Dual Domains, page 39
“I can pilot the craft,” Hargeth corrected.
“You’re getting awfully nervous about this,” Dastert said.
“I don’t like the directive. It doesn’t make sense to me,” Hargeth replied.
“That’s because we haven’t been told everything,” Dastert offered.
“And that’s the problem, isn’t it?” Hargeth returned. “What if our analysis of the probe is flawed? What if it’s much more sophisticated than we’ve come to believe?”
“For instance?” Dastert queried.
“Suppose it’s been transmitting to the visitors the entire time in a manner we don’t understand?” Hargeth offered. “The Imperium appears to be planning a trap. What if the visitors are waiting to see who shows at this location?”
“Then the visitors would reverse the situation and catch our forces unaware,” Dastert surmised. “You’re right. We vacate the area immediately after opening the hull.”
Hargeth watched a frown form on Dastert’s brow. “What is it?” she inquired.
“We should have brought a fast transport instead of a repair ship. It would make a quicker escape,” Dastert replied.
Hargeth gurgled politely. “Now who appears nervous?” she teased.
When the two ships reached the red giant system, Dastert directed the peacekeeper pilot to place the ship in orbit around the star, using the directive’s details on the orbital distance from the star.
Hargeth directed her pilot to keep pace with the peacekeeper.
When orbits were achieved, Hargeth selected an engineer and a tech to accompany her. She waited until the peacekeeper crew boarded her ship. Then she and her two crew members transferred to the peacekeeper aboard the same transport.
“Do exactly as I say,” Hargeth warned her companions. “When I say abandon ship, I don’t want to hear excuses about tools that need to be collected. Either you’re packed, ready, and aboard the transport when my rear end hits the pilot’s seat, or you’re not.”
“Is there any work to be done on the probe?” the engineer inquired, as they traversed a corridor from the landing bay.
“None. And I don’t want it disturbed,” Hargeth replied.
“Then we’re blowing the hull plate, and that’s it?” the tech queried.
“Affirmative,” Hargeth said.
“We’re going up,” the engineer pointed out, as the elevator rode toward the upper decks.
“We’re collecting bedding,” Hargeth said. “I know we’re using focused burn charges, but I don’t want the probe’s laser to see starlight until we’re ready.”
The trio collected bedding from two cabins and hauled the material below.
Hargeth returned to the cutout on the bulkhead from where the previous crew had gained access to the repaired decking.
The bedding material took a while to wrangle past support beams to the hull. Then they piled it until the laser was blocked. When they laid the final piece of bedding, the one that would interrupt the laser, the trio held their breaths. It was unknown whether the visitors had prepared the probe as an explosive device if it was tampered with in any way.
“I might need time off after this,” the engineer quipped when he and the tech blocked the laser.
“Move quickly,” Hargeth directed, getting her companions to focus.
From a pack, the tech pulled long strings of burn charges. Then the engineer and the tech laid them against the hull.
Unlike the multiple-core hull plating cladding the peacekeeper, the visitors’ repaired hulls were of a single layer, which did an incredible job of retaining the ship’s heat.
When the burn charges were laid, the tech doused the hull side of the bedding in fire-resistant spray.
“We’re ready,” the engineer declared.
“Exit the repair area,” Hargeth ordered.
Taking Hargeth’s directive to heart, the engineer and the tech grabbed the tools they would need in the corridor and expeditiously made their way out.
Hargeth withheld her gurgle as the males quickly climbed past her.
In the corridor, the trio sealed the bulkhead panel tightly in place.
Then Hargeth connected to Dastert aboard the repair ship. “Ready to observe?” she asked.
“Antenna is focused on your hull area,” Dastert replied.
“Triggering charges,” Hargeth announced clearly. Then she placed the remote on the deck and said, “Abandon ship.”
The work crew dropped their tools and ran beside Hargeth.
Aboard the repair ship, Dastert kept his orbs on the monitor, as did the bridge crew, who were ready to launch as soon as their imperator returned.
It took a few minutes for indications of the burn to be seen.
Hargeth had specified three types of coils. Each one burned a little later. The idea was to allow more time for the fierce heat to penetrate the visitors’ hull plating, which she and a crew had experimented on.
Finally, Dastert saw a clear outline of blue-white heat. “We’re penetrating the hull,” he called to Hargeth.
“Sounds good,” Hargeth replied.
Dastert could hear her rapid breathing. He knew she intended to make a fast exit.
The bright outline lasted a little longer. Then it faded. Yet the hull’s cutout remained in place.
Dastert swore and continued to keep his orbs on the monitor.
Then, as if disturbed by Dastert’s harsh language, the hull plate popped out of the opening and spun off into space. It was swiftly followed by a stack of bedding and a collection of tools.
