The Phoenix Rising (16 page)

“
Defense, standby to
disengage the stealth system on my mark.”

“
Standing by.”

“
Helm,” said Nimoux. “Plot a
direct course to the Gemini Conglomerate. Maximum safe speed, let’s
not give them any extra time.”

“
Aye, sir. Course laid
in.”

Nimoux watched the blip representing the
Desert Eagle approach the Gemini conglomerate on the 3d
display.

“
Any closer and we run the
very high risk of being detected, sir,” said the ops
officer.

“
Mark
,” said Nimoux.

“
Stealth system
disengaged.”

Immediately he could see the station’s
patrol ships react. No doubt very surprised to see a foreign ship
so deep in their space, the hull of the conglomerate already
vulnerable to their weapons. The defense ships scrambled to protect
their station—in case the worst was happening.

“
Four destroyers on an
intercept course.”

“
Maintain course and speed,”
said Nimoux.

“
We are being ordered to
identify ourselves and state our intentions,” said the
helmsman.

“
Patch me through to the
station and all ships. Audio only.”

”
You’re
connected.”

“
Attention all Polarian
Confederacy personnel, this is the Imperial Intelligence Wing Ship
Desert Eagle. We are on a mission to conduct a surprise inspection
of your operations as pursuant to the Lyrae Accords article two
subsection B. You will clear this ship for docking immediately with
the conglomerate. That is not a request. I repeat, you are ordered
to clear this ship for immediate docking and allow a team of
inspectors to come aboard. Failure to comply would be a violation
of the Lyrae Accords and result in severe sanctions placed against
the Confederacy by the Empire, including but not limited to those
defined in article four subsection A. You have sixty seconds to
comply.” He signaled for the transmission to end.

“
We are fast approaching the
station, sir,” said the pilot.

“
Begin a standard approach
and prepare to dock. They will grant us clearance any second,” said
Nimoux. He was certain of this. If there was a corrosive influence
on Gemini, one that would subvert the interests of the
Human-Polarian friendship agreements by providing refuge to
powerful fugitives and their starships, there was no way that
element would risk discovery—and brutal eradication—by
single-handedly terminating the Lyrae Accords. If they were smart
they’d humor the human “inspectors,” who were ostensibly there to
survey the safety of the facility for its continued use by human
traders, and bury what the Desert Eagle’s shore party was really
looking for—evidence that the Nighthawk had been sheltered
here.

“
Message from Gemini
Control,” said the pilot. “We are cleared to approach pylon two,
docking bay seven.”

Nimoux smiled. “Commence docking operations
and comply with all their directions. I’m sure they are putting us
as far away from where the Nighthawk docked as they can—assuming
the Nighthawk did dock. So order our teams to focus their search on
the farthest possible location that would allow a ship to
dock.”

“
That would be the drydocks,
sir.”

“
Spread the word. And inform
Major Rask that his teams will be cleared to go aboard the station
momentarily.”

“
She confirms that her teams
are in position at the airlocks,” said the pilot, after
communicating Nimoux’s instructions.

“
Good. Let her know the
moment docking operations are complete.”

“
Aye, sir.”

Now it was a contest of Intel Wing’s best
investigative skills against Gemini’s capacity for whitewashing
evidence. Nimoux’s only regret was that there were strict practical
limits on what his people would be able to do given their finite
resources and the immense size of the Gemini conglomerate. He
believed they’d get something out of it though. The Gemini database
was sure to be rich with information that, once properly mined,
would help Intel Wing better understand the overarching threat. If
they could just paint a picture of what kind of organization was
based here—and there certainly was one—that would go a long way to
winning the larger battle.

“
Docking operation has
begun,” said the pilot a few minutes later. The ship slowed
drastically and adjusted angle to connect with the station. “And...
we are now in position. Confirmed full stop. Clamps are in place.
Informing shore parties that they are
go
.”

The waiting game began. Nimoux quietly
meditated, trying not to think too much about the dozens of people
swarming off his ship, beginning a systematic search of the
Polarian station. Local databases were being tapped, harddrives
mined, traffic records and docking manifests requisitioned, and
dozens of facility staff and civilians were being selected at
random for questioning. Others swept the station for signs of human
DNA.

The next hour and a half was spent in mostly
silent contemplation. He would receive regular reports from the
shore parties, and he’d use the new information to shape his
evolving picture of what had happened on Gemini, while his ops
officer logged and sorted the new data.

The local harddrives showed signs of a
recent memory wipe. Allegedly for routine maintenance, but the
timing was too convenient not to be suspicious.

What surprised Nimoux was the worthlessness
of the testimonials they took from thirty Polarians chosen at
random. Station personnel, repair crews, civilians, anyone they
could get their hands on. Each Polarian’s story, though usually
vague, perfectly corroborated with each other. Revealing no
inconsistencies. And all of them denied any knowledge of the
Harbinger or the Nighthawk. Either the two rogue ships had never
arrived, or this was a perfectly rehearsed collaborative lie.
Nimoux suspected the latter, but was annoyed that he couldn’t prove
it. He guessed the underground influence at Gemini, which had aided
and abetted Calvin and Raidan, had predicted Intel Wing’s arrival
and managed to plant their own agents disguised as staff and
civilians for this very purpose.

If true, that meant the Polarians involved
were being intentionally deceitful. An atypical behavior for
members of their culture—though not unheard of. Usually Polarians
practiced a strong devotion to honesty and a sense of rightness.
And Nimoux had always admired them for it. He felt he could relate
to their culture in a way most humans couldn’t. He understood how
their lives were a spiritual battle—an urgent struggle for
self-improvement—and a tireless, almost obsessive pursuit of inner
peace. Their every action and devotion all ultimately boiled down
to their individual journeys of seeking out their innermost
centers. Though Nimoux went about it a different way, he had the
same goal. Ever since his regrettable actions during the Altair
Mission, when he’d been forced to shoot his own people, he’d felt
hopelessly lost and guilty. He wanted to find his center as badly
as any Polarian.

