Equilibrium of Terror: Part 2
Page 43
There was subtle movement in Veloshira. She was waking up from her forced nap. Chitchat was put on hold as the three got closer to Veloshira. Her eyes opened as beads of sweat lifted off her head, probably because of the heat in the lounge. Onatiasha and Zhinbryo retreated back and forth to the cockpit to cool off, Veloshira however, well Jazz kinda forgot about her. He went to fetch a bottle of ice cold water for her.
“Jazz,” Veloshira said, groaning as she looked at her bindings.
“It’s for your own good I’m sorry,” Jazz said.
Veloshira raged and tried to break free, but only for a short while, her water starved body didn’t have much energy left. Jazz pushed the bottle toward her mouth. A straw popped out and squirted shiny clear orbs of water into her mouth. Veloshira’s head cocked back in bliss then looked at both Onatiasha and Zhinbryo.
“You two support him as well I see,” she said to them.
“We owe a lot to Jazz,” Onatiasha said.
“And I owe a lot to them,” Jazz said. He sighed as his face tilted toward the ceiling. It was nigh time he just confessed everything. There was no point in him holding things back. “Fuck it, no more secrets. If we’re gonna do this we all need to be on the same page, or we all go down.”
“Secrets . . .” Veloshira laughed. “I knew you were hiding something from me.”
“Have you heard about the Celestial Order?” Jazz asked her.
“I’ve, seen the name on the knowledge network news feeds, and imperial state news.”
“They were responsible for the killing of Prince Akeia, not the human you were asked to kill.”
Another laugh toward Jazz roared from Veloshira’s mouth. “Why should I believe you?”
“Because we were on Earth at the time,” Onatiasha said. “We fought order members and encountered Hashmedai serving them. The whole conflict with the humans was set up by the order for their plans.” Veloshira said nothing, she merely looked at Onatiasha, probably wondering if she was lying or telling the truth. “Don’t believe? That’s fine, as I have proof,” she said as she retrieved a memory recording device from her pocket. “Review these memories when you have time.”
Veloshira looked back at Jazz and said “The President?”
“I didn’t bump her off, sorry I lied about that too. But at the time it was necessary, you weren’t giving me many options.”
“I hope you realize what this will do to my family.”
“Torval is working for the order,” Onatiasha said. “If exposed he’ll face execution, all outstanding Assassin Guild orders will become null and void, your current task of slaying the President and Boyd will not be required and there shouldn’t be any orders against your family.”
“They’ll be spared,” Zhinbryo said, the voice of reason. If Veloshira wasn’t going to listen to any of them, perhaps those words will get through to her. “Get rid of Torval and your family lives.”
“All the more reason to help us defeat the order once and for all,” Jazz said.
“I’ll still need more proof,” Veloshira said to Jazz.
“After everything we’ve been through? Including the shit on Rasi?”
“All I saw was Radiance attacking us, our sworn enemy,” Veloshira said, then asked. “So when are you going to untie me?”
She smiled at Jazz, he grinned back and said. “We have an alliance with the UNE. We can’t have you fucking it up.”
“I think we can trust her now,” Onatiasha said.
“Why is that?”
Veloshira maintained her smile as she lifted her arms up, she managed to break out of the ropes Jazz had tied her up with.
Jazz’s heart started to race, if she was loose they might just have another battle on their hands, one he wasn’t expecting. “Christ!” Jazz yelled in English.
“I just noticed myself,” Onatiasha said. “If she was going to kill us, she could have.”
“Well fuck,” he said. “Why did you ask then?”
“I just wanted to know where you stood, Jazz,” Veloshira said. “Can I trust you like before?”
“Yes, you can, Veloshira. We’ll get your family out of this mess and get your life back to normal. Once this is over I’ll retire as well so you don’t have to stress out about my ass messing up your career.”
“You forget, nobody leaves the guild, let alone any other assigned Hashmedai career.”
“Good thing I’m human. I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to see my human ass peace the fuck out.”
“Another Hashmedai joins the fight,” Onatiasha said to Veloshira. “Welcome to the team.”
Veloshira untied the ropes around her legs then pushed up from the table. “Just tell me who needs to die.”
ESV Winston Churchill, Pluto orbit, Sol system
Avearan may have had control of the body of a human woman still developing psionic powers, but she knew trouble forming in space when her mind touched it. Her ESP felt something wrong, very wrong.
There was a fleet of ships, three Hashmedai command ships and a large dreadnought. They were on the move and used the cover of some of the gas giants to mask their presence. They were heading to the inner worlds of the system. The human commanders of this ship must know. She dropped what she was doing in the infirmary and made her way to the bridge, she had doubts she could convince them via the intercom, they had to look at her face and see how sincere she was.
Regardless, she had to support the humans as the empire would view her as one and have her slain. Then there was the madness happening with her body, her real body. Hannah and the order still had it along with Ella’s mind under their control. Radiance wasn’t going to care to help her and neither would the empire as she was a runaway, humans however. Help them enough with the war and perhaps they’d return the favor.
She burst onto the bridge and caused the human crew to look away from their stations and at her. “Can I help you?” Xavier asked.
