The Evolution of Vaughn, page 16
Travel time in the fold from Sliuvarg to their next location was nearly six hours.
As they travelled between time and space, Vaughn and Fresia planned the next incursion. “You know they’re going to be ready for us,” Fresia said.
“I figure, as soon as we unfold they’ll be on us. I’m going to be in the E’Clei vessel. I’ll try to confuse them.”
“Halle can’t take a battle cruiser by herself, Vaughn.”
“We don’t need her to. We just need her to keep them busy and then fold out.” The pair were sitting at the table in the galley, eating a hot meal and resting. Vaughn was exhausted. He stretched out his legs and rubbed the muscle in his good leg. “Damn, I’m not twenty anymore,” he said.
“You going soft on me, old man?”
Vaughn smiled weakly. “I’m good. I can do it for Matty. For now, I’m going to get a few hours of shut-eye.” Vaughn retired to his berth and fell asleep within seconds.
Fresia woke him five hours later. “Halle and I have finished the primary weapon on the E’Clei ship. She completely wiped the core and installed her own operating system. She’s re-written all the control routines, and ferretted out four E’Clei backdoors. She has fully wiped every E’Clei system.”
“Halle, you’re amazing,” Vaughn said.
“I couldn’t have done it without Commander Werts.”
“What did you name the other craft?”
“We saved that honor for you, Captain. Its core needs an upgrade before it can truly become self-aware, but I was thinking of Rom, after all the time I spent dormant on a crystal.”
“I think that’s a great name, Halle. Are Rom’s systems online?”
“They are.”
“Then,” said Vaughn, getting up from his berth. “I suppose it’s time I go meet the new ship.”
“Sir, the ship’s main weapon. It is troubling.”
“How so?”
“It’s capable of a sustained bolt of energy that would super-heat a planet’s core, causing loss of magnetosphere and creating massive geological shifts, destabilizing the planet’s rotation and eventually, after a minute or more, destroying the planet.”
“I could destroy the E’Clei home-world?” Vaughn’s eyes widened. “How many planets do they have?”
“At last known count, the E’Clei inhabit two hundred fifty three planets.”
“If we use this weapon, we could set them back hundreds of years,” said Vaughn.
Fresia shook her head. “Or you could escalate hostilities and reignite the war with the Fogerians. Don’t forget, you are a Fogerian Captain, Vaughn.”
Vaughn stroked the week of stubble on his face. “Does this seem too easy to you? We just walked in to a hostile planet, deep in E’Clei territory and took a weapon capable of destroying a planet. We killed less than twenty E’Clei, and off we go. That doesn’t make any sense. Even in their own territory…”
“The E’Clei are a hive mind. There can’t be an E’Clei traitor. They all follow the directions of the Queen.”
Vaughn looked skeptical. “It doesn’t make sense. I’m still going after Matty, because that’s all I can do. But something is up, and I don’t like not knowing what it is.”
“I hope you’re wrong,” Fresia said quietly.
“Yeah, me too.” He paused for a moment and then asked, “How long until we unfold, Halle?”
“Thirty two minutes, Captain.”
“Power up the shield generator the second we unfold. I don’t know what we’re flying into, but it’s not going to be pretty, you can be sure of that.”
Vaughn and Fresia donned their battle suits, and prepared themselves mentally. Vaughn knelt down and put his hand on the floor grates. “Halle, this is going to be ugly, but together we can get through this. You and me - just like the first trip.”
“I won’t let you down this time, Captain.”
“You’ve never let me down, Halle.
“Prepare to unfold.”
“Red Status. Power up the battle section.”
Vaughn’s heart sank. They dropped out of the fold, directly in front of an E’Clei battle cruiser.
“Shield at maximum,” Halle said.
Vaughn was the epitome of calm as he commanded, “Launch the cannons. Open fire.”
For nearly a minute, Vaughn heard the “thump, thump, thump” of each of Halle’s remote cannons launching out of the tubes in the battle pack. As soon as each of the tiny cylinders was clear of the ship, a small array opened up on the front, and it began positioning itself around the ship. Thousands of tubes filled up the space around the ship and started firing on the battle cruiser.
