“Patch them through to my station Lieutenant,” he said.
“Yes Admiral,” replied Dashkov.
The screen abruptly switched to the face of a young woman.
“Ensign Smith, I see you received my message.”
“Your message Admiral?”
The Ensign looked confused.
“The message I sent you,” replied Constantine.
“I'm sorry Admiral, I never received a message from you.”
Admiral Constantine frowned.
“Then why are you contacting me Ensign?”
She looked uneasy.
“It's Vice-Admiral Jones sir, he's got the entire task force hunting down one of our own intelligence ships and a group of shengyet pirates. It's like he's obsessed, sending an entire task force just to-”
“Which intelligence ship?” Constantine cut her off.
“A stalker class ship, the Twilight I believe.”
“What?!” Snapped Constantine.
“How does he even know where it is?”
The Ensign looked taken aback by the Admiral's sudden urgency.
“He doesn't know where the ship is, at least not anymore,” she explained.
“The task force caught up with the Twilight in the Eridanus Five system. She got away, along with a bunch of shengyet pirate ships.”
“All right, I think you'd better start from the beginning Ensign,” said Constantine.
The story was told in five minutes. Admiral Constantine leaned back in his chair.
“Very well, so Jones lost the Twilight but managed to capture the shengyet that escaped with her from Eridanus Five,” Constantine mused.
“What is he doing with them?”
Ensign Smith's face darkened.
“He's having them interrogated,” she said coldly.
“I see.”
He knew enough about the interrogation techniques Imperial Intelligence used, to know this would not end well for the shengyet. The moral issues aside, if any of them knew anything, it would only be a matter of time before they cracked. If Jones found out where the Twilight had gone, no he couldn't let that happen. The Admiral looked up at the young woman.
“I've got a new assignment for you Ensign.”
Vice-Admiral Jones keyed the intercom panel on his desk and the face of Lieutenant Harbid appeared.
“What can I do for you sir?” The Lieutenant asked in a tight voice.
“How's the interrogation coming?” Asked Jones.
Harbid shifted nervously.
“We haven't as yet been able to extract any information from the prisoners.”
“You've been at it for over an hour, how long does it take to break a few shengyet pirates?” Demanded Jones.
“I'm sorry sir, they're quite stubborn. I sent a complete report of the interrogations so far to your terminal.”
Jones keyed on his private work terminal and flicked through the reports awaiting his inspection. He found the interrogation report and skimmed through it.
“It says here that you've been interrogating mostly warriors or those you believe to be leaders among the group,” he said looking up.
“Yes sir,” replied Harbid.
“If any of them know where the Twilight went, these are the most likely candidates.”
“True,” admitted Jones.
“However, they are also most likely the hardest ones to break.”
He looked back at the report for a second, then turned to Harbid.
“It says here that a number of younger shengyet were captured. I think it might be a good idea to try one of them next.”
Harbid's face tightened visibly.
“Sir,” he said anxiously.
“It's highly doubtful that they know anything.”
“Doubtful yes, but not impossible and it might loosen the tongues of their elders.”
“Sir, you really want me to have children interrogated?”
“They are not children!” Jones snapped.
“Human children are children, these are shengyet, no matter their age. It may not be pleasant Lieutenant, but we must all do our duty to protect the Empire.”
Harbid didn't answer, he just stared blankly straight ahead.
“If you can't do your job Lieutenant, then I'll find someone who can, understood?!”
“Yes sir.”
Jones flicked off the com panel.
Lieutenant Harbid sat staring at the view screen. Finally he got up from behind the desk in his office and moved slowly to the door. He had almost reached it, when the door slid open. Katie entered looking nervous.
“James, I need your help.”
Harbid had never seen the young woman so tense.
“What is it?”
She looked at him intently for a moment, then asked.
“Do you trust me James?”
“Of course I do,” replied Harbid surprised.
“I'm going to tell you something and I need you to believe me James.”
“Just spit it out.”
Katie took a deep breath and began.
“My role as an intelligence officer attached to this ship constitutes only part of my duties. I also compile intelligence reports about anything suspicious or noteworthy and send them to someone else. This is also the person I'm ultimately answerable to. Not you, not the Captain nor anyone else, just this person.”
“And who is that?”
“Admiral Constantine.”
There was silence for a few seconds, then Harbid finally spoke.
“You're telling me you're here to spy on me and the rest of the crew, on orders from the head of the Imperial military?” He asked incredulously.
“Ever since he attained his current position, Admiral Constantine has had agents throughout the military and other places that report directly to him,” she explained hastily.
“He approached me a few years ago and asked if I was interested.”
“And so you agreed to spy on the people you worked with?”
“I don't like it but it's necessary James. You of all people should understand that, look at what's been happening lately,” she said with a hint of a plea in her voice.
Harbid exhaled, he looked at the anxious face of the young woman before him. He hadn't meant to snap at her like that. He'd felt betrayed that was all, but hearing the plea in her voice made him realize how much his opinion of her meant to the young Ensign.
