Incursio (Oolite Saga Part 3) Read online

  He held out a small rectangular piece of card. She held up the one she’d received in the Isis invitation. It was identical.

  ‘A stitch up,’ Rebecca said, deflated. ‘No new ship?’

  ‘That remains to be seen…’ said another voice.

  The reclining figure stood up slowly, rather in the manner of an old man but didn’t turn around.

  ‘You’re Coyote?’ Rebecca demanded.

  Coyote pushed back his sombrero and relit his colita, puffing smoke across the room. Only then did he turn and favour her with a stare by return.

  ‘That would be me…’

  Rebecca strode past Derik and stared up at Coyote. He was a foot taller than her. She took in his tall muscular frame, dark hair, full beard and the tatty sombrero perched on his head. Deeply etched laughter lines marked a face that had seen most things many times before. In turn he studied her; the petite frame, the youthful appearance, the simple dark-brown hair, the lack of make-up or feminine accessories.

  39 my ass! She’s just a girl, a pretty one at that. No sign of any injuries… so who do we have here?

  ‘Thanks for saving my life,’ she said demurely, her eyes widening alongside a faint smile, ‘That was some piece of flying and no mistake. Really amazing. Glad you were out there, I got a little out of my depth, thought I could handle it…’

  Rebecca hesitated and looked away as if embarrassed, her countenance dropping.

  ‘It happens senorit…’ Coyote began.

  Rebecca slapped him across the face, the blow fast, like lightening. The colita spun across the room, trailing sparks.

  ‘Saw that one coming.’ Derik gave a coarse reptiloid chuckle. ‘You must be losing your edge, Coyote.’

  ‘Never insult me again,’ Rebecca said, giving him a cold glare and then turning away.

  Click!

  Coyote had drawn a weapon from a concealed ankle holster in a smooth and practiced move. It was a pistol, an antique projectile weapon but no less deadly than a blaster at close range. It was levelled at Rebecca’s head. In truth he’d been surprised, clearly there was more to this woman than met the eye.

  Rebecca had been equally rapid. Her svelte hand blaster was likewise pointing directly back at Coyote. He eyed her outstretched arm briefly.

  Left-handed; unusual…

  ‘I’ve killed men for less,’ Coyote said furiously, in a voice just above a whisper, his face still stinging, ‘Tell me why I should treat you any different.’

  Cool grey eyes fenced with deep brown; measuring, judging and calculating. Coyote’s eyes narrowed, accompanied by a slight frown.

  The eyes… something hard, almost brutal there…

  ‘I’m not asking for different,’ Rebecca replied, staring back. ‘Don’t belittle me again.’

  ‘And if I do?’ he returned.

  Derik moved quickly across, sticking his head between the two antagonists. His reptilian face snapped from one to the other, while his ocular eye implant glowed malevolently.

  ‘While I’d love to keep watching your species’ tedious predilection for indulging in unresolvable sexual superiority contests, can I inject a note of practicality? We’re a little light on half decent combateers right now, losing another pair won’t do any of us any good. Por favor? Pretty please? Hmmm?’

  Rebecca lowered her gun, indolently spun it around her finger and holstered it again, without taking her eyes off Coyote. She side-stepped Derik, ignoring him completely.

  ‘You might as well shoot me now and get it over with.’ She shook her head slightly and tilted her head up defiantly.

  ‘Humans!’ Derik spat and rolled his eye.

  Coyote had followed her movements with his own gun, trying to get the measure of the woman. He was used to outmanoeuvring an opponent, using their own strength against them. She’d given up the mutual advantage of her own weapon, putting herself at a disadvantage, yet she continued to challenge, to goad. Clearly she was accustomed to being underestimated; it was a powerful ploy. Most men would be taken in by the girlish looks and subservient act.

  And trying to make a Pajero out of me… Let’s see how far your bravado can be pushed little one…

  He pulled back the hammer on the pistol. It snapped into place with a thick click. He kept his eyes on Rebecca throughout, looking for a flinch or a blink. There was nothing.

  ‘Back off!’ Derik growled. ‘Both of you!’

  A graze, just so the little bitch knows the score…

  ‘Boo!’ Rebecca suddenly snapped out, leaning forward abruptly.

