SWNOVELS Chapter 12
“I take it that it didn’t go well?” I said my eyes on her earrings as much as I didn’t want to admit it I’d liked to have a pair like them.
“Admiral Jericho was very responsive to my suggestion but he said he’d have to consult the Council before giving me a positive answer.”
I frowned the Civilian Council weren’t known for giving quick decisions. “I looks like we’ll both have to wait.” I hated that having to wait while some civilian decided our fate. This war needed quick responses not slow debate.
“So we’re stuck here?”
“Captain Yanik was very helpful with supplies for the base camp. They’re shuttled down the last of them as we speak.”
“At least something positive will come out of this even if nothing else does.”
Ellie smiled sadly and touched her earrings. “I’ve seen you looking at these they are Jeanne’s. I’m wearing and will continue to wear them as long as the Empire has that ‘Thing’ on the throne. Every time I see my reflection in the mirror I will be reminded of Jeanne’s murder and who is responsible.”
“You don’t mind I gave you my quarters,” I said changing the subject trying to cheer her out of her depression.
“It’s going be tight with both of us in there? I have seen it.”
“I’ll bunk down elsewhere I’m used to it.”
“And I’m not?”
The door slid open and Lieutenant Tutor and the remainder of my squad filed in making me glad not to continue that conversation. I missed Sarah’s face but I knew the reasons why. Shawna, Bacare and Vorra sat opposite taking seats next to Ellie. Tutor and Kriaeusus sat beside me.
“Where’s Vanwasshova?” Tutor asked, “she wasn’t in the showers or in the mess hall?”
“Vanwasshova’s excused duty I’ve got her helping Doc Brown and Ocynca. Miriam needs her help,” I told him.
Shawna opened her mouth to say something then closed it again on seeing my face I guess they all knew but no one wanted to mention it.
“We’ll have to wing it then,” Tutor remarked. “Time to dust off those first aid lessons we all took at basic.” I noticed he was glancing in my direction.
“Noted LT.”
“Vorra!” a voice echoed in my head Lottie was calling me and she sounded in trouble. I looked at Vorra she wasn’t paying attention to anything seeming to concentrate on something under the table her hands working furiously.
“Specialist Vorra!” I snapped guessing the trouble stemmed from what she had had in her hands.
She jumped at the sound of my voice. “Ma’am?”
“Specialist Vorra put your hands on the table and the object you have down there!”
“Vorra what the hell are you doing?” Shawna demanded her hand reaching under the table. There was a struggle and Shawna placed a small black DU box on the table her face grim. “She was told. I’m sorry major we did warn her.”
“That isn’t a 227!” Vorra protested, “no 227 can change security protocols that fast the codes change every two seconds.”
“Consider this a reprimand!” Tutor growled harshly.
Vorra looked dejected. “This will go on my records?”
“That it will!” Tutor told her.
“Please major?” Vorra pleaded with me.
“Your oath as Ezaran that you will never hack or bother Lottie again are we clear.”
“An Ezaran blood oath?” Ellie asked she had been silent all through the exchange, “I’ve heard about them but never seen one.”
Vorra’s eyes widened. “You’re going to make me do this?”
“Either that or a note on your file,” Tutor said his expression grim.
Vorra considered this her eyes darting from face to face trying to find someone on her side. She lowered her head and growled. “Fine I’ll take your oath!”
Bacare fumbled with his leg and produced a thin steel blade from his boot. “Never leave home without one.” He threw it on the table the knife making a clatter in the sudden stillness of the moment. “I learned that on Anoxi.”
“Pick it up Vorra,” Kriaeusus said, “honour your heritage.”
Vorra hesitated before picking up the knife her eyes narrowed as her hand trembled. “I’m sorry major. I let my obsession get in the way of duty.” She closed her eyes and sliced into the palm of her hand. Blood trickled from the wound. She threw the knife down it left a bloody trail as it slid across the table.
“I will not bother the major and her implant again this is my pledge and my oath.” She opened her eyes. “And the note on my file?” She looked pleadingly at Tutor.
“Never existed, that’s right major.”
“What note?” I replied. “Now that’s over we need to talk about the mission. You are excused Vorra get Doc Brown see to your wound and no need to mention how you received it.”
“Yes major,” she saluted and hurried out.
