Yusef looked around the table.

  “Everyone in here has killed people except you, Kara. We Talons have put down more Swarm than we can count. And the Captain here hasn’t shied away from his own history. We can’t look back without seeing the blood. It doesn’t make us bad men. I’d fight and die for any of you.”

  “What’s your point, Yusef?”

  “I choose my allies for today’s fight. If they’re willing to stand shoulder to shoulder and put their life in my hands, I’ll do the same for them. We can save the morality lessons for another time. Each man will face his own reckoning.”

  “So, you don’t care what Michael might have done, no matter how terrible?”

  “That’s not what I said, Kara. All I need to know in the here and now is simple: Are you with me or against me? There’s a way to test where Michael stands.”

  Ham rapped the table with his knuckles.

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “It’s a risky move.”

  “Dangerous?”

  “If he’s not on our side, there’s gonna be a body count.”

  “And if he is with us?”

  “We’ll piss him off either way.”

  “Interesting, Yusef.” Ham faced the leadership. “We can discuss morality and ethics all day long. It will serve no purpose. It’s time to put all strategic ideas forward. We need to choose the best one and commit to it. We have a big day ahead of us. I’d rather it not end on a disappointing note.”

  They bandied about plans for the next hour, centering around a common theme. They never reached unanimity because Kara disliked some aspect of every scheme.

  Her mind changed when the second batch of blood results arrived. The first time, the phasic analysis found no specific ailments. Aldo seemed in excellent health for an old man who worked with such vigor.

  Ham spotted the problem buried deep in the data.

  “Hexadramiquine. The dosage is so small, it’s almost invisible. We were trying to diagnose his impairment. We did not consider his meds might be the problem.”

  “What is it?” She asked.

  “Hexadamn, as we called it, was designed by Special Services. My team used it on indigo prisoners. It was the last phase of an advanced conditioning program. It worked on the subconscious while patients slept. The idea was to draw out a new personality, one we could mold into an effective agent. Some patients lost their sanity. Most suffered strokes. A few fatal. Hexadamn was shelved twenty years ago. How it shows up here is beyond me.”

  “They’ve been putting this into Aldo’s meds?”

  “It’s the only explanation. I don’t recognize many of these other chemicals. Depending upon the cocktail, the Hexadamn might have been meant to serve a different purpose.”

  “Why would they do this?”

  Ham leaned back in his chair.

  “I have no answer to motive, but one thing appears certain: Michael is poisoning Aldo Cabrise.”

  14

  Day 5, SY 5367

  H AM CORTEZ WALKED ACROSS a stage for the first time in his life. He ignored the two thousand sets of eyes watching him from the Promise amphitheater. They came for a ceremony which could just as easily have taken place in a quiet office. Yet Michael insisted on a show. Fine. The more witnesses, the better.

  The Captain took his seat beside Cando and Kara. They flashed gracious smiles to the gathered masses who had no inkling what might transpire tonight. At least, Scylla leadership assumed they weren’t in on the trap. Michael could have opened up Occip, ordered them here like obedient sheep, and told them to behave according to script.

  No, he wouldn’t make so bold a move, Ham reasoned. He’d raise too many questions. What of Exeter? Had he become a compliant pawn? Or would he push back against the plan? He sat in the front row along with several other officers in full uniform. He beamed with pride over both sets of brothers and sisters reaching a formal agreement.

  Four of Scylla’s crew sat next to those officers: Lin Soogan, Force Carmel, Jai Zaan, and Po Wynn. Leadership went back and forth on the final count. How many do we place at the center? Ham didn’t think the tally was important so long as Michael never counted heads. Shoan Gui and Myra Faun remained at Aldo’s camp by choice. Ham thought removing them might raise a red flag.

  Tonight’s success boiled down to simple math.

  Ham scratched near his right ear as he turned to Kara and Cando. He tapped the back of his lobe to trigger the bead inside.

  “I trust we have a full turnout tonight.”

  “Every seat is full,” Cando said.

