“Hawk?”
“Hey, Hornet. We might need a shuttle service. The Mortek may want to take a peek at Ballison.”
“That sounds like a dumb idea, Hawk.”
“Keiko thought so, too. But Buster and Vidhee think that it’s a good one. They think that we can scare the bejesus out of them.”
“There is that. I’ll get Gazelle ready. Meet up in Arium?.”
“Well, I got chewed out for volunteering Griffin. Something about her being a symbol. I think that Gazelle is the same. Which of your Stingers would you recommend?”
“Me, Commander. Reprieve volunteers for the mission.”
“Captain Desinal?”
“Yes, Commander.”
“Captain, I was thinking of a more experienced ship.”
“Please, Senior Captain. You have accepted me as one of your own. And, as you rightly observed, Reprieve is the least experienced ship. If something were to happen, her loss would be the least felt.”
“I’ll think on it.”
“I beg you, Senior Captain. Let me prove my commitment. Let Reprieve be the ship that helps to end the Mortek, Human conflict.”
“Hornet, this may not be a bad idea. Let the Mortek see an Elonian running one of our ships. Let them see that they are at war with three species, not one.”
“All good points, Ambassador.”
“I’ll be on board to keep an eye on everyone.”
“No you won’t, Krag.”
“Listen, Keiko. Think about it. I am the only one that has been negotiating with War. Who else will he accept?”
“Damn! I hate it when you’re right. But, you’re taking Buster. Got that?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Buster, you’re coming.”
“Might I suggest that I go as Mr. Morris?”
“Good idea. We’re already going to impress the plop out of them. We don’t need to scare them too.”
“And me, Commander. You will be showing them my world. I should be there to help explain.”
“And you, Igaklay. But, that’s it. No one else. In fact, Hornet, strip down Reprieve. I want only required personnel.”
“Roger that, Hawk. Captain, you heard. Get Reprieve over to Arium. ASAP.”
“Aye, aye, Senior Captain.”
Aboard Reprieve - Tolimar
“You heard the Senior Captain. You all are going to remain on Tolimar. I will captain Reprieve.”
“No way, Captain! No one flies my ship but me!”
“Oliver, that is an order.”
“I don’t give a plop about your order, Captain. No one flies my ship. I’m staying.”
“Are you refusing a direct order from your captain, Mr. Briar?”
“Damn straight, Cap. You go, I go.”
“Um, Captain?”
“What, Yoni?”
“I think that you’re missing something.”
“A subordinate is refusing an order. What am I missing?”
“Loyalty and commitment. The kid is saying that he doesn’t want you out there alone. And, he wants to make sure that Reprieve is flown right.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that Mr. Briar is refusing an order.”
“That is true, Captain. But, do you really want to burn that bridge, um, melt that ice? Loyalty is hard to come by.”
Everyone waited while Captain Desinal thought.
“Listen, Ollie. Just this once. You get off just this once. Understood?”
“As long as no one flies my ship but me.”
“Accepted.”
Reprieve’s captain extended a single claw.
“If you don’t follow every order or make one slip up, I will personally remove a strip from your hide. Understood?”
Staring at the extended, razor-sharp claw, Reprieve’s pilot replied, “Understood, Captain.”
“The rest of you, not one complaint. You are going to Tolimar.”
“But, Mom!”
“Chandra. You are the Desinal line. You are going to Tolimar. No ‘buts’. Same for you, my Bond-mate. You need to be there to watch over our cub while I am gone.”
“Reprieve needs her engineer.”
“We’re jumping to Ballison. There is a whole world of repair robots. And the greatest engineer in the Galaxy. If anything goes wrong, Preceptor Igaklay will fix it. Reprieve can last for a couple of days. Same for you, Yoni. We will not be doing any shooting. Take some time off.”
“Yeah. I’ve been cooped up in this can too long. I could use some down time. No complaints here. Kid, you put on your hazardous environment suit and keep it on. You hear?”
