Omega Force 5: Return of the Archon (6 page)

*****

“There’s one thing I love about Colton Hub,” Kage said as he scanned the surrounding traffic. “Once we clear the doors, we’re free navigating and no pain in the ass departure control to argue with. By the way, we’re on a collision course with that light-freighter. Range is fifteen thousand kilometers.”

“I’ve got him,” Jason said, nonplussed as he continued to swing the nose of the
Phoenix
around to line up with their mesh-out vector. “Keep scanning for anybody taking an unhealthy interest in us. By the way, Connimon, how did you get to Colton Hub? Are you leaving a ship here?”

“We paid for passage aboard a freighter of ill-repute,” she said simply. “The voyage was … unpleasant. This is an impressive vessel, Captain.”

“Thanks,” Jason said absently. Her story of flying in aboard some random smuggler’s scow raised more than a few flags in his mind. Their decision to go to Colton Hub had been a spur-of-the-moment choice when they had flown off of Aracoria. There was no possible way they could have known their destination, much less their arrival time and where they’d be on the massive deep-space station. He filed those concerns away for later when he would have a chance to sort out exactly what was going on.

There was another concern he had with two Galvetic warriors standing on his bridge. Although smaller than Crusher, he had no doubt they could be a deadly duo if things turned violent. It was fortunate he had a trump card in his hand that could nullify the advantage of even two Galvetic warriors. He subtly turned to Lucky and scratched his ear with three fingers, a seemingly meaningless gesture that the battlesynth would recognize as part of their prearranged signals: keep an eye on the two heavies and be ready for anything.

When he turned back to the forward canopy, he caught Connimon looking directly at him. Her mouth twitched up in a small smile and she shook her head, as if in amusement, before turning back to the terminal she was sitting near.
Damn, she caught that and she’s only just met us. The brothers may not be the most dangerous passengers after all.
All the terminals not in use by crew members were displaying a generic flight status for the benefit of their guests. There was nothing to see outside the canopy in interstellar space save for a few random uninteresting points of light against the black.

“We’ve got a fast mover coming around the station, Captain,” Kage reported. “I can’t identify a class or type, but they came from the far docking complex.”

“Do they look like they’re tailing?” Jason asked, advancing the throttle up further.

“We’re the only ship on this vector and they’re coming around awfully fast on what looks like an intercept—”

He paused, frowning. “They’re gone.”

“What do you mean,
gone
?”

“I mean they’ve disappeared from the scope,” Kage said. “I’m running full active scans and they didn’t stop, explode, or turn back … they’re just gone.”

“Sensor stealthing?” Jason asked Doc in disbelief.

“It would appear so,” Doc said doubtfully. “But …”

“But we’ve never seen anything outside of the ConFed Spec Ops Section that has that sort of tech,” Crusher finished for him.

“I’m getting ghosts of returns along their projected flightpath,” Kage said. “They’re definitely trailing us, but don’t look like they’re making any move to overtake us.”

“Twingo, do we have full power?” Jason asked.

“We’re ready for anything,” Twingo affirmed. “What do you have in mind?”

Jason didn’t hesitate or second guess himself. “Full combat mode!” he barked as he swung the
Phoenix
around to head back the way they had just come and slammed the throttle down to the stop. “Kage, prep a tachyon burst bomb.” The gunship shot back towards the station, accelerating into the traffic patterns that were drifting lazily to and from the docks arms. The com began squawking warnings and queries the closer they came, but the crew ignored them. “Are they coming about?”

“Confirmed, Captain,” Kage said. “I’ve detected their drive coming up to full power as they’re attempting to turn and pursue. Looks like their stealth tech is imperfect at best and they’re flying an underpowered drive.”

“All good things,” Jason said, threading the gunship through the traffic as she continued to accelerate. He wanted to get around to the other side of the station before their pursuers. Even though it was difficult, it was possible to track a ship through slip-space depending on the level of technology and the skill of the crew. He’d rather not find out the hard way they had both. “Program a series of short dummy jumps,” he ordered. “We’ll drop tachyon charges at each.”

“How many?” Kage asked, his hands flying over his navigation panel.

