Merkiaari Wars: 01 - Hard Duty (33 page)

Tei’Kerttu hurried into command central, and stopped to stare up at the huge screen displaying a system wide scan. Glaring red icons winked at her as they advanced in system, while a pitifully small number of cool blue ones, heavy fangs of the Fleet, moved to intercept them. She shivered in dread. There were so few. Even counting the light fangs and the Human ship, the Murderers outnumbered them.

The elders had yet to contact her, but already it was obvious what must be done. The Murderer’s ships outnumbered the Fleet. She must proceed with the assumption that landings would take place. Her hackles rose and her tail lashed in agitation. She hoped to be proven wrong, but it was safer to err on the side of caution. She dragged her eyes away from the screen, and looked over the railing at the floor below the command platform she stood upon. There was no overt panic among her staff, but she could feel it all the same. Everyone was tense. She heard it in their whispered announcements and reports, saw it in the cant of their ears, and scented it upon the air.

“Bring us to alert status one,” she announced.

For just a moment, all eyes were focussed upon her, and silence greeted the announcement. The order was hardly unexpected under the circumstances, but to actually hear those words was something everyone had hoped never to hear. An almost audible sigh swept command central, punctuated by her staff turning back to their consols.

“I hear,” Kon’Tirun said from behind her, and keyed a security sequence into a terminal. Tei’Kerttu moved to join her.

Throughout the keep, alarms sounded and personnel ran through corridors to arm themselves. Thousands of warriors threw on their harnesses and checked their beamers, while technicians closed circuits long dormant. Lights throughout the facility came up full, punctuated by the still strobing emergency beacons that had been designed to lead people deeper into the keep’s protected environment. Pumps began pumping, air filters long unused within the deepest levels of the keep, began filtering out non-existent radiation and poisons. Nonexistent, but perhaps not for long—the Murderers of Harmony were coming. Blast doors rumbled open throughout the keep ready to accept the millions of frightened people destined for Kachina Twelve, while above ground, hidden within the surrounding forests and hills, missile silos powered up awaiting the launch command.

Tei’Kerttu watched in silence as her command centre came to life around her. Lighting remained subdued, but the view screens provided more than ample with which to see. One section remained dark—fortress control. Its operators watched their comrades working from a sea of darkened screens. Their section was by far the largest. It commanded awesome firepower, yet they remained inert.

She flexed her claws and made a decision. “Power up orbital defence net.”

“I hear,” came the quiet response from Kon’Danu at fortress control, and the lonely island of darkness was gone, replaced with busy paws and flashing symbols upon computer screens.

Another huge viewscreen burst into light overhead. This one was a diagrammatic representation of Child of Harmony. In orbit of the planet, huge fortresses were even now powering up—their computers and weapons running complex self tests. Fire control computers reached out to their brothers in the neighbouring fortresses until, with their defences now linked, Child of Harmony was ringed with targeting sensors reaching into the depths of space looking for something to kill.

Tei’Kerttu watched as one after another, the fortresses populated the viewscreen, but suddenly her attention was taken by another screen showing a situation map of the Kachina Mountain range and its hidden keeps. Kachina Eight was fully online according to the information displayed. One through six were at alert status two, well on their way to full activation that was alert status one. Blinking icons, representing still more keeps, informed her of facilities still at power down.

“This is not happening fast enough,” she growled. “Any word from the elders?”

“No, Tei,” Kon’Tirun said. “Should I try to contact them again?”

Tei’Kerttu tapped a claw in irritation upon her panel. “Why are so many keeps still at alert three?”

“It takes time, Tei. We were already at alert two because of the Humans.”

“Too long… it’s taking too long! Contact Kajetan. Insist that I speak with her if you must, but hurry.”

“Yes Tei,” Kon’Tirun said and her paws flashed over her panel.

* * *

Aboard Naktlon in orbit of Harmony

Tei’Varyk crawled through the opening followed by Tei’Colgan. “…and from here back to ammunition storage bays. Should it happen that this area is breached, the transfer system is fully automated.”

