Star Alliance (32 page)

One of their warships was too damaged to make the trip and had to remain in the Nerva star system. Reinforcements would arrive there soon to lend support.

“Why would the Boxans come here?” Hoan Berend asked.

“This was where they discovered what we were doing to Qegi. To them, this is where the war started,” Mar Arden said.

 
“The Qegi were too primitive a race to be allowed to join the Confederation. They likely would have killed themselves off anyway, but without them we wouldn’t have been able to build our fleet,” Hoan Berend said.

“Commander, I’m getting a massive Boxan detection on the scanner,” Sion Shif said.

“Onscreen,” Hoan Berend said.

Mar Arden frowned. “That’s much more than a stealth ship.”

“I think we’ve stumbled onto something here,” Hoan Berend said.

The scanners indicated that the Boxans were inside a massive asteroid.

“They know we’re here,” Mar Arden said.

Hoan Berend nodded. “Let’s see if we can keep them from escaping.”

Mar Arden narrowed his gaze. It couldn’t be pure happenstance that had brought the Boxans here. They were up to something, and for them to put an asteroid space station in this system, he was willing to bet it was something pivotal to their war effort.

“Attack now,” Mar Arden said.

*****

Kladomaor watched as the Humans were led away.

“I would have thought that you, above all, wouldn’t shirk in the face of doing one’s duty,” Prax’pedax said.

“I’m sorry you think so, but they’re right. You have no proof that Zack did anything.”

“The Human was held by the Xiiginns. That’s proof enough.”

“No, it’s not,” Kladomaor said. “We can’t afford to be fearful and at each other’s throats. The real enemy is out there.”

“I looked up the initial report you filed after Ma’jasalax sent that unsanctioned signal to the Human home world. You said they were primitive and power hungry, territorial and warlike,” Prax’pedax said.
 

“They are also loyal and compassionate. The same situations that would drive other species apart brings them closer,” Kladomaor said, and for a moment he couldn’t believe he was actually defending the Humans.

“With the Mardoxian potential present in their species, if the Xiiginns harnessed that capability—or worse, brought the Humans to their side—it could be worse for us than when the Nershals decided to side with our enemy,” Prax’pedax said.

 
“The Humans are a decidedly stubborn race. They would rather fight than be subject to another species’ rule. We would be counted lucky if they were to ally with us against the Xiiginns, despite their current level of advancement. I’ve seen soldiers freeze at the moment of battle, but even the Human noncombatants show courage under fire.”

Prax’pedax frowned. “Someone sent that signal. Are you prepared to deal with that when we find out who the perpetrator is? Because you won’t be granted clearance to return to the colony otherwise.”

Kladomaor understood what was at stake. Prax’pedax would let them leave, but he would also send his own report back to Boxan Space Command, informing them of the potential compromise to their colony. Kladomaor would never get clearance to go anywhere near the colony.

Alarms blared in the command center.

“We mark three Xiiginn warships in the system—make that six,” a Boxan said.

The count went up to eight, and Kladomaor gasped. Prax’pedax issued a station-wide alert.

“You have to get out of here. There’s no way this station can stand against eight Xiiginn warships,” Kladomaor said.

Prax’pedax glared at the consoles in the command center. The Xiiginns had divided their forces and were approaching from opposite attack vectors. Unlike the limited attack protocols in the Nerva star system, there would be no repercussions for unleashing their full armament here.
 

Kladomaor watched as Prax’pedax glanced at the small console in front of him showing the remains of a Drar ship.

“This is too important,” Prax’pedax said.

“You have to destroy it so the Xiiginns will never learn why you were here. There are thousands of Boxans here depending on you to get them to safety,” Kladomaor pressed.

Prax’pedax’s eyes grew distant. Kladomaor was about to speak again when Prax’pedax ordered his tactical officer to fire a missile at the wreckage.

Kladomaor glanced at the main console that showed the Xiiginn warships closing fast. Soon they would be within firing range.

“Bring up the station’s electronic warfare suite. Firing solution clean sweep,” Prax’pedax said.

