Starship Conquistador (Conquest of Stars Book 1) (18 page)

    “He must be on every screen on Nestor,”
Nolfus thought and if the communications leaked out then he would be on display
across 60 planets. There was chaos on the streets as the troops were confused.
Someone tapped Nolfus on his shoulder and he turned around to see a stranger
who shoved a laser pistol near his solar plexus and pulled the trigger while holding
him in place with his hand.

    “Cloaked Man thanks you for your
services,” the stranger said emptying the laser charge into Nolfus,
“unfortunately, they are no longer required.”

It took Antrar two days of hanging around
Alligator’s Den to find Magyar Harwyk: The Silencer, but find him he did
sitting in a corner of a more upscale bar room in the Den sipping a mixture of
fruits and whiskey and perusing a newspaper with sunglasses on his face.
Antrar’s hunch was right, the Silencer did pick Jiggermaster’s place to hide
out since he had done a couple of jobs for the pirate lord in the past.

    “Hit me with rum and tomato juice,”
Antrar said to the bartender as he sat down on the stool opposite to the bar.
There was a shiny glass behind the bartender with translucent reflection of the
room and Antrar could keep an eye on Magyar without being noticeable. He slowly
sipped his cocktail while stealing an occasional glance in the glass that
showed the reflection of the corner.

    Antrar had never met or seen him in
real life and had only his recollection of a photo to go by. That is when The
Silencer was actually in a database. As a condition of him doing that job for
the Army, he required his identification to be deleted from Army and SPASI
databases and had an uncanny way to know if they were bluffing or had actually
done it.

    Approximately half an hour passed
during which Antrar drowned over four cocktails and was feeling a little tipsy.
Silencer got up, walked across his back and exited from the main door. Antrar
waited a couple of minutes then put down a fat tip to make the bartender happy
and exited from the side door. This was a waiting room for a brothel nearby,
just one amongst a multitude of sinful recreations that were available in this
station.

    Antrar turned to the right, walked
through the door and made another right turn. He picked up his pace but kept a
distance behind Silencer. Silencer walked over to the bay, got into his
spaceship and took off. Antrar waited a few seconds to look around and when it
was all clear, he got into his own spaceship and picked up Silencer’s ship on
his gravitron scanner.

    He kept his distance and the asteroids
allowed him to pursue undetected. When Silencer’s ship came to a stop in front
of an asteroid, Antrar hid his behind another large one nearby and pushed a
button to extend a large metallic arm with a camera that peaked around the
space rock and showed him the display of Silencer’s ship entering the asteroid.

    Antrar raised his spaceship from behind
the rock and turned on the heat imaging. He could see Silencer sitting down
inside his spaceship. Around fifteen minutes later Silencer’s body was flat on
the screen and a few minutes later he stopped moving. Antrar watched the
display for a few and then decided that finally Silencer had fallen asleep. He
slowly brought his spaceship to the asteroid and pressed a key on his computer
to turn on a decryption algorithm. He was glad he had downloaded an army grade
decryption AI which took just a minute to decipher the code that opened the
asteroid door.

    He flew his ship inside and saw that
the interior of this asteroid was nearly similar to his and there was space for
an additional ship. The door slid closed from the outside and Antrar parked his
opposite to Magyar’s. He took out his laser pistol, quickly walked over to
Magyar’s spaceship and toned down the intensity of his laser to avoid a splash
and a sound. Then he sprayed the lock with laser and it took half a minute to melt
a hole in the door. He yanked the door opened and jumped in with his laser gun
pointed at Silencer who suddenly awoke from the bed that was laid opposite from
the pilot’s console.

    “Don’t make a foolish move, Silencer,”
Antrar said pointing his pistol forward while he sat down in the pilot’s chair,
“Slowly get up and keep your hands on your knees.”

    “Who are you?” Silencer asked but
complied with Antrar’s directions.

    “That don’t concern you,” Antrar said,
“but let me tell you something, I am from Starfire Army, have been in battle
and can put you through a real good beating to get you to talk, better answer
my questions straight.”

    “Jiggermaster isn’t going to like
this,” Magyar rubbed his eyes.

    “Let me worry about him,” Antrar said,
“now I am in a hurry and I need only one answer: who hired you to assassinate
Nestorian Republic’s vice-chancellor on his trip to Bravo?”

    “Oh man…” Magyar dropped his shoulders
and sighed, “Starfire Army knows that I was behind it?”

    Antrar guffawed, “we hired you once, we
know your footprints.”

    Surprisingly Magyar replied with a
guffaw of his own, “if you are privy to such secrets of the Starfire Army to
know that you boys once hired me, then you should also know who hired me this
time.”

