Dark matters rim jumper.., p.3
Dark Matters (Rim Jumper Book 8), page 3
“It’s a good name,” Jaeger said. She bit her lower lip and stared into the distance for a few seconds. “Appropriate, considering the potential for discovery it represents.”
“We still have so much to learn on Titan, though,” Kole said. “Do we really have time to divert attention to the ring station?”
“Yes,” Yusef and Jaeger answered at the same time. The Rebellion leader waved for her father to continue. “Our discoveries on this ship have been extremely important and beneficial, Captain Anwynn, but every new piece of information we find reveals yet more questions that we need answered. There are systems on this ship that we understand the barest fraction of, and testing can only reveal so much without exposing our people to greater dangers.”
“The medical bays are under a constant strain,” Jaeger said. “Dozens of injuries have occurred in the last week alone due to testing systems and discovering they weren’t meant to do what we tried to do with them.” Her voice dropped into a somber tone. “Three brave souls gave their lives in the same period, in pursuit of discoveries they hoped would aid us all in our quest to restore balance to the Hegemony.”
“I’m sorry,” Kole said, reaching out to squeeze Neela’s hand. “I knew we’d lost a few people along the way, but I never realized how heavy the toll was.”
Jaeger shook her head and held up a hand to ask him for patience. “Father, you have everything you need to begin making notes of what you read here?”
Yusef nodded and held up a datapad. Several of those around him did the same. “We’ll take shifts, to ensure we miss as little as possible. I have the boy bringing some recording equipment, as well, so that we can play it back at a slower speed later on. With luck, we can begin to teach the language of my distant ancestors to others, who can then help us in this task.”
“Excellent.” Jaeger kissed her father’s cheek, and he blushed beneath the tightly cropped beard that covered the lower half of his face. “Kole, Neela, come with me.”
Kole glanced at the displays one last time, intrigued by the gracefully curving script that continued to scroll across them just slow enough for someone to read if they were fluent in the language. He was beginning to wonder if there were other old human languages the Ancient technology could use when Neela yanked on his hand to drag him away.
Jaeger led them out of the bridge and down the corridor a short distance. She placed a hand on the featureless wall, and the metal flowed aside to form an oval doorway that led into the office that occupied the first of her suite of rooms. She waved them to chairs on one side of her desk.
“New furniture?” he asked, nodding at the desk that was far nicer than the makeshift contraption of shipping crates she’d been using the last time he’d been inside the room.
“A gift,” Jaeger said, smiling fondly as her fingers trailed along the smooth metal surface that was elaborately etched with a series of designs. The cushioned chair she sank into was also new and matched the desk for magnificence.
“A gift, huh,” Neela said with a grin. “Secret admirer?”
Jaeger laughed loudly and shook her head. “A gesture of gratitude. While you two have been galivanting across the galaxy the last several weeks, Titan has been doing some good for the people.”
Kole raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I thought you were intent on keeping a low profile? To prevent Hegemony response for as long as possible.”
“I was,” Jaeger nodded. “Senator Amorta convinced me there was a better way, however, before he left with you to track down the secret Hegemony facility.”
“Hearts and minds,” Kole said with a grin. It was the reason Marius had urged him to meet with his old friend Erich Reise, and the reason they’d pursued any leads that could help them discover what had turned out to be Arkangel Point. The goal had been to expose whatever secret project the Hegemony was working on, to reveal the corruption of the government. That couldn’t happen now, since the Ancient ring station would need to remain secret for the foreseeable future. Until the Hegemony sent a small fleet to take it back, that is.
“Exactly,” Jaeger said, returning his grin. “The senator felt our interests were best served by demonstrating to the people how the Rebellion could improve their lives. Even the smallest example would go a long way to securing greater support down the road.” She rubbed a hand across the desk. “He was correct.”
“He usually is,” Kole conceded.
“Is that why the corridors were less crowded?” Neela asked. Kole looked at her in confusion, and she nudged him with an elbow. “Of course, you didn’t notice.”
