Solbidyum Wars Saga 9: At What Price (47 page)

“So how does that help us?” I asked. “I mean, if Ming is with us we can’t get away.”

“I’m not talking about getting away, Tibby.  I’m talking about killing Ming.  It’s unlikely he would let either of us get close enough to him to do that in any typical way.  But in the solbidnite field we would be able to destroy him and anyone or anything in the vicinity.  You must remember, Tibby, even one grain of solbidnite is a tremendous source of energy.  If we were to somehow discharge a high-powered laser weapon or detonate a GW torpedo inside that vast field, the entire cloud would ignite in a giant nebula flare, like a star going nova.  Understand, of course, we’d be killed instantly, but so would Ming and everyone who is with him.”

“Great,” I said.  I was prepared to die to save Kala, but this scenario was almost more than my brain could fathom.  If A’Lappe was right, Ming would bring his entire entourage and probably the entire fleet of captured Federation ships, along with his usual hive of protective warships.  I tried to visualize them all being vaporized at once.  “How do you propose we get our hands on a laser or GW torpedo?  Ming surely isn’t going to allow us to get close to any armaments or weapon controls,” I said.

“I haven’t worked that part out yet.  It doesn’t have to be a laser or torpedo explosion.  Any strong source of energy can set it off.  We’ll have time to figure that out en route.  Our journey will take several days.”

I sat for a moment and thought about Kala and the children.  Their lives were all that mattered.  “So we’re going to die?  You and I?” I said.

“It looks that way.  We can’t live forever, Tibby, and dying this way will be a lot easier for you than facing the future that lies ahead with your nerve degeneration.”

“I guess you’re right.  I have to say, though, I never thought my life would end this way.”  As I thought about it, a sense of peace overcame me, knowing that there was finally a solution in sight that would bring an end to Ming and the Brotherhood terror.  But I was also gripped with an overwhelming loneliness at the thought of looking at Kala for the last time as she was freed, knowing I would never see her or touch her again.  I tried to push the thought from my mind.

“So tell me, what you think happens after you, I and Ming are gone?”

“The Brotherhood organization will, without a doubt, disintegrate rapidly.  What’s left of it may break up into several small bands of marauders, but they will be of a size the Federation will be able to handle, even in its severely weakened state.  Those groups will likely even turn on each other and eventually deteriorate into nothing more than common thieves and pirates,” said A’Lappe.

The two of us sat silently for a time, taking in the totality of the war, the defeat, and what was yet at stake.

“So, Tibby, are we going to do this?”

“I don’t think we have any choice,” I said.  “I only wish I could finish this knowing what has happened to Lunnie and Reidecor.”

My comlink beeped.  “Tibby here,” I said.

“Admiral, Ming is calling back for your answer,” replied Marranalis’s voice.

“Put him through,” I replied.

Ming’s evil face appeared on the screen adjacent to my desk.  He gripped the chair arms as he tried to keep his body from trembling. 
How long would this walking skeleton keep living?
I wondered.

“So, Tibby, have you reached a decision?  I see you have A’Lappe there with you.”

“I agree to your terms, Ming, on the condition that you free Kalana.  Once A’Lappe and I have turned ourselves over to you and
after
we are certain you’ve honored your part of the bargain, we’ll lead you to the solbidnite field.”

“You’ll have to do better than that, Tibby.  You must address me properly,” said Ming with a grin as he leaned back in his chair.

I felt the acid churn in my gut as I knelt and bowed before Ming’s image.  “Oh magnificent and powerful Ming, Emperor of the Universe, please accept A’Lappe’s and my surrender as your willing servants and guides to the solbidnite in exchange for the freedom of Kalana,” I said.

Ming smiled.  “That’s better, but you still need some work on your address to your Emperor and God.  However, I will accept it for now.

“Tonight you and A’Lappe will board an unarmed transport. 
No one else, just you two!
  You will proceed to coordinates I will provide to you.  You will be told what to do once you arrive there.  Do not try any tricks, Tibby.  No cloaked ships with you… no cloaked soldiers aboard your craft.  If you do, Kalana won’t look so pretty next time you see her.”

“My Emperor, may I talk to Kala again before we depart?” I asked.