    Antrar did not say anything but raised
his pistol higher and spoke slowly but deeply, “who hired you?”

    “You did,” Magyar replied.   

    “Me?”

    “Starfire Army,” Magyar said.

    “Get out of here,” Antrar scoffed.

    “It was the same fellow as the last
time: Lambda Man,” Magyar said.

    Antrar nearly dropped his pistol and
his hand twitched a couple of times. He stared down at the ground and tried to
remember hard. This did not go unnoticed by Silencer.

    “You should not dig into matters above
your rank,” Silencer said, “We are merely pawns in the games of the big boys,
although I am an expert one at my task and given that you managed to track me
here, you must be good too; but that’s what we are, excellent foot soldiers.
That’s why I never inquire too deeply into my client’s identities.”

    “This is not above my rank,” Antrar
said and looked up at Magyar, “I was the Lambda Man.”

    “You?” now it was Magyar’s turn to be
shocked and he jumped in the bed.

    “Yeah, one of them,” Antrar said and got
up while aiming his pistol at Silencer, “Stay here till I am gone and if you
tell Jiggermaster about this then I will inform the Fifth Frontier Fleet of
your location.”

    Antrar walked out and quickly jumped in
his spaceship. He opened the asteroid door and flew his spaceship right out in
a vertical ascent. He accelerated as fast as he could away from the asteroid
belt. He had kept all his belongings in the spaceship itself and didn’t trust
Silencer not informing Jiggermaster. But he had no intention of returning here
nor of informing the frontier fleet.

    Lambda Man!

    It was a secret department within
Starfire Army composed of a small team of high-ranking officers and he was one
of its founding members. Its officers hired space outlaws and arranged for
secret operations in rival powers space that Army could not do openly. This did
not involve just the star commander of one region but went much higher. As his
spaceship moved away from the asteroids and towards deep space Antrar started
running through the names of all his ex-army friends trying to think of someone
he could trust and might be in the know. And then it hit him, the first leader
of Lambda Man was his good friend ex-commander Yarwyk Gyte.

“Commodore, the signals interception room
is reporting disturbing developments on the capital planet Nestor based on the
signals we intercepted and decrypted from the Whisper Station,” Signals Officer
Hedgewyk said as Starship Conquistador entered the star system of Nestorian
Republic which contained its home world of Nestor.

     “What is it?” Raptor asked.

    “The Republican Guard, their elite
light infantry force, is staging a coup,” Hedgewyk said, “They have taken over
the orbital battleships as well as planet’s ground defenses and are marching on
the Senate.”

    “What the hell?” VC Barryett said and
looked at Raptor.

    “Are we going to have a government to
deal with when we get there?” Raptor wondered.

    “Commodore,” Horyett said, “A spaceship
just rapidly accelerated out of Nestor.”

    “So what?” Raptor asked.

    “Republican Guard has forbidden all
spaceship launches,” Hedgewyk said.

    “It appears to have launched from the
region where the Senate is based,” Horyett said, “but can’t tell from this far.
Could be the government officials escaping.”

    “Tag the ship and get identification,
if refused we will use our magnetic beam to capture it,” Raptor said.

    Communications officer Dorrvyk sent out
the request and received a screen full of list a couple of minutes later.

    “It’s Nestorian Senate’s staff and
there is one major name: Vice-Chancellor Remus,” Dorrvyk said.

    “What about the Chancellor?” Raptor
asked.

    “Might have hanged the poor bastard,”
Tollvyk commented.

    “Tol…” Raptor looked at him in slight
annoyance and Tollvyk shrugged his shoulders and said, “That’s what happens in
revolutions.”

    “No report of him abroad that vessel,”
Dorrvyk said.

    “Order that ship to dock and keep it in
our containment bay,” Raptor said, “if it refuses then use the magnetic beam to
haul it in.”

    Dorrvyk conveyed the order and the
spaceship replied with confirmation of compliance.

    “Alright,” Raptor said then switched
his display to Capitan Styx’ room, “Capitan Styx, we will have visitors on board
in a few. Take the staff to the guest quarters and have Starship Guards keep a
strict watch on them.”

    “Yes sir,” Styx replied.

    “Except one person: VC Remus,” Raptor
said, “Bring him to my visitor’s office. Me and Barryett will meet him there.”

    “Alright,” Styx replied and Raptor
turned off the connection.

    Raptor and Barryett walked over to the
visitor’s office which was not too far away and was used by the Commodore for
private conversations with his staff as well as the guests.

    They did not have to wait long and
Capitan Styx arrived with VC Remus and two guards.

