Right Ascension (The Sector Fleet, Book 3) Read online

  “A chapel has been made available for those who wish to use it. For now, we take the time to see to our dead. Come morning; we will rise to meet whatever challenge awaits us. And we will stand strong against it.” She nodded her head. “Bridge out.”

  The viewscreen changed to an image of the asteroid belt before us and the various ships in the Sectors One, Two and Three Fleets.

  Sophia stared at it for a long time, as the bridge crew watched her. All silently thinking their own thoughts of grief.

  Then she turned to Commander Kulik and said, “You have the bridge, Commander.”

  “I have the bridge, Captain,” he said, offering a salute that would normally not be required for such a simple handoff.

  Sophia stared at him for a suspended moment, acknowledging silently the respect he was giving. Then she ducked her head and walked toward me.

  “Lieutenant Itō, have your men at the ready,” she called out.

  “Yes, Captain. We stand by for boarding.”

  “Lieutenant Commander Saitō,” she said as she approached me. “I think as our chief science officer, you should be part of the welcoming committee.”

  Considering I alone knew the code that could kill Aquila, it made sense.

  “Aye-aye, ma’am,” I said, nodding.

  The captain led the way off the bridge. Itō followed behind as I walked at her side.

  “Do you expect trouble?” I asked.

  “No. But Jameson would expect an Anderson Universal captain to greet him with a show of respect. Considering our current situation, behaving as if he carries no potential threat would be inappropriate.”

  “I see,” I said.

  “From here on in,” she advised as we stepped onto the lift, “it becomes political. He has seniority to me,” she added. “I’m not quite sure where the captain of the Chariot comes in, as he is technically outside the AU command structure. But taking Anderson Universal out of the equation, he is a more experienced captain than me.”

  “So, you’re telling me, you’re at the bottom of the pile.”

  She offered me an arched brow.

  “Hardly.” I suppressed a smile. “I am an Anderson after all.”

  Yes. She was. The last living Anderson. And if the absence of an heir to our lease meant what I thought it meant, she was also very much in command of this vessel in more ways than just one.

  We walked out into the shuttle bay, two security crewmen already waiting for our arrival.

  “Everything in order for our guests?” Sophia asked.

  “Yes, Captain,” the senior officer replied, nodding to Itō as he approached. “We are ready to receive Pavo’s shuttle.”

  “Good,” Sophia said, coming to a stop off to the side. She stared out at the containment field that held atmosphere inside and waited.

  I made myself wait patiently at her side and stared out into space with her. Rather than stare at her as I would have liked.

  Two minutes later a shuttle appeared and slid seamlessly through the blue glint of laser light that kept us alive. Sophia didn’t shift a muscle. Most would think her cool at the very least, frigid more likely. But I knew underneath that cold exterior was a passionate woman. A woman who could feel. Who could show emotion. Who was very much present, even if she looked like she was simply here for a meet and greet.

  Sophia was nervous, and I was the only one in that shuttle bay who knew it.

  I shifted fractionally closer. She didn’t react. But it was enough to know I had given her what she needed.

  The shuttle settled onto the deck and let off gas; hissing and creaking as it adjusted to the change in temperature. It didn’t take long for the door to open and the ramp to lower.

  Captain Jameson was the first to step off, with a woman at his back. She wore the four pips of a commander. His first officer, then. The one he had retired with last night.

  Behind them came another man, this time in a different uniform. He did have the requisite four bars to indicate the rank of captain though. So, I was picking this was the commander-in-chief of the Chariot. Behind him stepped a blonde female officer. Four pips. Again a commander. I wondered if she was his first officer.

  Sophia stepped forward to greet them. I walked with her, staying just behind her shoulder.

  Jameson’s eyes swept over Sophia, the deck, the security and then me. I was certain he didn’t miss a thing in that second’s long glance.

