Atlantia Series 3: Aggressor Read online

  ‘I didn’t think I could fly without the drug,’ Evelyn whispered, partly in shame and partly because she still believed it to be true.

  ‘That’s an illusion caused by the medicine I gave you months ago,’ Meyanna shot back. ‘Now you believe that you need it to perform, that you’re useless without it, and that’s given you a confidence problem.’ Meyanna removed her surgical gloves and tossed them into a secure waste bin. ‘You think you’re out of your depth when in my opinion you’re in your element.’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

  ‘That you’re a natural born leader and a hell of a pilot,’ Meyanna explained, ‘but because you’re a woman you’re not prone to arrogance. You can’t see how good you are at what you do. Men can, and then can’t realise when they screw up.’

  Evelyn sighed. ‘I screwed up.’

  ‘You made a bad decision, from which you must learn,’ Meyanna corrected her.

  ‘The captain’s going to murder me for this,’ Evelyn sulked.

  Meyanna smiled to herself as she replied. ‘Your time on the surface away from Devlamine has cleared the drug from your system. It didn’t show up on the test, hence there’s nothing for me to record.’

  Evelyn stared wide-eyed at Meyanna, but then her heart sank. ‘When will the withdrawal symptoms start?’

  ‘They won’t, because it looks like Qayin, for all his faults, had your back,’ Meyanna explained. ‘You could only have escaped from addiction with such mild symptoms if he supplied you with a diluted form of the drug.’

  Evelyn frowned. ‘He watered it down?’

  ‘In a manner of speaking,’ Meyanna confirmed. ‘You should be experiencing massive withdrawal symptoms right now, but you’re virtually clear. That means he only gave you enough to make you feel better about yourself, like a placebo with an extra kick to it. Clever guy.’

  Evelyn sighed. ‘Qayin. He’s gone, isn’t he?’

  Meyanna nodded. ‘As is Kordaz. Taron Forge made it out though, right?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Evelyn agreed. ‘But who knows how long he’ll stick around for?’

  Meyanna seemed to sense a melancholy in Evelyn’s response and was about to speak when another voice burst in.

  ‘Who cares? You’ve got us!’

  Evelyn turned and saw Teera stride in, her pale blue skin a strange hue under the sick bay lighting. Behind her walked Ishira, Erin and Stefan, and behind them the stocky, grumpy looking Caneerian that Evelyn had learned was named Dantin.

  Teera flung her arms around Evelyn and hauled her to her feet. ‘How you doin’?’

  ‘I’ll live,’ Evelyn replied as she glanced at Meyanna, ‘just a routine check up.’

  ‘Ishira got her ship back,’ Teera said as she released Evelyn and jabbed a thumb in Ishira’s direction.

  ‘And not a scratch on her,’ Ishira said.

  Of the forty eight stolen craft that lifted off from the surface of Chiron IV, twenty nine had made it to orbit and landed aboard either Atlantia or Arcadia after the Veng’en cruiser had plummeted to a fiery doom in the planet’s atmosphere, taking its compliment of the Legion with it. Along with the destruction, the Legion would also have lost its new and unique ability to infect Veng’en.

  ‘We owe you a great deal,’ Stefan said, his metal prosthetic arm wrapped protectively around his daughter’s shoulders. ‘Your people turned up and didn’t abandon us, and you stood by my family when I couldn’t be there.’

  ‘They’re not my people,’ Evelyn said, ‘we’re all in this together. I’m glad you all made it out of there.’

  ‘Good to be back in deep space,’ Ishira said.

  ‘I’ll miss the fresh air,’ Dantin muttered.

  Erin rolled her eyes and jabbed the stocky miner in the belly as Evelyn picked up her flight jacket and slipped it on.

  ‘We’re due for de-brief in ten,’ Teera informed her. ‘Best get moving.’

  Evelyn nodded and glanced again at Meyanna. ‘Thanks, doc’.’

  Meyanan waved her away with a smile and Evelyn walked with Teera through the ship toward the briefing rooms. They passed a series of large windows looking out over the Chiron system. Evelyn saw the brilliant halo of the dying parent star and Chiron IV itself, a small disc silhouetted against the vibrant panorama of glowing stellar gases and starfields. The view was spectacular in itself, but what made her stop and stare was the shape of Arcadia, the frigate softly illuminated by the distant stellar glow as she cruised alongside Atlantia.

