Asarlai Wars 1: Warrior Wench (25 page)

“Deven? You in there?”

Deven cringed at the loudness, but eventually opened one eye. Vas’s very concerned face hovered above him looking like an angel. He tried to reach up to her, but his arms weren’t working.

“I think so.” An attempt at lifting his head forced him to shut his eyes again. “What happened?”

“The machine doesn’t work well with telepaths. I’m just speculating mind you. Gosta’s running a full diagnostic, or as full as he can with illegal equipment.” Flarik was somewhere over his right shoulder, but he didn’t look to find out where.

“Does it feel like your faculties are returning?”

That was Terel, somewhere down in front of him. Eventually he was going to have to open his eyes again. Taking a deep breath, he willed his head not to explode.

“I think so. I guess it’s a good thing my people never went ahead with work on a machine like that.” This time the world wasn’t nearly as bright when he opened his eyes. Whatever happened it was fading blessedly fast.

“He’ll be fine.” Vas grinned, and then nodded toward Terel. “Call me if anyone needs anything. Otherwise we have to get out of here immediately.”

Deven reached forward to grab her hand. He pulled her fingers back as she started to leave. “Wait, what about that gray ship? It was up here, wasn’t it?”

Vas’s smile turned feral. “Aye. That ‘was’ being the important word.” She shook her head in admiration. “I doubt we’ll be able to pull this trick again, but Gosta used our new toy to transfer some gifts directly into their engine room. Right through their shields as neat as you please. They exploded about ten minutes ago.” She put a finger over his mouth as a million questions fought to the surface.

They’d blown up one of those monster ships?

“Ach, like I said, we need to get out of here quickly. The escort Flits didn’t get the rescue ships more than a few jumps out before running into trouble. They had to turn back or risk being destroyed; they barely made it out of an ambush. They should be back here within a few minutes. Then we run. I have a feeling this area is going to become very crowded very soon.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Vas smiled to herself as she sat in her command chair. The look on Deven’s face when she told him about the gray ship was almost as good as seeing it explode a half hour ago. Almost.

Thanks to those bastards, they’d lost eight people. Gon and Hrrru were still in recovery, but Terel thought they’d pull through. Still, they’d survived when the odds were horribly stacked against them. She’d invited Carrix to stay on board, but he just asked to be transported back to the planet near the merc companies in the north. He knew one of the captains, a distant relative, and could get a ride back to their home world after the fighting.

“Gosta, if those refugee ships are ready, we need to make our way to the hypergate. I want to hop a few times in case our friends decide to track us.”

He flipped the main screen so it looked out toward the gate. “Aye, Captain. They all report ready. Slowest one is a class two. We’ll have to keep that pace as we change gates.”

Vas sighed. There was nothing to be done about it. Deven had promised the refugees that the
Warrior Wench
would get them out. And now that she had them, she had to admit she wouldn’t go back on her word either.

“Understood. Get us out of here, Gosta.”

The engines engaged rapidly and pulled forward into the hypergate. Vas watched the nav screen on her small computer at her seat. The codes were good and the hypergate opened cleanly. She held her breath as the slowest ship almost looked like it wasn’t going to make it, but it cleared before the gate shut. There weren’t any ripples on the nav computer that indicated any more gray visitors had hit the sector, but Vas didn’t relish having to go back for a missing ship.

The first three hops went cleanly, and Deven had recovered enough to return to the command deck after the third one. That was a very interesting side effect of the particle mover; it clearly completely disabled telepaths for a brief time. Something she’d have to keep in mind.

Vas ordered Gosta to swing as random and as far as he could on the jumps. She went through all this trouble to save these people; she didn’t want whoever was after them to find them easily. Nor to find her ship.

“Captain, I think we may have an additional problem,” Gosta said from his console.

When he didn’t elaborate, Vas prodded him. “Well? The ships are all sticking together right?”

“That’s not it. They’re holding up. However, I left a tracking buoy at the last planet. Flarik suggested it while you were on the planet, I agreed.” His voice quivered a bit in defense, but when Vas didn’t yell at him he continued. Actually she thought it was a great idea and was punching herself that she hadn’t thought of it.

“More gray ships?”

“No, that’s the thing. It’s a Commonwealth ship. Three of them actually.” His pause told Vas she really wasn’t going to like his next part. “War-class cruisers, all of them.”

Vas hadn’t told Gosta about her blocking of the Commonwealth trackers, but he most likely had seen it once he returned to his station. What the hell was going on? A single War-class cruiser could have easily wiped out the
Warrior Wench
and all of the refugee ships. To have three show up that quickly was terrifying.