  The pistol fired, a surprisingly loud noise in the quiet of the bar. Coyote had aimed just to the left of Rebecca’s head but she’d stepped into the path of the bullet…

  There was a flash of chromatic light and whirring noise as the bullet ricocheted back punching a neat hole through the outer rim of Coyote’s sombrero and embedding itself in the bulkhead behind him. It was instantly absorbed by the self sealing fabric, preventing a breach of the exterior hull.

  ‘Frakkin’ hell!’ Derik growled, jumping back in surprise and alarm, almost falling over a barstool.

  Smoke curled from the expired round in the pistol. Rebecca’s defiant look had changed to smugness.

  Coyote regarded the hole in his Sombrero out of the corner of his eye and then turned his attention back to Rebecca.

  Underestimated her twice in as many minutes… not good. Lesson learnt. But even Elite combateers know when to quit…

  He lowered his gun with a wry grin.

  ‘You win… Care to enlighten me, por favor?’

  ‘My sensors indicate she is surrounded by a compact force-field generated from a device on her belt,’ a deep voice rumbled from the corner of the room.

  Rebecca’s gun was back in her hand in an instant. She backed up quickly, looking confused.

  ‘You might have told me,’ Coyote snapped.

  ‘You didn’t ask.’

  Udian uncoiled himself from the position his mechanical body had adopted in the corner of the room. Rebecca’s mouth dropped open as he climbed up to his full height. Deep hued ocular scanners regarded her and he began advancing slowly across the room towards her.

  ‘Hold it right there!’ she gasped, levelling her blaster at various parts of oncoming machine, unable to decide where to aim. She stumbled backwards as Udian rumbled heavily towards her.

  ‘You can put away your little pea shooter, child.’ Udian marched relentlessly onwards. ‘You’re outgunned. Your force-field won’t cope with this and the less said about the collateral damage, the better.’

  Metal canopies around the metallic central casing folded back abruptly. Two lethal looking chain guns appeared with a heavy mechanical thud. Both spun around and locked directly onto her with a noisy clatter. Udian continued stomping across the room.

  Rebecca let out a small shriek and stumbled backwards, tripping and falling onto the floor and scrambling away in an ungainly fashion.

  ‘Party’s over. Time to play nice.’ Udian stopped, leaning over Rebecca, who was now penned in the corner of the room. The chain guns loomed in her vision.

  ‘Who…’ Rebecca frowned, looking up at the fearsome machine. ‘What are you?’

  The machine leant forward, looming across Rebecca. A panel slid back, revealing a tank filled with bubbling bile-coloured liquid. Within that there was… something. Organic; leathery; the shattered remains of a creature that might once have been a human being. Grotesque and withered limbs were plugged into bio-metallic interfaces. Internal organs bobbed in a sea of nanobot fluid, sloshing, moving, pulsing…

  Coyote was gratified to see Rebecca’s face pall, taking on a sick green-grey sheen as she stared into the tank. She swallowed and gasped.

  ‘The name is Shulth. Udian Foraga Shulth,’ the machine intoned.

  ‘Shulth?’ Rebecca said weakly, ‘As in…’

  ‘Yes, all that and more,’ Udian replied.

  ‘Oh,’ Rebecca gulped.

  ‘Everyone’s alway
s heard of him, no one’s ever heard of me!’ Derik complained, testily.

  The elaborate doors snapped open again. The four combateers turned as two more individuals entered the room.

  The first appeared to a man of average height. His age was difficult to gauge, probably in his forties. He had a tall erect bearing and was wearing dark clothes, which were a narrow shade away from being a uniform. His hair was grey with traces of black and his hazel eyes narrowed before scanning the room swiftly, clearly making a count. He seemed vaguely familiar to the assembly but they couldn’t place him.

  He took in the situation without reacting; Coyote, Rebecca and Udian were still facing each other with weapons drawn in an attitude of mutual annihilation. Derik remained standing to the side looking disgusted with them all.

  ‘I see you’ve introduced yourselves,’ he said. His voice was soft, cultured and reassuring. ‘Perhaps we could dispense with the weapons for the time being?’

  Udian stomped back, the chain guns folding neatly back into his carapace. Coyote carefully re-holstered his own weapon and turned his attention to the newcomer. Rebecca scowled and then capitulated, climbing back to her feet.

  The man stepped aside revealing the other entrant.

  The second individual was a trolley.

