The Phoenix Reckoning (The Phoenix Conspiracy Series Book 6) (39 page)

“Ah, there you are, sir,” said Vargas, turning his head just enough to acknowledge Calvin and then he looked back out the window. “I thought you’d wish to see it for yourself.”

Calvin went to the command position and sat down. He thought from there perhaps he could see what they were talking about, but all that was visible to him was blackness—just the way alteredspace travel was supposed to look.

Bored, and a little annoyed, Calvin crossed his legs and leaned back in the chair. He had to stifle a yawn before he could speak. “What is going on here, Mr. Vargas?” he asked. “Is this some sort of joke?”

“You mean, you don’t see it?” asked Mr. Vargas.

“See what?”

Mr. Vargas pointed toward the window.

“You mean the blackness of alteredspace?” asked Calvin. “I hate to be the one to break the news to you but…I’ve seen it before. Loads of times, actually.”

Mr. Vargas nodded. “Ah. But we’re not in alteredspace. We’re actually at a full stop.”

Calvin blinked away his fatigue and he realized immediately what was so odd about the view out the window. “Are you sure we’re not in alteredspace?”

“I confirm,” said Jay from the helm, “we answered full stop about ten minutes ago. This ship is not moving.”

“And, we did that deliberately, yes?” asked Calvin, wanting to make sure that some strange, mysterious force belonging to the Vast Empty had not yanked them out of alteredspace somehow—there were rumors of very strange things indeed the nearer one got to Forbidden Space.

“Yes, sir, I ordered the stop myself,” said Mr. Vargas. “You see a course correction became necessary and, well, I decided to indulge myself and take a look for myself. It’s rather magnificent in an eerie way, isn’t it?”

“What is it?” asked Calvin. “I mean, where are all the stars? The lights? We should see
something
other than total blackness.”

“That’s because we are staring at the largest cluster of black holes in the known galaxy.”

“Black holes, as in plural?” asked Calvin.

“Thousands of them, from microscopic to massive, some of them are even in orbit around others,” said Vargas. “Hence the need for the course correction.”

“Understood,” said Calvin. Then, a bit nervously, “Jay, you sure you’ve got the
Nighthawk
well in hand for this?”

“Don’t worry, sir, the computer does most of the work for a maneuver like this—but of course you know that, sir, being a pilot and all.”

Calvin nodded, knowing that was true. But he still felt unnerved having his third-string pilot at the controls of the ship as it moved through such a hazardous region of space. “How long until we’ve cleared the black hole field and can return to alteredspace?”

“Once we resume course, just under an hour, sir,” said Jay.

“Very good,” said Calvin. “Resume course immediately.” He looked back at the darkness out the window, trying to imagine the powerful gravity wells and destructive forces that lurked in the blackness, totally invisible to his naked eye. Like black sharks in dark water, dangers that the primitive senses would never detect until it was too late.

“Aye, sir. Resuming course,” said Jay.

“Sir,” said Vargas, “I apologize for causing the delay. I just thought you wouldn’t want to miss the black hole field.”

“Quite right, Vargas, not to worry,” said Calvin. “I enjoy a massive, interstellar marvel as much as the next guy—even if I can’t see it.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Rez’nac,” said Calvin, turning to face the taciturn Polarian. “This black hole field has got to be near the edge of the Vast Empty.”

“It is.”

“Then you and your people must have a name for it. Or, at the very least, something as incredible as this must have some sort of significance to you and yours? Forgive me if I’m wrong.”

“You are not wrong, Master of this ship,” said Rez’nac, he pressed his hands together, almost prayerfully, and his eyes flicked from Calvin to the blackness out the window, then they seemed to become glassy. “There is a name for this place, though it is a sin just to utter it.”

“A sin?” asked Calvin, surprised. “That seems a little extreme. Your Essences look down upon a specific use of language?” Calvin tried to phrase the question as politely as he could, without giving away the fact that he thought the mere act of speaking a word could be sinful was entirely stupid. Then again, so too was the concept of sin—at least as far as he could tell. If there were gods, essences, or other judges looking down upon all of mortality, taking such intense interest in what mortals said and did, what their mating preferences were, such must be bored gods indeed. Not to mention cruel gods, that would punish a lesser being after designing it to be born in total ignorance.

“It is a sin to speak the name because it is a sin to give of oneself’s time, energy, or attention, to they who have been cast out into the darkness,” explained Rez’nac.

“I see,” said Calvin.

“Those who have forsaken their Essence, and those who are born with the taint, they are the Dark Ones. Such shadows are the domain of such creatures. Worms must live where worms must live. In the deep recesses and holes and filth, just as they are. The Dark Ones are the same. They have been cast out, since time immemorial, and out they must remain. I caution you, we are in dangerous space, my brothers and sisters. Nothing good can come from such a vile abyss.”

Calvin had no response except to nod. He had never made much sense of the Polarian religion, but he was ever more convinced of its role in the larger events at play. The replicants, the Dark Ones, this schism within the faith that Rez’nac had spoken of, all of it tied back to the Phoenix Ring, the Rahajiim, the Enclave, everything,
somehow
.

“We emerge from the Vast Empty soon and then we will reach the Veil,” said Rez’nac.

“What happens then?” asked Calvin.

“I can get us through the Veil,” said Rez’nac. “Though I am fallen, I was once of Khalahar. I know the ways inside. After that, though, you are left to your own devices.”

“You won’t continue to help us and guide us?” asked Calvin.

“I will do what I can…to restore my people. To bring the truth, before I die. But there are secrets within that nether region of space that defy even my own knowledge,” said Rez’nac. “I suppose we shall experience them together. And live or die, as the Essences demand.”

“I can’t wait.”

