An aft secure cam showed the aperture explode into life.

  “No worries, Captain. We’ve got th …”

  The shuttle disappeared inside the aperture, as if sucked into a galactic drain pipe.

  “I’m sorry, Admiral. I was too late. The shuttle is on its way. We can’t abort while they’re inside worm.”

  “Understood, Captain. We’ll watch for them.”

  “Woolsey out. Sha, throw me their tracker.”

  Exeter followed the shuttle on its brief journey to the surface ping. Van was right: A quick landing, evacuation, and respool of the drivers could bring Lightfoot’s crew home in six minutes.

  Then what? Watch the Orzed fleet tear itself apart? Reach out to the breakaway Captains and see if they’d be interested in an alliance? Or maybe …

  The UNF had the ships, weapons, and people to hold the line against the Swarm. Victory would be harder and at greater cost without Orzed but as likely in the end. Exeter was ready to tether.

  His dream for escape soon died.

  31

  T HEY RAN TOWARD A NONDESCRIPT stone building fifty meters from Argo. Kara saw rolling green hills and herds of white, fluffy animals. Were those sheep? She’d never seen one up close, and she wouldn’t have time today.

  A pair of six-wheeled tumblers sat idle outside the building. Gravel crunched beneath their feet. An ornate D, painted red and blue, hovered above the double-wide entrance.

  “My people should be here soon,” Abby said as she opened a security panel adjacent to the door. “CP won’t follow us in here.”

  As she said the words, irony joined the fray. The CP fighters buzzed low over the hills and into range. The double door slid open with the speed of a frail old man.

  “Inside. Now.”

  A CP loudspeaker boomed.

  “Drop your weapons and place your hands over your head. If you fail to comply, we will use deadly force.”

  They skirted through a narrow opening.

  “Keep moving,” Abby said as she reached the controls to reverse the doors. Before the opening vanished, the rat-rat of projectiles smashed against the door. A few ricocheted off the floor inside.

  “Over here,” Cambria said, leading them to a defensive position behind a machine Kara recognized. Two long rows of industrial looms clarified the building’s purpose.

  Abby followed, barking instructions into her handheld. She caught her breath when she reached the others.

  “The law says they can’t enter without a signed writ, but I don’t believe they’re in a law-abiding mood today.”

  “Likely not,” Yusef said. “They sent that message when they tried to shoot us down. They won’t relent.”

  “Or they’ll bring in bigger guns for backup,” Sgt. Whitehall said. “Make a real show of it for the cams, if you see my point.”

  Abby nodded. “I do, actually. The Perons will milk this.”

  “How secure is this structure?” Rikard asked.

  “It’s a century old but built to last. Having said that, it’s never been missile-tested. We have a network of unmapped rail tunnels beneath the ranch. That’s how my security will arrive.”

  “You make garments here?” Henri said.

  “Wool, spun like nowhere else in the free worlds. The looms have short runs. Our product is special. But after today …”

  “Perhaps my curiosity is out of place at this desperate hour, but why does a family as powerful as yours require tunnels?”

  Abby sighed. “Our history is complicated. This is not the time for tales from the past.”

  Kara heard the word complicated twice from Abby, the first time when asked why a ranch needed surface to air missiles. Two days on Esperanza taught Kara that everything here was complicated.

  Cambria interjected.

  “Council Duma, I’m not keen on retreat, but shouldn’t we proceed toward these tunnels?”

  Abby checked her handheld.

  “Agreed, but my people are five minutes out.”

  They raced toward the rear of the long factory. Yusef answered his hand-comm in mid-stride. Exeter asked about their status and said he was sending a rescue shuttle. Kara’s ears perked up.

  “Exeter, no!” Yusef said. “Call them back. It’s too dangerous.”

  “I’m sorry, Admiral,” Exeter said seconds later. “I was too late. The shuttle is on its way. We can’t abort while they’re inside worm.”

  “Understood, Captain. We’ll watch for them.”

  Yusef stopped the group.

