Dawn of a New Age (20 page)

2.7.2136

1405

Brentax III

Outside the Brentax Militia Headquarters

M
ARIO Bonetti was crouched in a doorway across from the Brentax Militia Headquarters, keeping a careful watch on the building.  He counted soldiers as they went in and out, many more entering the building than leaving.  In slow quiet motions, he slid Wildfire from its scabbard.  As he felt the comforting weight of Wildfire in his hand, he let his mind drift momentarily.

“This is some of the finest metal I’ve ever seen, sir,” the smithy said in his thick Spanish accent.  “It will be very easy to forge beautiful blades from this.  Where did you say you got this?”

“Oddly enough,” Mario said.  “The metal was in a meteor that hit outside my house during my last furlough.  I was told you were one of the best at forging blades out of, shall we say, exotic material.”

“I am indeed.  And this will be a joy to work with.  What would you like me to do with it?”  The smithy sounded very excited to work with the metal.

“Two blades, one traditional Spanish blade, thirty inches long, with this hilt,” Mario said pulling a drawing out of his jacket pocket.  “The other a traditional Japanese katana.”

“I think that can be arranged.  The price will be quite high though, Colonel Bonetti,” the smithy said, running his hands over the metal savoring its smooth qualities.  “But it will be an enjoyable job for me.”

“Price isn’t a problem.”  Mario waved away the concern about money.  Despite being just a morale officer, Mario had managed to sock away a great deal of money over the years.  “How long will it take?”

“Give me a week, and they’ll be done,” the smithy said, never taking his eyes off the metal.  “I think you will be pleased with the results.”

This is nuts,
he thought glumly as he snapped back to the present. 
One person against the entire Brentax Militia Headquarters? What am I thinking?  And just how the hell am I going to get to the shuttle with M’Bek Tarmos without Kal?  Damn him to hell.  Now I have to tell Kit he’s missing.

This is nuts,
he concluded, smiling to himself.  He knew that it was crazy to continue the mission without K’Alan.  And he was just the madman to pull it off. 
Ah, well.  You only live once.  I just hope S’Era knows I love her.

Mario crept across the street and started making his way around the back of the building.

“You there!  Stop!” came a voice from behind him in the alleyway.

Without even looking, Mario swept Wildfire behind him, cleaving the soldier’s head from his shoulders.

“Oh, man!” Mario said to himself.  “That’s not a good sign for how this is going to go.”

He hurried to the entrance that he’d used before and ducked inside the building.  He entered a storage room near the entrance and peeked out through the door he left cracked open.  There was a patrol heading his way, probably to check on the entrance.  He eased the door closed and locked it.  The young man stifled a sigh and looked around the room looking for something he could use.

The room was an empty storeroom.

So much for finding help,
he thought glumly. 
Why couldn’t I have ducked into the armory?  Well, maybe it’s just as well I didn’t.  Probably crawling with guards.

Mario crept to the door and cracked it open just enough to see out.  Peering out, he saw the corridor was empty.  The colonel nodded to himself and took a deep breath.  When he was sure, he pulled the door open.  Stepping out into the corridor, he looked both ways.  No guards were in the vicinity.

Good,
he thought. 
It’ll be quiet for a little bit then.

He made his way down the hallway, his footsteps silent in the empty hall.  He moved with purpose, keeping his back against the wall, and looking both the way he came and the way he was going.  He was nearing an intersection he didn’t recognize from the briefing maps.

Great,
he thought dourly. 
I’m lost.

Thinking quickly, he ducked into what he hoped was an abandoned room.  There was, however, a guard in the room with his back to the door.

This day just keeps getting better and better,
Mario cursed to himself.

Quietly sliding Wildfire back in its scabbard, the young colonel crept up behind the Brentax guard and, in one quick motion, broke the guard’s neck.  He caught the body and gently laid it on the floor to make as little noise as possible.  Mario picked up the man’s blaster rifle and examined it.  The setting was on kill.

I think they’re expecting me,
Mario thought. 
I’ll wager they’re all set this way.  Which just means I have to make sure I don’t get shot.

He checked the door.  No patrols out in the hallway.  Nodding to himself, he pulled out the mini holo-computer that all SLDF operatives carry on missions.

“Map,” he ordered in a whisper.

In an instant, a small holographic representation of the compound appeared.  The map rotated, orienting itself to show where he entered the compound.  It showed the corridors he’d taken and where he currently was.

Mario groaned as he looked at where he was in relation to M’Bek Tarmos’s office.

Ya gotta do things the hard way, don’t you, Mario?
he asked himself.

He looked at the map, memorizing his route.  Closing up the holo-computer, Mario picked up the blaster rifle.  Checking the charge on the rifle, Mario smiled to himself.  He knew he was in for a fight at this point.  Mario opened the door and peeked out.

A guard shouted and fired his blaster.  Mario ducked just in time, as a blaster bolt hit the door frame right next to where his head had been just seconds before.

