by Reg Franklin
A shout from the tactical station: “Admiral, we have incoming!”
“Vandle?”
“I don’t think so, they’re broadcasting truce in English!”
“On screen!” Chris ordered, then, a moment later, “All fleet, defensive formation!”
The two ships on the sides were unfamiliar. But the one in the middle Chris recognized instantly.
The Red Talon.
34.
“They are broadcasting truce though?” Athlé was confused.
“The last time I saw that ship, Cynosure, it levelled a small town.” Chris clenched his fists involuntarily.
“Why are they here? What does Stragdoc want?” Jemma whispered.
The comm chimed, Captain Vren sounding curious and worried. “Admiral, I do not recognize these vessels, but obviously you do or you would not have issued a defensive order. Know that I have trust in you to join you in destroying these ships if you desire it.”
“Thank you, Captain. The second they make any hostile moves, open fire.”
Another voice came over the comm. “If you are going to be discussing opening fire on us, perhaps don’t do it over an open frequency?” A woman’s voice. Chris looked over at Jennifer, who mouthed the name Callixta.
“Empress Callixta Morsalis, I presume?” Chris grimaced, feeling a sympathetic twinge in his leg. She’d been the one to crash his plane over Antarctica, breaking his leg in several places.
Jennifer remained crouched to the side, trying to minimize her psionic presence. She could feel Callixta mentally sweeping the ship for her.
“Indeed. And you are?”
“Admiral Christopher St. George of the Earth Alliance. What is it you want?” Chris was glaring at the comm.
“Such hostility. We wish to join your Alliance. Temporarily at least.” Jennifer emphatically shook her head no.
“Why?” Chris snapped.
“Because, we each have something the other wants. We know where the Lavnabren is.”
Zath looked startled. Chris piped up before the alien could. “Interesting. And what is it that we have that you want?”
There was a pause. “Jennifer Safyo.”
Chris started sweating. Jennifer rolled her eyes. “Who?”
“Don’t play stupid, Admiral, it doesn’t suit you. Safyo is wanted on charges of terrorism against the Empire and attempted murder against the Emperor and myself.” Another pause. “And I know she’s on that ship.”
Jennifer sighed, rising to her feet. Either Callixta had sensed her, or she’d read the Admiral’s mind. In the end, her imprisonment/execution for a chance to stop Lavnabren and Aster was not such a bad trade.
“Empress Morsalis, this is Cynosure Athlé Ma’ald of the Xaodi. Regrettably, the Admiral cannot grant your request as Ms. Safyo has been granted asylum and sanctuary by my government. And as we have no extradition treaty with either yourself or the Earth government, your request is denied.” She winked at both Chris and Jennifer, drawing an appreciative grin from the former, while the latter’s brow was furrowed.
“You dare-!”
“Yes, I do. Now perhaps if you have a different request to make in exchange for your information?”
Before the Empress could respond, Chris spoke up. “Where’s Stragdoc? Shouldn’t he be commanding the Red Talon?”
“My husband has personal business with the aliens. He has taken a small strike force to the Vandleifdulus’ home. We will leave shortly to provide support. And, Cynosure, you and I will have business soon if you do not correct your tone.”
Jennifer smiled, grabbing a tablet and frantically typing, before handing it to Athlé, who laughed. “Oh I doubt that. But our alliance thanks you for the intel regarding...I believe it is pronounced ‘Saj-ee-tar-ee-us A’?”
Dead silence from the comm.
“And in that case, we shall still join you as the Vandleifdulus threaten all of us. Thank you again.”
Chris shut off the comm. “Reading her mind?”
Jennifer shook her head. “Psi-Omegan encryption isn’t that hard to break if you know what you’re doing. Or if you paid someone a long time ago to slip in a back door.” She took the pad back from Athlé. “Even still, they were smart enough to list several different locations as their next destination. It was really just an educated guess. They worship entropy. Lami told me before about a ‘gravitational anomaly’, V’elj, a gate to the underworld according to Prelt myth.”
Zath bobbed his head. +Yes. We could see it from our world before the Vandleifdulus drove us from it.+
“It’s at the center of the galaxy, isn’t it Zath?” His eyes flashed in surprise. “Sagittarius A, the supermassive black hole, was on the list.”
“Transmit to all ships, set course for galactic center!” Chris ordered. “How long until we’re ready to depart?”
Jemma checked. “No more than an hour. The Relex are including vessels to our fleet, we just need time to integrate them into the formation.”
+Quordex designed our research station to study V’elj. How did we not see that he would set Lavnabren there?+ Zath lamented, bitterly.
“Admiral, Psi-Omegan ships are withdrawing. By their trajectory, they’re likely headed for galactic center as well.”
---
Callixta smiled tightly, making psionic contact with her husband. They know. And reacted almost as you predicted.
Excellent. They believe we are sending a full fleet. They will see only a fraction of our true strength. They will arrive, damage themselves against our common enemy, and we shall be in a much better position to...bargain.
And Safyo? One of these allied races has offered her protection.
They can only protect her as long as she remains within their borders. When the time comes, she will die.
