A Line in the Sand

by Ryk Brown

  Table Of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  The Frontiers Saga Part 2: Rogue Castes

  Episode #15: Into the Serpent’s Lair

  Copyright © 2020 by Ryk Brown All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Penta Mogan stared out of his office window at the vast emptiness. He had spent so much of his life in space, years passing in minutes. Wives long dead. Children grown with adult offspring of their own. So often, he had returned to his home-world only to find himself younger than his own children.

  And then there was his shipboard family. His wife, Terya, and his daughter, Nori. They had aged only days during his return to Nor-Patri, while he had aged months. It was difficult to understand for those who led their lives on the surface of a single world, but time was indeed relative.

  It was an inescapable fact for interstellar civilizations; at least it had been, until the people of Earth had invented the jump drive. Now, instead of two groups of observers, those in motion and those at rest, there was a third. Those who circumvented relativity. While the warrior castes saw the jump drive as the ultimate weapon that would give them the ability to rule the galaxy, the leadership castes saw it as an affront to their isolationist beliefs.

  Although Penta understood their fears, he could not comprehend their reluctance. The Jung had spent centuries conquering the nearby galaxy, capturing foreign technology and making it their own. The empire had been built on this edict. Nor-Patri, the crown jewel of the empire, would not exist had the Jung not taken control of it nearly a millennia ago.

  But the wars had taken their toll on the empire, especially over the last decade. The warrior castes’s failure to secure the Sol sector by conquering the birthplace of humanity had only served to feed the isolationist movement back on the Jung home world. Nor-Patri, nor any of the Jung core worlds, had seen war in centuries; not since the Day of Blood, when the Dusahn caste tried to seize control. To the citizens of the original empire, war was something that happened elsewhere. Therefore, it had been easy for the pacifists to rise up and gain support. Nor-Patri was a peaceful, orderly world. A planet-wide city with near-zero crime or aggression. For centuries, it had been a shining example of what the Jung Empire was trying to bring to all human-inhabited worlds. But after centuries of peace, the empire no longer tolerated the violence that had begotten that tranquility.

  All of that changed when Zhu-Anok was destroyed. Billions died, while billions more found their lives all but destroyed. The lives of every person on Nor-Patri were forever changed by that event, even more so than on the Day of Blood. Their call for the Tonba-Hon-Venar had come swiftly and without opposition. Pacifists, isolationists, and warriors alike had been unified with one goal: the destruction of Earth.

  And then came Nathan Scott’s surrender. Suddenly, the people had been given a scapegoat upon which to hang their hatred and need for vengeance. Suddenly, they need not sacrifice what was left of their empire for the sake of revenge. Suddenly, they had been given a path to peace without further sacrifice. Their anger had given way to hope.

  The door slid open, and Admiral Korahk entered his leader’s office. “Good morning, my Lord.” When the dom of his caste did not respond, he asked, “Something troubles you?”

  “Have you ever wondered what your life would have been, had you lived it out on the surface?”

  “Boring and short, I would imagine.”

  His subordinate’s quick response surprised him. “Our lives are no longer than others,” he said as he slowly turned to face the admiral. “Relativity aside.”

  “Relativity is for scientists and philosophers,” the admiral said dismissively as he took a seat across the desk from his leader. “Were you able to convince Terya to leave?”

  “What do you think?”

  “Yes, I was unable to get my wife to take our family to safety, either,” the admiral admitted. “Something about ‘we are a warrior family,’ and all that.”

  “Well, it is unlikely that the Sol Alliance can take out all three battle platforms,” Dom Jung-Mogan stated. “Perhaps their loyalty will be rewarded.”

  “And then neither of us will ever hear the end of it,” the admiral joked.

  “Of this I am certain,” Penta agreed.

  “The Ton-Orso is still having problems,” the admiral reported, returning to the reason for his visit. “We’ve had to slow the battle group further to avoid losing their cloak.”

  “How much of a delay will that cause?”

  “We’re still going to arrive two days ahead of schedule.”

  “As long as we beat Dom Kirton’s forces,” Penta replied. “I could not live with that koratoch getting the glory of the Tonba-Hon-Venar all to himself.”

  Admiral Korahk nodded but said nothing.

  “You have a question?” Dom Jung-Mogan wondered.

  “Are we still to destroy Earth?”

  “You thought otherwise?”

  “No, but on more than one occasion, you have expressed sadness over the waste of such a resource.”

  Penta sighed. “The idea of destroying the one world that is perfectly suited to support our species does seem wrong. I have made no secret of that belief. But I also understand the symbolism of its destruction to our own people. Bacca might not have been of pure blood, but he was a very capable leader. His failure showed that the people of Earth cannot be molded into a proper Jung world. Destruction is the only option.”

  “Then why don’t I believe you when you say it?” the admiral asked.

