Resurrection (The Inherited War) (23 page)

“I miss the armory on the Retribution.  This stuff seems like toys in comparison.  The stuff on my ship cut through the Esii like a hot knife in butter.”

“We agree, but we have used these weapons before.  We know what to expect from them.”  Split grabbed four rifles, a hand full of pistols and battery packs.  He shoved them into his duffle.  Cole left Split to pack on his own and selected his weapons first.  He grabbed a belt with a double holster of projectile pistols.  They fired small beads at near the speed of light.  He had a thousand rounds for each of them, they would be his backups.  He passed up the rifles, according to the map there wouldn’t be much room to swing one around in a pinch so he stuck to the smaller machine guns.  He found a pair of plasma blasters he liked and could use at the same time.  With their output set to medium, he had a few thousand rounds each.  He grabbed extra battery packs just in case.  He missed his duster, it had more storage space.

Shifting his focus, he went to the wall with the Second Skins hanging on it.  He layered the bottom of his bag with a dozen suits of various sizes before he added extra battery packs and bead holders.  He filled his bag with the left over plasma and bead pistols, leaving one of each in case Anastacia wanted them.  He still had some room so he topped his bag and himself of with various explosives.  Smoke, HE (high explosive) and some Willy P.  White phosphorous, burned at nearly three thousand degrees.  He wasn’t sure what this stuff was made of but the label on the canister looked the same as the stuff on US Army issue Willy P.  His bag was definitely heavy but nothing he couldn’t handle.  Cole sealed the duffle and slung it over his shoulders.  He bounced and bunched his shoulders until it settled into place.

“You boys done?”  He heard Anastacia behind him.  He turned to see she was in her suit and had packed her bag as well.  She was also toting a monster in her arms. 

“Jesus H. Christ, penis envy or something?”  Cole asked surprised.

“Hahaha,” she had a rich throaty laugh that Cole found endearing, “Split said that the machine was heavily defended.  Someone had to bring a gun big enough to cut through the bull shit.  Are we ready?”

Cole glanced at Split who nodded his head.  “Let's roll out.”  Cole said as he led the way.  As he approached the exit to Splits bolt hole, he paused and activated his helmet.  He cringed a bit as it slid over his face and held his breath for the moment it took to cover his entire head and turn on.  His 360 degree camera turned on and he saw Split and Anastacia with their helmets on behind him.  They were waiting on him to move forward.  He turned on his suits intercom and spoke the words that fighting men have been saying since the dawn of warfare.  He held up his arm and waved it forward.  “Follow me.”

CHAPTER 17

Thalo, Sky, Snow, and Vinco marched briskly across the docking bay to the inner doors.  They had arrived moments ago in the Twin World System and had just finished docking onboard the Human flagship, The Justice.  As they approached the far door that lead to the ship proper, the door opened and framed in the opening was a silhouette that was larger than life.

Thalo halted at the door and threw up a jaunty salute.  “Permission to come aboard, Sir?”  He had a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his lips.

Jeth reached out a meaty hand and slapped the half-assed salute away.  “You ask the captain of the ship for permission, not the fleet commander.” 

“Well seeing as how he isn’t here I figured I would ask you.  So do we have permission?”

“Them yes, you no.”

“I have missed you immensely brother, how have things been in our absence?”  Thalo asked as he shouldered by his bondmate and started to head down the companionway.

“Head to the command briefing room.”  Was all Jeth said in reply.  Conversation was very unfeasible with Jeth in the companionway due to his large size.  He almost filled the space between bulkheads.  It was a short walk to the nearest lift and the four returning friends squeezed into the car with Jeth.  The lift took them to the command deck and they filed out.  Thalo lead the way to the briefing room and Jeth took up the rear.  They walked in silence to the room.  Passing crew members quickly made room for the quintet.   They were helped along by Thalo’s shouted, “Make a hole and make it wide.”

Snow giggled as she heard Jeth grumbling behind her.  They walked on and finally came to the door they were looking for.  Thalo activated the open switch on the door and stood to the side.  He bowed his head slightly and held his arm out to allow the ladies, their guest and Jeth to proceed through first.  The door slid closed behind Thalo as he cleared the frame.  He walked to the nearest unoccupied seat and flopped into it.  “What is going on?”  Sky and Snow exchanged confused looks.  “Don’t do the silent wise man routine on me Jeth.  What is going on that I get a welcome like I just got?”

Jeth’s cheeks turned a slight shade of red and he let out a deep sigh.  “I could never hide anything from you.  I have given over command of the fleet to another.  I was, unfortunately, not cut out for Naval command.”  No explanations or excuses just the short and sweet truth.  Jeth was a being of a few words and Thalo knew that had been his failing.  A commander had to be able to communicate with his crew and be willing to discuss things with his subordinates.  Thalo had hoped the experience would change that one flaw he had, well what Thalo sometimes thought as a flaw.  He knew Jeth had truly wanted to succeed at his self-assigned task.

