Treason, page 10
part #2 of The Descendants War Series
That's something I can get behind. Tiller smiled, turning his attention to his device.
***
Titus read through the facts about their destination, the various bits of information that added up to concern about what they'd find there. Communications were not functioning properly. That was problem number one. Second, there seemed to be activity there which couldn't be accounted for.
All at a place with a VIP they desperately needed to answer questions about their device.
This is going to be a fight. Much as he hoped for technical malfunction or some other explanation, he firmly believed they were walking into a shit storm. Something much like the attack on Kyle and Lysa only this time on a broader scale. A whole colony might be at stake along with a space station full of people. Thank God the Brekka's with us this time.
Their two vessels may have been enough to fend off any attackers they were on the verge of facing. He intended to bring them in far enough away to make a tactical decision about their involvement in the sector. If they found themselves dramatically outnumbered, they could leave.
Griel made it clear getting reinforcements was definitely possible if they needed them as well. Of course, handling it themselves was preferable, especially since they were essentially on their own for a reason. High command met remotely with the Prytin ambassadors. That was the only contact they had with official leadership.
Everything else came down to Griel and Niva. A shuttle from the Brekka planned to take an appointed human ambassador to meet with the Prytins on their home planet, but it hadn't happened yet. The man they found from their side to undertake the journey made it clear he was more than comfortable doing it.
Others weren't as sure, going so far as to delay his departure to deliberate more about the intentions of the Prytins. One of the reasons Titus had the freedom to work closely with Griel was to help prove out that they were definitely allies. Military leadership already acknowledged how dangerous the Kahl were.
And they knew allies were absolutely necessary. Humanity needed additional ships, powerful armadas capable of defending their homes and people. They wouldn't get there on their own. Schematics helped though acquiring resources proved difficult not to mention the tools and automation required to mass produce the upgrades.
Which all came down to that trip out to the station to find Essa Helsh. If they recruited the scientist, they added to their crew of experts and another alien to boot. Finding more friendly cultures throughout the galaxy helped solidify the benefits of community with high command.
It could very well prove not only that cooperation was possible but imperative to their survival. Not just against the Kahl either. Titus firmly believed that with their new warp capability, they'd find themselves in a position of having to work closely with others to not step on their territory, to respect their sovereignty.
Humans aren't inherently good at that. Titus thought through their distant history, along with some of the modern examples of how some companies crushed minority groups on different colonies. Despite fighting against such things, intolerance continued to exist. We can't find ourselves at war with our new allies because we want their land.
Imperialism became his biggest fear. The delay in sending an ambassador meant more time to build up dreams of dominance. Another term came to mind. Human exceptionalism. He'd heard that from some of the criminals they fought over the years. Pirates and raiders sometimes took on these prejudices, using it as a rally cry.
"Captain," Jane broke through his reverie, "we're rapidly closing in on our target. Estimated time to arrival is less than fifteen minutes." She paused. "Sam, please confirm."
"Hm?" Sam turned to the navigation console in the center. "Uh... confirmed, ma'am. If we dropped out of warp here, we'd be capable of seeing the planet with maximum magnification from the cameras but only just barely."
"That'll do," Jane muttered. She continued on, speaking quietly. "Relevant data only, ensign. Trust me. They'll ask you if they need anymore."
"Sorry..." Sam cleared his throat.
Titus smirked. She's taking her role seriously.
Rhys asked, "Can we get better scans now? We're a hell of a lot closer."
"Something strange is going on with them," Violet replied, "however, I do have that there are multiple ships in the vicinity. Permission to contact the Brekka for confirmation? They might be able to tell us who they are."
"Go for it," Rhys said. He spoke quietly to Titus, "Who do you think's out there?"
Titus hummed, staring intently at the screen. "My gut tells me defenders. Ships that are assigned to the location to keep it safe from incursions. However, I'm not in the market for trusting my instincts right now. Not with the weird interference and problems with communications."
"That does feel odd. Like..." Rhys paused. "Like the enemy has some method of jamming that our allies aren't familiar with yet. We might be seeing some sort of new defensive technique."
"While that may be true," Titus said, "why would they bother? From everything I've read about them, everything we've heard... hell, even that fight we had, these people like to go at it straight forward. They want to fight. Why not let the enemy call for help? Just show up with overwhelming odds and beat their asses."
"Maybe we're doing better against them than anyone knows. They might not have the resources."
"I would love for that to be true," Titus said. "Whatever the case, this tactic might cause serious trouble across the galaxy. But if we're right and the enemy does have something that blocks transmissions, then that unto itself can be a cause for a military group to intervene. While we might not get direct comms from our people, we'll know they're in trouble."
"Word from the Brekka," Violet jumped in. "Molush says his comms are deliberately being jammed. They've attempted to reach out to the station, the colony, and the ships. Whatever's doing it is coming from the surface of the planet as well. Their opinion is we're looking at a battle."
"Get me Griel." Titus waited for the man to be on the line. "Are we proceeding with full defenses and weapons at the ready?"
"Yes," Griel replied. "Do you have soldiers ready to deploy if we need to get people to the surface?"
