Reality's Veil

by Damon Alan

  “Lord Komi, Admiral Dayson left orders with her XO that if you betray her during this visit, they are to return with an Oasian fleet and destroy every star in the Komi Syndicate,” Cothis said. “And I believe her. I’ve seen her do brutal things.”

  “It seems we’re not that different after all,” Bannick said. “You do what you need to do in order to secure your strategic goals.”

  “We are different in that I don’t harm innocent bystanders, normally. But it stands to reason that since I believe the main goal is to stop the Hive, if I remove the Komi I have increased the chance that your neighbors will have the military foresight to band together and fight. A new Alliance may well be borne in the ashes of this Syndicate. The conquest of the Hive is more important than any number of Komi citizens.”

  “Cold,” Bannick said. “I like it. You’ll be perfect for assassinating my father.” He clasped his hands and smiled. “And I understand your way of thinking. It will make getting along with you easier.”

  “There is no need for such destruction. Once we kill your father, you need to simply honor your word to provide me with the ships I want, supply my fleet, then turn the rest of your military capability toward our real enemy.”

  “Not unreasonable,” Bannick replied. “But first you must kill my father. It won’t be easy, and if you fail, you and I will both be dead. You blowing up any number of stars will not matter.”

  “Nihilistic,” Sarah observed.

  “Realistic,” Bannick countered. “We fight to better our position in life. Everything else is just noise, useful tools, or a source of amusement.”

  “Not exactly how I see it, but I understand how you think that way. Even if I don’t agree.”

  “Then let’s talk about how you’re going to kill Urdoxander.”

  Chapter 19 - Khalamanthus

  10 Ors 15332

  Sarah woke up as the shuttle clanged against the Sheffaris’s docking collar.

  Salphan smiled at her. “We’re home.”

  She hugged him after she stood up. “I’m glad you think of this as home.”

  “Where you are is where home is.”

  She grabbed his hand and led him toward the lock. Kuo waited on the other side, she handed a bag through to him. “See, XO, once again I was right. You should keep a log.”

  The two medics waited on the other side of Kuo to examine Sachelle, but she couldn’t pay them much attention thanks to Kuo’s frown. He clearly didn’t like her making light of his concerns. “My protest stands. It was risky and if we repeat that moment, I’d advise against you going to meet the enemy again.”

  “Tell me about this Khala on our way to the bridge,” she said.

  She heard Salphan lock to the deck behind her, still exclaiming his joy with his magnetic boots after using them for months, and Marika complaining to the medics about something immaterial that was bothering her. All was right with her friends, and really, her family.

  “It’s like the alien ship we registered on our sensors when we got here, the one in the battle we followed. This one is a lot smaller from the visual images we’ve gathered. We’d never have seen it if it hadn’t contacted us, it’s practically melded to the comet it’s on.”

  “What does it want?” she asked. “You mentioned an alliance against the Hive, but what is in it for the alien? Does it have a civilization on the far side of Hive space that it’s protecting? Hozz mentioned the Hive diverted their fleets. That would somewhat support that theory.” She grabbed the bag from Kuo and tossed it in her quarters as they walked by.

  As they entered the bridge, Kuo answered her. “We have no idea what it wants. It found out you were our ‘Matriarch’ from conversations with Emille, and now refuses to talk to anyone else other than you or Emille.”

  Heinrich grinned and got out of the command gravcouch. “Matriarch on the bridge.”

  “Very funny,” Sarah smirked as she moved to the gravcouch and strapped herself in. “Everyone buckle up, we’re moving the ship. There are four bubbles registering on the Palidragon’s sensors, and I want us to show him that we are allies who fight when the chips are on the table.”

  “Admiral?” Heinrich said, hesitantly. “We’re one ship.”

  “Get Emille to bring the Hyaku into the picture. There should be plenty of adepts on board, and while the ship isn’t ready for direct combat, it can engage in standoff combat with grapplers, G-Ks, and the Oasis fighters.”

  “Right away,” Heinrich said. “I’ll talk to her in person.”