“We are what we are.  And we missed you anyway.  I assume you will be working with our group again?”  Thalo neatly and succinctly made Jeth feel better and change the subject.

“Yes.”  They all waited for more but that was it.  Jeth had spoken and his decision was made.

“Good, I missed you brother.  Missions just aren’t the same without you there to back me up.  Don’t get me wrong,” He smiled at Sky and Snow, “female companionship on missions is a breath of fresh air.”

Jeth leaned in close to Thalo and in a deep basso whispered something to Thalo.  The color slowly drained from Thalo’s face as he listened to his oldest friend.  Jeth leaned back and Thalo’s hung his head and rested it in his hands.

“Is there something we need to know about?”  Sky sounded a little worried.

“Yes,” Jeth said

“No,” Thalo said at the exact same time.

“No,” he repeated more firmly.  “Are they here now?”  Thalo asked his friend.

“In your cabin.”  And that was all Jeth offered.

Thalo rubbed his temples for a moment before he stood up.  Jeth grabbed him firmly but gently.  “Wait, give me a moment to introduce our new commander.”  Jeth activated his shipboard com system and started to speak.  “Come in Commander.”

The opposite door from the one they had come in opened and a Nixa walked in.  He was resplendent in his jet black Second Skin with markings and decorations from the Nixa Navy.  Thalo was shocked silent and his jaw hung loose on his face.  Sky and Snow didn’t recognize the Nixa that had just walked in the room.

“Admiral Suns?  Is that you?”  The Nixa smiled as he walked over and shook each of their hands in turn.

“I am afraid it is.  And must say that it is a pleasure to meet all of you in person.  I must admit that it was a minor dream of mine to meet the true heroes of the Battle of Nixa.  I have met three of the four of you and have hopes to meet the Human called Cole.”  The last was said with a smile directed at Sky.

“Jeth I hope you have a good reason for allowing a fellow Nixa onboard this ship, not to mention giving him command of all five ships?”  Sky’s tone had an icy edge to it.

Jeth only responded with a grunt and a wave at the Admiral.

“Umm, yes I do believe you left on less than perfect terms with our government.  Let me be the first to assure you that my being here was not of my idea.  May I?” He pointed to the seat across from Sky and waited until she nodded her agreement before he sat down.  “After you had left the system and taken your ships with you things began to, change, for lack of a better word.  The Colonial Administrator, having apparently lost the battle to claim the Human ships as spoils of war, shifted his focus.  He needed a scapegoat to pin the blame of his failure on.  He also appeared to have been roughed up at some point.”  Snow interrupted him at that point with a snort of laughter.  Suns looked at first one sister then the next.  “I think I now know who did the roughing.  Regardless the Administrator was hell bent on salvaging his reputation at the cost of someone else’s, mainly my own.  As you know, or should know, I used a little known law concerning imminent threat against a Nixa World to countermand the orders I initially received regarding how I was to react to your sudden appearance.    I was well within my right as senior commander in the theater to act to protect our world.  I chose to believe you and your claims of a direct threat from Esii forces.  I turned command over to Commander Cole and followed his orders during the battle.  The rest you know.”  He reached for the pitcher of water in the middle of the table and poured himself a glass before continuing.

“The distinguished Administrator from the Colonies approached me with a deal.  If I would go in front of the council live, and broadcast my firm belief that the Human, Cole, had used Nixa as bait and had lured the Esii to our world for his own devices, and furthermore that he lied about certain events from his and you all’s past that I would be cleared of any charges and reinstated under the newly minted Grand Admiral Fury.”  He looked to Sky and tried to gauge her response.  He saw anger boiling to the surface.  He had to start this relationship off with the truth, he couldn’t hide his feelings from her or she would never trust him. 

“I agreed, only to keep him happy until I testified.  Within days he had me in front of the entire council of Administrators and your father.  I lied to them and sent Fire into a rage.  I told the council that, ‘No I didn’t believe that Cole had used us as bait and that I believed every part of his story.  Further I thought it was a mistake that we were not actively pursuing the destruction of the remainder of the Esii fleet and that anyone who was for halting our participation had some secret vested interest in dealing with the Esii. As you can imagine, the very public inquiry changed to a very privet court martial preceding.  I was found wanting and given my retirement papers.  It was at that point I was contacted by members of the Worlder embassy and was offered a job here, naturally I took it.”

“Wait,” Snow said, “you said you lied.  If you told them what you just told us, that was the truth, wasn’t it?”  Snow was very confused.

  Suns released a deep breath.  “I had the chance to look over the data on Fury’s ship.  There was no way what happened that day was by accident.  Except for finding the Sun Eater that is.  What Cole did that day was a very thought out plan.  A very well thought out plan.  He knew if he implicated the Nixa as a whole of helping him the Esii would respond in force.  He had hoped to lure out the Sun Eater that day and he managed to do it.  Brilliant really, but I wouldn’t further the career of a Nixa like Fire by admitting it.”  He looked at Sky.  “You don’t seem very surprised at all about my assessment of Cole’s plan.”

