Shades of Gray (30 page)

“Not everyone has had the good fortune to have been born on M’zull like us, Majesty,” said Fabukki smoothly. “Once our support arrives, we’ll have the personnel and resources to effect the major changes that are needed.”

K’hedduk looked up sharply from the note. “We?”

Fabukki bowed low. “Your pardon, Majesty,” he murmured. “I meant you, of course. We all exist merely to do your bidding.”

K’hedduk grunted and screwed up the note.“The U’Churian shuttle has landed and is being unloaded in the warehouses now. You’ll have your parts within two hours.”

A peal of thunder rent the air, echoing around the walled courtyard outside his office.

“Assuming that damned storm lets up enough to allow them to transport the parts here!” he hissed, throwing the balled up piece of paper into the waste bin. “What’s the state of the gun turrets?”

“Good,” said Fabukki. “The rewiring and renovation of those around the exterior of the Palace has been completed. They were able to reroute the controls during the work, so full control has been restored. Obviously, the weather has halted work for now on those in the City precincts.”

“What about all the security scanners?”

“Without access to the main controls, Majesty, it has proved impossible to remove the retinal scans of the late Royal family from the memory banks, but yours have been entered successfully. They’re ready to switch them back on at your command.”

“Then do so now. I’m disappointed that more progress on breaking the codes in the main command computers hasn’t been achieved. I’d expected your people would have done that by now. It’s damned annoying having to argue with that AI every time I need to make changes. I need a way to override it!”

“I don’t have my people here, yet, Majesty. At present I’m forced to work with those who lack the enthusiasm to solve the problem.”

“Perhaps they need a bigger spur than you’re providing.”

“That’s Kezain’s department, Majesty. Even so, I doubt they need greater encouragement. Head Inquisitor Lufsuh visited them. Three are still in the dungeons, and one is dead. It only served to make the remainder work even more slowly. If they didn’t lack a backbone, I’d say it was passive resistance, but . . .” He shrugged and left his sentence hanging.

K’hedduk sighed. “In the circumstances, you’ve done well,” he said grudgingly. “If Kezain continues to be a liability, we’ll need to have you officially take over from him.” He was annoyed that a dead Emperor could still thwart his plans from beyond the grave because of a set of computer codes only he had known.

“He serves his purpose, Majesty, in letting the commoners relate to him, whereas I’m seen as an outsider. I’ll have people waiting at the gates for the relay parts. They can work on the faulty units without us needing to take the force field down completely.”

“That’s at least reassuring,” said K’hedduk. With no communications from the ships orbiting K’oish’ik, he felt more secure knowing that at least the Palace was protected from not only the asteroids that were falling but also any possible incursion.

“One last thing, Majesty. The female, Kezule’s daughter. You said to transfer her to the harem section in the morning. Her own room, as I remember.”

“What about her?”

“You mentioned I might . . .”

“Yes, yes, you can have her for what is left of tonight, after the force field is repaired,” he said, waving his Security chief away. “I have plans for her future. Pity my people weren’t able to capture more of those females alive.”

Fabukki bowed. “As you say. It’s late, Majesty. Perhaps you should also consider retiring for the night.”

“Soon,” he said. It had been a day or two since he’d visited his Empress; perhaps he’d do so now. She was certainly more amenable since he’d had the Palace doctor start sedating her. Not as heavily as the other harem females, of course. He liked his with some life in her, just not too much aggression.

 

“
Zh’adak
, this is Commander Q’ozoi of the
Kz’adul
. Be advised we are tracking the meteorite storm and have found several large objects in the midst of it. We need you to investigate.”

“
Kz’adul
, Commander Ch’akkuh here. We hear you. Zoshak in Science has updated us on the asteroid situation. Unfortunately, Security Officer Zsaffer refuses to leave our designated orbit. He wishes to confirm your order with the Palace first.”

“Communications with the ground are out, Ch’akkuh. He won’t get confirmation. If those larger asteroids keep their current course, they’ll enter the atmosphere in approximately five hours, and pose a serious threat to the City of Light.” Q’ozoi looked at Shikku.

“Suggest they come here and talk to our Security,” whispered the Science officer. “Understood, Q’ozoi,” the Captain of the
Zh’adak
said, “but the decision isn’t mine to make. Without orders from the Palace, Zsaffer won’t authorize leaving our current orbit.”

“As senior ship, we can issue the command, Ch’akkuh, and I’m doing just that. We’ll undock from the Orbital and cover the City against the meteorites. Tell Zsaffer he’s welcome to come here and discuss it with us.”

There was a short silence. “We’re breaking orbit, Commander Q’ozoi, and will rendezvous with you in approximately thirty minutes. May I suggest you join us on the
Zh’adak
?”

“Very well, Q’ozoi out.” The Commander looked at Shikku.

“Captain Tirak left us some canisters of sleep gas,” said the Science officer. “They would come in very handy if you could gather all K’hedduk’s security personnel in one room, Commander.”

Q’ozoi nodded. “Get a team ready in that case. Have you got any portable breather units in the labs?”

“Ones small enough that we can conceal in pockets,” confirmed Shikku. “I’ll go get them organized, Commander. How large a group do you want to take onto the
Zh’adak
?”

“Four of us,” said Q’ozoi after giving the order to undock from the Orbital. “If Ch’akkuh and Zoshak can get K’hedduk’s five people isolated in the air lock area, we can neutralize them with that gas and throw them in detention.”

