The Lost Command (Lost Starship Series Book 2) (29 page)

“Why is the starship here at Wolf Prime?” Lank asked Maddox.

“To pick up Professor Ludendorff,” the captain said. “Doctor Rich believes he can figure out the ancient weapons systems that have baffled Earth’s best scientists. Before Star Watch’s Fifth Fleet reaches the Tannish System, it’s going to need reinforcements in order to defeat the New Men’s main armada waiting for them there.”

“That sounds interesting,” Lank said. “I’m sure the professor would like to hear all about this.”

“We have a narrow window of opportunity,” Maddox said. “Do you have a way to get from here into orbit?”

“Couldn’t
Victory
send down a shuttle?” Lank asked.

“Yes, but that will take more time. First, they would have to chase off the two star cruisers.”

“I thought you said
Victory
could defeat three of them.”

“No,” Maddox said. “I faced three and barely survived the encounter, destroying a star cruiser. I’m not sure Galyan can do the same now.”

“Who?” Lank asked.

“Never mind. Can you get us into orbit?” Maddox asked.

“Yes.”

“Then you should do that as fast as you can. Once the other three star cruisers return, it will be too late to act.”

Lank stared at Maddox. Finally, the security chief glanced at the trappers. “It’s time to run,” he said. “It’s time to talk to the professor in person.”

-29-

Lieutenant Noonan sat on a chair on
Victory’s
bridge. Sergeant Riker sat beside her. Behind them, the holoimage of Galyan watched the main screen critically.

“These are New Men,” Galyan said. “Their star cruisers have powerful beams. I suspect they have contact mines and heavy drones scattered in orbit waiting for me.”

“I haven’t detected any,” Valerie said, as she scanned her board.

“The New Men are masters of deception and decoys,” Galyan said. “They tricked us once already. You saw the ordnance they unlimbered near the Laumer-Point. It is why I sought your advice and brought you up here to the bridge.”

Valerie didn’t remember the situation exactly like that. Galyan had brought her to the bridge. That much was true. The ancient AI had thereupon discounted each piece of advice she’d given him. Instead of fighting as she’d wanted to do, Galyan had opted for flight. Now, she wondered if the AI hadn’t been right after all.

Valerie had also been wondering about her desire to fight the three star cruisers. Maddox had faced three before, destroying one.
Victory
had taken near crippling losses doing so then. Valerie believed she could have done better. The ancient starship had collapsium hull armor now, and its neutron cannon was in better shape than it had been a year ago. Had it been an ego issue with her? Did she need to prove herself a better starship captain than Maddox?

“What do you suggest we do?” Galyan was asking.

Valerie turned around to eye the holoimage. “We have to reach low orbit and call the captain. You said so yourself by the Laumer-Point. Picking up Professor Ludendorff takes precedence over everything else. Ludendorff should be able to exponentially increase your combat power.”

“In theory that’s true,” Galyan said. “More importantly, the professor can tell me the location of the Swarm homeworld. Yet now that we are here, or nearing the planet, I fear the New Men have a trick in store for me.”

“All battle is risk,” Valerie said.

“That is easy for you to say, as a Star Watch combat officer.”

“Actually, it’s harder for me. I’m flesh and blood. You’re just circuits. I have more to lose.”

“That is a highly unjustified remark,” Galyan said. “I am a unique construct, a one-of-a-kind vessel over six thousand years old. I hold ancient secrets. You are young, with literally billions exactly like yourself. Your loss is miniscule in nature, easily replaced.”

“Sorry if I don’t agree with you,” Valerie said sarcastically.

“There!” Galyan cried, pointing at the screen. “I see a star cruiser. My sensors indicate that its weapon ports are heating up. It wishes to fight. That implies the star cruiser, or its captain, has computed a fair ratio for survival. As we know, the New Men are highly rational creatures. Would they dare face me if they couldn’t win?”

“You’re making a lot of assumptions,” Valerie said. “But what I don’t understand is your sudden lack of fighting spirit.”

“I have gained a new and higher awareness,” Galyan said. “I realize more than ever what I risk in entering battle.”

“Well, I learned a long time ago in Greater Detroit that to live, you have to fight.”

“That is not logical,” Galyan said.

“Yes it is. If you become a coward, you die a thousand deaths throughout your life. A brave man or woman only dies once.”

