Echoes of Harmony

HMV Wagener

Stariek Orbit

22 November 3296

General Zorn watched as the status indicator for the Conta’s shields slowly turned from green to yellow, inching towards red. A small bead of sweat made its way down his forehead. The failure of the ship’s shields was no surprise. No matter how advanced the ship was, the tonnage was heavily tilted in Stariek’s favor. As a result, he made plans with Colonel Kiesling for such an eventuality. This did not cause him worry.

What did cause him worry was the failure happening much too quickly.

Shortly before he made contact with Stariek, Zorn ensured a secret shuttle was launched from the Wagener, undetected by both the crew and their enemy. This shuttle contained his next surprise for the provost. One he may never experience if the Conta accomplished its mission too quickly.

But with the Conta’s suicide plunge occurring sooner than planned, that left little time for the team aboard the shuttle to accomplish their own mission. A failure here would draw the fury of Hades. No one in the Hyperion Empire wished to disappoint Legate Habricht, least of all Zorn.

<Warrant Scheiner, how close are you to entering atmosphere?> he asked over a direct communication link to the leader of the team and pilot of the stealth transport, the HMV Wenneker. <We need to accelerate the timetable.>

<Accelerate how much, general?> the warrant officer replied nearly instantly. <We are five minutes from the atmosphere then another ten to the target.>

Though his conversation was silent to nearby observers—the benefit of communicating via the CAM’s TachNet—Zorn found himself subconsciously walking towards the back of the bridge. Colonel Huang watched him curiously out of the corner of his eye.

<Accelerated as in you have less than half an hour to get in and out. Unless you wish to be crushed under a Hyperion cruiser, I would suggest hurrying.>

<I can only hurry so much without being detected by their scanners.> The channel was silent for a moment before she added, <Sir.>

<Remember your place, warrant.> Zorn ensured every iota of impatience in his body transmitted through the link. <If you succeed here, you will be held in a place of honor. Failure, and your family will suffer the consequences.>

<Of course, sir.> The fear, mostly hidden in her voice, came through in full force through the communication. <I will do my best to carry out the Emperor’s will.>

<See that you do.> Before she could reply, Zorn cut the link. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he found Colonel Huang standing before him. “Yes, colonel?”

“Sir, I believe it is time for the Wagener, Kessel, and Hausen to join the battle.” Huang stood up straighter, clasping his hands behind his back. “If we strike while their forces are concentrating on the Conta, we may yet save the vessel.”

Zorn waved the comment away as he made his way back to the tactical board. The colonel followed closely behind after a second’s hesitation. Like an obedient puppy. The thought brought a smile to Zorn’s face despite the circumstances.

“The Conta is already gone. There’s no saving her or her crew, so it is better for the Stariekians to sit and wonder what our plan is.”

“And what might that plan be?” Huang lowered his voice conspiratorially. “The crew will not perform to their fullest if they fear they will share the same fate as the Conta. If they believe they are going to die no matter what they do, they will not fight for the good of the empire.”

“Are you telling me your crew is full of traitors, colonel?” Zorn rose an eyebrow, and the corner of his mouth twitched upwards. “Your crew would put their own safety above the security of the empire? I would hate to have to replace them once this is over.”

“That is not what I’m saying at all, sir. I am merely stating a human tendency.”

“Well, rest assured, the plan is well underway and being carried out with startling efficiency.” He gestured to the tactical board where the Conta continued to be swarmed by Stariek’s vessels. “One ship is all it took to wreak so much havoc on their defenses. We could press the advantage now, as you suggested, but I have something so much better in mind.”

“If I may be so bold, sir, what exactly do you have in mind?”

“You may not, but I will still give you a hint anyway.” Zorn held up a single finger as he stared at Colonel Huang. He allowed a silence to linger between the two of them before he finally broke it. “Why simply defeat their fleet when we can strike fear directly into their hearts?”

Huang seemed to ponder the statement for a few moments before shaking his head.

“I am afraid I do not understand, sir.”

“You will.” Zorn returned his attention to the tactical board and smiled. “Oh, you will.”