”I don’t like it. It’s too bulky.”
“Either you wear the suit or I drag your skinny ass off Reprieve.”
“Grouch.”
“Do it. Do it now.”
“Alright. I’m doing it.”
“Mom.”
“Hush, Chandra. Mom’s being the Captain, now. We do what we’re told.”
“Oh, Father, I want to see a Mortek.”
“Maybe we can see the Morteks on Tolimar. I’ll ask around.”
“Promise?”
“Promise. And you, my bond-Mate. Mister Yonek is correct. You must wear your H.E. suit.”
“I will. Now, you three, get ready to disembark. Ollie, land us near the HEB Alliance headquarters.”
“On it, Captain!”
Chapter 36
Aboard Griffin – Bridgelen
“War is on the line, Commander.”
“Thank you, Sue. War.”
“Marston.”
“Have you decided to inspect our shipyard?”
“What is your proposal?”
“A shuttle will pick up whomever you wish to perform the inspection.”
“Who will be flying the shuttle?”
“I will be.”
“You? The Commander of your soft skin space fleet?”
“Yes, War. For such an important meeting, I would not show disrespect by having anyone else in my place.”
“Then, I will inspect your shipyard and this planet.”
“May I also recommend that you bring your best scientist and your astrogator?”
“Why?”
“We are going to show you all our technology. You will need someone to understand the science. As to the astrogator, we are going to give him full access to our navigation console so that you are sure that we are not deceiving you.”
“I will also have Intelligence accompany us.”
“Are you prepared to receive a shuttle?”
“Yes. Flight will guide you in.”
“We will arrive in ten of our clicks.”
“Communication is broken.”
“That was new, saying that you’d give him a full tour of Reprieve.”
“Spur of the moment, Keiko. Even after they see it, there’s nothing they can do with it.”
“Ya, Cap. Fear factor. Let those Mortek know what’s what.”
“And you’re going to let them play with the navigation.”
“Only to observe. I want War to walk away knowing exactly what our capabilities are.”
“Poor Mortek. They dinna know what they’re in for.”
“Buster, Mr. Morris, please. In your rugged gear, with your jump jacket.”
“He should wear a nanite space suit underneath, Commander.”
“Good idea, Igaklay. If we need a quick getaway, Buster can grab us and go.”
“I recommend that you add a tool belt to your Griffin nanite suit, Commander. That way you can carry a small rebreather in case you need to escape to space.”
“Mack, could you put something together?”
“On it, Cap.”
Everyone watched Mack leave the bridge.
“Keiko, get Griffin to Ballison. We may need you when we arrive.
“I planned on following you in, anyway, Krag.”
“At a distance. I don’t want War to know that we are being followed.”
“Of course,” Keiko responded. See you there, Krag.”
“Mr. Morris, Preceptor, shall we?”
“Nothing heroic, Big-Guy.”
“Never, Half-Pint.”
“That will be the day.”
“Where did you learn that, Gopai?”
“From Mack, Commander. Did I use the phrase incorrectly?”
“Yes, Gopai. You used it just right. And it is very apropos,” Keiko interjected.
Krag, Buster and Igaklay headed to the shuttle in Griffin’s bay. There, the three were cornered by seven Elonian Guardsmen and five Sasanian Marines.
“Going somewhere, Commander?” Sergeant Boulos asked.
“Sightseeing, Sergeant.”
“Not without an escort, Sir.”
“We do not want to intimidate our guests, Serge.”
“We’ll keep it small. We knew that you wouldn’t let all of us go. And, you wouldn’t let me or Amby go. So, you get two. Negiani and Wadji.”
“I don’t have any choice in the matter, do I?”
“Not a bit, Sir.”
“Okay. Get them suited up in nanite suits. Hand weapons only. Jump packs.”
“Already done, Sir. Negiani, Wadji! You’re up!”