“Target their sensor arrays first. I don’t want them to study this shield. I’d like to avoid giving them this technology.”
The E’Clei opened fire; long, blue streaks of energy impacted the ship. Each impact shook the ship slightly inside the shield. “Captain, shields holding.”
They were sitting square on with an E’Clei battle-cruiser, and taking everything they had to offer. His previous ship, the Reetus, the most powerful ship in the Fogerian War Command had spent eighteen seconds enduring this much fire and was nearly destroyed. Only Halle’s help calculating an escape fold had saved them.
“How are their sensor arrays, Halle?”
“Estimated E’Clei sensor capabilities, twenty percent.” Outside the ship, the remote cannons swarmed the massive battle cruiser. The E’Clei cannons mostly focused on them, but they were so small they were nearly impossible to hit. Halle controlled each of them, processing their telemetry and taking evasive action individually. The amount of power being used was phenomenal.
“Argimonium levels, Halle?”
“Battle systems generator at forty percent. Shield generator at sixty percent. Core systems, thirty percent.”
“Fresia, grab a fuel canister and replace the core. I’ll take a couple to the shield generator.” Fresia nodded and took off running. Vaughn turned and headed in the opposite direction. As he moved, he asked “Halle, what are our chances here?”
“Standard E’Clei battle tactics indicate they will launch fighters imminently. Shall I position the cannons at their hangar doors?”
“Yes, please. We can’t let them swarm us. They’ll try to board and infect us. As long as they think there is a chance they can take our technology, they won’t risk destroying the ship. Don’t let them get in, Halle.” Vaughn worked quickly to replace the fuel at the shield generator and then headed back to the cockpit. “What is Rom’s weapons capability?”
“Rom’s primary weapon is still unfinished. Secondary weapons systems are offline. Rom is incomplete.”
“Captain, core fuel refilled,” Fresia reported, coming up to his side.
Vaughn nodded, acknowledging her and then said, “Halle, can you get us in position to jump?”
“You’d most definitely be killed before you landed.”
The battle cruiser launched fighter ships. Hundreds of individual pods, just large enough for a man, thrusters and guns. Explosions rocked the hangar doors as Halle’s cannons opened fire. Ship after ship poured out of the hangars.
“There are too many for the cannons!” Fresia exclaimed. Ships started breaking through the lines, circling back to destroy Halle’s guns.
“Bring them back, Halle! Concentrate fire on the bridge.”
The cannons all fired thrusters, realigning around the bubble surrounding Vaughn’s ship. They all opened fire, sustained blue streaks shot outwards, all hitting the same spot on the battle cruiser.
E’Clei fighters clamped on to Halle’s outer hull.
“Captain, fighters latched on,” Halle reported.
“Electrify hull plating,” Vaughn replied calmly.
The low hum of the generators increased in pitch, and then the zap of electric bolts flowing over the hull plating.
“Enemy ships disabled.”
“Think, Vaughn, think! What is our way out of this.” Try as he might, the outcome seemed inevitable. There were just too many of them. If he’d been in the Reetus, with Halle’s technology, they may have had a chance, but Halle was just too small.
“Enemy bridge destroyed. Cannons at ten percent power, Captain. What is the next target?”
“Target the fighters. Divert all remaining guns to destroying those fighters. Make every shot count!”
“As you command, Sir. I will stop missing on purpose.”
The E’Clei ship continued to launch fighters.
“Halle, can you calculate a fold for Rom and Fresia?”
“Yes, Captain. The software that controls Rom’s fold drive is still compiling.”
“Thank you. Please let me know when it’s complete.”
“I’m not leaving you, Captain,” Fresia replied. “We’re not on a Fogerian ship. You can’t command me.”
The ship shuddered as dozens of E’Clei fighters latched on again.
“Hull breech in one minute, Captain.”
Vaughn sat on the bridge, staring at the E’Clei ship. He’d come so close and put up a hell of a fight. It was much more than he’d ever done with the Reetus alone. His thoughts turned to his wife and he looked up at a picture of her stuck to the ceiling, “Sorry, Sarah. I let you down. I couldn’t get to Matty.”
He sat for a few more seconds feeling sorry for himself.