    “Leave us,” Raptor said and Styx left
with his guards and waited outside.

    “I am Vice-Chancellor Remus Torus of
Nestorian Republic,” Remus said, “I had met your Star Commander Carvyk Botlar
and requested aid against invaders, but it looks like we have another problem
on hand.”

    “A big problem,” Barryett said and then
Raptor introduced themselves to Remus.

    “Are your battleships going to stop the
coup?” Raptor asked.

    “They are assembled under General Bakus
to stop the invasion force sent by Mercurian Empire,” Bakus said.

    “Mercurian Empire?” Barryett said,
“Never heard of such a state existing in the galaxy.”

    “We had neither,” Remus said, “That’s what
they call themselves.”

    “VC Remus you are welcome to stay
abroad under our protection till your people sort this out,” Raptor said.

    “Actually Com. Raptor, I was going to
ask your help to avert the coup in progress,” Remus said.

    “What?” Raptor said, “That’s not what
we are here for. Your squabbles concern us none, I am here to ward off these
mysterious or Mercurian, as you say, alien invaders.”

    “Com. Raptor,” Remus said, “Our
protection treaty with your empire has a ‘Suppression of Insurrection’ clause
that guarantee’s Starfire Army’s help to protect established governments. As
the official representative of my state, I am invoking that clause now.”

    Raptor turned to look at Barryett who
shrugged his shoulders and said, “He is right about that.”

    “Wait now,” Raptor said. He picked up a
radio attached to the door and called to Styx outside, “Capitan Styx, fetch the
Army Law Officer abroad to this room immediately.”

    “Will do.”

    “What happened to your Chancellor?”
Barryett asked.

    “He refused to leave,” Remus said, “and
I understand him. He is a very old man and I hope Nolfus doesn’t harm him.”

    “Who is that?” Raptor asked.

    “Commander of Republican Guard, the man
behind the coup,” Remus said.

    The door opened and an army officer
walked in. He saluted Raptor and Barryett and said, “Law Officer Capitan Legtar
Pytar reporting for duty sir.”

    Raptor returned his salute. He had
never met him before indeed not even glanced at his name on his officer’s list.
He was well familiar with army regulations but this was not even in the
official rulebook.

    “Cap. Legtar,” Raptor explained the
situation to him and Remus’ request and then said, “Do I have to put down the
coup?”

    “Vice Chancellor is right,” Legtar
said, “The treaty obliges us to suppress any rebellions or coups.”

    Remus smiled but Legtar wasn’t done
speaking.

    “However, the obligation is on the
Starfire State,” Legtar said, “Com. Raptor you are an army officer, you are not
responsible for political decisions, only for enforcing army regulations and
your orders. In the absence of an order from either Star Commander or House or
War; the course of action is left to your judgment and discretion.”

    “What would you do?” Raptor turned to
Barryett.

    “I have never faced such a situation,”
Barryett said, “I don’t know and it’s your call.”

    “Com. Raptor, the Mercurian Empire will
soon be upon us,” Remus said, “Without a stable government we can’t make
decisions and properly respond. Our five battleship fleets will be
uncoordinated without a central command.”

    “He is right about that,” Barryett
said.

    “On the other hand,” Raptor said, “If
this Nolfus has the support of a battleship fleet, I could start a war between
Nestorians and Starfire Empire.”

    Raptor had a feeling that Commander
Carvyk had known that something was afoot in Nestorian Republic and but hadn’t
let them on it.

    Raptor paced the room for a few aware
that the clock was ticking. Then he stopped and turned to face Remus.

    “VC Remus, Starfire will fulfill its
treaty obligations,” Raptor said.

    “Thank you, Nestorians will be
grateful,” Remus said.

    “Cap. Legtar,” Raptor said, “write an
official pronouncement for our course of action. I will need that when we
restore the proper government in Nestor’s Senate.”

    “Yes sir,” Legtar saluted him and left
the room.

    “VC Remus, I am going to let you into
our command room as we might need you,” Raptor said, “Let’s go.”

    Raptor, Remus and Barryett quickly
trotted back to the starship’s command center.

    Barryett found a seat for Remus where
he could see the large display screen as well as the planet Nestor outside of
the transparent diamond cover. Raptor returned to his chair and fetched up a
display of the infantry officers’ room on his personal screen.

    “Colonel Jarvyk, I need to see you in
the command room,” Raptor said, “and order your soldiers to prepare for
deployment.”

    “Yes sir, right away,” Col. Jarvyk
replied.

    “Sir, we have four battleships in the
orbit,” Horyett said, “but they are just floating and aren’t maneuvering in any
battle formation.”

