Dark Minds (Class 5 Series Book 3) (27 page)

“We'll have to bring it with us. Oris needs to be near it to keep control over it, and it's one more set of weapons for us to use.”

“If we weren't suspicious of the Garmman being secret allies with the Tecran, we could ask for their help, given they're our closest neighbor out there, but we just can't risk it.” The vice-admiral who spoke sounded deeply frustrated. “It looks like they're telling the truth, and are holding to the United Council treaties, but we're not sure enough of that to let them cross our borders.”

Hal gave a nod. “The Garmman councilor we escorted to Larga Ways seems to be firmly in the United Council camp, but we don't have enough eyes out here to make sure the Garmman aren't about to turn on us, as well as concentrate on the Tecran.”

“You're leaving immediately?” Hoke asked, and Dav, Hal, and Cam shared a look and all three nodded.

“Well then, may the light of Guimaymi's Star fall upon you.” Hoke reached forward, face stern, and the screen went black.

“
A
nd there they are
.”

Cam's voice was quiet as they came out of the light-jump to find a Tecran fleet right in front of them.

From the captain's chair, Imogen turned her attention to the massive screen which gave them a view of space and two huge Levron battleships, three smaller ones, and Paxe.

Dread and fear coalesced in a greasy, cold ball in her gut. “Does Paxe look damaged?”

“No. But they wouldn't want to harm their tool.” Sazo's words were bitter.

“Can we reach him? Communicate and find out what happened?” The idea that he might be dead, that the Class 5 they were looking at was an empty shell, was a place she did not want to contemplate going.

“No external comms. It's like that part of his system has been disabled or destroyed.” Oris's response was quiet.

“There must be a way around that.” Rose was using the same channel as Sazo, so it was as if they were all standing together on the bridge. “What about getting something close enough to reach his internal comms?”

“Like the listening drone Paxe attached to the Levron to find out what they were planning to do to him.” Imogen didn't know if it would be possible to communicate with Paxe that way, but at least they'd know what was happening on board.

“It's a good idea, I'll send one off,” Oris said.

Cam was standing below Imogen, looking at the screen, and he leaned forward. “Can you zoom in, Oris?”

The Tecran were suddenly close enough to touch. In front of them was a grouping of much smaller craft, and Imogen slid off the captain's chair and walked closer.

“Those are the traders and mining vessels that Paxe allowed to leave.”

“And the UC fast cruiser with my crew.” Cam pointed it out.

The UC fast cruiser was by far the largest of the vessels huddled together in front of the Tecran fleet, but it was dwarfed by the battleships. It had taken point position, facing the Tecran, with the other ships dotted in a haphazard fashion behind it like bedraggled survivors.

The
Illium
arrived at last from its light-jump, moving into place between Sazo and Oris.

“I'm being hailed.” Hal's voice came through the comms.

“I like how they wait for a Grihan ship before they try to talk. What are you and Sazo, chopped liver?” Imogen was insulted on Oris's behalf.

This whole thing seemed so very medieval to her. Sides lining up against each other, a few refugees and hostages in the middle, horse trading and jockeying for advantage. That it was all happening in space, with vessels beyond a medieval knight's imagining, didn't seem to make that much difference.

The knight would have grasped the strategy just fine.

She realized there was silence and turned from the screen to see Cam looking at her, bemused.

“Chopped liver?” Hal Vakeri asked, tentatively, as if he must have misheard.

“Of no account,” Rose translated for her, voice laced with amusement. “I'm so very glad you're here, Imogen.”

Imogen smiled.

“Let's answer that hail.” Dav forced them back to the reality before them.

Imogen frowned as she watched the screen. “Do you see what I'm seeing?”

Cam shook his head. “What?”

“One of the little trading vessels that were there,” she pointed to the place on the screen, “has gone.”

While she was speaking, another tiny vessel drifted almost nonchalantly to the right, disappearing off the screen.

“They're slipping away, while the Tecran's focus is on us,” Cam said. “I'm assuming my team is coordinating this, because the ones on the outer edge are going first.”