“So why are you telling me all this?” He asked quietly.
“I received new orders from Admiral Constantine,” she explained.
“Apparently he dispatched the Twilight on a covert mission. No one was to know about it except for himself and the Twilight's crew. Admiral Jones found out about it somehow and now he's trying to stop the Twilight any way he can.”
“What!?” exclaimed Harbid.
“Why the hell would Jones try to stop a ship sent on a mission by Admiral Constantine?”
“I don't know, the Admiral didn't go into specifics. He just told me it was vital that the Twilight and her crew accomplish their task.”
Harbid scratched the back of his head.
“I still don't see what this has to do with us. How exactly are we supposed to stop Jones?”
“We're not,” replied Katie.
“Admiral Constantine ordered me to get the shengyet prisoners we captured off the ship.”
“Why?”
“Apparently some of them might know where the Twilight went and the Admiral can't risk Jones finding out.”
“So you want me to help you break out over fifty prisoners from inside the high security detention area of an Imperial dreadnought. All on your word that this is sanctioned by the head of the Imperial military whom you claim to work for?” Asked Harbid.
“That about covers it,” she replied.
“Look, I know it's asking a lot James but-”
“I'll do it,” Harbid cut her off.
Katie looked surprised, but pleased.
“
Come on,” said Harbid.
“If we're going to do this, we'd better do it soon.”
Shassa woke with a start, she could hear heavy footsteps moving past her cell. She looked down at the little girl curled up and sleeping next to her. Shassa had tried talking to her, trying to find out who she was and who her parents might be. In a shengyet clan everyone knew everyone else, but Shassa had never seen this girl before. A few members of another clan had been with them when they were forced to abandon the base in the Eridanus Five system. However those had all been warriors, they had helped out with a raid on a bessra outpost. Shassa wasn't familiar with the details but it certainly wasn't the sort of thing one brought children to.
Muffled voices were now drawing closer to their cell. She gently shook the girl awake.
“Someone's coming,” she whispered.
The little girl pressed herself fearfully against her. The door to their cell flew open and a man in a military uniform marched in.
“Get up, both of you!” He barked.
Shassa complied, helping the girl to her feet.
The guard reached out and grabbed hold of the girl’s arm.
“Come on,” he said.
“Let’s go.”
The girl desperately clutched Shassa's arm with her free hand.
“Where are you taking her?” Shassa demanded.
“None of your damn business,” spat the guard.
“Let me go with her,” she pleaded.
The guard laughed.
“Trust me, you don't want to.”
The guard tugged hard on the girl's arm and her grip on Shassa's arm broke. He started dragging her out of the cell. The little girl was struggling, trying desperately to free herself.
“No I don't want to go, no!” She yelled in shengyet.
“Let her go you bastard!” Shassa yelled.
She lunged toward the guard but he saw her coming. His fist collided with her face and she fell to the floor, tasting blood in her mouth. The little girl was still trying to get loose but the guard had her nearly to the door now.
All of a sudden another man appeared into the doorway. The guard looked at him in surprise and opened his mouth to say something. He never got the chance however, the man punched him full in the face. The guard collapsed pulling the girl down with him. The man stepped over the guard and into the cell, behind him came a woman.
“She all right?” The man Asked turning to the woman.
The woman knelt down beside the girl, who shied reflexively away from her.
“It's all right,” the woman said softly.
“I won't hurt you.”
She reached out her arms and gently picked her up.
The girl looked at the woman, who smiled warmly at her.
“You all right?” the man asked Shassa.
Shassa stared at him a moment, the asked.
“What's going on, who are you?”
“I'm Lieutenant Harbid,” replied the man.
“And this,” he said indicating the woman.
“Is Ensign Smith.”
“Come on, let’s go,” said Harbid offering Shassa his hand.
Cautiously, she reached up and grasped it.
“Where are you taking us?”
“We're getting you two and the rest of the shengyet off this ship,” said Harbid, pulling her to her feet.
The corridor that ran down the row of cells was deserted except for another guard that lay unconscious on the floor. Lieutenant Harbid grabbed him by the ankles and dragged him into the cell where his colleague lay sprawled. Harbid dragged him inside, then marched to the door at the far end of the corridor. By the door was a control panel that he tapped a few commands into. The rest of the cell doors slid open.
“Everyone out of your cells, come on hurry,” he called.
Cautiously a few shengyet poked their heads out of their cells. Still carrying the little girl, Ensign Smith moved towards Harbid and muttered something. Harbid looked at the data pad on his wrist and then at the corridor slowly filling with shengyet.
“Hurry, we don't have a lot of time,” he urged.
“Where are you taking us?” Asked a large shengyet male.
Shassa recognized him as Darmst, one of the clan's best warriors.
“We're getting you out of here,” said Harbid.
“And why would you do that?” Asked Darmst.
“We don't have time for this,” replied Harbid exasperatedly.