The two selected Griffin Leopards trotted forward and into the shuttle. Just then, Mack appeared, with a tool belt in hand.
“Here you are, Cap.”
“Let’s get this show on the road.”
Aboard Ravage Maker – Bridgelen
War stood behind the blast door leading to the landing bay of the Mortek Flagship. He saw his soldiers, in space suits, encircling the pad where the soft skin shuttle had just set down.
The massive doors slid closed. With buffeting winds blowing across the bay, his four-legged soldiers rocked and fought to hold their positions. Once the atmosphere stabilized, the winds died and the soldiers re-assumed their guard.
War watched as the rear deck of the shuttle opened. Two soft skins exited. One stood much larger than the other. The smaller one obviously was in control. War opened the hatch and came forward. Three more Mortek followed. Upon arriving, the four insectoid Mortek looked down on the two smaller soft skins. The larger one came almost to eye level.
“You are Marston?”
“I am,” the smaller soft skin answered. “This is Mr. Morris, my second in command.”
“Why do I not kill you and remove the head of the soft skin space fleet now?”
“Because we all lose, War. My fleet has orders to immediately destroy Nest One and move on to Home One if you cause me or my people harm.”
“Once we are on board your ship, how will we know that you will not attack us once we are under your control?”
“For the same reason, War. If we harm you or your people, I suspect that you have issued orders to destroy Humanity’s planets.”
“That is true.”
“Also, to ensure that we all are acting in good faith, I will leave you with a communicator which can immediately communicate anywhere in the galaxy.”
“Not Possible,” First Science interrupted.
“First Scientist, know your place.”
“Apologies, My Overlord.”
“Preceptor Igaklay, would you please join us?”
Igaklay’s avatar trotted down the ramp.
“What is this?”
“Not a ‘what’, War. A ‘who’. This is Preceptor Igaklay, of the Ballisonian species. He is our scientist and teacher. Preceptor, will you please explain your communication pyramid?”
“Aye, aye, Commander,” Igaklay replied as he pulled the gold pyramid from his tool belt.
“First scientist, are you familiar with quantum entanglement?”
“Any spacefaring species is.”
“As Commander Marston stated, I am a member of the Ballisonian species. We have solved the riddle of quantum entanglement. We have also been able to create quantum entanglement plasmatic condensate of multiple particles. This device is a quantum entanglement communicator which contains those particles. Their paired counterparts are in a relay center on Ballison.
“You are saying that this communicator utilizes quantum entanglement which creates instantaneous communications with a receiving center over two hundred lightyears from now.”
“That is correct, First Scientist. In turn, that center is also linked to the jump-ship which War and his subordinates will be transported on. As we transport War and his people to Ballison, you will always be in communication.”
“If this is true, My Overlord, the soft skins have instantaneous communication. That is why they have been able to anticipate our actions.”
“Quiet, Science. Marston, are you proposing that you leave this device on my flagship?”
“Yes, War. You will be in constant contact.”
“Logistics!”
Logistics dashed forward from his place in the hallway.
“You are responsible for this device. You will place it in a shuttle and take it to a safe distance from Ravage Maker.”
“That is not required, War. It is totally safe,” Igaklay objected.
“We shall see. Logistics, go now.”
“At your command, My Overlord.”
Igaklay held out the pyramid in his small, three-fingered hand. The much larger Mortek took it in his four-clawed one. As Logistics raced to a shuttle, he signalled to two other Morteks which followed.
“The shuttle will leave when we do.”
“This way, War. You may bring two soldiers as an escort. I have two on board.”
War pointed. Two soldiers clattered forward. Commander Marston, Mr. Morris and Preceptor Igaklay lead the six Mortek onto the shuttle.
Aboard Reprieve
Reprieve’s Captain Desinal and Pilot Briar stayed sealed in her bridge. with the ship’s loading doors open, the vacuum of space filled her cargo bay. Krag piloted the shuttle to a stop and dropped the transport onto the deck. Everyone waited while Reprieve’s doors closed and the atmosphere refilled.
