The Ascendant Stars (10 page)

The Tygran commander hurried into view, arms full of grey garments. He tossed one to each of the bridge officers, then swiftly tugged one on himself, a long cloak with a hood, which he pulled up.

‘Just the thing for indoors,’ Greg said drily.

‘It’s storm-weather gear,’ Ash said. ‘All that matters is that our buzzcut scalps are not on show.’

‘They’re repeating their demand, sir,’ said the tactical officer. ‘They don’t sound very patient any more.’

Ash nodded. ‘Mr Cameron, you know what to do.’

‘Aye, you type it, I say it.’

‘Correct. Right, open a direct channel.’

The vidframe reappeared on the viewport and the white-garbed humanoid was there, eyes widening slightly, its facial spot-clusters pulsing red to orange. According to Ash, he was of a species called the Vikanta.

‘Presignifier Remosca,’ Greg began, reading from the monitor
before him, ‘I am Captain Cameron, commander of the
Falcon
, flagship of the Darien Navy. I have not been made aware of any exclusion zone. I would appreciate it if you would clarify this and explain your presence in our system.’

Remosca’s face was expressionless but the facial spots rippled with contrasting colours, blue, amber, green, silver.

‘Captain Cameron, our resources say that your planet possesses no vessels this advanced. And as we have declared, your craft is of a make deployed by Hegemony mercenaries … ’

‘We purchased this ship in good faith from a passing trader less than two months ago,’ Greg recited, wishing that Ash had more of a flair for wordcraft. ‘We were offered a price that we were happy to accept. Now, would you please explain your presence?’

‘Captain, your claims do not correspond with our resource information.’ Resolute dark blue showed in the humanoid’s spot-clusters. ‘As stated, we are here to enforce an interdict lawfully placed by the Imisil Mergence. You have violated the exclusion zone, therefore you will be boarded.’

On the monitor Ash was typing:
If you attempt to board this vessel you will have to fight for every corridor and your losses will be
heavy …

Greg stared, appalled.
Right, so in other words get your big boots on and come in swinging – do these Tygrans know the meaning of the word diplomacy?

He leaned back in the chair with a relaxed smile.

‘I’m sorry, Presignifier, but I can’t let you do that.’

He could feel Ash’s sharp stare even as Remosca tilted his head slightly to one side.

‘Captain, do you realise how outgunned you are? My vessel possesses multiple batteries, both missile and beam. All you have is … ’

‘Is what, Presignifier? Please, spare me no details. This is of great interest to me.’

‘ … two mid-range beam projectors and a single launcher battery.’

Greg could sense Ash’s anger from the misspelt orders appearing on the couch monitor but he just couldn’t resist carrying on the bluff.

‘I see, fascinating. And no anomalous energy readings? You’re not picking up any odd particles? Anything like that?’

Blank-faced, the Imisil commander glanced to either side of the frame, as if consulting readouts of some kind.

‘We are detecting nothing out of the ordinary. Are you implying … ’

‘No need for implications, Presignifier,’ Greg said. ‘But it’s only fair tae warn ye that this ship has been fitted with hullbreaker technology. Naturally, such equipment has to be masked from detection.’ He turned to Ash. ‘Lieutenant Ash … Ashwell, status report on the void shields.’

Ash’s gaze was an intense mixture of aggravation and puzzlement and for a moment Greg thought that he was going to say something to knock over this demented house of cards. Then, frowning stonily, he looked round at his monitor.

‘Maintaining void shield integrity within operational parameters. Sir.’

Greg smiled. Remosca shifted in his seat.

‘But … we cannot detect this weapon … ’

‘Yes, Presignifier, precisely! Which is how it should be.’

‘But a weapon cannot deter an enemy if it is invisible.’

Greg shook his head. ‘The hullbreaker is not meant to be a deterrent, Presignifier, more like a weapon to be unleashed against the most vicious and unreasonable of adversaries. Now, you seem to be a reasonable person so why don’t we negotiate sensibly about this?’

The Imisil humanoid made no reply, just turned to look at something or someone out of shot. He gave a sharp nod then looked back.

