Star Alliance (15 page)

“Commander,” Hicks said. “We need to finalize the away team.”

Kaylan had given this some thought on their journey here, but she took a moment to consider whether she wanted to make any changes. She looked around at all of them while they waited for her to speak. “Here’s the long and short of it. I can’t ask any of you to come down to Nerva’s surface. It could potentially be very dangerous. As it stands right now, the away team is comprised of myself, Katie, Ezerah, and Gaarokk. I can’t make any assumptions for the rest of you. In other words, if you want to come down to the surface of the planet you’ll need to volunteer. I want to be clear on one thing: there will be no repercussions if you feel you cannot do this. So take a moment and think about it. I’ll be waiting in the shuttle prep area.”

“Hold on, Commander,” Hicks said. “I volunteer to go to Nerva with you.”

One by one each crew member repeated the same. Redford glanced at the others. “I’m in,” he said.

Every one of them had volunteered. “Thank you,” Kaylan said, “but with Ezerah and Gaarokk joining us, we can’t all fit into the shuttle.”

“What is it that you propose?” Redford asked.
 

“Efren and Vitomir will stay on the ship. The rest of you are coming to the surface,” Kaylan said.

She had expected some protest from Vitomir, but he seemed determined not to be any trouble.
 

“I’d like a moment to speak with them alone before we leave,” Kaylan said.

The rest of the Athena crew, along with Ezerah and Gaarokk, headed to the shuttle prep area.
 

Kaylan looked at Vitomir and Efren. “I just wanted you to know that if I could fit everyone on the shuttle, I would bring you. Efren, I need you to keep the Athena ready in case we need to leave quickly.”

Efren nodded and glanced sideways at Vitomir. “Why is Vitomir staying?”

It was no secret that Efren didn’t trust the cosmonaut, and with good reason. Vitomir’s actions on Pluto were on everyone’s mind.

“Two reasons. One, if we run into trouble on Nerva we need to be focused on the situation down there,” Kaylan said.

“And the second?” Vitomir asked.

“If something happens to us on Nerva, Efren will need help with the ship. Hicks is my second in command, but I need him with me. I have no choice but to make use of you and your experience as commander,” Kaylan said.

Vitomir winced. “I will help in any way I can,” he said.

“I doubt you’d put the Athena in jeopardy, but as a precaution, both Efren and the AI will have the ability to lock you out of the systems and isolate you wherever you happen to be on the ship,” Kaylan said.

“Quite understandable given the circumstances, Commander,” Vitomir said.

“I want you to man the bridge while we’re away,” Kaylan said.

Vitomir nodded. “Godspeed, Commander. I do hope you find what you’re looking for down there,” he said.

Kaylan nodded and left the bridge. Hicks was right. You went into war with the army you had whether you liked it or not.

Kaylan quickly made her way to the shuttle prep area. Gaarokk and Ezerah were ready to go because their suits easily adapted to multiple environments, including space. Kaylan donned her spacesuit and methodically checked to be sure it was in good working order. She got on the shuttle and headed for the pilot’s seat next to Hicks. Kaylan glanced behind her. Gaarokk’s stooped form barely squeezed through the doors, and he settled onto the floor. Kaylan didn’t like that he wouldn’t be able to strap in. Even seated on the floor of the shuttle, the Boxan’s head reached the height of those sitting in one of the shuttle’s seats.
 

Kaylan shut the airlock doors, closing them off from the Athena, and the shuttle’s HUD came online. She released the docking clamps and eased the shuttle away. A few minutes later Vitomir fired the breaking thrusters and they left the Athena behind. Ezerah sat directly behind Kaylan. The Nershal had fed the coordinates into the nav computer, so all Kaylan had to do was follow the flight path.

The star in this system shined with a deeper yellow that was quite different from their own sun, and the surface temperature near Nerva’s equator was a few degrees warmer than that of Earth. Kaylan gripped the stick, ready to take control if they ran into any trouble. The nav computer adjusted the angle of their approach to the Nershal home world.

“Okay, then. Here we go,” Kaylan said, and gritted her teeth.

“Approach is nominal,” Hicks said while keeping his eyes fixed on the readouts in front of him.
 

