Sol Shall Rise (The Pike Chronicles Book 1) (5 page)

Special Envoy Tallos waited for the other Diakan advisers to be seated before speaking. “By the Will of the Great See’er, I call this meeting to order.” The Diakans all bowed their heads solemnly in response.

“By Her Will,” they all said together.

The jump system had been a human invention, but the Hermes was mostly made up of Diakan technology. To him it would have been simpler to place the ship under Diakan command. The ship would be run efficiently and the human colonies found with minimal complications. Instead they settled for Captain Jon Pike, an assassin with a Diakan symbiont. A logical choice so long as the symbiont could be controlled.

The other Diakan advisers sat at a large round table. Green fingers folded together in front of each, copper colored eyes focused on Tallos. These were all fine officers. They would be a valuable asset on any Diakan battleship, yet here they were mere advisers, or simple observers according to the Captain. The humans were foolish. How could such a race rise in power? Could the Great See’er be mistaken?

“You have all been briefed regarding our purpose. We are to oversee this mission and ensure its success. The humans must find their lost colonies, and Diakus will then add them to the Galactic Accord. If the humans are to rise, then keeping all humanity bound by the Accord is the best way to manage them. Under no circumstances can this mission be allowed to fail.”

The Diakans around the room nodded their agreement.

Tallos looked to his right to Boufos, the Diakan Engineer. He had commanded engineering rooms on the finest battleships in the fleet. If anyone could be trusted to have engines at peak efficiency it was him. “Advise us of what progress the humans have made in Engineering.”

“The humans are progressing in an adequate fashion. They will be prepared by the deadline,” said Boufos.

“And what of their jump system?”

“By Her Will, it performs at optimal levels.”

“Its continued performance is of the utmost importance.”

“It will be done.”

“And our Chief Engineer?”

“Chief Engineer Singh is something of a challenge.”

“Why?”

“He is insecure. He views our guidance as an offense to his expertise. A strong leader would accept all suggestions and come to a decision, but he does not want to hear suggestions. He allows his emotions to govern him. It is strange that someone so insecure would be given a position of such responsibility.”

“Yes, and yet this insecurity is quite common among the humans. Very well, continue monitoring and advise us immediately if the humans falter.”

“It will be done.”

Tallos looked to the Diakan seated next to the Engineer. Kinos, the Diakan security expert. Kinos had seen combat on multiple occasions and had earned several commendations. Tallos wondered if his skills would need to be put to use on this mission. “What developments are there within security?”

“The humans fear that their mission is compromised. They have established checkpoints throughout the ship. They also search for signs of sabotage.”

“Is this not standard procedure?”

“No, this is different. It is a change of focus and happened as soon as the Captain arrived.”

“Then the Captain is responsible for the change of direction?”

“Yes. The Captain and Security Chief St. Clair have a shared combat history. If the Captain suspects something he would trust the Security Chief with the information.”

“Interesting. And our Security Chief is not providing explanations?”

“No, he is not.”

“We cannot allow this mission to be compromised. Any threats to this mission must be identified and eliminated.”

“It will be done.”

“How do you rate their preparedness?”

“They are an efficient fighting force. Every member of the security team is a combat veteran and many have experience serving on Diakan battleships. They are well equipped and well disciplined.”

“And our Security Chief?”

“He is competent.”

“Ensure he remains competent.”

“It will be done.”

Tallos cast an eye to the next Diakan at the table. The Medical Advisor, Matos. He knew that Matos had standing on Diakus as well as on Earth. He spent considerable time teaching the humans Diakan procedures and medical technology. Doctor Ellerbeck herself had been one of his students. He understood human physiology, as well as that of several other alien species. He would be a valuable asset on this journey. “And how is our Chief Medical Officer?”

“Doctor Ellerbeck is examining the Captain and his symbiont as we speak.”

“I trust the Doctor will advise us of any threats to the Captain or his symbiont?”

“As a former student, the Doctor accepts my role as advisor. I am confident she will keep me informed.”

“The Captain needs guidance. He will not accept it from a Diakan. As his physician, the Doctor is best suited to help the Captain find his way. See to it that she has everything she needs.”