---
Kelly Young read the brief transmission from the John Alex for the sixth time.
RELEX SAVED, LAVNABREN LOCATED.
PSI-OMEGAN FORCES ENCOUNTERED, ALSO EN ROUTE TO LAVNABREN.
LOCATION: SAGITTARIUS A.
Because of course the crazy aliens were orbiting a black hole. Naturally. But it was the second line that worried him most. The Psi-Omegans, the Alphites, were joining the party? Kelly exhaled, feeling a delicious rage building within him. He owed them some payback for screwing with his head. “Ready the Twin.” He commanded. “And every vessel we can spare from the defensive perimeter.”
“President Young, is that wise?”
“Our forces have located the enemy’s stronghold, but they are likely walking into a trap. The Alphites are headed there as well. Additionally, when the Vandle realize where we’re headed, they’re going to pull back to their base. We need to hit them hard and we need to hit them now.”
Kelly trusted St. George, Vren, the Prelt, all of them. But he knew that he couldn’t afford to trust the Psi-Omegans not to pull something. Every fibre of his being warned him that Stragdoc was going to take advantage of the situation somehow, so they needed to take that advantage away from him.
---
Lavnabren returned to consciousness slowly as her damaged neural tissue healed from Hst-ur-Dra’s treachery. And he was still there in front of her, eyes glowing a dangerous red. He had removed his Prelt robes, and where there should have been the slender stalks that the plant based organisms used for locomotion, there was now a set of Vandleifdulus tentacles.
+YOU BASTARD YOU DEMEAN THE GREAT WORK BY IMPERSONATING THE PURITY OF THE VANDLEIFDULUS FORM!+
+I have improved it.+ Aster calmly corrected her. +Surely...father...told you how Prelt bodies readily accept graftings from similar cell groups.+
+BLASPHEMY TO BE PLACED UPON YOU FOR STEALING OUR PURITY!+
+Be silent.+ Aster fingered a control, sending a painful, but non-lethal, jolt of electricity through her. +They are coming here, you know. All of them. The Cradle’s sensors detect several large masses travelling at faster than light speeds in this direction.+
+THEN WE ALL DIE IN THE V
’ELJ AS IT SHOULD BE!+
One of Aster’s eyes faded to the same teal color that the Vandle saw through. +Possibly. But not before the final gambit.+ He slithered closer. +Thank you for the new legs, sister.+
Lavnabren looked down her body and screamed in mixed horror and rage. +WHY?!+
Aster coughed laughter. +There are elements in this Cradle that you had access to, but never bothered to look at. Perhaps if you had, your foul children would not have failed so easily in their task.+
+YOU BLASPHEME AGAIN! MY CHILDREN WILL WIPE THE COSMOS CLEAN IN OUR SACRED MISSION TO THE VOID!+ But by the end, she was shouting to an empty room, for Aster had already left.
And for the first time in centuries, the first time since her original people had cast her out, Lavnabren wept bitterly.
35.
Jennifer walked into the medbay. “We don’t have long before we arrive, I just wanted to check on her before I joined the strategy meeting.”
Jonathan West rose from Lami’s bedside. “She’s still unconscious. Physically, she seems fine. It’s the possible mental strain I worry about.”
Jennifer hung her head. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t have a choice.”
“Considering that the whole thing was her plan, you have nothing to apologize for.” West smiled. “I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Jennifer nodded glumly. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed. “It just seems like all these damned powers are good for is hurting people.”
“Then master them. When this current crisis is over, find somewhere quiet, and learn the fine control you need. Find your center, determine your focus, and arm yourself.” West’s mouth narrowed in concern. “The Psi-Omegans are back, and we’ll need you. Stragdoc is going to come back to Earth, we all know it. And you are our best defense.”
“Jennifer Safyo, you are needed in Meeting Room A.”
She glanced at the speaker Jemma’s voice came from. “Thanks, Jonathan.” She kissed his cheek. “Take care of her.”
Jonathan West blushed as Jennifer quickly moved up the corridor. “Damned right I will.” He vowed.
---
The command staff of the Alex were gathered around an image of Sagittarius A the Prelt had provided, a small silver sliver that was likely Lavnabren and Aster’s base circled in red. “Zath, how many Vandle ships are we thinking will be there?” Chris looked pointedly at the alien.
+Most of them, assuredly. It is likely that Aster has recalled all the legions, but it will take time for them to arrive. If I might make a suggestion?+
Captain Vren spoke up from a vidlink. “By all means.”
+Lavnabren and Aster are the only ones who can control and direct the Vandleifdulus. Eliminate them, and the rest will be a much smaller threat.+
“Alternatively, they could become a much bigger threat, lashing out at the galaxy.” Jennifer pointed out.
+This is slightly true. But there is a much more likely scenario. That they will fly into V’elj.+
“Makes sense.” Chris agreed. “From what you’ve told us, they were meant to all kill themselves anyway.”