“Noted.” For good or ill their path was laid out. For now at any rate. She flipped open the ship-wide comm. “Attention. Until further notice we are staying clear of any and all Commonwealth ships or transmissions. Evidence has indicated that there is something wrong within the hierarchy itself and we need to avoid it.” She was about to close the comm line and deal with the faces on the command deck when Divee’s earlier fear came back to her. “And no, this does not mean we’re going rogue. We’re just staying out of whatever mess is happening. If you believe you cannot continue in such a fashion, notify Deven and we’ll find a way for you to get to Home.”

“What?” she said to the command deck after she closed the comm.

“Could you at least warn me before you declare war on the Commonwealth?” Flarik asked from her new console. “The legal ramifications of such an action will be enormous.” She’d never wanted to be on the command deck before, but now she’d taken up an unused science station almost permanently.

Vas rose and turned to face the entire command crew. She briefly filled them in on her encounter with the high-ranking official. It spoke volumes that none of them interrupted her.

“Now we have three War-class cruisers showing up immediately after we blow up one of the mystery ships. I don’t think it’s too paranoid to think something very wrong is going on with at least part of Commonwealth. Hopefully it’s just a fringe element, something they can deal with quickly.” She faced them all with a grim look. “But it’s not a chance I think we can take given the recent actions. Do any of you disagree? My offer of leaving is open to
everyone
.” She met Deven’s eyes long enough to let him know that included him.

Mac finally broke the silence with a nervous laugh. “Sorry. I think I speak for us all, but we’re not going anywhere, Captain. You think we need to hide from the Commonwealth, we hide.”

Vas was actually touched by the loyalty on his face. He was a huge pain in the ass, but his heart was solid. The same look was reflected on the rest of her officers’ faces.

Deven shook his head. “You really think you could run this barge without us?”

“I don’t know what I was thinking.” She laughed and took her seat. “Gosta, lay in the course for the next jump. I want at least four star systems between us and them, whoever
them
is.”

Gosta’s response was lost as the ship made a horrible grinding sound as it entered the hypergate.

“Damn it, what just happened?” Vas yelled loud enough to be heard over the screaming klaxon. “And someone shut that damn thing off.” Her last command came out far too loud as the screaming machine stopped right before she finished. Travel within the hypergates was usually disturbingly uneventful. Whatever was wrong with this one must be pretty nasty to cause that kind of rattling.

“Are the rest of the ships still with us, Xsit?” Deven called as he ran to the nav console to help Gosta.

“Yes, but the captains are all calling in. All of them had the same jolt we did.” She gave a worried chirp. “Worse, the smaller ship is having thruster problems now.”

“I need answers, people.” Vas tried scanning the system logs but there was nothing that should have triggered such a reaction. She switched her scan to the gate, but the system looked okay. Waitaminute. “Crap, we’re being pulled off course. Something is pulling this hypergate stream out of alignment and dragging all of us along too. Damn it, it’s changing destination. Gosta?” The ship groaned and rattled as whatever was happening to the hypergate put horrific strain on the shell. If something the size of the
Warrior Wench
felt like it was going to shake apart, she hoped the smaller ships even survived.

Gosta pounded his console. His eyes were huge when he glanced up. “I can’t break it, and I can’t see where it’s pulling us.”

Flarik’s fingers moved with lightning speed as she followed the same connections Vas had. She swore, or at least Vas assumed it was swearing and not praying, under her breath. Vas joined the Wavian and tapped her shoulder.

“I can see it now. However, this shouldn’t exist. It’s a supergate, or rather we’re being pulled toward a supergate.” Flarik tapped a shaking claw at the screen. “In theory supergates can bend space to the point that inter-dimensional travel can exist. The hypergate we went in was tied to something much bigger. It’s dragging us to the location of the supergate on this screen.”

Mac tried to compensate for the pull, but the most he could do was keep the ship intact. “That’s insane. Nothing can be that big. The power it would take would be—”

Vas had been paying attention to Flarik’s screen, but she turned toward him when Mac cut himself off. His eyes were locked on the main screen, his jaw slack. Vas spun.

“You mean something like that?” Deven said grimly.

The hypergate path dropped them in an unknown section of space, at least it wasn’t on any screens Vas had ever seen before. Smaller klaxons rang throughout the ship as the adjustment of hypergate travel cut unexpectedly short.

In front of them was the biggest gate she’d ever seen. Ten War-class cruisers could fit through it at the same time without a problem. Whatever material it was made of emitted an eerie glow that filled the command deck. The only thing more terrifying than it was the cluster of gray ships in front of it.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The klaxon that Vas was hearing way too often blared again as one of the smaller enemy ships barely adjusted in time to avoid them. Why in the hell would any ship veer that close to an opening hypergate?