  “Because I wish we could effectively wipe all her people from existence and claim the world for ourselves…intact,” Penta replied with a sigh. “Alas, complete destruction; quickly delivered, without mercy, is the only chance we have to survive.”

  “Is it not the responsibility of the warrior castes to die for the empire?” the admiral questioned.

  “It is the responsibility of the warrior castes to ensure the survival of the empire,” Penta corrected. “We are the last of the great battle platforms, but we are more. We are also the arks of the empire. Once we destroy the Earth, it will trigger an all-out assault by their jump-missile ships. Few of our people will survive, if any. These three ships may be all that is left to rebuild the empire.”

  “Then why not just let Dom Kirton sacrifice his forces for the Tonba-Hon-Venar?”

  “Believe me, I’ve considered it,” Penta admitted. “Especially when the problems began developing on the Ton-Orso. Unfortunately, my pride is stronger than my sense of survival.”

  Admiral Ko
rahk smiled. “The curse of a true warrior.”

  Dom Jung-Mogan sighed in resignation. “Three weeks then?”

  “Three weeks, and the Jung-Mogan caste will take its place in Jung history.”

  Penta turned slowly back to face the blackness outside once again. “Assuming there is anyone left to write it.”

  * * *

  Cameron looked at Nathan, dumbfounded. “You said that? ‘I’m going to end you?’”

  “I’m so proud,” Jessica chuckled from the far end of the conference table.

  “Do you really believe that was a good negotiating tactic?” Cameron wondered.

  “You had to be there,” Nathan defended.

  “You realize you’re forcing him to lash out,” she opined.

  “I gave him a choice,” Nathan argued.

  “Give up or die,” Jessica chuckled.

  “If he is smart, he will lay low for some time,” Nathan stated.

  “Build up his forces,” Lieutenant Commander Shinoda added. “That would be the smart play.”

  “We need to turn the people of Takara against him,” General Telles said.

  “How do we do that?” Vladimir wondered.

  “By cutting off trade with other systems,” Nathan explained.

  “Takara doesn’t need to trade with other systems to survive,” Lieutenant Commander Shinoda insisted. “They’ve got all the resources they need in their own system.”

  “But they don’t have everything they want,” Nathan pointed out. “The Takarans are accustomed to having access to a wide variety of goods from all over the Pentaurus sector. For more than a century, they have wanted for nothing. The one thing the Dusahn did correctly when they took over was to make certain they did not disturb that balance. Instead, they took wealth away from the noble classes and spread it amongst the commoners.”

  “After taking a generous cut for themselves,” General Telles added.

  “Of course,” Nathan agreed. “The point is, if we cut off all trade between the Dusahn and the rest of the sector, we’ll be creating unrest among their population.”

  “There will be shortages at first,” Lieutenant Commander Shinoda stated. “Many of their products are imported. Dollag, which everyone associates with Takaran society, actually comes from Palee. I think like ninety percent of it is imported.”

  “They will adapt,” Cameron warned.

  “But it will take time,” General Telles replied. “It takes three years to raise a dollag steer to slaughter age. And they do not reproduce quickly.”

  “Takara is a meat-heavy society,” Lieutenant Commander Shinoda added.

  “That’s one of the things I like about it,” Jessica commented.

  “That’s one of the things I don’t like about it,” Cameron added.

  “Any shortage created by a trade embargo will eventually be countered by their own internal production,” General Telles stated.

  “But in the meantime, the general population will be unhappy and blame the Dusahn,” Jessica opined.

  “More likely, the Dusahn will convince their subjects that we are to blame,” General Telles stated.

  “You think that’s why he requested that we meet?” Nathan asked.

  “I believe he expected you to refuse an offer of peace,” the general explained, “in order to set us up as the villain in the eyes of Takara.”

  “And possibly in the eyes of many of the Pentaurus worlds,” Lieutenant Commander Shinoda added, “all of which stand to lose considerable revenue.”

  “Which is why we must link the Pentaurus worlds up with the rest of the alliance worlds. Trade with those worlds will offset the loss of trade with the Dusahn,” Nathan explained.

  “That will only work for so long,” Cameron stated. “What’s your plan to end him?”

  “My plans haven’t changed,” Nathan assured her. “I still plan to challenge him to personal combat for rule of his caste.”

  “Assuming the Jung don’t kill you the moment you arrive,” Cameron reminded him.

  “They are facing their own destruction,” Nathan told her. “If I can offer them a way to survive, I’m pretty sure they’ll take it.”

  “The warrior castes won’t,” Jessica stated.

  “That’s why we’re going straight to Nor-Patri, to speak with the kor-dom himself,” Nathan explained.

  “I still think you’re taking a huge gamble,” Jessica told him.

  “With which?” Nathan asked. “The Jung or fighting Griogair?”