  At least, that was how it appeared. A small metallic case floated into the bar, supporting a transparent sphere. Inside the sphere was….

  Coyote and Rebecca exchanged a look.

  …a brain.

  They could all see the convoluted and distinctive patterning of the grey lump of organic matter, floating in a soup of milky white translucent fluid. They could make out connectors, supports and small lights all intricately connected to the brain, acting as conduits to the outside world.

  The trolley proceeded into the room and stopped abruptly. The sphere detached itself, sprouting delicate appendages that might have been arms, fingers or even tentacles. It jumped down and scuttled across towards Rebecca.

  She stepped back, staring down at it, her mouth hanging open.

  ‘Blaze O’ Glory. Chief test pilot for Isis Interstellar.’ The voice was bubbly, amused even. ‘Pleasure to make your acquaintance at long last Rebecca Weston.’

  A manipulator was extended in her direction.

  Rebecca crouched down took it gingerly. ‘Charmed, I’m sure,’ she managed.

  The doors closed. The man coughed politely and the combateers turned their attention to him.

  ‘Two weeks?’ Coyote echoed in disbelief.

  ‘No way it can be that bad,’ Rebecca snapped. ‘Even with overwhelming numbers they couldn’t invade all the charts simultaneously…’

  ‘They’re not invading all the charts,’ the man replied.

  ‘But…’

  The man had introduced himself with only the bare necessities. He was an aide to the Galactic Navy, a Galcop commander by the name of Garew Ward. He’d submitted to a scan by Shulth who indicated that his credentials checked out. He apologised for the manner in which they’d been assembled and then cut to the chase.

  ‘Five weeks ago we received word that the Thargoids were conducting unusual activity in Chart Eight, near the planet Oresrati…’

  Rebecca frowned. Coyote caught the look that briefly crossed her face.

  ‘…The team sent to investigate never reported back,’ Garew continued. ‘Then civilian shipping in the area was reported overdue and never arrived. At around the same time, the Thargoids withdrew from all the interstellar war zones where we’ve been engaged with them for the last two years. They gave up strategic gains, resources, access routes. Everything. We dared hope that they were finally admitting defeat. They had simply disappeared.’

  ‘Then, without warning, they came through the Formidine Rift. First we had incursions at Arusqudi and Orteve, followed by Teorge. Within days there was another at Riiser. A civilian fleet was ripped to shreds at Zarace. They’d completely circumvented the Xexedi Cluster. We’ve been keeping a lid on casualties but there have been millions. By the time we’d mobilised a sufficient force they were already due at Aesbion. The 5th Armada was assembled to meet them.’

  ‘And?’ Derik asked.

  ‘We met them,’ Garew said. ‘Four behemoths, twenty five pulsar frigates, fifteen squadrons of twenty Vipers. Military grade, state-of-the-art weaponry; trained, disciplined fighters. The Thargoids had taken up station around a moon. They were disorganised, unstructured, clustered in a chaotic array of various ships and configurations. They had the numerical advantage but no structure.’

  Garew let out a deep breath.

  ‘We engaged with standard tactics, concentrating fire on individual ships by squadron, taking them down one by one. We wiped out hundreds of ships. The firefight raged for hours. We’d lost a third of our ships before we began to turn the tide. The Thargoids began to retreat, heading out-system. We pursued them, determined to force them back and secure the affected systems.’

  Garew clasped his hands together and surveyed them once again.

  ‘On the edge of the system the Thargoids turned, spread out and halted. We formed up ranks and were about to press our advantage. Then we picked up inbound witch-space signatures. Front, flanks and rear. Thargoids appeared out of nowhere; hundreds, thousands of them. We were surrounded. A trap.’

  Garew hung his head. ‘It was a massacre; some of the Thargoids had this plasma weapon, cutting through our ships as if their shields were down. Even without that, their overwhelming numbers would have easily secured victory. They completely changed strategy, that and the endless repeating message. We couldn’t even flee, they were able to jam our witch-space drives. Only a handful of our ships survived.’