  “Mister Stornbeck, if you’d be so kind as to open a channel to the alien.”

  “Open,” the comm sergeant replied.

  “Khalamanthus, I am Admiral Sarah Dayson, ummm… Matriarch of the ship Sheffaris and the ships that serve us. How can I be of service to you?”

  “I am Khala. Khalamanthus. Khala. My mate is matriarch of the Obedi. While I am a male, I would speak to you if you would allow it.”

  “I will allow it,” Sarah said, looking puzzled toward Kuo.

  “You are the Dayson I have heard in the transmissions from the ships moving on your position. They are enemy to you, no?”

  “Yes,” Sarah admitted. “They intend to destroy the large fleet assembled here and kill me if they can manage it.”

  “Can they manage it?” Khala asked.

  “That remains to be seen. If we do not fight wisely, then yes, they can manage it.”

  “I wish to form an alliance with the most rational human faction. I am familiar with the adepts now thanks to Emille Sur’batti. They are an untimely and unexpected feature of your clan. I am surprised they have chosen you, a non-adept, as their leader.”

  She was sure he meant nothing insulting by that. Maybe among the Obedi the most capable ruled. It was not an unheard-of system. “They are family to us. Our clan if you will. I consider them the greatest asset humanity has.”

  “Of course. And they are coming to fight with you in your fragile vessels,” Khala half-observed, half asked.

  “They do,” she confirmed.

  “The adepts must continue. They are the critical response of this reality consciousness to a non-conscious machine infection. I will fight with you, Matriarch Dayson.”

  A lot of what Khala was saying made no sense. But the content seemed to indicate it was friendly enough. “How do I know—” she began.

  “Holy Saints of the Pleiades!” Algiss exclaimed. “There is a ship in front of us, Admiral. Mass readings off the charts.”

  “Confirmed,” Kuo added.

  “I assume that is you, Khala,” Sarah said calmly.

  “It is I. I am ready to fight. Prepare yourselves for what is coming.”

  “What is coming?” Sarah asked the alien.

  “Ships beyond easy counting. Your losses will be high today. But I plan to help you win.”

  The ship/alien disappeared from in front of them, to places unknown.

  “Take us to battlestations,” Sarah ordered. “Mister Stornbeck, advise the Komi Successor fleet that combat is imminent. Ships beyond easy counting are inbound, as Khala said.”

  Kuo set condition one, and Stornbeck advised Bannick’s fleet as ordered.

  “The Komi fleet is prepared, Admiral. They have asked if you wish us to nest ourselves into their numbers.”

  “No. We will harass the enemy from whatever spot we see gives an opportunity. For now, we stay where we are.”

  “Four bubbles were inbound, Admiral,” Kuo reported. “But now there are three, one dropped out early. I’m registering intense combat in a location about one and a half million kilometers distant.”

  “Khala,” Sarah replied. “He must have forced them out of highspace somehow. We need to pay close attention and learn the abilities of these Obedi.”

  “I’ll watch him,” Kuo offered. “Among my other duties.”

  “The other three fleets are dropping out of highspace,” Algiss said. “And Khala was right. The AI is still counting passive returns.”


  How many ships does it take to confuse the sensor returns enough to prevent easy counting by an AI? Sarah was about to find out.

  Chapter 20 - Admiral’s Personal Log

  10 Ors 15332

  AI Lucy82A recording, Admiral's personal log, personal archive: Galactic Standard Date 16:43:01 10 ORS 15332

  Personal log entry #1972, Admiral Sarah Dayson, origin Korvand, Pallus Sector.

  Current Location: Deep Space, OSV Sheffaris, Komi System

  I’m making this log from the Captain’s gravcouch, as we are about to enter battle.

  [A pause as orders are given in the background by an unidentified male voice. Stress levels in the voices detected are high]

  Today I have secured a tentative alliance with Bannick Komi. I’m not sure what to expect of him yet, or what I think of him other than he’s probably as dirty as any other Komi leader seems to be.

  [Background noise, barked orders, and sounds indicating stations checking in as battle ready]

  Oh, and I met an alien. Going into battle with one, in fact.

