Asterius (Interstellar Cargo Book 0) Read online

“I know what I asked, Captain,” Cole said, pulling his palm over the stubble on his head. “This whole thing is a tragedy, and I truly understand your concern. But I need you to continue with your mission.”

  Eyes wide, Tessa demanded, “Come again?”

  Cole’s face moved close to the camera recording him. “You heard me.”

  Tessa blinked, shocked by his cold tone and the total disregard for procedure. “Espionage hardly seems appropriate at the moment, Cole.”

  “Captain, I gave you a direct order. We’ll take out those two remaining ships.”

  She opened her mouth to belabor the point when a giant flashing mark appeared on her helmet’s visor. She broke in a cold sweat. “Cole, that escort....”

  “I see it,” he replied, his attention away from his camera. She could hear orders being shouted on the Asterius bridge. “It’s coming right for us...” He turned back to her. “We’ll handle it. We’re attempting to make contact to avoid conflict. That’ll make for an interesting conversation... Worry about your mission. This is your best and probably only chance. Get to that station now!”

  Tessa nodded, though it was a reflexive motion. Cole had disappeared from her view before she could offer a rebuttal. Swearing, she enhanced her Ocunet display and searched for the two remaining members of her squadron. Venoms two and six were nearby, probably just as stunned by the attack. She must’ve subconsciously muted their comms shortly after the assault. She patched them through, awaiting the worst.

  Shaky breathing filled the comm. She thought she might’ve even heard gentle weeping.

  “Venom-1, reporting.” Her own voice sounded dead to her.

  “Captain! I thought you were gone...along with everyone else.”

  Korban. “Not everyone. Formation. We still have a mission to complete.”

  “But, Captain....”

  It was Castillo, the hotshot teenage pilot barely out of flight school. Almost as cocksure as her XO. His trailing sentence lacked the attitude he normally showcased. “There will be time to grieve later, Venom-6,” she said, perhaps a bit too harshly, considering the circumstances. “We have orders from the top, and we will follow them. This is the United System Starforce, and we’re still the Venom Squadron. We’re going to make damn sure that those lost didn’t die in vain. Now get in formation!”

  The pause before the expected response was no more than a second, though it felt an eternity to Tessa. They’re shaken but resolute, she thought, wondering just what she was about to involve them in. They’ll fly into oblivion with me, whether they want to or not. She glanced up at the approaching escort and the space station looming just beyond it. And it might come to that sooner than I think.

  “Captain, the escort.”

  “Disregard it, Venom-2. The Asterius will handle it. Our focus is that station.”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  The Black Dwarf destroyer flew straight toward the Military dreadnought, all its weapons aimed forward as the Mambas skirted the escort at a safe distance. When the three fighters reformed and were safely past, the Asterius unloaded the brute strength of its arsenal. The force of the blasts assailing the escort was so powerful, that Tessa could detect the vibrations pulsating through her hull.

  “What the hell are those BD bastards thinking?” Korban asked. “They’ll be annihilated.”

  That’s the point, Tessa thought, recalling what the Steiners had unleashed. The Asterius would take down that escort, but there was no telling how many nukes were aboard. The resulting explosion might take them all out. And for what?

  The moment the question entered her mind, movement was detected near the Research space station. The readout on her Ocunet display detected a departing transport vessel. It’s heading away from us. “Venom-2. Tail that transport and kindly direct them back toward the station. If they disregard the order, you have my express permission to shoot them down.”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  Tessa watched Korban leave formation, and she immediately felt vulnerable. Venom-6 pulled up alongside her, and she glimpsed him out of the corner of her eyes. “You alright, kid?”

  “Yeah.”

  That’s a definite no. She let slip his lack of rank acknowledgment. “Let’s dock with the station and put an end to this.”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  The Research space station filled their field of vision, and at first glance, the structure appeared intact. Tessa knew it was a trap. “Beatrix. Are we clear for landing?”

 

  “Can we land?”