 

This time, when they approached the
N’zishok
, Kaid was directed to the starboard docking area, passing the
Couana’s
shuttle moored securely to the port side as they went. Once on board, they were met by M’zynal and taken directly to the main landing bay.

Carrie’s senses were immediately assaulted by the sheer variety of sounds and smells. Fuel was foremost—sharp, and tasting of hot metal and burned insulation. Underlying it was the smell of Valtegan sweat.

Fighter planes were being towed by mechanics to the re-fueling point, then taken to their launching area. To one side, the racks for the egg-shaped drop capsules were being loaded, while the launching sequences were being tested with what appeared to be spares.

“The General’s over there,” M’zynal said, indicating the launch control booth as they began weaving their way between the craft. “He’s going to coordinate the mission from the Bridge.”

“Then he does plan to stay on the
N’zishok
,” said Kaid with satisfaction.

“He knows where he’s needed most, Captain.”

 

“We’ve a conference on the Bridge with the
Tooshu
in half an hour,” said Kezule, getting up as Carrie, Kaid, T’Chebbi, and Garras entered, leaving the others outside. “The thirteen who’ll be on the HALO drop with you are in the commons on the same deck. I assumed you’d want to meet and address them first.”

“I’d prefer that.”

Kezule signaled to one of the civilians hovering nearby. “Organize some refreshments for us in my office,” he ordered. “We’ve got ninety minutes until drop time. I’ve just had word from the
Kz’adul
that the
Zh’adak
is now ours.”

“Good news,” said Kaid as they followed him back out. “We’d rather avoid a third assault front if possible.”

“We should be able to. Commander Q’ozoi of the
Kz’adul
has left the Orbital and ordered the
Zasho
and
Shazzu
to rendezvous with it. There are ten of the implanted ex-Palace guards on each of the cruisers. If we can get them all in one room, we can transmit their shutdown codes and knock them out. When they regain consciousness, they’ll be in the
Kz’adul’s
brig.”

“I assume K’hedduk’s other agents are there.”

Kezule glanced across at Kaid as they stopped by the elevator. “Those from the
Zh’adak
are, but Captain Aldatan took no prisoners from those on the
Kz’adul
or the Orbital.”

Kaid nodded, hiding his surprise from the General.

“Met with heavy resistance, did they?” asked Garras casually.

“No more than expected, once he realized how aggressive K’hedduk’s gene-altered thugs are. Killing them then saved me doing it later.”

The elevator arrived, eliminating the need for anyone to reply.

Kusac wouldn’t kill captives,
sent Carrie.
Or if he did, he’d have a good reason for doing it.

Later,
he replied.

 

“You thirteen will be in three Fire Teams led by myself, Banner, and Garras,” Kaid said to the group seated in the commons. “The rest of you will be backing us up, taking out the gun turrets once we’ve knocked out the force field generators. I’m assured only the eight on the perimeter have a full 360-degree field of fire. Those inside the outer Palace wall can’t shoot more than a foot above the twenty-foot-high walls or farther than their opposite wall.”

A hand went up. “Whom do we take our orders from?”

“That’s sir or Captain Kaid to you,” growled Banner from where he was perched on the edge of a low cupboard. “And you take your orders from the General.”

“Yes, Lieutenant,” the youth responded quickly, trying to not glance sideways at his father.

Kezule stirred in his chair at the head of the table beside Kaid. “I thought I made it clear you were to treat our Sholan allies with all due courtesy,” he said, a hiss of displeasure in his voice.

An embarrassed silence fell until another hand went up from among the thirteen who were to accompany Kaid.

“Who is in which team, Captain Kaid, sir?”

Kaid picked up a list of names and read them out. “The first group will be in a Fire Team with me and Carrie. The second will be led by Banner and Jurrel; and the third by Garras and my son Dzaka. We’ll work as one unit along with one of the Touiban Fire Teams, targeting the force field generator designated as number 1. We already know the force field is up, but it is unstable as two generators are out—numbers 6 and 8. They’ll still be targeted because we can’t assume they’ll stay down. Until we disable the force field, we’ll be sitting targets for the laser turrets, and until the field is down, our fighter units can’t hit them. We’ll all be relying on the support that you give us,” he said, glancing briefly over to the fighter pilots. “How many of you have HALO dropped before?”

“Those who remained on K’oish’ik as the Palace Guard,” said M’zynal. “The rest of us have done time in the simulator though.”

Garras grunted. “Will have to do. Better get them pumped up with antinauseants, though.”

Kaid saw with amusement the various uncertain looks the youths exchanged.

“It’s been done,” Kezule murmured in a quiet aside to him. “Just to be safe.”

“You all have cameras installed in your helmets. General Kezule will be monitoring the mission from the Bridge and will issue orders via the Team leaders. Those are the only people you obey. In the event your Team leader is taken out, report to the General for new instructions. Courtesy of the Touibans, on your HUDs you have sensor telltales showing you not only the location of your teammates, but of all friendlies. Enemy troops will show up in red. Remember, though we’re not the main attack force, we are vital to the retaking of the City and Palace. If all goes well, the force field will be down by the time we land, and the fighters will have taken out most, if not all, of the turrets. Any questions?” Kaid waited for a moment or two before continuing.