  “The crowd is huge,” Kara added.

  Paul Ochoba and Yusef Matook finished the responses from onboard Scylla:

  “View is great.” “Everybody made it to the party.”

  Ham looked across the stage. Michael and Samantha sat with Information Minister Rikhi Syed. He saw no sign of Admiral Kane. Ham was disappointed, but at least he knew what to expect.

  “The AN did not send their man,” he told everyone listening. “They must be busy. The show is about to begin. I suggest we remain silent and respectful from this point forward. Only speak to the essentials. Yes?”

  Information Minister Syed, sporting a tattoo with the rings of the planet Brahma, stood behind the lectern and addressed the crowd.

  “To all Aeternans and our dear, honored guests, welcome to a historic moment in the evolution of our special world. Nine years ago, under the leadership of Minister Cooper, we proved we are a sovereign people who can defend our home world against any enemy. One hundred standard days from now, we will celebrate the ninth anniversary of the Last Day’s War!”

  Syed’s high note evoked wild applause.

  “Since that glorious victory, Minister Cooper has brought home every immortal who wants to live in peace and harmony among his own. We have established trade and diplomatic relations with seventeen former planets of the Collectorate. We have built a thriving economy and the most unique culture in all the human race. We continue to learn the secrets of this remarkable planet, gifted to us alone. We have built a planetary defense network unrivalled.”

  Waves of applause rose between each of his points.

  “Yet, in all this time, we allowed no one to venture into Aeternan space until we found an ally worthy of our Minister’s good graces. For the past month, we have shared our bounty and the Minister’s generosity with the crew of the warship Scylla. In return, they have shared technology and military tactics which will benefit Aeterna for years to come. Tonight, our great Minister and the Captain of Scylla will sign a mutual defense agreement.”

  Ham wondered who wrote the speech: Syed or Michael.

  “At a time of great changes beyond our system, we have made the next logical move in working side-by-side with a strong military ally to confront new challenges. Now, I ask our Minister to join me along with Capt. Hamilton Cortez of Scylla to sign the accord.”

  Ham anticipated a pompous speech but had expected it to drag on a bit more. He rose from his chair, surprised by the pace.

  Before he reached his position of honor, Ham heard Paul’s distant voice in his right ear.

  “Two patrols have jumped in. Holding position three hundred meters astern. Correction: Not patrols. They’re transports. Scanning now.”

  The timing made sense. They’d wait until all attention focused upon the ceremony.

  “A full count,” Ham said under his breath. “Hold for movement.”

  Syed threw open the document in a panoramic holo, using nimble fingers to zoom in on the signature page. Three glowing tap boxes awaited genetic confirmation from Michael, Ham, and Rafael Kane.

  Ham remembered the day when he used to look every man square in the eye, the tallest creature in the room. Now, he fell short of Michael by a couple of inches, which at the moment appeared greater. Did the Minister wear elevated boots to grow the advantage? Ham did not look down. Why be so obvious?

  He gave Michael his firmest handshake. The immortal’s irises were brown. Interesting, Ham thought. He’s not talking through Occip.

  “Our journeys have been long,” Ham said. “I’m pleased they brought us together, Minister.”

  Michael, who tied back his forest of braided hair for the occasion, did not have the witty, colloquial response Ham expected.

  “You’re not like any Chancellor I know, Captain. It’s an honor.”

  “Minister, Captain,” Syed said. “If you would step forward. There’s ample space for you to plant your stamps at the same time. Admiral Kane will join you by holo.”

  Syed returned to the lectern.

  “Now, as we prepare for the historic moment, I introduce Admiral Rafael Kane, joining us from the command bridge of our great flagship, Lioness.”

  Kane appeared in holographic form to Michael’s left.

  “Scan complete,” Paul Ochoba said. “I count forty AN soldiers on the transports.”

  “Moving forward,” Ham said as he moved into position to sign.

  “Not yet,” Paul replied.