  ‘It’s a surgical attack strategy, aiming for one thing. They’re trying to isolate Lave. We’ve kept Tionisla for now but it’s only a matter of time. We’ve got reports of more Thargoids entering the Erlasian Gulf and still more massing at Teaatis and Legees. They’ve thrown every single resource they have at Chart one. Our fleets are still deployed across the Charts. We’ve got re-enforcements on the way but by the time they get here…’

  ‘We have the 3rd here at Tionisla, the 7th and the 9th at Lave, with various other groups assembling at Leesti, Diso, Reorte and Orerve. Our tactical simulations predict Lave will be overrun in two weeks. Every single Thargoid force we have data on is moving towards Lave, as fast as they can.’

  ‘Why Lave?’ Udian intoned. ‘What are you hiding there?’

  Garew looked back at the enigmatic machine.

  ‘Nothing,’ he responded. ‘You’d gratify the Navy’s top strategists if you could figure out their aim. We see no obvious benefit to appropriating Lave. Yes, it will be demoralising but it’s not a tactical position from which we see them launching a subsequent invasion. As a military target it’s simply not worth the trouble. It makes no sense.’

  ‘Clearly makes sense to the ‘goids,’ Derik interjected.

  Garew paused and looked at each one of them in turn. Rebecca had a frown on her face, Coyote looked pensive. Derik and Udian’s expressions were as unreadable as ever.

  Coyote looked up after a moment.

  ‘This is all very tragic… ’ he said, fixing the commander with a stare. ‘But I fail to see what it’s got to do with us.’

  ‘Yeah, we kicked some bug ass,’ Derik added. ‘But four ships - sorry, two and a half ships - won’t make a dent in a Thargoid invasion fleet no matter how good we are.’

  Garew smiled wanly at them. ‘You’re quite correct. But a career in the Navy wasn’t what I had in mind. The four of you hold the solution to this situation.’

  Garew gestured to the holofac emitters and the Tionisla Chronicle newsfeed faded away, being replaced by a familiar map of Chart One. All the systems were familiar, from the Core Worlds east of Riedquat, all the way to the Pulsar Worlds eighty light years away near Rebecca’s home of Tianve.

  ‘The Thargoids are here, here and here,’ Garew said. The appropriate sections of the c
hart adjacent to the Lave region turned red. ‘Given they are throwing everything they have at Lave, we’ve an opportunity to cripple them severely. Udian Shulth, as you’re no doubt aware, is a bio-weapons specialist. He already has proved that bio-weapons are effective against the Thargoids in the past. Unfortunately they were able to counter the effects within weeks, preventing their annihilation. What we need is a more powerful bio-weapon.’

  ‘And know you of such of a thing?’ Coyote asked, stiffening noticeably.

  Garew nodded, looking over at Udian.

  ‘Indeed,’ Udian replied. ‘I’ve created a new strain of genetically-keyed bio weapon. It will take the Thargoids and their technology apart on impact.’

  ‘So what’s the problem? Rebecca asked. ‘Just splat the bugs. Let them have it.’

  ‘The problem is that the weapon is a prototype,’ Udian replied. ‘It’s yet to be tested on actual subjects. Galcop’s regulations are needlessly bureaucratic and quite obstructive.’

  ‘And waived for the duration of this emergency,’ Garew added smoothly.

  ‘Perhaps if you’d allowed my research to continue unhindered, you would be in a better tactical position right now…’

  ‘…Perhaps if you were prepared to collaborate effectively with Galcop we wouldn’t need to hinder you.’ Garew replied, tartly.

  ‘The bottom line is that you don’t know if this thing works,’ Derik interrupted.

  Udian moved slowly forward. ‘It was thought appropriate to test it before relying on it to change the course of the war. Going into battle with a potentially ineffective weapon at the expense of traditional munitions is not advisable.’

  ‘Smart move,’ Rebecca snapped. ‘So, how are you going to test it? Got some tame Thargoids somewhere?’

  Garew smiled smugly at her. ‘Yes, we have.’

  He pointed at the Chart holofac and snapped his fingers. A planet was highlighted on the far right of the Chart.’

  ‘Beenri?’ Derik said with a grimace. ‘It’s a hellhole and on the wrong side of the Tortuga expanse. Anarchy central!’

  ‘Beenri,’ Garew repeated. ‘Radius 3833 kilometres. Feudal, Poor Agricultural. Tech level 3. Population 1.7 billion harmless fat insects. That’s the official entry. In truth, a terraformed planet given over to a Thargoid breeding experiment that’s been running for over two hundred years.’