she was ushered into the back of a waiting vehicle, which sealed its doors and sped off immediately. Each of her three wingmates were asking her questions, though she couldn’t answer them yet – she was far too overwhelmed. A few minutes earlier she had been locked in a cell, waiting to die. Now she was in an armoured vehicle, safe with her friends, with the people she thought she would never see again.
Fighting against her emotions, she managed to ask one question, “How did you find me?”
“You have a tracking beacon on you that we were able to zero in on.”
“In my uniform?”
“No, in your pendent. The one your dad gave you.”
Her pendent. It had given her a means to die, but also a way to survive. Thank you, Dad. She burst into tears. She had been saved. They had all been saved.
XXI
— Crossing the Line —
The APC sped and bounced along the wide, dusty expanse of Elizabeth Plains, making its way back towards the east coast, to where the ATAFs and the salvage teams were awaiting it and its passengers. The mood inside the vehicle was sombre, the majority of its nine occupants without even the strength to speak.
Dodds, however, was not. He had far too many questions playing on his mind. “Hey, you alright there?” he said, nudging Enrique. The man was starting to drift off.
“Just tired,” Enrique said, sitting up from where he had slouched down in his seat.
“Exactly what happened to you two in there?” He looked over the stitches and bruises on the man’s face. Whether he had received those injuries prior to the two’s incarceration, Dodds wasn’t sure. Whichever it was, it had been a brutal attack – Enrique was missing several teeth and his speech was slurred and hissy. “Where did you come down?”
There was considerable pause from Enrique. “We … we came down …” he started. “In the sea … somewhere.” He fell silent and his eyes began to close again.
“We came down on the beach,” Kelly said. “We landed along with a number of other crew from Ifrit. We swam to the shore and then we were ambushed by a load of Imperial soldiers. They must’ve seen us come down.”
Dodds listened to the rest of Kelly’s story, as she told him of how they had been tortured, beaten and locked in a cell. He, in turn, told her of his own journey and how he had met Natalia on his way to find out what had become of them. He briefly added what he knew about Estelle’s and Chaz’s own adventure, based on what he had learned on the Osprey.
“Hope you gave ‘em as good as you got, mate,” Dodds said, looking once more over Enrique’s injuries.
Enrique opened his eyes and nodded. “Mmm, I did. Would’ve been more, given half the chance, but he called in his lackeys to assist him. I’ll get him better the next time.”
Dodds grinned. “Yeah? What moves did you pull on him?”
“Let him rest, Lieutenant,” Parks interrupted, looking extremely weary. “We’ve barely completed half the evacuation. We still have to get off-planet and out of Coyote altogether, and neither of those tasks will be very easy to accomplish. Our forces were being cut to ribbons up there, even after we managed to overcome the Enemy’s radar blanketing. Now, shut up and rest.” He folded his arms across his chest and lowered his head, apparently asleep less than a minute later.
“Sounds like those guys are having their arses handed to them,” Dodds said to no one in particular.
“Dodds, do as the commodore said, and shut up and get some rest,” Estelle almost snapped at him. It was clear that the exhaustion of the events of the past day was beginning to make her extremely irritable.
Dodds looked about the APC that had once again fallen very quiet, the only sound that of the tyres crossing the arid ground. Save for the three security personnel that rode along with them, all the others looked just as exhausted as Parks did. Enrique was dozing, Kelly looking to be on the cusp of doing so herself. Estelle and Chaz were sitting next to one another, both of them with their eyes closed. Dodds could hardly believe that the two had spent a whole twenty-four hours together without killing one another, less so that they were happy to be sat next to each other. It appeared that there was no longer any bad blood between the two. What a difference a day makes.
His eyes then locked onto those of the only other person in the vehicle who had been through as much as he had recently, appearing just as awake and alert as he was – Natalia. She looked as though her mind was filled with as many questions as his.
Or perhaps answers.
“You know,” he started, not taking his eyes off her. “Something’s been really bugging me lately—”
“Dodds,” Estelle said irritably, without opening her eyes.
Dodds ignored her. “I can understand that during Operation Menelaus we only had five of them, and that they were still undergoing testing, but now that the ATAFs have proven their worth I don’t see why we are still throwing the old TAFs, Rays, and Rooks against the Imperial, Pandoran, or whatever they are forces.” He watched Natalia’s reaction closely. She was staring at him intensely.
Estelle opened her eyes and glared at him. “Probably because they’re expensive to produce, Dodds, and the navy doesn’t have that sort of budget. Now shut up and do as you have already been told and get some rest. That’s an order, Lieutenant.” She spoke as though losing patience with a naggin
g child.
