The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [121]
‘What’s a loyalty cadre?’ Greg said to Berg.
‘I remember Becker proposing such a thing a year ago,’ Berg said. ‘At the time the Bund rejected it out of hand, but now … perhaps he believes he no longer needs their approval. Ah, the Firebrand’s shields have just gone up!’
They were now getting a visual feed from the Vox Humana flagship. The Imisil probe schematic showed that the two contested vessels were nearly 2,000 kiloms apart but the split-screen visual showed them both. They were of identical design, a bulky boxy stern, a tapering midsection and a wider forward section containing most of the heavy offence capability. The image subtitled ‘Firebrand’ possessed a glowing halo corresponding to that vessel’s shield defences. A number of small specks, lifepods, were radiating out from it, each tagged with a symbol and a number.
Berg had been in a muttered exchange with Ash but then turned to Greg.
‘The Imisil probe has been picking up some shipboard communications for the last few minutes – doesn’t sound promising.’ He prodded a few holopanel keys and Greg’s own console began playing a conversation.
‘ … won’t speak to you! – you’ve shown that you have nothing to say that we wish to hear!’
‘Look, have we not ceased firing and pulled back from your corridors? If you want this ship to go anywhere you’ll need our cooperation and we too are desperate to get away from here. Please, let me speak with Weiss … ’
In a low voice Greg said, ‘Is this happening in realtime?’
Berg nodded as a new voice came over the audio link.
‘This is Weiss – what do you wish to say?’
‘We propose a bargain – if we help you get the ship away you agree to put us off at a neutral world before heading for Tygra.’
‘I understand. Here is my counter-proposal – you and all working with you shall agree to enter lockdown confinement prior to our departure for Tygra, where you will be tried for the crime of mutiny.’
‘No, Weiss, that is unacceptable and foolish given that we surround you while our ship is likewise surrounded.’
‘I will not sully my honour and the honour of the Black Sun Commandery. As Nightwalkers I would not expect you to grasp these essentials.’
‘You are deaf to the voice of change – things cannot go on the way they have under Becker. Have you even seen the Rawlins testament?’
‘I have seen it and it is a pack of stinking lies from start to finish. Genocide against the Zshahil? It’s a vile slur on our ancestors and our collective honour, which seems to hold little meaning for the likes of you.’
‘I weary of this. Blab and whine about honour all you like, but we’re coming for you!’
‘Do not test me, Nightwalker … wait, what’s that? … through the ceiling? … so you think I’m bluffing, do you? Then prepare to be devoured by the fire … ’
Seconds later there was a burst of static and the link went dead. At the same time, on the visual feed a series of explosions ripped apart the forward section of the Firebrand. This was followed by fiery eruptions along the midsection and several minor ones on the underside. These were all eclipsed when the entire stern burst apart in a cataclysmic blast of destruction, one last violent blaze of energies as the drive fields tried to simultaneously create and consume the quanta of space-time …
On another screen, Ash and the Vox H admiral were discussing the retrieval of the Firebrand’s pods and what to do with the other ship, the Vanquisher. But Greg was thinking over what he’d heard during that final, fateful exchange, especially the bit about a testament. When he mentioned it to Berg, the man seemed semi-distracted as if caught up in a stream of his own thoughts.
‘There is … something that it may refer to,’ Berg said. ‘But I’d rather let Ash or the captain explain it for you.’
‘Contact,’ said the tac officer suddenly. ‘Ship matching Tygran destroyer configuration just exited hyperspace 48,680 kiloms from Darien with high-vee trajectory. Extrapolation suggests that vessel is on course for atmospheric re-entry.’
‘Smart flying,’ Berg said, sitting back in the couch.
‘And you’re just going