Shadow Space Chronicles 1: The Fallen Race (31 page)

“
The girl is Sera, your grandmother.” Kandergain said, taking a seat on his couch.  “The woman is her mother, Kaylee.”

Lucius sat down slowly, staring at the picture.  “I… I don’t have many pictures of my grandmother.”  He looked up, “Thank you.”

Kandergain shrugged, uncomfortably, “I thought you’d like it.  Sera had turned eleven in that picture, they still lived in Australia then.”

Lucius blinked, “My grandmother lived in Australia?”  He frowned slightly, “That’s on Earth, right?”

Kandergain laughed, “Yes, it’s in the southern hemisphere.”  She smiled, “You didn’t know?”

“
She didn’t talk much about… the past.  From what she said, unpleasant things happened on Earth.”  Lucius shrugged.  “She raised me, but she never spoke much about her past.”

“
It… wasn’t a good time to be a psychic, and not a good place for it either.” Kandergain said, her voice sad.  “Kaylee decided to stay on Earth, to hide, rather than go with the Agatha Fleet.”  She shrugged, “Those of us who stayed had years of hiding and prejudice to deal with.  Before they broke out, ESPSec locked people like Kaylee up in camps.  Afterward… Amalgamated Worlds issued shoot-on-sight orders for any psychic.”

Lucius shivered, “That’s barbaric.”

“Terribly,” Kandergain said grimly.  “Kaylee… she knew how to hide, how to blend with a crowd.  She and Sera stayed out of the camps, living in Australia.  But someone bungled, someone who knew her got caught, and spilled the info to save himself.”

Kandergain’s eyes went distant, “An ESPSec agent put a bullet in Kaylee’s head when she answered the door.  They dragged Sera out, put her in a cell.  When I heard, I got her out, then I tracked down the agent.”

“Did you kill him?” Lucius asked, eyes alight.

“
No.” Kandergain shook her head.  “He… well, he deserved it.  He wanted it, too, I think.  But I didn’t kill him, as much as I wanted to.  Sometimes, I wish I had killed him.”

“
Why didn’t you?” Lucius asked.

Kandergain sighed, “We drifted off subject a bit, I suppose.  I just wanted to give you something good, and I think I’ve ruined it.”

Lucius shook his head, “No.  You’ve given me knowledge of my grandmother.  Thank you for that.”

Kandergain nodded, “You’re welcome, Lucius.”  She stood to leave.

“Wait,” Lucius said, as she stood in the doorway.  “What was the name of the agent?”

Kandergain looked away, “The ESPSec agent’s name was Tommy King.  He became a pirate after Amalgamated Worlds fell.”

***

Chapter
X

February 20, 2403 Earth Standard Time

Faraday System

(status unknown)

The slight differences between the bridge of the
War Shrike
and the
Peregrine
stood out in stark contrast when seated in the captain’s chair.

“
This seat’s too damned comfortable,” Lucius muttered.

“
What’s that?” Kandergain asked.  Since returning from her Balor-hunt, she seemed distracted.

“
Nothing,” Lucius said.  It strained his manpower to crew the
Peregrine
, but he hated to have a ship and not put it to use.  Rather than burden another with the command of a mostly-green crew, he had taken the ship himself.  “What have we got so far?” He asked.

“
Uh, we lost two probes so far, sir, uh, Baron.” Ensign Brunneti said.

Lucius quirked an eyebrow, and the newly-made Ensign flushed. “Look, sir, that grid is actually in-atmosphere for the gas giant.  The pressures at those levels are significantly higher than our probes can take.  The only way we can get anything from there is to go in ourselves.”

Lucius stared at the screens.  The blue-green gas giant lay at the edge of the Faraday system.  Alone of the other twenty-four planets, this one had no moons.  The smallest of the gas giants, it still massed twenty or thirty times the planet Faraday.  Lucius turned his gaze to Kandergain, who said nothing.  “You know what’s in there, don’t you?”

“
Yes, but I’m not going to hold your hand, Lucius.”

“
Thanks,” Lucius grimaced.  “Ok, people, we’re going in, but we do this by the book.”  He took a deep breath.  “Captain Naevius, I want a fighter screen, but if we start hitting pressures your ships can’t take, pull out.  Strike-Leader Burbeg, I’d like you on my flank.” Lucius paused, deciding on some polite phrasing, “Emperor Romulus, if you would remain in overwatch, prepared to fire on any hostiles we detect—”

“
I’ll stay out of your way, Baron.” The young Emperor said.

Lucius smiled slightly.  He thought that some of his sister must have rubbed off on the boy.  “Alright, let’s see what’s down there.”

The
Peregrine
descended towards the gas giant.  As the ship entered the atmosphere, arcs of lightning surged from the clouds around them.  The ship shuddered slightly and Lucius noted several warning lights.  “Damage control reports electrical discharges throughout the ship.  Mostly in engineering spaces.  No injuries.”