“The less civilians involved in this the better.” Dav, traveling with Rose in Sazo's Class 5, was approving.

“Captain Carro of the Levron battleship
Diatr
is getting impatient.” Hal didn't sound particularly concerned.

“We'd better let them talk.” Cam's eyes were firmly on the part of the screen that held the small array of hostage vessels.

“Captain Carro.” Hal's voice took on a clipped, formal tone.

“Who am I talking to?” The Tecran's voice was calm enough, no sign of the screech they sometimes had when tempers flared. Imogen had heard her fair share of arguments when she'd been on Balco.

“This is Captain Vakeri of the
Illium
. You are in breach of our treaty, being in Grihan territory without permission or cause. Leave immediately.”

There was a moment of silence. “There are two Class 5s with you, Captain.”

“Yes.”

“They are our cause. You have taken them, and we want them back.”

“But we haven't taken them,” Hal said. “We don't claim any ownership over them at all.”

Carro did not answer straight away. “Then why are they here?”

“Sazo has chosen to integrate himself into Grihan society. Oris is here for revenge against you for injuries done to him.”

Another silence.

Imogen didn't blame him. The idea of Oris bent on revenge was frightening.

“And the Fitalian battleship?” Carro's voice rose a little.

“That's nothing to do with the Grih.” Hal was clearly enjoying himself. “Oris came across it, again, in our airspace, and was able to take control of its systems. I suppose you can consider it an extension of him.”

Without warning, a shot was fired from one of the Levron, arcing over the UC fast cruiser and cutting off the surreptitious sneaking of another small trader.

“You do realize that is a United Council vessel, Captain Carro?” Hal's voice was mild, and Imogen admired him for it. “Even firing a warning shot carries consequences.”

Cam was riveted to the screen. He would know everyone onboard that ship. His hands curled and uncurled at his side, his arms flexing as if he would like to throw himself into a fight.

He looked magnificent and her heart gave a painful skip.

“How's the listening drone coming along?” she asked Oris quietly, even though she knew Carro couldn't hear her.

“Still half an hour until it locks on to Paxe's hull. If the Tecran don't see it and destroy it before then.”

“How likely is that?” Cam half-turned away from the screen, as if he couldn't look any more.

“It depends on whether they——”

“We have an incoming message from Eazi and Fiona.” Sazo's voice spoke over Oris's.

“I've cut Captain Carro off, so you can talk freely,” Oris told Hal.

“Fiona?” Hal couldn't hide his fear.

He'd fought for her to stay behind, and Imogen knew it was because he thought she'd be safer there. He'd only won because Eazi had come down on his side. They'd both convinced Fiona she would be able to help more on Larga Ways, keeping watch on what was happening on Balco, which seemed to have become the center of this strange battle.

“I'm afraid we have a problem.” Fiona appeared on the screen. She angled her body, and pointed upward.

Two massive Fitalian battleships dominated the lens feed above the gel dome.

“They aren't friendly,” Eazi said. “I can confirm that they both have weapons locked onto the way station.”

* * *

“
O
ris
, put me through to Captain Leto. Visual comms.”

Cam could see the battleships above Larga Ways were the same type as the one Leto commanded.

That they would send three of their best ships after a single grahudi did not make sense. So there was something else going on. They were acting for the Tecran——it was the only logical conclusion——but Cam knew Leto. Knew she'd been outraged at the revelations of the Tecran's Class 5 project, of their abduction of advanced sentient life, and at their incursion into Grihan territory two months ago.

She had not been acting. He was sure of it.

Which meant she would not be comfortable with what the Fitali were doing now. That she had been ordered to shoot him had to have gone against everything she professed.

“Suri.” He bowed when Oris connected them, using Leto's first name, just to remind her of the meals they'd shared together at UC headquarters.

“Captain Kalor.” Her voice was cool and professional, keeping the distance between them.

“What is going on?” Cam tried to relax his stance, asking as if he were enquiring about the health of a mutual friend.

Leto went stiff. “Why are you asking?”

“I'm asking because there are two Fitali battleships ranged over Larga Ways, weapons hot. And before they submit their demands, and are unable to take anything back, I thought I'd try and help them.”

