LEVIATHAN, Rob Astor [most read books of all time .txt] 📗

There’s an unknown number of Eusian prisoners out there bein’ used as slaves to mine the asteroids.”
Admiral McMurrary nodded. “We’ll send a transmission to Viceroy Wexam.”
* * *
Ghostly white cloud formations awaited Gunnar and Evan as the Racing Corvette jumped into M42. “What’re we doin’ way out here in the Orion Nebula?” Evan asked. “I thought we were goin’ back to Tau Ceti.”
“Got a surprise for ya,” Gunnar said. He flew through pillars of gas, following a particularly knotted strand up to a point where, one day, a star would emerge. Drifting in orbit around the stellar cloud, Evan spotted a Leviathan.
“Don’t tell me you were holding one of those out on me, too.” Gunnar smirked.
* * *
“Welcome to the bridge,” Gunnar said when he and Evan exited the turbo lift.
“Blutotanic,” Evan whispered, looking all around.
“It’s got everything. Scramblers, Jammers, Modified Scanners, and a Jump Maximizer.”
“How in the world can you afford one, Uncle Gunnar?”
“He can’t,” someone in the shadows said. Evan spun around. The voice sounded familiar. Raven Spade walked into the open. Evan’s jaw dropped. “But, we can.”
“Dad.” Evan rushed up to Raven, embracing him tightly.
“Miss me, Raptor?”
“You’re not dead! You’re really here.” Evan looked up at him. “How? What…?”
“It was all part of the plan.”
“Plan? What plan? Why didn’t anyone tell me about it?”
Raven sat at the nearest control station. “A plan set in motion to destroy The Marauders. It’s taken a lot of time and effort.”
“Did you know, Gunnar?” Evan pivoted to his uncle, his face blank. Gunnar didn’t say anything. He folded his arms and stared at the deck. “You knew. You knew.” Evan’s voice cracked. “You kept it from me.” His throat quivered. “You let me think dad was dead? Why did you let me think dad was dead?” Tears rolled down Evan’s cheeks.
Raven put a hand on Evan’s shoulder. “Gunnar was followin’ my lead. It was necessary.”
“I… don’t understand. I never thought I’d see you again.”
“I knew the Destroyer would get captured with a Federation giving Archer inside info. The Marauders wanted to get at me since takin’ in their last leader twenty years ago. Getting’ their hands on that big of a ship was somethin’ I knew they couldn’t pass up. And I knew I could use it to lead me right to the whole lot of ‘em.”
“How did you survive the attack? I saw the ship fall into a black hole.”
“Escape pod. I slipped through a sub space envelope and went into hiding. Been out here ever since. I’ve monitored the Destroyer the whole time. Every transmission in an’ outta that hunk of junk was routed right out here to the Leviathan.”
Evan hugged his father again. “I’m so glad you’re all right.”
“Say…” Raven looked his son over. “Where’s all your gadgets?”
“Archer roughed us up a little,” Gunnar said.
“You guys okay?” Raven looked more concerned about Evan, holding his face between his hands.
“Now that I know you’re alive, everything’s perfect.”
“There’s no limit to Archer’s cruelty. Or greed. We better jump back over to Fomalhaut. Gimme the Core Chips and we’ll fire this big boy up.”
“They were lost with the Frigate,” Gunnar said, looking at Evan.
Raven studied his son. Evan drew in a breath, face flushed. “Haven’t I told you a million times--”
“Wait, wait,” Evan said reaching back into his plasti-skin vest compartment. “They weren’t destroyed.”
“Archer said--”
“I lied.” Evan pulled the chips out, holding them out to his dad. He grinned. “‘Captain’s rule number one. Never leave without the Core Chips.’ I’d never let anyone get them.”
Raven smiled. “That’s my boy.” He clapped the side of Evan’s shoulder. He put the chips into slots at the edge of the control panel. “Now let’s get going. We got a traitor to catch.”
“The Feds are already there,” Gunnar said. “That’s how we got away. McMurrary’s takin’ care of the Marauders and rescuin’ the slaves.”
Raven called up a holographic display. “Didn’t you wonder why your rescue was so easy? There’s somethin’ you better see.”
* * *
The Federation Cruiser floated high over an asteroid swam orbiting Fomalhaut. On the bridge, Admiral McMurrary studied a holographic projection of the Eusian Dreadnaught. “It appears the Empire has been involved in a lot of covert technological developments lately,” he said. He turned to Bolton Archer. “Dreadnaught could be disastrous to Federation and Marauder interests.”
“I’ve been sayin’ for years, you can’t trust those Eusian reptiles. The minute you turn your back on them, they’ll snap their jaws on you. Just like a swamp gator.”
Exaggerated claim, given his criminal record.
“How do you think I lost this eye?” Bolton pointed to the plate covering his right socket. “They’re sneaky and underhanded. The only thing they’re good for is a nice set of luggage.”
“A lot of Federation people share you sentiments.”
“Good thing we’re already allies.”
McMurrary nodded. “Did you get the cloak installed on the Destroyer?”
“My techs are workin’ on it. There’s a short in the system or something. You hit us pretty hard to spring those guys.”
“You knew the plan. We had to make it look real. Now that they’re not breathing down our necks, we can take your scheme to the next level.”