“
No!”
  hissed Ming.  “But I’ll allow you to see her.”  He nodded to someone and the image on my vid screen split to reveal Kala, still in shackles, seated at a table in what appeared to be one of the prisoner holding cells on the
GLOMAR ROSA
.  Her hair was disheveled and she looked as though she’d been crying.  The image blanked out again.

“As you can see, she is unharmed, though she seems a bit sad,” said Ming with a laugh.

I met with Marranalis and Kerabac one more time to give them final instructions before I left with A’Lappe.  In my absence Marranalis would take over as Rear Admiral of the Fleet, or at least what was left of it.  I asked if there had been any word from Admiral Wabussie since the taking of the Capitol Station, but no one had heard anything from him or anyone in the FSO or FOI.  All of the Leaders were missing, though it was believed that at least two of them may still be alive and in hiding.  A few senators had been killed at the Capitol Station, but most had managed to escape.  Just like the Leaders, though, their locations were unknown.  It was disturbing to me that so many people who had presumably escaped to unknown locations had made no attempt to contact us and that we were left with no idea where they were or what their condition was.  Perhaps the silence was some kind of ultra-high-security apocalyptic protocol that had been implemented at the moment of the attack.

While I briefed Kerabac and Marranalis, A’Lappe met with Rory and Cantolla.   He said he had a lot of data to turn over to them that he had been keeping secret, data that would advance the Federation by many generations, if we managed to break them free of Ming’s rule.

Finally, A’Lappe and Cantolla gave me one last treatment for my nerve condition before we left.  It was nearly a full day earlier than it was supposed to be, so I was extremely ill afterwards and was unable to remain in the med unit to sleep off the effects.  I tried my best to conceal the agony, but I knew people were wondering why I looked so terribly weak and pale.   No doubt they thought it was from fear and worry.

At one point before we left, Piesew approached me with a tray bearing a glass of juice and said, “First Citizen Tibby, I know First Citizen Kalana would fetch you Okaia juice when you weren’t feeling well.”  I was certain that I saw tears welling in his eyes.

Just before I boarded the ship, Chanina ran up to me in a panic to tell me that her father, Rebadat Tonclin, was missing.  He had been at the Capitol Station when the attack occurred.  I told her I was confident that he’d been evacuated with the others, but in my mind I wasn’t so sure.

Finally, A’Lappe and I entered a small transport.  A’Lappe sealed the hatch, as I collapsed onto one of the rear bench-like seats.  At that moment I felt sicker than I ever had, both physically and emotionally.  A’Lappe took the controls and keyed in the coordinates supplied by Ming and we were off.  I would have liked to gaze out the window for one last look at the
NEW ORLEANS
as we departed, but I lacked the strength.  Once we were underway and the ship was on autopilot, A’Lappe left the console and positioned himself in a seat across from me.

“Well, Tibby it’s been quite the adventure, I have to tell you.  You’ve been a true friend and I’ve enjoyed working with you.”

“You’re welcome,” I muttered through chattering teeth.  “The feeling is mutual.”

“Let me see if I can find you a blanket,” said A’Lappe.  He went to the back of the ship and fiddled around in some storage spaces, eventually returning with a warm, soft blanket.  “Here.  See if this helps,” he said as he wrapped it around me.

“Thank you,” I answered in a near whisper.

He sat back down and was quiet for short while, and then spoke again.  “Tibby, all these years, you’ve been able to detect my presence when cloaked, when no one else could.  You would never tell me how you knew.  Will you tell me now?  I’d like to die knowing the answer.”

Even though I was weak, sick and tired, A’Lappe’s request made me chuckle a little.

“I can smell you.”

“Huh?  Smell me?  Do I stink?” asked A’Lappe, looking down at himself as if he should be able to see some telltale sign emanating from his body.

“No, not at all.  In fact, your scent is quite pleasant.  It reminds me of a plant we had on Earth called cedar.  Your aroma is kind of like that, only fainter.  I’m not sure why no one else notices it, unless my sense of smell is just more sensitive than others’.”