#

Safe Room

Frostwing Estate

In the center of the basement underneath Frostwing Estate sat the safe room for the provost and his guests. The walls of the room were a reinforced concrete bonded with nanotechnology to increase its resistance against physical attacks. Constructed of a thick metal, the door was able to blend into the walls to become invisible from the outside.

The inside was sparsely decorated. A round table with four chairs sat at one side of the room while a pair of couches faced each other on the other side. Between the sofas was a short coffee table holding a chess set. In a far corner from the door was an air purifier designed to filter out any potential toxins as well as a series of cupboards. Opposite these were a set of bunk beds, which currently, while unoccupied, were disheveled. The walls themselves were uncovered, the dull gray a stark contrast from the luxury displayed in the estate above. To Skylar, it made it feel like a dungeon.

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He sat with his legs crossed on one side of the chess set, holding his hand to his chin as he contemplated his next move. On the ground resting against his thigh was the model of the Starhawk he took from the table. Rach laid on her stomach on the cushions, her legs bent at a right angle up the back of the couch. She gently kicked against the fabric, watching him with her head resting on her folded hands. Kaylee subtly watched from the table, one leg crossed over and bouncing on the other, as Zayne paced around the perimeter. A permanent scowl seemed to be on his face, accenting the bruise on his lower lip that was not there when he talked to Skylar’s father on the deck.

“Move,” Rach said, a slight smile on her face, after Skylar did nothing for nearly a minute.

“I’m thinking,” Skylar replied, stretching out the last word with feigned annoyance.

Most of his pieces were already taken by hers which left him few options. He reached out and moved his king into what he thought was a less perilous position. As his hand released the metal piece, a boom resonated from elsewhere in the estate. Vibrations ran through the room, rattling the chess set. Kaylee let out a gasp of surprise as her gaze darted to the door. Skylar looked up in time to Zayne’s hand go to his waist, his fingers wrapping around the hilt of his pistol.

Another rumble ran through the room, this one much closer. Quick bangs, which Skylar quickly assumed were gunshots, rang out from the opposite side of the safe room door. Shouts pierced the air, too muffled to understand.

Skylar looked to Rach, who had jumped to her feet and stared towards the door. A frightened expression dominated her face. He grabbed his model of the Starhawk and stood himself, unsure of what to do. Kaylee stood next to the table, a dinner knife brandished in one hand.

“Skylar, Rachel, under the bed,” Zayne called out in a harsh whisper. His pistol sat in his hand with his finger resting on the trigger guard. They didn’t move at first—at least, not fast enough for Zayne—and he rose his voice. “Now.”

They moved together, dropping down to the floor and crawling under the bed. Panic ran through Skylar as he propped himself on his elbows, just scraping the bottom of the bed, to look towards the door. The metal of the fighter model dug into his palms as he clutched it.

“They’re using jammers,” Zayne said, tapping his temple. “I can’t get a signal out.”

“How can they be here now?” Kaylee asked, her voice shaking slightly. “Is the battle already over?”

“I doubt it.” Zayne shook his head as he checked his gun. “It was just getting started, and not even the Hyperions would have been able to destroy our fleet that quickly. No, if it were me, I would sneak a strike team in and take…”

His voice trailed off, but he turned to look at Skylar. They locked eyes for a moment, and a pit seemed to open in Skylar’s stomach. The thought that whoever was outside could be after him made his mouth go dry as more gunshots came from outside the door. Panic swelled through him, wrapping his heart in an icy vise. Rach’s hand clamped tightly around his wrist.

“We have to get out!” Skylar cried out without thinking, looking from under the bed at the ordinary metal walls for any way to escape.

“Shut up,” Zayne hissed, glaring at Skylar. The words and look sent another tinge of fear through him, which must have been evident on his face. Zayne added, in a softer voice, “Sorry. There’s no way out without going through the front door, and it seems that way is a little busy right now.”