  ‘Pretty special, huh?’ Teera said. ‘Been too long since we’ve seen something like this.’

  Evelyn nodded, a tingle of excitement rippling down her spine as she realised that in taking on Salim Phaeon’s pirates they had effectively doubled their strength. But the losses once again had been great.

  ‘We got any idea what happened to Qayin yet?’ Evelyn asked.

  ‘Nope,’ Teera replied. ‘But he was alive when I last sw him up by the pirate’s ships and shot one of those damned Veng’en off his back.’

  Evelyn grabbed Teera’s arm.

  ‘A Veng’en, up by the slave ships?’ she asked. ‘You shot him?’

  ‘He was fighting with Qayin,’ Teera shrugged. ‘Got him a great shot, right in the chest.’

  Evelyn felt her guts turn over inside of her but she forced a smile onto her features, not willing to reveal to Teera who she in fact had killed.

  ‘Good shooting,’ she managed to say. ‘And Qayin, he just vanished after that?’

  ‘I didn’t see,’ Teera shrugged, ‘I was too busy trying to make it to my Raython, but he was right alongside Salim’s spacecraft could easily have made it aboard and escaped during the confusion. Can’t say I blame the guy, really. He didn’t exactly have patriotic Colonial blood running thick in his veins, did he?’

  Evelyn did not reply as she led the way into the briefing room, where Atlantia’s compliment of pilots were already seated. Before them stood Andaim, Mikhain and Captain Sansin. As Evelyn took a seat with Teera, Andaim stood forward and spoke loudly enough to be heard throughout the room.

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t think that I need to elaborate on what we achieved yesterday,’ he said. ‘Our fleet is now doubled in size, and I’m happy to report that Arcadia is equipped with two full squadrons of Raythons and four more Corsair bombers.’

  A cheer went up in the briefing room, the CAG smiling broadly and waving them all down as spoke.

  ‘We’ve got a long way to go, but we’re stronger now than we’ve ever been.’ Andaim’s gaze lingered on Evelyn for a moment, and Teera nudged her friend as Andaim went on. ‘Arcadia is very much under-manned, but with Atlantia so full I’m confident we can provide manpower to both vessels as well as providing better living conditions for more of us. Arcadia was retired to life as a prison ship much the same as Atlantia, and is also equipped with a sanctuary in her hull for accommodation purposes. She’s also in better shape right now, so we’ll be using her for spare parts to repair some of the damage to Atlantia’s hull.’ Andaim’s smile faded slightly. ‘Despite our gains, we also lost four good pilots and their Raythons, along with twelve Marines and our Veng’en friend, Kordaz. This was a hard-won victory, so let’s not forget the price we have had to pay for it.’

  A silence descended on the room for a moment, and then Andaim went on.

  ‘You also almost got rid of me too, but I’m afraid Reaper One scuppered your chances of a peaceful life and found me before I got fried.’

  Heads turned to look at Evelyn, who managed to keep a straight face as she replied. ‘My apologies folks, I’ll try harder next time.’

  A ripple of chuckles filled the room. The CAG smiled at Evelyn and stood back as the captain took centre stage.

  ‘I can’t add much to what Commander Ry’ere has said regarding both the heroism and the sacrifice displayed by you all,’ he began. ‘What started as a routine supply mission became a crisis and was almost the end of us, but once again we pulled through. As ever there was a h
igh price to pay, but our renewed strength represents another victory for us over the Legion and another pace on the journey home.’

  The captain broke his gaze from the crowd of pilots for a moment before continuing.

  ‘We have now ascertained that during the engagement we lost Sergeant Qayin, not to enemy action but to cowardice.’ A rush of whispers gusted across the room and Evelyn felt her guts clench. ‘Analysis of data shows that Sergeant Qayin abandoned his post and his men to steal a freighter and escape Chiron IV. The ship he took was last seen jumping to super-luminal shortly after the battle began. In contrast the Veng’en warrior Kordaz, whom we took under our wing and who was often subject to fear and resentment from our compliment, undertook a dangerous mission to Chiron’s surface under my command and blew the generators protecting Salim Phaeon’s compound. I regret to inform you all that Kordaz died during the bombardment after being attacked by Qayin, a courageous Veng’en who learned to see human beings for what we truly are.’