“The hull plate is clear,” Dastert said with relief.
“Good thing, because we’re out of here,” Hargeth replied. She already had the bay doors sliding apart. Now she used the transport’s attitude jets to slip free of the peacekeeper and make for her ship.
“What did you do to the cutout?” Dastert asked. “It shot out like it was launched.”
“It was launched,” Hargeth replied. “I didn’t trust the alien hull material to give up easily. We placed three timed charges in the center of the plate. When the burns finished, they were set to go.”
“Good thing you did,” Dastert replied. “The burns stopped, and it didn’t look like the cutout was going anywhere. For a moment, I thought my vocal response initiated the action.”
“Upset, were you, Director?” Hargeth teased, gurgling.
“A little,” Dastert admitted.
“Any detectable signal?” Hargeth asked.
Dastert glanced toward the comms officer, who pointed at his panel. Crossing to observe the panel, Dastert saw a strong signal. “It’s talking,” he confirmed to Hargeth.
Soon afterward, Hargeth made her ship, and the bridge crew fired the repair ship’s main engines and dropped below the ecliptic.
On the way out of the system, the telemetry officer signaled Hargeth.
“Multiple heavy signals, Imperator,” the officer said, indicating his panel.
“Whose ships are inbound?” Hargeth asked.
“Whoever they are, they’re far out,” the officer replied. “If they’re headed in system, we’ll be gone before they get here.”
By the time the repair ship was ready to enter the dark, the telemetry officer had an update for Hargeth and Dastert. “The ships decelerated and chose to hold station far beyond the rim,” he said. “Then they went dark. No signatures at all.”
“They went to generators,” Dastert reasoned.
“Could you confirm the origin of the fleet?” Hargeth inquired.
“Negative, Imperator,” the officer replied. “We’d have to wait for cycles to get imagery.”
“Well, we’re not doing that,” Hargeth declared. “For certain, someone is ready to attempt an ambush.”
∞
At Cordelia’s request, Tocknicka had gathered his sisters and sailed from Naiad to make Helgart. The Emergence held station above the planet, and Juno and he had dropped planetside to join a gathering in the cargo bay.
Tocknicka and Juno exited the corridor leading to the cargo bay. Then they stopped in their tracks. The bay was full of residents.
Tocknicka sent in the open.
“Make way,” Kelter hissed loudly, pointing a claw toward Tocknicka and Juno.
Then the residents swiftly created a corridor for the two new arrivals.
“Welcome, Commodore,” Cordelia said, which cued Tocknicka that the meeting would be conducted orally.
“We’ve been summoned,” Z announced sarcastically.
“The Krackus must believe in our stupidity,” Miranda added.
“A repaired peacekeeper’s hull has been opened, and our hidden probe sent the location coordinates,” Z explained.
The residents celebrated the visitors’ ingenuity with a cacophony of noise.
Z activated the engineering holo-vid, which projected above even Kelter’s head. Simultaneously, he sent the coordinates to Kreus.
The star map was shrunk to pinpoint Helgart, Imperium, and the new location.
“There’s the possibility that the Krackus want to hide their construction platform there,” Nira suggested.
“Kreus, is there a system near the red giant that has a population that could produce the needed material for the platform?” Korvath asked.
Korvath gurgled. “Miranda, I think you’re correct,” he said. “The Imperium believes you to be truly foolish.”
“Explain, Liaison,” Cordelia requested.
“It’s bait for a trap,” Korvath replied. “You’re meant to send an exploratory fleet to investigate.”
“Wouldn’t the Krackus fleets have been made aware of our ships’ capabilities?” Tocknicka inquired.
“If we were an open society, the fleet imperators would have learned the truths about Helgart,” Korvath lamented. “As it is, most commanders haven’t a clue about what they might encounter.”
Eyes turned toward Cordelia awaiting her thoughts about whether to accept the invitation.
“It can’t be that simple,” Cordelia mused.
“It’s not,” Korvath replied, his neck vibrating as he refrained from gurgling.
“Fleets are coming here,” Cordelia returned.
“They’ll wait beyond to see if you take the bait,” Korvath explained. “Then they’ll attack from many angles.”
“How many fleets do you think will arrive here?” Juno inquired.
Korvath frowned at the sister, and she quickly apologized and introduced herself.
“There’s a number that I would have recommended as a declinator, and a number I would recommend now. Then again, there’s the number I think that will be sent,” Korvath replied.
“Which are?” Juno prompted.
“The declinator would have said send every fleet. The liaison would request none be sent, and the Imperium will greatly underestimate the necessary strength,” Korvath replied.
“Then we can believe that the fleet count would be between five and ten,” Tocknicka reasoned.
“An accurate estimation, Commodore,” Korvath replied. “Many Krackus crews will perish.”
