When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars) (18 page)

             
Five?
She could
n’
t believe it. Fleet engaged hundreds of fighters at Luna and it was a turkey shoot. How could five tiny ships reap so much damage
?“
Let me out
,”
she said
.“
I can help, I can fight
.
”

             
His response was cut off by another explosion. She heard something smack into the bulkhead, a sound like a ripe watermelon exploding. The pod shook and began sounding its own alarm. Kaileen looked over at the controls, watching them light up like a Christmas tree. A countdown appeared on the monitor, running backwards from sixty seconds.

             
“Shit
.
”

             
On the bridge, Gregorovich gripped his chair for dear life as the ship lurched horribly to starboard. Fires raged in five compartments, effectively cutting the carrier in half. All of the shi
p’
s fighters and bombers had been launched, and all floated dead in the slag-filled space around
Gettysburg
. The battle had lasted minutes, the Terran
s’
weapons all but useless against the alien onslaught.

             
It made no sense. The Captain had watched the Luna tapes again and again. H
e’
d listened to the debrief from Commodore Osaka and Commander DeHart. The enemy was not so powerful that it could not be beaten. And a Phoenix III fighter was said to be a match for seven Y-Fighters. So how had only five managed to annihilate one destroyer, incapacitate another and cripple a carrier and her escort?

             
Another missile drove into the engine room before exploding, taking out the gravity generator with it. Crewmembers floated about the bridge, trying desperately to attach their tethers. Gregorovich made his decision. He activated his handheld mic, ready to order the evacuation of all personnel. He lifted the handset to his lips, took a deep breath, and prepared to speak.

             
As the Captain readied his order, a barbed black missile drove straight through the top hull, embedding itself in the tiled floor on the bridge. The commander had a moment to register the impact before the warhead exploded, vaporizing everyone inside.

             
Kaileen strapped into the control seat, bracing herself for launch. As the timer hit zero, the docking clamps released and the engines engaged. The
Gettysburg
broke apart around the ExoPod, debris and shrapnel pinging off the hull. Kaileen saw something hit the windshield and roll past. It moved too quickly for her to really have a good look, but she caught a blur of clothing, arms and legs, and a face frozen in fear. Squeezing her eyes shut, Kaileen rode the shockwaves and prayed.

             
As the tiny pod raced away from the fray, the Boxti fighters cleaned up. The two destroyers were pounded with fire until all that remained was melted slag. Finally it was just
Gettysburg
, limping along with one remaining engine and an exposed core. The Boxti frigate closed in, warming up its weapon systems. As Kailee
n’
s cell tumbled away into the distance, the massive ship fired into the heart of the Terran carrier, obliterating everything. A glowing blue shockwave spread out from the explosion, the heat dissolving everything it touched until all that remained of the battle were specks of melted glass and pieces of hull.

             
Their enemy destroyed, the Boxti fighters returned to dock on the outside of the frigate. When all the smaller ships had returned, the large vessel tore off in search of bigger game.

             
Behind them, barely conscious inside her spinning prison, Kaileen drifted along with the rest of the dead.

              *              *              *              *              *

              Across the reaches of the galaxy, in a dark and unknown system, a message arrived. The words shimmered on a dim screen inside an unlit chamber. With a groan, an immense form rose from its slumber to read the text.

             
“We have been attacked by an unknown force. All have been destroyed
.
”

             
The creatur
e’
s four eyes scanned the note again and again, its mind turning the information over until it was satisfied with the response
.“
Are there more nearby
?
”

             
A momentary pause as the question traversed the billion lightyears in between, and then
:“
A small colony at the edge of the system. Mostly civilians
.
”

             
“Make an example of them
.
”

             
“We request help
.
”

             
The creature took a moment to relish the excitement ahead. The answer was sent quickly.

             
“We are coming
.
”

-                           
VII                            -

November 16, 2236

             
A knock at the door pulled Alexander away from his notes. H
e’
d been reading through a series of reports following the ongoing TSI investigation into some new nonsensical scientific experiment, and understanding exactly none of it. An aide ducked his head in, face red from the embarrassment of interrupting his boss. Alexander waved a hand to put the boy at ease.

             
“What is it
?”
he asked with a yawn. He looked at the clock, amazed that it was already three in the morning. He set down the report, wincing at the oncoming headache. Truth be told, he was looking for a distraction. For a straight month, h
e’
d been eaten alive in the press over his institution of the draft.