“Interesting,” said A’Lappe.  “I never would have guessed that in a million years.  You have no idea how perplexed I’ve been about that little mystery all these years.  All this time it was as simple as the nose on my face – or
your
face, I guess I should say.”

A’Lappe didn’t ask any more questions and I drifted off to sleep.  Several hours later, I awoke to find A’Lappe sitting back at the controls.  I was feeling stronger.  I needed a shower but there was none aboard the transport.

“How long was I asleep?” I asked.

“Nearly five hours,” A’Lappe responded.  He handed me a bottle of water and a weird-looking wrapped food item.  “Here, eat this and drink the water.  It will make you feel better.”

“Where’d you get this?” I asked.

“There’s a small food replicator in the back.  Not a great selection, but it’s nutritious.  You’re going to need your strength.  By the time we lead Ming to the solbidnite, you’re going to be past your next treatment date.  You’ll be weak and it may take some work to stay focused toward the end, so you need to at least eat, stay hydrated and rest properly.”

“How far are we from the coordinates Ming gave us?” I asked.

“About another two hours.”

“So where’s he sending us?”

“It’s a moon about the size of Megelleon.  There was once an outpost there, but it’s been abandoned since the Federation quit using starships.”

“Do you think we’re walking into some sort of trap where Ming will kill us as soon as we arrive?” I asked groggily.

“I doubt it.  He doesn’t have the solbidnite yet.”

“Good point.  I guess I’m not thinking so clearly yet,” I said as I plopped down in the copilot seat.  “Have you heard anything from the
NEW ORLEANS
?  Any word on Lunnie or Reide?”

“I haven’t talked to them in over an hour.  There was no news at that time.”

“Let me try.  Maybe they’ve heard something since then.”

I called the
NEW ORLEANS
and had Verona put me through to Marranalis.

“Admiral, are you alright?” he asked as soon as he appeared on the screen.

“Yes, I’m fine.  Just a bit tired.  Have you heard anything about Lunnie and Reide?”

“Yes, Lunnie is safe on Earth.  She’d managed to land her crippled ship at the estate, which had just come under attack.  She organized the staff and orphans and used the Cantolla Gate that the researchers were using to go back and forth to Earth and got through the gate to the Earth facilities.  I’ve not talked to her directly, but I was told by one of the scientists at the Earth lab that she’s there and is helping to organize shelter in as many existing sound structures as they could find in the old city.  I don’t think she knows what’s happened with you or Kalana yet.”

“When she calls, tell her I love her.  I don’t know if I’ll be able to contact her after we meet up with Ming.  Any word on Reide at all?”

“All we know is that he apparently managed to get a number of senators and Leader Pheosa off the Capitol Station, but to where we don’t know.  There’s been no contact from any of them since the Capitol was taken.”

“Thank you, Marranalis.  Let me know immediately if you hear anything more,” I said.

“Tibby, take care.  We’re all hoping for a miracle here and that you, Kalana and A’Lappe will come through this safely.”  There was a break in Marranalis’s voice that I hadn’t heard since Sokaia died.

“Thank you, Marranalis,” I replied with a tight throat.  I wanted to say more, but I simply couldn’t find the words.

We’re approaching our destination now,” said A’Lappe.  “It looks like Ming has a reception committee waiting for us.  Over a hundred ships, I would estimate.”

“You were right, A’Lappe.  Ming is so insanely paranoid that he brought his strongest armaments for protection.”

“I would say so, Tibby.  He’s probably right there, inside the
GLOMAR ROSA
, and there’s the
MAXETTE
.  And I’m sure the
FAZTA’MINA
is here somewhere too.”

The place Ming had selected to meet couldn’t have been more desolate.  It was a barren moon with no life, though it had an oxygen atmosphere that was at least rich enough to be breathable.  The meeting place was the giant landing area of the old abandoned Federation outpost station.  Dunes of sand blew across parts of the landing zone, but not enough to render it problematic.  Ming had instructed us to land near a ship that would be staged for us there.  The location, he said, would be obvious when we arrived.  As we approached, we saw what appeared to be the lights of a pair of patrol ships parked on the landing pad.  A’Lappe landed in front of and about equal distance between the two.  Almost immediately Ming’s grinning face appeared on the vid screen.