 

  Yep, a trap. She sighed. “Take us in.”

  The AI obliged the order, and both Mambas headed toward the station dock. The bay door was wide open, and she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. Oh shit....

  “Captain,” Castillo said, voice trembling. “Captain, are those...bodies?”

  Multiple forms were floating aimlessly near the bay threshold, like so much fish drifting inside a poisoned tank. Large, twisted forms of unattached equipments were interspersed as well, making for a tricky approach. As the Mambas entered, they steered around the ten or so deceased bay workers. Inside, more frozen corpses were performing their final, morbid dance of weightlessness.

  the AI explained.

  “What happened here?” Castillo asked.

  Tessa ignored his question. “Make sure to activate your spacesuit, Venom-6. Keep your oxygen flowing, and make sure to switch on your mag boots.”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  The Mambas touched down without incident, and Tessa and Castillo made final preparations for their assignment. Tessa triple checked her suit for any possible breach when Cole appeared in the corner of her vision.

  “Glad to see you aboard, Tessa.”

  Back to using my first name again? She shook her head, wishing he would go away. “Don’t you have a kamikaze destroyer escort to contend with, Cole?”

  His mouth twitched. “The threats have been neutralized. The escort’s engines are down, and they’ll soon be joining their—”

  THOOM!

  No actual sound actually carried through the endless vacuum, though the cataclysmic explosion sent a shockwave which jostled the whole of the station. Tessa grabbed at her cockpit, fearing her ship might tip over. Fortunately, the blast was short-lived, and her world settled down once more.

  “Colonel?”

  She received no response. The small window which had shown her XO was dark.

  “Captain?”

  “You alright, Castillo?”

  “Fine, Captain. Just a bit shaken.”

  You can say that again.

  “Captain. What was that?”

  I don’t want to know. It was possible the Asterius had succumbed to the escort’s massive nuclear assault. Not knowing the outcome of the blast had her on the edge of breaking. She pushed aside such thoughts for the mission at hand. “It was nothing. Let’s move.”

  They met in-between their ships, anti-gravity boots firmly planted on the ground, plasma assault rifles at the ready. Tessa was six inches shorter than Castillo—probably half his weight—though the fear he exuded made him look like the child he nearly was. She had no time for such nonsense.

  “Castillo,” she said, watching as his gaze followed the drifting, lifeless bodies. “Hey!” She swatted his helmet and grabbed his suit, pulling him down to her eye level. “Are you with me?”

  His nod was barely perceptible.

  Her grip tightened and she drew him in closer, the glass of their helmets touching. “I took a big risk when I brought you into the fold. Not just anyone waltzes into my squadron and becomes a Fang. Only the best pilots get to fly a Mamba.” She p
aused, keeping his terrified gaze. “But there’s more to being a Fang than just flying around, looking pretty. We’re trained to be ready for the Shit.” She pointed her free hand toward the bay. “This is the Shit. In fact, it’s a shitstorm. And this particular shitstorm looks to turn into a hurricane. It’s up to us to dive in, head-first. Do you copy?”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  At least he answered properly this time. “We’ve got a mission to accomplish. If that’s too much for you to handle, then I suggest you get back in your cockpit and fly your sorry, green ass back to the Asterius.”

  Castillo blinked, took a deep breath, and she could see him relax.

  He slapped his rifle. “I’m with you, Captain.”

  Tessa released her grip on his suit and stepped back. “Very good, Venom-6.”

  His head exploded.

  Tessa gasped as Castillo’s limp, headless form crumpled to the floor, feet still firmly planted in place. She ran and dove for cover near the closest landing gear, fearing a similar outcome. Fortunately she wasn’t a particularly large person, and she managed to hide her entire body. A piece of viscera fell off the glass face guard, and she wiped away the remaining bits of her comrade to better see. She cursed as it smeared.