Jaeger chuckled at the teasing tone. “We’ve begun dispatching teams to assist with smaller requests for assistance that come in. Pirate attacks here, or impending ecological disaster there. Whatever small aid we can provide will help cement the Rebellion in the minds of the people.”
She swiveled in her chair, standing to cross to a large display hanging against the wall beside the desk. It was a normal screen, not one of the Ancient liquid metal versions. With a touch of a button, the display came to life and showed a map of the Mid and Outer Rim. “At Yusef’s urging, we’ve also dispatched teams of researchers to the more benign Ancient ruins spread across this portion of the galaxy. Armed with everything they’ve learned aboard Titan, we hope they’ll be able to discover the purposes behind the structures that still survive.”
“Smart,” Kole said approvingly. “If we could find just one ruin capable of restored functionality, it would propel the Rebellion to the forefront of the galactic mind.”
“That’s not the reason for our investigations, but you’re correct.” Jaeger dragged the map across the screen and zoomed in closer to highlight four planets in lightly populated or entirely empty systems. “We selected these four ruins because of their distance from any Hegemony military bases or ship routes. My hope was that we could potentially settle on one of these worlds if we managed to discover a ruin that had defensive properties.”
“Ah,” Kole said in realization. Titan had served as the Rebellion flagship for more than a year, but it had also been the only home for most of the movement’s members. There were some enclaves on places like Tachi Station, which were secretly controlled by Jaeger’s people, but that wasn’t a real substitute for a planet. A place to set down roots and call home.
“But two of those ruins are in systems without inhabitable planets,” Neela said. “And the other two are on planets that already host small colonial settlements.”
“We still have a handful of the terraforming spheres in the belly of this ship,” Jaeger said. “Enough to begin the process of turning a lifeless rock into a place capable of sustaining life.”
“And if you did that in a system already classified as uninhabitable, the Hegemony would never think to look for you there.” Kole traded a grin with Jaeger.
“Regardless, it may be months before we learn if any of these targets will suit our needs.” Jaeger pressed a button to turn off the display. “Now, we have another option.”
“One of the worlds you helped out offered to let you settle there?” Neela asked.
“She means Arkangel,” Kole said, narrowing his eyes at the thought. “This place has killed dozens of people already, Jaeger. There’s no telling what kind of defenses are still in place over there.”
“And now it’s awake,” Neela added in a hoarse whisper.
“I understand all that, and we won’t approach the ring station lightly. But if we’re able to utilize such a place… imagine the possibilities.”
Kole saw the spark of hope in Jaeger’s eyes, and for the first time he wondered how hard it had been for the young woman to twice lose the place she’d called home. Caldor II was the planet her family settled on as part of an unsanctioned colony expedition, and later was the home of more than two thousand members of what was then a group passing themselves off as pirates to gain strength. The Hegemony had arrived and forced her from the planet both times, reinforcing her hatred for the government that seemed intent on controlling every aspect of the lives of the galaxy’s citizens.
“It’s way bigger than Tachi Station,” Neela said, chewing on her lip as she got lost in thought. “Probably room for a hundred thousand people, at the very least. Maybe as many as half a million, depending on how many possible cabins we find inside.”
Kole reached out to clasp her hand, breaking her out of fantastical imagination. “Be very cautious when you explore that station, Jaeger. Some sort of intelligence is obviously in control over there, and there’s no telling what it will make of creatures it considers alien.”
“I’m well aware of that,” Jaeger said. She sighed and rubbed her face in a show of exhaustion that she’d never dare to let many people see. “We’ve spent countless hours searching for the AI you and I both feel is operating on this ship, Kole. Watching it communicate with that station makes me even more certain there must be one on Titan. Perhaps with Arkangel, we can discover a method to communicate with either or both intelligences. Can you imagine how much more potent this ship could be with the cooperation of an AI that knows what Titan is capable of?”