“Unless the opportunity to engage us isn’t available,” Z suggested.
Z enlarged the star map and highlighted two systems.
“The Imperium has been given an opportunity to peacefully contact us,” Z explained. “They sent Liaison Korvath, but, as he has suggested, his job is merely to distract us. Now they bait us to weaken our forces at Helgart. I think we should accommodate them. Instead of sailing for the red giant, we make for Jumanus, Kelter’s home world.”
“Yes,” Kelter hissed.
“How many ships are you suggesting?” Cordelia inquired.
“The entire conclave fleet, dear Admiral,” Miranda replied.
The residents exploded in consternation. They saw themselves as undefended to be swept up by the Krackus again.
The cargo bay was quieted by a shrieking noise generated by Kreus.
“If our ships are gone, then the Krackus fleets only have Helgart and our constructions as targets,” Tocknicka surmised. “That prevents wholesale destruction of peacekeepers.”
“And how do you protect the planet?” asked Ceda, which was the question on every resident’s mind.
“You do have the Elvian probe reproductions,” Escher suggested, and he sent an image to the holo-vid display.
Cordelia glanced toward Miranda, who sent,
Cordelia had to admit that Miranda had a point. Sometimes the universe conspired to demonstrate that every race was fallible.
“We possess these in limited numbers,” Cordelia admitted.
“What do they do?” Bethany inquired, as she gazed at rings rotating around a small sphere.
“The probes possess antimatter engines, which power the rings,” Z explained. “We can choose when to activate the probes so that anything the rings touch is decimated.”
“Define decimated,” Johann requested.
“Antimatter and matter annihilate each other,” Z replied. “Although, these probes are small. If one were to contact a peacekeeper, most of the ship would instantaneously disappear.”
“Then you can be selective in your targeting,” Korvath said.
Miranda recognized the subtle movement of Korvath’s crest. “Dear Liaison, please share your thought,” she requested.
“I’m wondering if the territory’s executor would be aboard a fleet’s flagship,” Korvath replied. “He would have a vested interest in seeing you expelled from his region.”
“Can we suppose that Jumanus is part of this executor’s territory?” Tocknicka asked.
“Then if we were to remove another system from the territory ...” Tocknicka offered, letting the supposition hang.
Kelter roared his amusement at the idea.
“I wish to return to your thought, Liaison,” Juno said. “How does an executor’s presence among the attacking Krackus fleets affect our defensive choices?”
Tocknicka recognized the same thing that Juno had realized. There was a specific reason for his recall by Cordelia. It wasn’t to command a fleet. It had to do with the defense of Helgart.
“If the executor is present, you have an impediment to communicating with the fleet imperators, one of whom would be coordinating the attack,” Korvath explained.
“Is this similar to the inquisitor’s presence when he dominated Deckus’s decision?” Killian asked.
“Exactly the same,” Korvath replied.
“Then we can surmise that if the executor is present, he will be aboard the directing flagship. There’ll be no guile on his part,” Juno reasoned.
“Assuredly,” Korvath replied. “The executor would not demean his authority by traveling aboard any other ship.”
“Admiral, if we’re intent on sending the fleet to Jumanus,” Tocknicka said. “I think Helgart would need more than a handful of Elvian probes.”
“I would agree, Commodore,” Cordelia replied. “I think the probes should be the defenders’ last resort. In the event the fleets stand off and fire missiles, the planet should be ringed with travelers. They can sweep the space clear.”
“That was my thought,” Tocknicka said, tipping his head appreciatively.
Juno found the news uplifting. She didn’t want to end her existence protecting a planet with few defensive resources. It occurred to her that biologicals’ belief in fortune, which the SADEs had adopted, might have value for her. However, she wondered how it might be investigated.
“Miranda, Z, what’s your proposal for Jumanus?” Cordelia inquired.
Z turned to the Gorder. “Tell us of your home world, Kelter,” he asked.
“Specifically, what conditions will we encounter?” Bethany added.
Kelter hissed long and slow. To recall his home world in detail was both enticing and painful. “I’ve been long from my kingdom,” he began.
“Wait!” Stacey exclaimed. “Your kingdom?”
“You might as well show them, my friend,” Kreus said.
Kelter’s ridge brows arched up and down, and the crowd moved away from him. Then he reared on his hind legs, stretching his body to the bay’s overhead. He was forced to bend his neck. Then he roared and flexed the scales along his underside. Bright red showed beneath the scales.
Kreus said, “Red marks the Gorder’s chosen leader.”
As Kelter lowered his body to the floor, Ceda approached the massive head. “Despite your lofty title, I still like you,” she said, adding a wink, which had Kelter hissing warmly at her humor.
“Continue with your description of Jumanus,” Bethany urged.