“Very impressive, Tei. I’m thinking our R&D people could learn a few things here.”

That pleased him greatly. Tei’Varyk was proud of his new ship and was glad to hear others found merit in
Naktlon’s
innovations.
Naktlon
was the newest and most powerful heavy fang ever to leave the shipyards. He was just about ready for testing. Kajika had howled in pleasure when he saw the size of his ammunition storage. He had three times
Chakra’s
torpedo capacity, and twice his energy range.
Naktlon
was the most combat capable heavy fang yet built. Even so, Tei’Varyk secretly missed
Chakra
. Many of the crew had stayed with Tei’Unwin, and he missed them. He was thankful the command crew had come with him in its entirety.

“When do you plan on taking her out?” Colgan said.

“
He
is ready now,” Tei’Varyk corrected. “Kajetan has ordered a patrol of the outer asteroids.”

“Good choice. You can test his guns out there.”

He flicked his ears in agreement. That was the main reason for choosing the asteroids. They were a perfect testing ground for this kind of thing.

Tei’Varyk led the way through the ship towards the command deck. “Let us see what James is doing.”

“You know, when my people arrive to talk with the elders, I’ll most likely be ordered outsystem.”

“Where will you go next?”

Colgan shrugged. “We had just jumped into an unexplored system when we received your transmissions. We’ll go back to finish our survey. It’s roughly thirty light years from here.
Canada’s
mission is exploring new systems, cataloguing what we find and sending the data back to the Alliance.”

“It must be an amazing experience. I would give anything to be there with you.”

“Perhaps one day you will be.”

Tei’Varyk grinned. “I look forward to that day. What is the name of the system?”

“The one I was exploring?” Colgan said and Tei’Varyk flicked his ears in agreement. “It doesn’t have a name. We use catalogue numbers. There are billions of suns, and perhaps seventy percent have planets; too many to name my friend. Even our capital system has a number, though it has a name as well of course.”

“Ah?”

“Earth is the capital world of the Alliance as well as homeworld to the Human race.”

“And the system?”

“We call it Sol, named for its sun.”

“Sol?” Tei’Varyk sounded the name experimentally. “A good name.”

Colgan smiled. “We like it. I’ve not heard the name of your sun.”

“It is simply The Sun. What need for another name when it’s the only one?”

“When your fleet journeys beyond Shan space, your people will find new homes and will name them as we have done.”

“And the Great Harmony will be reborn,” Tei’Varyk said almost seeing that day. “Not in my lifetime, Tei’Colgan, but perhaps my cubs will see it.”

“Perhaps it will be sooner.”

“Let us hope.” They entered the command deck. Jozka was at his station talking quietly with the maintenance crews. “Jozka?”

“Tei?”

“Where is James and his people?”

“They have just landed, Tei.”

“Landed? Landed where?” Tei’Varyk said looking back at Colgan who shook his head. “Why was I not informed?”

“I did not know you wished to be,” Jozka said. “Have I failed you?”

“No. I should have asked you to inform me. Where have they gone?”

“Zuleika… should I contact them?”

Zuleika was a city on Child of Harmony. The main port was located nearby on the coast. The city was a very fine place to visit and he was glad James would see it.

“No. Continue your duties.”

“I hear,” Jozka said and turned back to what he had been doing.

“It seems we have missed them.”

Colgan shrugged, and then grinned. “Not to worry. Ships are my passion, not cities.”

“I hear,” Tei’Varyk said with a jaw-dropping grin of his own. “Perhaps you would like to go outside?”

“Love to. It just so happens that I have my helmet with me.”

Tei’Varyk twitched his ears in amusement. He liked these Humans, more and more. “Let us go now…”

Jozka yelped in surprise. “Tei!”

Tei’Varyk spun away from the hatch, and was back at Jozka’s side in three strides. His heart sped when he saw the shock on Jozka’s face. “What is it?”