Nimoux’s teams concluded their investigation
and he submitted all retrieved information to his Intel Wing
superiors, including a recommendation to the Director to “tear this
place apart if necessary because Gemini is obviously hiding
something.”

“
Incoming message, sir,”
said the pilot. “It’s from deep space. The kataspace frequency is
not specific, it’s broadcasting on all Intel Wing channels to
Gemini. Highest priority.”

“
Originating from whom?”
Nimoux spun his chair to face the helm.

“
It’s from the IWS
Nighthawk, sir. Audio only.”

The Nighthawk?
“Let’s hear it.”

A voice crackled over the bridge-speakers.
“To any Intel Wing ship surveying Gemini. I have information that
you will find most helpful. Please respond.”

“
Connect us.”

***

Summers sat in the command position and
monitored the bridge. It was again White Shift and they were due to
cross over into the DMZ any minute now.

Calvin had been alerted and
was allegedly on his way. Summers half-expected him not to show up.
If there was a single constant in the universe, it was Calvin’s
incessant need to be anywhere
but
the bridge during his watch. The others accepted
this as normal—even though they were required to be at their
posts—but Summers did not approve. She felt it sent a bad message
to the crew, as if implying, “my time is more important than
yours,” and was genuinely surprised it hadn’t had a demoralizing
effect.

The elevator door slid open and Calvin
entered. “Okay, what’ve we got?” he asked. Tristan was with
him.

Summers relinquished the command position
and took the XO’s seat. Calvin moved to the center of the bridge
but remained standing. Tristan approached the helm and a look of
obvious discomfort came over Sarah.

“
Crossing into the DMZ in
two minutes, fifteen seconds,” said Sarah. Her squeamishness at the
werewolf’s proximity could not be heard in her voice. Summers
recognized it for what it was, though—and didn’t blame Sarah.
Tristan represented one of the shadiest and most dangerous forces
in the galaxy—Raidan.

“
Thank you, Sarah,” said
Calvin. “Once we cross over, follow Tristan’s instructions on new
course and heading.”

“
Yes, sir,” she
replied.

Summers watched Tristan suspiciously. She
trusted him about as far as she could throw him. Perhaps less. For
that matter, she didn’t really trust anyone anymore. The horrific
sight of the Fifth Fleet starships firing on each other—a slaughter
created by commanders she had known personally—it haunted her
dreams, tormented her waking thoughts, and proved to her that the
proper order of the galaxy was deeply upset. And if she had any
purpose left at all, it was to fight and struggle to restore the
Empire to what it should be. And if that meant working with Calvin,
and tolerating Raidan’s lackey ,Tristan, then so be it.

Calvin was, in his own strange and naïve
way, a good man—loath though she was to admit it. However, he was
arrogant, impulsive, and vulnerable to manipulation. Therefore
Summers made it her personal duty to make sure Calvin didn’t become
Raidan’s puppet.

“
Crossing into the DMZ in
five seconds,” said Sarah.

“
Set Condition Two,” said
Calvin. “And engage the stealth system.”

“
Aye, aye,” replied Miles.
The man who managed the defense post was a proven idiot on every
intellectual level, and demonstrated to Summers that the human race
was either not intelligently designed—or else the designer loved to
screw around. But even she had to admit that, in very limited, but
crucial, circumstances, Miles was useful. Back in Abia, he’d shown
defense aptitude that surpassed even Summers’ targeting skill. And
she was a former defense officer.

“
... two, one. We are now in
violation of the non-aggression treaty,” said Sarah.
“Not my first time,” said Calvin. “All stop.”

“
Answering all
stop.”

The view out the window filled with stars.
There was no obvious local sun and Summers guessed they were in
open space, in the middle of nowhere.

“
Tristan,” Calvin motioned
toward the Remorii. “Your turn.”

“
I consider it an honor,”
Tristan said with a grin that gave Summers the chills. “Now,
pilot,” he said, “set course for the QH-212 star.”

Sarah looked to Calvin, who nodded. She
entered the course and Summers took a moment to input the star’s
name in her console, wanting to retrieve what info she could about
it. After all, that destination had been so secretive only she and
a handful of others had been allowed to know what it was. What she
found was that it was an empty star with no colonizable planets or
known bases around it. An odd place to be going.

“
Course laid in, sir,” said
Sarah.

“
Take us out. Ninety percent
potential.”

“
Aye, sir. Commencing
jump.”

A moment later the stars vanished into
blackness and the ship was again underway.

“
ETA?” asked
Calvin.

“
Six hours,” replied
Sarah.

“
If you need me, I’ll be in
my office,” he said. Then, without so much as a pause, he
left.

Summers decided to follow him. “You have the
deck, Mister Iwate,” she said.

“
Aye, sir,” the ops officer
acknowledged her.

Summers entered the CO’s office and the door
closed behind her. Calvin was just taking his seat and looked
surprised to see her.

“
Something I can do for you,
Summers?” he asked.

“
Yes, I’d like to have a
word.”

Calvin looked curious and gestured for her
to continue.

“
Why are we going to the
QH-212 star?”

Calvin seemed confused. “You know as well as
I do that we’re chasing after the Arcane Storm.”

“
Because?”

“
Because it is our best lead
in hunting down the isotome weapons. You were there at the
intelligence meeting, you know everything I do. Am I to understand
that you think there’s something more important for us to worry
about than a weapon that could wipe out entire
civilizations?”