Fatal flaws gate ghosts.., p.1
Fatal Flaws (Gate Ghosts Book 13), page 1
FATAL FLAWS
Gate Ghosts Book 13
S. H. JUCHA
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2024 by S. H. Jucha
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
Published by Hannon Books, Inc.
www.scottjucha.com
ISBN: 979-8-9900518-2-9 (e-book)
ISBN: 979-8-9900518-3-6 (softcover)
First Edition: May 2024
Cover: Naiad Domes
Design: Damon Za
Acknowledgments
Fatal Flaws is the thirteenth novel in the Gate Ghosts, a series in the Earthers Saga that relates the stories of the descendants of Earth’s colony ships.
I wish to extend a special thanks to my independent editor, Joni Wilson, whose efforts enabled the finished product. To my proofreaders, Abiola Streete, David Melvin, Ron Critchfield, and Tiffany Crutchfield, I offer my sincere thanks for their support.
Despite the assistance I’ve received from others, all errors are mine.
Glossary
A glossary is located at the end of the book.
Contents
1: We’re Full
2: New Job
3: We Can’t Swim
4: Who Are You?
5: It Must Be Both of Us
6: Executors’ Headaches
7: Called to Judgment
8: Reunions
9: They’re Real
10: Derelict Nursery
11: They’re Dying
12: Collaborators
13: The Hunt Is On
14: Confessions Needed
15: Fomentation
16: One More Time
17: Mila’s Test
18: Class One Freighter
19: You’re Not Listening
20: Guilty Admittance
21: Fatal Mistake
22: Let’s Settle This
23: New Hires
24: Sven’s Concerns
25: We Have to Hurry
26: I’ve the Answer
27: Citizens’ Protest
28: Negotiations
29: Dakargk’s Plan
30: Sneak Attack
Glossary
My Books
The Author
1: We’re Full
WOOT AND DEVONA PLANETS
IMPERIUM AND QUELLER TERRITORIES
“That’s it. The Krackus freighters can’t take anymore,” a conclave crew chief signaled the Woot sisters and the traveler pilots.
The crew chief closed the hatch to the freighter’s module. Then he sank to the deck in the bright corridor of the freighter’s spine to join his entourage of Dwerves, Woots, and conclave members who sat on the deck.
“We desperately need a conclave freighter,” a conclave engineer commented.
As a heavy worlder New Terran, the engineer was indispensable in moving the hefty grain bags from bays to modules. Grav palettes facilitated much of the distance. However, each traveler’s load had to be manually moved onto palettes. Then, at the freighter’s modules, the reverse was required.
Frieda, the sisters’ leader, recalled the traveler that was en route to the fifth freighter, and Cyan halted the loading of the traveler that would have been next to lift from the Woot planet.
With the number of conclave members and sisters dispersed among the ships in system and on the planet, the number of bags was quickly tabulated.
“How much is that in traveler loads?” Quanitine asked the Toralian pilot, Teffloose, who’d shared the amount with Captain Eshtitor.
“Four full travelers,” Teffloose replied.
“We can handle that,” Quanitine prompted Eshtitor.
“Of course, we can,” Eshtitor replied.
Immediately, Teffloose communicated the new destination. The traveler pilot who was headed for the planet reversed course and made for the Dwerve warship.
Eshtitor made a shipwide announcement that four travelers would need to be unloaded into two bays. He didn’t need to add that only the most robust Dwerves were required. After multiple harvest seasons, each Dwerve who had assisted the Woots knew the weight of a grain bag.
The effort to draw Woots into the idea of sending excess grain to the Queller planets in trade for better farming equipment had started slowly. However, as the reticent dresats saw the bounty produced by the new equipment in other fiefdoms, they encouraged their citizens to partake in the sisters’ enterprise.
At this point, the Woot grain project was self-generating. In addition, the Woots who were artisans or who employed their skills in other ways were speaking to the sisters about improving the efficiency of their products’ production.
