Vortex incursion, p.42
Vortex Incursion, page 42
“The inquisitor needs a good show, does he?” Gretren asked disgustedly.
“Do what you can, Imperator. The fate of the rest of the fleet depends on you,” Deckus replied, and he ended the call.
Korvath stared at Gretren, hoping for some sort of reprieve from the inevitable. However, the look in Gretren’s orbs told him that it hadn’t come. He turned away from the command chair and walked slowly in a circle. His wish was to hear from Kreus, who he believed would have an answer.
That’s when Korvath channeled the AI. Kreus had frequently told him that he would have to choose between the Imperium and his conscience. It seemed to Korvath that the time had come.
Whirling to Gretren’s side, he whispered urgently.
Gretren stared unbelieving at Korvath, who bobbed his head vigorously, his crest flipping forward and back. Unable to think of any other solution, Gretren suddenly ordered unnecessary personnel into the shuttles.
Gretren’s order didn’t need repeating. Krackus crew members raced for the lower decks to fill the numerous shuttles.
The peacekeeper’s fleeing shuttles engendered various reactions.
“What is Gretren doing?” Tarbar demanded of Deckus.
“Saving as many of his crew as he can.” Deckus replied.
“It looks like he’s admitting defeat to the aliens,” Tarbar declared. “He’ll never have another fleet position when I’m through with him.”
“You should be better acquainted with the Imperator Operations Manual, Inquisitor,” Deckus replied. “When destruction of an imperator’s ship appears imminent, the imperator is required to fill his shuttles and launch them. As it is, I doubt you’ll have an opportunity to reprimand Gretren.”
Dominique asked.
Dominique received a flight path from Miranda, which had been added to the Trident’s controller.
The pilot swung the Trident in a loop to place the ship far above the peacekeeper. Then he locked the controller onto the Krackus ship. Afterward, every twist and turn the peacekeeper took was mirrored by the Trident.
“That’s new,” Gretren said quietly. He directed his gaze toward Korvath, seeking an interpretation.
Korvath shrugged his narrow shoulders. He didn’t know whether the message had been received, or the tri-hull captain was going to execute a lethal pass.
“Status of the shuttles?” Gretren inquired.
“They’re all away, Imperator,” Korvath replied. “I’ve received a maintenance report. One set of bay doors won’t close. As conditions are perilous, I’m not allowing crew to enter the bay. In fact, every crew member is absent from the three lowest decks.”
“Understood and approved,” Gretren replied.
What Korvath didn’t relay to Gretren was that he ordered the lights in the inoperable bay left on. He had no idea why the usually consistent operation of bay doors would fail at this moment, but he was thankful that they had.
Dominique received an enlarged image from the Trident’s telemetry capture. Clearly visible were the lights illuminating an open bay. Have the Krackus suddenly become devious, or are the protectors correct in their interpretations, she mentally wondered. Her concluding thought was, I vote for the SADEs.
The pilot touched his panel and sent a fervent plea to the stars.
“The tri-hull is accelerating,” the telemetry officer warned Gretren and Korvath.
The peacekeeper continued to execute ad hoc maneuvers, but the Trident seemed attached to its topside.
“For the sake of the fleet, Korvath, we must respond,” Gretren whispered.
“Stand by to launch missiles. Close-in gunners, be ready for a pass,” Korvath ordered.
“How can that tri-hull follow our arcing so quickly?” Gretren mused.
What the imperator didn’t know was that Dominique was concerned about the same thing. She was monitoring the grav engine reserves. The Trident’s controller was expending drive mass and grav energy to accomplish its task. Only thirteen percent of the grav energy remained.
The peacekeeper had time to execute one last maneuver. It rolled to port and dipped five degrees. Conveniently, for the Krackus, it brought the starboard missile ports to bear.
“Fire starboard missile batteries,” Korvath ordered briskly. All the while, he was counting on the alien captain to ignore the launch.
The Krackus bridge crew stared open-beaked as the tri-hull twisted in a spiral in the direction their ship had rolled.
This was the protectors’ plan, as copied from the twins’ tactics. Entreat your opponent to turn to meet you, and then attack the unguarded side.
The peacekeeper’s starboard missiles were flung uselessly into space. There wasn’t time for Korvath to deliver a command to the port side batteries, and the close-in gunners brought their weapons to bear too late.
As the Trident passed under the peacekeeper, the last of its grav energy twisted the ship sideways, and the controller fired a glancing beam at the opponent’s underbelly.
“Damage report,” Gretren requested hurriedly
“Engines online. Minimal maneuvering available, Imperator,” Korvath announced. “We’ve lost two levels, three bays wide. I’ve canceled the evasive routine.”
“Commendable, Declinator,” Gretren returned. Then he touched his panel to call Deckus.
“How bad?” Deckus asked.
“We can’t stress the ship. Too much damage to our underside,” Gretren said. “The tri-hull will finish us on its next pass.”
“Hold your course, Gretren,” Deckus said. “I’ve calls to make.” Then he muted his line to Gretren and contacted Tarbar.
“Gretren’s peacekeeper is heavily damaged. That’s the end of the contest,” Deckus said.
“The ship can still fight,” Tarbar declared.
“No, it can’t,” Deckus argued. “The tri-hull can make a swift pass from the rear and destroy the engines and the aft compartments. It can continue to attack from that direction until our ship burns and the hull is compromised.”
“Your incompetence, Deckus, will be reported,” Tarbar warned.