It was a valid point, and one that Kole had dwelled upon many times during his long stays on the Ancient vessel. The Hegemony couldn’t continue to ignore the Rebellion for long, especially with Jaeger now lending aid to those who called for it across the Rim. The quiet period of growth and stability had allowed the Rebellion to prepare, but there was still a long way to go if they hoped to match the firepower that could be dispatched to counter them.
All it would take to halt them in their tracks, Kole knew, was one dreadnaught dispatched from the protected systems in the Core.
Chapter Five
Doone and the others were still clustered inside Nighthawk when Kole and Neela returned to the docking bay. Kurosawa was tending to her armor, focusing on it with an intensity that would have been frightening if he hadn’t gotten to know her well enough to realize she wasn’t a remorseless killer like many of the soldiers employed by the Hegemony.
“Didn’t they offer you food and beds?” Kole asked, standing at the top of the shallow ramp formed when the side of the shuttle had dropped open.
“They did, but we were more comfortable remaining with the shuttle,” Reise said, standing stiffly beside the seat where Crowley was still sitting in a near catatonic state.
“Why isn’t he in a medical bay?” Neela asked, walking over to crouch and take the former Ghost’s hand. “They might be able to find out what’s wrong with him.”
“He can wait until we return to Leyenda III,” Reise said firmly.
“Reise doesn’t trust your Rebellion,” Kurosawa said, glancing up from her armor long enough to shoot Kole a smile.
“No one is going to hurt you or try to imprison you here,” Kole said. “Let them help Crowley. Delay might only make whatever’s wrong with him worse.”
“Hegemony fleet doctors train for years and see injuries like these on a regular basis,” Reise said. “They have the best chance of diagnosing the issue and applying any possible cures.”
Kole groaned in frustration. “Reise, if you set foot in a Hegemony facility, you’ll be put in restraints before you could voice your request for them to help Crowley. Both of you would be whisked away to some unmarked room, and likely end up in a worse situation than we just rescued him from. You know it!”
Reise raised his chin, but the frown on his face told Kole he knew what fate awaited now that his role as one of the Ghosts had been exposed.
“I don’t know about these two, but I could use some food,” Doone said as she appeared through the low corridor that led to the cockpit. “Please tell me they have more than just tasteless nutrient bars on this behemoth.”
“They have sooo much more,” Neela said, enthusiastically beginning to list the many different meals she’d eaten during their stints on Titan. Several hydroponic labs had been set up in large chambers on the ship, providing enough fresh vegetables for everyone to get at least a small portion with their meals.
“We can restock Nighthawk while we’re here, too,” Kole said, finally dragging his attention away from the unyielding Reise. “Maybe not everything, but they definitely have a large store of kaff beans.”
Doone snorted a laugh. “I imagine they do with you two around.”
“Us? You drank just as many cups as I did,” Kole protested.
“Only because I didn’t want you to feel bad about being hopped up on kaff all the time. As the ship’s captain, it was my duty to provide a welcoming experience for my guests.”
“Well, this guest would like to ensure we don’t run out of kaff beans any time soon,” Neela said, pulling Doone down the ramp and toward the docking bay exit. Her next words were spoken in a whisper loud enough for everyone to hear. “He gets really grumpy when the kaff runs out.”
Kole sighed but couldn’t dispute her words. He glanced at Reise and knew the man wouldn’t budge on his refusal to leave the assault shuttle. “How about you?” he asked Kurosawa. “I’m sure we might be able to find some armor polish for you, to keep that special shine as bright as possible.”
The Marine looked up at him with a hard glare, but she wasn’t able to hold back her smile for long. “No, thanks. My responsibility is to protect these two.” She motioned toward the Ghosts with her head.
“Suit yourself.”
Kole marched down the ramp and out of the docking bay only a few steps behind Neela and Doone. The woman he loved was taking great pride in showing off every portion of the Ancient ship as they made their way to the nearest supply depot. There was one set up near each pair of docking bays, to facilitate resupplies for the freighters and transports that came and went with regularity to support the needs of the men, women, and children who called Titan home.