  “Abby, one of our shuttles will drop out of worm in less than a minute. When those fighters realize it’s not one of theirs, they’ll launch missiles. I need another way out of here.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ll take Lt. Cambria. We’ll create a diversion. If the fighters set upon us, it gives our shuttle time to maneuver to a safe position. It can engage the fighters if needed then pick us up by locking onto this hand-comm. The rest of you head for the tunnels.”

  “I should go too,” Rikard said. “I’m damn good with a blast rifle.”

  “All the more reason to stay with the group.”

  “There’s a stealth exit.” Abby pointed between two looms. “It can only be opened from the inside. You won’t see the outline of a door, just a D. Press and hold.”

  “Got it.”

  “Yusef, there’s no place to hide out there. You’ll have to run and hope they follow.”

  “That’s the general idea.”

  Cambria objected, but Abby ordered her to go.

  “We’ll make it, Lieutenant. Thank you for everything.”

  “No worries,” Whitehall said. “I’ll look after them.”

  Yusef didn’t hesitate or wish anyone well before the pair ran between the looms. Abby took their cue.

  “We need to move.”

  * * *

  “Lex, open a channel to our new neighbors,” Exeter said.

  “Done, sir.”

  “This is Capt. Woolsey of Lightfoot. We are aware of what is happening within your fleet. Please be assured our mission has not changed. We want to assist the Confederation and believe our union will help defeat the Swarm. A moment ago, I sent a shuttle to Esperanza to rescue my team. Their lives were being threatened by the same people who oppose Adm. Harkness. Once they are onboard Lightfoot, we will leave the system if told. But we have not given up on being your ally. Woolsey out.”

  He tapped his chair arms.

  “What do you think?” He asked Enfante.

  “A balanced message. Your sincerity shined through.”

  “Now?”

  “Wait.”

  Capt. Paan of the Tarsus responded seconds later.

  “Capt. Woolsey, may I speak to Adm. Enfante?”

  “Go ahead,” Exeter told the old man.

  “Capt. Paan, how may I be of service?”

  “Did you know of the Supreme Admiral’s plans?”

  “I’ve been involved in them for months.”

  “We have been communicating throughout the fleet and with the Actuarium. No one knows where Adm. Harkness is. Do you?”

  “I fear the worst, Captain, but I am not deterred. Harkness believes the time for needless sacrifice must end. He sent me here to verify the sincerity of our potential new allies.”

  “What is your assessment?”

  “They are worthy, courageous, and committed. They’re young. Even their Captain. But they are up to the task.”

  After a pause, Paan returned.

  “Capt. Woolsey?”

  “Yes, Capt. Paan.”

  “As it stands, we believe a majority of the fleet will break from standard orders and follow the Supreme Admiral. The three of us have agreed to do the same.”

  Exeter felt a sizable tension dissipate from the bridge.

  “That’s wonderful to hear, Captain. What do you propose?”

  “First, we’ll create some distance. Second, when your people return, we’d like to hear more. Perhaps Lightfoot will join us at the fleet’s new rendezvous coordinates?”

  “We’d like that, Captain. Thank you.”

  “Paan out.”

  Enfante clapped. “I’d call that a breakthrough, Capt. Woolsey.”

  Exeter tried not to dwell on the possibilities. This thing was still far too shaky, and the shuttle was exiting its aperture planetside. His stomach knotted as he tracked the progress. Instinct told him to contact Van and ask for an update, but every second mattered. He’d only pose a distraction.

  “They’re breaking away,” Sha said. “We’ll have jump clearance in ten seconds, sir.”

  “That wouldn’t be a good look, Sha. They want to talk as allies, but we duck out?”

  “Just allowing you the option, sir.”

  “Wait until our people are onboard. Then we’ll discuss options.”

  “Gotcha, Captain. I’d say …”

  Sha threw her hands over her mouth and gasped.

  “Is it? Oh, no. No!”

  Exeter saw what terrified Sha. So did everyone else. They stared at the massive grid of the Esperanza system. New movement far beyond the Orzed fleet entered the fray. Silhouettes upon silhouettes.