  “Gentlemen,” Syed said. “Enter your gene stamp.”

  Would the AN’s timing be so predictable? Ham pressed his forefinger into the tap box beneath his name. It illuminated green to confirm the genetic match. The other men did the same.

  At Syed’s prompt, the crowd rose as one to a thunderous and sustained ovation. Ham leaned over to Michael.

  “I trust I won’t have to give a speech.”

  “Nah. Thought we’d skip it. Rikhi’s hot air was enough. Perhaps a toast or two later?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Michael smiled at the front row and waved.

  “Your crew seems pleased.”

  “They are. We’ve been through a great deal together.”

  Paul intervened.

  “Two Scramjets have jumped in, holding position a hundred meters off our nose.”

  “Everyone seems ready for the party,” Ham responded, although he did not mean it for Michael.

  Nonetheless, Michael used it as his lead-in. He slid to the lectern, raised his hands, and waited for the applause to die.

  “Is this a great night, or what?” The crowd erupted again. “I got one message: Let’s party!”

  Amid cheers, most of the crowd dispersed while some immortals danced in the aisles. Beyond the amphitheater, the city lights dazzled, and the main avenue awaited, long bands of rainbow-like streamers crossing overhead. Scylla’s leadership huddled with Michael and Samantha, sharing handshakes and platitudes. The boys Danny and Harry jumped onto the stage and danced with no apparent rhythm as the first music launched from rooftop speakers across the city.

  Kara and Cando heard everything, as did the crew down below and the other five who awaited the next move aboard Scylla. Kane’s holo dissolved seconds after the signing.

  Why did he go along with this madness? Kane struck Ham as a more competent military man than Michael.

  “I hope you’ll join us for a private reception,” Samantha told them. “We’re toning down Goliath tonight for a more classical theme.”

  “Less bass,” Michael added.

  Kara hugged Samantha.

  “We’d love it. I was there last week. It’s very elegant.”

  “Bring the whole gang along,” Michael said.

  Cando suggested the Scylla trio ought to hook up with the others now waiting below and make plans.

  “We’ll see you there soon,” he told the Coopers.

  Instinct spoke with a clear voice: If Samantha knew her husband was up to something, she wasn’t privy to the details. She gathered up the boys and led them offstage. Michael convened with Syed for a few words and followed his family.

  Ham turned to his people.

  “I think we should do as you suggested, Cando.”

  Although much of the crowd had shifted into party mode and cleared the amphitheater with great efficiency, a few officers and the Scylla crew chatted on the grassy strip in front of the stage. Exeter greeted the trio with a beaming grin.

  “Hello, you three. I already spoke to the others, and I wanted to tell you, too. The past few weeks have been my greatest. I’m so happy I was able to work with everyone again.”

  Kara took the first step forward and hugged him.

  “We’re proud of the man you’ve become in such a short time.”

  “Thank you, Kara. When we left Hokkaido, I wasn’t around long enough to be a strong member of the team. I think my fate was meant to be.”

  “You had every reason to be resentful.” Ham shook his hand. “Thank you for putting that difficult day behind us.”

  “Of course, Captain. I hope you enjoy your evening.”

  Ham was certain: Exeter didn’t know. The young immortal carried his emotions like a bag slung over his shoulder. He couldn’t have acted his way through that moment if he knew Michael’s plan.

  Paul’s voice grew anxious on his next update.

  “Transports are moving toward the landing bay.”

  “Scramjets?”

  “Holding.”

  Any hope of having misread the moment disappeared.

  “Light her up, Paul.”

  Scylla had shut down all systems but life support and comms to create the needed illusion. Now, the octagonal Carbedyne nacelles were flaring into action, as well as the landing bay’s guidance controls and cascade barrier. He wondered what the transport captains might be thinking.

  Ham looked beyond his crew to see Michael leaving with his family, but his irises now glowed. He went inside Occip for updates.

  “Engine online,” Paul said.

  “First tack, Paul. Ease her away. Avoid anything the Scramjets might consider aggressive.”