Cyan intuited the reason for Frieda’s response.
“Apologies, Captain Eshtitor,” Teffloose said. “There’s been a slight change of plan.”
Eshtitor noted the traveler was now headed toward the Withern. He growled good-naturedly. Looking toward Quanitine, he said, “We’ll have additional company on our journey to Devona.”
“Five freighters, the Withern, and us,” Quanitine remarked. Her long, scaled fingers stroked Eshtitor’s furry neck. “The sisters are following our example. Most appropriate.”
The Dwerve pair eyed Teffloose. The Toralian displayed her sharp teeth in a satisfied smile.
“Captain, more than you and I seem to think so,” Quanitine commented, which made the Toralian’s wings flutter and her smile widen.
Cyan and Orly caught the next traveler to lift with a load of grain, which was headed for the Withern.
Jacqueline, the sister aboard the mini-Quadrant, accepted the first grain shipment. Then she headed toward the planet to shorten subsequent traveler flights.
When the four travelers full of grain were aboard the Withern, there was an effort to complete the accommodations necessary for the biologicals who would be resident on the mini-Quadrant. This included outfitting cabins, installing food services, and filling water tanks.
Engineers, techs, and SADEs worked to outfit much of the Withern to provide comfort to many more biologicals than presently anticipated.
Noting that she’d belatedly realized the value of presenting the sisters as willing to host biologicals, Orly made some minor adjustments within her hierarchy and code. She intended to be an asset on this trip to visit the Quellers rather than Cyan’s adversary.
While the Withern was prepared for its journey, Quanitine requested a conference with Eshtitor and Teffloose. They met in the captain’s quarters after the evening meals were cleared away.
“Delicately attractive,” Teffloose commented about Quanitine’s colorful gauze layers. “However, they’re nothing that a Toralian could wear.” To demonstrate her point, she fluttered her wings. The vestigial claw hooks at the bends of her wings were evident of one aspect of the problem.
Folding her wings, Teffloose sat across from Eshtitor and Quanitine. “How may I help?” she inquired.
“We know that SADEs routinely share information,” Quanitine began. “Furthermore, SADEs have previously visited Devona, and they would have gleaned information about the races on the other side of the anomaly.”
When Quanitine paused, Teffloose nodded. “What you state is true,” she said.
“In the future, we hope to empty this ship of Dwerves across the Queller worlds,” Quanitine continued. “That presents my love with a problem.”
Teffloose’s dark eyes regarded Eshtitor. “Is this not what you want, Captain?” she asked.
“It is,” Eshtitor replied.
Teffloose worked to understand the conundrum. She’d known the captain to be decisive and forthright. At this moment, he appeared indecisive and decidedly uncomfortable. “Bluntness would be appreciated,” she said.
“The captain is reticent to request what he wishes,” Quanitine replied. “However, I want him to see his hopes fulfilled, and I will do whatever that takes.”
“And what do you need, Captain?” Teffloose queried.
“I don’t want to be dropped planetside to live,” Eshtitor said. “Unfortunately, I don’t know how I could fit into Queller society, with their push to adopt conclave tech.”
“Captain, you’re an intelligent individual,” Teffloose stated firmly. “You know the path you need to take. Why not ask for it?”
“Perhaps, I don’t deserve it,” Eshtitor replied, which pained Quanitine.
“Perhaps, you don’t,” Teffloose responded dryly. “However, in the event that we’re both wrong, why don’t we ask others? Should we start with your partner? Or maybe the sisters? How about the Woots?”
Eshtitor issued a growling chuckle.
“Not every individual comes to the conclave with an unblemished history, Captain,” Teffloose said. “My race was guilty of things we would choose not to remember. Still, when we saw an opportunity to abandon our ways and support the Omnians, we accepted that path with open wings. In time, we proved to the Omnians that we were worthy of the opportunity granted us.”
