Nova (50 page)

“Good.” Perez responded, then cocking his short–shorn head
to the side, rapped out “Naxos, prepare to fire all Quad cannon batteries;
Starburst 6 pattern.”

Nodding grimly to herself as she worked, now that the Decoys
were spent and had executed their purpose admirably, Diana knew Marcus’s intent
was to capture missiles that would be only too imminent, as well as eliminate
Karukai starfighters.

“Karukai fighters firing missiles once more.” Lieutenant Chopa
conveyed, and Diana could hear the slight catch in his otherwise steady voice.

“Firing all cannon batteries!” Lieutenant Belgrum Naxos
rasped even as he keyed the final command.

Reminiscent of an exploding star in design, all of the
frigate’s cannons simultaneously discharged in four–burst patterns, ammunition
slicing through space, incoming missiles, and Karukai
Scorpions
alike to
devastating effect. So quick was the attack and impact, Diana had absolutely no
time to register the effectiveness of the cavalcade, before another series of
jarring slams rocked
Excalibur
like the hand of an angry titan grasping
the ship and shaking the vessel in fury.

Feeling the coppery taste of blood bloom in her mouth from
the unintended slashing of tooth to tongue, Diana raked her gaze over incoming
data feeds while Jaxx grated out “Decks 9, 10, and 11 hit; assessing damage.”

“All but two Karukai fighters have been eliminated!” Diana
announced a moment later, a feeling of fierce triumph racing through her entire
being as she worked on assessment.

“Excellent. Diana, send
Ghost
Squadron
to mop
up what’s left of those Karukai bastards!” Perez growled, jaw fixed.

“Yes, Sir. Command issued.” Diana knew Marcus wanted to set
Ghost
Squadron
to work rather than spend the
Excalibur’s
precious, heavy–hitting
ammunition stores that were the ship’s best defensive and offensive recourse
against larger vessels.

“Commander, significant damage to Deck 11.” Tildon Jaxx reported
a moment later, his freckles standing in stark contrast to his pale skin as he
looked down his long nose to capture the life–lending data. “The Cargo Bay is
all but blown and Cannon Batteries 7 and 8 are out; Missile Batteries 5 and 6
are still functional. Minimal damage to Decks 9 and 10.”

“They were targeting our Computer Core and Information
Systems on Deck 9.” Claudius Chopa hissed.

“And probably, our Engine Core on Deck 10.”  Engineering
Officer Gareth Philips supplemented from his CIC station over the ever–open Command
Deck Comm Channel.

“
Ghost Squadron
is engaging.” Adeline announced,
attention split between her job as starfighter squadron coordinator and damage
assessment responsibilities as the ship’s Operations Officer.

The Bridge and CIC crew could hear the four
Ghost
Squadron
fighter pilots chatter as they engaged the remaining Karukai
Scorpions
,
and if one thing was clear above all else, it was that the Quorum pilots were
out for blood.

Whether due to pure skill or because the Karukai had lost
heart from the whipping they’d taken, the starfighter battle was short–lived. Wing–Commander
King and her subordinates cut through the last Karukai like a scythe through ripe
fields of golden wheat at harvest time. When the last
Scorpion
became a
soon to fade memory in the impersonal starlight, the entire crew of the
Excalibur
let out a cry of triumph.

A huge grin on his face, Marcus announced over the Comm “My
compliments, Major King and
Ghost Squadron
! I owe you a drink.”

“Drink? Commander, I think you owe me and the rest of
Ghost
Squad
dinner, and I mean to collect.” King’s lazy drawl sounded in
response, and Diana could hear the humor and…

Was that a slight challenge in the Major’s voice?

“I think maybe I do at that, Major.” Perez responded,
nonplussed, though Diana caught the warm glow of appreciation in his expressive
eyes before he turned his attention to the rest of the company of
Excalibur
.

