Twin Stars 1: Ascension (30 page)

On the large holodisplay, ten little blue arrows approached what looked like a fence of yellow spots that surrounded the large purple zone that marked the jump point.

If Volkstag decided to, he could use those mines to wipe them all from space without a second thought. Vaela had no doubts he would too, if he had any sense of what they were doing.

Vaela almost jumped when Leederman suddenly called out- “I’ve got a link from Volkstag!”

Feeling herself shiver, Vaela looked again at Ping An, who just stood there impassively a moment. Then the pirate captain set her jaw and said, “Put it on the main display.”

A second later, Volkstag’s sharp features appeared on the display in front of them- and he smiled.

Vaela suppressed an urge to hide being her captain, and forced herself to just stand there, looking as calm as she could.

“Captain Zhang…” He started, then he paused and said. “No, it’s Squadron Leader Zhang, isn’t it?”

“Thank you, my lord.” Ping An nodded. “It’s because of your kindness.”

Volkstag waved away her appreciation. “No. It’s nothing you don’t deserve, isn’t it? You have worked hard for this day.”

“I’m glad my lord appreciates it.”

“Oh,” he agreed. “I do. I do. It’s why I wanted to talk to you before you left. To make sure we’re thinking alike.”

Vaela froze, the breath becoming stuck in her throat. The way he said that, it was a challenge, not a question. She glanced nervously at the rapidly approaching yellow dots on the display. Just a few more moments and they would be within the field.

Ping An barely hesitated before she smiled, however. “We are, my lord. Our bargain stands.”

“Does it?” Asked the clan leader, eying her carefully. “Are you sure?”

Now would be their last chance, Vaela considered. They could still turn away- still make amends. If he knew, then going into the field would be suicide, wouldn’t it? Ping An had to know that.

“Quite sure, my lord.”

And with that, Vaela knew there was no going back. Zhang, Ping An had set her course, and there would be no other path but straight ahead.

Volkstag studied her for what seemed to Vaela like forever, and then he nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. Good hunting, my friend. Bring glory to the clan.”

“I will, my lord.” Ping An promised. “This clan’s future begins today.”

There seemed to be something Volkstag found funny about that statement, for he gave a wry smile as the holo-window snapped shut.

“He knows!” Leederman declared, half panicked. Vaela looked over to see the young operations manager’s tanned face covered in sweat. She felt she must have looked something similar.

“He can’t!” Betsey yelled. “If he did, he would have ordered us back.”

“Maybe he’s trying to tell us to play it straight?” Justin asked from the nook across from Leederman. “Bring ‘em to him.”

Vaela watched the crew go round like this for a short time, then glanced up at Ping An, whose determined expression hadn’t changed. Finally, Ping An spoke.

“Enough.”

A soft word spoken amongst voices loud with panic and worry, but despite this it brought the bridge back to silence in an instant. Vaela looked up at her, they all did, and the Captain took a moment to look at each of them as she spoke.

“Anyone who wants to leave the bridge, do so now. The escape pods are ready, and no-one will think less of you if you go. This is a volunteer mission, and if any of you don’t feel up to it this is your last chance.”

Her serious gaze settled at last on Vaela, and their eyes met.

“You too, kiddo.” She heard Ping An whisper.

But Vaela just shook her head.

“In for a penny, right?”

There was a smile in Ping An’s eyes, and then she gave a nod and looked around the room.

“To the end, Bosslady.” Leederman answered with a thumbs up.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Justin said, settling into his seat and adjusting his visor.

“Ready to enter the minefield, Captain.” Betsey added, resuming her work.

And just like that, the bridge was a single functional unit again, Vaela marveled. All of them ready to follow their Captain wherever she led.

How could any force in the Empire stand against that?

“Entering the minefield,” Betsey called out.

Vaela shut her eyes.

“In three…two…one…”

CHAPTER EIGHT

2718, Day 214

The Imperial Special Operations Cutter
Silverthorne
slid gracefully through the grey void of hyperspace, her sleek dagger form silhouetted by the blue aura of her defense fields. It was these fields that preserved the nature of time and normalcy inside the ship, protecting the crew from the incompatible laws that ruled in hyperspace.

Inside the dark warmth of the ship’s command pod, Ensign Marissa Helgi sat curled up in the large singular captain’s chair- bored.

She had attempted to work, but there was little to do, and all of her colleagues were otherwise too busy with their own duties to chat with their isolated comrade. Now, partway through her shift at command, she began to regret so eagerly taking this position. There was no-one to talk to and nothing to do. Was this supposed to be command? Was this what she’d been aiming for? She’d heard the top seat was a lonely one, but this was ridiculous.

Finally, desperate for contact, she decided she had little choice.

“Hey, Esther.”

“Yes, Ensign?” The pleasant but emotionless voice was all around her, but not overwhelming or loud. It was like she was talking to the room itself.

“What exactly does a Captain do on board one of these ships? I mean,” she waved her hands in askance. “This whole bridge is just a room and a chair.”

“Ensign, it is not a bridge but a command pod. A Class-H ship is commanded by a human, but in actuality it is controlled by their Squire.”

Helgi paused, considering this a moment. “So, you’re the ship’s brain?”

“Strictly speaking- no. The ship has no self-will, and I am providing one for it. If we were to speak in theological terms, you may consider me the animating force behind the ship’s actions.”

“So, the ship is your body?”

“Yes, that would be a fair assessment.” There was a short pause, and then, “Have you not served on one of these ships before, Ensign?”

Helgi shook her head. “I just graduated a few months ago, ma’am. They taught us a lot, but they never told us about this part.” She paused and looked around at the empty walls. “I wonder why not?”

“I’m afraid I cannot answer your question, Ensign.”