"We do," Rhys said. "They're in a shuttle and prepared for launch but... how will we know what they're doing?"
"It'll be obvious when we arrive, I can promise you that." Griel sighed. "This isn't what we expected, Captain. If this Pargon is in trouble, then we'll have to get him out of it. This is one of the more prominent members of the Vorka academic community. Saving him will be a boon in many ways."
Titus nodded. "Understood. Do you guys have any idea what they were doing out here?"
"By all accounts, checking out a dig site. This is out of the way so whatever force we encounter will be far from support. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we're dealing with some desperate pirates, hoping to make a quick payday on some stolen supplies or something. But don't count on it. Not with our luck."
"Sure." Titus checked their time. "We'll know in six minutes."
"Indeed. Griel out." The line went dead.
I wonder if their scientist uncovered something the way Kyle and Lysa did. Titus looked forward to the investigation. Whatever they found might explain a great deal not only about their enemies but what their friends found important. Along with how their activities attract the attention of dangerous people. And how they deal with it.
***
Churk watched with wide eyes as three Prytin vessels popped in from warp. They continued at a fast pace, moving directly past the station. Before he could even hail them, four Kahl ships winked in from warp on a direct intercept. They diverted their course to the combat ships in their path.
"What is going on?" Churk muttered.
"They're engaging!" Thiul shouted. "Full weapons and deployment!"
Exactly as he said, the ships opened fire on one another. Bright flashes of beam weapons danced between them like bolts of lightning attracted directly at their targets. Both sides squared off, slowing until they were directly in front of one another, entering a brutal slugfest, each daring the other to back off.
"Can you scan this?" Churk asked. "Give me some idea of who might be winning?"
"Trying," Thiul said, "sir, you might want to let Tarka know what's going on. In the meantime, I'll contact the Prytin ship to see if they can give us some idea of what's happening. Maybe this is a known intelligence situation."
"Do it." Churk reached out to Tarka. "Hey, can you hear me? We've got a major space battle up here!" He winced as one of the Kahl ships lost their forward shields. The ship's thrusters kicked on, taking it around in a semi-circle to put a fresh side toward their opponent. Direction for them didn't matter much with all the weapons bristling across the surfaces.
"I can barely read you!" Tarka shouted, which helped her voice break through the static. "Did you say there's a battle going on?"
"Affirmative," Churk yelled back. "A big one! We're trying to find out why and who's involved! It's insane! I'm getting our people ready to depart, especially the scientists that got back here from earlier." He checked the progress of the shuttles he sent down earlier. "Your reinforcements should arrive momentarily!"
"Thanks... I hope they get down here without damage so we can get the hell out of this system!"
I can't believe we may have to abandon this place! Churk turned to Thiul. "Anything from those ships yet?"
"No, sir. But... oddly enough, I have two more ships incoming! They'll be here soon too."
"Why is this place suddenly the most popular spot to beat each other up? This makes no sense!" Churk slapped the console in front of him. "I need to talk to someone! Get some damn answers! Keep trying. And ensure our automated defenses are ready in case one of those Kahl ships gets too close."
***
Essa grabbed his nephew's shoulder, holding him tightly. "I can't..." He gasped. "I can't go another step without some rest, boy! I'm exhausted here!" His knees ached, his feet felt bruised, and every breath made his chest burn. "I know we might die if we stay but at this pace, you'll have to leave me here!"
"I won't leave you anywhere," Uldin said. "Just... take a moment to catch your breath." A boom outside echoed across the land. Though muffled inside, it must've been no more than a hundred or two hundred yards away from them.
"What was that?" Essa asked.
"The sonic boom from a shuttle's thrusters," Uldin replied. "Someone's flying around really fast up there."
"How do you know it wasn't a bomb or something?"
"Because those make different sounds, uncle. Have you even heard a bomb? Besides the demolition used to open caves up, I mean."
"Of course!" Essa tsked. "Er... I suppose I should say..."
"That you have no idea what you're talking about?" Uldin smirked. "It's okay. It won't hurt to admit that for a change."
"So what does it mean then, genius?"
"That either our allies brought down some ships," Uldin said as he urged his uncle to move again. "Or that we're dealing with an enemy that finally went airborne. In which case, we're in a lot of trouble. Again."
"I don't see how it's possible to be in more trouble all things considered," Essa grumbled as they walked. He glanced at his computer. The screen blurred. They were moving too quickly for him to focus. "I don't even know where we are! Don't we need our bearings or something?"
"Uncle!" Uldin didn't slow down as they walked. He'd clearly lost his patience. "There's no other direction to go! What's the point of checking? What're we going to do? Dig through the walls? Just... be quiet and keep up."
They trundled along for another two hundred meters when Uldin stopped abruptly. He killed their lights, tapping both computers to ensure they were off. Essa looked all around, opening his eyes as wide as he could in an effort to see. It was no use. They were in near total darkness.
"What is it?" Essa whispered.
"Movement up ahead," Uldin replied just as quietly. "I'm going forward. Crouch. Stay low and don't move. I'll be back in a moment." He shuffled off before Essa could stop him, silently pacing into the darkness.