“Now that disruption is over we can get to the matter in hand.” I said picking up my datapad. “Harms did you retrieve all the dataslices from our AR 32’s.” Like all modern weapons the AR 32’s incorporated dataslices that contained information gained from the weapon itself, information that in the case of an inquiry could be used as evidence. There was more there than I expected from our weapons when she handed them to me.
“Here you are major, Lieutenant Tutor suggested we take the Terran Empire’s dataslices as well.”
I hadn’t considered that. “Got anything useful?”
“I was going to go through the data with Vorra but she seemed distracted.” She frowned. “I should have kept an eye on her.” She blushed. “I didn’t, I had my mind on other things.”
“This hasn’t been a routine mission.” I glanced over to Ellie as I said that. “I’ll make sure these are analysed. Ellie?”
“Sandra?”
“Are you ok with this? I don’t want to you think we’ve forgotten about Jeanne.”
“I’ll won’t forget.”
“OK sorry Miss Broaden.”
“Ellie to you Sandra.”
“Ok Ellie then. LT I want your opinion don’t hold back.”
“Should Miss Broaden be here? I’m sorry major this is Marine business we shouldn’t have civilians here?”
“Ellie’s here because I asked her to be,” I lied I didn’t want her to feel out of place especially when we needed her expertise.
She nodded to me sadly.
“Now LT your thoughts please.”
“I think we did the best under the circumstance although you took a big risk contacting the Empire the way you did.”
“Had I not we would still be stuck on the surface of the planet.”
“I’m not disputing that major. You did what was necessary that’s why I left those kids to you. I could have never dealt with them the way you did and they from what I could see would have followed you into hell if you had said the word.”
That made me feel uncomfortable it echoed what Joyce had said. “Bacare?”
“Well major, nothing more can be said. We’ve walked away intact and that’s all I need.”
“Harms.”
“We did what we had to complete the mission. I regret the lives we’ve taken but at the time we didn’t know the truth. I’m with Miss Broaden on this we have to see this through and go after the bastard that started this. We need to finish this for Miss Broaden’s friend and those dead kids. Their deaths demand payment and not from us.”
“Are you all of similar opinion?”
Every head nodded.
“Kriaeusus?”
“Major, I don’t know what else to say. I talked it over with Bacare and we are of the same thought. The Rhosani can wait we need to stop this war because I feel we’ll need every ship we have to stop them.”
“Ellie?”
She looked startled that I was asking her opinion. “You did what you had to Sandra. I regret the loss of any life. I’m an archaeologist I’ve devoted my life to digging up the past to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes in the future. I have failed the Empire and the Confederacy are at war and we need to stop it. As I told Captain Yanik I am your prisoner until we rescue my mother.”
The sound of the door opening had all heads in the room turning. Marsha strode in her eyes seeking out Ellie. I saw her glance at the blood streak on the table but she never commented on it.
“Miss Broaden, with Admiral Jericho’s compliments, Com Ops and the Council have green lighted your mother’s rescue.”
“Thank you Captain Yanik,” Ellie replied her eyes on me.
Marsha nodded and walked to the head of the table her fingers brushing against my shoulders as she walked past me. She nodded to Ellie and sat down her fingers tapping the keys on the terminal on the table in front of her. “I’ve transferred the admiral’s response to your datapad.”
“Thank you Captain Yanik.”
“That’s Marsha to you,” I noticed her smile slightly at Shawna as she said that. I caught the true meaning of her words.
Ellie’s eyes were on her datapad she gave a sigh and looked up. “What do you need from me?”
“What we need from you is your mother’s location?”
“She’s should be on Tate’s World.”
“Tate’s World?” Marsha asked her fingers tapping the keys on her terminal. “Hell that’s half way across the galaxy it will take us months to get there!” she exclaimed.
“I can get us there in twenty-four hours.”
I stared at Ellie even I knew that was impossible. “Are you feeling ok?” I asked anxiously.
“I’m fine Sandra.”
“I know you want to get to your mother.” Marsha told her. “This ship isn’t that fast no known ship is?”
Ellie straightened looking Marsha full in the face her hand stroking the medallion on her chest. “The other reason I chose Anwa Padak to study is that there’s a wormhole between here and the Injin system twelve hours away from the Tate system.”
“Wormhole?” I was confused I’d never heard of the like.