“You’re free to make whatever accusations you wish, Inquisitor. I’ll let our recordings of the action and our communications stand as my witnesses,” Deckus responded. He abruptly ended the call and noted the inquisitor called him back. With an odd combination of dread and satisfaction, he ignored him.
Placing an open fleet call, Deckus asked, “Admiral, are you listening?”
Cordelia replied.
“Halt your tri-hull’s attack. I’m declaring your ship the winner of this encounter,” Deckus said.
Before Deckus could respond, Gretren replied, “None, Admiral. The launching of our shuttles removed the unnecessary crew members.”
“I don’t accept that the engagement is concluded,” Tarbar announced.
When Gretren could respond, Deckus knew the admiral was on an open conference with the fleet and the dissidents again.
“That would be me,” Deckus stated firmly. “The inquisitor has the right to advise me and direct me under most circumstances, but not during combat or evasive maneuvers to defend my fleet. You’ve won, Admiral. This fleet will exit Helgart space. However, I’d like to request some courtesies.”
Tarbar fumed. He’d tried to shout Deckus down, but he was informed that he was no longer on the admiral’s conference call. Furthermore, the ship’s comm wasn’t accessible by his bridge crew.
Aboard the Nyslara, Z grinned at his partner. They were enjoying the inquisitor’s rant.
“I’ve two damaged ships, which can’t exit with the fleet,” Deckus stated. “The first is only partially repaired. I would request time for those ships to make the necessary repairs. My engineering and supply ships would need to stay behind to support them.
Deckus hesitated to accept, but Gretren immediately replied, “That’s generous of you, Admiral, we’d appreciate the help.”
“Those are my requests, Admiral. What are your conditions?” Deckus inquired.
33: Dissidents
“We will,” Deckus responded, “but I can’t guarantee that another fleet commander won’t arrive in my place.”
Deckus had no doubt that what the admiral said was true. He also had no doubt that the Imperium wouldn’t heed her warnings.
“Prepare to exit this system in the company of the fleet,” Tarbar ordered.
An officer at the bridge control turned to the imperator and said, “We no longer have control of our engines.”
The imperator turned to Tarbar, who stared coldly at him. His neck wobbled under the inquisitor’s intimidating orbs.
Deckus noticed that Tarbar had fallen off the conference, and he placed a direct call, which the SADEs allowed.
“The aliens have taken over our systems,” Tarbar complained to Deckus.
“Is this true, Admiral?” Deckus asked.
“Technically, that’s correct, Admiral,” Deckus replied, careful to prevent gurgling his amusement.
“Inquisitor, you understand that there is little I can do for your circumstances,” Deckus said.
Tarbar hotly retorted.
None of his bridge crew wanted to tell Tarbar that he’d been cut off again.
While the outpost fleet prepared to sail, Cordelia contacted Gretren.
“How would that be possible?” Gretren asked.
“Difficult choices,” Gretren remarked.
“In one case, my crew would be unaccustomed to your ways and your appearances,” Gretren replied. “In the other, our transports can’t reach Helgart. It’s much too far for them.”
Miranda made a suggestion to Cordelia, who relayed it.
Korvath caught Gretren’s attention with a raised hand, and the imperator indicated the comms panel.
“Admiral, this is Declinator Korvath. I’ve one concern with your suggestion.”
When Korvath spoke, the Tritiums became excited and shouted his name.
Cordelia didn’t worry about the Tritiums transmitting on the conference. She’d curtailed audio pickup from the bridge.
“The oxygen levels in the transports might become a problem for the long flight,” Korvath replied.
To Gretren’s questioning orbs, Korvath nodded affirmatively.
“We accept the transport to Helgart, Admiral,” Gretren said. “Can you take my transports in one trip?”
Gretren and Korvath were surprised that the admiral would endanger her pilots and shuttles by launching them into empty space. They wondered what capabilities the alien transports had that theirs didn’t.
Gretren’s transports were clustered near the partially repaired peacekeeper, and Nira directed her pilot to make for them.
Cordelia took the time to connect with Dominique and her crew. The Trident was recovering its travelers and crew.
The first things that Cordelia, Miranda, and Z heard were the noisy sounds of diverse races.
Kreus was connected to the dissidents, who’d heard every exchange between the Krackus ships and the admiral. When they heard Cordelia’s statement, the noise was overwhelming.
Cordelia chuckled. she sent.
Kreus sent.
Kreus replied.
Cordelia thought Miranda’s response might have been premature, but she wasn’t about to correct a protector. From Z’s expression, Cordelia surmised he was comfortable with what his partner had sent.
The Tritium elders squeaked at Z. He replied, “Speak,” and prepared to transmit for them.
“We and our younger triplet are safe, Kreus,” the elders chorused.
Pride puffed up the elders, and they stood upright on Z’s substantial arm, protruding their small chests.
“We’re safe too,” the younger Tritiums said.
Miranda and Z had already decided that she would focus on the peacekeepers’ repairs, and Z would handle the dissidents.
After the Nyslara emptied most of its travelers, the Quadrant’s crew aided the Krackus transports to land. The bays’ air mixtures were adjusted, and the transport pilots cracked their hatches in trepidation. When the air was pronounced, not only acceptable, but also preferable, the Krackus crews relaxed for the journey.
The Nyslara’s bridge crew imaged the damage to the peacekeeper that the Vivian’s Reflection had struck. Despite the length of time that had passed, the repairs hadn’t made much progress.