“The Fleet just went to alert one,” Jozka gasped quivering in shock at the news.

“What does that mean?” Colgan said to Tei’Varyk’s back as he hurried toward his station.

“Sound alert,” Tei’Varyk snapped as he sat in his chair and brought his station’s screens to life. “Alert one is war, Tei’Colgan.”

A siren growled throughout the ship making hackles rise. The crew stared at each other in disbelief. The ship was at power down and still docked. Moments later their training took over, and they scrambled to get to their stations.

“But who are you fighting? Not… not my people,” Colgan said in a shaken voice.

“I don’t know yet.”

“Tei’Colgan?” Jozka said sounding more composed now. “A message from your ship: We are coming.”

Colgan blinked. “Is that all?”

Jozka flicked his ears. “That was all.”

“Contact them and ask for clarification, please.”

“Tei?”

“Do it,” Tei’Varyk said and turned to Tarjei. “Give me a full power scan. Jakinda, go to internal power and disconnect all umbilicals.”

“I hear,” Tarjei said and quickly bent to the task. “Scanning at full power and resolution.”

“I hear, Tei,” Jakinda said. “Umbilical disconnect in progress. Main power online. The station grapples are not under my control, Tei.”

Tei’Varyk chewed his whiskers in agitation. He pointed a claw at Jozka. “Fix that.”

“I hear,” Jozka said and tried to contact the stationmaster just as Kajika ran onto the command deck and took his place.

“Bring all weapons online.”

“I hear, Tei,” Kajika said panting from his run. “Primary and secondary weapons at standby,” he said and then snarled a curse under his breath. “Feed jam on magazine two!”

“Unjam it,” Tei’Varyk hissed. “Tei’Colgan?”

“What the hell is happening?” Colgan said. “Where’s my ship?”

Tei’Varyk pointed a claw at one of his screens. “There is
Canada
, but look here.”

Colgan bent to look.
Canada
was manoeuvring, obviously intent on making rendezvous with
Naktlon
to pick him up, but it was the host of glaring red icons on the edge of the system that claimed his attention.

“Jesus…” Colgan hissed. “We’re outnumbered.”

Tei’Varyk agreed. “Could they be your people?”

“Have they tried to establish contact?”

Tei’Varyk looked the question at Jozka.

“Nothing yet, Tei, but I have more bad news. Two heavy fangs are reported missing.
Atarah
and
Vasuk
.”

“Not my people’s doing, Tei. Absolutely not my people,” Colgan said anxiously.

“Jakinda, status?”

“Thrusters at station keeping, Tei. Ramp and grapples retracted.”

“Break dock!”

“I hear. Manoeuvring thrusters engaged. Port ten…” Jakinda said as his claws danced over his controls, and Naktlon smoothly eased away from the station. “Thrusters ahead one third… we have cleared the station.”

Colgan leaned down again. “I need to be on my ship, Tei.”

Tei’Varyk knew how Colgan felt, but he had other priorities right now. “Set a course to join the Fleet. Jozka, any word from the Human ship?”

“They say they will match our course and speed. They ask permission to send a cub lander for Tei’Colgan.”

A Human lander would not be able to dock with
Naktlon
, but it could come alongside and pick Colgan up if he was willing to chance a spacewalk. Knowing Colgan, Tei’Varyk was sure he would be.

“Tell them to hurry.”

“I hear.”

* * *

Zuleika, Child of Harmony

For Shima, that orbit had already been the most memorable of her short life. She had moved her entire world to Child of Harmony—her research, her home, Chailen. Everything was here. Her father was the only thing missing, but even he was just a short flight away. He had taken up his duties on Hool Station now. It was ironic really. Tahar had told everyone that he worked aboard Hool Station, and for orbits he had lived the lie. In reality, he had been working on an ultra secret project. The FTL project was no longer a secret. It had failed, and the research teams were disbanded. Now he really did work on Hool.