Dodds wasn’t satisfied. To his mind, there was far more to it. “Yes, but we’ve seen what those things are like in battle – a single one is immeasurably more powerful than a standard fighter, it does the job of an entire squadron all by itself. The simulators proved that, the real world tests proved that. But they only went as far as to build five of them, and they’re now lying at the bottom of the ocean somewhere. Or being salvaged or whatever.”
“Final warning, Lieutenant,” Estelle sighed and closed her eyes, slipping down a little to try and get comfortable, so that she could sleep.
Dodds saw that Natalia still hadn’t taken her eyes off him. He peered at her for a moment. She looked as though she wanted to say something, but was fighting against herself not to.
“Thing is, those fighters are armed to the teeth and practically indestructible,” he said, responding to Estelle, but focusing on Natalia as he spoke. “It doesn’t make sense that they’re not being mass-produced. You wouldn’t need to send a carrier and dozens of fighters into battle – you could do the job with just a handful of ATAFs. If we had more of them, our guys would be coping a lot better up there.” He nodded to the roof, paused, then said, “So, the ultimate question is – why ever the hell not?”
He waited.
Natalia looked elsewhere for a moment, then said, “It’s not always as simple as that.”
There it was. “Because of budget constraints?”
“No.”
“Because of a lack of high-calibre pilots?”
“No.”
“So, then it’s because…?”
Another pause from Natalia, then, “Because the ATAF wasn’t built to be a starfighter.”
Eh?
“What?” Kelly said, her eyes opening.
Estelle, too, opened her eyes, turning to Natalia. “W … What did you just say?”
“Sergeant Timpson!” came a furious voice.
Dodds looked around to see that Parks was suddenly wide awake. It was clear from the expression on his face that he wasn’t happy with Natalia’s statement. His voice was directed at one of the members of security, who was sitting opposite the blonde woman.
Parks pointed a stiff finger at her. “Sergeant, if that woman breathes one more word, you are to shoot her dead where she sits. Understood?”
“Sir …?” Timpson said, looking more than a little bewildered at what Parks had said.
“THAT’S AN ORDER, SERGEANT!” Parks bellowed.
“Yes, sir,” Timpson said. He ushered the APC’s other shocked occupants out of the way, so that no one could come between him and Natalia, and then raised his rifle, marking her. There was a high-pitched whine as the weapon charged up.
Natalia mumbled something incomprehensible under her breath, backing away as far as she could as the barrel of the rifle was shoved almost directly in her face.
Estelle looked from Natalia to Parks in total horror. “Sir, for God’s sake! If we go over a bump he could blow her head off!”
Parks ignored her, his stern eyes still upon Natalia. “Not one more word, Grace. I knew I should’ve left you with Potter. You’re proving to be even more of a liability than ever.”
Estelle looked to Timpson in desperation. “Sergeant, stand down!”
Dodds was shocked. Estelle had never ever gone against or challenged the command of anyone in her life, especially not someone as well respected or high-ranking as Parks. Had the few words that Natalia had spoken resonated with her that much …?
“You will ignore that request, Sergeant,” Parks said sternly, glaring at Estelle as he spoke. “And I’ll chalk that one up to fatigue, Commander!”
“Commodore!” Estelle pleaded.
Dodds could hear the frustration. He could also feel the gentle bumping as the APC continued to race towards its destination. Estelle was right – a particularly heavy jolt could cause Timpson to discharge the weapon. Even so, Parks ignored Estelle, his eyes remaining on the terrified Natalia who had backed tight into the corner.
“Natalia, what are talking about?” Dodds said. “What do you mean, the ATAFs weren’t built to be starfighters?” Natalia kept her mouth shut and Dodds cast about in frustration to the others, wondering if they had any idea of what she had meant. He was met with blank expressions.
He couldn’t help but think that the last eight or nine months had been like a murder mystery. Along the way they had picked up the clues and now it looked like they had at least one suspect. What they needed now was a motive.
“Sergeant, put—” Estelle started again.
“Commander de Winter,” Parks flared. “If you question or attempt to countermand my command one more time, I will have you court-martialled and then kick your arse all the way back to that pathetic little excuse of a planet that you came from!”
Dodds heard what sounded like the whine of something powering up. Kelly gasped.
“Now, why don’t I quite believe that?” Chaz said coolly.
“Lieutenant Koonan what the HELL do you think you are doing?” Parks said through gritted teeth, his eyes like daggers upon the big man.
Dodds blinked in disbelief. Chaz had, quite calmly and casually, pulled out a pistol and pointed it directly at Parks’ head.
“You know full well, Commodore. I want answers.” Chaz said.
