Starship Engineer

Chapter 117 Hide and Seek

Rae’Ver was in the captain’s suite waiting. He had scouted the Squirrel home system, and the density of the quadruped ships made it wise to resupply before engaging. He had tried to get the Squirrel government to give him the location of the Void Phoenix without assisting them, but they refused. So he would have to show that they were allies by scaring off the quadrupeds. He would rip the information from their minds if they didn’t give it after that.

He was waiting because the resupply ships should have rendezvoused two days ago with his cruiser and heavy battle carrier. Desdemona didn’t have any answers why the resupply ships were late. He was debating whether to continue his pursuit without filling out his fighter compliment. He would take heavy losses in the Squirrel system if he proceeded to attack. He moved to the bridge to give the order as he was impatient, and the humans were just tools.

Desdemona stood unwillingly from her captain’s chair and ordered the fleet to consolidate and get into formation to enter subspace and return to the system. Rae’Ver stood on the periphery as he puppeted Desdemona. The comms officer turned and announced ships were exiting subspace at 2.2 million clicks. Rae’Ver converted the distance in his head and was confused. If this was the resupply fleet, they were emerging way off expectations. Rae’Ver waited for the updates. The transponder was from Brotherhood ships, but no comm request had been sent.

The sensor operator finally spoke. A new ship had just emerged. It was a battleship. The transponder was the Brotherhood battleship, Judgement Day. Desdemona was being hailed by the battleship. A sense of uneasiness ran through Rae’Ver. The holo tank lit up, and a man with a grim expression materialized. He searched Desdemona’s memory. This was Katsu Oshiro. He was one of the ruling members of the Brotherhood. Rae’Ver loosened his control slightly so Desdemona could respond more naturally.

Katsu started to demand reasons for Desdemona’s recent actions. Rae’Ver pushed Desdemona to place the blame on Deven Wellspring. She started telling Katsu that she learned the Void Phoenix was carrying alien technology that was extremely powerful. Katsu then asked for specifics and evidence. Rae’Ver took firm control and started to relay some specifics about Sylvan technology. He detailed some Sylvan tech that he knew the Brotherhood would be extremely interested in.

Katsu was not swayed and even seemed to get angrier. The amount of resources Desdemona had pulled did not justify the chance at Sylvan technology. Rae’Ver then took a leap. He had Desdemona introduce Rae’Ver as a Sylvan defector. If the man took the bait and let Rae’Ver close, he could dominate his mind and assume control of the battleship. He also counted six destroyers, two frigates, and four transports. If they all had the same upper-tier technology as his current ships, he could easily scare off the quadrupeds.

Katsu was being cautious, though, and started questioning Rae’Ver over the comm link rather than bringing Rae’Ver to him in person. Rae’Ver tried to play up the fact that the Void Phoenix not only had Sylvan tech but also additional advanced technology. His reason for defecting was simple. He was the one that let the Void Phoenix steal the tech and get away, so he had been exiled. Finally, there were cracks in Katsu’s standoff approach. It was not uncommon for a Sylvan to be exiled. Usually, they were left on a hostile planet to die. But he was sure the Brotherhood must have stumbled across a few.

Katsu started asking more questions, intelligent questions. Rae’Ver smiled inwardly as he knew he had more hooked him. It was only a matter of time before he was close enough to dominate his mind. Desdemona kicked against his control suddenly. Confused, he checked the link, and she was reading his thoughts through his eyes and had tried to break free. She was becoming stronger, but not nearly enough. He would snuff out her mind completely, but he still needed her. She had knowledge he might need to call up again.

It was nearly two days before Rae’Ver was allowed in Katsu Oshiro’s presence. Rae’Ver was very careful, as Katsu had nearly twenty marines in heavy armor nearby. He manipulated Desdemona to create the perfect opportunity and pressed his will. Katsu was much weaker than Desdemona, but dividing his efforts gave her a chance to try and break his hold again. She kept impressing him. He decided at that moment that he would spare her. She was a curiosity now as she had the potential Power of a First Citizen. He would study her and maybe do some breeding experiments to see if he could foster the Power in other humans at this level.

It was three days before Rae’Ver’s new expanded fleet was ready to move out. He added four stealth screening frigates, and the Warpath Intercepter fighters had been resupplied to his heavy battle carrier. He now stood behind Katsu and Desdemona on the bridge of the battleship, Judgement Day. When they emerged from subspace in the Squirrel home system, Rae’Ver pursed his lips as the holo tank updated.

The Squirrel had no remaining space stations, and the quadrupeds were picking off the last few ships defending the planet. The planet was pockmarked from supersonic kinetic strikes, and most cities looked leveled. Hopefully, someone was still alive that knew where the Void Phoenix ran off to. Rae’Ver had Katsu order the entire fleet forward. The quadrupeds sent numerous comm requests, which Rae’Ver had the fleet ignore. He needed to scare off the quadruped fleet and appear to be the hero.