‘Very well, Captain. I have decided to extend to you dialogue courtesies. Please state your initial query.’

‘That’s kind of ye, Presignifier. Naturally, I am concerned about this interdict upon my world and why the Imisil Mergence feels
compelled to impose it. However, uppermost in my mind is this – how big is your fleet and when’s it due?’

Ash was giving him a wide-eyed, have-you-gone-totally-off-your-head? look while the Imisil officer’s thin-lipped mouth dropped open for a moment.

‘You will reveal how you came by this information – immediately.’ The humanoid’s voice was calm but his facial spot-clusters were pulsing with dark greens and reds.

‘Why, from you, Presignifier. From your actions.’ He glanced at Ash, who was frowning but gave a cautious nod. ‘Y’see, that vessel of yours is pretty impressive but a bit overpowered for a long-range spying mission, what with the Imisil Mergence being so far away. Not only that, it seems to me that a spying mission should be stealthy and concealed, which is not really how you’ve been going about it. You don’t look like you’re about to hide or head for the next star, which makes me think that maybe you’re the forward scouts for an Imisil fleet. Cannae be far behind ye, a few hours, I’d say.’ He smiled. ‘How am I doing?’

‘Your conjecture lacks rigour,’ said Presignifier Remosca. ‘Your suppositions are flawed. You are correct to say that other ships are coming but wrong to imagine them our allies … ’

‘Contact!’ said the tactical officer. ‘Single vessel, 96,500 kiloms on the other side of the planet, low exit velocity on a para-orbit course. They’ve not seen us … ’

‘It appears that you now have the opportunity to test your hullbreaker technology, Captain,’ Remosca said. ‘I think that you’ll find the newcomers sufficiently vicious and unreasonable.’

The Imisil commander’s image vanished from the viewport while other frames showed the Imisil vessel moving off in a tight curve, its course then angling towards the far side of the forest moon Nivyesta.

‘ID on the new arrival!’ said Ash.

‘Tygran,’ said the tac officer. ‘It’s the
Ironfist
.’

Greg felt the atmosphere on the bridge change. When he looked at Ash, the man’s expression was grim.

‘Okay, you seem to recognise the ship,’ he said. ‘What is it?’

‘Hunter-killer,’ said Ash. ‘That’s what it’s here to do.’ He gestured. ‘I’ll need my chair.’

‘Wait – let me speak to the Imisil captain again.’

Ash shook his head. ‘It was a good try, Mr Cameron. Now we have to get ready for combat.’

‘
Ironfist
is altering course,’ said the tac officer. ‘They’re tracking us and ramping up velocity.’

Greg stared at the Tygran commander. ‘You’re not going to fire up the engines and get us out of here?’

‘The
Ironfist
is faster than any other Tygran vessel, or even that Imisil ship,’ Ash said. ‘Escape would be … difficult.’

‘Then let’s open a channel to them,’ Greg said. ‘I’ll give him every bit of offended pride and arrogant conceit I can muster. Might make him stop and think.’

‘The
Ironfist
is an Iron Ravens ship,’ Ash said. ‘Its commander is Ethan Wade, a cold and ruthless man.’

‘I don’t care if he’s Sawney Bean, Dracula and Old Father Odin rolled into one, he’s about to find out that he’s trespassing on … ’

‘
Ironfist
is signalling us, sir,’ said the tac officer.

Ash gazed at Greg for a moment. Then the ghost of a smile cracked his stony visage. ‘Very well, let’s see how far this charade can take us.’

‘And one more thing – leave the channel unsecured,’ Greg said as he and Ash swapped seats.

‘No encryption?’

‘None. The Imisil are still out there and I want them to hear every word.’

Ash shrugged and nodded at his tac officer. A second later the head-and-shoulders image of a Tygran officer appeared on the viewport overlay as well as the command chair holopanel. The man had broad shoulders, a heavy jaw and dark, piercing eyes. Those eyes narrowed and he leaned forward but before he could speak Greg cut in.

‘Unidentified vessel, this is First Commodore Cameron of the Darien Navy. You have crossed into our security shell without
authorisation. Stand down your weapon systems and defences and prepare to be boarded.’