“Captain,” said Halle, interrupting his thoughts. “Is it time?”
“I think so. Calculate the fold,” Vaughn said.
“It’s done, Captain. This might be the shortest fold I’ve ever calculated.”
“Line up all the cannons in front of us. Maybe they can give us enough time to drop the shield.”
Halle pulled all of her remaining plasma cannons in front of the ship. “Five seconds to hull breach.”
“Fresia, they’re coming. Get ready to repel boarders.”
Vaughn heard the sound of plasma gun fire from inside the ship.
“Brace for the fold.”
Halle folded, encompassing all of her remaining cannons, directly into the E’Clei Battle-Cruiser’s hangar. There was a series of crashes as the cannons tumbled to the deck. Halle listed to the side, Vaughn went crashing into the wall with Fresia right behind him.
“I calculated the fold to the center of the hangar, Captain. It appears we didn’t unfold on top of anything.”
With a painful yet surprised groan, Vaughn looked at his hands. There was a momentary question of why the he was alive. He should be the center of a small sun. Then he registered what Halle said and where they actually were. With a great feeling of triumph, he got to his feet and called, “Fire!”
Halle opened fire, decimating the hangar and everything around it. “Keep firing!”
Massive plasma bolts erupted inside the hangar, punching through to the decks. “Sir, Argimonium reserves at ten percent.”
“Blow these sons of bitches up. Fresia! We’re going out!”
Vaughn, still in his armor, hit the cargo bay door. It opened just wide enough for him to crawl out, followed by Fresia. Inside the E’Clei ship, there was no oxygen, as the bodies inhabited by the parasites no longer needed to breathe.
“Let’s go. We need to find the power generation room.”
“You know we’re never going to survive this, right?”
“Yeah. But we’ve made it this far, can’t give up now.”
The pair ran towards the door at the rear of the hangar leading deeper into the ship. As they neared, E’Clei troops poured through the opening. “Halle, see if you can find us the route to the power core,” Vaughn yelled as he launched himself towards the incoming troops. He ejected the cylinder from his wrist, and extended the stream. Fresia stayed back, covering Vaughn’s back as he whirled and twisted through the enemy, cutting and slashing.
His suit absorbed most of the impact of their weapons. Vaughn turned, arms stretched wide. His ion stream in one hand, and the steel blades extended on the other wrist. He caught one E’Clei across the chest with the blades, and spun to finish him with the ion stream.
The E’Clei reversed his rifle and used the butt to smash Vaughn in the face. His visor cracked, obscuring the readout. Vaughn brought the ion stream down vertically, cleaving the E’Clei in half.
“Oxygen level, eighty-four percent.”
“Fre, I have an oh-two leak. We have to move.”
Halle uploaded the ship’s schematics to Vaughn’s suit. “Sir, power level at seven percent.”
“Don’t let anyone in. We’ll make it back.”
Vaughn and Fresia sprinted through the hallways, deeper into the core of the ship. At every turn, E’Clei went down in a hail of plasma bolts. “It’s just ahead,” called Vaughn.
He opened the door. One E’Clei stood in the room.
Vaughn charged, swinging his ion sword. The E’Clei disappeared in a swirl of black and then reappeared directly above Vaughn. He brought is fist down on top of Vaughn’s helm, crushing it inward, and then punched him in the back, sending him flying towards the door.
Fresia fired over and over, but the E’Clei moved faster than anything Vaughn had ever seen. He struggled to his feet and walked slowly towards the enemy. He’d heard about Lieutenants before. They were the ones with enhanced strength, speed, and stamina, as well as the ability to teleport and directly control other E’Clei.
The Lieutenant moved towards Fresia. “Is that the best you got? One of the fabled E’Clei lieutenants?” He turned towards Vaughn, disappeared, and reappeared. This time, Vaughn was ready for him, whirling his ion stream directly over his head like a lasso. The Lieutenant was cut in half.
Vaughn reversed his swing and cut the E’Clei’s head in half, spilling his brains out all over the deck.
He checked his suit. The oxygen meter was less than half. “Quickly. Grab a couple fuel containers.”