“You know more than enough already!” Parks said.
“If you taught me anything, Commodore, it’s that one can never know enough … Hey! Don’t even think about it. I will pull this trigger, I swear it.”
Dodds saw that one of the remaining two security guards, sitting next to Parks, had surreptitiously been reaching for his own weapon, though apparently not effectively enough to conceal the act from Chaz.
“Don’t you do anything, either,” Chaz said, his eyes flashing momentarily to the second man, bookending the commodore. “Nor you, Timpson – don’t think I won’t know,” he added, turning his head enough to direct his speech to the man marking Natalia, but not enough to take his eyes away from Parks or the guards beside him.
Dodds caught Natalia’s eye, the woman still backed into the corner, unmoving despite the events unfolding further down the vehicle. Kelly seemed to be in a state of shock, not knowing which way to look. Enrique was still half awake, half asleep. He stirred only a little; the man probably thought that he was dreaming. Estelle remained silent. Parks continued to lock dark looks with Chaz, neither man giving any indication that they were prepared to back down. Silence filled the back of the vehicle as the onlookers waited for something to give.
“I need all the answers, Commodore,” Chaz growled. “I’m tired of being left in the dark; tired of watching my friends die, for little reason; tired of all of this!”
Watching your friends die? Dodds thought. What friends?
Parks said nothing, remaining resolute, his eyes shifting from Chaz, to Natalia, to the other four Knights.
“I mean it, Parks,” Chaz said, making a show of wiggling his trigger finger. “There are three sides to every story – yours, mine and the truth. And I’ve heard enough of the first two. After five years, I think I deserve to hear the third.”
The staring contest continued, seemingly without end. Parks was the first to break, his eyes moving in the direction of Natalia and Timpson.
“This isn’t just about you, Koonan,” Parks said.
“I know.” Chaz’s voice was as cool as ever.
“Fine,” Parks said. “Sergeant Timpson, stand down.” The order came with clear reluctance.
“Sir?” Timpson asked.
“Stand down,” Parks repeated.
The man pulled away from Natalia, pointing the gun at the floor and powering it down. After a few moments, Chaz lowered and powered down his own pistol, though he didn’t put it away, continuing to hold on to it, his arms resting on his lap.
“You may as well tell them everything,” Parks muttered to Natalia. “They were all going to find out eventually anyway. I just hope you’re prepared fo
r what you’re about to hear,” he added, before he slouched down in his seat, his eyes closing as though heavy weights were attached to them.
Natalia came out of the corner, looking rather relieved.
It appeared they were back where they had started. Dodds decided to press on. “What did you mean, Natalia? The ATAFs aren’t starfighters? But, how can they not be? Isn’t that what we’ve been flying? Have they been made for some other purpose? Is that why they only want five of them? Is that why they’re so expensive to produce?”
Natalia didn’t answer him; her eyes were fixed on someone past him. He followed the woman’s gaze to Chaz, detecting something in the pair’s expressions for the first time. He remembered seeing them speaking before, when he, Estelle and Chaz had been reunited. She and Chaz had embraced one another.
“Do … do you two know each other?” Kelly said, gesturing between the two with her fingers.
Chaz sat up straight. “I appear to have a few gaps, Natalia. It sounds like a lot’s happened in the two years since I last saw you.”
Natalia nodded. “It has.”
Two years? They’d known each other for over two years?
“What the hell’s going on?” Kelly said.
What indeed? A feeling of unshakable trepidation suddenly gripped Dodds, and for a moment he wasn’t so sure he really wanted to hear what Natalia had to say. Natalia then exhaled a breath that sounded as if it had been held in for years.
“Maybe … maybe I should start from the beginning,” she said. “The very beginning.”
XXII
— The Truth —
“We call them the Pandorans,” Natalia began. “They’re the result of the Imperial Senate’s final attempt to secure dominance over the emperor and his supporters. The name comes from the Greek myth of Pandora, the woman the ancient gods created to bring ruin to all of mankind. Her name means “all-gifted”, just like those that the Senate have created.
“Around eight years ago, the Imperium descended into civil war, caused by a rift between the emperor and the Senate. The Senate believed that the emperor was undermining the integrity of the Imperium, by granting independence to a number of star systems under its rule, and was greatly opposed to any such actions. The Senate split from the emperor and then made two unsuccessful attempts to assassinate him. Upon the death of his wife he retaliated, and nearly bombed the Senate and its supporters out of existence. However, he called a ceasefire and then gave them one last chance to negotiate and work towards a common solution. To be quite honest, it would’ve been better for all of us if he hadn’t.
The Battle for the Solar System (Complete Trilogy) Page 80
