The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight

“There are pieces in Akiri’s puzzle that do not fit. I want to know why. Find anything that doesn’t fit what we know about him.”

A few minutes remained until twenty after the hour; then, as the other warships began preparing for battle, Iceni waited to see what would happen as she watched the activity around Marphissa. “Do you think the snakes on the HuK will immediately try to prepare for combat when they realize what is happening?” Iceni asked Togo.

“I do not think so. Actual mobile forces executives probably would do that, but if these are ISS, trained to ask directions before they act?” Togo’s tiny smile flickered briefly to life. “They will call Sub-CEO Marphissa and ask what they are supposed to do.”

Moments later, Togo’s prediction was confirmed. “Sub-CEO, this is HuK-6336. Are we supposed to be making combat preparations?”

“No,” Marphissa replied.

A pause. “The other mobile forces are preparing for combat.”

“Yes. But you are to refrain from strengthening your shields and you are not to power up weapons. Do you understand, HuK-6336?”

“No.”

Whether that was a reply to Marphissa’s question or a denial of the orders was unclear. “HuK-6336 is powering weapons,” a line worker on Marphissa’s cruiser warned.

“Are you certain?” Marphissa asked.

“One hundred percent certainty, Sub-CEO. Shields are beginning to come up in strength as well.”

“HuK-6336, cease strengthening shields and powering up weapons immediately. Power down shields and weapons. This is your final warning.” Marphissa paused for only a moment, then looked over to the line worker.

“No change, Sub-CEO. HuK-6336 is continuing to prepare for combat.”

Iceni saw Marphissa’s face harden, then she reached one finger to tap a preset command.

Far above Iceni, in high orbit about the planet, particle beams shot out from three heavy cruisers, four light cruisers, and five Hunter-Killers, their fire concentrated on nearby HuK-6336.

The single volley was all that was required. HuK-6336 was close and at a dead stop relative to the other warships, so it had been impossible to miss. Hunter-Killers had very little armor, HuK-6336’s shields hadn’t even been at half strength, and on a unit of such small size almost every square meter contained critical equipment. The undersized warship was so badly torn up by that single volley that Iceni, watching the damage reports flashing onto Marphissa’s display, wondered why the HuK hadn’t broken into several pieces.

Marphissa sat gazing angrily at the wreck for a moment, then jerked into sudden action. “All units! Accelerate at best available velocity away from HuK-6336! Rear shields at maximum! Do it now!”

Togo gave Iceni a questioning glance. Iceni hesitated, then the reason for Marphissa’s order hit her. “The power core. She thinks HuK-6336 will suffer a power-core overload.”

“But how can there be any survivors to order such an action?”

“There don’t have to be. Not if the snakes loaded dead-man instructions into the core control systems. And that’s exactly the sort of action we’ve seen them employing.”

An instant later, HuK-6336 vanished as its power core exploded.

Iceni saw the cruiser that Marphissa was riding rock under the impact of the shock wave. “Only minor damage because the HuK’s power core was relatively weak, our shields were at full strength, and we were accelerating away like bats out of hell,” Marphissa reported to Iceni a short time later.

“That was a good call,” Iceni replied. “You handled that entire situation very well, Sub-CEO. I am impressed by your ability.”

It was about the strongest praise a CEO could provide, and Marphissa flushed with pleasure.

Before Iceni could say anything else, Togo cleared his throat apologetically. “General Drakon is calling, Madam President. He wishes to know why mobile forces in orbit about this planet are firing upon one another.”

“I’ll talk to him. Sub-CEO Marphissa, we’ll speak again in the morning.”

But Iceni stopped as she began to turn away, looking at Marphissa’s display until the connection broke. On the display was portrayed a rapidly spreading cloud of dust that had once been a Hunter-Killer warship and perhaps twenty human beings. She could muster no sympathy for the humans, who had slain so many of their comrades, but she regretted losing that small warship.

* * *

DRAKON had appeared to be shocked by the news of the assassination attempts and Akiri’s death, as well as satisfied with her explanations last night, but the next morning he sought to speak with her privately, not depending on comm circuits but instead showing up outside her office complex without any bodyguards, without even either Colonel Morgan or Colonel Malin who usually accompanied him. Disturbed by that unusual behavior, Iceni ensured that her office defenses were all active and working properly before she instructed her bodyguards to allow Drakon access. “What is this about?” she asked as he entered.