Dawn of a New Age (21 page)

2.7.2136

1512

Brentax III

M’Bek Tarmos’s Office

“
W
ELL?  Won’t you come in and have a drink, Colonel?” M’Bek Tarmos asked.

“With you?” Mario chuckled.  “I’d be drawn and quartered for even thinking of such a thing.”

“Well, then,” the Brentax Commander said.  “What can I do for you, Colonel Bonetti?”

“I don’t suppose you want to make it easy for me and just come with me to the shuttle,” Mario raised an eyebrow.

M’Bek Tarmos laughed.

“I think not, Colonel.  How would it look if I just turned myself over to you without a fight?”

“Just the same, you are coming with me,” Mario said as he hefted the blaster rifle.  “I’m afraid I can’t take no for an answer.”

“Such cocky creatures you humans are.  You know, you’d never make it out of the building, let alone to the spaceport,” the Brentax commander rasped.  “It’s best to just give yourself up now and save yourself the agony.”

“Sure, I will,” Mario chuckled.  “I’ll just go back to my boss and say, ‘Sorry.  I couldn’t get him because there was no way I could get back to the spaceport without getting killed.  Maybe next time.’  That won’t get me too far, Tarmos.”

“I don’t think you understand.  If you try to take me from here by force, you will be dead before we leave the office,” M’Bek Tarmos chuckled.  “My guards will see to that.”

“We’ll see.”  Mario motioned with the blaster rifle.  “If you’ll get up, I’d rather not have to stun you.  You’re far too large to drag.”

“How dare you insult me like that!” M’Bek howled.

“Hey, bubba.  It’s not like I’m the one who’s obviously been packing away the super-sized meals.  Seriously, you know you don’t have to get the extra large fries with the burger.”  Mario chuckled at his own little joke.  “Now.  Stand up and away from the desk.”

“I think not,” M’Bek said  His hand slowly traced across the bottom edge of the top of his desk.  Before it got too far, his arm flopped limp, a knife sticking out of his bicep.

“I wouldn’t try that again,” Mario said.  He waggled the rifle.  “Next time, you’ll get shot.”

“Do you really think you’re going to get away with this atrocity?” the Brentax commander snarled.

“How ironic that you should be complaining about atrocities, M’Bek Tarmos,” Mario sighed.  “You who are responsible for the deaths of millions of Duterians.  That slaughter is an atrocity.  This, well, this is just a friendly conversation.”

“It will take much more than your flashy knife work to bring me in to your precious Star League, Colonel.”  M’Bek Tarmos cackled.

“There’s a full squadron waiting for us at the landing pad,” Mario lied.

“That’s impossible.  I know it was just you and one other that broke in here earlier.” The Brentax shook his head.  “And your partner has been disposed of.”

“He’s expendable,” Mario shrugged, his face betraying no emotion whatsoever.  “Now, if you please.  I am in somewhat of a hurry to get out of Brentax space, if you know what I mean.”

“You don’t seem to get it,” M’Bek sighed as he stood up behind his desk.  “You’re not going to make it out of Brentax space alive.”

“You wanna lay odds on that?” Mario said.  “I’m a betting man.  I think your associates will be less inclined to shoot me down with you on board.  That wouldn’t look good on their resumes after all, being the one that shot down the Supreme Commander of the Brentax Militia.  Not good for one’s career at all.”  Mario clucked twice and hurried over to where M’Bek Tarmos was standing.  He jabbed his blaster rifle in the man’s back.  “Now move!”

“Well, since you asked so nicely,” the Brentax Commander smiled, showing off his sharp teeth.  “Of course I’ll go with you.”

“And call off your guards as we go,” Mario ordered.

“Why should I?”

“Because,” Mario said as he jabbed the rifle further in the man’s back.  “This rifle’s set on kill.  And I don’t think I’d miss from this range.”

M’Bek Tarmos swallowed twice and started out of the office with Mario right behind him.