“No, but I can help you,” Avearan said. “The Hashmedai fleet is on the move all ships are en route to the inner planets.”
“We’re a long a way from there and Uranus, how did your ESP get that far?”
“There was a massive surge in psionic energy, you don’t need the cybernetic augmentations to detect that. It wasn’t at Uranus, it was much further in the system. They are moving a hundred percent.”
“Damn,” Xavier said. “What’s the status of the malware?”
Commander Cassandra Benally checked a small projection next to the central hologram. “Eupiar is making progress but she isn’t finished, the network is still down,” she said. “We can’t talk to anyone and we have no way of knowing if the rest of the UNE knows of this threat.”
“Thanks to the Radiance withdrawal, Avearan is the only shipboard psionic in the fleet,” Xavier said.
Avearan chuckled at his comment. “I wouldn’t consider myself that.”
“You are now,” Xavier said, cocking his finger toward Michei’s old psionic workstation. “Get to yer post.”
Avearan looked at the dormant station, having realized she just was drafted into becoming a shipboard psionic for the crew. Ironically shipboard psionic was a forced career path she ran away from in the empire.
“Have the marines left yet?” Xavier asked.
“Miles and his team are boarding their transports now,” Benally said.
“Helm, set a course to Mars after the marines depart.”
“Aye sir,” Chavez said.
“Notify the crew to get what rest they can,” Xavier said as he smiled at the sight of Avearan starting to familiarize herself with Michei’s psionic post. “We’ll be entering the storm soon.”
“Hey, Des you awake?”
Eupiar waited for Destiny’s voice to reply via her earpiece communicator. The computer window before Eupiar displayed files, many of them encrypted from the Winston Churchill’s database. Her time inside restricted areas of the ship was coming to an end soon as she finished removing the malware. It was
last call for unauthorized downloads.
“I am now,” Destiny’s tired voice transmitted.
“Finally,” Eupiar said as she cracked her knuckles. “I’m still in the Winston Churchill’s database, anything you want before I lose my snooping rights?”
“HLF is done, I don’t give a fuck.”
“Suit yourself, lots of juicy files here.”
“Wait. There is one thing if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Shoot.”
“A marine, Jacob Miles. Download everything you can find about him.”
Your wish is my command, Eupiar thought as her fingers typed away. Photos, bios medical records, service records, personal addresses, mission reports. Everything and anything relating to Jacob Miles appeared in her search and was downloaded.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Western Norgoth desert settlement, Oyuri, Barnard’s Star system
The corpse of Karklosea’s captured Celestial Order fighter fell to the floor head first. Her method of psionic interrogation was intense as every single organ in his body eventually liquefied. He was a stubborn prisoner, one that refused to give up the location of the rest of his brothers and sisters of his cult. Day after day, she pressed on trying to squeeze every bit of intel out of him as her telekinetic powers squeezed onto his organs, crushing them.
Before his death he revealed what she needed to know, well some of it. The order had full control of the Pelican, this part she knew. What she didn’t know was that one of the Radiance ships in the system had an order member recently transferred to them for an undisclosed reason. She hoped the captain of that ship was able to realize an enemy had secretly boarded. Otherwise time was running out as the threat they had lurking aboard spread like the hidden threat that had been hiding on the Abyssal Explorer.
Karklosea left the makeshift interrogation room and walked toward the central promenade of the settlement where survivors of the Explorer and her Whisper contacts staying at the settlement stood, waiting for an update from her.
“Give me a map of the system,” he said as she got near them.
One ranger used a small holo transmitter built into the wrist of his combat armor, it projected exactly what she requested along with the estimated locations of all ships in the system. She studied the map for several seconds then asked. “How soon can everyone be ready to enter combat?”
“Uh, well, I got to think about that one.”
“We don’t have much time from what I gathered,” Karklosea said. “You’re aware of the outbreak on Rasi correct?”
“Small snippets from the knowledge network before news stopped coming.”
“It’s here on Oyuri as well, the settlements near the eternal eclipse have fallen already.” She pointed to the blue dot representation of Radiance cruisers. “These ships are loyal to the union with the exception of one. We have two tasks as of right now, defense of the settlement in case the wraith moves in toward it, and taking control of the fleet, starting with the cruiser that has a mole aboard, whichever that one is.”
“That’s quite the demand.”
“We don’t have time. Can you make it happen or not?”
“I’ll do what I can, but keep in mind we don’t have many transports here and those ships only swing by to resupply and I’d imagine the order influenced ones are going to stay clear of here.”
“Just get your strongest ready to join my team,” Karklosea said. “Once we have control of the fleet I can send down additional rangers from those ships to reinforce this settlement.”
Straightforward and to the point, there was no time to debate. Karklosea was the Captain regardless. They could squawk and debate once all the other captains were on the same level as they were, as she wouldn’t be the one calling the shots. Her priority was to get all Radiance forces unified and fighting the order, not being pulled by its strings.