Fury flared in the Tygran’s eyes.

‘I am Ethan Wade, commander of the
Ironfist
, banner-ship of the Iron Ravens, and I will not be spoken to in that manner by a dog of a pirate!’

Greg frowned. ‘Did ye not hear me, Commander? You have violated the sovereign space of our world, therefore we are entirely within our rights to question your motives and even inspect yer ship … ’

‘You are sitting on the bridge of a Tygran vessel!’ Wade snarled. ‘I don’t know how you got your hands on it, or where the traitors who seized it are, but you will cease your prattling and surrender to me immediately.’

‘Is this how you conduct yourselves every time you meet strangers, Commander Wade?’ Greg said. ‘With insults and arrogance? I mean, isn’t that a wee bit risky when you don’t know what these strangers are capable of?’

Wade gave a contemptuous smile.

‘I’ve been aboard that ship,
Commodore
, and I am thoroughly acquainted with its capabilities.’

‘Aye, but are ye sure, Commander? I’m guessing that you’ve got some long-range sensors on that scary warwagon of yours so why don’t you scan this vessel and its vicinity … okay? Found any clues?’

Out of the corner of his eye, Greg saw Ash shake his head as a line of text appeared on the couch holopanel –
That shielded weapon bluff won’t work on Wade
.

Quickly Greg keyed back –
New intruders, new bluff
– then resumed talking to the Tygran, who had been conferring with one of his officers.

‘I’ll clear up the mystery for you, Commander Wade,’ he said. ‘What you’re detecting are ionised particles from a ship drive. Not ours, although it is a vessel under my command.’

‘There are no other ships in this system, apart from mine and yours,’ said Wade. ‘And in less than six minutes, when you come
within range of my main batteries, there shall be only mine.’

‘Okay, Commander, since we’re getting along so well, I feel I should warn you that you are being tracked by another two ships of the Darien Navy, concealed by cloaking technology … ’

‘Spare me your pathetic, desperate lies. Surrender or face destruction!’

‘ … specifically two Karlsson-class jump-destroyers with much greater firepower than this ship carries.’ Driven by the adrenalin of the crazed corner that he’d got himself into, Greg put on a wide, unbalanced grin. ‘I mean, ye didn’t think I was gonnae sit here on the firing line without some serious reinforcements, did ye?’

For the first time, hesitation showed in the Tygran’s expression. Greg pushed on.

‘There’s no need for this to get messy,’ he said. ‘If you stand down your weapons, I’ll send my jump-destroyers out of range.’

‘I acknowledge your warnings, Commander,’ Wade said with a kind of stiff contempt. ‘I have my orders.’

And the image vanished from all screens.

‘
Ironfist
’s increasing velocity,’ said the helm officer.

‘They’ve targeted our drive,’ said the tac officer.

‘Full power to the thrusters,’ Ash said. ‘Take us out of here on a spiral swerve.’

Despite the inertial dampening, Greg felt the swinging impetus as the ship surged forward and spun savagely to port. Beyond the viewport the stars swirled and streamed past, and Greg grimly held on to his couch.

‘The
Ironfist
is just coming into their maximum range,’ said the tac officer. ‘Opening fire with pulse cannon rounds, broad zigzag sweep, nine passes … navigationals compensating … ’

There was a sharp thud from elsewhere in the ship and Greg felt a passing tremor underfoot.

‘Damage report,’ said Ash.

‘Midsection, upper starboard,’ said the tac officer. ‘Outer hull plate damage, no inner hull breach.’

‘Sorry about that, Commander,’ Greg said. ‘But the Imisil are
out there, watching – I thought it might tempt ’em to weigh in on our side.’

‘I can’t see that happening,’ Ash said. ‘Target their weapon points with our missile launcher,’ he told the tac officer. ‘Four eluders with shimmer payloads – fire when ready.’

A moment later the tac officer said, ‘Missiles away … and they’ve launched a volley of their own, silverclaws, two waves.’

‘Going for our shields,’ Ash said. ‘Target the eluders with our beam projectors and fire.’