Lucius nodded.  He’d hoped the defense screen would provide some shielding, but apparently not.  “All crew, strap into combat positions.”  The chairs should protect the crew from further strikes.

They descended.  “External pressure approaching three hundred atmospheres.”

Lucius only nodded.  Warships seldom descended into atmosphere.  Even so, most ships had some limited atmospheric capabilities.  Armor and bulkheads designed to fend off enemy weapons and vacuum worked just fine against crushing pressure in a supergiant.

The ship groaned.

“
Nearing the specified grid, Baron.”

Lucius nodded, “Anything on scanners?”

“Our mass detector and EM detectors are overwhelmed,” Brunnetti snapped, “There’s too much interference from the clouds.  I’d have to go active.”

“
Do it.”

The active phased radar came up.  A second later, a dozen ships came up on the sensors.  Lucius let out a breath as he registered the size of three of the contacts.  “It’s here, it’s the Dreyfus fleet.”

“Sir, we’re getting hit by active sensors!” Brunnetti snapped.  “They’ve got firing solutions!”

“
Open a channel!” Lucius snapped.  Any kind of fight with those ships would be… disastrous.  Especially at this close range.  Most of the ships still lay well within minimal safe distance for a warhead in atmosphere.  “Attention vessels, this is Baron Lucius Giovanni, I come in peace!”

The pause seemed to last an eternity.

A voice spoke, distorted by interference.  They did not send any video, “Your ship has Ghornath technology and you’ve a Ghornath vessel with you, but a human speaks for you.  What nation do you serve?”

Lucius sighed, it was a question he didn’t really know how to answer.  Best to stick with the truth, “I once served the Nova Roma Empire.  Now I defend the Faraday colony.  I no longer serve any nation.”

“You are a warlord.”

“
I saved the colony here from the Chxor.  I plan to liberate Nova Roma from them as well, and turn it over to the rightful ruler.” Lucius answered.

“
Then you are a warlord with principles.”  Lucius caught the sarcasm despite the distortion of the voice.  “How did you come here?”

“
I met a smuggler named Mason McGann.” Lucius said.  “And then a woman, a psychic named Kandergain.”

The other voice didn’t answer.

Lucius let the silence linger for a long time, “Hello?”

“
Return to orbit, Baron Lucius Giovanni,” a different voice spoke.  “We will meet you there.”

Lucius looked over at Kandergain.  She met his gaze with an emotionless mask.

“Take us back into high orbit.”

***

“
I knew, intellectually, how big those ships were, but…” Lucius shook his head.

“
Very impressive how much effort we put into the destruction of the things we fear,” Kandergain said, her face impassive.

Lucius stared at the screen.  He felt… lost.  The recovery of the Dreyfus Fleet contained too many variables, too many unknowns for him to plan. 
I wasn’t sure what I expected, but this certainly wasn’t it,
he thought.  Half formed mental pictures of drifting hulks or plague-filled tombs, mental daydreams of mothballed vessels… All that evaporated as he stared at the screens.

The six super-capital ships of the Dreyfus Fleet formed a battle front.  Dozens of cruisers and destroyers, and hundreds of fighters, hung in space, formed up in a battle formation.  Thirty or more transport vessels hung behind the formation, some massive, some small.  Every ship, fully active, apparently fully crewed.

“We’re getting a message for you, Baron,” Brunnetti said.

“
Put it through.”

“
To the commander of the vessels who came here, welcome.  We’ve waited a long time.  We’ve trained and prepared over the past eighty years, and we’re ready to take up the fight.  Please come aboard the
Patriot
, we have much to discuss.”  The eager voice cut off, and Lucius found himself speechless.  He took a deep breath.

“
Have a shuttle prepped.  Inform Colonel Proscia I’ll need a Marine escort.”  He thought for a moment and then opened another link, “Emperor Romulus, would you—”

“
I’ll be there, Baron.”

“
Thank you, Your Highness,” Lucius said dryly.

***

Lucius stepped out of the shuttle into a massive chamber.  Hundreds of Marines, dressed in the archaic uniforms of Amalgamated Worlds, came to attention.

The sight of who stood at the end of the shuttle ramp to greet him caused Lucius to miss a step.  Kandergain shot out a steadying hand.  Lucius flashed her a grin of thanks, and immediately turned his attention back to the Admiral awaiting him.  He looked, startlingly, similar to the pictures in the history books.  In fact, he looked younger than the last pictures, taken as he led his fleet out. 
Finally someone who can take charge of this mess.

He came to the end of the ramp and saluted, “Admiral Dreyfus, I have to admit I’m rather surprised to meet you face-to-face.”