Sky was silent for a moment.  “No, I suppose not.  I didn’t want to believe it but I think I always knew that what happened that day was no accident.”  She reached out her hand again to the Admiral.  “Thank you for joining us, Admiral.”

“Admiral no more, now just commander.  Though that is an honor in this navy, seeing as whom I am replacing.  Now, on to more pressing matters.  Where do we go from here?”

Thalo stood up and cleared his throat.  “Vinco here has a story to tell and I have somewhere I need to be.  Seeing as how I have heard it before I need to excuse myself for a moment.” He didn’t wait for an answer he just left.  The others in the room looked to Jeth.  He shrugged as if to say he couldn’t divulge anything that they would have to wait for Thalo to tell them.

Focus shifted the before mention Vinco.  “I, umm, well I umm.”  He stuttered and stammered for a few moments before Snow finally saved him and asked the new Commander a question.

“Before we get into Vinco and his story we need to know something.  Can you be ready to ship out by tomorrow at the earliest if needed?”

Suns was clearly taken aback by the question and he took a moment to think it over.  “Ship out where exactly?”

“Esii,” responded Sky.  “We received a message saying to wait for two more days before attacking.  Thalo thinks, from what we found out from Vinco, that because there is a planetary shield around Esii, we can’t attack until it’s down.  We got that message a day or so ago.  So can you be ready to go in a few?”

“Of course, we can depart whenever you are ready to go.”  He stood and made to leave the room.

“Sit, please Admiral.”  Sky issued the order in a flat tone and Suns obeyed.  “We are not ready to attack just yet.  We need one more piece of the puzzle before we can launch an all-out attack on the Esii homeworld.  Vinco will help us get that piece.”

Suns sat and looked at the cowering Archon next to him.  “Please continue.”  Snow kicked Vinco under the table and he began to retell the story of his dishonor and rise to criminal glory.  The new Commander sat in amazed wonder as the former scientist turned criminal mastermind told his story.

“I played the part of Vinco for the past year, until they,” he pointed at the two Nixa, “and the Worlder showed up and kidnapped me.”  He had relaxed a little as he told his story.   Vinco slumped in his chair.  “Now I will tell you how to penetrate Chrysalis’s diamond shell and find the Kin.”

Suns took a moment and looked at Vinco.  He tried to penetrate his soul with his gaze.  He judged and evaluated everything that he had said.  “You are sure he is telling the truth?”

“Yes, because he will be coming with us, and his life will be at just as much risk as ours.  So for his sake his information better be accurate.  If it isn’t, well let’s just say he will regret wasting my time.”  Vinco stared in horror at what Sky had just said.  He began to open his mouth to protest when Sky shot him a withering look.  His mouth snapped shut with an audible snap. 

“What do you need from the fleet?  It is, of course, at your disposal.” 

“We can’t risk taking a large ship there.  We don’t know how large an opening there is in the first place, and we need to ensure the secret of the diamond outer shell remains a secret. I don’t think the Kin would appreciate tourists after twenty thousand years of isolation.  We need a long range shuttle form the human fleet and an AI to accompany it.”  At the mention of the AI, Vinco noticeably perked up.  Sky could see a thousand questions bubbling to his mouth.  She plowed on and ignored the Archon.  “It will be myself, Thalo, Jeth, Vinco, and my sister going, plus the AI.  I need you to have the fleet ready to depart upon our return.  Successful or not.”

“The Human ships or all of the Twin Worlds fleet?”

“That is up to the Worlders to decide.  We cannot commit their defense fleet to an attack on the Esii homeworld.  Figure it out before we get back.  Cram as much training as you can into the next few days Commander, they will need it.  Now, since it has been a long last few days, I am going to take some time and prepare for our departure.  When Thalo and our ship are ready to go, please inform me. I will be in my cabin.  Please escort and confine our guest to his room.”  Sky stood without another word and exited the meeting room. 

Suns tapped a button on his chair and summoned a pair of guards to escort Vinco back to his room.  He was about to say something to Snow when she beat him to the punch.

“Prove her fears wrong, Admiral.  Prove that you are here to help and not as a spy or saboteur sent by Fire.”  Snow leaned close to the former Admiral.  “I spent years of my life hunting down the scum who I thought had killed my sister.  If you betray her and this mission is jeopardized, I will find you and I will take my pound of flesh.”  Snow tried to sound as menacing as possible but she didn’t need to.  Jeth, forgotten in the corner due to his odd ability to quietly blend into the background, spoke up.

“If betrayal is in your heart, Commander, you will never leave this ship alive.”  Jeth's voice resonated with deep bass.  The threat and the being delivering it sent shivers running down her spine.