“Well done, crew!” Marcus proclaimed, and Diana could see
the pride he felt at that moment alight his ruggedly fetching features. A smile
was tugging at his mouth that threatened to dissolve the "Commander’s Mask"
and let loose the excited boy within. “I want…”

“Commander, Commander!” Rygel interrupted, and Diana could
swear
that the pale–eyed Communications Officer would have literally leapt straight
out of his station chair in excitement, if he’d not still been held in place by
a safety–harness. “I just captured an incoming transmission, bounced through
our Communications and Sensors relays.” Waving his hand about the air like a
man madly trying to flag down a transport, Rygel blurted, “It’s the Captain and
Lieutenant Z’arr! They’re alive and have made Outpost J2!”

Diana literally felt the breath snatched from her lungs and vision
was momentarily reduced to a scattershot of fine pin–points. Her entire frame shook
with warring emotion; carefully gripped fear, anxiety, and newborn, tentative
relief all colliding into an overpowering crow of joy.

Avara!

The name was both an appellation and prayer, life and love
made manifest. For once losing some of her hard won discipline, Diana could
feel the tears immediately rush and gather in her eyes.

Marcus’s full–bellied laugh of unfettered jubilation bounded
throughout the Bridge as his "Commander’s Mask" was finally
relinquished and his ever lurking, child–like joy of the surrounding world
broke through like sunlight chasing away storm clouds. Reacquainted with sight
and meeting her dear friend’s gaze for a heartbeat, at that moment and for the
first time in weeks, Diana witnessed the stuff of life return to Marcus, as it
had to her.

Their shared moment muted but unbroken, Marcus queried “What
else, Dane?”

His body literally aquiver with suppressed excitement, Diana
watched as Dane rapidly scanned the incoming data and communique. “A reissue of
coordinates; matches those left by the rescue beacon we’d found… Let’s see,
let’s see… ah… yes… oh no…
plus troublant
,”

Diana, somewhat familiar with Old Terran French, cut off
Dane’s self–directed ramblings and asked sharply “
What
is most
troubling?”

“It seems that they have infiltrated the Outpost… and having
sliced into terminals, discovered that the Outpost is a Cloning Research and
Production Facility.” Dane responded immediately, a slightly sheepish
expression on his face though he refused to remove his eyes from the still
incoming data streaming across his station’s holo–display. “Captain Serros has
determined that it is imperative to the safety of the Quorum Systems to destroy
the Clone Tanks and ensure word reaches the Quorum because… given the locale
and number of clones in production, the Karukai
must
be preparing for a
large scale offensive.”

“Also,” Dane appended, his voice dropping an octave as
excitement wavered, “the Captain says that their presence has been detected.”

“
Damn
!” Marcus let loose. “Has Ca’rrakk made contact
yet?” Perez asked Diana, intent.

“No, not as of yet.”

“I want
Ghost
back here on the double, ammunition replaced
and refueled, and then sent out as back–up and an escort for Ca’rrakk and
Captain Serros.” He ordered, all business once more, yet his eyes held a dangerous
glint.

Though she would never spend any life needlessly, they both
knew Avara well enough to understand the full implications of her message. Having
deemed the cloning facility a severe threat, without any other alternatives,
Captain Serros would destroy the base herself, no matter what the risk to her
person or life. They had to
give
Avara alternatives, before it was too
late.

“Yes, Commander.” Diana answered, she and the EXO understanding
Avara and one another perfectly.

“Also, Dane, send out an offer to the Karukai Captain for a
peaceful separation as well as help in rescue efforts.”

Peering at his console, Rygel added minute later, “Captain
Ner’kai refuses the offer on both counts, and says that any who attempt to
board will be immediately attacked and that the crew of the
Watcher
will
fight to the last soldier, as befitting the glory of the Karukai.”

“Glory, huh?” Marcus repeated, the exasperation and derision
he felt clearly audible. “Very well. Respond that we’ll leave them to their own
devices, Dane. Any hostile actions will be met with an immediate and
final
response.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Damage and Systems report?” Perez asked a second later,
giving Adeline the time she needed to manage his search and rescue commands as
he turned towards Lieutenant Jaxx.

“Tech teams are working on emergency repairs. All systems
functional except for the damaged batteries.” Tildon responded, voice
cautiously optimistic.