  “Take your pick,” she replied.

  “The Jung cannot be trusted,” General Telles stated plainly. “You of all people know this.”

  “Trust can only exist with proper motivation,” Nathan replied. “All I have to do is find it, and then keep it in play.”

  “I’m not convinced that’s even possible,” Cameron stated.

  “Look, neither side wants to back down, and neither side wants to be destroyed,” Nathan explained. “A change in leadership of the Sol Alliance is the only way that one side can back away from the fight without appearing weak. We have the tools we need to make that happen. Even better, if we do it right, we can bring down Galiardi legally.”

  “Are you certain there isn’t an alternate motive for wanting to take Galiardi down?” Cameron challenged.

  “This isn’t about revenge,” Nathan assured her. “In fact, I doubt we’ll ever find enough evidence to convict him in the death of my father and sisters.”

  “Can you live with that?” Cameron asked, point blank.

  “If all of this finally comes to an end? Yes, I believe I can.”

  “I wouldn’t be able to,” Jessica stated.

  Nathan turned to Vladimir, wanting to move the briefing along. “How’s the ship?”

  “I’ve checked over all the repairs completed while we were away,” Vladimir replied. “They seem to be in order.”

  “Then the ship is ready to go?”

  “As ready as she’s going to be,” Cameron said. “She’s taken a beating the last few months.”

  Nathan looked at Vladimir.

  “She’s ready.”

  “Then I’d like to take her to SilTek and have them put in additional jump energy banks,” Nathan announced. “Enough to double our one-minute jump range.”

  “You want to jump two thousand light years?” Vladimir wondered, a bit surprised.

  “I want to be able to move the Aurora to any point within this alliance and be able to return immediately, should the need arise,” Nathan explained. “That includes the Sol sector.”

  “We’ll have to find room for them,” Vladimir warned. “A lot of room.”

  “Use the starboard forward flight deck,” Nathan instructed.

  “Where will we put our fighters?” Cameron asked, somewhat surprised by his suggestion.

  “We only have twenty fighters left,” Nathan reminded her. “We can fit all of them into the main hangar bay, if necessary. Besides, for the foreseeable future, they’re going to be defending Corinair along with the Nighthawks. The Aurora is pretty much a battleship now.”

  “Have you talked with Commander Verbeek about this?” Cameron wondered.

  “Verbee is going to take command of one of the XKs,” Nathan explained. “Sami will take his place as squadron leader.”

  “What about Kaplan?” Cameron wondered. “I was hoping we’d give her an XK command as well.”

  “And she’ll get one,” Nathan assured her. “But Verbeek’s got more combat experience, and Kaplan’s pretty much indispensable to the Mystic at the moment. Once we find a good XO to take her place there, we can move her.”

  “I’ll have my people prep the bay for the conversion,” Vladimir promised. “I take it you still want to keep the starboard catapults working for the jump missiles.”


  “Of course,” Nathan replied. “Cameron, how is the comm-relay system going?”

  “The network between the Pentaurus, Rogen, and Orswellan sectors is operational. It will be another week before we have the network to SilTek working.”

  “What about Casbon and the Akha?” Nathan wondered.

  “That will be next,” Cameron explained. “Another week or so. Meanwhile, we have a comm-drone jumping between Rogen command and the Casbon system once every hour, and both the Casbon and the Akha have a jump comm-drone they can use to call for help in an emergency.”

  “Good,” Nathan replied. “I’d like a relay network set up to reach the Sol sector as well, with an end point near Tanna so that messages can go to either Sol or Nor-Patri.”

  “Technically, that’s still disputed space,” Cameron warned. “We’d be jumping a comm-drone through territory that the Jung still claim as their own.”

  “I’ll take that chance,” Nathan replied. “We can always move the relay point if necessary. But for now, I want to ensure I have reliable communications between the Voss and the rest of the Alliance.”

  “I’ll see to it,” Cameron promised. “Any particular time frame in mind?”

  “The sooner the better,” Nathan replied. “The sooner we speak with the Jung, the sooner I’ll have an idea which way we’re going.” Nathan looked around at the faces of his senior staff. “The end game is nearing, people. Things are likely to get a little crazy going forward.”

  “Crazier, you mean,” Jessica noted.

  “Crazier,” Nathan agreed. “Just be ready to roll with the changes as we go. That’s all I ask.”

  * * *

  Lord Dusahn stormed out of the elevator and into the lobby, headed full steam toward his office on the other side.

  “I take it things did not go well on Infernum,” Commander Jexx commented as his leader passed.

  “Twelve hours of travel only to be insulted by that child pretending to be a leader!”

  “Then I suppose a cease-fire was not obtained,” the commander stated, following his leader into his office.

  Lord Dusahn spun around, glaring at the commander. “He threatened our empire! He threatened me!”