Reality's Veil

by Damon Alan

  “I can’t blame them,” Sarah said. “They know we’re here now, are they maneuvering to close?”

  Kuo shook his head no.

  She considered her situation. The rest of the Komi defense forces would know where she was as soon as her sensor signals reached them. They wouldn’t be as deterred as the shaken attack ships apparently were.

  “Mister Algiss, find us another hiding spot like this one if you can, at least ten million kilometers from here. If not, we’ll leave the inner system for deep space.”

  The comm from the adepts’ observation deck crackled. “Do you wish to pursue the starship that has you alarmed?” Emille asked.

  “You can do that?”

  “It was not a ship, Sarah, it was a being. I can still sense it… somewhere.”

  Sarah pushed a button and an isolation field surrounded Cothis’s head.

  “I don’t want Cothis to know anything,” Sarah mentioned. “Let me know if you’re going to share information out in the open next time.”

  “I will,” Emille replied. “Sorry. The creature you believed to be a ship thought very clearly and very loudly about a destination before it transferred. Almost as if it was in coordination with others of its kind.”

  “Great,” Sarah said. She paused a moment. “No, I don’t want to go there. But keep that destination in your memory. We might want to go later. For now, we came here to learn about the Komi, and to make a deal with Bannick. We’ll need to observe the system to find him, preferably from an unseen position.”

  “Understood,” Emille answered. “Sorry about the slip up. Alarin will remove it from Cothis’s mind.”

  “You can do that?” Sarah asked. How was it she was still just learning things about the adepts?

  “He can. I am too… damaging. I am not as sensitive to the pain of others as he is.”

  “Take care of it,” Sarah replied. “We can’t risk Cothis knowing anything if I’m to send him back to Bannick. Remove the entire memory he has of being in the Komi system with us so far. Anything before that, well, Bannick will likely assume some of the admiral’s claims to be less than credible, considering the scale of some of what he’s seen.”

  “Alarin and I will be ready to serve,” Emille said as she ended the conversation.

  “I have a good spot, Admiral, an asteroid with a large fracture. Half a billion kilometers from here. I don’t detect any activity from it, we could hide in the crevice and place sensors on the surface to increase our data sensitivity,” Algiss said.

  “Set it all up, Mister Algiss. Wait for my order to transfer before we move, and be ready to jump again immediately in case that rock isn’t uninhabited,” Sarah ordered.

  “Aye, Admiral. It will only be a few minutes.”

  Sarah activated the PA. “Battlestations. Set condition two. Combat is possible, but not expected. Be ready.”

  She pushed further back into her gravcouch.

  Events were coming to a head. The future of mankind hinged on the next moments.

  She clenched her teeth. It is my duty to make sure any hinged door swings open the right way.

  Chapter 10 - Better Late than Never

  08 Ors 15332

  Bannick didn’t usually come to the bridge of the Palidragon. There wasn’t any need, he could stay in his quarters and control the ship just as effectively. But today was an exception. It was very likely, if his father intended to depose him as successor to High Lord, that a shoot on sight order existed in the Komi system for this ship.

  Bannick would be ready to direct the fight to his advantage if one arose. The ship was at battlestations, full alert. If one of father’s warships flinched when they first dropped out of highspace, the Palidragon would end it.

  “Cooling fins are fully extended, sodium is pumping,” the bridge engineering officer reported.

  Bannick leaned over to the man standing next to him. “General Vakosi, prepare your ground forces to defend the Cothis compound on Komi III. I made a promise to that house, and I will need their help very soon.”

  “Understood, Lord Komi,” the man said, snapping to attention.

  He saluted and Bannick waved him off. “No delay, Vakosi. I want you ready to transport in twenty-four hours.”

  The general nodded and left the bridge at a fast stride.

  “We have spin-out,” navigation reported. “Realspace in eighty-two seconds.”