“Damn it. Get us out of here now, Mac.” Vas tried counting the gray ships but they were changing formation. From what she was seeing on the screens, the massive supergate in front of them had only been at half power when they were dragged her. It powered down too fast for her systems to gather much information. However, she made sure every single data-gathering piece of equipment was aimed at the mess before them. If there was any information there, she was going to get it.

“We’re still not moving, Mac. Code up that hypergate and get us the hell out of here. Tell the refugee ships to high-tail it the second we get the gate open….” Vas trailed off as what had stunned Mac was flashed to the main screen. The gate they had just come through was dead.

“Vas….”

She waved Deven off. “I see it. Later, one of you really smart people will tell me how in the hell we and ten little tagalongs made it through a busted gate. Now, someone find us another way out.”

“There isn’t another way, Captain. We have to get that gate functioning again.” Flarik in lawyer mode was nothing against Flarik in pissed-off former engineer mode. She was typing in commands so fast the feathers on the back of her hands appeared ready to burst into flame.

“We have a bigger problem.” Deven switched screens where two of the gray cruisers had maneuvered themselves in between the refugee ships and the dead hypergate they had somehow come in through. The refugee ships huddled closer to the
Warrior Wench
, but Vas had a feeling it would only be minutes before they were completely cut off from both the hypergate and the supergate. Considering they were in unknown space, the option to flee in hopes of finding another gate was useless. On the plus side, the gray ships hadn’t started destroying anyone yet.

“Not to be a pessimist or anything, but why circle us like this? They could blow us all out of the sky at any moment,” Vas said.

Flarik glanced up from her rapid commands for the hypergate, moving over a bit to let Bathshea at the twin console. “I would say they want something from us. Or the ships with us. No one attacked them at the planet. And when they tried to flee, the bastards only blocked them from escaping.”

Vas ran her hands through her hair. “Damn it. We have no idea what they’re up to, but we can’t let them trap us here. Bathie? Any luck?”

“Between Flarik and me we can eventually get that hypergate up. It was shut at this end. Clearly our friends didn’t want to be interrupted. I’d say that however we got here, they didn’t intend it. I don’t think they expected us. And the fact we made it through could be why they aren’t blasting us.” She looked around the deck. “We need time to get the hypergate back up before they change their minds.”

Mac turned paler than normal as he watched the twenty or so massive gray cruisers slowly lock in position. “But how in the hell are we going to get to the hypergate even if we fix it? We might bust through, but only with heavy damage and there’s no way any of the refugee ships would survive.”

“I’m working on that.” Gosta’s lean face was tight as he ran programs trying to find ways to disable the gray ships and their smaller support cruisers. Even a temporary solution might let them all get out. He swore as one of his attempts came back negative.

“We can’t try my trick from before. The ships are shielded in such a way to block the particle mover. The one I destroyed must have gotten word to them before it exploded.”

A hit rocked through their own shields and Vas tumbled to the deck. The strike hadn’t been meant to destroy, but it was far too close to the engines for peace of mind. “Suggestions, people. We just ran out of time. They know this ship is the only threat. They’re going to keep us here until they get what they want.” Her eyes stayed glued to the screen as she picked herself up. The gap between ships was growing smaller. Soon there would be nothing but a ring of gray around them.

Deven had been ominously quiet. “Vas, I need to talk to you.”

Vas started to shake him off then saw the look in his eyes. She joined him in her ready room.

“Deven, we don’t have time—”

“The Furies. We can use them to blast through the ships once the hypergate is up again. We can clear a big enough space so that all of the ships get through.”

Vas shook off the chill that climbed up her spine. “That’s not an option, Deven. There are other choices.”

“What would those be?” Deven pinned her arms. “We’re out of options, Vas. With the refugees we’ve got way too many people to get out and a tiny hole to do it in. I can make that hole bigger. We have no idea why they haven’t slaughtered us already. But you and I both know what will happen when they get whatever it is they want.”

His dark green eyes seemed lighter now, a tawny gold that she’d never seen before circled the iris. She checked his bracelets. Was he trying to use his teke powers? Against her? However, the links on his wrist were still solid.

“There has got to be another way. Gosta said—”

Deven cut her off with a finger across her lips, an oddly gentle gesture considering the situation. “Gosta isn’t going to find another way out. We’ve got three Furies, at least two that we are certain work. Jakiin and I can do this. Two well-placed strikes from the Furies and you can get everyone out.”

Vas couldn’t meet his eyes anymore and pulled out of his grasp. “Everyone but you and Jakiin.” She’d lost people before, people she cared about. It came with the job. But this was different. This was Deven. She wasn’t sure exactly how she felt about him, but she’d counted on him always being there.