As if to emphasize the point, a series of metallic bangs resonated through the room. With each one, Skylar and Rach winced. Several seconds of silence passed before a high pitched whining filled the air. The sound of groaning metal came from the door, and two spots, one on either edge at the middle, began to glow red and white. Skylar wrapped a hand around the base of the bunk bed, flattening himself against the ground. Zayne wrapped both hands around and aimed his pistol at the door, holding it at arms’ length.

“Kaylee, hide behind the couch,” Zayne said, motioning with his head to emphasize the point. “I’ll hold them off.”

“Until when? We escape the room you just said there’s no other way out of?” She appeared to recover some of her usual calm expression as she moved toward the wall next to the air filter and pressed her hand against the solid metal. A faint blue outline circled her digits before turning green. A hole opened and allowed a rack holding an assault rifle to slide out. She grabbed the weapon and slotted a magazine into place near the middle of the gun. “I can fight. Hayden made sure I visited the firing range every now and then. I don’t think he expected me to actually need the experience, though.”

Kaylee took up a position behind the couch. However, she rested the barrel of the rifle on the arm of the furniture, aiming it toward the door. Zayne opened his mouth as if to argue before firmly shutting it and shaking his head.

With hissing pops, a beam of plasma burst from each of the glowing spots. Globules of molten metal fell to the ground. They sizzled against the concrete floor, rapidly cooling and turning a dull gray. A narrow hole opened in each spot as the beams began to curve around, cutting through more of the metal with each passing second. Kaylee’s shoulders rose and fell with each deep breath she took. Zayne stood motionless, his hand steady as he aimed the pistol at the widening hole. Skylar kept his eyes locked on the older man, waiting for the inevitable.

He didn’t have to wait long. With a final groan followed by a cacophonous bang, the carved out metal fell inward and slammed into the ground. Zayne pulled the trigger of his pistol rapidly, sending the small bullets into a swarm of spider-like contraptions the size of cats. Kaylee squeezed and held hers down, the larger caliber rounds tearing through many of the robots. The pings of metal on metal were almost entirely overwhelmed by the deafening bangs of gunfire. Skylar clamped his hands over his ears and closed his eyes. He felt Rach shift next to him as she did the same.

After several seconds, a pair of sharp pops followed by a buzz of electricity caused the gunfire to come to a sudden end. Skylar opened his eyes to find his mother laying on her back, twitching slightly. Zayne was left much the same. The swarm of spiders ran away from their bodies toward the door. Standing there were three people, each wearing black body armor. Their heads were obscured by metallic helmets with piercing red spots for eyes. A form of exoskeleton ran up and down their arms and legs. They loosely cradle submachine guns in their hands as they moved forward.

The one who took the lead appeared to be a woman. She looked down at the bodies of Skylar’s mother and Zayne, kicking the guns away from their bodies, before scanning the room. Her eyes came to a rest on Skylar. He instinctively tried pushing himself further under the bed to keep from being scene, but it was too late.

“Facial recognition indicates a ninety-nine point nine percent chance of the boy being our target,” she said, tilting her head in the direction of the door. Her voice, while distinctly feminine, sounded oddly electronic through the helmet.

The two other soldiers moved to Skylar’s mother’s and Zayne’s bodies. They knelt over them, firmly attaching a pair of metallic cuffs at their wrists. With a brief crackle and buzz, a laser appeared between the cuffs to hold them in place.

The woman stepped forward and knelt down just a meter away from Skylar, studying him. Panic surged through him, and Rach’s fingernails dug into his arm almost to the point of drawing blood. He tried to push himself further under the bed but found his feet hitting the wall. His brain wracked itself trying to think of anything he could do. The hologames always made it seem so simple, like there was an answer just waiting for him to grasp it.

“I don’t know who you are,” the woman said, her head turning slightly to look at Rach, “but you’re both coming with us.”

“Please,” Skylar whispered, though the word went unnoticed.

She held up her arm and pointed her wrist at them. A green mist flashed out of it, sailing through the air. Skylar tried to scream but found his throat closing up. Vomit bubbled up into his mouth before dribbling out his lips and down his chin. His eyelids drooped despite his insistence they remain open. Rach’s grip on his arm slackened at once, and his head fell to the ground before his vision went black.

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