“Yikes!” Mario yelled as he fired back.  The bolt from his blaster struck the guard in the center of his chest sending the Brentax man flying backwards.  “They
are
all set on kill!”

Mario stuck his head back out and looked both ways.  No more guards were in sight, so the young man crept out from the room and started towards his destination again.

He kept his back flat against the wall.  Soon he neared a four way intersection of corridors, which, from the map, he remembered he needed to take the corridor straight ahead.  He looked down both side corridors and saw no sign of guards

Mario’s luck did not hold for long, though.  As he started to cross the corridor, guards appeared in both of the side corridors.

“Hold intruder!” they ordered, raising their blaster rifles an preparing to fire.

Mario did the only thing he could think to do… He dove headfirst into the corridor across the way.  The guards fired, missing Mario as he ducked and rolled into the corridor.  Curious, the young man leaned back and poked his head back into the intersection to see what had happened.  The blaster bolts that had missed him had hit the guards in the opposite corridors.

“Nice.”

He shook his head and turned back down the hall he needed to take.  Mario moved with a cautious grace, sliding across the side of the corridor, keeping the blaster rifle trained ahead of him as he constantly checked behind him.  He worked is way deeper and deeper into the complex, taking out as many Brentax soldiers as he could along the way.  Finally, after about half an hour of slinking around the complex, Mario saw the door to the Brentax Commander’s office.

He grinned to himself and reset the blaster rifle to heavy stun.  The colonel shook his head and started across to the closed door.  He kicked it open and entered.

“Ah, you must be Colonel Bonetti,” the Brentax behind the desk said.  “Come in and have a drink.  I must say, you’ve been a very interesting opponent.”

2.7.2136

1422

SLS White Knight

The Bridge

C
OMMANDER Erin Sykes was bored.  And she was nervous.  It was a bad combination.  She knew the Captain could take care of himself.  She’d known him long enough to know that.  She drummed her fingers on the armrest of her chair in absentminded thought.

“I figure it’ll be another two or three hours, Commander,” Kath shook her head.  “No use worrying about them yet.”

“I just have a bad feeling, Kath,” Erin sighed.  “Can’t explain it.”

“They’ll be all right, Erin,” Kath smiled.  “Why don’t you go grab some lunch.  You’ve been on the bridge all day.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Erin said, starting to rise out of the chair.

“Commander, incoming contact at high rate of speed,” Masha called from the tactical station.  “Cloak systems holding steady.”

“Identify,” Erin said, slumping back in her seat.

No rest for the wicked,
she thought.

“Brentax heavy cruiser.  It appears to be a Duhari class vessel.  She’s heading for the jumpgate at a very high rate of speed,” Masha reported.

“Ease us away from the jumpgate.  Bring up the tactical holo.  And keep the damn cloaking screens up!” Erin barked.

Erin could feel the ship lurch just a little as the helm officer moved the massive ship away from the jumpgate.  In the center area of the bridge, a 3-D tactical hologram of the situation fizzled into clarity.  It showed the jumpgate, and the White Knight easing away from it.  The Duhari class cruiser was shown streaking towards the jumpgate.  As Masha had reported, they were moving at an extremely high rate of speed.  The jumpgate flashed as the Brentax vessel entered it.

“They’re in a hurry wherever they’re going,” Erin noted.  “Track them through hyperspace as best you can.”

“Acknowledged, Commander.  Tracking now,” Masha grinned as her fingers flew over her console.  “Probable course is going to take them to the Khrinnus system.  Only one SLDF ship is listed as being in that system, the Creighton.”

“Kath, get me a tight-beam communication to the Gamma Epsilon station,” Erin barked.  “Admiral Bonetti will want to know this information.”

“Acknowledged.”

2.7.2136

1441

Gamma Epsilon Station

Admiral John Bonetti’s Office

John had just settled back down behind his desk after catching a quick meal.  He’d not wanted to leave his office in case word came in from Gamma Strike, but Sergeant Riker had assured him that should word come in, she’d personally relay it to him.  The more he thought about the mission, the more nervous he became.  The nervous waiting was the part of the job he hated the most.  He saw the casualty report still on his desk and amended that thought to be the thing he hated the second most.

“Admiral, there’s a tight-beam communication coming in,” Sergeant Riker’s voice came over the comms.  “It’s from Commander Erin Sykes.”

“Patch it through, Sergeant!” he exclaimed. 
The waiting is over,
he added to himself with satisfaction.

“Patching it through now, Admiral,” the sergeant nodded.

Immediately, Erin appeared on John’s viewscreen.  Her face was set in a look of grim determination.

“Admiral Bonetti,” Erin acknowledged.

“Commander Sykes, report,” the admiral stated.

“No word yet from the Captain’s team, Admiral,” Erin shook her head, clearly knowing that was what John wanted to know.  Not that that was all that hard to guess.  “But I do have other news to pass on to you.”

