The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [141]
‘You’d win the bet, man of Darien. You are an interesting batch, growing up without any guidance or constrictions, wolflings some of my colleagues call you, a pure-strain control group, in a way … ’
Suddenly alarms were sounding out in the corridors, an insistent metallic sound that made the adjutant laugh.
‘Judgement has come and the punishment will be harsh … ’
A communicator node on the conference table also started chiming so Ngassa leaned forward to thumb it and a small holoscreen appeared, showing an officer in a pilot couch.
‘Captain, what’s happening?’
‘Vice-Admiral, vessels have started appearing in hundred-strong formations spaced around the system. We estimate total numbers approaching two thousand … idents are showing as the Hegemony, sir.’
‘Any communication from them?’
‘None, sir, but that’s not the worst – eight of our ships have broken formation, including the two under guard, and are heading towards one of the Hegemony formations.’
‘As am I,’ said the AI-possessed adjutant, who then slumped forward in his chair. For a second everyone was still, staring. Suddenly the adjutant’s head came up as his entire body went into a muscle-straining spasm, a locked rigidity. Greg saw a tracery of dark lines creeping up the neck towards the scalp. One of the guards looked away, and when the adjutant went wholly limp the head rolled to one side to reveal eyes that were charred pits.
‘Captain,’ Ngassa said over the holocomm link, ‘get us back to the flagship without delay – in fact tell Commander Paxton to get under way towards us and we’ll rendezvous … ’ Pausing, he looked at Berg. ‘Dammit, man, you’ve been injured! Field treatment for this man.’
‘Sir, I am not wounded,’ Berg said, pulling aside the singed edges of the slash in his uniform to reveal a line of bubbly melt across the surface of a protective vest. ‘Semi-ablative subarmour, sir.’
‘More to you than meets the eye, Lieutenant,’ said Ngassa, who then cast a disdainful look at his former adjutant. ‘So whatever was using Neville has fled?’
Berg nodded. ‘The AIs with the Hegemony fleet will now know that you’re aboard this vessel. And that we are too.’
‘In which case,’ Greg added, ‘it might be prudent for us to take our shuttle back to our ship.’
‘I’m … anxious about putting your lives at risk, gentlemen,’ Ngassa said. ‘No, I’d rather you stayed with us. Once aboard my flagship we will microjump straight to Darien and let you rejoin—’
‘Sir! – sir, the Hegemony formations have just microjumped in unison!’ said the pinnace captain from the holocomm. ‘They have reappeared at half their original distance from Darien, and still in that encircling array.’
‘Tightening the noose,’ Ngassa snarled. ‘And still no word from them?’
‘Nothing, sir.’
‘Get me Paxton.’ A second later a rugged-looking officer appeared in the holopanel. ‘Commander, I want you to order the fleet to microjump to Darien vicinity immediately!’
Ngassa’s second-in-command was startled. ‘Now, sir? Before we get you aboard? We’re only three minutes … ’
‘Now, Paxton. Then I want you to use what I’m about to dictate – This is Vice-Admiral Ngassa. In accordance with the orders of the president of the Earthsphere alliance, the colony and planet of Darien is declared to be a provisional protectorate and is therefore under the administrative protection and guidance of the Darien Expeditionary Force, Vice-Admiral Ngassa commanding. All grievances and disputes will be heard by a commission consisting of myself and three judicial appointees. In addition, all communications and requests should be made on the main ES navy channel. Thank you for your attention. – Now have Central Comms widecast that on repeat, and put it out on tiernet channels as well, understand?’
‘Yes sir, and we’re less than a minute away.’
Greg glanced at Berg, who was taking it all with typical Tygran composure.
‘So … where does that put us, overall?’
Berg frowned. ‘We have the Starfire and the Silverlance, the Imisil have five ships, the Vox H are down to seventeen, and the vice-admiral