             
The aide stayed at the door
.“
Ther
e’
s an alert out, sir. Code Red 11
.
”

             
That got Alexande
r’
s attention. He sat up, immediately alert, and slipped into his shoes. He was out the door a moment later, his security speed-walking to keep up. At the meeting room, Jerry and Arthur were already on their second cups of coffee. Jerry looked worse for wear, with his five
o’
clock shadow and rumpled clothing. Arthur was immaculate as always, looking as though h
e’
d woken up hours before and had taken his time grooming.

             
Admiral of the Line John Walker paced the room, shouting into a phone. Military men and heads-of-state alike dodged his path as he wore down the carpet with each thumping step. His dress uniform rattled, medals clanging together. Normally he would be wearing a flight suit, but he had come straight from a press junket to assist with the crisis
.“
Give me the numbers
,”
he said. His hand shot out, fingers snapping at a young captain. The subordinate responded by handing over a pen and paper, which the commander of the Terran Fleet used to jot down notes from the call.

             
The High Chancellor gripped the doorposts
.“
What happened
?
”

             
Walker turned, his silver eyes bloodshot. Alexander knew the news before he heard it. Nothing good ever happened at this hour. His Chief of Staff fought a series of emotions, trying to prepare a measured statement for the Chief Executive. Arthur managed to shake his head before speaking.

             
“Ther
e’
s been an attack
,”
Arthur said
.“
Fleet lost a strike group near Tallus
.
”

             
Alexande
r’
s blood ran cold.
The honeymoo
n’
s over. They gave us a month to prepare.
He wiped a sudden film of perspiration from his forehead. He tried to swallow, but his mouth was cotton-dry. Looking around the room, he saw a half-dozen heads of state, as well as every military man aboard the ship. Whatever had happened, the reaction was enormous.

             
“How many lost
?”
he managed to ask.

             
One of the lower ranking general
s—
Alexander could
n’
t help but notice the oxymoronic value of that ide
a—
walked over with a casualty report
.“
It looks like all hands. There must have been hundreds of ships to take on a carrier and escort
.
”

             
“The
Gettysburg
was
n’
t traveling with a full group
,”
one of the admirals chimed in
.“
Only two destroyers, but that should have been enough from the intel the Nangolani provided. A small mining operation with minimal security...it should have been a cakewalk
.
”

             
Arthur looked up
.“
How did they get that information
?
”

             
“Years of experience
,”
a voice said. The man wore a jet black suit without any name or rank. Only the golden pin of an eye on his lapel held any significance. His eyes were covered by opaque sunglasses and his skin was pale and dry. It was easy to see where his type earned the nam
e“
ghosts
.”
As he spoke, the other voices quieted down
.“
The Nangolani have been hunted by the Boxti for a lifetime. The
y’
ve come to learn a few things
.
”

             
The aide persisted
.“
But knowing the exact location of a mining group
?
”

             
“Irrelevant
.”
The man straightened up, gathering papers from the table into a slim briefcase
.“
They knew the enemy was in our system, what resources they needed and where they would likely go to get them
.
”

             
“Seems a little suspicious
.
”

             
The agent grinned
.“
Not every tragedy has a conspiracy behind it
.”
He walked out without another word, his phone out and dialing.

             
“Captain Gregorovich was
n’
t stupid
,”
Walker said, ending his call. The hulking five-star admiral shouldered past the lower-ranking officers and stood before the High Chancellor
.“
He did
n’
t even get a chance to send a proper broadcast. All we have is a contact report that must have been from his scout units
.
”

             
Alexander fought to maintain a strict poker face. Strike Group Tallus was
n’
t just the aging carrier and a few destroyers. The bulk of the armada was devised of heavy frigates and two cruisers. All were down for repairs at the moment, but Tallus had never been a dangerous place. Besides, the
Gettysburg
was a match for a hundred Boxti warships.

             
“What was the contact report
?
”

             
Walker looked down at his notes
.“
Five ships, one large frigate. Conducting some sort of operation near Venetian Four
.
”

             
Arthur set down his tablet, swiping his fingers over the glass to clear the screen. He rubbed his face, groaning
.“
It must been the tip of one very big iceberg
.
”

             
Something was
n’
t rubbing Alexander the right way. A tickle in the back of his mind. He looked around the room again, trying to place his sense of unease. The assembled generals and heads of staff all remained active, shouting into their phones and poring over computer consoles. Staffers ran in and out, bringing coffee and updated reports from the FTL receiver. Shaking off the feeling, Alexander went to Jerry.