The Phoenix Crisis Read online

  The door to his office opened and Calvin looked up to see Summers. She took a step inside, just enough for the door to close behind her. “I thought I might find you here,” she said.

  “Summers,” he greeted her. “What brings you here?”

  “I just wanted you to know that so far our scanners haven’t been able to get any conclusive images of Virgo Major, other than the celestial bodies.”

  Calvin doubted that was the reason Summers had come, more likely she’d come to make sure she had the latest information about their current mission. In case Calvin had learned something new, perhaps by receiving another message from Kalila, Summers wasn’t about to be left in the dark. But, for as suspicious as Calvin was, he was surprised how glad he was to see Summers. “Please, sit down.”

  She did, taking the chair opposite his desk.

  “It’s funny…” Calvin said, more looking through her than at her. “I talked it over with you, and we made a decision, and we agreed on the logic behind it, but… I can’t get past the feeling that maybe we made the wrong choice.”

  “It’s too late now to change it,” she replied. “There’s no sense in having self-doubt at this stage.”

  He nodded.

  “Our mission, the only thing that matters,” said Summers, “is to root out and eliminate the corruption that has poisoned the military and taken hold of the Empire. Everything else… Raidan, Kalila, they’re all just variables. Ants in the big picture. Right now what we need is information, and Kalila can give us information Raidan can’t, information that might make all the difference between success and failure. That’s why we made the choice we did.”

  “I suppose,” said Calvin. He picked up the chargeball that was lying on the floor next to him and he began spinning it gently on the table. It was a mindless habit he sometimes fell back on when his thoughts were preoccupied.

  “You should let me come with you,” said Summers.

  Calvin finally realized the real reason why Summers had come to visit him. To get herself invited along for the away mission—assuming there was one. He didn’t blame her and would probably try to do the same thing, but he also believed it was better that she not go. “I need you to stay here and have command of the ship,” he said. Before she could protest he added, “Kalila will probably ask me to go alone. Just like before.”

  “You could refuse,” Summers folded her arms.

  Calvin looked at her curiously. “Can I?” He resumed spinning the chargeball, believing that if he were to get any information from Kalila he would likely have to play her game.

  Summers didn’t say anything more for a while but when she did her voice did not challenge his. “It’s your decision.”

  Calvin stopped spinning the chargeball and looked at her, giving her a good long search with his eyes. Was she finally starting to trust him? He didn’t know what to say so he simply nodded.

  Eventually Summers got up to leave. Just before she exited the office, Calvin spoke. “I will promise you this much,” he said, catching her attention. “Whatever information Kalila gives me… I’ll share it with you.”

  Summers looked pleased. “Better to have two pairs of eyes than one.”

  “Exactly.”

  ***

  “ETA one minute and five seconds,” said Jay from the helm. It was odd seeing him there, with him there and Cassidy at ops, things felt out of place. Only Miles remained of the White Shift; he sat at the defense post monitoring the stealth system.

  “Standby to exit alteredspace,” said Calvin.

  “Standing-by,” replied Jay.

  “Stealth system status?” asked Summers. She hovered over Miles’ shoulder, a favorite perch of hers. Calvin noticed how she would ride the man, almost like it was a game to her. If there was anyone on the ship Summers still hated it was Miles, but he hated her right back and then some.

  “All defense systems—including stealth—look good,” said Miles. “Of course we don’t have piss for ammo and only have one working weapon, oh and half our armor is gone, but yeah. We’re doing all right.”

  “Cut the chatter,” snapped Summers.

  “All right, go easy on him,” said Calvin. Even though his peace treaty with Summers seemed to be developing into a kind of alliance, Miles was still his friend and, as far as Calvin was concerned, the best defense officer in the Empire.

  Summers left Miles’ shoulder and returned to her seat at the XO position. Miles dared a glance back and shot Calvin a looked like a cross between “Thank you,” and “It’s about time!”

  “Thirty-five seconds,” said Jay.

  Calvin rubbed his chin as he stared out the forward window into the blackness of alteredspace. They were about to arrive at Virgo Major and when they got there, he wondered what they would see. Their ship had been scanning the system since they were close enough to do so but so far nothing had stood out. The violet star could be seen on the 3d display as well as the equally lavender gas giant that circled it—though it wasn’t displayed to scale.

  “Fifteen seconds,” said Jay.

  “Condition Two,” said Calvin, ordering an upgrade in their alert status. He didn’t expect a hostile encounter but he decided to be careful when maneuvering into an unknown position.

  “Aye, Aye, Cap’n,” said Miles and he adjusted their alert status. It wasn’t enough to warrant a change in their defense configuration—Calvin didn’t want to raise the shields or arm the energy weapon for fear that that would eliminate their stealth advantage, but he wanted critical personnel to be standing by and ready in case an ugly scenario unfolded before them.

  “Five seconds,” said Jay.

  Calvin leaned forward in his chair, eager eyes sharply focused on the window before him.

  “Two. One.”

  The view filled with stars. The portside view showed the glowing violet star at a healthy distance. As for the gas planet it was too far away to be seen.

  “We have arrived,” Jay announced.