  “Captain Anderson,” he said, reaching out to shake her hand. “Allow me to make the introductions. This is Commander Kereama; my first officer.” Sophia shook the commander’s hand. “These two interlopers are Captain Vaughan and Commander Rey of the ESAS Chariot. Now proudly the playmates of Vela.”

  Sophia cocked her head and shook everyone’s hand. Jameson looked pointedly at me.

  “Welcome aboard,” Sophia said. She turned to me and said, “This is my chief science officer, Lieutenant Commander Saitō. He is the reason why Aquila did not succeed in gaining a foothold on our ship.”

  I was surprised at the added explanation, even if it was technically true.

  “Just the sort of officer you want on your side at a time like this, then,” Jameson said.

  “Yes,” Sophia simply agreed. But to me, it sounded like an exclamation. A shout. A declaration to everyone present.

  I nodded my head and returned to attention at her side.

  “Shall we finish this in my ready room?” Sophia suggested.

  “Lead on,” Jameson offered. “I always wondered what the jewel of the Anderson Universal fleet looked like. I aim to compare notes and complain wildly to my first officer when we get back to Pavo.”

  “Did you compare notes and complain wildly,” Captain Vaughan asked, “when you returned to your ship from ours?”

  Jameson scoffed. “Not likely, Noah. Your ship was a bloody wreck.”

  They clearly knew each other. Or had grown close in the short time they’d both had since liftoff from Earth. As the Chariot was a European Space Agency vessel and not part of Anderson Universal, I was pretty sure that closeness meant more than it said.

  “The Chariot is a finely made and maintained piece of machinery,” Vaughan’s Commander Rey said in an obviously French accent. “Nothing can compare to its systems in any of the fleets.”

  “Tell that to yourself, Chief,” Jameson said. “But when I was last there, it was a heap.”

  Sophia blinked, slowing her steps slightly. No doubt thinking she might have to intervene.

  “Then perhaps you need to come back for another visit,” Vaughan said crisply.

  “Thought you’d never ask,” Jameson offered with a grin. “Got any of that Williamine left?”

  Captain Vaughan laughed. “Not if my mayor has anything to say about it.”

  I glanced at Sophia, who looked back at me. Both of us stunned at the informality.

  Jameson noted our shared expressions.

  “Sophia,” he said. “Welcome to the Space Sucks But We’re All In This Together Club. Doesn’t matter where you’re from or what you had to do to get here. None of it does. If you have an AI, that’s gone batshit crazy and a vessel that still flies, then you’re an instant bonafide member. Congratulations.”

  Sophia just stared at him.

  And then Corvus said, “I am NOT batshit crazy.”

  Jameson winced.

  “But Vela might be.”

  Forty-Three

  Oorah

  Sophia

  My ready room seemed small with so many command-heavy officers in it. At least Itō and his men had remained outside. I sat down at my desk, noting Leo had shifted to stand off to the side. Close enough to step between me and any potential threat, but not so close that he impinged on my authority.

  He was good at that.

  I clasped my hands together on the desk before me and waited for everyone to settle.

  When they’d taken their seats, I said, “We are unable to locate Aquila on our scans.” Nothing like being the
first to get to the heart of the matter.

  Jameson nodded, but it was Captain Vaughan who replied.

  “We chased him out of the neighbourhood,” he said. “He was severely damaged. Some of your hits weren’t…kind.”

  I wondered if he was judging me or simply stating a fact. It was hard to say. Despite being a fellow Englishman, I wasn’t familiar with Noah Vaughan out of the ESA.

  “Did he attempt to hack your comms?” I asked, ignoring anything implied.

  Jameson and Vaughan shared a look. “No,” they both said.

  “Should he have?” Jameson added.

  “Quite possibly,” I admitted. “We attempted to take his communications array out first. The hits to his nacelles were purely for our own survival.”

  Noah Vaughan inclined his head as if I’d fired a warning shot across his bow. We were all feeling our way in this new dynamic.