  Bannick stared at the near blackness ahead of him, broken only by the heavy cruisers forming a shield at the front of his ship. Blinking running lights were joined by thousands of stars as the bubble dissipated.

  “Report?” Captain Miko asked his navigator.

  “Contacts, one-three-one mark two-six-four. Identifies as superlift freighter convoy. Fifteen ships, six hundred thousand kilometers.”

  “They’ll report our arrival, Lord Komi.” Miko stood uncomfortably, probably wondering if Bannick would have him jam the convoy’s transmissions and destroy them.

  “Send a greeting,” Bannick ordered. “Advise them of our vector as a courtesy, then apply just enough ECM to their sensors they don’t know if we really follow that vector or not.”

  “They’ll know what we’re doing,” Miko said.

  “And it won’t matter. The important thing is they don’t give our true heading,” Bannick said. “Any sign of Dayson?”

  “None,” Miko said, “but we just got here. With the comm traffic in system, it might take us a while to find her even in the clear.”

  “If she is here, I need to talk to her now.” Bannick stood, ready to return to his quarters. “Advise me the moment you find her. Have Marika Sachelle taken to a shuttle, ready to transport to any meeting location.”

  “In chains, Lord Komi?” Miko asked.

  Bannick laughed. “If we don’t chain her, she may take the shuttle from us. So yes, Captain. Dress her in a motion restrictive jumpsuit and have her restrained well in addition to that.”

  “Sir,” Miko said as he turned to the task.

  As much as he wanted to be with Palia, Bannick changed his mind about leaving the bridge. He had a gravcouch next to the Captain’s spot, so he strapped in. He felt as if something was wrong, deep in his gut. As if something was about to go very badly against him.

  “Lady Andina’s ships are just now dropping to realspace,” sensors reported. “Two hundred and eleven, port side, sixty-eight thousand kilometers.”

  “Close that range,” Bannick ordered. “We’re one big fleet now. Five hundred kilometers or less across the entire fleet.”

  “Plotting our course and coordinating with Andina Fleet,” the pilot answered. “It won’t take long, Lord Komi.”

  The Captain rejoined him, sharing intel to make an effort to keep Bannick apprised of the events he was seeing.

  “Sir, I’m detecting numerous small targets approaching from the direction of the freight convoy.” The sensor officer turned and looked at the captain, his voice tense. “Grapplers, and a few hundred of them.”

  “Fortunately, we’re at battlestations,” Captain Miko said. “Launch our G-Ks and advise Andina Fleet.” He looked at Bannick. “With our G-Ks and your sister’s, we probably number two hundred.”

  “Ordering G-Ks to rapid launch,” the weapons officer replied.

  “How long until the approaching grapplers are in sublight missile range?” Miko asked.

  “Forty minutes.”

  “Get the cruisers between us and the enemy. We’ll need their light railguns to kill anything that gets to us,” Miko ordered. “And bring the ship-to-ship guns to bear on that convoy. When you have a targeting solution, weps, destroy all fifteen of those Q ships.”

  “You sure that’s the source?” Bannick asked.

  “Ninety-percent,” Miko said. “There are probably similar fleets around the system looking for us, Lord Komi. That is, if the intent is to kill Palidragon. This could be a move by a lone house to change the successorship, of course.”

  “Then take no chances,
Captain,” Bannick replied. “Well done.”

  The ship shuddered as the main batteries opened up. Multi-ton projectiles lanced out from the super-dreadnought, disappearing into the darkness in the direction of the freighters. As unlikely as hits were at this range, the decoy ships would know they were being fired on. That would either cause them to reveal their purpose decidedly, or to veer off.

  “How long?” Miko asked weps.

  “We’ll know their intentions in just over an hour, sir. Unless they hightail it before then. They do have an FTL ship in their convoy.”

  “Which they could use to close the gap just as easily,” Miko reminded his officer.

  “That would be suicide,” Bannick observed. “Surely they’d know better.”

  “With all due respect, Lord Komi, if that was their order, they have families to think about. Closing the gap will be the best option they have to harm this fleet’s two flagships,” Miko replied.