  It can’t be. They wouldn’t now …

  “Incoming,” Sha said, pulling herself together. “Worm tracker is showing dozens of … no, hundreds … of approaching ships.”

  Wormholes entered the system from every direction.

  “How many?” Exeter asked.

  “Four hundred at least. The tracker is having a hard time.”

  “Transponders?”

  “They’re too far out.”

  “How long until they reach the outermost fleet?”

  “Less than two minutes.”

  “Can you determine their exit points?”

  “The AI is trying, but there are so many.”

  Exeter didn’t bother with Enfante. Whatever he and Harkness had concocted no longer mattered. Orzed was about to face the Swarm head-on, whether it wanted to or not. He glanced at the tracker planetside.

  Wait, what?

  Where was the shuttle? The signal vanished.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  “Captain, your orders?” Lex said.

  Exeter closed his eyes and thought of Caleb, the first person who ever truly loved him. All he wanted in this moment was to hold his husband one more time.

  He opened his eyes.

  “Lex, give me a channel to the Orzed fleet. All frequencies.”

  “Done, Captain.”

  “Attention, Orzed vessels. This is Capt. Woolsey of the Lightfoot. We have detected four hundred ships entering your system. We’re tracking their wormholes. We estimate they will begin to exit within two minutes. We do not yet know their destinations. I implore you to put aside your disagreements and go to combat stations.”

  The response was immediate.

  “Lightfoot,” Capt. Paan said, not hiding her anger. “What sort of madness is this? Woolsey, have you lost your mind?”

  “No, Captain. UNF ships have the ability to track wormholes and project their courses. It’s a crucial advantage over the Swarm. Please, you have to trust me. We’re losing precious time.”

  “If you can track them, how do you not know the destinations?”

  “There are too many. Our AI is sorting through the data.”

  Sha threw up the first few projections, less than ten percent of all wormholes. They targeted two battle groups on the fleet’s outer edge, four within a million kilometers of Esperanza, and …

  “Sir,” she said, “six apertures will open inside the atmosphere. They’ll bypass the fleet altogether.”

  “Capt. Paan, you just heard my Nav officer. Your people must act.”

  Lex swung around. “Sir, we’ve receiving all kinds of nasty responses from the fleet. Nobody believes us.”

  “This is not how the Swarm work,” Paan said. “We outnumber them here more than two to one here, if your data is correct.”

  “I don’t understand their motives, Capt. Paan, and I don’t care. We have to take evasive action and prepare for combat.”

  “Capt. Woolsey, I have linked my other Captains to this channel. Tell us how much time we have.”

  “They’ll hit the outer fleet in seventy seconds. Sha, how long until the planet?”

  She punched through the holo until the AI produced new numbers.

  “Planetfall in one hundred forty seconds, sir.”

  “You heard?” Exeter asked.

  “I did, but I’m not convinced. Still, I’ll broadcast to the fleet. At the very least, we can take precautions. Capt. Woolsey, you’re clear to jump. If the Swarm want a fight, the burden is ours.”

  Exeter heard the words honor and duty splashing around in his mind. He gazed at his bridge crew, thought of his people on the surface, and said:

  “We’re here for you, Capt. Paan.”

  “Thank you, Captain. Keep the channel open.”

  He did, but he also opened an internal comm.

  “Attention, crew. This is the Captain. Combat stations. Armor.”

  To the bridge officers he added: “You too.”

  Exeter and his Lieutenants stood then grabbed the square, palm-sized pack attached to their uniform above the waist. They slapped it against their chest. In seconds, it morphed into a bronze armor, conforming to their body and weapons and stopping at the neck. If the ship were boarded or faced the enemy’s deadly blows, they’d extend the armor and prepare for the worst.

  Exeter prayed it never came to that. He spent five years inside the black, surrounded by cold, persistent death.

  “Adm. Enfante, you and your aide will need to report to the quartermaster for armor. If we lose the ship, it gives us a chance to survive.”

  Enfante waved him off.