  “The communique we received was recorded,” Jameson advised. “When Pavo queried the veracity of Captain Moore’s words, we suspected the format was on purpose. Perhaps it was also because the damage sustained to his array was significant enough to compromise other aspects of his communications.”

  That was a godsend, then. And I was thankful our hit to Aquila’s array had been enough to prevent the Sector One and Two AIs from suffering through what Corvus had.

  I decided to voice my next greatest fear. “Aquila’s crew and passengers may be lost to us.”

  “You can’t know that,” Captain Vaughan immediately said.

  “I’m unsure we have a choice but to consider it,” I replied steadily.

  Vaughan let out an uneasy sigh but didn’t offer further objections.

  “What do you suggest, Captain?” Jameson asked.

  “His purpose is unknown at this stage, save to say he admitted he wanted to destroy us,” I replied. Both men looked a little uncomfortable at that. I dismissed their reactions, thinking the topic was indeed an uncomfortable one for all of us. “We need to combine forces,” I added, “for all of our protection and proceed to the next jump point.”

  “Do you know if Aquila has even set the next jump point?” Vaughan asked.

  I shook my head. “It’s too far away for long-range scans. We’ve also not been able to locate his fleet. They could be guarding it.”

  “You think the entire fleet has gone rogue?” Jameson demanded.

  “As I said, I’m unsure we have a choice but to consider it.”

  Jameson muttered something I couldn’t quite catch under his breath.

  His first officer shifted in her seat. My eyes immediately flicked to her.

  “Commander Kereama?” I pressed. “You have something to say?”

  She glanced at Jameson, who met her gaze easily. They shared a look that said more than words could ever convey, and then he shrugged his shoulders, clearly having come to some decision.

  “If you’ve heard enough to convince you, Ana,” he said. “ Go ahead.”

  I watched as the woman lifted a hand to her ear and then realised what she was doing and lowered it. Earpiece. I was momentarily shocked. She was connected to someone outside of this room.

  “Corvus,” I said quietly. “Scan my ready room.”

  Everyone stilled.

  “Ready room scanned, Captain. A communication device has been detected. My apologies. I was distracted and missed its significance.”

  “Care to explain?” I said, looking at Jameson now instead of his first officer.

  “Pavo,” both Jameson and Corvus said.

  I arched my brow.

  “Pavo distracted me, Captain,” Corvus added.

  I held Jameson’s steady stare.

  “Ana,” he said, holding my hard look just as resolutely.

  “It’s true,” his first officer said into the strained silence. “I’m in contact with Pavo. I’m barely ever not in contact with Pavo actually.”

  I said nothing and waited.

  Kereama leaned forward as she talked.

  “It’s standard procedure,” she explained. “When entering a foreign environment.”

  “That’s not an Anderson Universal procedure I’m aware of,” I said. “And if you didn’t already know, Commander, I helped write the procedures.”

  “Circumstances have required that we adapt, Captain,” Jameson said.

  I couldn’t argue with that, but I still felt on edge.

  “And what has Pavo to say?” I asked Kereama.

  Kereama offered a wry smile. “Ironically, Pavo believes you’re speaking the truth,” she said.

  It didn’t actually surprise me that they were still wary. I was still wary of them, after all.

  “And what else does Pavo say?” I asked.

  “Aside from frequently mentioning how…enthusiastic Corvus is,” she said, no doubt doctoring her words for Corvus’ sake, “he believes we should share experiences.”

  I looked back at Jameson. Then flicked a glance to Vaughan. He and his Commander Rey did not look confused in the slightest, so I gathered they were in on this. Or, more accurately, that Pavo had already given them his seal of approval and they were part of the in-the-know section of our little club.

  I sat back in my chair and waited.

  Jameson offered a small smile but didn’t make eye contact. It was a purposeful move, designed to offer no obvious challenge.

  John Jameson knew how to play the political game.

  “Our leaseholder and mayor,” Kereama said drawing my attention again, “started a revolt.”