  [A laugh from Admiral Dayson, high stress verbal communication continues in the background]

  We’re sort of playing this one by ear. The truth is I can’t bring a lot of capability to this battle, but the ships I can bring, meaning the Sheffaris and the grappler squadrons of the Hyaku are pretty hard hitting. We’re going to have losses and there is nothing to be done about it. I have to secure this alliance, and that means showing this young Lord Komi that I will stand by my word and act like an ally.

  [A pause in the recording, thirty-four seconds long]

  Where was I? Oh yeah. I will act like an ally. Unfortunately, I have to do all the demonstration on the front end of this agreement, and he does his on the back end. I better get what I want.

  [A series of questions from Admiral Dayson to her crew the AI set aside as not part of the log record]

  That’s it for now. Whatever happens, I’m proud of this crew. I want that on record.

  End the log, Lucy.

  Chapter 21 - Hyaku

  10 Ors 15332

  The massive outline of the Seventh Fleet’s engineering vessel, the Fyurigan, hovered in space while orbiting the planet-sized moon Refuge. Next to it were two ships, the other giants of the Seventh Fleet, the Michael Stennis and the Hyaku-hari. The Stennis was being refitted for the third time in recent memory after suffering massive damage at the hands of the Komi. Well, more accurately because of an inattentive grappler crew that failed to follow mission parameters. But the Komi were the underlying villains.

  Captain Baratta, months ago imprisoned at Strike Isle with the rest of his crew, watched as the umbilicals from the Fyurigan detached from his ship and retracted into the engineering vessel.

  He was free, as was his crew. Free to extract some price from his former captors. XO until a few weeks ago, he knew this ship like he knew his own heart. And his heart and ship wanted to even a score that ran a deep deficit.

  His new XO was Commander Nimalak, a Seventh Fleet original who’d served on the Hinden until that ship was blown into scrap. Formerly a weapons commander, she would do well serving the Hyaku. He looked forward to her input on the coming battle.

  “Lateral thrusters away from the Fyurigan. Once our spars clear, main engines forward, point zero-five G,” Baratta ordered. “Let’s not shake up our benefactors, Mister Gussik.”

  The navigation chief pushed the power levels on the main engines to a tiny fraction of what they were capable of. “Point zero-five aye,” he replied.

  The huge fusion thrusters that powered the vessel rode on spars out from the aft main body of the ship, mainly to keep the rear of the hull clear and able to launch and recover grapplers and G-Ks.

  “Comm, send our departure to ground. Our respects to Mayor Jannis,” Baratta said. “And our gratitude to the Fyurigan crew.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  Formalities taken care of, he relaxed back into his gravcouch. “Mister Gussik, are we well clear of our benefactor?”

  “Well clear, sir.”

  “Sensors are clear ahead?” he asked.

  “Sensors clear,” Nimalak confirmed.

  He activated the PA. “All crew to gravcouches. All crew to gravcouches. Hard thrust in one minute.”

  The minute passed painfully slow, finally the chronometer ticked over.

  “Maximum thrust, Mister Gussick. We don’t get much of a shakedown before deploying, but let’s at least test the engines.”

  G forces slammed him back into the couch. The powerful fusion torches lancing out behind the vessel pushed it forward with a force just over six gravities.

  “Without reducing thrust, align us to the Komi system and prepare our first transfer point, Mister Gussik. Once we are speed matched to our destination, reduce thrust to zero.”

  “Wilco, Captain.”

  “Commander Nimalak, run a weapons drill.”

  “Aye, sir,” she said, grinning. “Good timing for that.”

  He was going to like her.

  Less certain in that regard were the two hundred or so adepts that the ship carried with it. Forty-eight for the grapplers, another eighty for Oasis fighters. The rest were battle trained soldiers that would give the Komi a serious surprise if they were deployed into combat or boarding parties.

  Until a short while earlier he had no idea such capabilities as the adepts wielded even existed. But now he was going to rely on them. Professionally, he’d withhold judgment because his superiors, Admiral Dayson and Fleet Captain Heinrich, had vouched for them and were demanding the Hyaku deliver his fleet of small combat vessels into their current dustup.

