The Ascent

Chapter 48

"What's this I hear about you commandeering Spartan ships?"

I stood up straight in my battle dress uniform and stared straight ahead at Director Sharkey's avatar. "That is not correct. The only ships I took command of were the ships you sent me to collect."

"And threatening to fire on Spartan ships?"

"I only targeted that traitorous Dexter's flagship and then only when he threatened to board one of my ships."

"This is outrageous," Dexter exploded. "How dare you call me a traitor, I have always been loyal to Sparta."

"Did Sparta order you to steal that jump ship and run out on us, leaving even your fellow Spartans trapped in alien space?"

"It was a human colony," Dexter said plaintively.

"Look! I don't care about your past," Sharkey said. "This is war and I can't have Commanders running around making up their own orders. What's this I hear about you trying to found a colony on La Roca."

I groaned. "Found a colony? We were trying to escape it!"

"You know you were trying to hide out there from the fighting," Dexter sneered. "You tried the same thing at Red Rock."

"Sir, the only reason we were stuck at La Roca was that the Oracles wouldn't let us leave."

"Hmph," Sharkey grunted. "I've had my suspicions about those oracles."

"Look, Director Sharkey, you know I didn't ask for this assignment. I was looking forward to going back to a normal life. I only took this job because you said lives were at stake and I was the only person in a position to do anything about it. If you want to run the show, I will happily turn this fleet over to you, I only ask one thing. Don't let this jackass have anything to do with it."

"How dare you."

"I have half a mind to accept your offer and take personal command," Sharkey said. "One moment—" His avatar suddenly blinked out and left me standing in the virtual office with Dexter's avatar.

Minutes passed while Dexter paced back and forth. I considered opening a diagnostic panel to see if we had lost connection when Sharkey's avatar reappeared.

"There's been a change of plans." A holographic model of a Cack warship appeared in the middle of the room. "It seems that the group of Cack LCs you encountered was indeed an advance group that had been Operating in the Golden Worlds for some time. They were preparing the way for this."

A strange ship appeared in the display. I walked around it noting the large engines and a strange lumpy projection along its spine. "I take it this is some sort of assault ship?"

"It is. It's an anti-matter powered gamma ray laser. It's capable of putting out the focused equivalent of a small nova and sustaining it for hours."

A grey planet suddenly appeared in its place. "This is AJX4050 A month ago it looked like this." The gray ball was replaced by a brilliant emerald gem.

I wouldn't have thought such a thing were possible. "The weapon did this?"

"Sterilized the whole planet. It was test fired the day you left Empire. We fear the Cacks have moved their schedule forward. It may, even now be entering the Golden Worlds on its way to Earth."

"Then we don't have any time. We need to get the fleet moving."

"Agreed. You should be able to intercept it at AIV0454."