“You would be Baron Lucius Giovanni then?” He asked, giving a warm smile, then holding out a hand for a shake.  Lucius noted the man had a firm, but not overpowering grip.   “Thank God there’s finally someone here who can take charge of this mess.”

Lucius felt his jaw drop at the echo of his own thoughts, and at the idea that
he
was expected to know what to do.  “I… think we need to talk, Admiral.”

“
Yes, Admiral, we need to discuss the use your fleet is put to, and address many crises that have to be dealt with.”  The young Emperor spoke, stepping past Lucius to take the venerable Admiral’s hand.  “I’m Emperor Romulus IV, of the Nova Roma Empire.”

Admiral Dreyfus’ eyes narrowed slightly, “Yes, I’m certain we have much to discuss.”  He released the Emperor’s hand and nodded in recognition, “Kandergain, I see you’ve got your finger in things again.  I take it that you believe our time has come to surface as well.”

Both the Emperor and Lucius turned inquisitive expressions her way.

Kandergain merely smiled mysteriously, “Well, I suppose, seeing as I’m here, and they’re here, you could take things that way.”

“Ah, how I did miss these stimulating one-sided conversations.” Admiral Dreyfus smiled, “But, gentlemen and lady, please step this way.”

***

Lucius had a suspicion that he could have landed his shuttle on the briefing room table.

He felt a slight surprise as they stepped around it and then into what had to be Admiral Dreyfus’s private quarters.  Lucius felt an almost church-like reverence for the room.  As he looked around, it seemed much like any decent officer’s office.  A handful of plaques from former commands, a few pictures of family, a desk, couch, and several comfortable chairs.

Admiral Dreyfus seated himself behind the desk and sighed, “I gather from your near-tumble, and the surprise evident even now, that Kandergain didn’t tell you much.”

Lucius snorted, taking a seat, “She didn’t tell me anything, save to keep an open mind.”

“
Yes, that
is
like her.” Dreyfus said, casting a scowl towards the woman.  “In any case, if you haven’t guessed, my fleet is fully manned, fully armed, and fully operational.  We’ve used a combination of longevity drugs and hibernation sleep to wait these past eighty years, hiding in the clouds of Sanctuary.”

“
But… why?” the young Emperor asked.  “Why did you hide here?  Wasn’t your mission to track down the Agathan Fleet?”

Admiral Dreyfus sighed, “Yes... to the knowledge of most of Amalgamated Worlds, our mission involved the destruction of the Agathan Fleet.  My orders, the orders of every man and woman in my force, were to find and kill every man, woman, and child who left in that fleet, and to recover the ships or destroy them.”  He lifted a sheet of paper, and passed it over to Lucius.  “I received this from a friend.  A short time later, Kandergain contacted me, with a similar story.  You can see where this leads.”

Lucius glanced over the document.  The memo outlined the collapse of Amalgamated Worlds with startling accuracy.  The date at the top posted only a month after the departure of the Agathan Fleet.  “So… you believed that Amalgamated Worlds lay on the brink of collapse, and you… ran away?” he asked, confused.

“
No.” Admiral Dreyfus shook his head.  “I chose to help lay the groundwork for the survival of the human race.”  He sighed, “there are a dozen dead civilizations we’ve found so far.  I didn’t want humanity to be the next.  I hand picked every sailor and marine in my fleet.  When Amalgamated Worlds gathered their families as hostages, I arranged for them to be put on ships.  We gathered everything we needed to start, or restart, a civilization.”  Dreyfus pulled up a hologram on his desk, displaying numbers and data, “We recruited civilian scientists, doctors, teachers, and engineers.  Behind the show of a force set on vengeance, we created a force designed to defend humanity.”

“
And then you hid?” Lucius asked incredulously.

“
Yes, we hid.  I had no all-seeing glimpse of the future.  All I had was the word of a rogue psychic, and a pencil-pusher’s analysis.  For all I knew, Amalgamated Worlds would survive a thousand years.”

“
But it collapsed seven years later, instead,” Emperor Romulus said.

“
Yes, it did.  And we waited.”  The old Admiral let out a long sigh, “A handful of people knew our location, and they knew that when right time came, we could be called on to come forth, to begin rebuilding.”

“
You didn’t have any contact with the outside?” Lucius asked.

“
Little.  Every now and then someone came.  Kandergain dropped in every decade or so.”  Admiral Dreyfus shrugged, “Mostly we trained, stockpiled weapons and ammunition.  The eggheads talked about government and laws.  The scientists played with their toys.”

“
So now, what?” Lucius asked.

“
Now, we turn things over to you.” Dreyfus answered.  “You’re the man who found us.  You’re the man in charge now.”

“
You don’t even know me,” Lucius said.

“
Trust me,” Dreyfus said, “If Kandergain says you’re the one… then you’re it.”