“Go ahead,” John sighed, unhappy that there was no news about K’Alan and his son. 
Not what I wanted to hear,
he added to himself.

“Sir, we’ve been tracking a Duhari class heavy cruiser traveling at a high rate of speed through hyperspace,” Erin reported.  “They appear to be headed to the Khrinnus system.”

“You’re sure about where they’re headed?” John asked.

“Fairly sure, sir,” Erin sighed.  “And they are in a big hurry.”

“Probably out to ascertain what happened to the Dorania Toran,” John smiled.  “That ship met a somewhat grisly fate by underestimating the Creighton.”

“Captain Keevan ok?” Erin asked.

“Yes,” John nodded.  “The Creighton sustained some very minor damage.  They’ll likely be fully repaired by the time this new vessel gets to them.”

“This is good news!”  A broad smile crossed Erin’s face.  “The Creighton took out a Duhari class vessel by itself?”

“Yes, they did.  You needn’t worry about Captain Keevan.  I’ll make sure he’s got this warning.  Thank you for reporting this.”  He paused.  “I just wish you had had some report of the mission.”

“Me too, Admiral,” Erin sighed.  “Me too.  I’m a bit… nervous.”

“As am I.  Contact me as soon as you have something to report.”

“I will, Admiral.”

John cut the transmission and sighed. 
No,
he thought. 
The waiting is definitely not over.

He flipped on the intercom to his aide.

“Sergeant Riker, get me Captain Keevan.”

“Right away, Admiral.”

2.7.2136

1501

SLS White Knight

Soran’s Bar

“So K’Alan and I were sitting there as Mario just kinda dribbled through the drink she just poured over his head,” Soran was saying  “And all he could think to say was, “Is that a no?””

S’Era laughed.  K’Itea just shook her head.

“Soran, how can I make him notice me?” S’Era asked.

“Well, you are S’Era Bryce, are you not?” Soran smiled.  “He’s told me many times, all of which were when your brother was not in hearing range of course, of your stunning beauty.  His descriptions of which, by the way, do not compare to the real thing.  He is quite enamored of you.”

“But he’s never said anything,” S’Era pouted.

“S’Era,” Soran smiled.  “He’s afraid your brother would not approve.”

“You would think that after knowing my husband for 15 years, Mario’d know better,” K’Itea chuckled.  “Like I told S’Era.  K’Alan is imminently concerned about his sister’s happiness.  If allowing Mario to date S’Era would make her happy, then, I would think he would whole-heartedly approve.”

Soran laughed, a long hearty laugh.  “And I’d wager that Mario and K’Alan talked about this on the long flight to Brentax III.  It would be just like them to talk about something so totally unrelated to the mission at hand.”

“Oh?” K’Itea asked.  “How so?”

“See,” Soran explained with a twinkle in his eye.  “The way they think, they would rather joke around or deal with other things while preparing for a mission.  It eases the stress.  They feel that tends to make their missions go a whole lot smoother.  From their track record, I’d say they’re right.  It’s not a method I’d recommend for just anyone though.  It doesn’t always work.  Unless you’re K’Alan Bryce or Mario Bonetti, that is.”

“Maybe it’s just that they don’t want to let us girls down,” S’Era giggled.  “After all, they know enough not to make us mad, don’t they?”

2.7.2136

1505

SLS Creighton

Bridge

The Khrinnus system was a small system, barely worth notice.  There were four planets around a medium sized yellow star.  Barely worth notice, yet it was one of the most hotly contested systems by the Brentax and the Star League.  Oddly enough, even though it was so highly prized by both sides, the skirmish between the Creighton and the Dorania Toran was the first skirmish in the Khrinnus system.

Captain Tom Keevan of the Creighton did not expect the Brentax to forget.  So he was less than surprised when Admiral Bonetti passed along Gamma Strike’s report that another Duhari class heavy cruiser was headed to the Khrinnus sector.  He was not surprised at all, in fact, to hear it.  He believed that his easy destruction of the Dorania Toran would bring waves of Brentax ships to the attack against the Creighton.

Good,
he thought. 
Bring them on.

“I understand, Admiral,” the Creighton’s captain said, snapping out of his thoughts to look at the admiral on the viewscreen.  “We’ll be ready for them.  And thank Commander Sykes for passing along the info.”

“Be careful, Tom,” John cautioned.  “We need all the good captains we can get.”

“I’m always careful, you old warhorse,” Tom chuckled.  I’ll let you know how we do.  Creighton out.”

The holo blinked out, and reports started coming in from his bridge crew.

“Cloaking system engaged and reading nominal.”

“Weapons systems primed.  Modified proton torpedoes in the tubes and locked.”

“Scanners to full, reading only empty space.”

“Communications chatter normal.  No Brentax activity.”

“Helm responding in nominal parameters.”

“Engines showing one hundred seven percent efficiency.”

Tom Keevan nodded to himself.  They were ready.  All they had to do was wait for the Brentax to show.