“It will be done.”

“Very well. By the Will of the Great See’er, this mission shall commence on schedule. The Captain is proving difficult to control, however.”

“Does his symbiont not make him more compliant?” asked Matos.

“The combination of the symbiont with human physiology produced several undesirable responses. It is uncertain how manageable the Captain and his symbiont will be.”

“Will they need to be terminated?” asked Kinos, the security expert.

“Unknown. The success of this mission is of paramount importance. For now, we need to allow the humans to continue with their duties. If after leaving their system the Captain becomes a danger to the mission’s success, it may be necessary to take action.”

The Diakans all nodded their agreement.

“By Her Will, this meeting is now closed.” Tallos bowed his head.

“By Her Will,” recited the other Diakans, all bowing their heads in return.

Commander Wolfe ran through a mental checklist as she walked. The Hermes had a fine crew that was meeting, and at times exceeding her expectations. That was no small accomplishment. A perfectionist herself, she demanded no less from those serving under her. She was also pushing the crew harder than normal. They were on a unique mission and Wolfe needed to know who could handle it and who couldn’t before leaving the Sol system. If she didn’t weed out any bad apples before then, she would be stuck with them for the entire mission, and that was unacceptable. So she would continue to ride the crew, whether they liked it or not.

The mission and the ship were certainly different from what she was used to. On The Independence the objective was clear. Be battle ready at all times. The largest and most powerful ship in the fleet, The Independence saw more than its share of combat. And most of Wolfe’s experience was forged in the fires of battle. This mission, however, was different. It was unclear who the enemy was, or if there was any enemy at all. They would probably not see any combat. Instead, they would play a game of galactic hide and seek.

She proceeded down the long corridor, watching the steady activity as crewmembers passed her. They were a good crew. And they would be an excellent crew by the time she was done with them. Whether they saw combat or not, the crew would be as prepared as any. The Hermes would be battle ready regardless of enemy. She needed to let go of The Independence. She had to leave it buried in the past. Only The Hermes mattered now, and she vowed to make it the envy of the fleet.

Turning a corner she abruptly stopped walking. Up ahead two Marines were posted at a hatch. Both men were large, intimidating, and armed. Wolfe knew they weren’t there before. A crewmember approached the hatch and the Marines stopped her and asked her for identification. A checkpoint. But why? She knew of no threat that needed checkpoints on the ship. They hadn’t even left the station yet. Wolfe had seen enough. She marched straight up to the two men, who promptly snapped a salute when they saw her approach.

“What is going on here?” demanded Wolfe. Each Marine stood perfectly straight, still at attention. After a brief moment of uncertainty the Marine closest to her spoke up.

“We are under orders to establish a checkpoint here, Sir,” said the Marine.

“Whose orders?”

“Security Chief St. Clair, Sir.”

While St. Clair was responsible for security on board the ship, security checkpoints would slow down movement and damage morale. She should’ve been consulted about a decision like this. “And why did the Chief want a checkpoint here?”

“He didn’t tell us, Sir.”

She didn’t think the Marines would know why. Wolfe was sure that St. Clair had his reasons, but if there was a threat serious enough to warrant checkpoints, then she damn well needed to know what it was.

“Very well, carry on,” said Wolfe. Not happy about the checkpoint, she wouldn’t override the Chief’s orders without more information. Efficiency required order, and order required hierarchy. As the second in command of the Hermes, she needed to be in the loop regarding any decision that affected the ship. Taking her out of the loop not only undermined her authority, it also undermined the chain of command and set a bad example for the rest of the crew.

Once out of earshot of the Marines, Wolfe opened a comm with St. Clair.

“Yes, Commander. What can I do for you?” St. Clair answered.

“Chief, I just ran into a couple of your Marines on Deck Theta. They had setup a checkpoint there. I was not told about any checkpoints,” said Wolfe.

“My apologies, Commander. It is merely a security precaution.”