  “What do we see?” asked Calvin.

  “Short range scan in progress,” said Cassidy. And then, a moment later, “there is a very large ship in close orbit around the planet. Imperial markings. Attempting to identify it now.”

  “Display it,” said Calvin. The image on the 3d projector switched to show a large dreadnought in a parking orbit around the gas giant. It had dark markings and fierce contours, but despite the edginess it also showcased a sleekness and elegance that most ships couldn’t dream of. Calvin recognized the ship at once.

  “It’s the ISS Black Swan,” said Cassidy, though probably every soul on the bridge recognized it.

  “Is there anyone else around?” asked Calvin.

  “No sir. The Black Swan appears to be the only other ship in the system,” said Cassidy. “Our scanners most likely didn’t detect it during alteredspace flight because of its proximity to the gas giant.”

  “Deactivate stealth system,” said Calvin. It was almost refreshing to encounter a ship that couldn’t see through the Nighthawk’s stealth technologies.

  Immediately the Black Swan reacted by breaking orbit with the planet.

  “Ship is changing heading,” said Cassidy. “It’s coming our way.”

  Considering that this ship was last seen assaulting civilians on an Imperial planet, there was a part of Calvin that knew he should be concerned. And yet he wasn’t. He doubted Kalila would lure him here just to kill him, not after she’d asked him to investigate Raidan for her, and besides—if there was a fight, the Nighthawk in its current condition against a ship like the Black Swan… the battle would be over before Calvin and his crew realized it was happening.

  “Raise the shields?” asked Miles. “Should I clear for action?”

  Calvin understood his reaction. He hadn’t been told about Calvin’s past interactions with Kalila. No one had—except Summers—so they were understandably twitchy and concerned. “No, do not clear for action,” said Calvin. “Maintain condition two.”

  �
�Are you sure--?” asked Miles.

  “We’re being hailed,” said Jay.

  “Display it.”

  “Audio only,” said Jay. “Restricted channel.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “IWS Nighthawk, this is Captain Adiger. You are ordered to comply with a docking operation.”

  Ordered? Calvin raised a curious eyebrow. “This ship is not under your direct command,” said Calvin.

  “I have no time for semantics,” said Captain Adiger with an urgency to his voice. “My ship is carrying critical personnel and vital cargo and we must transfer them aboard the Nighthawk immediately.”

  Calvin rubbed his chin. This was an intriguing development. He’d be a lot more comfortable if he was getting this information from Kalila, and if it was a request and not an order.

  “Do you copy?” asked Adiger.

  “We copy,” said Calvin. Though he didn’t yet agree to the captain’s request.

  “We will be upon you in two minutes,” said Captain Adiger. “Prepare to comply. If you do not comply, you will be considered an enemy of the state and fired upon.”

  The transmission terminated.

  “Well that seems like a harsh reaction,” said Calvin.

  “So what do we do?” asked Miles. “If I throw everything into shields and Cassidy throws the rest of our power into engines, even life support, we might be able to outrun them—”

  “If we act now we could probably escape the system before taking any fire,” said Jay. “We may be battered and beaten but we’re still the faster ship.”

  “We’re not going anywhere,” said Calvin. He looked to Summers to get her take. She nodded her agreement. They were all in. They’d come here at Kalila’s request and had a chance to get vital information. If they ran away now with their tail between their legs what did it buy them? Nothing. At least nothing that could potentially be used to save the Empire. “Comply with their instructions and prep the deck four airlock for deep space attachment.”

  “Aye, sir,” said Jay.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing,” said Miles.

  “I do,” Calvin reassured him—and himself. He tapped his direct line to special forces HQ.

  “Pellew here.”

  “We’re about to have some guests coming through the airlock on deck four,” said Calvin. “Get every soldier we have left on this ship armed and over there in case something goes wonky.”

  “Understood.”

  With that Calvin jumped out of his chair and headed for his office to grab a firearm.

  “And where are you going?” asked Summers.

  “To the airlock,” he said. “You have the deck.”

  Chapter 7

  When Calvin arrived at the airlock, it was in the process of being unsealed. Pellew stood resolute, carbine in hands, with nine other special forces soldiers in arms. It was a large showing of force but Calvin knew it wasn’t every soldier on the ship like he’d asked.

  “Ten—or eleven counting you—is already too many people for ideal tactical control of this corridor,” said Pellew. “Any more and we’d be seriously crowding each other out.” Calvin knew he was right. And while there was still value in having more bodies available to fill in the gaps should a firefight happen, he also knew that the hundreds of marines on the Black Swan, while not as elite as special forces, would have no difficulty capturing the Nighthawk—if that was their mission.

  There was a snap-hiss as the triple seal locked into place and the thick hatch began to retract. Calvin raised his own weapon, a well-maintained carbine, and pointed it in the direction of the opening hatch. He remained standing, but noted that Pellew and several of the soldiers had taken kneeling positions. There wasn’t much cover to be had. Should a firefight occur Calvin knew he’d be an easy target, so he prepared himself to go prone the instant there was even a hint of trouble. Truth be told, however, he did not expect a fight. If he did, he’d be a fool to let the Nighthawk be put at such risk. Especially with no hope of prevailing.