Archer grinned, placing a gloved hand on the Admiral’s shoulder. “I think the job’s gonna be a whole lot easier now.” He pointed at the hologram of the Dreadnaught. “Imagine the kind of empire we can build conquering worlds with that.” Bolton slapped McMurrary’s back, smiling wide as he stared at the schematic.
The Admiral smiled. “Where’s the Dreadnaught located?”
“HR 7578. Completely unarmed. It doesn’t have any blood diamonds to focus plasma. Yet. We’ll bring ‘em ourselves. I’ve stepped up the search. My slaves are working round the clock. I’ll break every one of their lizard backs if I have to.”
Archer slowly walked over to the view port, hands behind him. “I heard you wanted to retire soon.”
“That’s right.”
“Just think of the pension plan you’ll have now, Admiral. No planet will be able to stand up to us. We can topple every government in the Federation and beyond.”
“I always knew you were ambitious,” McMurrary said. “No wonder the F.F.P. couldn’t keep you in its ranks.”
“I didn’t get where I am by being soft.” He circled McMurrary. “Don’t look so glum, Admiral. I’m about to make you a very wealthy man.” He pinched the Admiral’s left cheek. “All we have to do is cloak the Destroyer, dock with Dreadnaught, and infiltrate it.”
* * *
The immense Leviathan jumped into the Fomalhaut system. “Shields,” Raven said. “Charge all weapons. It won’t taken ‘em long to spot a ship this big.” He threw a quick look over to Gunnar. “When can we expect Kolt’s forces?”
“Any minute.”
“Get detailed scans of the system, Evan. We wanna be able to tell Kolt’s guys right where to go to find the slaves.”
“Aye, dad.”
“The stakes have been raised,” Gunnar said.
“How so?”
“The Eusians built something called a Dreadnaught. Archer wants it. Bad.”
Raven stared at the debris swarm ahead. “That means he’ll need a whole bunch of diamonds. See any out there, Medium Fries?”
Evan skimmed holographic data. “One asteroid with a good deposit. Not big enough for a mining camp.”
“Do they got it?”
“No.”
“Maybe we can create a diversion until Kolt gets here.” Raven sighed. “Time to go out and earn that Pilot’s license.”
“Dad?”
“Get down to the main hanger. I want you to take your ‘Vette out and tractor that stone right into the sun. We’ll watch your tail from here.”
Evan blinked his eyes and snapped his head. “Okay. I’m on it.” He ran toward the turbo lift.
“Don’t get your butt blown off out there.”
A holographic light flashed and an alarm sounded. “They’ve spotted us,” Gunnar said.
“Time to kick this party into high gear.”
* * *
The holographic star system map clearly pinpointed the Leviathan. Archer smiled. He swung his head to Admiral McMurrary. “I think we can beef up our fleet. Don’t you?” He pressed a button, activating a communication screen. The face of one of his fellow Marauders appeared. “Get a squad out there an’ capture me a Leviathan.”
* * *
Matching the asteroid’s orbital velocity, Evan slid up along side the massive chunk of space debris. He engaged the tractor beam and gently tugged the boulder into a new orbit. “Got it,” he said. He accelerated toward Fomalhaut.
* * *
“What’s this one doin’ here?” Archer asked, studying the holographic display. A second, smaller ship was towing an asteroid toward the star. “Something’s not right.” He pulled up another screen, scanning the rock. “It’s full of blood diamonds. What the hell does he think he’s doin’…?”
Bolton switched back to his communication screen. “Send someone out after the second ship and retrieve that asteroid.”
* * *
“Swoop Jets comin’ in,” Gunnar said.
“Let ‘em have it.”
Gunnar touched a series of buttons. Polaron Cannon turrets spat yellow beams of energy from all defensive points along the length of the Leviathan. Rail gun pellets formed a wild, cris-crossing maelstrom. Missiles screamed into the void. All around the hull, small metal canisters floated into space.
“This bad boy came packed!”
“You know me, Gunnar. I’ve been salvagin’ parts from shipyards for years.”
The Swoop Jets changed course to avoid the Polaron bursts. A few got caught up in rail gun flack, spinning wildly away. Two others tried to out maneuver missiles and ended up cooked. Three Jets came too close to the colossal bulk of the Leviathan flew right into the swarm of space mines and exploded.
* * *
Focused on towing the asteroid toward the sun, Evan jumped when an alarm sounded in the cockpit. A hologram popped up, warning him that Swoop Jets were approaching. “Guys, I got company.”
“Go to maximum, kid,” Gunnar’s voice said.
Evan pushed the wheel in gradually, careful not to loose his grip on the rock. He smiled when he saw the Swoop Jets couldn’t keep up.
* * *
“Sir, the Leviathan’s armed to the hilt. We’re not gonna be able to take it with fighters.”
Archer spun to McMurrary. “Who the hell ever heard of an armed Leviathan? These guys aren’t prospectors, that’s for certain.” He rotated back to the screen. “What about that little runt towing my diamonds into the star?” His head tilted in McMurrary’s direction.
“Too fast for us. He’s in a modified Racing ‘Vette.”
McMurrary’s eyes opened wide. “What do you know?” Bolton asked.
“Gunnar Spade and the kid were in a Racing Corvette.”
Archer leaned on the counsel, glaring at controls rather than the holographic projection. “So, they’re out there tyrin’ to make trouble, are they?” He lifted his head to the communications screen. “Get the Destroyer out of the docking area and ready the Gunboat.” He leered at the Admiral. “We’re gonna hunt us a Leviathan.”