“A tunnel between two points in space many scientists have disputed the logic of such tunnels,” Marsha commented thoughtfully.
“They do exist,” Ellie replied, “I got the information from the archives on Melanos.”
“Really?” Marsha sounded doubtful.
“The information is there but you need the right key,” she stroked her medallion.
Suddenly things clicked into place she had known all the time I scowled at her. “I hate being used!”
She flinched. “How could I have known about the attack? I was hoping to examine the phenomenon on the way home I’d never thought we’d really have to use it.”
“So how come we’ve never encountered these wormholes before?” Tutor asked looking at Marsha and Ellie’s faces.
“You have to be in the right place and have a key to access them. They were built by the ancients or Elder races long before the war with Rhosani.”
“Could the Rhosani use these ‘wormholes’?” I said as I studied Marsha’s drawn out expression as the full import of my words hit her. I began to see the advantage of our fleet using them as well. “What’s to stop us from using these wormhole’s ourselves?”
“I only know of twelve such wormholes and every one of them is one way or so the information I got tells me. As to the Rhosani they might have a whole set of different wormhole maps. I can’t say I wasn’t on Melanos long enough to study the archives further. Besides you need the key.” She saw me staring at her medallion. “And know how to use it.”
“What‘s to say that the whole Terran fleet will be waiting for us at the other end of this wormhole?” Tutor asked.
“The good news is the Terran Empire will be busy elsewhere.” Marsha said. “They’ve withdrawn most of their fleets from Confederacy space.”
“What is the Confederacy doing about it?” I looked at Ellie wondering what she was thinking. “Why?” I added.
“Admiral Prmi says we’re holding the line. The Terran Empire attacked the Commonwealth”
I was horrified. No one in their right mind attacked the Commonwealth it was pure suicide. I felt sick to the stomach, we had our disagreements with the Commonwealth over the disputed territory but then we were dealing with individual clans not the entire Commonwealth. This was madness of the worst kind. The Orsini did not take prisoners they would slaughter any human they encountered. Ellie had gone very pale she swayed on the bench for a moment then shuddered. As much as I fought against the feeling I found myself siding with the Terrans. My loyalties torn between my love of the Confederacy and the fate of every human in the galaxy. The war had to be ended to release whatever Terran fleets there were left to fight the Commonwealth.
“Then the wormhole is our only option?” Shawna breathed her eyes frightened.
“God help us but it is!” Tutor added.
“What do you reckon?” I spoke my voice sounding hoarse with emotion my eyes on Ellie, “can we do it?”
“We have to, we just have to,” Ellie whispered her head down cast.
“But that doesn’t answer the question of how we get back?” Marsha remarked her eyes on Ellie.
“There’s another wormhole in the Tate System it leads to Melanos.”
“Another of these wormholes, how many are there?” I enquired.
“There are twelve I know of. I did tell you earlier.”
“There are more?” Tutor asked her.
“I wasn’t on Melanos long enough to discover the locations of any other. And before you ask the one to Melanos is the only one I’ve discovered that reaches into Confederacy space. I never had enough time to study the archives to find more.”
“So once we find Ellie’s mother we head to Melanos like we’ve got any choice in the matter. We’ll have the entire Terran Empire on our tails.”
“If Miss Broaden’s information is correct,” Tutor said.
Ellie’s head jerked up there was fire in her eyes. “It is!” she stated firmly.
“Major, dismiss your squad. You can continue your briefing at a later date. We need to talk and you as well Miss Broaden. Official business,” Marsha said looking directly at Shawna.
I wondered if Shawna had said anything to Marsha or was it the other way around but there were more important matters to deal with. “LT dismissed.” I saluted and he returned my salute.
I watched them leave wondering what this was all about as I gathered up the dataslices I’d have to review them later. “What’s on your mind captain?”
“I think we can drop the formality here Sandra,” she remarked looking at Ellie.
“I know you gave your quarters to Miss Broaden.”
“I thought it for the best. I was going to bunk down with the squad. Although I can’t bring myself to trust Vorra even with her oath I’ll find somewhere.”
“Well that’s a good thing since I had your gear moved to my quarters.”
“You did that without my say so,” I wanted to shout at Marsha and tell her I didn’t want another incident like the night I got drunk but with Ellie here I couldn’t say what I really wanted to say.