    “Dorrvyk, what are they saying?” Raptor
asked. Dorrvyk looked at Remus then looked back at Raptor and waited.

    “Go ahead,” Raptor said, “I need him
here.”

    “Signals room is monitoring their
communications,” Dorrvyk said, “apparently there was an argument between the
republican guard and the battleship officers who are refusing to move into
position to stop us.”

    “You can intercept our battleship communications?”
VC Remus turned around in surprise. Raptor just shrugged and ignored him.

    “Sir, the ground laser and rocket
batteries are preparing to fire,” Eltar the electronics sensors officer said.

    “Give me a ground defense base that is
in an isolated area,” Raptor said.

    “There is an Anti-Spaceship Laser
Cannon on the ocean platform just outside of the capital city,” Remus
volunteered. He didn’t like helping a foreign power overcome Nestor’s defense
but they had to take the planet fast.

    “Capitan Alvina, concentrated lasers,”
Raptor said.

    “Lasers concentrated,” Alvina replied,
“ready to fire.”

    “Eltar, have you scanned for the laser
cannon platform,” Raptor asked.

    “Locked in already,” Eltar replied.

    “Target and destroy the ocean
platform,” Raptor said. “Fire lasers.”

    “Firing lasers,” Alvina replied and her
junior officers turned on the concentrated laser beam on the ocean platform and
it was shattered to pieces at the first contact.

    VC Remus was stunned but said nothing.

    “Dorrvyk send a message to all the
ground defenses,” Raptor said, “We represent their vice-chancellor and they
should stand down. Otherwise we will begin heavy orbital bombardment of their
locations.”

    “Please commodore,” Remus said, “Many civilians
will die. Can’t you just use your powerful lasers?”

    “I am just bluffing; VC Remus,” Raptor
said, “but they won’t know this.”

    “No response yet sir,” Dorrvyk said.

    “They must be all trying to raise their
leader. What is our position?” Raptor asked. He guessed from the visual that
they were near the orbit.

    “Approaching the orbit in less than a
minute,” Horyett said.

    “Capitan Flyptar,” Raptor said,
“Accelerate and dive us in the ocean.”

    “Diving,” Flyptar said. The flight
officers moved Conquistador rapidly through the atmosphere and before the
ground batteries could react they splashed into the ocean sending a huge tidal
wave in each direction. The ocean calmed down soon thereafter. Small portions
of the ship were submerged but the major portion was above the water.

    Raptor knew that the possibility of
taking heavy casualties would cause a delay in the already chaotic command
rooms of ground defenses with officers arguing with republican guards. They
would want to get permission from someone higher up before they reacted and
this provided a small window of opportunity for them to crash through the
atmosphere.

    “Colonel Jarvyk reporting for duty,” an
infantry officer in his late 20’s with a lean, rugged face saluted Raptor.

    “Ready for ground deployment?” Raptor
asked.

    “All ready,” Jarvyk replied.

    “Cap. Zurryvk, load battle command
program Conquistador,” Raptor said.

    “Conquistador loaded,” Zurryvk replied.

    “Conquistador reporting for duty,” the
battle AI said.

    “Give me a battle plan for the conquest
of Nestor,” Raptor said.

    “Yes sir, analyzing,” Conquistador
analyzed all the data in starships computers accumulated through the sensors
and the databases of weapons characteristics of Nestor’s armed forces and then
displayed a sequential battle plan on Com. Raptor’s and VC Barryett’s personal
screens.

    “Looks good to me,” Barryett said.

    “I might make some changes as we go
along,” Raptor said, “Capitan Flyptar, bring us over the Senate.”

    “Over the Senate in T minus 50
seconds,” Flyptar said.    

    “Launch starfighters, two squadrons,”
Raptor said, “Drop the Republican Guard airships.”

    “Like flies,” Tollvyk muttered under
his breath and chuckled. 

    “Col. Tollvyk, out of the command
room,” Raptor said. It hurt him to do this but he had to maintain proper
decorum.

    “Commodore…” Tollvyk began to protest.

    “Out. Now.” Raptor said. Tollvyk got up
angrily and left the command room stomping his feet.

    The Republican Guards soldiers
approached Senator Solus’ podium and were twenty feet away when suddenly
fighter spacecrafts swooshed over Solus firing laser bolts into the troops
sending them running back out. Solus looked up and saw starfighters flown by
single pilots rushing out of a giant Starship on the horizon and diving upon
the airships from above felling them to the ground with single shots of lasers.
The airships were slow and in half a minute all of them had crashed to the
ground precipitating panic amongst the ground troops.