“You know,” the Brentax commander said.  “If you kill me, there’s no way I can sign a peace treaty with your precious Star League.  I assume that is the reason you’re bringing me in to the Star League, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” Mario admitted.  “But if I don’t return with you, the Star League will assume the mission failed and we’re dead here.  And if that happens, well, there’s a full contingent of Star League battleships waiting for orders to destroy Brentax III.  Me, personally, I’d like to see this war end peacefully.”

There was a long pause while each man looked the other one over.  Finally, M’Bek Tarmos looked away.

“Yes, well,” the Brentax commander said quietly.  “Perhaps the time has come for this war to end.  I will go with you peacefully, Colonel.  I have no desire to see my homeworld destroyed.”

“Good.  Now, please.  Move.”

The two men walked down the hall.  They met minimal opposition, but the guards they did run into stepped aside at their leader’s insistence.

It took them nearly an hour to make their way from the office, through the Brentax Militia Headquarters, and across Brentacchia to the Brentacchia Spaceport.  Opposition continued to be light, and Mario began to worry slightly about the relative ease of their escape.

When they reached the shuttle, however, Mario breathed a small sigh of relief.

“I’m going to have to bind you until we get back to the White Knight,” Mario said.

“I understand.  I would do no less.”

Mario set to work securing M’Bek Tarmos to his seat, then, once he was satisfied the Brentax commander wasn’t going to be going anywhere, the Star League Colonel began preflight checks.

Without waiting for launch clearance, Mario punched the launch controls.  The small shuttle shot out from the spaceport into the afternoon sky, achieving orbit quickly.

A few minutes into the trip back to the White Knight, the communications array began to beep loudly, startling both the colonel and the Brentax Militia Commander.

“Star League shuttle.  This is T’Marik Kodan of the Brentax Duhari class vessel Torellia Corvax.  You will stand down now and land your vessel at the Brentacchia Spaceport or you will be destroyed.”

2.7.2136

1528

The Crieghton

Bridge

“
C
APTAIN!” the sensors officer called.  “We have an incoming contact bearing 312.”

“Can you identify it?” the capain asked as he turned in his chair to face his sensors officer.

“I believe so, sir,” the woman nodded.  “Silhouette confirms it a Duhari class heavy cruiser.”

“Tactical holo!” Captain Keevan ordered.

Instantly, a holographic representation of the sector appeared in the communications holosphere.  It showed the Duhari class cruiser entering the Khrinnus sector at high velocity.

“Captain, they’re beginning a solon sweep,” the woman at the sensor console reported.  “I estimate three minutes before they penetrate the cloak.”

“Damn.  Helm, keep us ahead of the solon,” the captain whipped around to the navigation station.  “Use whatever evasive maneuvers you need.  Give us as much time to launch the torpedoes as you can.”

“Acknowledged,” the helm officer said.  “Beginning evasive pattern Alpha.”

“Time until torpedoes are locked on target, Kara?” Tom Keevan asked his weapons officer impatiently.

“Four minutes,” Kara replied, her attention never leaving her console.

“Evasive pattern Delta,” the helmswoman announced.

“Solon sweep is holding,” the sensors chief cursed.  “They’re steadily gaining on us, Captain.  Computer estimates two minutes until cloak is pierced.”

“Torps still need three minutes, Captain,” Kara reported.

“Evasive pattern Omega,” the helmswoman said through clenched teeth.

“We’re pulling a little ahead of the solon sweep, Captain, but I don’t think it’ll last,” the woman at the sensors reported.  “One and one half minutes unttil cloak is pierced.”

“Give me two minutes, Helmswoman,” Kara grunted as she slammed some controls.

“Evasive pattern Phi,” the helmswoman squeaked.

“Torps ready, Captain!” Kara yelled.

“FIRE!!” Tom Keevan yelled.

Kara slammed a control on the weapons panel, and two blue streaks of light lanced out from the forward launchers.  On the tactical holo, two balls of phosphorescent blue light streaked across the holo towards the Brentax vessel.

Even on the tactical holo, the explosion was blinding.

“Get me Admiral Bonetti at the Gamma Epsilon Station!” Tom Keevan whooped.