“I hope you are not accusing the greatest tactician in the universe of cowardice,” Galyan said.

Valerie turned to Riker, lofting her eyebrows.

Riker shrugged, shaking his head.

“Drive the star cruiser from the planet,” Valerie said. “Your neutron beam is superior to his ray.”

“At close range, you are correct,” Galyan said. “He has the advantage now.”

“Then use the star drive and jump closer.”

“I dare not attempt a jump this close to a large gravitational object.”

“You never had that problem before,” Valerie said.

“If you refer to the time in the Beyond when we jumped by a planet, you must recall that I did not have complete control of my own vessel. I have not forgotten that you people turned me off.”

Valerie faced the control panel. She’d gotten thoroughly sick of the AI a long time ago. She yearned for a regular ship where the people made the decisions. Arguing with the ancient computer drove her crazy.

Riker shouted.

Valerie saw it on the screen. The star cruiser used its main beam. The ray struck
Victory’s
deflector shield, which stopped the New Men’s beam cold.

“Increase speed,” Valerie said.

“Yes,” Galyan said. “In the end, I believe you are correct.”

The ship’s engines increased power, which caused a slight vibration upon the deck plates. The ancient starship had excellent gravity dampeners, so the high velocity hardly affected Valerie or Riker.

As the giant starship increased velocity, the star cruiser continued to fire its ray. Then, the second star cruiser appeared from around the planet. It, too, fired, adding a second beam. The two rays struck the deflector shield, slowly turning it red.

Valerie glared at the screen. Her hands bunched into fists. She hated the New Men. For too long, these interlopers from the Beyond had tormented humanity. The enemy never lost a fight. She dearly wanted to make them lose now. The idea that she sat in the captain’s chair…it fired her resolve.

“There,” Galyan said, pointing at the screen. “Do you see those?”

Valerie’s fingers played over the panel. She had convinced the AI to give her independent scanning ability. Big orbital drones activated their thrusters. Galyan had been right. The New Men had seeded orbital missiles here.

“They don’t have enough—”

Valerie stopped talking as the nearest warhead ignited. A thermonuclear fireball blew outward. Gamma and X-rays expanded in a ball. Behind it followed the slower heat.

“My sensors can’t see past the blast area,” Galyan complained. “Are the New Men trying to hide something?”

That was a shrewd guess, Valerie realized. Why else would the New Men blow a nuke at that range? Was the enemy trying to blind the sensors from something else?

“Start beaming the other missiles,” Valerie said, as she studied her board. “They’re in range.”

“Activating the neutron beam,” Galyan said.

Valerie continued to study the tactical situation. The missiles headed away from Wolf Prime and came straight at
Victory
. The two star cruisers remained in a low orbital path as they struck the deflector shield. Now, a purple neutron beam touched the nearest drone, exploding it before the warhead ignited.

“We should be in neutron beam range in five minutes,” Valerie said, meaning in range of the star cruisers. “We can get there faster if you increase velocity even more.”

“No,” Galyan said. “I submit we’re already going too fast. We wish to gain a low orbital path in order to pick up Professor Ludendorff. Begin trying to contact the captain.”

“It’s too soon,” Valerie said. “The New Men could pick up our signal, pinpointing the captain’s location. They might send missiles down to the surface to annihilate him.”

“Yes,” Galyan said, “that is sound advice. Thank you. Belay my last order.”

“You’re welcome,” Valerie said, surprised the AI could give compliments. What had come over their jailer? The AI hadn’t acted this way before.

The minutes ticked by, and
Victory
closed the gap between the other combatants. Another nuclear warhead ignited. The red area of the deflector screen darkened and expanded, but the blast didn’t come close to rupturing the shield.

“Neutron beam in range in one minute,” Valerie said.

At that moment, the star cruisers engaged their main thrusters. Long exhaust tails grew behind the two vessels. They increased velocity, fleeing across the orbital face of Wolf Prime. Were they trying to get behind the planet in relation to
Victory?

“They’re running away,” Galyan said.

“I don’t know what else you’d call it,” Valerie said. “That implies they know the operational range of our neutron beam. I don’t like that. They know too much about our ship.”