Deven reclaimed his hold on her and forced her to look up. “We might live, you know.”

Vas felt the lie even as it left Deven’s lips. “For a damn telepath, you’re a lousy liar.” There must be dust still in the air vents from the hit they took; her eyes were having to blink far too much. “I can’t let you. I should go. You and Jakiin aren’t the only ones who can fly those monsters.”

“No. Your place is to get everyone out.” He lightened the mood with a playful smile. “If the ship was sinking, then you could stay. Otherwise, it’s the second’s option to go out with a bang. You don’t have a choice. They’ll close the hole completely in minutes. Then they’ll just circle around picking off the ships one by one until they get what they want.” He met her eyes.

“I can’t sense much, but they have some sort of powerful telepath or a teke-program on at least one ship. They
will
get whatever it is they are after.”

Vas rocked back and stared up at the ceiling. Damn dust. With a quick wipe at her eyes she forced herself to look at Deven again. “What code will you send when you’re in place? The timing will have to be perfect.”

Deven nodded. “I’ll radio a Cattera code. They won’t know what it is. You can have our ships as far away from the opening as they’ll let you. You’ll have to run like hell after we clear the space. They’ll get the blockade back up in no time.”

Vas nodded, suddenly not trusting herself to speak. She tried anyway. “We, I….”

Deven smiled and brushed his knuckles along her cheek. “I know.” With the smile still on his face, he pulled her close and kissed her. Gentle at first then with an intensity that would only be matched by the explosion he was about to cause.

Vas allowed herself to be swallowed by it. By the time she surfaced, he was gone. Dashing aside the remains of tears, she ran to the command deck and threw herself in her chair.

Bathie’s hair was plastered across her forehead with sweat. “We’ve got the hypergate up. Well, as close to up as it’s going to get. I’m keeping the energy readings below their sensor level so they don’t realize it, but one word from you and we have a gate.”

“For about ten minutes.” Flarik didn’t look much better.

“Xsit, contact the other ships. I need all of them to pull back from the area near the hypergate on my mark. They need to get as close to us as possible.” Vas entered in her own command codes. Once Deven sent the Cattera code, her ship would back up out of harm’s way. She had to think for a minute on what she needed to tell the other ships. Deven invaded her thoughts. Vas banished the thoughts. She had no time for anything right now.

“Gosta, after Xsit signals the other ships, I’ll need you to send a private beam to their captains. Use the tightest clearance you can. We’re not sure what the enemy can pick up or not. The ships need to pull back to us, but be ready to run for the hypergate immediately.” She waved her hand as Gosta looked dangerously ready to ask a question. “No. No questions. We have one shot, and one shot only.” Vas took a deep breath and willed her voice to stay steady. “Just make sure everyone is ready on my command.”

The tension and fear that had filled the command deck minutes before was replaced by hope and focus. That was good; if they were all focused on the task and the timing, they wouldn’t notice certain things until too late. It would be best if she was the only one on board who knew what was about to happen for as long as possible. She knew Deven would be able to mask the departure of the two Furies. No one would have seen or felt the lumbering, but deadly, ships disembark. No one but her. Even though she knew she couldn’t have really heard it, she swore she knew the instant the ships left the landing bay.

It seemed like only seconds had passed when Vas got the Cattera code. Shoving the lump in her throat aside, she slammed the instruct code in and yelled at Mac to pull the
Warrior Wench
back as far as he could. A few tense seconds passed but the rest of her impromptu fleet did the same.

Everyone was focused on their tasks, so no one noticed the first explosion a few moments later. They noticed the next one though.

“Captain, there’s a major firefight taking place near the gap between the ships,” Xsit said. “I think they may be trying to close the space.”

“No, they’re not closing the gap.” Vas’s voice was low, but she knew her crew heard her, it wouldn’t take them long to make the connection. “Gosta, did the captains get your orders? When the gray ships closest to the gap in front of the hypergate explode, we go through. They’ll close ranks in no time, so everyone has to get out together.”

Gosta turned toward Deven’s empty chair and cocked his head. Vas gave a curt nod in response. The sad look on Gosta’s face told her he understood. Vas was grateful. If Gosta knew, it might make it easier when the inevitable happened.

“Aye, Captain. The ships are ready and await your mark.”

Vas didn’t respond as the firefight of the two Furies and the gray ships grew even bigger. She didn’t know how long Deven and Jakiin could hold on, nor how much damage they could inflict before they went. But she knew if there was any way at all they could save the rest of them, those two would.

Minutes later, she felt the first Fury explode an instant before she saw it. They had already disabled or destroyed four of the gray ships, and the debris glowed around them. The explosion of the first Fury knocked out two more. The second Fury exploded an instant later taking out six more ships.