  Paul and Hiro Parke manned C&C, while Yusef, Chi, Meena, and Leto took positions in the landing bay. They were armored and ready to defend from the high ground, but the calculus predicted they wouldn’t need to make a desperate stand.

  “Why don’t we start toward the Goliath?” He told his ground crew. “No need to appear conspiratorial.”

  Some had argued for bringing laser pistols. Ham didn’t see the point. If Scylla failed, what did they hope to gain amid twenty-five hundred immortal combatants? The Scramjet landed too far away and was kept under surveillance.

  Michael looked back toward the crew, who picked up their pace to follow Ham. What did Michael hear? What would he order next?

  “Scramjets have repositioned alongside,” Paul said. “Transports have matched speed but are not accelerating for the bays.”

  “Any contact?”

  “They’re silent.”

  “Steady on, Paul.”

  “How soon will we know?” Kara asked. “Surely, he’ll back off.”

  Michael sent his family forward and turned around. He blinked three times and dropped Occip while approaching Ham.

  “Hey, Captain H, what gives?” Michael outstretched his arms. “I just realized you’re missing folks. Rikhi Syed said customs only checked in seven. I thought the whole gang was gonna share in the fun.”

  “We were, Minister. We encountered a problem with Carbedyne backslop in the engine array. We thought it better to leave a team behind to service her. Last I heard, they solved the problem and they’re running Scylla through her paces. If they’re satisfied, they’ll come on down while the party’s still in swing.”

  Michael would have lost the hand if playing cards. His expression shifted from faux disappointment to irritation to surprise.

  “Well … uh … hell, I’m glad you fixed the problem before it caused trouble. That’s one valuable damn piece of hardware up there.”

  “It is, Minister. My crew are experts at managing her health.”

  “Never doubted it. I’ll … uh … I’ll let customs know to expect another six or so before the evening’s done. See all you folks in Goliath. Take your time. Enjoy the city.”

  When Michael walked out of range, Kara said:

  “He’ll back down now. Won’t he?”

  “Status, Paul.”

  “Escort configuration is unchanged.”

  “Steady on.”

  Cando suggested Scylla open a channel to the AN ships.

  “If we confirm the story you just handed Michael, they’ll either back off or ask Lioness for new orders.”

  “They were prepared to board a crewless ship. They have two options: Take by force or retreat. I want to know their intentions. We don’t need to lead them.”

  “Michael has to know we’re on to him,” Kara said. “He’ll back off.”

  “He still has an enormous advantage. He has us. If we’re right, he has someone in Aldo’s camp watching Shoan and Myra. Nine hostages makes for outstanding leverage.”

  They left the amphitheater and approached the broad central avenue where crowds of immortals packed a raucous celebration. Michael towered over them as he led his family into the mix.

  “He’s playing it close,” Cando said.

  “Transports are accelerating for the bay,” Paul said. “They’ll board within the next minute.”

  “That’s too bad,” Ham said. “Hiro, weapons status?”

  “We’re ready, Captain.”

  “Activate surface cannons and prepare a firing solution for the transports. Lock two particle missiles onto the Scramjets.”

  Ham signaled his nervous ground crew to keep walking toward the festivities at a casual pace. So far, everything followed script.

  15

  W EAPONS LOCKED AND TARGETED,” Hiro said.

  Ham held for a beat.

  “Any response?”

  “Negative.”

  “Lock particle missiles onto the Lioness and every orbital defense platform above the Promise Security Zone.”

  “Locked, Captain. Prepared to fire.”

  “Paul, accelerate five percent.”

  They reached the main avenue. Celebrants approached the crew.

  “Play along,” Ham advised them. “Shake hands. Smile.”

  To Scylla: “Response?”

  “Scramjets are matching speed. Transports are holding distance a hundred meters from the bay.”

  “No communication?”

  “None.”

  Ham searched the crowd for Michael. Did he duck inside one of the many loaf-shaped structures?