  That was unexpected. I looked at Captain Vaughan.

  “Ours didn’t,” he said quickly. “I like our mayor. But we’re not entirely sure what might have transpired onboard the vessel Vela if it had survived launch.”

  “What does your AI say?”

  “He can’t confirm or deny that there might have been a similar incident onboard once they’d cleared Earth’s orbit. A solar flare got them before anyone had a chance to enact any potential plan.”

  “And the motive behind this?” I asked.

  “Money,” Jameson said. “Power. As big a stake as they can manage in New Earth.”

  I said nothing for a moment.

  “That seems shortsighted,” I finally offered.

  “Nobody ever said the rich and powerful weren’t ruthless,” Vaughan offered.

  Everyone looked at me, expectantly.

  “Your leaseholder?” Jameson finally asked.

  “Deceased,” I offered. “Aquila,” I added when I saw the questions there.

  “Ah,” Jameson said wincing. Clearly, their leaseholder had met a different end.

  This just got more and more interesting. And I admit, a little frightening.

  “Where does that leave us?” I asked.

  “With the assumption that Aquila’s leaseholder succeeded in his endeavours,” Jameson offered.

  That sounded entirely too plausible for my liking.

  “Then Captain Moore is likely dead,” I concluded.

  “Yes,” Jameson agreed simply. “But we can’t assume the rest of the AU crew is. And we certainly have no reason to believe the passengers are. The leaseholder needs civilians. He needs a workforce. It would make sense he’s kept the majority of the ship’s numbers alive and only dealt with the ones with any real power.”

  “Captain. First Officer. Chief Engineer,” Commander Rey said, scowling on the last. “Possibly head of security, too, if they weren’t already in on it.”

  I looked down at my desk. This left us in a difficult position. We couldn’t simply abandon Anderson Universal crew, or the civilians caught up in the leaseholder’s plans. Even if the jump point had been laid and we could reach it without Aquila destroying us, leaving behind survivors, humans, to a fate which could be worse than death, was downright negligent.

  I let out a breath of air and said, “We need intelligence. Assumptions will get us nowhere.”

  “Agreed,” Jameson said. “I’ve got my officers searching the Anderso
n Universal database for information pertaining to Aquila’s leaseholder and mayor. So far, we know the leaseholder has a daughter onboard with him, and he was considered the richest man in America for the past two decades. His business interests ran the gamut from tech startups to law firms to government contracted weapons manufacturing. He had his fingers in many pies.”

  “And socially?” I asked.

  “Not quite a recluse, but very near it. If he was seen publicly at all, it was contrived. Press releases, fundraising galas and the such. Nothing overly personal.”

  “Intelligence is all well and good,” Vaughan growled. “But what do we do with it? How do we rescue his people?”

  “Our people,” both Jameson and I said at the same time. We shared a startled look with each other.

  “No man left behind,” Jameson offered.

  “Oorah,” Kereama said.

  I looked toward Leo for the first time since we’d entered the room. His eyes met mine. Steady. Rock solid. Grounding. He offered a nod of his head. I shook mine in reply. I wasn’t sure I was ready for this.

  When I looked back at the officers before me, they were all watching avidly, as if they were at a Wimbledon match final.

  “I wondered when we’d get to this part,” Jameson said conversationally.

  “What part?” I enquired.

  Jameson waved a hand at Leo. “It’s obvious he’s here for a specific reason, and it’s not purely historical.”

  He was right. Leo’s prevention of Aquila from gaining a handhold on Corvus was not the only reason why he was here. He was here because he was the only one who could completely destroy the AI.

  All the AIs potentially.

  I sat still. Considering what I was about to do. Aware this went against everything my grandfather raised me to believe in.

  I sighed. We too had to adapt.

  “Go ahead, Leo,” I said.

  And prayed we got this right.

  Forty-Four

  I Was Glad She Was On My Side

  Leo

  “Where the hell did you get a code like that?” Captain Jameson said.