Deceptive Stars, page 15
A buzz signaled Tara entering the compartment. “I don’t think you should isolate yourself here.”
“Who said anything about isolating myself? I just finished talking to Commander Santiago.”
“I assume the news wasn’t any better.”
Celeste frowned, as she briefed Tara on the conversation with Commander Santiago.
“We can forget about Commander Skyles now,” Tara said. “With her son dead, there is no reason for her to cooperate with us any longer. But who do you think is in charge of the Titan Caspian now?”
“Maybe the second in charge. I don’t know who that could be. Commander Skyles would know, but as you said we aren’t going to be getting any information from her.”
Tara folded her arms, annoyed. “I can’t believe we are heading back to Titan 43 with nothing.”
“I thought we had enough excitement for one journey.”
“We didn’t rescue your father nor get the Titan Caspian.”
“But we know who our true enemy is now. It isn’t Commander Skyles. It is Ruhem and the Zoktum species.”
“Do you think Ruhem will continue to search for the Titan Caspian?” Tara asked, before snapping her fingers. “I just thought of something. What if Ruhem is using your father to find the Titan Caspian?”
“That is assuming Ruhem figures out that there is a connection between my father and the Titan Caspian.”
“Don’t underestimate Ruhem. He has been able to resurrect the Imperium Alliance and get a lot of species on his side. All that makes me worried. The stars in the galaxy are all aligning in his direction. Our encounter with him on Truit was also eye-opening. He works in a different style to the typical Zoktum individuals we have encountered. I have always felt that the Zoktum couldn’t lead an alliance effectively. They were warriors by nature. But Ruhem’s personality and approach changes everything. He brings a quiet confidence that the galaxy may be craving for.”
Celeste had to concede that Tara made a strong case against Ruhem. The new Zoktum leader was a conundrum. Although his approach was different, his end goal remained the same. Weaken and destroy humanity.
Phog’s voice interrupted them on the comms. “Celeste, we are receiving an encrypted message. It is from the Zoktum species and addressed to you.”
THIRTY-SIX
Celeste stood in the cockpit. Phog’s interruption had forced her to rush out of the compartment. Tara had been equally disturbed. “How did the Zoktum species get the transmission to us while we are in hyperspace?”
Phog shrugged. “Difficult to say. I scanned the area, but the sensors didn't pick up any other vessel near us.”
“That doesn’t mean a vessel isn’t around, right?” Asta said. “The Zoktum might be using a technology that we don’t even know about.”
Celeste was impressed with the male Truitian. “No, it doesn’t.”
Although comms was unpredictable in hyperspace, the Zoktum species may have found a new way to circumvent the instability. Or, they had been fortunate that their message had been received. Neither piqued Celeste’s curiosity now. Only the contents of the transmission.
Celeste found an empty seat. “Put the message on the viewscreen.”
The viewscreen changed from the dazzling lights of hyperspace to display a male Zoktum in their standard uniform. Celeste had expected Ruhem to deliver the message. However, it wasn’t him. Nothing about the new Zoktum leader could be assumed nor predicted. He appeared to relish staying in the shadows and pulling the strings.
“Human, we have Commander Tyron,” the male Zoktum announced. “If you want to see him alive again, come to the position we are sending with this message. Come alone or suffer the consequences.”
The viewscreen then went blank. A short message, but to the point.
“What’s the position?” Tara asked.
“I am checking the star chart now,” Phog said.
Celeste closed her eyes. Important to focus without being distracted by everyone around her. Why had the Zoktum species sent the message to her? Why not directly send it to Titan 43? It was a trap. No doubt about it. The Zoktum species had her father, but they wanted more. Did they want her too? Was this all part of Ruhem’s grand plan of seeking revenge for his father’s death? After seeing Ruhem in action on Truit, nothing could be discounted. Ruhem didn’t fit the label of a typical leader. His ways were complicated and confusing. Whether it was intentional to throw off his enemies or not, she didn’t know nor have time to ponder on. All these thoughts continued to swim within Celeste’s mind. None of it helped to keep her focused. She placed her right hand on her head.
Phog’s voice broke Celeste out of her thoughts. “I know how that transmission came to us in hyperspace. There is a small probe following us.”
“Inside hyperspace?” Celeste asked. “How is that even possible?”
“The probe must have jumped in with us when I opened a vortex,” Phog explained. “That means it has been following us for some time, probably all the way from Jofaxit.”
“What if it didn’t originate from Jofaxit?” Celeste proposed.
All eyes in the cockpit bore down on her.
“What if the probe was following us all the way from Cortix?” Celeste continued. “The Zoktum could have done it without us even realizing it.”