The shuttle’s handling changed as its surfaces bit into the thickening air. A faint orange glow built as they plunged through the upper atmosphere. As they broke through, the shuttle’s flight smoothed out. They descended through a layer of wispy, white, vertically trailing tendrils. Layers of storm clouds from a weather system gathered farther away. Kaylan tightened her fingers on the stick. She just had to follow the flight path. They broke through more clouds, and the air around the shuttle grew misty. This was to be expected, but no pilot was ever comfortable when visibility was reduced to practically nothing.

The mist dissipated and they got their first glimpse of Nerva’s surface. The land area in their direct path showed remnants of impact craters that had since become overgrown. Vegetation also grew over the ruins of what appeared to be a city.

“Looks like this place was populated at one point,” Hicks said.

“This place was among the first to suffer from a Boxan bombardment,” Ezerah said. “We’d thought they attacked us because we decided to break our alliance with them.”

“The Boxan battle commander was under the Xiiginn influence,” Gaarokk said, his eyes drawing downward. “It was our failure that brought this destruction upon your world.”

Kaylan watched as Ezerah tore her eyes away from the HUD.

“There were a lot of failures that day, on all sides,” Ezerah said.

“This is where it all began for us,” Kaylan said.

Ezerah frowned. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“What I mean is that when this was happening here, Ma’jasalax was sending a signal to Earth through the Mardoxian chamber from the monitoring station in this star system,” Kaylan said.

“I suppose that’s true,” Ezerah said.

“It
is
true,” Gaarokk said. “Kladomaor and I were with her. Given how things have turned out, I wonder if she foresaw it.”

“The Mardoxian priestess is very wise,” Ezerah said. “Even when we severed ties from the Boxans, we remembered the keen insights from those of the Mardoxian sect.”

“How could she have known?” Redford asked. “She sent that first signal to Earth, which brought us here, but how could she have known we would come at this moment?”

“Those with the Mardoxian potential are given a heightened insight into more far-reaching events than most. The same could be true of your species, should you explore this potential,” Gaarokk said.

Kaylan frowned. It seemed that Dux Corporation did continue to explore abilities like Kaylan’s, but it was hardly common back on Earth. She’d tried to convey that to the Boxans, but they weren’t convinced that what their species was quite comfortable with as a societal norm was still an outlier on Earth.
 

Their flight plan had them circle around the ruins. The skies were clear. “Why didn’t they rebuild the city?” Kaylan asked.

“This place has become a living monument for those who died,” Ezerah said. “Things may change now that the actions of the Xiiginns are coming into question.”

“I hope so,” Kaylan said. “How do you think your species will react?”

Ezerah glanced at Gaarokk and then turned back to Kaylan. “They will deny it. They won’t want to believe such a thing could be possible. I know I didn’t want to believe it. Even when the proof was there before my own eyes I wanted to find some reason to explain away the atrocities. The Boxans were the enemy.”

“What do you think will happen after this? Will your species help the Boxans?” Kaylan asked.

Gaarokk coughed. “It’s too soon for that. Kladomaor’s mission was to expose the Xiiginns. We don’t expect anything in return. It was our hope that the Nershals would break their alliance with the Xiiginns and tell the other members of the Confederation to do the same.”

“I do not speak for the Nershals,” Ezerah said. “I will help you find your missing crew member, but after that I’m not sure what I’ll do.”

Kaylan nodded. “We appreciate your help.”

A proximity warning flashed on the HUD as they approached their destination. The experimental Mardoxian chamber was supposed to be hidden somewhere close by. They flew across a boundary to what must have been a vast estate. Ezerah had called it something else, but the AI that handled the translation for them had found the closest word they could understand.
 

Nershal architecture was one that worked to coexist with the local flora. Bronze oval buildings sat atop wide circular planes, and the supporting structure appeared to merge with thick vines. Some of the oval buildings were flanked by tall spires that were thicker at the base. In the deep, yellow sunlight, the bronze colors were soothing to Kaylan’s eyes. “It’s beautiful,” she said.

The rest of the crew craned their necks to get a better view, and she heard Brenda echo her sentiments. Kaylan turned to look at Ezerah. The Nershal’s brows tugged forward, and her eyes were a mix of emotion.

“When was the last time you were here?” Kaylan asked.

Ezerah blinked, and she glanced at Kaylan. “Not since I was a child. This place was quarantined for a number of cycles.”

Kaylan’s eyes widened. “Emma, can you—”

“I’m on it,” Emma said.

“What’s she doing?” Hicks asked.

“She’s going to scan for anything that might be harmful to us,” Kaylan said.