Once normalcy resumed, Krag dropped the tailgate. The six Mortek and five Griffin crewmates exited the shuttle, entering Reprieve. Captain Desinal approached, came to attention then saluted her Commander.
“Permission to come aboard, Captain,” Krag responded as he returned the salute.
“Permission granted. Welcome aboard, Sir.”
“Do you have an egg layer captaining a jump-ship?”
“Yes, War. An Elonian female. We hold our females in high esteem.”
“Does the seeder Elonian on your crew follow this one’s commands?”
“If Guardsman Negiani were assigned to her, then yes, he would.”
“This is the same for these three species which you have shown me today.”
“That is correct, War. Captain, please escort First Astrogator to the bridge. instruct him in the usage of our navigation system. Nothing is to remain secret.”
Knowing that this was to come, Captain Desinal was not surprised.
“Aye, aye, Commander.”
“War, First Scientist, please come this way to inspect our jump drives. Mr. Morris, Preceptor, you are with me. Guardsman Negiani, Corporal Wadji, please remain here.”
“Sir?”
“I will not need immediate protection, Guardsman.”
Both Negiani and Wadji knew Buster. They knew that their commander was safe.
Not to be shown as cowardly, War commanded, “Soldiers, stay.”
“My Overlord, if I may ask a question?”
“Science, you are now free to speak. It is your responsibility to learn as much as you can about this soft skin technology.”
“Thank you, My Overlord. Commander Marston, are we experiencing artificial gravity?”
“Yes, you are, thanks to the Elonians. We do not require magnetic boots or any form of electromagnetic energy to simulate gravity.”
“Astounding.”
Krag and Buster, having heard that same word many times before, passed knowing looks.
The remaining six beings slowly walked to Repri
eve’s engine room. Krag took his time, letting the Mortek study anything they wished. Upon reaching their destination, Krag turned the discussion over to Igaklay.
Igaklay took great pains to describe the jump engine. He explained using dark matter as the energy source. He also described the coating and sails for the dark matter collection.
Griffin’s people watched the Mortek get overwhelmed by Igaklay’s presentation. If they could have read Mortek body language, they would have seen doubt creep in to their postures.
Upon completion, everyone headed to the bridge. They saw the eight-foot, four-legged Mortek, the astrogator, straddle a gravity chair as though it were a stool.
“Captain Desinal, have you explained the operation of our navigation system?”
“Yes, Commander. First Astrogator is an excellent student. He is ready to assume navigational observations.”
“Thank you, Captain. War, do you wish to speak to Logistics?”
“I am required to check in. where is your communication station?”
“We have none, War. Just speak into the air. Preceptor Igaklay, is your quant-com pyramid active?”
“Always, Commander.”
“Go ahead, War. Just speak.”
“Logistics.”
“My Overlord,” a surprised Logistics responded.
“Are you in a shuttle?”
‘With the pilot and an engineer, My Overlord.”
“What have you discovered?”
“We have discovered that this device is not an explosive or a weapon. Other than that, we do not have the capability to understand this device,” Logistics apologetically responded.
“Stay on the shuttle I will reconnect in eighty clicks.”
“At your command, My Overlord.”
“War, please accompany me back to the cargo bay and get comfortable. We are going to execute our first jump.”
“Lead.”
Once everyone reconvened next to Griffin’s shuttle, Krag explained.
“Please settle into a relaxed position, when we first experienced a jump, we found ourselves unconscious for multiple hours. Perhaps you should let Logistics know that there might be a longer wait before you check in.”
“Are you saying that we will experience physical trauma?”
“We don’t think so, War. But, for complete honesty, I am explaining the possibility. If you do not wish to experience a jump, we can always return you to Ravage Maker.”
Victory in the Stars (Marston Chronicles Book 6) Page 42