  Bannick stared at the Captain a moment, shocked by the man’s tone. Then he realized just how true the officer had spoken.

  “Captain Miko, feel free to explain that sort of thing to me at any time. Our tight clench on the houses grows more distasteful to me every day and is just a reminder of how far reaching any changes I make after we seize power will have to be.”

  That, in return, seemed to shock Miko. It took the seasoned combatant a moment to recover. Then the captain’s lip curled just slightly, and he nodded at Bannick. “And whatever reason they fight for, Lord Komi, it’s not as good as that one. We’ll get them.”

  Bannick smiled a closed-lipped smile. Whatever it took to win, this was a life and death struggle it seemed. Whether it was his father sending these ships to attack him, or another house, he’d show no mercy to those who raised a fist against him. Family or not.

  “Sensors keep an eye on Andina’s ship as well. We can’t afford to trust anyone at this point. If her fleet pursues a weapon’s lock, I want to know for sure it’s on the enemy.”

  “At your command, Lord Komi,” the officer replied.

  He stared at the forward screens, at Komi Prime shining so benevolently on the heart of the empire. It had no way of knowing the vipers nest it nourished with its sunlight.

  “Lord Bannick,” the comm officer said, interrupting Bannick’s thoughts.

  “What is it?”

  “I have a communication for you.”

  He sighed. “My father?”

  “No, Lord. It’s Admiral Sarah Dayson.”

  Chapter 11 - Cothis

  08 Ors 15332

  Admiral Cothis stood in front of her, in chains, facing the viewscreen with his back to her. He’d recovered from her previous interrogation, although she noticed his attempt to stand defensively when she drew close. He may or may not be afraid of her, but he at least believed she was willing to harm him.

  She regarded the man with contempt. While he was initially shocked by the planet killing weapon the Komi used, he’d expressed no regrets. He knew of the death fleet’s existence even if he didn’t ever expect to see it used. He’d not apologized for his part in the murder machine that was the Komi Navy. He was loyal Komi, the only thing that could be said for him that wasn’t entirely negative. Many men would have collapsed at the show of force Sarah put on for him, but not this one.

  He was as strong as he was evil.

  “I have not allowed you to leave my ship because I do not wish for you to become entangled in our civilian government,” Sarah said to him. “Your fate will be decided here.”

  He faced forward, not turning to look at her. “I assume you intend to execute me should Bannick displease you, or my disposition with your government would be of no concern.”

  “I have every intention of executing you, if Bannick Komi is attempting to deceive me or my fleet. If his intention is betrayal, I will send him your body via my airlock,” Sarah replied coldly. “And I will personally push the buttons to eject you.”

  “You and I still aren’t getting on then?” Cothis asked.

  “You may find humor in your situation,” Sarah responded. “I do not. You are part of a monstrosity.”

  “Was. I’m your prisoner now. And not being treated all that civilly.”

  Not being treated civilly? Okay, maybe she’d attacked him once. The thought of the Komi Syndicate standing in the way of her attempts to save every human alive agitated her more than just a little. The thought of them treating individuals as worthless cogs infuriated her even more. The planet Mindari outright enraged her. Millions of dead just so a tyrant could send a message to his son.

  She detached herself from her gravcouch and stood up, her magboots locking her to the deck. “You think you are being treated uncivilly. In five hundred years the Hive will have conquered the galaxy, and instead of fighting them your empire is taking advantage of humanity when we’re down. If I must, I will erase the Komi Syndicate from history. I will send your suns into novae, I will burn your civilization into dust. Your people cost me a man I thought of as my son. I would trade every one of your worlds to have him back. Or destroy every one of your worlds to complete the cause he and I believe in.”

  She could tell by the way Cothis’s throat moved up and down that he believed her.