Transports from Karklosea’s recently captured supply depots in the region landed outside of the settlement. They all took in Karklosea’s newly recruited militia armed with whatever weapons and protection they were able to get their hands on thanks to the Whisper. Karklosea’s transport consisted of crew from the Abyssal Explorer, five rangers and two pilots. Their transport was to lead the way so as to not draw too much attention as they entered space.
Her transport was to board the Abyssal Liberator first. It seemed like the most likely target to her as it broke away from the ships it was patrolling the system with. At first, she thought it was to group up with the few ships still in orbit around Rasi. But upon closer inspection of the system map, it remained alone and had been for some time. If it was indeed under order control a foothold was to be established as the rest her forces were to follow and join her as she tried to get a hold of all the remaining ship’s captains. Of course Karklosea was making the plan up as things went along, in reality she had no idea what kind of resistance they’d face or if the union loyal crew would believe her.
Karklosea’s transport began to rise as it blew sand away during its take off and accelerated toward the heavens, past the orbiting debris field that was once the Abyssal Explorer.
Abyssal Pelican, Oyuri orbit, Barnard’s Star system
Jainuzei strode into his quarters. Alisha was asleep on his bed. Part of him wanted to let her rest as she was put through a lot recently. But news he had to share couldn’t wait, not with what was going on in the galaxy. He gently rocked her body, forcing her to wake up.
“Couldn’t this wait,” Alisha’s tired voice said then yawned. “For another hour?”
“I am afraid not,” Jainuzei said. “You daughter Hannah awaits you.”
“Hannah?”
She rose, trying to keep the covers of the bed on sweat drenched body, she was in the nude, understandable given the warm temperatures of the ship. Jainuzei pointed toward the window, the desert planet of Oyuri was just outside of it.
“I had the crew make us return.”
She lay back down and used the blankets to cover the glowing smile on her face. “Give me ten minutes,” she said from behind them.
The two boarded a transport after Alisha got ready. Repairs were still underway as the crew worked to deal with the damage caused by the Silver Raven during its escape as their transport propelled out and away from the Pelican. Gravity loss was instant as the transport adjusted its course to race toward the eternal eclipse of Oyuri.
Jainuzei was worried at what Alisha’s response would be it in regard to the many wraith that swarmed the area and the outposts nearby, it was after all Hannah’s request. To the Celestial Order it was a sign of progress, but to a woman like Alisha, a woman who still had much to learn of the ultimate goals of the order, it could be viewed as insanity. But Hannah was the great seer, if she wished for Alisha to come down and visit, they had to make it happen, for they were all grateful that Hannah and her dreams led them to this moment, the start of a new beginning where the galaxy would be pure perfection in the eyes of the gods.
The massive Lyonria structure was still floating in darkened and eclipsed skies. Alisha looked out the cockpit window as they approached and the planet’s gravity took a hold of their bodies. Jainuzei joined her and said. “This is all the will of the gods.”
“I can imagine,” she said, pointing at the structure. “I don’t see anything keeping that thing afloat. And you said none of your psionics are down here, right?”
“That is correct,” Jainuzei said. “A structure that massive, flying without technology or psionics. Only gods could achieve such a might. Hannah is their gift to us all.”
Karklosea’s transport, leaving Oyuri orbit, Barnard’s Star system
Karklosea regretted not using her ESP prior to launching.
Had she done so she would have detected the Abyssal Pelican in orbit and the single transport that launched from it seconds ago. “The Pelican is here,” Karklosea said as they started to clear the debris of the Explorer.
“Did they detect us?” said the pilot.
“As far as they are concerned we’re just a supply transport anyways.”
It wasn’t good enough for her, the Pelican was hunting them and all it took was one shot from their main guns to end their trip. What worried her was that if all the minds on the Pelican deep scanned their transport long enough, there was a small chance they might sense her aboard. Coming along might have put the mission at risk. Yet she was also their best chance at winning, being the powerful psionic she was.
Clearing the field couldn’t come soon enough as they’d be safe to enter sub light. As long as the Pelican remained on the other side of Oyuri not in pursuit they were good. “Sub light as soon as we’re clear,” Karklosea said.
Lyonria structure, Oyuri, Barnard’s Star system
Jainuzei and Alisha’s transporter landed on a massive patio like pad on the side of the structure. The two exited without the need of environment suits, a barrier covered the entire structure providing life support and protection from the harsh environment of Oyuri. The temperatures were a bit chilly for Jainuzei however. Twenty-three degrees according to his armor, it forced him to up the temperatures in his armor to keep him warm as they travelled through the ancient alien structure.
Every room, teleportation alcove, and hallway was fully powered. Both Jainuzei and Alisha got the chance to take in the splendid visuals as they walked through its pristine and polished floors. All signs of the combat Chloe and her friends caused were removed; even the stray bullet holes seemingly repaired themselves.
The two arrived inside the box-shaped room where the oval shaped wormhole gate remained deactivated. A female Hashmedai psionic stood in the corner, motionless as if she were a statue. The wraith that surrounded Hannah did the same, their loyalty to her was impressive, and it didn’t frighten Alisha at all especially when she stood next to one, and was compelled to touch it in a soothing manner. The wraith did nothing but shut its eyes and enjoyed Alisha’s touch.