  That blast took him in the side of his head, she thought, recalling the horrific scene. The side facing toward the interior of this station. Black Dwarf is still aboard. But their transport already left. She drew a sharp breath to steady her trembling hands. A distorted reflection of an approaching figure in the Mamba across from her offered a general idea where her target would be. She could only hope he or she wasn’t thinking the same thing. She gripped her rifle and switched on the power cells. It hummed in her arms, giving her a small sense of security. She readied herself to lunge out from behind her hiding place.

  “Captain!”

  Tessa slipped upon hearing Korban’s voice through her comm. A burst of energy and a bright flash followed, causing her to flinch. She tucked in her extended leg when she noticed the close proximity of the scorch mark. The attempted shot had missed her leg by inches.

  “Not now, Venom-2,” she whispered harshly. Her attacker was nearly upon her, though he was closer to Castillo. A plan formed in her head. She did her best to aim at his body from her cramped position. Sorry, Castillo. A single plasma burst fired, connecting with the deceased pilot’s rifle.

  The resulting explosion was surprising powerful, and exactly the distraction she needed. Diving out from behind her cover, she could only hope her assailant was still stunned. She squeezed the trigger as soon as she spotted him running away from her. The first shot missed wide of its mark, as she was having difficulty getting an accurate bead on his moving form. The gore in her vision was also a problem.

  “Dammit!” She lost him when he ran behind several stacks of tethered crates. She had no way of knowing where he was headed, or if he had sustained any injuries from the blast. What she needed was a detailed view of the space station.

  “Beatrix. I need you to locate a schematic of this station and display it on my augmented reality.”

  the AI said.

  Not a moment later, a complex, blue-lined configuration appeared in Tessa’s field of vision. “Good. Now I need you to enhance it so I can view the launch bay and its adjoining rooms.”

  The map altered and zoomed in to where she was standing. A white dot signified her position. She wished an accompanying red dot would appear for her attacker. “Excellent. Keep it locked onto my position in real-time, so I can follow along.”

 

  “Captain. You there? It’s important I talk to you.”

  Was I not clear enough with my orders? Tessa sighed, realizing should would have to multitask while hunting down her prey. “Go ahead, Venom-2.”

  “The transport refuses to return communication.” There was a hesitant pause. “Though, it’s ceased its escape. I’ve received no sign of aggression. Requesting further orders.”

  Tessa stepped lightly around the scattering of viscera, careful not to further desecrate Castillo. She fought the urge to blink, forcing herself to stare down the sight of her rifle for any sign of movement. “I don’t have time to babysit you, Venom-2. You have your orders. If that vessel does not make an about-face, destroy it.”

  “Aye, Cap—wait a minute... There’s movement. They seem to be turning around.”

  Tessa froze in her tracks. “Careful.”

  “Ha! I just received a response of full surrender.”

  “Do you have missiles locked onto them?”

  “Negative, Captain. No need. I’ll be leading them back to the station shortly.”

  Leading? Dread filled the pit of her stomach. “Korban, no! Get behind them!”

  “What the...? Shit! The bird’s packing heat! They have a lock on me!”

  “Get out of there!” Tessa shouted, forgetting where she was. The subsequent passing seconds seemed an eternity. “Venom-2, do you read me?”

  “I’ve got nukes tailing me. Christ, five of them! I can’t shake ‘em all. Captain, I—”

  Tessa could feel the blood draining from her face when the line when dead. There was no need for confirmation; she knew Korban was dead.

  She was all alone.

  “You stupid sonofabitch!” She cried from her knees, punching the unforgiving steel floor. In a fit of rage, she jumped to her feet and stalked to where her assailant had run. She switched the weapon from semi to fully auto bursts. Dismissing all sense of caution, she walked behind the stack of crates and immediately opened fire. She drained her power cells a good twenty-five percent before easing off the trigger.

  Gone.

  There was no sign of the marooned member of Black Dwarf. He had continued into the station. Tessa had every intention of finding and killing him. She left the bay with the same disregard for caution, her rifle aimed before her, eager to unleash. But as she made her way deeper into the massive Research facility, her emotions began to cool, and her training kicked in once more.