  Teera looked at Evelyn, the young pilot’s features twisted with dismay as she learned that she had been responsible for killing Kordaz. Evelyn shook her head briefly to indicate that Teera should remain silent as the captain went on.

  ‘Corporal Djimon of Alpha Company, who had been suspicious of Sergeant Qayin’s motives for some time, undertook a personal mission to monitor Qayin’s movements aboard ship, and has confirmed that it was almost certainly Qayin who was responsible for informing Salim of my identity as captain of Atlantia and of Kordaz’s presence on the surface. Qayin’s holopass was used to access Atlantia’s War Room and send a signal to Salim Phaeon’s compound alerting him to the attack. Given Qayin’s notorious history of crime this doesn’t surprise me in the least, despite the fact that he often fought ferociously on our behalf.’

  The silence returned for a long beat.

  ‘It has become clear,’ the captain went on, ‘that the Legion has now overcome Veng’en immunity to infection. The ship we were following was presumably clean before it encountered the Sylph all those months ago, and somehow the infection made it aboard the cruiser and then evolved to infect their crew. I am hoping that this adaption has died along with the Veng’en cruiser that harboured it, but we can only assume that, sooner or later, our current immunity will also be overcome by the Legion’s infectors. We now have a weapon that can be used against them en masse – their chemical affiliation with Devlamine, the drug with which they first entered the human population, and which seems to override their programming somewhat like an addiction in itself. But their ability to evolve at high speed is something that we must all learn to guard against. No species, anywhere, can be considered immune to the Word or its Legion.’

  The captain hesitated, and looked at them all.

  ‘We very nearly were destroyed today, but once again we have come through. I hope that this affirms in all of your minds, as it does mine, that we are stronger together and always will be. Dismissed.’

  ***

  XLV

  Evelyn walked out onto Atlantia’s landing bay and watched as a squadron of Raythons were prepared for launch. The captain had ordered the transfer of most of the fighters and bombers to Arcadia to allow repair work to continue on Atlantia’s battered hull. Technicians swarmed over the fighters, refuelling and repairing, but for once her eyes were not drawn to the sleek Raythons but to the angular shape of a freighter parked at the rear of the bay.

  Evelyn slowed as she saw Taron Forge and his fearsome sidekick, Yo’Ki, busily loading barrels aboard the Phoenix.

  ‘Couldn’t stay away from us, huh?’ she asked.

  Taron looked up, his shaggy brown hair almost covering his eyes.

  ‘Not for long,’ he replied with a tight smile.

  Evelyn glanced at the barrels and saw that they were filled with water, fuel and other supplies essential for travel in deep space. ‘You’re leaving,’ she realised.

  ‘Damned right,’ Taron replied. ‘Almost got my ship vaporised getting off that damned rock. It’s not something I intend to be doing again real soon.’

  Evelyn managed to stifle a smile at Taron’s forced selfishness.

  ‘You saved hundreds of lives,’ she said. ‘People are looking up to you as a hero.’

  Taron grunted an unintelligible reply and refused to look at her, focusing instead on lifting barrels onto a pallet that was being used to hoist them up into the Phoenix’s hold four at a time. Evelyn helped him to push the pallet upward and peered up into the hold to see Yo’Ki working to secure the barrels inside.

  ‘You have anything to do with Taron’s heroic change of heart?’ she called up.

  Yo’Ki’s exotic dark eyes flashed her a glance, but behind the hostility a wry smile touched her sculptured lips before she turned away.

  ‘There are worse places to be, you know?’ Evelyn said to Taron as she stepped down off the loading ramp.

  Taron laughed, genuine humour melting his grimace. ‘Sure. You all stand for everything I don’t believe in and your crew has stolen my consciousness veil. I’m real glad to be here.’

  Evelyn shrugged. ‘Oh well, so long captain, have a good trip.’

  Evelyn turned away and strode out across the landing bay. She made six paces before Taron called after her. She managed to bludgeon the smile that spread upon her features back into place and then turned, confronting the smuggler with a demure expression and a raised eyebrow.

  ‘You’re not one of them,’ Taron said. ‘You’re more like me.’

  ‘Is that so?’ Evelyn almost laughed.