“It’s only temporary,” Marsha replied, “you need to write your reports in peace and I want my XO fit and able. You won’t be able to do that if you’ve got to keep one eye open all night.”
I hated to admit that she was right. “Ok you win.”
“Admiral Jericho was very specific in wanting you to head this rescue mission,” Marsha said changing the subject.
“That’s surprising considering my previous problems?” I had to be frank about my fitness for the upcoming mission.
“I’ve spoken to Ocynca he’s got no worries on that matter.”
“You spoke to Ocynca?” I wasn’t happy that he aired my flashbacks in public.
“He told me only what I needed to know.”
“That is?” my words sounded hostile.
“I can trust you.”
I felt ashamed. “Sorry Marsha.”
“Don’t worry about that. One interesting thing that Admiral Jericho told me?”
“Yes?”
“He told me the real reason you were refused to return to you unit.”
I braced myself for the worst. “Ok give me it.”
“Your father.”
“My father, my father is dead. What’s he got to do with that?”
“He told me your father knew the late emperor personally and that there had been some difficulty with your relations back on Earth. He didn’t go into details.” I saw her give a covert glance to Ellie I wonder what more Com Ops had said.
“And he told you all this over the Comms Relay the same Comms Relay that they said was compromised?”
“Apparently they had it wrong the system hadn’t been breached.”
“Told you so!” Lottie’s voice echoed in my head.
“Shut up Lottie,” I whispered back, “be smug about it later.” I thought over what Marsha had told me. “I have relatives on Earth?” I couldn’t have sounded more shocked. “My parents never said anything about relatives.” I was suspicious I didn’t like stumbling about in the dark.
“Sorry that was all the info I got.”
I knew she was hiding something from me. I would have liked to ask my mother about that but was impossible at the moment.
“Thanks Marsha.”
Marsha stood. “The sooner we get things going the sooner we can get this done. Sandra your reports can wait. Join me on the bridge as soon as you get those dataslices into secure storage.” She remarked them turned to Ellie. “Miss Broaden please come with me.” Marsha sounded abrupt.
A very shaken and pale faced Ellie followed Marsha out in the corridor. I sat for a while trying to make sense out of the madness. War with the Commonwealth wasn’t war but wholesale genocide. With that thought in mind I picked up the dataslices and headed out.
Ellie and Marsha were on the bridge as I got there. Marsha seated in her chair was watching Ellie pacing by the navigation console her eyes on the Fandaran seated there his long thin fingers resting lightly on the console keyboard.
“Ready Miss Broaden,” Marsha announced as I stood next to her taking up my regular position.
Ellie nodded and spoke. “Head to these co-ordinates,” she gave the Fandaran a list of numbers.
I felt a slight jerk as the Havok pulled away from the planet. Looks like the ship was still having problems with the inertial dampeners. I saw Marsha glance to me I took her acknowledgement from that. “Sublight speed Mr Unos,” I said.
“Aye XO,” the Fandaran replied.
Ellie continued her pacing as I strolled over to the sensor console, a blonde haired male T’Arni looked up as I leaned over him my eyes on the screen. “Picking up anything on the sensors?” I asked him.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” he replied, “what are we supposed to be looking at?”
I glanced to Ellie staring out of the windows into the blackness the faint light of stars glinting in the distance. “I can’t say.”
“ETA Mr Unos!” Marsha called out.
“Twenty-seven minutes.”
Time passed I hated every minute not knowing what was going to happen or even if it was going to happen at all. I walked to where Ellie stood she didn’t even notice my presence so fixed on the view even though I could see nothing to indicate we’re on the right trail.
“You sure there’s something there?” I saw that she was gripping her medallion hard her breath heavy and laboured. “Ellie?” there was no response, “Ellie, Elspeth, Miss Broaden?” Still no response I reached out and touched her hand it was like touching a block of ice. “Marsha emergency, get a crash team up here now,” I cried out.
“Medical emergency crash team to the bridge.” Marsha’s voice sounded in the background.
Suddenly Ellie stirred. “We are close?” she said sounding puzzled as if seeing me for the first time, “I should have recalculated for planetary effects. The gravitation field would have shifted the entrance. It has been thirty thousand years since it was last used.”
