When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars) (68 page)

             
Cameron laughed
.“
And how did it work out this time
?
”

             
“A melted fusion core and three shattered cells, not to mention the Cove has a new scorch mark clear across Hammer Bay
.”
She watched him wipe tears from his eyes. It made her feel good, having him smile. It had been too long since sh
e’
d seen him do that genuinely
.“
Have you heard from Josh yet
?
”

             
He wiped his eyes, still feeling the fluttering in his chest
.“
Just a short note. He still ca
n’
t say much, but he looks a lot better. Those last few weeks he was getting pretty thin. Glad to see the
y’
re at least feeding him
.
”

             
The elevator opened and they stepped inside. Two ensigns leaned against the back, chatting quietly about some personal matter. The pilots ignored them. Cameron hit the button for the fourth deck while Kaileen selected the living area. A tone sounded and the lift began to rise, magnets humming along the way.

             
“You should try to see him, when this is over
.”
She brushed at a loose hair on his face, pushing the strand away from his eyes
.“
They have to give him leave at least once
.
”

             
Cameron took her hand, massaging her palm between his thumb and forefinger
.“
W
e’
ll see. I figure h
e’
ll be down there, fighting in the mists with the rest of them. Hell, by the time I get back, w
e’
ll probably be at it with the Boxti
.”
He flinched at the strain in his voice. Kaileen had made him meet with the statio
n’
s counsellor after his third night without sleep. Cameron had been doing fine at the Cove, but returning to a combat rotation played havoc on his nerves.

             
“Admiral Walker seemed pretty sure about the negotiations
,”
a tiny voice offered. The young ensign stared wide-eyed at Cameron. She was young, only twenty if he had to guess. Still thinking the top brass had all the answers
.“
Maybe i
t’
s like they say, this was just a shot across the bow
.
”

             
“I was at Tallus
,”
he said coldly
.“
They do
n’
t make mistakes when it comes to genocide. They do
n’
t see us as anything other than vermin, and we should treat them the same
.
”

             
“They sent a message to the Admirals
.”
She looked to her friend for confirmation, but the young man knew better than to join in
.“
It was a misunderstanding
.
”

             
That set Camero
n’
s head burning. He glared at the little girl, his eyes piercing
.“
Then i
t’
s going to turn out to be a fairly costly one for them. W
e’
ve had to burn down whole blocks of housing, peopl
e’
s homes, to keep this disease from spreading. New Eden is under a thirty-percent quarantine while we try to figure out how to fight off this infection. This was biological warfare, pure and simple
.
”

             
The elevator chimed and came to a stop. Cameron stepped out into the hall, still fuming. Kaileen caught his wrist.

             
“Sh
e’
s just young
.
”

             
“Tha
t’
s not an excuse anymore
,”
he said loud enough for the ensign to hear.

             
Kaileen rolled her eyes
.“I’
ll hit you again, you know
?”
She pulled him close and kissed his lips
.“
Take a shower, cool off, and go to your briefing. Talk to Doc Mercer if you need, or the chaplain.
I’
ll be in my room when yo
u’
re done. W
e’
ll see if Josh is available and you can complain about stupid people together. You two always seem to enjoy that
.”
He mumbled something under his breath
.“
What was that
?
”

             
He looked up, his tired eyes red from lack of sleep
.“
The stars have
n’
t faded yet
.
”

             
She squeezed his hand
.“I’
ll be here when you get back
.
”

             
Cameron gave her a weak smile, but bobbed his head nonetheless. He knew when she was right, which he hated to admit was almost always. She kissed him again and pushed him away as the door to the elevator shut. He watched the numbers climb higher for a moment before turning and walking down the bright hallway.

-                           
VII                            -

              “What do you mean, treaty
?
”

             
The young Nangolani did
n’
t dare raise his eyes to the Emperor. Andui
n’
s temper was well known amongst the refugees. Even if he was just the messenger, there was no point in risking unneeded suffering
.“
The humans are sending the Ambassador of the planet to discuss an end to the fight
.
”

             
“Ambassador
?”
Anduin had heard the word used by the High Chancellor. They were the leaders of the planets, heads of the Colonial Pillar
.“
They allow politicians to play at war with the Horde. That will end very poorly
.
”

             
A tall and emaciated Nangolani walked toward the Emperor, emerging from the shadows at the edge of the throne room. At this late hour, there were very few awake in the mammoth Imperial ship. Dressed in simple clothes, the Royal Magister was hardly noticed
.“
The humans may not have the resolve w
e’
d hoped for
.
”

             
“Why do you say that
?”
Anduin asked.