Leto jerked as if she'd been shot. “One moment.” She leaned forward and turned off the screen, but he could hear a low murmur in the background.

“Can you make out what they're saying?” he asked Oris quietly. He was very aware of Imogen standing just to one side, out of lens view, her eyes on him.

He looked over at her, and she held his gaze, solemn and quiet. He had wanted her to stay on Larga Ways with Fiona. Had argued with her about it, and only given in when both she and Oris had reminded him that if Paxe was with the Tecran fleet, she would be the only one he would trust.

Now he wanted to hold her close and kiss her in relief that she had refused to listen to him.

Not that she was much better off facing the Tecran, but she had more chance in Oris than under Larga Ways' gel dome. And he was here, and he wasn't letting her out of his sight.

“Captain Leto thinks she's switched off audio and visual comms, forgetting I control her bridge. I've allowed her to send a communication to her leaders in the Horde. She must know I can hear what's being said, but she's obviously decided to take that chance to find out what's going on. And it suits us to know what they have to say.” Oris must have reactivated the visual comms, because they saw Leto turned slightly to the left, looking up as if addressing someone on a screen above head height.

“What are they saying?”

Leto did not look happy. Cam had never seen her so upset. But she needed to argue less, to hurry. Those battleships above Larga Ways were going to make a move soon.

“Apparently, the Tecran have got proof of something the Fitali are doing on Huy. They're using it to extort support.”

“Something the Tecran discovered when they were there stealing the grahudi?” Imogen frowned.

“Even more than that. From what I'm hearing, they stole some information when they took the grahudi. The notes and observations of a team of scientists on Huy. When the Fitali realized what had been taken, they went looking for the grahudi in the hope that the information would be in the same place. But the scouts were captured, and the grahudi seems to have disappeared. Now the Tecran are demanding they give them assistance or the Fitali will be exposed.”

“What were they doing on Huy?” Cam tried to think of what the rigid, ordered Fitali could be guilty of.

“Whatever it is, they think it will shock their own people, and it may get them suspended from the United Council. They're facing massive loss of face and shame.” Oris paused. “The Tecran have demanded they hold Larga Ways to ransom in return for myself and Sazo being handed over.”

“But . . .” Imogen looked at him with big eyes, “the Grih can't hand Oris and Sazo over. Even if they wanted to, they don't have any power to do it.”

“And we will not go.” Oris was implacable.

Cam realized his hands were in tight fists. They would have to find another way out of this. Hal would be listening to this, Dav, too, and they would all know the stakes.

Either they found a way to bring the Fitali over, or they were looking at the start of a war.

Leto said something sharp and angry, and then turned back to the screen, reached out as if to turn it on, and then seemed to realize it already was.

She blinked. “You heard that?” She didn't waste time being angry about it.

“We did. What do they have on you, Suri?” Over the last day, Cam had felt angry at Leto, disappointed, and confused, but now he realized sympathy was uppermost.

She looked devastated. Whatever front she'd put up before when they'd run into each other behind Gu-gijeron had vanished. Now she simply seemed beaten down.

“It was a group of four scientists at the Huy outpost. They began as a team sent to evaluate the likely success of making Huy habitable for the Fitali. Our numbers are growing, and we can terra-form plenty of the planets in our territory, but Huy already had a wide array of life, which always means the terra-form is quicker and more efficient.”

“What happened?” Cam asked.

“They decided to run a test. It wasn't approved, and I'm not sure why they did it. They thought they would be vindicated by their results, perhaps? It's inexplicable, but there's no denying they began experimenting. And the organisms on Huy reacted.”

“The grahudi,” Imogen breathed the word, and although Leto couldn't see her on the lens feed, she turned in the direction of Imogen's voice.

“The grahudi,” she confirmed, grim. “They have a fast life cycle, and they changed rapidly, seemed to advance in ways that took the scientists by surprise.” She shook her head. “They'd always been predators, but they became super-predators. And the scientists found that out first hand.” She looked down at her feet. Then looked up again, and Cam could see the anger in her eyes. “Every single one of them was killed.”