Outliers of Tirano

  -8-

  Command Cruiser Dhanus III

  Deep Space Jump

  A Viper squad encircled Siniastra's Command Cruiser Dhanus as the ships glided in unison through the fifth and final empyrean jump. Sini's bullet-shaped cruiser had been outfitted with the same empyrean thruster as a Viper and could attain speeds of up to half the speed of light. The Dhanus' designers had included such speed so that if it ever became necessary, the Dhanus could flee to safety while the accompanying ships protected its departure. Not that such speed would be needed. After Mhorg and Bhradvin had ambushed the Dhanus II at Caerwin, the Dhanus III had been equipped with enough missiles to out volley a fully armed squadron.

  I sat on one side of the square conference table in the center of the Dhanus' operations chamber. Rohfek sat to my right, Lydmila to my left, and Siniastra across from me. Admiral Motoh stood at the cruiser's control terminal and coordinated their flight path with the Viper squadron's commander.

  I fidgeted in his unpadded chair. Each pair of Vhirko remained planted behind their assigned person and I sensed Svetlena and Oksana coiled at ready.

  Lydmila's vicious smile had not left her face since Sini had announced that the Dhanus would not remain at ComBase 4 but would accompany the Viper squadron to Tamok. Rohfek had objected that the Queen should not place herself in such danger, but she merely smiled and said they were going to a new destination.

  "Admiral Motoh," Siniastra said. "Instruct the squadron to pull out of jump at the assigned coordinates."

  Motoh pushed several icons on the terminal. "Done, your Highness. Brace for re-entry."

  I grabbed the edge of the tabletop. The smooth glide of jump jerked into an increase in g-force and my shoulders were pushed against the back of the chair.

  As quickly as the g-force increased, it diminished. The contents of my stomach lurched up to my throat. My hands flew up to cover my mouth. I swallowed and tried to force my stomach into equilibrium. I doubted that my would ever adjust to the lurch out of jump, but I prayed to Ghaeah that I'd live to endure the discomfort of the return jumps to Tirano.

  "All ships out of jump and positioned at their assigned coordinates," Admiral Motoh said in a monotone.

  "Please inform ComBase 4 of our position," Siniastra said calmly.

  "At the perimeter of the Tamok system as you ordered."

  I smiled inwardly as Admiral Motoh continued. "Close enough to make contact with the Tamok if they're waiting at our original coordinates. Too close for their ships to engage thrusters and jump to our location, but too far for the Tamok missiles to reach us. Under solar sail power, it'll take the Tamok at least ten milli to close within firing range. More than enough time to commence jump back to the safety of Tirano."

  Sini kept her eyes on Motoh. "Any sign of the Tamok fleet?" she asked.

  "As you predicted. Half are at one flank and the other at the opposite flank of the original coordinates."

  "Good." Siniastra turned to Lydmila. "Have your Vhirko at ready."

  Lydmila's forehead wrinkled and her eyelids tightened to glare at me. Her look displayed her conviction that I was the traitor who was about to be uncovered. A lightness entered my chest and my heartbeat increased, but not for the reasons she thought. The slightest misstep by Sini in the next few milli could cause our plan to unravel. If it did, it would provide an opportunity for Rohfek to accuse me of betraying Sini. Lydmila wouldn't hesitate to kill me as a threat to the Queen.

  Siniastra stood. "Admiral, contact the Tamok command ship."

  Motoh's index finger punched an icon. "Semaphore contact established."

  Sini smiled confidently. "Admiral, request a holographic conference between Petrella and me."

  Motoh's fingers flew across the panel's icons. He paused. "They've agreed." He pointed to a spot next to the conference table. "I've set their holos to appear next to the conference table."

  Siniastra pushed back her chair and strode to the indicated area. "Lydmila, please accompany the Lord Chancellor and stand next to me."

  Rohfek's eyebrows flapped up and down. For a moment, I thought Rohfek would break, but he stood and waddled to Sini's side. I couldn't have been so calm under a similar situation.

  "Project holos now," Siniastra said over her shoulder to Motoh.

  Petrella's holo appeared. Loik stood at her side with his condescending smirk plastered on his face. A burly Tamok warrior towered behind them.

  Siniastra spoke first. "I am prepared to negotiate for the delivery of the murdering traitor to you."

  Petrella laughed derisively. "I have no interest in obtaining Kuinsi."

  Lydmila reached for the laser knife in her belt. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the black trousers of Svetlena and Oksana step closer. Siniastra reached her hand to Lydmila's wrist. "No," she commanded. She returned her gaze to Petrella. "I'm aware of your and the traitor's attempts to falsely implicate Kuinsi. The murdering traitor I was referring to is your paramour, Lord Chancellor Rohfek."

  Rohfek's mouth dropped open and his fat jowls shook. "How?"

  Petrella glanced at Rohfek, her lips curled into a disdainful grin. "Your fat quisling has served his purpose. I have no use for him now. The fool will die with you." Petrella slashed her hand to signal her technician to cut transmission.

  Rohfek raised his arm and opened his mouth, in what I thought was intended to stop Petrella from cutting the transmission. Before he could utter a sound, he toppled forward. Lydmila's knife protruded from his back. I jumped out of his seat and ran to Rohfek, rolled him onto his back. Rohfek's eyes fluttered open. "I did . . . virus . . . Belts, not . . .Kip. . ." His eyes closed.

  I reached for Rohfek's neck. Rohfek's pulse had stopped and his face began to turn purple.