If that was true, the Zoktum species would have used the Imperium Alliance meeting as a pretext to initiate a mechanism to launch a series of probes to track their enemies. Celeste was irritated with herself for letting it happen to their vessel. Carelessness was contagious. They needed to be more vigilant.
“I don’t believe it, but you could be right,” Tara said. “The Zoktum may have planned to get the probe to follow us.”
“That means the Imperium Alliance meeting was a trap, right?” Asta asked.
Tara nodded. “How come our sensors never picked the probe up?”
Phog’s face turned red. “I wasn’t looking for anything like it.”
“Shouldn’t our sensors still have detected it?” Tara asked.
“I will run some diagnostics on our sensors,” Phog said.
“Can we destroy the probe?” Celeste asked.
“Anything I do in hyperspace can be unpredictable,” Phog said. “But I will try to fire at it. Destroying the probe will alert its originators that we discovered it.”
Celeste paused for a long moment. They had to risk it. She didn’t like a probe following the Titan Chronos. No telling what else it was capable of. The probe could be relaying other information about their vessel. Even thinking of it made Celeste uncomfortable. She glanced at Tara and then at Asta. Both stared at her, waiting for her decision. Up to her to make the call. Sometimes she envied the rest.
“Celeste?” Phog asked.
“Destroy it,” Celeste ordered.
“I have a special missile I can fire at it,” Phog reported. “It was designed for targets using a sniper-like launch mechanism.”
Tara rolled her eyes. “We don’t need to know the details.”
“I do,” Asta said.
“Not now,” Tara interjected.
Phog nodded and started typing away on the console. The viewscreen split into half, with the left half showing a view from the rear of the Titan Chronos. A grid with a scope appeared on the left half of the screen.
“Is this another one of …,” Tara began.
Phog gestured for her to remain quiet, as a determined look swept his face. A red target appeared on the left half of the viewscreen. The probe. So far, the probe had not reacted to the targeting by the Titan Chronos. Celeste hoped that would remain the case. The scope’s target zeroed in on the probe. In a few seconds the target overlayed with that of the probe. Phog stared ahead as he pressed on the firing button.
THIRTY-SEVEN
Celeste didn’t sense anything, as she held her breath. There was no sign that Phog had fired the missile. In fact, she thought he hadn’t. Then, Phog flashed a broad grin. “The probe has been destroyed.”
Celeste held on firmly to her seat, expecting something to happen within hyperspace. A disruption. A breakdown of their vortex tunnel. But nothing occurred. Only an uneasy silence grabbed hold of the cockpit.
“Sensors confirm the probe is gone,” Tara admitted, pumping her fists in the air.
Celeste heaved a sigh of relief. “At least, that is over.”
Meanwhile, Asta leaned back in his seat with a frown. The male Truitian must have expected some excitement. Hopefully, he learnt that not everything in space is so entertaining. A little while later, the Titan Chronos exited hyperspace, only to find itself facing a planet with two moons.
“Where are we?” Celeste asked.
“The Graviton sector,” Phog replied. “It is an uncharted region of space. None of the planets are inhabited.”
Tara eyed Phog. “According to the star charts. But we can’t confirm that.”
Phog shrugged.
“Which planet are we supposed to meet the Zoktum on?” Celeste asked.
Phog pointed his fingers at the viewscreen. “Trenton.”
At first glance, the brownish-green planet didn’t look so uninhabitable. The Titan Chronos came into orbit and Phog turned to Celeste. “Scans indicate an abandoned city on the surface.”
“I thought you said this sector was uninhabited,” Asta remarked.
Phog smiled sheepishly. “I guess the database isn’t as updated as it should be.”
“Any life signs in Trenton?” Celeste asked.
“None,” Phog replied.
“More jamming as expected,” Tara huffed.
“I presume the Zoktum should know by now that we are in orbit,” Celeste mused.
As if on cue, another transmission alert popped up on the console.
“They sent a position on the northern section of the abandoned city,” Phog reported.
Celeste hated being forced to walk into this trap. Everything pointed to this being a trap. No point denying it. The Zoktum species could not be trusted under any circumstances.
“We all know they aren’t going to hand over your father just like that,” Tara said. “Not without wanting something in return.”
“Bring us down,” Celeste sighed.
The Titan Chronos broke orbit and began its slow descent through the atmosphere. Patches of green and brown began to get larger in the viewscreen. Then, the first signs of the abandoned city appeared. Scattered throughout the surface were decrepit buildings and ruins, of all shapes and sizes.
“That is a big city,” Tara exclaimed.
Celeste couldn’t agree any more. In its prime years, a species had lived in this city. However, now it was a shell of a city, abandoned and empty, devoid of any life.