Hicks nodded.

“So far, we’re clear,” Emma said. “I’ll continue to monitor and let you know if I find anything. Otherwise our suit computers will warn us of environmental dangers such as radiation.”

“You should be able to set us down on that landing pad,” Ezerah said.

Kaylan nodded and slowly decreased their speed as they approached the landing pad. She had to navigate the shuttle through the dense vine overgrowth, which slapped against the wings as she approached the landing pad. Kaylan maneuvered the shuttle into a hover over the landing site.

“Landing gear is deployed,” Hicks said.

Kaylan lowered the shuttle, and the alert on the HUD showed that they’d touched down. She blew out a breath, and Hicks gave her a pat on the shoulder.

“Nice work,” Hicks said.

“Thanks,” Kaylan said, and looked toward Emma. “Are we clear?”

Emma nodded. “We’re good to go.”

Gaarokk was the first to exit the shuttle and was followed by Hicks and Katie. When they gave the all clear, the rest of them came out.

An alarm blared from the far side of the landing pad, and a console rose from the ground.

“They want your authorization,” Gaarokk said.

Ezerah went over to the console and navigated through the interface.

Hicks came to Kaylan’s side. “I’m not sure how we’re supposed to get around here. There don’t appear to be any staircases.”

Ezerah rejoined them. “It seems I still have access. Apparently heirs of the estate are allowed to bypass the quarantine lockout,” she said.

“Ma’jasalax said the chamber is located from within the main enclave. Do you know where that is?” Kaylan asked.
 

“The entrances are up there,” Ezerah said and frowned. “Apologies, but I take for granted that we are a winged species. I should be able to summon a transport that will get us up there,” Ezerah said.

The Nershal brought up the holo-interface for their version of a PDA. After a few moments she closed it. “It’s not working. I can’t summon it from down here. I’m going to try going up to the main enclave and send transport down to you,” Ezerah said.

“Are you sure you should go alone?” Hicks asked.

Ezerah glanced at him and Hicks shrugged. Translucent wings unfurled and Ezerah leaped into the air. Kaylan watched as the Nershal zoomed away from them.

“They’re truly a remarkable species,” Emma said.

The minutes dripped by and Kaylan glanced at Gaarokk. The Boxan didn’t appear to be worried, so Kaylan decided to take a look around. The air was humid, but the heat wasn’t oppressive. The vast estate stretched up and away from their position.

“Ezerah comes from an ancient line of Nershal leaders,” Gaarokk said. “Before the capital was moved and the many factions formed a single global entity, this place was a seat of power for the Nershals.”

A strange-looking animal crowed from above. The creature appeared to be a much larger version of Earth’s flying squirrel. It leaped from different vines and used its body to provide enough lift so it glided to where it wanted to go. The heart-shaped head reminded Kaylan more of a house cat.
 

From high above them, a shimmering bronze shape detached itself from the main structure and headed in their direction.

“Here we go,” Gaarokk said. “That’s the transport the Nershals use for species that can’t fly.”

The floating platform descended and came to a hover several inches over the ground. Ezerah waved them aboard.

“This was the only one with power enough for the trip. The power cores in the others were all depleted,” Ezerah said.

“Will we be able to get back down?” Kaylan asked.

“We might need to find another way, but once we get up there we can set it up to be recharged,” Ezerah said.

The others climbed aboard, and Kaylan almost expected the platform to lower under Gaarokk’s weight, but it didn’t budge at all. Ezerah keyed in several commands and a railing rose along the edges. Kaylan gripped the railing, grateful for it. The platform lifted them up into the air, and the landing pad fell away. Redford kept looking above them, and Kaylan encouraged Emma to do the same. Soon they came to the main enclave.

The platform landed, and Ezerah led them toward the entrance. The immense oval building loomed in front of them, and Kaylan wondered how it had escaped the destruction they’d seen on their way here. As they approached the massive, ornately carved glass doors that adorned the entrance, a small column rose from the ground, and Ezerah placed her palm on it. After a wide red laser beam scanned Ezerah’s face, a high tone chimed from the interface and the doors pulled themselves open. As they crossed the threshold, they saw that the area beyond was carpeted, and a thick layer of dust covered everything, swirling up into the air as they passed. Ezerah led them to the enclave’s interior. The air inside smelled stale and old, and the sparse furnishings were overturned, as if whoever had been there had left in a hurry.