“That’s not good enough Chief. Establishing security checkpoints on board a starship is not standard operating procedure. That is unless there is a threat to the starship or its crew. Is there a threat to the Hermes, or its crew, Chief?”

“I’m sorry, Commander, I’m not at liberty to answer that question.”

“I’m the Hermes’s Executive Officer. You damn well better answer that question.”

“I can’t, Commander. I’m under orders directly from the Captain. If you want answers you’ll have to take this up with him.”

“I’ll do that, Chief. Wolfe out.” Temples pounding, anger rising, Wolfe closed the comm before losing her composure. What kind of Captain blinds his XO to potential threats? Her breathing grew shallow and her pulse raced. Growing aware of her body’s reaction, she concentrated on regaining control. First, she took control of her breathing. Taking deep breaths, in through her nose and out through her mouth, she slowed down her pulse and put herself in a more relaxed state. As her body calmed, the muscles in her neck and shoulders began releasing their grip. A few moments later and she had complete control over herself. Satisfied that her emotions were stable she opened a comm with the Captain.

“Yes, Commander,” said Jon.

“Captain, I need to discuss a few things with you. Is it possible to schedule a meeting today?”

“Yes, Commander. Of course. I’m just finishing up with Doctor Ellerbeck. We can meet in my ready room in an hour. Does that work for you?”

“Yes, Captain. Thank you. I will see you in an hour. Wolfe out.”

Closing the comm she walked off. She still had a lot of work to do, threat or no threat.

Sitting in his ready room, Jon pondered his situation. If true, he could stay alive for a long time, regardless of whether he wanted to. If the creature wanted to live, Jon would live. Most would be happy to live for a thousand years. Jon wasn’t one of them. To him it seemed like a thousand year prison sentence. He had already seen more than enough pain and suffering for one lifetime. How could he possibly endure a millennium?

He called up a picture of his family. His wife and his two beautiful daughters. So young. Too young. Their deaths had crushed him. He had so little time to grieve. He had always been a soldier. Not knowing what else to do he returned to active duty.

He returned with a score to settle.

To say he was angry would not do the emotion justice. No words could describe the torment and fury boiling over inside him. He volunteered for anything that allowed him to kill the enemy. Deep space ops in enemy territory? No problem. Assassination of high value targets? Sure thing. Extreme interrogation tactics? Look no further. Surprising everyone, Jon beat the odds time and time again, and came back alive. He did not fear death anymore. He embraced it.

That lack of fear kept him alive. If you are not afraid to die you do not get nervous. You do not get anxious. You do not hesitate. And you do not make stupid mistakes that get you killed. Nonetheless, everybody figured it was just a matter of time, including Jon.

Then an opportunity presented itself like no other. A highly classified experiment had begun and Jon was one of a handful of pre-qualified candidates. When Jon discovered that this experiment might give him the ability to kill even more of the enemy he instantly volunteered. He turned out to be the only volunteer, and so he became the first human in history to become host to a Diakan symbiont. True to their word, the symbiont did indeed allow him to kill more of the enemy. It did so by augmenting his abilities. His strength and speed increased tenfold. His senses became so heightened that he discovered a world he never knew existed. He could see like a bird, and smell and hear like a wolf. Even his mind changed. When it came to matters of strategy and tactics he instantly saw the most efficient answer. His success rate climbed alongside his kill rate.

And then the war ended.

Jon never thought he would see the end of the war. He just assumed he would die on one of his missions. He accepted it. The war had ended, yet he still lived. And he was alone. Alone with his thoughts and with the creature. So he jumped into Black Ops. After all, even in peacetime there is war.

He became a ghost. A silent, invisible killer. He continued to wage his private war. Continued to see justice done on those responsible for the deaths of his girls. Certain that one day the time would come when he wouldn’t return. Then, and only then, his suffering would end. But that day never came. Would it ever come?

The creature became more than he bargained for. He thought it would be no more than a tool. A way to augment his abilities, like the Chaanisar did with technology. But, the creature had a mind of its own. A will of its own. It could inflict pain on Jon. Terrible pain. They worked well together in combat. So long as Jon stayed strong, everything was fine. If Jon showed any weakness, however, the creature took over and forced Jon to act. Any potential threat to Jon became by default a threat to the creature. That, it did not tolerate. It lived. It wanted to keep on living. Which meant that Jon had to keep on living right along with it.