“An entire race,” Quanitine repeated, nudging Eshtitor. “What is one insignificant captain compared to that many Toralians?”
Eshtitor imagined shrinking to the size of a ship boot, enabling him to go about unnoticed by the conclave.
“So, what do you want, Captain?” Teffloose asked.
“To sail a conclave ship,” Eshtitor stated, with more emotion than he’d shown since the start of the conversation.
“What type of ship?” Teffloose inquired, keeping suspicion out of her voice.
“There are races spread out beyond Queller space accessible only by conclave ships,” Eshtitor replied. “The Woots need to reach them with their grain for many decades, while they’re still an agrarian society. I wish to help them deliver their products to those races.”
“An admirable endeavor,” Teffloose commented. “Fortune is with us.”
“In what way?” Quanitine queried.
“We can seek advice from my sibling, Temtalum. She stands as pilot for the Queller conclave representative, Iltaft,” Teffloose explained. “Captain, how dedicated are you to this idea?”
“I understand I must take several steps to reach my goal, which I’m prepared to do,” Eshtitor replied. “An implant is required to use conclave tech. I would need to train to pilot a traveler. After that, I don’t know what is necessary to captain a conclave freighter.”
“Well, you have two things in your favor, Captain,” Teffloose mused.
“Which are?” Eshtitor prompted.
“First, you’re experienced, having captained the greatest warship that the conclave has ever seen,” Teffloose responded.
“And second?” Eshtitor pressed.
“You’ve a most ardent supporter in the nature of your partner,” Teffloose added, with her whistling laughter. “When we reach Devona, we’ll meet with Temtalum and hear what she recommends.”
With another cycle for preparations, including finalizing the latest requests from the Woots, courtesy of the sisters, for the Quellers, the flotilla was ready to sail.
A SADE in the lead Krackus freighter linked with the other four SADEs, and he initiated the sequences for the five freighters.
Simultaneously, Teffloose said, “Captain Eshtitor, start your journey.”
In turn, Eshtitor directed the pilot to orient the huge ship and accelerate to clear the system. As their destination was known, it required only a few taps on the pilot’s panel for the entire process to run.
Occasionally, Cyan paused to wonder to what extent the militant sisters in their midst had truly reformed. Their extraordinary efforts for the Woots couldn’t be denied. But her thought was that the militants could be biding their time. Then she would ask herself,
When the freighters and the Dwerve warship were nearly free of the majority of the system’s gravitational pull, Jacqueline signaled the Withern’s controller. The mini-Quadrant expended its grav cells to leap forward.
Before the heavies of the small flotilla could gain the dark, the Withern kept them company.
∞
Knowing the next Woot harvest delivery would be arriving soon at Devona, Representative Iltaft had her hands full. Despite delegating to Timteri and Kosyet, who had helped her hire their replacement, she was pressed to ensure that commitments would be met.
To Kosyet, Iltaft’s silence was worse than a reprimand.
Kosyet offered.
Kosyet deflated. She believed she’d failed by recommending someone who was convincing about his energy and thoroughness. She’d told him many times to verify and not to trust. Her hope was that the numbers wouldn’t be too far off, as the manufactured items had been close to target when she made her last verification round just twenty cycles ago.
Iltaft ended one link and made another connection.
Later that morning, Temtalum picked up Iltaft and added her to the other passengers, Minimalist, Luther, and Morgoth.
After Temtalum located Kosyet’s replacement, Bakilt, she made for his coordinates, which identified him at a manufacturing site.
A supervisor was surprised by Bakilt’s visit, thinking the constant pressure applied by Kosyet had finally lifted. Worse, Bakilt’s affable personality, which he’d first experienced, was missing. The youth was determined to get the latest machinery count contracted by the Dwerves for the Woots.
As if the cycle wasn’t going badly enough, the supervisor received a hushed report that a traveler had landed outside the shipping docks. Only a few moments later, he watched Iltaft striding toward him with conclave members in tow.