How's he so good at this!? I don't even understand! I had no idea the military trained him so well. Or that he took to it with such talent. Essa knew he wouldn't have approved before that day, a fact that bothered him given their predicament. I should've been more understanding. Less of a curmudgeon.
Weapon fire made him wince, his heart racing in his chest. The flashes of light were blinding, each one like a strobe leaving behind an after glare when he shut his eyes. High-pitched barks reverberated down the hall, the next one picking up long before the last sound could fully dissipate.
How many times are they going to shoot!? Rocks fell, pebbles and larger stones tumbling into the tunnel up ahead. Essa didn't dare move. He had no idea where he'd be going. Light wouldn't help him at that point. He felt blinded from seeing the first few shots. And they kept going!
After twenty, he lost count. Someone shouted, "Overheat!" Half a second later, the same person screamed in a horrifying way, gurgling from some kind of throat wound. Heavy footsteps approached. Essa groped around until he found a rock, gripping it tightly. He tensed his muscles, preparing to bash whatever attack came upon him.
"Uncle!" Uldin barked the word. A light fell on Essa. "Are you okay? Put that stupid rock down! For the love of... what were you going to do with that? They're wearing armor, you fool! Unless you got them on the head... Anyway, I'm fairly certain they're here to capture you specifically. Come on. We have to keep moving."
Essa stood, following his nephew again. "Why would they be after me? How do you know?"
"Because everyone else was evacuated," Uldin pointed out, "and they're still here shooting at people. If they wanted to loot something, the camp isn't guarded. Not sufficiently to stop them. But no. They chased us into the tunnels... now they found a way in. This is all around good news for us."
"Since now we know we're on the right path," Essa said. He passed by a body with a black mark on the throat. Another sprawled against the wall some five meters away with half their head sheared off. He swallowed hard to fight off an urge to throw up. "Were there... only two of them then?"
"There's a third I got five times," Uldin said. "I couldn't tell he was down. You probably missed his remains. They're... a little charred beyond recognition." He cleared his throat. "I think I see light ahead. Just around the corner." He stopped abruptly. "And now that we're near it, I don't think this is a good idea anymore."
"Why not? You said we have to get out of here."
"What if there are people guarding the entrance?"
Essa stiffened. He's probably right. But why would these fiends send a few people in and not come to support their friends as they died? The answer was in the question. Because they're slime and don't care. They have an objective and they're going to follow it. Like proper Kahl lackeys.
"What should we do then?" Essa asked.
"Remain here for a moment. I'll take a look, but we've got reinforcements coming. When they get here, we'll get out." Uldin pulled Essa into a crouch again. "We'll stay low just in case." He leaned out, nodding his head. "Definitely an exit. Corridor is roughly a hundred and fifty meters between us and outside."
"With no cover along the way," Essa remarked. "Right?"
"You're getting the hang of this."
"I've seen training vids." Essa sighed. "What if the reinforcements can't help? If there are too many enemies out there?"
"Then..." Uldin shrugged. "We'll have to do our best. I'd like to understand why they want to capture you if they're Kahls. Prisoners aren't their thing. Not as far as I know."
"You haven't heard the truth," Essa said. "Kahl take slaves, Uldin. I've read the proof. They bring them to various barren worlds and work them to death. That is their way though I can tell you it's relatively new."
"I thought they were all about the murder," Uldin replied, "that they wanted the honorable kill."
"That may have been how it started. One of the intelligence people suggested they realized they were wasting resources. That they might get something out of the strongest victims they didn't butcher. And so they started. No one knows where these camps are, but I understand the Prytin are trying to find out."
"Disgusting." Uldin sighed. "We should get out there and kill every last one of them. If I had armor... a proper weapon..."
Essa touched his shoulder. "You're helping us survive. That's your duty now. Don't think about the killing, the slaughter... the military side. Right now, we're civilians and you're the qualified one to get us to safety. Keep that close to your heart. For me... and more importantly, for your mother."
She will literally have me skinned if something happens to this boy.
Uldin clenched his jaw before nodding. "Yes, sir. I... you're right. I'm just frustrated."
"We both are, son." Essa leaned against the rock, letting out a deep breath. "We both are."
***
Tarka held her hand up for her people to slow down as they reached the peak of the hill. Before they started down, she wanted a good look at the land, to ensure they weren't about to take fire from an entrenched enemy. Her legs burned as she crouched behind a boulder while a thick layer of sweat added to the misery.
"What're we worrying about?" Qan asked. "We'll have the high ground."
"Won't mean much if they have better scans," Tarka said. "Volman, what do you have over there?" Their pilot remained high up, keeping out of range of any ground weapons that could cause damage. They could still hear his thrusters though, a low rumble in the sky. He passed by again, heading off to the north.
"Comms with Uldin are sketchy," Volman replied. "And we're still struggling to keep people on here. I've barely got you. So I can't tell you if you're walking into anything. But... wait a minute." Another set of engines roared over them, a larger ship than a shuttle. Fortunately, it didn't open fire. "That may well be the enemy ship!"