The next couple of hours passed in a haze, and Kole grew increasingly bored as Neela led Doone from place to place. He was relegated to the role of transport, loaded down with bags and boxes of supplies until he managed to find a hover cart to pull along behind him. The task was mindless enough to allow his thoughts to wander.
Inevitably, his mind began to dwell on the events that occurred while he was imprisoned aboard Medusa and then in Arx. The well of panicked terror that had threatened to overwhelm him at such thoughts a mere month ago didn’t arrive this time, but his hands were shaking and his body was covered in fear sweat when he finally managed to break free of the painful memories.
He was also lost and there was no sign of Neela or Doone in the corridors around him. Kole felt the hover cart bump against his legs when he stopped walking, and he wondered how long he’d been lost in his nightmarish memories.
Too long, it turned out. When he extracted his datapad, he found that more than an hour had passed unaccounted for. The mapping program one of the technicians had built for Titan showed he was more than a kilometer away from the docking bay where Nighthawk was berthed, as well.
With a resigned sigh, Kole maneuvered the hover cart through a tight U-turn in the corridor and began the long trudge back to the assault shuttle. He wondered how long ago he’d wandered away from the women, and whether Neela had missed him yet.
His friends, and the therapist he visited a few times during a stay on Titan after being rescued from Arx, had been telling him for a long while that he needed to talk with someone and work through the trauma he’d suffered. Kole had never been the type to show weakness in that way, but he recognized the improvement that had come from meeting people like Doone and Kurosawa. Both of them had been through the sort of stressful situations that bred the same unexpected panic attacks he'd suffered. Talking with them had really seemed to help.
Maybe it was time to open up to someone, and let them in. Neela would be his first choice, since there was no one in the galaxy he trusted as much as he did her. But she was also still innocent to many of the real evils that existed across the Hegemony, and he didn’t want to be the one to break that bubble. If her constant cheerfulness and excitement faded because of hearing what he’d had to suffer, that was something he’d never be able to forgive himself for.
There was always Doone. The woman who had built a career as an extraction specialist was easy to talk to, and he’d grown to know her well during long hours spent together in Nighthawk’s cockpit. She would likely understand some small portion of the pain and suffering that had been inflicted upon him, and why it had affected him so heavily.
But he couldn’t talk to her on the assault shuttle, surrounded by all the others in such a tight space. Perhaps when he had Rim Jumper back, he could convince her to meet him there and unload his burdens.
Thoughts of his ship made Kole’s shoulders slump. Rim Jumper had remained on Leyenda III while they took the assault shuttle out to search for the Hegemony research facility. It stood a better chance of blending in, where his own ship would have generated questions and concerns if someone recognized it. Bounty hunters weren’t supposed to show up at secret facilities, while fleet personnel and Marines would be expected, though infrequent, guests.
Marius Amorta was watching over his ship, but Kole couldn’t trust the man to fly Rim Jumper away from a planet and out to this far-flung portion of the Rim. He’d barely been able to cover a distance of several kilometers on Deseret VII, and that had been with the help of ShANN, the ship’s AI.
Once more, he was in a position of questioning if his role in recent hostilities with Hegemony forces was widely known. Could he show up at Leyenda III, home to a sector governor and bristling with newly arrived patrol ships and frigates when they left it, to reclaim his ship? Or would the attempt end with being captured once again to possibly face more torture before a legal and longer-lasting imprisonment on a prison planet?
He couldn’t just leave his beloved ship, however. He’d gone through too much to purchase his own ship two decades ago, and Rim Jumper had saved his life countless times in the intervening years. Without a ship so capable of taking a beating, as well as dishing one out, he likely never would have become the top-tier bounty hunter that he had. He would have been relegated to working low-paying jobs, scraping together a few credits in payment after each difficult task, and never making his mark on the galaxy.