Thankfully the medication Doctor Ellerbeck had given Jon seemed to be working. The creature stayed quiet. Unfortunately it was not permanent and Jon needed to take regular doses for it to keep working. He wondered how long he would need to take the medication. Hopefully the doctor brought enough on board.

“Commander Wolfe requests entrance,” said a synthetic voice.

“Come in,” said Jon. He turned off his family picture and settled back into his chair. The door opened and Wolfe walked into the room. She exuded strength and leadership. Here was a winner. Yet there was also a tension about her. Jon noted the flexed muscles on the side and back of her neck. The slight clenching of her jaw bone. The temporal tightness. She pushed herself too hard. Did she do the same with the crew?

He had taken the time to review her file. An impressive career, to be sure. Youngest XO in the fleet. Decorated with the Space Force Cross for Extraordinary Heroism at the Battle of Callisto. She had been one of the fleet’s rising stars. Yet she volunteered for duty on the Hermes. Why? It didn’t make any sense.

Wolfe came to attention in front of Jon and saluted. Jon returned the salute. “At ease Commander. Please, sit down,” said Jon. Wolfe pulled up one of the chairs and sat across Jon, her back perfectly straight, eyes level. “What can I do for you, Commander?”

Wolfe cleared her throat and spoke. “Captain, I am a little concerned about something I saw today. Walking along Deck Theta I came across a security checkpoint. I had not been informed about any checkpoints, and when I asked Security Chief St. Clair about the matter he said he was acting under your orders.

He could see the anger in her eyes. She hid it well but it was still there. He smelled the aggression oozing out of her pores. She displayed impressive self-control. If he hadn’t been her commanding officer she might even take a swing at him.

“Yes, Commander, that is correct.”

“Captain, as the Executive Officer of this ship, I should be informed of any security checkpoints. Also, if there is a threat that warrants checkpoints, I should know about it.”

Jon sighed. Worried about a mole being on board, he didn’t know who he could trust. Wolfe herself could be the mole. He studied her for a long moment. Nothing about her seemed disloyal. She did show some signs of aggression and stress, but that didn’t make her a traitor. Jon knew he had to start trusting people. It would be impossible to run this ship if he didn’t.

“You’re right Commander. You should be informed of any security threats.” Jon saw some of the tension leave her face. “Commander, I believe that this mission has been compromised. I also believe that there may be a threat on board.”

The temporal tightness returned and long established worry lines deepened, carving jagged trails across her brow. “Compromised? How? I don’t understand.”

“The Chaanisar attempted to assassinate me before I came on board. Before I even knew about my assignment. I believe the Juttari are trying to sabotage this mission.”

“But if you’re right, then we need to notify Space Force Command.”

“No, we don’t. There is a mole at Command.”

“I don’t understand. How do you know that?”

“The Juttari knew I would be Captain of the Hermes long before I knew. They also knew where to find me. That means someone at Command is feeding them information.”

Wolfe nodded in understanding as the pieces started to fit. “And if they had that much advance notice, then they had enough time to place an operative on board,” she added.

It was Jon’s turn to nod. “It is a logical conclusion, Commander. This is why I’ve had check points established throughout the ship, especially around vital systems. Security is also sweeping these areas looking for signs of sabotage. With any luck we may be able to flush out the enemy.”

“Understood. May I ask you a direct question, Captain?”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Why did you tell me? For all you know I might be the mole.”

Jon smiled. “Are you?” Wolfe didn’t react. “My background has turned me into a pretty good judge of people. You don’t strike me as a traitor.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Was there anything else?”

“No, Sir.”

“Ok, that makes three people, including myself and Chief St. Clair, who know about this. This information is to remain strictly confidential. Other than us three, no one else is to know about this. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Very well. Dismissed.”

Wolfe stood, saluted and walked out the door. An impressive woman. He felt lucky to have her as his 2IC.