  I stood, clenched my fists. "Damn you, Lydmila. Now we'll never have an opportunity to interrogate him." I couldn't keep his voice from shaking with anger. "How do you know he didn't sabotage something else?"

  Her lip curled. "My duty is to protect the Queen. I thought he was attacking the Queen. He could have killed her if I hadn't acted."

  Siniastra clenched her jaw. "Lydmila, get Rohfek's body out of my sight." She bared her teeth. "And Commandant, we will discuss your actions when we return to the Castel. In the meantime, you will personally stand guard of his body until the doctors have retrieved his implant. I want a full report of its contents."

  Lydmila's eye twitched, and I thought a momentary look of disdain flashed in her eyes. Before she could say anything, the concussion of bursting missiles rocked the cruiser.

  "Admiral Motoh, what in the Belts is happening?" Siniastra shouted.

  Motoh hung to the edge of the terminal for support. "A Tamok delaying force has appeared at our rear. They must have been waiting next to the ergosphere of one of the Cavities where our sensors couldn't detect them. We can't jump to Tirano with them blocking our route. Their main fleet is surging toward us. We're boxed in."

  Fear replaced my anger. My breath tasted coppery as I reached for my pendant. Despite the concussions rocking the Dhanus, I concentrated on the pendant and hoped Mom could receive the transmission through the interference of the unexpected bombardment. In the background I heard Motoh yelling to Siniastra. "I've ordered the rear half of the squadron to turn to engage the Tamok delaying force. The remainder of will hold off their main fleet until the way's cleared for jump."

  I felt the warmth of contact in his pendant, received the response. "Contact," I yelled at Sini. "Kiptani's commenced jump."

  Motoh studied his terminal, shook his head. "I hope Admiral Kiptani can navigate that jump. We didn't plan on a Tamok force jumping out of Caerwin. Their jump could have created a hypergolic disturbance. If the Admiral can't make it through the disturbance or is delayed, we'll be encircled."

  For what seemed like the thousandth time, the concussion of an exploding Tamok missile rocked the ship. My pendant grew cool. I squ
eezed the pendant. I'd lost contact.

  Another concussion sounded, louder and closer, and my ears began to ring. The ship shuddered and a sensor panel above Motoh's command terminal burst open. A jumble of burnt and frayed sihlcon transmitters dangled and sizzled in the open air. Motoh slammed his fist against the terminal. "I've lost communications. If we lose the Vipers engaging their main fleet, we'll never know until it's too late."

  "Power up weapons," Siniastra said calmly.

  Motoh worked furiously on the terminal. I squeezed his pendant. It remained cold in my palm, and I understood the meaning of the fog of battle. I closed my eyes, hoped I could somehow revive the connection with Mom and warn them of the Tamok blocking force. Instead, another concussion rocked the ship and the ringing in my ears increased and drowned my ability to concentrate.

  The specter of defeat roiled my thoughts. I turned to Siniastra. "Petrella had our plan figured out. She'll be waiting for the Home Fleet. I can't reach Mother to warn them. They'll be decimated."

  The concussions gained in frequency and intensity around the ship. "They've bracketed us," Motoh yelled. "I'm moving us further to the rear to buy some time."

  Siniastra stiffened her back. "No," she replied, her in commanding tone. "Move toward the main Tamok fleet. We've got enough armament on this ship to inflict significant damage on the Tamok. If we're to die, I want to die fighting like Mother would have. I won't greet death while fleeing like a scared womrat."

  A small smile creased Motoh's face. "Aye, aye," he replied.

  Lydmila stepped to Motoh's side. "Get us close enough to board a Tamok ship. I want to feel Tamok blood on my hands."

  I raised my fist. "Damn your killing lust, Commandant. Your duty is to guard your Queen. Now do it," I screamed.

  A maniacal fury exuded from Lydmila's eyes, as much directed at me as much as at the Tamok. Without taking her eyes off me Lydmila stiff-legged to Sini's side. I vowed that if I got out of this battle alive, I'd convince Sini to remove Lydmila as Vhirko Commandant.

  "I've reestablished contact," Motoh shouted. "Yes, yes," he muttered as he read the terminal. He clenched his fist. "What little remains of the Tamok delaying force is fleeing in disarray. Kiptani caught them completely by surprise. The Home Fleet's in position on the main Tamok fleet. We've got them boxed. It's going to be a duck shoot."

  "The Tamok must pay for the murder of my parents," Siniastra said in a cold tone. I saw the same killing frenzy in her eyes as I'd seen in Lydmila's. "Mother would expect no less. Give the order to destroy every ship."

  I wanted to agree, but remembered Phargon. The Radani will hate Tirano forever. I grabbed Siniastra by the shoulders, tilted my head to look into her eyes, and shook her. "No, Sini. If you do, the Tamok will hate you and your heirs forever, just like the Radani do. Remember your father's greatest fear was that the Radani and the Tamok would ally against us. Show some mercy. Let them disarm and retreat under Kiptani's surveillance. That way the Tamok may become a trusted ally someday."

  "No," Lydmila screeched in my ear. "We'll never have this opportunity again. Destroy them while we can. They can never be trusted. Rid the galaxy once and for all of the Tamok menace."

  Sini stared at me, her lips twitched. I squeezed her shoulders gently. "Please," I whispered. "Do what your father would have. Act with reason, not uncontrolled passion."

  A tear trickled out of the corner of Sini's eye and glistened on her cheekbone. She closed her eyes. "Mother forgive me," she whispered.