Kladomaor was stunned. Clean sweep was used to provide covering fire for all escaping ships but had limited tactical capabilities. “You’re not leaving?” he asked.

“There isn’t time to move this station. I will stay and give the evacuation as much time as I can,” Prax’pedax said.

“Authorize the station’s AI to defend itself and evacuate with the rest,” Kladomaor said.

Prax’pedax shook his head. “You know the protocol. When there’s evidence of Xiiginn compromise, we need to operate under the assumption that all systems have been compromised.”

Kladomaor knew the protocol, but he also knew High Command couldn’t afford to lose someone like Prax’pedax. The commander was ordering fire teams to the defense towers. Using his neural implants, Kladomaor set his sidearm to stun and fired at Prax’pedax. The station commander’s surprise was still on his face as he crumpled to the ground, and Kladomaor caught him as he fell.

“It’s not your time, my friend,” Kladomaor said.

Some of the soldiers in the command center raised their weapons and pointed them at Kladomaor.

“Take your commander to one of the escape shuttles,” Kladomaor said.

“You shot him,” a soldier said.

“Do you want to stand here and argue with me or get out of here and live?” Kladomaor said.

Two Boxans came over and carried their commander away. Kladomaor strode over to the comms officer.

“Issue the evacuation order and get out of here,” Kladomaor said.

He sent a general recall message to the tower defense teams. If they hurried, they might reach the Evac units in time.
 

The ground commander opened a comms channel to Kladomaor.

“Where is Commander Prax’pedax?” Ground Commander Tolpan asked.

“He’s on his way to an escape shuttle,” Kladomaor said.

“He wouldn’t abandon this station,” Tolpan said.

“You’re right; he wouldn’t. I had to stun him so he would leave. There are eight Xiiginn warships coming to lay waste to this station,” Kladomaor said.

There was silence for a few moments.

“The tower defense squads will knock that number down and help provide cover for the evacuation, Commander,” Tolpan said.

Kladomaor wanted to tell them to abort, but he knew they stood a much better chance with the defense towers operational. They would be needed to take out the slip fighters heading their way.

“Your sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Kladomaor said.

The comms channel cut off, and Kladomaor’s neural feeds showed that the defense towers were engaging the enemy. Kladomaor used his implants to authenticate with the station’s systems and headed toward the space docks. He monitored the Xiiginns’ approach and authorized the missile defense system to fire. Squadrons of Xiiginn slip fighters were already attacking the station’s exterior.
 

Throughout the station, Boxans ran to their designated escape vehicles. They moved with a practiced efficiency that would have made any commander proud. Discipline was what saved lives and was a core tenant in Boxan society.

He came to the space dock doors, and beyond them ships were fleeing the asteroid station, engaging their Cherubian drives after clearing the station.
 

The floor quivered beneath his feet. The Xiiginns were firing on the station, hammering away at their defenses. The soldier in him wanted to inflict as much damage as he could, but this wasn’t his time to die either. They were running out of time. Kladomaor authorized the self-destruct protocols to engage. The timers had to be set for maximum deployment; otherwise, part of the station could remain intact, and he couldn’t risk it falling into Xiiginn hands. The self-destruct signal would send a warning to all remaining Boxans on the station. Kladomaor raced toward his ship and saw some of the Athena’s crew clustered together on the space dock.
Why haven’t they gotten to their ship yet?
He closed in on them and saw that his own soldiers held their weapons ready.

“We don’t have time for this,” Kladomaor shouted.

“Commander,” Triflan said. “We’ve found the saboteur.”

Kladomaor glanced at the group of Humans. Their medical officer was hovering over someone. The soldier Hicks had his weapon aimed at the person on the ground, but the female soldier had her weapon pointed at his own soldiers.

“Lower your weapons,” Kladomaor ordered his soldiers, and craned his neck to see who was on the ground. “Let me see.”

Katie stepped aside, and Kladomaor pressed his lips together. On the ground was the Athena’s astrophysicist, Jonah Redford. His blackened arms were covered in blood. He glanced at Triflan.

“They found him trapped in one of the comms towers. The broadcast signal he was sending caused a power surge.”
 