  The hatch slid completely aside and the innards of one of the loading tunnels of the Black Swan could be seen. There were people there, quite a few, and they too brandished weapons. Calvin could see body armor, though most of their tactical gear was covered. These were not uniformed marines but rather a private bodyguard. He wasn’t immediately sure at their numbers because the view through the hatch was so limited.

  “Princess Kalila Akira and escort to come aboard,” one of the strangers shouted. Calvin noted that it wasn’t a request, simply a statement of fact. He felt his heart race a little at the sound of the princess’s name.

  “Permission granted,” said Calvin.

  “Lower your weapons and come aboard,” Pellew added.

  The lead member of the boarding party looked behind him for a moment, probably for instruction, and then he led the others onto the Nighthawk. They still clung to their weapons, but they were pointed peacefully at the ground. Once they’d all boarded the ship, a group of seven, the lead guard moved aside and Kalila stepped forward.

  She was not tall, easily half a head shorter than Calvin, but her commanding presence was unmistakable despite her civilian disguise. Her radiant eyes met his, bold and unintimidated. Calvin lowered his weapon immediately when he saw her.

  “Princess,” said Calvin. He bowed his head.

  “Calvin,” she said. “I am happy to see you. Unfortunately, as seems to always be the case when we meet, there is no time to wait on ceremony. The Nighthawk and the Black Swan must depart the system at once. Otherwise we will be trapped here by a powerful battle squadron.”

  Calvin nodded. He had many questions, and reminded himself that he would not fold to her will without getting proper answers, but if there really was a squadron of warships inbound he could appreciate the need to act now and ask questions later. “Where are we to go?” he asked.

  “I am coming aboard the Nighthawk and we will make for Capital World,” said Kalila. Calvin gave her a curious look, thinking Capital World was not a safe place for the Nighthawk to wander, not with its fugitive status. “Don’t worry, I will explain it all as soon as opportunity allows,” she added, noting his confusion. “As for the Black Swan, it will continue its mission and divert the pursuing squadron away.”

  “You heard her,” said Calvin. “Pellew, see that our new guests are properly quartered.”

  “Actually, my bodyguard is not to remain with us,” said Kalila.

  The guards looked almost as surprised by this news as Calvin was. “Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Your Royal Highness, but I must protest,” said the lead guard.

  Kalila shushed him gently. “I am safe here,” she said. “Calvin Cross will see to that,” she looked at Calvin and he felt a strange warmness inside him as their eyes met. “And a group as large as ours would never escape notice,” she added. “Now go swiftly, we have no time to linger.”

  The lead guard nodded. “As you wish, Your Highness.”

  He led the rest of the bodyguard back through the hatch and it closed behind him.

  “In that case, Princess, please follow me to the bridge,” said Calvin, “and we’ll make preparations to leave the system. After that we have a great deal to discuss.”

  “And discuss we shall,” said Kalila.

  Calvin noted that several bags and a chest had been brought aboard. Calvin assumed these were Kalila’s effects, and it made him wonder how long she intended to stay on the Nighthawk. The thought was a pleasant one, even though he knew it put the ship at greater risk.

  “I’ll see that these bags find a home,” said Pellew.

  “Find her quarters on deck five,” said Calvin. He wanted to make sure Kalila was close to him in case she needed anything. That and deck five would keep her far away from the saltier men on the ship.

  “Thank you, Captain,” Kalila said to Pellew, noting his rank insignia.

  Pellew bowed and then barked orders to his men to stand down and pick up Kalila’s things.<
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  ***

  When they arrived on the bridge, Calvin ordered a new heading be set. Ursa Leo, a system that would take them near Capital World without putting them into the jaws of the beast itself. Until Calvin knew why they were going to Capital World—and that the reason justified the risk—he wasn’t going to send the Nighthawk and all his crew there. “Detach the ship and get us underway as soon as possible. Jump depth of ninety-percent potential.”

  “Aye, sir,” said Jay.

  “And send word to Mister Vargas and the Arcane Storm that our intended rendezvous may be delayed.”

  “Understood.”

  The crew was professional enough, and—other than Miles whose jaw visibly dropped and he seemed unable to speak words larger than a grunt—there was no shocked reaction to Kalila’s presence. Even though Calvin knew every person here was surprised and anxious. He was sure none of them had ever interacted with a member of the royal family before and this was quite the electrifying experience for them.

  Cassidy and Jay looked at Kalila very neutrally, almost not comprehending that she was there. Miles, after staring at her for a few seconds and giving her a good once-over up-and-down with his eyes, was now staring intently at his computer station. His face red.

  Of everyone there, Summers looked the least impressed by the sight of the princess on the bridge. She scrutinized her with half a frown plastered to her face. Her arms were folded and she seemed unamused and distrusting.

  “As ever thank you for your cooperation and loyal service to the Empire,” Kalila said, looking directly at Calvin. “And I mean that for everyone here. Your diligent effort and sacrifices will not be forgotten.”

  “Aww shucks,” said Miles quietly. He still stared at his screen, making a big show of looking busy and hard at work.