“However, we’re forgetting something.” Jennifer pointed out. “Stragdoc. We might be allies of convenience at the moment, but he’s going to find some way of coming out of this ahead. Stealing Quordex’s research on cloning alone would tip the balance in his favour.”
+Your near human enemy is not the primary threat.+ Zath almost snapped.
“Perhaps not. But here’s another possibility: he finds a way to control the Vandle. Some backup method Quordex left lying around.”
Zath’s eyes whitened in shock.
The Relex fleet commander now spoke up. “This Relex believes yellow hair has a point. If other not-human can control Vandleifdulus, Relex and new allies only waiting for pale ones to return.”
“What does little yellow hair suggest?” The Gieron commander rumbled.
Jennifer braced herself. “I’ll enter the station, do what I can to sabotage it. And I’ll kill Lavnabren and Aster. If the fleet can keep the Vandles occupied, I’m pretty sure that they won’t know I’m on board until it’s too late. And if Stragdoc’s already there, I’m the only one who can go toe-to-toe with him anyway.”
Athlé inhaled in shock. “Unacceptable. I will acknowledge you know more of him than I possibly could, but I refuse to allow you to face him, Aster, and Lavnabren alone.”
“Yellow hair, I agree with Xaodi. This smells of dishonor and suicide.” The Gieron snapped. “Agreed, one is less noticeable than large group, but I have an idea. We shall send shuttles, attempt to board station, cause havoc. Vandleifdulus and other mind mages like you will have to deal with Gieron before you!” He slammed a fist into his chest for emphasis.
“Relex can try to affect station systems. Is how we defended Relex Prime so long, we Relex can try and affect station remotely!” It took Jennifer a moment to realize that the Relex was talking about hacking the computer systems.
“How will you sneak on board?” Chris asked quietly. “Your ship is fast, yes, but it will still need to enter a docking bay, and I’m pretty sure they’ll see you dock. Aster knows who you are, don’t forget.”
That gave Jennifer pause. Until she heard a muted moaning sound followed by clicking. “Opkohc...idea.”
---
Stragdoc sat on the bridge of the Hecatomb, currently parked on the edge of galactic center. Far enough away that he didn’t think the Vandleifdulus would notice him, but gave him a spectacular view of Sagittarius A.
“A literal hole in reality.” He breathed. “A place where time and space are meaningless.”
Captain Vaathek looked warily at the Emperor with her remaining eye. After he had basically lashed every Alphite mind together to save Numenor, she didn’t trust him. It was supposed to be only the Neuromancers who he was going to tap into, but instead everyone present had been drained. Just before she fell unconscious, she’d felt her right eye rupture, and the doctors weren’t sure if it could regenerate. She gritted her teeth in frustration. He’d apologized personally to everyone hurt in the effort, but Zulphäis Vaathek could read the lack of sincerity in his bearing.
And she no longer trusted him.
She wasn’t alone. She’d spoken to other naval officers and staffers present at the Crushing (as many now called it), and several also expressed misgivings at how the Emperor had used all of them. There wasn’t enough animosity present to stage a coup or anything, but there was...concern. A lot of it. At least when the Empress had apologized, she had meant it. And even the Neuromancer, Truk, who was increasingly becoming the Emperor’s right hand, seemed to have a lot on his mind since the Crushing.
“Captain Vaathek.” The Emperor called pleasantly. “How many alien ships are now orbiting Sagittarius A?”
Zulphais buried her misgivings deep in her mind. If he even suspected that there was no longer trust in him, there was no doubt a purge of the military would begin. “Current count...fourteen thousand, my Emperor. Most are the small ships they drive into larger vessels. But there are enough capital ships to pose a problem.”
“Where do they get the materials, I wonder. We have to strip mine asteroids for our own vessels.”
“If I may hazard a guess, sir?”
“By all means, Captain.” He smiled indulgently. She wanted to spit in his face.
“Sagittarius A draws in a great deal of material from across the galaxy. Even this far out, we’re compensating for its pull. They probably just grab any flotsam pulled in and rebuild it.”
“Probably. As good a guess as any, and really, considering I intend to wipe them from the galaxy, unimportant in the long run.” He looked penetratingly at her. “Captain...did I ever thank you for your service to the Empress during my...convalescence?”
“I believe so, sir.” Vaathek kept her voice neutral.
“Not enough, undoubtedly. The tension you are carrying…” He smiled. “Very well, Commodore Vaathek. Yes, that feels appropriate.” He opened shipwide
communications. “Now hear this. In light of her service to the Empress Callixta, and for leading our strike force, Zulphäis Vaathek is hereby promoted to the rank of Commodore, effective immediately.” Cheers echoed through the comm as he switched it off.
Vaathek swallowed. That put her in charge of a small fleet. The only other officer who could boast that was Admiral Dalth. And Tilial Dalth was not fond of Vaathek, feeling that the Empress should only travel on board the Red Talon, under her command. “Thank you, my Emperor.” She bowed stiffly.
“Don’t thank me yet. We have to survive this first.” He chuckled darkly.
Vaathek still hated him.
---
“You fixed it?” Jennifer and Chris gawped at the hologram the Opkohc produced.
