Victory: Book 3 of the Legacy Fleet Trilogy by Nick Webb

Author:Nick Webb [Webb, Nick]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2016-03-08T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Forty-One

Shuttle Bay, ISS Warrior

Interstellar Space, 2.4 Lightyears From Sirius

Granger dashed to the control station in the shuttle bay and brought up a tactical display on the main panel. Damn. Norton hadn’t just brought his boarding ships and a few escort cruisers, he’d brought an entire fleet. Admiral Zingano’s by the looks of it, as the Victory hovered in the background. The cruisers were already pounding certain points on the dreadnought, softening it up for the boarding parties.

“Dammit,” he muttered, and set up a commlink to the Victory. “Bill, what the hell is going on? I didn’t send a signal to attack!”

Zingano’s voice sounded out from the panel. “Sorry, Tim. General Norton has operational authority for the mission, by order of the president.”

“But Bill, the Skiohra are the real deal. They’re allies. I’m absolutely sure of it.”

A new voice blasted over the speaker, interrupting a response from Zingano. “That’s what they might want us to believe, Granger. And it might be what you want us to believe. But we’ve been monitoring meta-space transmissions from you for the past hour, and it’s clear you’re collaborating with them.”

Meta-space transmissions? He spun around to Krull. “Are you in contact with the Swarm? Don’t lie to me....”

Her eyes were closed. All she said was, “My Children. They are dying.” The deep blue eyes opened. “We are betrayed. Are you prepared for the full force and fury and the combined might of the Skiohra?” There was a new menace to her voice.

The four marines by the door readied their assault rifles. Granger held out a hand to restrain them. “Wait. Not until she poses a threat.” He regarded her—the depth and wisdom in her eyes was gone. Replaced by a deadly fury. “I can convince them to stop. But the meta-space communication—I need to know. Was it you? Are you still with the Swarm?”

When she didn’t immediately answer, he strode over to her and reached out to grasp her hand. “Tell me!” he said, gripping her hand tightly until his own skin turned white.

He gasped. A rush, a flood of emotion washed over him. He felt the pain at a billion deaths. Thousands more were dying by the second, and he felt every one of them. The image, the thought, the impression floated up before his eyes, though he saw nothing, but he knew it all the same. She was telling the truth. It was undeniable. He knew Swarm—he knew what the felt like, their heartless, almost mechanical will to dominate, and this was not it.

He jerked his hand away, and even after physical contact was broken he could still feel the terror of billions. “They’re dying.”

The rage in her eyes smoldered. “I know. Because I trusted you.”

He dashed back to the terminal and re-established the link to Zingano. “Bill, I’m telling you, this is madness. These people are our allies. They can help us win this goddamned war! Hold your fire!”

Zingano’s heavy sigh greeted him. “Tim, listen. We knew this was a possibility. But

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