2.7.2136

1622

Shuttle Kiarin

“
W
ELL, this sucks,” Mario sighed.

He was looking at the distinct sensor silhouette of a Duhari class heavy cruiser.  And the sensors indicated that the ship with its gun ports open and trained on the shuttle.  The identifying beacon indicated that the ship was the Torellia Corvax.

“Let me talk to him,” M’Bek Tarmos said.  “T’Marik is loyal to me.  He will stand down.”

“Do it,” Mario nodded as he flicked on the communications array.

“T’Marik,” the Brentax official croaked.  “This is Brentax Supreme Commander M’Bek Tarmos.  You will stand down immediately.  That is an order.”

“Supreme Commander, you know as well as I do that I cannot follow your orders while you are a prisoner,” T’Marik intoned.  He almost sounded sad.  Almost.

“Fool!” M’Bek roared.  “I went with him of my own volition.  Do you really think that the Star League could truly hold me against my will should I so choose to leave?”

“As flawless as your logic is, and, as usual, it is flawless, Supreme Commander, you nevertheless are a prisoner of our enemy, and thus your order carries no weight,” T’Marik’s raspy voice came back.  “If the Star League vessel does not stand down, I will order it shot down, Supreme Commander.  Even with you on board.”

“T’Marik, you are a short sighted fool.” M’Bek slammed his hands on the console in front of him.  Mario made a note to check the console for dents later.  If you destroy this ship, the Star League will throw everything they have at us in a killer strike meant to wipe us out completely.  They will do to us what we have done to so many others.  Your wife and pouchling will not survive.  Is that what you truly wish to happen, T’Marik?”

“No, of course not, Supreme Commander.  But imperial mandates—“

“Imperial mandates be damned!” M’Bek Tarmos roared.  “Who do you think truly runs the Empire?  I do, as all Supreme Commanders before me have!  Until my death or retirement, I am the Empire!”

“Supreme Commander, I cannot call off the attack.  The Star League ship must not be allowed to leave Brentax space with you aboard.  I have my orders.”

“Your orders are countermanded!”

“You do not have the authority to do so while you are on that ship.  I am sorry, Supreme Commander,” T’Marik said.  M’Bek almost believed he was sincere.  “Star League officer, you have five standard minutes to surrender or be destroyed.”

The communications system clicked off and Mario looked at the Brentax official.

“Loyal, eh?  Got any other suggestions?” the colonel quipped.

“This shuttle.  Does it have any weapons?”

“Not enough to take out a Duhari class vessel,” Mario shook his head.  “All we have is one proton torpedo.”

“That will do,” M’Bek Tarmos sighed.  “I will show you where to target.  You will take out external communications and weapons in one strike.  It is the best we can hope for.  They will need time to repair the weapons systems.”

“Let’s just hope it buys us enough time.  I can cut down the trip back by about a day if the White Knight will meet us halfway.”  Mario flicked a switch on the console.  “Weapons systems online, and Lord, I wish K’Alan were here to man them.”

“Your shot must be precise.”  M’Bek Tarmos inclined his head at the silhouette of the Duhari class cruiser.  “Near the engine intake is a small intake for the weapons.  Your shot must hit the weapons intake exactly.  If it does it will cause major damage to all the weapons systems and will cause collateral damage to the communications systems.  External communications will be totally scrambled, and internal communications will be down for several hours.  If you do not hit precisely, you will not get a second shot.  Please, make your shot count.”

“If ever there was a warning I didn’t need,” Mario smiled.  “That was it, Commander.”

“Your time is up, Star League vessel,” the comms crackled.  “What is your answer?”

The young colonel took a deep breath and lined up his shot.  Praying to whoever would listen, he punched the fire controls.  The proton torpedo leapt from the underbelly of the shuttle and streaked towards the Duhari class vessel.  The torpedo impacted, and Mario slammed the thruster controls.

“So, can I take it since they’re not firing back that I hit?” Mario raised his eyebrow.

“I think so, yes.  But you’d best get us to your ship quickly.  They will recover soon.”

“You got it.  Computer establish tightbeam communication with the White Knight.”