  “Oh, leave it be, Captain. If Lightfoot’s own armor doesn’t hold, I’ll go out knowing I had a marvelous final adventure.”

  “Admiral, I …”

  “If you don’t mind horribly, I would like to have a sit. Your office, perhaps? Another one of those fine whiskeys, I think.”

  “Sure. Pour yourself a double. We’ll do the job up here.”

  He was happy to have Enfante out of his orbit. No more distractions. War was riding in.

  * * *

  Yusef took a shine to Cambria. He’d seen many Talons like her whose stoicism resembled coldness. If they got out of this alive, he hoped to have time to share a drink with her.

  In this moment, they ran.

  Yusef spotted an opportunity to create a diversion by entering the sightlines of the CP fighters while keeping an eye on the location where he expected the shuttle’s aperture to open. A stone cluster rose a few feet out of the hillside. It wasn’t much and it wouldn’t give them long, but it might be enough.

  Few trees dotted this high country. Sheep scattered about the large green pasture beyond the stones.

  They reached their temporary refuge. One CP fighter jet hovered at the entrance, but the other wasn’t visible.

  “Now?” Cambria asked.

  Yusef grabbed his blast rifle.

  “One shot,” he told her.

  They aimed their weapons skyward and fired.

  That did the trick. Two men in gray uniforms appeared at the corner, rifles drawn. The CP jet shifted position.

  Yusef opened his hand-comm to UNF command frequencies and hoped for good timing.

  A loudspeaker blasted:

  “Drop your weapons. Place your hands over your head. You have five seconds to comply, or we will open fire.”

  “We’d best duck,” he said.

  “Do you have an actual plan, Admiral?”

  “Usually. This, I’m making up as I go. Have you ever been pinned down on the battlefield?”

  “I have.”

  “Did you plan for it?”

  She grinned. Was it the first time?

  “Point taken.”

  Bursts from the fighter turned into detonations on the other side of the stone face.

  “If your people went after the Swarm the way these assholes are coming for us, you might have won the war already.”

  “You might be right, Admiral.”

  “Call me Yusef. Tight quarters and what-not. You are?”

  “Margarita. Meg, for short.”

  “Good to meet you, Meg Cambria. Our shuttle should have exited by now. I can’t imagine …”

  He didn’t have to. The aperture opened to the west, with the shuttle bearing a course directly astern of the CP jet.

  “Col. Parish, this is Adm. Matook. There are two enemy fighters about. If you can take down the one dead ahead, please do. Otherwise, veer off to a safe distance and reassess options.”

  “We’re on it, Admiral. We see it. Locking on.”

  UNF command shuttles carried limited weapons, but they won the day in a pinch. The shuttle coughed up one missile. A split second before impact, the CP jet tried to swerve.

  It erupted in a fireball and splintered debris. A piece of it flew like a one-way boomerang and shattered against the stone face.

  Yusef saw both uniformed men on the ground, screaming. They took the brunt of the shrapnel.

  “Nice job, Col. Parish. There should be another fighter nearby.”

  “There! It’s coming and …”

  The voice belonged to someone on Parish’s crew. He shouted.

  Parish cursed.

  “Go. Full armor and …”

  Two missiles rose at a forty-degree angle, as if fired from the ground. The shuttle split in half. The aft section spewed fire as it fell. The bow section spun like a top, its destination unmistakable.

  It slammed into the front of the Duma facility. Flames shot into the sky and the ground rumbled.

  Yusef stared in disbelief.

  He got used to death over the years. Blood, innards, severed heads. The screams of the dying.

  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

  But this?

  He refused to say the words, but he knew the truth.

  The war had begun.

  32

  T HE FIGHT FOR ESPERANZA BEGAN. Swarm cruisers exited apertures at or near most Orzed battle groups. Exeter didn’t need experience with interstellar combat to understand what he saw on the huge grid. This sort of precision required advance intel. The Swarm planted agents in key positions. The Actuarium? Orzed fleet command? Perhaps as important: How high up the chain?