“We’re still up and running.” Adeline supplemented a second
later. “We lost most of our back–up provisions with the damage to the Cargo
Bay, so repair supplies will be limited. So far, two casualties reported. Six
crew members are in Medical Bay too injured to perform their duties; seconds
already put in place.”

“Good. After hull–breach repairs, I want repair priority
given first to our Quad Cannon Batteries, then to restocking repair supplies
with our Assemblers.” Marcus rattled out, his rumble a font of determined
efficiency. “Also, make sure…”

“Commander, another communique pick–up!” Rygel interrupted
for the second time.

“Captain Serros?” Diana asked before Marcus could, her heart
slamming painfully against her ribcage.

Shaking his fair–haired head, Rygel answered “No, our extended
sensors have picked up the signature of incoming ships, two in total, including…
oh,
mon Dieu
! A Karukai Dreadnaught!”

Diana could feel the heat of her body seep away as if she’d
been locked inside of a casket let loose into the frigid nothingness of space.

“How far out are they, Dane? Claudius?”

“They will break QGST… in approximately two and a half
hours, Commander.” Lieutenant Claudius Chopa answered, collating Rygel’s
communication data with sensor and navigation scans.

“Then we have two and a half hours to retrieve the Captain
and Lieutenant Z’arr and jump system.” The Executive Officer announced through
gritted teeth, jaw quivering with tension. “That, or send a message back home
including our final requests.” His voice and gaze were filled with intensity, the
sentiment matching Diana’s own resolve.

Two and a half hours.

CHAPTER 26

“I have it!” K’llan exclaimed, almost forgetting to keep her
voice to a whisper in the excitement of discovery. She could see her own
eagerness mirrored in Avara’s cerulean eyes, glowing in dark of the low–lit
research office as she turned her questioning gaze to K’llan.

“Here, on the first floor; the Communications Hub is located
in the same room as the Systems Core.” Shifting impatiently in her seat as she
rapidly scanned the speeding data spilling over the feed for the second
critical location they required, K’llan found her efforts answered with
frustration.

“I do not understand why I cannot locate the Cloning Tanks!
The information seems to have been deliberately kept clean from local system
files. It simply does not make sense; the volume of the projections
necessitates a major investment in space.” Z’arr muttered, feeling precious
time trickle by as she wrestled with the mystery.

“My guess is that the production purpose of the facility is
kept secret even from most people stationed at the Outpost.” Avara offered a
moment later, brow crinkled in thought. “Instead of directly looking for our
missing tanks, see if you can capture programs and resources that would be
necessary for breeding an army.”

“Ah! Like energy expenditure and routing!” K’llan exclaimed,
immediately understanding what her Human companion was suggesting.

“Exactly.”

“Let’s see… no,
no
, irrelevant…” With her hands and
mind moving at a rate that, thanks to her Arca Enhancements, all but matched a
speeding air–car, K’llan exerted every ounce of focus and mental processing
power to finding the missing link.

Where are you?

Where was the connection, the key to identifying the tank
placement?

“And… there!” The former STF Agent announced several minutes
later, slowing to process and fully trace the data. “Mm. The unusually potent
and numerous power generators seem to primarily supply an underground facility,
constructed some… thirty–eight feet below where we are now on the first floor.”

“That’s great!” Avara whispered in clear admiration.

Ignoring the flush of pleasure she felt at the praise,
K’llan continued, “By cross–referencing the power relays with air–duct and ventilation
placement, it seems that the production part of the facility spans some two–miles
and is accessible through… an entrance on this floor in a small room that is
suspiciously unlabeled on the outpost schematics.”

Almost absently cracking her neck to release gathered
tension, Z’arr switched her focus and drilled deeper into the facility’s
systems, accessing Security by means of the terminal she sat at and her CPA software.

After several more minutes of work, K’llan reported to Avara
“I am downloading the location and facility maps to our CPAs,
and
, I
have hacked into the system and set up an identification and clearance code so
we
should
be able to enter any secure portion of the facility. Firing it
to your CPA now.”

“Glad you’re with me, Lieutenant.” Avara offered with a wink
and a crooked half–smile, again sending a surge of satisfaction to the Vosaia.
“All that’s left is to erase our presence in the systems; just in case.”