             
The Magister walked softly in a large circle around the elder Nangolani
.“
We came to them for their compassion, and their sense of right and wrong. W
e’
d hoped that, upon witnessing the brutality of the Boxti, they would become bent on destroying the alien menace
.”
He paused, gesturing for the messenger to leave
.“
What we did
n’
t count on is how that compassion might allow them to fall for the Hord
e’
s trickery
.
”

             
“You believe they will surrender? Choose servitude over annihilation
?
”

             
“Perhaps
,”
the Magister said
.“
Not all species have the will to put freedom over all else
.
”

             
Anduin weighed the ma
n’
s words. The Magistrate was known for attracting the brightest minds of the Nangolani. Unfortunately, there was a fine line between a cunning mind and a conniving one
.“
We have come so far, nearly lost all so many times. I bear the burden of our sins alone
.
”

             
“Then maybe you need to show the humans just that. Show them exactly what you have done, what you will do, to keep your people from falling to the Boxti
.”
He locked eyes with the Emperor
.“
That may be the only way to keep their attention. That may the only way to save our people
.
”

-                           
VIII                            -

              Markov sat in his study looking over the files. To a man, the soldiers had demonstrated remarkable growth in their physical and mental abilities. It was better than he could have ever hoped for, and they had
n’
t even reached the true testing stages. Once the suits were ready, he could find out if his team was everything h
e’
d paid for. In a week they could start field trials. Maybe a month before their first mission. And then, once the brass saw his handiwork, more candidates would be sent to Omega. But he was letting his mind get ahead again. Still so much to do, so much work before the payoff.

             
A knock at the door startled him. He found he zoned out more and more often nowadays. It was easy to do; there was so much happening that he could
n’
t be bothered to focus on the little things. Thank god for Sasha. The man was sent from Heaven to make sure the program ran smoothly from start to finish, even if he had little idea what the project actually was doing. Markov pressed a button on his intercom and the door slid open.

             
“Speak of the Devil
,”
Markov said as Sasha walked in.

             
The months of hard training showed more on the veteran than his soldiers. Dark circles hung under each eye, and his scar flared red from exertion. Sasha looked around the office, marveling at the rich wood paneling and vast library of medical journals, physics textbooks and tomes on quantum theory. Markov had amassed nothing short of a masterful collection of literature covering every aspect of the program. Most of the journals h
e’
d written himself, while others came from the best minds in the galaxy. There was even a translation of a Nangolani armore
r’
s guide, though the Martian had little idea what use it would serve.

             
“Ther
e’
s no one else here
,”
Sasha said. Markov made a face
.“
You sai
d‘
speak of the Devil
,’
but you are
n’
t talking to anyone
.
”

             
“Think of the Devil, then
.”
He flash that impish, child-like grin he was so fond of wearing. Sasha had become used to the expression, even finding it somewhat endearing. In a way, it reminded him of his old student. Just thinking about
him
sent chills down the old bea
r’
s spine. Markov made a show of shuffling papers
.“
What brings you to my humble mess today? Have the candidates spread their wings yet
?
”

             
Sasha shook his head
.“
The flight is
n’
t for another hour. The
y’
re in the lab, getting used to those infernal jets. I
t’
s going to take them a few weeks before the
y’
ll be deployable. Sooner if we use older kits
.”
He lifted a small model from the desk: a four-engined Valkyrie painted a frightful red and black
.“
We received another call for Dax
.
”

             
Markov squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. He groaned through gritted teeth
.“
How much longer can we stall
?
”

             
“We ca
n’
t. The Governor is involved. That was his office on the line asking for a waiver from training. The situation on Earth is deteriorating faster than expected
.
”

             
Markov looked at his second-in-command, incredulous
.“
Tha
t’
s impossible. We ca
n’
t stop now, w
e’
ve just started to make progress. Real progress. If we let him go..
.
”