***

“Your Highness, our worst fear has been confirmed,” said her advisor, the look on her face was like that of a ghost’s and she hadn’t even had the sense of mind to introduce herself with any protocol or dignity. Rather, she had burst into Kalila’s new throne room—still under construction—and proceeded to interrupt the queen, who was otherwise occupied.

Still, Kalila decided to let the slight go, since the sound of such news intrigued her, while simultaneously making her feel as though a stone had grown in the pit of her stomach.

“What is it?” Kalila demanded, gently but authoritatively.

“The ships, the ones spotted by our listening posts.”

“Yes, what about them?” asked Kalila, trying to be patient.

“They have left Gemini System and are headed directly for Imperial Space, Your Majesty.”

“I see,” said Kalila, feeling a terrible sense of doom loom over her. She didn’t have to be told the rest, she could infer it, but she indulged her advisor anyway and listened.

“The fleet—if fleet is even a sufficient word—has been identified, Your Highness. It is, beyond question, the Dread Fleet.”

“And you say it is headed for our space?” asked Kalila. “On a direct course?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

That could only mean one thing. And it wasn’t good.
And just when I had restored the peace
, she thought.

This news had come at a particularly bad time. Prior to her advisor’s arrival, she had received word about the many dozens of officers—some in lofty positions—that had died failing the Xinocodone test. One or two might have been a normal allergic reaction, and those deaths she regretted, but the others, they had proven to be replicants. So very many of them, and at such a deep level within the Imperial command structure. She was amazed that the entire political infrastructure hadn’t entirely collapsed because of it. Then again, there was still time for that…unless she could figure out the right things to do.

She had ordered replacements for all the officers and staff lost because of the mandatory Xinocodone dosing. It hadn’t been easy, but she’d managed to assign suitable replacements where necessary, and, as for the junior officers, she delegated the finding of replacements to those beneath her. That had been one more crisis solved. After it, she had hoped to have something of a rest, a break from the insanity that was her crumbling Empire…the great legacy of her family which she would defend and restore at any cost.

Unfortunately, now she had to deal with this, and unlike replacing a few replicants, this crisis came with no easy solutions.

“We’ll have to marshal all of our forces,” she said, knowing that was their best and only chance at repelling an assault by the Dread Fleet. Even then, she doubted it would be enough. True, she had reunited the Imperial Fleet into one military, though some tensions still existed as a result of the civil war, but even with the combined and reunified force, they had sustained incredible losses by slaughtering one another, and what was left was a poor excuse for what had once been the premiere war-machine in all the galaxy.

“Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” said her advisor. “Although I fear we will not be able to gather our forces in time.”

“In time for what?” asked Kalila. “Have you determined a target? Tell me, where is the Dread Fleet going to strike first?”

“Layheri Alpha,” replied her advisor. “It’s a small colony in The Rim,” she explained, upon seeing the queen’s unrecognizing face.

“Ah, yes, of course, Layheri Alpha,” said Kalila, surprised she had never heard of it. Then again, governing an Empire of over a hundred major planets, a small colony or two was bound to slip through the cracks of her present mind. She could hardly be expected to remember them all by name.

“Layheri Alpha is a mining colony of roughly a quarter-million people,” her advisor informed her. “It is so near the border that it would be impossible for us to get any meaningful force there in time.”

“Then order an immediate planet-wide evacuation,” snapped Kalila. “Let them know that no help is coming.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“After the Dread Fleet lays waste to Layheri Alpha, where then? Do we have a second target identified?”

“It is difficult to be certain,” said her advisor, “but there is a likeliest target.”

“Which is?”

“Centuria V.”

Now that was a name Kalila did recognize. It was a major world, with over eight billion souls, and, more importantly, should the Dread Fleet capture or destroy the system, it would put them within striking range of Capital World itself. “Then we shall make our stand in the Centuria System,” announced Kalila. “Be sure the order is sent to all ships, military and otherwise. I want the entire merchant marine, civilian convoy, and anyone else within the sound of our call to know that we are in peril and that the queen asks—no, demands—that they respond to help save our Empire.”

“Including unarmed vessels?” asked her advisor.

“We will arm them,” said Kalila. “We must have everything and everyone possible at Centuria V if we are to have any hope of repelling the Dread Fleet.”

“Yes, Your Majesty, that is wise. I shall send out the messages at once.”

“Wait,” said Kalila, almost unable to believe what she was about to say. Yet she felt she had no choice.

“Was there something else, My Queen?”

“Send a message to the Rotham Senate; let them know the Dread Fleet has left Polarian Space and it has come for us—which means it has come for them as well. Make it clear to them that if Capital World falls within the week, then Ro will surely fall within the month. It is inevitable.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” said her advisor, looking a bit confused. “To what end am I to send such a message?”

“You will set everything up, but I will make the plea to them personally,” said Kalila. “And, as to what end, it is to offer a temporary tactical alliance. The Dread Fleet is a common enemy, and as much as I loathe the idea of inviting more Rotham ships into my space, I would welcome them if it meant more firepower against the Dread Fleet.”

Her advisor bowed. “I understand, Your Majesty.”

I only wish I understood, thought Kalila. All that she had done, all she had arranged, it seemed that the purpose had been to subvert the cunning, guile, and subterfuge of the Rotham people in their designs to take advantage of the Empire, and now, here she was, about to beg them for their help and to open the very door of the henhouse for the wolves to enter. A part of her hoped they would refuse her offer. She did not trust them. She couldn’t. She didn’t dare! But without more ships standing up against the Dread Fleet, what hope was there?

She knew, as queen, she had to reach out for everything, far and wide, to give her people the best chance possible of surviving. Even if it meant swallowing her pride and taking a measured risk.