  ‘You’re brave, forthright and you know what you want,’ Taron said.

  Evelyn faltered, suddenly feeling exposed as though Taron could see right through her. The smuggler looked her up and down appraisingly.

  ‘You should definitely come with me,’ he said. ‘We’d make a good team.’

  ‘Really?’ Evelyn asked flatly. ‘I doubt that.’

  ‘Then why’d you come down here?’ Taron challenged, that grin still on his face. ‘Couldn’t stay away?’

  Evelyn chuckled in disbelief. ‘Wow, Taron, you’ve really got your mojo in overdrive, don’t you? I came here because I want you to stay, because I think you’d be good for us.’

  Taron leaned against one of the Phoenix’s landing struts and watched her for a moment.

  ‘Why bother?’ he asked. ‘We’re all dead in the long run, so why worry about all of this?’

  He gestured casually to the Atlantia around them, and his laconic grin was suddenly annoying to Evelyn.

  ‘It’s fatalism like that that will destroy us,’ she replied. ‘We’re stronger together.’

  Taron rolled his eyes. ‘Ugh, I can almost hear my dear old dad.’

  Evelyn clenched her fists by her sides as she walked up to Taron, her face barely inches from his as she spoke.

  ‘I saw your dad,’ she whispered. ‘I was one of the last people to see him alive, or what was left of him.’

  Taron’s casual mirth slipped away and his eyes turned hard. ‘I hope you hard-duked the son of a bitch for me.’

  Evelyn shook her head slowly, a bitter smile curling from her lips.

  ‘If you’d seen what had become of your father, of what the Legion did to him, you’d be leading every charge at every battle we’ll ever fight.’

  Taron stared at Evelyn long and hard and then he shook his head. ‘I’d walk away, because you can’t change the past.’

  Taron turned his back to Evelyn and strode back toward his ship.

  ‘No, but you can change the future,’ Evelyn said.

  She turned and walked away, but this time Taron did not call after her.

  ‘He’s not one of us.’

  Evelyn came up short as she realised that Andaim was standing nearby and had watched the entire exchange.

  ‘He’s as human as we are,’ she said defensively.

  ‘That’s up for debate,’ Andaim shrugged, and then he smiled. ‘I guess I owe you one.’

  ‘W
e’re even,’ Evelyn replied. ‘You had my back, I’ve got yours.’

  ‘Which is what makes us different from him,’ Andaim said as he gestured at Taron Forge. ‘He’s only interested in himself.’

  ‘He came back,’ Evelyn pointed out. ‘We could never have got everybody off of Chiron IV before the bombardment if it were not for him.’

  ‘He’s got a conscience,’ Andaim conceded. ‘Good for him. I don’t think it often gets ahead of his pragmatism though.’

  Evelyn peered at Andaim. ‘Why are you so keen to put him down?’

  ‘Why are you so keen to big him up?’

  ‘We need every pair of hands we can find, right?’

  ‘What we need,’ Andaim said as he moved closer to her, ‘are people who are willing to fight for each other, not for themselves.’ The CAG was looking down at Evelyn and she realised with some panic that she could not avoid his gaze as he went on. ‘Loners have no future in this cosmos now.’

  Two passes in one day was too much even for her. Evelyn draped a thin veil of amusement over her nerves. ‘Is that your idea of a proposition?’

  Andaim’s eyes quivered in their sockets as his nerves overcame his bravado. ‘It’s…. It’s a fact.’

  Evelyn felt a wash of relief drench her soul as she realised that the CAG was not about to bare his soul in front of a hundred technicians and a smuggler on the landing bay. Mischief ran through her mind as she realised that Taron was watching them with interest. She reached up on tip-toe and kissed Andaim briefly on the lips.

  ‘Thanks for being there,’ she said.

  Evelyn walked past the CAG and strode with far more confidence than she felt toward the bay exit, and she felt sure that she could sense the eyes of both men watching her as she left.

  *

  ‘So, can we use it?’

  Mikhain, Bra’hiv and Captain Sansin stood in Meyanna Sansin’s laboratory as they looked down at the shimmering veil recovered from Taron Forge. Sealed in an air-tight cylinder, the veil seemed partially transparent and constructed of something between a liquid and a gas, like plasma but even more ephemeral.