“I agree,” Galyan said. “Now, prepare for emergency braking. We must insert into an orbital path and attempt to contact Captain Maddox. It is imperative that he’s already gained contact with Professor Ludendorff. They must be ready for an immediate liftoff.”

“Cross your fingers,” Valerie said.

“I beg your pardon?” Galyan asked.

“Yes,” Valerie said. “You’re right.”

***

Something about Kane alerted Maddox.

They had entered a larger underground area. Here, the floor had planks, and the ceiling possessed lights. Heat units churned causing Maddox to sweat. To the left were large stacked wooden crates. A steep ramp led to a tunnel entrance in the ceiling.

Turning a corner brought the biggest surprise of all. Four people loaded up a shuttle, a big one.

“Professor,” Lank called.

An older man looked up. After a second, he detached himself from the four. He wore a slarn fur and had gray hair and a lined face. He was bigger than Maddox had expected and looked more like a trapper than the galaxy’s most famous professor.

“Lank,” Professor Ludendorff said. “You finally decided to shackle Kane and Meta. I’m intrigued. Who are these others?”

As the professor approached, Lank introduced Maddox, Dana and Keith.

That bothered Maddox. Why had Lank needed to introduce Dana? Had she changed that drastically? Had Dana told him the truth, or were there things she had never confided to him about Ludendorff?

Maddox glanced at the doctor.

It happened then, and it happened fast.

The team approached with Kane and Meta in the lead. The big man stumbled, going to one knee. Then, Kane stood with startling suddenness. One of the links in the leg irons snapped, sending the shards spinning. An iron piece struck a trapper in the face, catapulting the man onto the floor.

Meta shouted. With one hand, Kane shoved her backward. She stumbled against a trapper and against Lank Meyers. The three of them went down.

In those moments, Kane covered ground fast. The big man could move like a rhinoceros and with as much power. A trapper in his way tried to draw a gun. Kane took the weapon from the man and possibly broke the hand while doing it. A left cross literally smashed the trapper’s face, dropping him brutally.

Maddox brought up his Khislack. He’d stopped aiming it at Kane some time ago. By the time the captain had the rifle up, Kane reached Ludendorff.

With one arm, Kane lifted the professor in front of him like a shield, with Ludendorff’s head blocking Kane’s. The other hand gripped the stolen handgun, pressing the barrel against Ludendorff’s head.

“What is this, Kane?” Lank shouted. “Treachery?”

Kane moved fast, backing up until he bumped against the shuttle. “Meta,” he said. “Come here.”

“No,” Maddox said.

“I’ll kill the professor if he she doesn’t come,” Kane said.

With the Khislack pointed at Ludendorff’s stomach, Maddox approached Meta. She’d risen to one knee. The captain glanced at her face. It was twisted with hurt and uncertainty.

“Meta,” Kane called.

“She remains with me,” Maddox said.

Meta looked up at Maddox.

“They did something to your mind,” Maddox told her.

Meta frowned. “I think you could be right.”

“I’ll shoot her if she doesn’t come,” Kane said.

“Then I’ll kill you,” Maddox said.

“Killing Ludendorff in the process,” Kane said.

“If I have to.” Maddox didn’t look back to see if Lank Meyers aimed a weapon at him.

Kane began to move alongside the shuttle toward the cargo bay entrance. “If you shoot me, he dies,” the big man said. “Remember that, Captain.”

Maddox steeled himself, raising the rifle to fire.

“No!” Dana shouted. “Don’t do it, Captain.”

“I can’t let the New Men get Ludendorff,” Maddox said. “We need him.”

“Killing the professor solves nothing,” Dana said. “Let him go.”

Maddox felt helplessness boil in his gut. How could Kane have broken a link in the leg irons? The man must possess fantastic strength. He also moved like greased death.

“This is why the New Men sent Kane,” Maddox said. “They want Ludendorff.”

“Trust me, Captain,” Dana said. “This isn’t over. We have
Victory
in orbit.”

“We can’t let Kane go,” Maddox said.

“Professor!” Lank shouted.

“We knew this day would happen,” Ludendorff shouted. “The New Men are too clever. Goodbye my friends. I will miss you all.”

“Professor,” Lank shouted, with agony in his voice.

“This is for the best, my old friend,” Ludendorff said. “You mustn’t fret. The enemy is vast and powerful. I trust you understand my meaning?”