Helgi was about to ask why, when she heard a voice from behind her.

“You’d learn when you became an officer.”

Scrambling to her feet, Helgi spun around and leapt to attention. “Captain!” She cried, and then winced as she heard her too-loud voice in the small space. How had he managed to enter again without her noticing? He moved so quietly, he was like a ghost sometimes.

“At ease, Ensign.” Tysen said, returning her salute. “Everything okay up here?”

“Yessir!” She reported. “Everything’s fine! We’re almost there, sir. A little less than an hour before we arrive.”

“Good,” the Captain nodded, and gave her a reassuring smile. Then he tilted his head to look up at the glass display above them. “Esther, what about our “friends” you told me about earlier?”

“The fleet I have been tracking,” responded the Squire as a holo-display opened in front of them to show a stellar map. “Is about nine hours away at current speed, captain.”

Helgi saw their ship on the display, as well as their destination, and a large blob marked “unknown” approaching their destination from another direction. Was it another fleet? Whose?

Staring at the display and suddenly feeling a bit confused, the young helmsman worked up her courage and asked “Captain?”

“Yes, Ensign?”

“Well…ahh…” She hesitated, but decided she had to know. “How can she do that? I mean, I thought sensors didn’t work in hyperspace? How can she track them like that?”

The Captain sighed, and at first she thought she’d asked the wrong question and got ready to make a quick apology, but then he looked at her and said- “I suppose I can tell you, given our current situation. You’re right, Ensign. Sensors don’t work well in hyperspace at all, but Esther isn’t using ship sensors, she’s using her head.” He tapped the side of his own with a finger.

“Sir?” Helgi stared at him.

“Squires are telepathic, Ensign.” He explained. “They’re tuned to read the thoughts and know the positions of other Squires around them. Normally, the range isn’t that far, but when you hook them to a Class-H ship’s amplifier they can find each other anywhere- even in hyperspace.” Then he gestured at the display. “Somewhere out there, Ensign, there are several powerful Squire brains sitting in beacon stations in hyperspace. Because the locations of these beacons is constant, Esther can use them to chart our position and navigate our ship without any kind of guide signal. That’s why Guard ships don’t need jump points or beacons- we’re using a different system.”

“But, why don’t they tell us that at the academy, sir?”

Tysen paused and thought a moment, then answered. “In a way they do, Ensign. What does knowledge equal?”

Helgi hesitated again- what did he mean? She was starting to feel like this was her first day at the academy. “Knowledge is…power?” She ventured, going with what seemed to be the most logical answer.

Tysen smiled, making her heart skip.

“Exactly. This system is the Star Guard’s key advantage, and the fewer the people that know about it the better. It’s a carefully guarded secret, and fleet captains are sworn to protect it.”

It was then that the enormity of what she was being told dawned on the young Ensign. “S-So why are you telling me this, sir?”

“Because,” the Captain answered, patting her on the shoulder. “I have great faith in you, Ensign. Don’t let me down.”

For a moment, Helgi’s mouth just hung open, and she just looked at him in shock. Then she caught herself, jumped back to attention, and saluted. “No sir! I won’t, sir! Thank you, sir”

Tysen gave her an encouraging smile and nodded, then turned and walked to the exit. “Contact me if there’s any change, or we’re about to enter normal space. I’m going to check on the prisoner.”

Helgi replied that she would, and then watched him go.

She couldn’t believe it, he thought she could be a captain? She’d always dreamed, but to hear it from him…it was…amazing! She couldn’t help but smile as she turned around and looked at the display.

Then a thought occurred to her.

“Esther, he said Squires are telepaths. Does that mean…”

“Yes,” answered the Squire before she could finish. “But only while I am a part of this system, and if I actively choose to.”

Helgi blanched, that meant Esther knew everything!

“Only surface thoughts,” commented the Squire helpfully.

That meant she knew how Helgi felt about…

“I have known your attraction to him for quite some time. I agree, he is a most attractive person.”

Oh my god, this was so embarrassing! She had to tell…

“No, you cannot tell your friend.”

But, if she…

“You cannot do that either. The Captain has placed his faith in you.”

Helgi walked over to the captain’s chair, sat down, and tried really hard not to think of anything.

“A most sensible idea.”

* * *

At the Hephaestus system’s Alpha Jump Point, ten boxy shapes flickered into reality. As was normal, they came in at low velocity to avoid hitting debris upon exiting hyperspace, but with weapons at the ready.

“All ten ships accounted for, Bosslady.” Leederman chimed.

Ping An watched the main displays as sensors across the fleet began to take in everything they could, and navigation data was compiled with shared real-time data to form the best available picture of the system. It was an unremarkable solar system- just a single red sun being orbited by a large gas giant, but that didn’t make it any less tragic or important a place.

In a very real sense, this forsaken system was the birthplace of the Empire.

There had once been a terrestrial colony world here, sitting between the gas giant and the sun, one of the earliest human colonies with a population of a quarter of a billion people. Conflict had broken out between this colony and another, and the other colony had decided to act first. Antimatter warheads had reduced this world to a collection of hyper-dense asteroid clusters in a lonely orbit around their sun, a precious bubble of life wiped from the galaxy by human fear and avarice.

It had become the spark which caused the other colonies to join together to prevent a war from happening again, and resulted in the creation of the Guard Fleet. It had scared the independent powers enough to make them give up their sovereignty and their freedom for safety. To this day, many still believed it had been staged by the powers of the time to seize control. Ping An wasn’t sure what she believed, but it hardly mattered now. There was little question why the VIPs had chosen it as their meeting place- the Empire that had been born here was now falling apart, and they wanted to remind everyone what the consequences of war would be.