“Five.”

“That’s going to be expensive,” Kage muttered.

“Sure will be,” Jason agreed as the
Phoenix
shot over the “crown” of Colton Hub and through the traffic around the docking arms. A few plasma shots were fired their direction, one even splashing against the shields, as they streaked by. Jason chuckled and shook his head.
The universal constant about the galaxy’s bottom feeders: if you don’t understand it, shoot at it.

“We’re clear,” Doc reported, “you can engage the slip-drive any time.”

“We’ve shaken them, but not for long,” Kage said. “They’ve dropped their stealth while they’re navigating through traffic. When we passed, it spooked everyone and ships are flying out in all directions.”

“Engaging now,” Jason said, squeezing the trigger to release the first tachyon charge before smacking the control to send them streaking out of the system. As the coronal discharge of dissipating slip energies faded away, the first tachyon charge triggered, flooding the area with tachyon particles and blinding anyone’s sensors who may have been trying to track the gunship’s exit.

*****

“So,” Jason said as he carried his mug of chroot back to the galley table, “do we think it was a random coincidence that a sensor-stealthed ship was tailing us away from Colton Hub?”

“Of course not,” Twingo snorted. “But who were they following? Them, or us?”

“That’s the million credit question,” Jason agreed. “So … were you followed to Colton Hub? And if so, how did they know which ship you boarded to leave?”

“We were not tracked,” Connimon said. When she offered nothing more, Jason let out an exasperated breath.

“This will go much quicker if you would volunteer information and maybe even go so far as to say why you were there, why you were looking for Crusher, and why you’re on my ship.”

“My apologies, Captain,” she said, nodding to him in a sort of half-bow. “I certainly do not mean to be vague, but when I tell you what we’ve been through you may forgive me for not immediately volunteering information to beings I’ve only just met.”

“By all means,” Jason said sardonically, taking a seat. “Proceed.” While Connimon’s manner was exquisitely courteous and even a bit deferential, he didn’t trust her, and Crusher’s immediate reaction to seeing her was decidedly not a happy one. In fact, his friend was still standing somewhat apart from the group, glowering at their passengers. If Connimon was offended by Jason’s tone, she did not let on as she began her story.

“I can surmise that we were not tracked to Colton Hub because we’ve been there for over seven months,” she said, pausing at the looks coming at her across the table.

“You spent
seven months
on that death trap,” Kage said. “Why?”

“We were waiting on you,” she said simply. “We’d been attempting to track your movements, but that proved impossible as you were far too elusive. In our investigation, we learned that Colton Hub was one of the places you would frequent more than once or twice a year. So, as unpleasant as it was, we made arrangements to stay there until you arrived. In all that time we were never followed or paid any undue attention. Given that, I must conclude that the ship we recently escaped from was tracking you for its own reasons.”

“Tracking is certainly the correct term,” Jason said. “It was dumb luck we saw them at all. For all we know, they could have been following us all the way from Aracoria.” As soon as he said it, the rest of the crew tensed up.

“Are you suggesting ConFed Intel has renewed its interest in us?” Doc asked tensely.

“I’m suggesting nothing,” Jason said quickly. “Let’s just stick to what we know for now. Connimon, please continue.”

“We were first made aware of your arrival when you, Felex, and Lucky were walking through the galleria. Mazer lost track of you when you split up and we were unable to reacquire you until the three of you entered the establishment on the upper level.

“Even then we were unsure if the gelten on your crew was truly Felex. We had only rumors and eye-witness accounts to go on. Even when we saw him there was some doubt. Years apart from us have changed him some. It was then that we approached your table.”

“Who is Felex?” Doc asked, raising his hand as he did so.

“Ah, shit. I forgot to tell you—” Jason began before Morakar cut him off.

“The warrior you call
Crusher
is in truth Lord Felex Tezakar, the Guardian Archon of Galvetor,” he said in a hushed but intense voice. He was staring at Crusher as he spoke. Doc’s mouth dropped open and he also turned to look at Crusher.

“I take it you recognize the name?” Jason asked.