  Which was good, because she had no intention of killing him. She had to get him into the hands of Bannick so the arrogant fool could tell his Lord Komi how brutal she was. Bannick had to believe she had what it took to destroy his inheritance if he ever betrayed her.

  Because she needed ships. And she needed access to the formerly Alliance populations on the planets the Komi had conquered.

  You play a risky game. What will you do if Bannick doesn’t think you can follow through? Emille asked her.

  I will consider his family and friends to be acceptable military targets. I will, piece by piece, break him.

  Is that who we are?

  It is who we must be. Every week the Hive are taking new systems. I cannot afford humanity for the inhumane.

  I will follow you either way, Sarah. You’re right, we cannot wait to afford evil time to change. The future will celebrate when we succeed.

  Sarah didn’t answer. She didn’t care about legacy. About history. She cared about Peter and Eris. About Alarin and Emille, and their children.

  She stepped forward, in front of Admiral Cothis, then turned to face him. “Answer me this, Admiral. I want to make sure that your Lord Komi gets the right message, so I don’t have to actually follow through with my threat. Do you believe I will eradicate the Komi systems in order to save humanity from the Hive?”

  His eyes narrowed, staring into hers with hate for a long time. But then he looked downward and she knew she was in his mind.

  “I believe you,” he said. “You’re a madwoman.”

  “Take him to his cell,” she ordered the two marine guards. “Give him a good meal. It may be his last if Bannick is not cooperative. We are not animals.”

  As the guards hauled the prisoner away, one looked back at her, clearly wondering if she was going to execute the man.

  Once the marine looked away, she smiled. If the guards believed it, Cothis would be no different.

  I know what you’re doing, Salphan thought to her.

  Good. Someone is going to have to vouch for my character after this is all over.

  Chapter 12 - Doubts

  “As a species, we don’t remember what it was like to be them,” Khala was saying. “We are the Obedi, we are unified even in the reduced state we’re in now, subject to the physical laws of one universe.”

  Sylange flashed her remembrance of his insight. “You think that’s why I’m having such a hard time coming to terms with these organics? Because of my reduced capacity?”

  “Maybe,” Khala said noncommittally. “I don’t currently have the perception or intellect to know the answer. All I do know is that when we leave the oververse, we are reduced. And that reduction eliminates the ability to know and see things as they are somet
imes. Not that we have a choice, we must feed our young. Maybe the way these organics are is how we once were, and we’ll know it when we’re done here.”

  “You’re saying I should not just destroy them all and let this universe die?”

  “Clans, no!” Khala replied, laughing. “I know you’re kidding, but your mother would be outraged. She asked you to save this universe. She saw something here that she wanted to let develop into fruition.”

  “But why did she care?” Sylange said. “She retained so much more than I, with her size and duration through the ages.”

  “You are Matriarch now. Soon, once the newness of your rule wears off, you will have our clan looking to you for guidance. And you will, I have no doubt, surpass Shosgawa in your wisdom.”

  “Sycophant,” Sylange said, her lighting flashing a laugh as she stroked her partner’s thorax.

  “You know better than that,” he replied.

  She drew her arm back to herself. “Yes, I do, Khala. I do. And speaking of doing, what do we do about these humans?”

  “Did they harm you?” he asked.

  “No, not at all. I harmed them, I will probably be thought of as an enemy among them now.”

  “They are not homogeneous, any more than we Obedi are. If you desire to enlist their aid, maybe it’s simply a matter of finding the right human to ask.” He lit up smugly, assured in his own solution to the problem.

  She had forgotten that the humans weren’t a unified mindset, at least not yet. That would come later as this reality shared more of existence with them.

  “You may be right,” she agreed, “but don’t let it go to your head.” She fanned out her sensor arms into threads. Nothing nearby, except her mate and children. The hatchlings basked in the gravity waves and radiation of the white dwarf binaries they orbited. She’d returned here with her family as it was a high energy environment, with lots of machine occupied star systems nearby.

  “Another thing I’m right about,” he continued. “You should not be the one to go to the humans.”