The quadrupeds started firing on the planet in earnest as they tried to form up and retreat. Unfortunately for them, they had a lot of damaged ships. Rae’Ver’s fleet chewed through the slower ships, and the wings of the fighters got revenge for their losses in the last engagement. About 70% of the fleet escaped, but those that did not were destroyed without remorse. Rae’Ver felt some satisfaction through his bond with Desdemona. She shouldn’t be aware of what was going on…was she breaking his hold again. She was too dangerous. He had Katsu order Desdemona to be escorted to the bridge and guarded by bots. No one was to talk with her. She was just becoming too much of a handful and a distraction. As long as he controlled Katsu he would be in control of the fleet..

With the Desdemona problem solved, he returned to the battle and sent out comm requests. He took the same tact as last time. He told them he was responding to a request for assistance from the Void Phoenix. It still took four days before he was able to get an answer from someone alive who knew where the Void Phoenix had fled. He was weeks behind the Phoenix. They were headed to a system the humans called the Bradbury system. He scanned Katsu’s memory and the computer for data. A ghost world? He doubted the humans were superstitious. No matter. He had the fleet gather and head out system, ignoring the pleas for humanitarian aide from the survivors on the planet.

The trip in subspace to the Bradbury system had Rae’Ver and Sha’Lua extremely busy. Lazerous even showed some use as he consolidated his control over the battleship and the fleet. All he needed to do was have Katsu give them command authority. Katsu’s word was absolute; they couldn’t believe he had been compromised for some reason. There were a few incidents of officers questioning Katsu, but apparently, it was normal for those individuals to be removed.

With anticipation, they exited subspace in the Bradbury system. The crew was tense, and Rae’Ver just smiled at their nervousness. Then the sensor data started coming in. Eighteen ships in the system started disappearing. The range was too great, and the sensor office said they must have been sensor ghosts or some type of advanced stealth. Rae’Ver sent out his mind and almost lost control of Katsu. There was something strange about this system…, especially the sun.

He had Katsu order the fleet toward the system’s only habitable planet. As they approached, the planet Rae’Ver’s head started pounding. There was something here using the Power. Something powerful. He hadn’t felt this strong since the planetoid exploded and damaged his city ship. Was that why the Void Phoenix came here? Were they responsible for this disturbance? Suddenly he didn’t feel so sure of himself. He was feeling doubt. He had the fleet pause by having Katsu issue the command. He ordered two frigates and one hundred men to the planet to explore the surface.

The sensor operator said he was getting sensor ghosts in the asteroid belt. Rae’Ver ignored the officer on the bridge as he watched the frigates and shuttles burn toward the planet. Forty-six hours later, the shuttles were landing and exploring the ruins. He felt the crew’s anxious emotions and fear on his ship. Where were the Void Phoenix and the Squirrel refugees hiding? They had to be on the planet. Nine shuttles went to different locations, and they hadn’t found any signs. This could not be a dead end!

The shuttles started hopping across the planet and searching. Two days later, the first marine disappeared. It was even caught on video. He was just walking and blinked out of existence. No weapon discharge or trick of the light. He was just gone. Rae’Ver was stunned and didn’t do anything for a few moments. He eventually ordered the search to continue. When the ninth person disappeared, he ordered the survivors back to the ship. This was beyond expectations. Had the Void Phoenix disappeared in the same manner? He ordered the two frigates to remain in orbit. If either one disappeared, then maybe this was the same fate as the Void Phoenix.

Three days later. He was resting in the admirals cabin with Katsu standing by the wall when an excited comm officer contacted Katsu. An energy signature appeared in the asteroid belt. They got scans on an asteroid for forty-three minutes. That asteroid then disappeared. From the scans, the asteroid that had appeared had structures that resembled the space architecture of the Squirrel. So they were hiding in this system! He ordered the fleet to run a net across a large swath of the asteroid belt where the asteroid had briefly appeared. Whatever stealth tech should eventually show itself.

Nearly two weeks later and nothing. At least no one else and none of their ships had disappeared.

Then there was a surprise attack on one of the patrolling destroyers. Somehow enemies had boarded the ship. The destroyer had no support within an hour’s flight time, but they did send out a video of the attack. The Squirrel had a boarding party in unique armor and raced through the ship, killing indiscriminately. Before they could respond to assist the Squirrel had damaged the ship so heavily damaged it was a wreck. The humans wanted to leave. This was outside their ability to deal with.

Rae’Ver didn’t want to leave. He was sure the Void Phoenix was somehow hiding in this system with the Squirrel. Whatever stealth technology the Squirrel were using must have been given to them by Deven Wellspring which came from the planetoid. When the Squirrel boarded and destroyed a second destroyer a day later, he ordered the fleet to come together to support each other. Besides one dead Squirrel in power armor found on the second ship, he got nowhere. The armor was innovative and only slightly better than the Brotherhood suits.

It was a sensor operator on the battle carrier that figured it out. He had a gravity profile of an object that just was not there. Fighters flew through the mysterious gravity zone, and the pilots confirmed that ships came under gravity’s influence, but there was nothing there as they cross-crossed the space that was generating the gravity. So whatever they were using it was better than stealth. That was when two transports appeared from subspace on the far side of the system.

The transports were definitely of Squirrel manufacture. They raced in system, and the fleet moved to intercept. Amazingly a large asteroid appeared, and the transports practically crashed into it before the asteroid disappeared again with the two transports. They searched the area of the disappearing asteroid and found another gravity well. Now the question was how many hidden asteroids were the Squirrel hiding.