“I remember the rumors when Felex disappeared,” Doc said, somewhat awed. “But Galvetor is so closed off that nothing had ever been confirmed. I can’t believe I never put it together.”

“How is it you know so much about our internal politics?” Connimon asked.

“I’m a geneticist,” Doc answered, pulling his eyes away from Crusher, who had remained brooding and silent, to face her. “Early in my career I was given permission to visit Galvetor to study the warrior caste of your people. What you’ve been able to do with such archaic methods is nothing short of miraculous. No offense intended.”

“No offense is taken,” she said with a slightly indulgent smile. “Our way is not as fast as your gene splicing and DNA manipulation, but our results speak for themselves. Galvetic warriors are the most feared fighters throughout the known worlds.” Lucky, who had been resting a hand on the table, began ticking his index finger loudly against the composite surface.

“We are aware of your kind, battlesynth, but we do not subscribe to the theory that a warrior can be manufactured,” Connimon said.

“Perhaps a demonstration some time,” Lucky said politely. “When you have more warriors available, that is.” He looked pointedly at the Reddix brothers after his last comment, causing Jason to hide a smile behind his hand and the two warriors to look at each other with apprehension. Being so openly challenged was apparently something they were unaccustomed to.

“Let’s try and stay focused,” Jason said. “You’ve explained how you found us, sort of, but not why. Staying on that shithole station for over half a year … it’s got to be something important.”

“Yes, Captain,” Connimon said quietly, “it is quite important. Your people need you, Felex. Galvetor is on the brink of civil war and the warrior caste is no longer willing to stay neutral. Your return would—”

“There will be no going back for me,” Crusher snarled, coming forward so quickly that Mazer and Morakar braced themselves. “I was banished from my home! Sent away like some beggar only to be captured, sold into slavery, and almost killed! I was told then that the only way to save my people was to accept disgrace and never come back!” His voice had risen to a deafening roar and Jason was becoming seriously concerned. He was about to signal to Lucky to be ready, but Crusher wasn’t finished.

“Now you tell me to save them I must return? I have no people! I’m a renegade, damned to wander the galaxy with no home. You’ve wasted your time, Caretaker,” Crusher thundered. “There is nothing here for you!” As his last words left his mouth, he swung his massive fist down in a savage overhead strike into the table right between where Jason and Kage were sitting. Predictably, the table exploded into shards of hard composite, and drinking glasses went flying. Ignoring the blood flowing from the wound the sharp edges of the broken table had caused, Crusher stormed out of the galley towards the armory, snarling a challenge at the other two warriors as he did so.

Twingo and Doc had wide-eyed, startled expressions as they looked at each other. Kage’s face, on the other hand, was frozen into a visage of absolute terror.

“Captain,” Twingo said in a cracking voice. “Shouldn’t you check on Kage? He looks like he’s locked up.”

“In a moment,” Jason said calmly. “I’m currently trying to keep from pissing myself.”

After Crusher broke the galley table in half, Jason had the other geltens confined in starboard berthing while he tried to regain control of the situation, if he ever even had it in the first place. It had taken them a moment to get Kage sorted out, and then Jason ordered the others up to the bridge to keep them busy while Lucky stayed on the main deck to head off any potential issues with their unwanted guests.

He was currently in a heated discussion with Lucky. Heated on his part, of course. Lucky remained predictably stoic.

“Why should I go in there?
You’re
his closest friend.”

“And you are his captain,” Lucky countered. “He will want to know that you are still backing him up.”

“That goes without saying,” Jason said with a dismissive wave.

“But he may not realize that,” Lucky pressed. “That was an uncharacteristically violent display of emotion from Crusher. He will want your assurances.”

“Great,” Jason grumbled. “If you hear a loud, girlish scream that is suddenly cut short, don’t bother running in. Just come and get what’s left of me and toss the remains out an airlock.”

“Of course, Captain,” Lucky said agreeably, drawing an irritated glare from Jason.

He stepped lightly from the main deck down to the port engineering bay and around where he could get eyes on the armory door. It was closed, but unlocked. Taking a deep breath, he walked up and keyed the door open, unsure what would greet him.