  She studied the blue outline of the station’s interior, making poor assumptions to where her mark could be hiding. Up until this point, she had been hunting one person, but there was no telling how many members were lurking about, ready to kill.

  And just why didn’t he sacrifice himself to his cause like the others? Tessa wondered. Just what is his game?

  As she continued to scan the interior schematic, a hunch drove her toward the heart of the station where the generators would be located. It was a departure from her initial mission, but she would be unable to secure the XO’s precious information with a murdering lunatic running about.

  If he’s still alive.

  As if sensing her doubt, Cole’s image materialized in the small window of her Ocunet. Behind his visage wrought with concern, she could see the Asterius had sustained significant damage. A cacophony of shouting voices and a symphony of blaring klaxons indicated that the ship may not last much longer.

  “Tessa?”

  She switched him off, furious. Two steps later, a nagging guilt—compliments of years of dedicated service—changed her mind, and she patched him back through.

  “What?”

  Her terse response seemed to take Cole aback. He blinked before speaking. “What. What do you mean ‘what?’ I’m in the midst of dealing with our ship having taken critical damage, and I’m taking time—time I don’t have, mind you—to make sure you’re alive.”

  Tessa was barely listening to him as she marched through the space station. “I’m alive. No one else is. Black Dwarf made certain of that.”

  “Shit. Tessa, get your ass out of there. This mission is over.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Do you really expect me to abandon my cause after all that’s happened? Walk away so I can live with the memory of my entire squadron dying in vain? I don’t think so, Cole. I’m going to finish this.”

  “I don’t have time to argue with you. The Asterius is in the process of mak
ing an emergency evacuation for repair. If you don’t leave within the next five minutes, you’ll be left behind. So get back in your precious mark III Mamba and return to base. That’s an order, Captain.”

  You bastard! She slammed the butt of her rifle against the wall in frustration. “I’m tired of this mindfuck game you’re playing with me, Cole. Or is Colonel? Are you my friend, or my hotshot superior who changes the rules as he goes along? I honestly don’t know how to address you. And so what if I defy you? What if I go against the great Cole Musgrave’s orders and show him up? Would you be forced to play the part of full-time XO? What if I somehow manage to complete this insane mission of yours? Will you demote me? Not likely. Not after I reveal to Admiral Preston the truth behind why you sent me here.”

  Cole only stared back at her, chaos ensuing behind him.

  “That’s what I thought.” She continued her hunt.

  “You win, Tessa.”

  The words were quiet, but she had heard and understood their significance.

  “Finish it. I’ll hold off the evac as long as I can.”

  She breathed sharply through her nose, jaw tense. “Aye, Colonel.”

  For a moment, Tessa stood there in the middle of space station, feeling lost and utterly alone. Just what had she committed herself to? Who would benefit from this suicide mission? Truly she had nothing to gain from this act of espionage. Even if she were to complete the task of locating the necessary evidence, she would have to keep quiet. She had been sworn to secrecy by her superior who was second only to the admiral. The whole situation was preposterous. Was she willing to throw away her life and career on account of some selfish Starforce pride and a delusional XO’s wild goose chase?

  A sudden moment of clarity brought Tessa’s decision into focus. She pivoted to turn back toward her ship but caught something peculiar out of the corner of her eye. Her rifle fired just as the shadow emerged from around the corner and lunged at her. The blast took the sprinting man in the chest, tearing a massive hole in his torso. The life fled his eyes well before he collapsed into her, dragging them both to the ground.

  Tessa squirmed beneath the dead weight, her hand accidentally reaching through the gaping wound as she tried to crawl out from underneath. She managed to shove off the corpse enough to wiggle her way to freedom. Blood covered her flight jacket and was already crystallizing. She pretended not to notice the frozen chunks of the man’s innards floating nearby. Hands clenched into tight fists in an attempt to cease the violent trembling, the nearby wall an appreciated crutch to keep her from collapsing.