“You expect us to trust you?” Darmst scoffed.
“Look I know you have no reason to trust us,” Ensign Smith cut in.
“But this is your only chance of getting out of here. I can't make you take it, but if you want to leave, it has to be now.”
Darmst looked at her and then at the little shengyet girl she was carrying. Finally he started to move towards the door. The others followed him out and soon they were all in the metal lined hallway. Lieutenant Harbid took up position at the front of the group while Ensign Smith brought up the rear.
They made their way through several more identical hallways, all of which were deserted. Lieutenant Harbid turned into a large hallway at the end of which were a large set of elevator doors.
Harbid stopped as he approached them and turned to face the group.
“All right listen up everyone,” he called down the hallway.
“This is a cargo elevator that will take us directly to one of the hangar bays. I managed to clear out all personnel in this area. Once we get down to the hangar bay, we'll take one of the troop shuttles parked there. As soon as we launch that shuttle, someone is bound to notice and sound the alarm. Which means we'll have to make a run for it, I can pilot one of these shuttles but I need a copilot. Does anyone here have any piloting experience?”
“I'm a decent pilot,” said Darmst.
Harbid looked at him and nodded.
Despite packing as many people into the elevator as would fit, it still took two trips to get everyone to the hangar. Shassa and Ensign Smith were the last to get out of the elevator and into the crowded hangar bay. Closest to the elevator, a row of fighters were parked and beyond them stood three troop shuttles. They ran across the bay to the nearest shuttle. Lieutenant Harbid keyed a code into a panel next to the shuttle's cockpit. A door hissed open and Harbid clambered inside followed by Darmst. A moment later the rear section of the shuttle folded out into two giant ramps. Shassa, Ensign Smith and the rest quickly make their way up the one facing them.
As soon as everyone was on board, the ramps folded back up and the shuttle's engines rumbled to life. Katie handed the shengyet girl to Shassa, then made her way to the door that led from the passenger compartment to the cockpit. As she entered, she could see red warning lights flashing through the cockpit's view screen. The massive hangar bay doors slowly slid apart.
Harbid turned in the pilot's seat.
“You might want to hold on to something,” he warned her.
She grabbed a metal handhold next to the door. With a great rumbling, the shuttle lifted off the hangar bay floor and lurched forward. Lieutenant Harbid angled the troop shuttle away from the massive carrier that loomed in front of them as they left the hangar bay. Turning to Darmst he asked.
“How long until the Dimension drive is fully charged?”
Darmst looked at his instruments.
“Another three minutes,” he replied.
“Any way you can speed that up?”
Darmst frowned at the controls.
“I can get it down to a minute, but I’ll have to bypass a lot of safety protocols.”
“Do it.”
Harbid switched on the ship's com.
“Everyone hold on back there.”
Turning the com off again, he reached for the throttle and pushed it to maximum. The shuttle's artificial gravity field adjusted to compensate, yet Katie still felt herself being pushed against the rear of the cockpit as the shuttle rocketed away from the fleet.
“Dimension drive at seven
ty five percent,” reported Darmst.
Harbid glanced at the sensor display and swore loudly.
“Fighters launching from nearest carrier, their headed straight for us.”
“Dimension drive at eighty percent,” said Darmst.
“Their gaining on us,” remarked Katie with a glance at the sensor display.
“They'll be in weapons range in about ten seconds.”
“Dimension Drive at ninety percent,” Darmst announced.
“Setting jump coordinates now,” reported Harbid.
A flash of light streaked past the cockpit.
“They're in range,” he snapped.
“Almost there,” Darmst growled.
“It's now or never!” yelled Harbid.
More streaks of light flashed past and the shuttle rocked slightly.
“Go!” shouted Darmst.
Harbid slammed the final jump button and thin tendrils of energy formed in front of the shuttle. The tendrils collected and burst into a swirling white vortex which swallowed them before collapsing.
Chapter 21
Major Clark seemed to recover first from her shock. She slowly approached the young woman, the others following her.
“Greetings,” said the woman as they approached.
Her voice sounded strange, it seemed like it had a slight echo to it.
“Greetings to you as well,” replied Clark.
The young woman stood there, slowly turning her head to observe each of them in turn. Anna stared at this woman, trying to make sense of what her eyes were telling her. She had long blond hair and light blue eyes. She was dressed in a simple white robe that fell all the way to the floor. She looked like an ordinary human woman, except. Was it the room's bright light? What was making that warm glowing aura that seemed to be all around her?
Major Clark took a tentative step forward.
“My name is Major Clark, I am here on behalf of the Human Empire.”
The young woman turned towards her and smiled.
“You are not,” she said in her strange voice.
Major Clark looked confused.
“I assure you I am a Major in the Imperial Intelligence service and I’m here on the Empire's behalf,” she insisted.
The woman smiled again.
“You may be a part of this empire, but you do not want what your empire wants. If you did, we would never have allowed you aboard our ship.”
Imperium: Contact Page 17