  Which he would gladly do.

  He just hoped these adepts performed as their reputations suggested.

  At a personal level, he was skeptical. He’d seen them do some small things, certainly, but nothing like moving the carrier he commanded across twenty thousand light-years.

  “We’re ready to transfer,” Gussick said.

  “Have you done this before, Commander Nimalak?” he asked.

  “I have, sir. Once, on the Stennis during the Andromeda mission. It was something one needs to see to believe, so I understand how you’re feeling.”

  “I am having difficulty with belief,” he admitted. “Please make the transfer as you have seen it done.”

  Nimalak nodded. “Mister Gussick, coordinate with our adepts and transfer the ship.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  Seconds later the galaxy changed. He could see it still, but less of it and in more detail on the main screen. Vague clouds of luminance had resolved into stars, and he could see nebula that were mere blurs moments ago.

  There was his proof.

  He breathed a sigh of relief. “Mister Gussick, coordinate with Master Adept Kiron Mozaine until we are on location at Komi. No delays on that arrival, unless needed by the adepts.”

  Gussick smiled at him. “Certainly Captain. According to Kiron we’ll be there inside of an hour.”

  “One name?” Baratta asked. “You friends with him, Gussick? I thought two names were more proper.”

  “I took him drinking two nights ago in Jerna, sir. We shuttled up to the ship after, and so a friendship was born.”

  Nimalak laughed. “I saw them come on board, Captain. Trust me, they’re friends.”

  “Very well. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t misunderstand the custom. The last thing I want to do is offend our ride home.” Baratta said, dead serious. “Why is it always the navigators that are the wild ones?”

  “Isn’t Admiral Dayson a former navigator?” Gussick asked.

  “Aye, she is,” Nimalak replied. “And now that I think about it, so is Fleet Captain Heinrich.”

  “Galaxies help us,” Baratta said as his crew laughed.

  It was a good start to their first mission together.

  Chapter 22 - Battle Most Glorious

  10 Ors 15332

  Bannick, Palia, and Admiral Cothis walked slo
wly toward the bridge, taking their time and discussing the strategic situation as it unfolded for them.

  “Sensors report Admiral Dayson has returned to her ship. Even their shuttles have that jumping technology the Oasians use,” Palia reported, listening to her ear piece. “We need to get that.”

  “Spoken like a future empress,” Bannick said.

  “That’s news,” Cothis said, noticing the closeness between the couple walking with him. “Congratulations, Lord Komi, Lady Palia.”

  “Admiral, you’re to take command of the fleet. You performed perfectly in bringing Sarah Dayson to me. Captain Miko has been running things well, but you’re better. Take charge, prepare a battle plan. You have minutes to do so.”

  The admiral saluted him. “At your command, Lord Komi. I, and House Cothis, will serve.”

  Bannick waved the man toward a lift, urging him to the bridge. Cothis looked relieved to be on the good side of Bannick and put back in charge. There was little doubt about his loyalty, and that alone was worth something. Cothis was also quite competent at ship combat.

  “What do you think of what he said?” Palia asked. “About the Oasians having the power to destroy stars?”

  “I don’t know what I think, yet. I believe Cothis believes it, certainly. Was he duped? I wasn’t there to ascertain that.” Bannick stopped her and slipped his arms around her waist. “I want you to go to the hangars and get a scout ship on its way to Hamor. Only then will we know.”

  “It’s a reasonable way to know,” Palia remarked. “Cothis won’t wonder if you question his sanity, and Sarah Dayson won’t know you’re questioning her word. She seems sensitive about that.”

  “She seemed angry, if you ask me. As if she’s been carrying a burden far too long and it’s someone else’s turn.”

  “Does that bother you?” Palia laughed. “You liked her.”

  “She’s likable. Something inside her demeanor was strong. The galaxy needs more of that.”

  “I’m off to the scout hangars. I’ll return to our quarters after, unless you want me somewhere else,” she said, kissing his cheek.