“What do you mean?” I demanded. “She’s ok,” I said to Marsha.
“Cancel crash team,” Marsha spoke over her comms unit.
“I was basing my maths on thirty thousand year old data.”
“But when I touched your hand you were as cold as ice.”
“Was I Sandra?” Ellie frowned, “I can’t remember you touching me.”
“Miss Broaden?” Marsha had walked across from her chair and was standing behind us. “I’d still like Doc Brown to take a look at you. You body temperature is lower than it should be for a human.” She had a portable medical scanner in her hand.
“I don’t have the time we’re too close now,” Ellie remarked as she held her medallion up. For a moment I thought I saw it glitter.
There was a sudden flash of light blinding me. The ship lurched violently. We were thrown backwards as the alarms sounded. I twisted tumbling into Marsha as she grasped for something to keep her upright. My quick reflexes didn’t save me this time. Something heavy landed on my legs. I tried to move hearing a groan. “Ellie, Marsha?” I blinked my vision slowly clearing.
A hand pulled me to my feet. “Ok Sandra?” Marsha asked.
“Yeah,” I replied, “Ellie?”
“I’ll be ok Sandra,” she said picking herself up from the floor.
“I want a damage report from all sections,” Marsha ordered.
“No damage, all decks are reporting of a number of casualties none serious,” a voice called out in the back sounding male and T’Arni.
I was too busy staring at the windows to notice who had said that. Black tinged purple lightening played across the hull. Instead of the dull greyness of hyperspace there were swirls of orange clouds.
“Shields to max Mr Siusmut,” Marsha said her hand on my shoulder her eyes on Ellie. “I want continuous system monitoring report on anything out of the ordinary. Let’s keep our eyes peeled.” She turned to me. “XO, Miss Broaden with me.”
I followed Marsha out noticing Ellie limping a bit.
“You going to be ok?” I asked her.
“I’ll have to be,” she replied, “I’m sorry I hadn’t expected that.”
I hesitated letting Ellie and Marsha go first.
Both women were waiting for me in the short narrow corridor between the bridge and the elevators. Marsha’s face was red it was the first time I’d seen her with that angry expression.
“How could you endanger my ship like that!”
Ellie paled I stepped in before Marsha could scare Ellie further.
“It isn’t her fault Marsha.”
“I didn’t know how could I know?” Ellie paused, “nothing I found in the archives ever mentioned difficulty entering a wormhole.”
“There are a lot of caves on Melanos and strange fluted columns that reach from floor to ceiling?” I said as I dredged through my memories. One of the professors at the academy had suggested an expedition to Melanos during a summer recess. On Olga’s advice I had vetoed the idea after she showed me the budget for it. “You need a permit to visit.”
“Mother arranged it all. The columns are the archives they are data storage units surely you know this? You need the key to activate them.”
I pointed to her medallion. “Where did you get the key?” I hadn’t known that about Melanos. I began to regret not letting the students go there, then perhaps I could have been better informed.
“Mother gave it to me on my sixteenth when I professed my desire to become an archaeologist. It’s the same as the symbols on walls, Professor Michael had a key as well he showed me how to use them.”
There were a lot more questions I wanted to ask Ellie but Marsha spoke up before I could. “Are we going to encounter any more of the same when we exit?”
“I can’t say, it was a surprise. I assure you I’m on your side.”
Marsha gave her a look then sighed. “Go and get yourself checked out Doc Brown is in the Medbay.”
“Of course captain.”
I watched her go. “Want me to go with her?”
“No stay with me we need to talk?”
“Marsha?”
“We haven’t the time to talk one on one. You told me where I stood with you. I was angry at first.”
“The same anger you directed at Ellie?”
“That wasn’t me, I don’t know where that came from. I thought you were hurt.”
I had to admit. “I was too busy trying to keep on my feet.”
“Well there’s not much we can do until we exit this. I hope that girl is right.”
“All we can do is hope for the best.”
A smile crossed Marsha’s face. “I’m still on duty, head down and get some shut eye that’s an order XO.”
“Yes ma’am," I pressed the button on the elevator not delighted with the prospect of waking up in Marsha’s quarters again. Then it was still better that waking up with Vorra hovering over you trying to remove Lottie from your brain. I turned back to speak to Marsha but she was no longer there. The door to the elevator slid open I had things to do.