“Who lived here?” Asta asked, as the Titan Chronos landed outside of a large, abandoned warehouse.
Phog shrugged. “I don’t think it matters. From the looks of it, no one has lived here in a long time.”
“Can I join you?” Asta asked.
“Everyone can,” Celeste replied.
Celeste stood, inspected her small arms weapon in the cargo bay. Phog pressed on a panel on the left wall, and it opened to display a host of weapons.
“Woah!” Tara said. “Phog, you have been hiding the good stuff from us.”
Phog offered a sly grin, as he picked up a rifle-like weapon and passed it to Celeste. “This is a plasma rifle that can make a hole through most buildings. Use it with care.”
Celeste holstered her small arms weapon, took the plasma rifle, and looked at it. Impressive. Phog then passed everyone a pack of grenades. “Smoke grenades and motion detection ones.”
Tara raised her eyebrows. “Motion detection?”
“Just roll them into a room and wait for the excitement to begin,” Phog replied.
After everyone had checked their weapons and put on their HUDs, Phog led them down the ramp onto the surface. Somewhere in this abandoned city the Zoktum species was waiting for them. More importantly, her father was with them. The mission was simple. Extract her father and get out of Trenton. As Celeste stepped off the ramp with her plasma rifle in front of her, the dry air smacked against her cheeks. Signs of abandonment were clearly visible on the dilapidated warehouse in front of them. Several pillars and a partial roof were the only parts left standing. Paint was peeling off those sections that remained in the deteriorating warehouse.
Asta walked up beside her. “What happened here?”
“It could be due to many reasons,” Tara explained.
“Like?” Asta asked.
“My guess is it was because of war,” Phog interjected. “We should not remain out here in the open.”
Celeste offered a nod and let Phog lead the way. They fell in line behind Phog as he made a path into the midst of the abandoned warehouse, which had no walls around it. Phog came to a halt behind a set of barrels at the back end of the warehouse.
Tara’s voice pierced the HUD comms. “Did we get any position at which to meet the Zoktum species?”
“Negative,” Phog replied.
“Then how do we know where to go?” Tara asked.
“We just walk around first and see where it leads,” Phog mused.
Asta grabbed Celeste by her shoulder. “Someone is watching us.”
THIRTY-EIGHT
Celeste looked at the male Truitian. “How do you know?”
“It is something I have learnt about myself,” Asta said.
“Don’t tell me you have a feeling?” Tara groaned.
Asta shook his head. “I get a sensation in my left hand. My father also has it.”
Tara looked at him quizzically. Celeste scanned the area outside the back of the warehouse with her HUD. Nothing was detected. Maybe Asta had been wrong. Then, weapons fire hit the ground in front of them. She dove behind the barrel dragging Asta with her.
“I told you,” Asta said through the comms.
Celeste glanced to her left. Tara and Phog had taken cover behind another set of barrels. The weapons fire had stopped.
“Can anyone see the shooter?” Phog asked.
Celeste poked her head above the barrel only to encounter another round of weapons fire. She crouched behind the barrels and slammed her back against them.
“I can’t see anything,” Tara said.
“Neither can I?” Celeste sighed.
“Do you think they got us here to kill us?” Phog asked.
The thought had flirted in Celeste’s mind, but it made no sense. What were the Zotkum species up to? If they wanted to kill them, an easier approach would have been to attack their vessel. Phog then stood and looked around.
“What are you doing?” Tara demanded. “Get down here.”
Phog didn’t move. Tara tried to drag him down, but he brushed her away. Celeste expected the worst at any moment. Phog’s dead body on the ground, but it never happened. No more weapons fire screamed in their direction. Celeste slowly got to her feet. An eerie silence had replaced the weapons fire. She didn’t understand why the weapons fire had come to a sudden stop. Phog motioned for Tara and Asta and soon they began following him out the back of the abandoned warehouse. Ahead of them were smaller buildings, each only having either a left or right wall remaining standing. Whatever had come over this city had done so in a flash. The force of it had ripped the roofs of the buildings as if they were nothing. Celeste followed Phog between an alleyway, which was filled with debris from the deteriorating buildings on either side. She was careful to sidestep the metal on the ground.
“What happened to the shooter?” Tara asked.
Silence was the only response. Knowing there was a shooter lurking about, it was unnerving walking through the abandoned city. The alleyway opened into a large open-air atrium dominated by a series of lonely pillars that stood in a concentric formation.
“This place must have been for their gatherings,” Asta remarked.
Surprisingly, the male Truitian appeared fearless. Even in the face of the shooter in the abandoned warehouse, Asta had remained defiant. Maybe the Truitian was beginning to adapt to the dangers of the galaxy.