The pair each carried a cylinder of Argimonium. E’Clei ships, being stolen technology, used the same type of fuel pods as every other ship in the galaxy. It was the most efficient storage method known.
They ran back towards the ship in the hangar. “Captain, this is Rom. Halle’s power levels are too low. She’s shuttered all systems except the core.” His voice was pleasant with a soft timber.
“Good to hear you, Rom. We’re on our way back now. What is the status of your primary weapon?”
“Still compiling components, Captain. I’m sorry. I’m afraid I’ll need several more hours.”
“Are you able to buffer her power levels?”
“No, sir. My power systems aren’t linked to hers.”
Vaughn cringed, but didn’t react. “We’ll be back in a couple minutes,” he said. “We’ll get her fixed up, and get us out of here. What is the status of your Albeciurre generator?”
“Offline. I’m sorry, Captain, I really am incomplete.”
Vaughn and Fresia stepped into the hangar. Halle was surrounded by E’Clei troops, standing in perfect ranks. At their head, a man and a woman stood, facing Vaughn and Fresia.
“Hello, Captain Vaughn Troupe,” said the woman. “I am Captain Elaura Du’Clere. You are aboard my vessel. A Fogerian entering E’Clei territory is an act of war. Firing upon an E’Clei ship is an act of war. Tresspassing aboard an E’Clei vessel is an act of war. Destruction of E’Clei property is an act of war.”
“I plead not guilty,” said Vaughn. His oxygen level was below ten percent.
The captain seemed annoyed at Vaughn’s quip. “If you surrender willingly, we may decide to look at this as a private matter, since your ship is not of Fogerian design and you are not wearing an enemy uniform.”
“I would surrender, but I cannot take my helm off. There is no oxygen in the air.” Three percent oxygen.
The male E’Clei said, “Easily remedied.” The doors of the cargo-bay closed, and huge vents opened, flooding the room with air. Vaughn reached up and turned off the external communication. “I’m out of oxygen,” Vaughn said to Fresia. “Follow my lead.”
He pressed the button releasing his helm, took it off and set it down on the deck. Then he locked the armor, opened the back and stepped out. “I surrender,” he calmly stated. He stepped forward towards the two lieutenants with his hands raised. “Where is my son? I’ve surrendered. There’s no reason not to tell me.”
“We do not have your son,” they said together.
“You’re lying.”
“We do not lie. It is not in our nature. There is no reason for deception in this case.” Vaughn knew they were telling the truth. It sudden sickness came over him as he realized the truth. The Maxists had set him up and played him for a fool. It was all too easy and he fell right into their plan. Rotelle’s story was too perfect. But what did they have to gain? What did they want with Matty?
“It appears, Captain Troupe,” said the male Lieutenant. “That you have been sent on a wild gnarg chase. Used by your own people to start a war. Betrayed by your own kind.”
Vaughn stepped forward with his hands out. “I surrender. Go ahead and bite me.”
Chapter 24 Deception Unveiled
Date: 432nd Year of Emperor Valek Foger XXVI
The two lieutenants stepped forward. “I’ve always heard how delicious Humans were.” They bit him on the neck and just outside his consciousness, he could hear Fresia screaming. Vaughn felt the pain of their teeth sinking into his neck, and then a sinking blackness reaching for his consciousness. He fought to stay awake, embracing the pain, adding it to a core of rage he was feeling for the Maxists.
He wondered if anything the Maxists had told him was true. The original acolyte had seemed genuinely excited to be meeting him. He was the one who’d asked Vaughn if he had super-powers. Given the current circumstances, it wasn’t like he had a lot of choice.
All these thoughts raced through his brain in seconds. After the initial pain, it quickly subsided, and the two Lieutenants dropped his body to the floor. He convulsed several times, rolling himself over towards one of Halle’s remote cannons.
His brain was on fire. “Matty,” he thought, grabbing the long cylinder. He flipped the control panel open and pointed it at the two lieutenants, who were nearly on top of Fresia. He hit the button, firing a massive bolt at the pair. The two E’Clei were blown across the hangar. With a deep groan, Vaughn swiveled and fired two more bursts into the ranks of E’Clei soldiers, who now seemed disoriented.