Redford’s face was twisted with pain and the unmistakable madness of one who was under the Xiiginns’ control.

“Make it stop! Make it stop! I have to send the signal. They have to know we’re here,” Redford said.

Kladomaor’s eyes blazed as he pulled his sidearm out and took aim.

Kaylan put herself between them. “He needs our help, not execution,” she said.

“He’s under their influence now and is beyond our help,” Kladomaor said.

“You also thought Zack was the one under the Xiiginns’ control, and you were wrong. I won’t stand by and let you execute him. If you want to get to him, you’ll have to go through me,” Kaylan said.

The Athena crew gathered around their commander, each with a solemn but defiant expression. Kladomaor knew what he had to do. All his training and experience demanded that he execute those afflicted with the Xiiginn influence on the spot. The risk of them roaming free was too great.
 

Ma’jasalax caught his gaze, and the Mardoxian priestess’s expression pleaded with him for reason. If he pulled the trigger, any hope of an alliance with the Humans would be extinguished. He sucked in a breath and holstered his weapon.

“We have to get out of here, now. Then we can talk about what to do with him,” Kladomaor said.

Kaylan’s eyes widened, and the rest of the Humans sagged with relief. A large explosion plumed on the other side of the vast station interior.

“Get on your ship,” Kladomaor said.

The Humans scrambled to one of the transport platforms and raced toward their ship.
 

Kladomaor headed toward his own ship, and Ma’jasalax stayed by his side.

“You did the right thing,” Ma’jasalax said.

“That remains to be seen. We still need to escape this place,” Kladomaor said.
 

He sent one last command through his implants, authorizing the electronic warfare AI to unleash its full armament at the Xiiginn warships regardless of their proximity to the space station.
 

They entered the ship and Kladomaor raced toward the bridge.

“The station is breaking apart,” Varek said.

Kladomaor scanned the consoles. Any escape shuttles that could get away were gone. There would be Boxans trapped here, and he could do nothing to save them. Their deaths would be remembered.

“Engage the Cherubian drive. Set a course for dark space,” Kladomaor ordered.

Opening a wormhole in the station’s interior would be catastrophic, but it was their only shot.

“Take us alongside the Athena and bring up the gravity tether,” Kladomaor said.

“Tether engaged, Commander,” Varek said.

“Drive ready,” Triflan called out.

“Execute,” Kladomaor said.

An explosive chain reaction flooded through the station’s interior as the artificial wormhole expanded into being. The Boxan stealth ship lurched forward with the small Human vessel at its side. Kladomaor clenched his teeth as they raced toward the event horizon. The confines of the asteroid station streaked away as they barreled through space.

“Influx of energy detected. Wormhole is becoming unstable,” Varek said.

Unstable wormholes could send shockwaves that would tear them apart if they didn’t escape. Kladomaor’s eyes locked onto the countdown. To prematurely exit a wormhole could also result in both ships being destroyed.

“Wormhole integrity deteriorating. Gravity tether will be compromised,” Varek said.

“Divert auxiliary power to the tether,” Kladomaor said.

The station’s destruction would be racing after them through the wormhole and was causing the influx of energy. The countdown dwindled to target, and the star lines faded. Their ship immediately stabilized and the gravity tether returned to normal. An orange inferno chased the two ships beyond the entry point but quickly dissipated in the vacuum of space. They were free from danger, but they were out in the void, away from any system. Kladomaor hoped the station’s destruction would be enough to cover their escape. Regardless, they were free of the Xiiginns for the moment.

*****

Kaylan glanced over at the others and sighed. “We’re through,” she said.

“Never a dull moment, is there?” Zack said.

A notification chimed on his PDA, and he turned his attention to it.

The Athena’s AI put up a star chart, and they gathered around the conference table. They were at a point between stars. A comms channel chimed from the med bay.

“Redford is stable for now,” Brenda said. “I’ve sedated him.”
 

“How could we have missed this?” Kaylan asked. The question wasn’t just for Brenda but for the entire crew. “Was Jonah acting strangely at any point?”

“He was always excited about the alien technology,” Zack said.