{"data":{"id":12844,"title":"Cassandra's Tears: Issue #10","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/serialized-fiction\/12844-Cassandras-Tears-Issue-10","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/12844","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/12844","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"Cassandra's Tears","images":[{"id":109,"name":"CalMasonFI_Crop.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/dzgf0umox510mr\/source\/CalMasonFI_Crop.jpg","alt":"","size":2001824,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2013-07-19T05:28:41+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/109","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/109\/similar"}],"images_count":1,"translations":{"en_EN":"In the Nul system, Grady Monk passed the time waiting for his contact by watching its only star. Scientists said it was a pulsating star. Didn\u2019t look like it was pulsating to him. He checked his clock again. He was giving this guy ten more minutes then he was gonna move on to the next buyer. Grady Monk doesn\u2019t wait for clients. He saw movement outside the ship in the corner of his eye.\n\nAbout damn time, he thought and turned. His eyes widened.\n\nGrady Monk\u2019s ship disappeared in the definition of pulsating explosion.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nOnboard the Gemini, Darrow sat across from Penny. He was finally getting the opportunity to talk.\n\n\u201cYou could be in a lot of trouble, lieutenant,\u201d he said, \u201cyour rather long-winded monologue explained your reasons for illegally accessing Archive files but it doesn\u2019t change the fact that you illegally accessing classified data.\u201d\n\nThe door opened. Admiral Showalter was there. He did not look amused. Penny and Darrow saluted. Showalter stepped in the room, he looked at Darrow.\n\n\u201cCare to explain why you\u2019re harassing my pilot?\u201d\n\n\u201cSir, Lieutenant Ayala accessed\u2026\u201d\n\n\u201cCassandra Project files. I know. I talked to your superior, son.\u201d Showalter said, his voice calm and deliberate. \u201cYou didn\u2019t answer my question.\u201d\n\n\u201cThree months ago. We started noticing attempts to crack the Archive for lab notes regarding Cassandra and traced them back to the former project leader\u2019s grandson, Warden.\u201d Darrow cued the screen. Warden Mahony popped up, the same guy from the Phoenix. \u201cThe Advocacy placed Warden on a watch list. Three weeks ago he vanished. So when Lt. Ayala \u2018accessed\u2019 the project files, we were concerned of a security compromise.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, she wasn\u2019t working for this kid.\u201d Showalter looked at Penny. She shook her head. \u201cSo the matter\u2019s resolved.\u201d\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nFour systems away in Banu territory, the matter was far from resolved. Cal was trying to figure out how to ambush the crew of the Phoenix when some hired hands showed up. Now instead of Sasha, Trunk, and Mahony, he had six more guns to deal with.\n\nCal couldn\u2019t hear if they were going to sell it or use it. Regardless, this thing could not get out. Now he only needed a plan of how to pull that off. Starting a firefight in here sounded like a bad idea. All it would take is one wild shot to clip the bomb and the room, maybe the whole settlement, would be nothing more than a pool of goo.\n\nCal still had the P52 beacon wired to the Phoenix\u2019s position so his best play was to get it in space and vaporize it. He wasn\u2019t terribly optimistic about pitting a Cutlass against the Constellation but it\u2019s better than trying to slug it out down here. Besides, he was better with wings than fists.\n\nSasha talked quietly to the mercs then walked over to Mahony who was loading the rest of the Cassandra Project canisters into the bomb.\n\n\u201cAre you done? We need to get this thing loaded.\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, couple minutes.\u201d He muttered as he carefully wired the canisters to the firing mechanism. Sasha turned to the mercs.\n\n\u201cOnce we get this outside, get to your positions along our route. You think someone\u2019s following us, even paying too much attention to us, I want to know immediately.\u201d She turned to Trunk, \u201cYou pay them?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, all set.\u201d\n\nCal slowly backed away. He wanted to get out there before the mercs did and retraced his steps back to the ventilation shaft. By the time he got outside, they were loading the covered bomb onto a tray of anti-grav buffers. Sasha nodded to the thugs who dispersed into the crowd. Cal memorized their faces and ducked away.\n\nSasha and Trunk kept guarded while Mahony pushed the bomb through the narrow streets of the Banu settlement. None of the pedestrians paid them any mind. Cal kept pace and watched from a distance, making sure to avoid any of the mercs posted to flush out tails. These mercs were good because Cal didn\u2019t see a single one.\n\nOnly when they loaded the bomb into the cargo bay of the Phoenix, did Cal break off and run back to the Cutlass. He dropped into the pilot\u2019s seat and heated up the engines. A quick scan and the P52 beacon plotted the Phoenix on his scope.\n\nCal let them get some distance before he followed. They were heading back to the jump-point. Cal had a decision to make. Undoubtedly, they\u2019ve worked out a way to get the bomb past the Customs scans but Cal could comm ahead to detain them and get the bomb.\n\nDownside, he wouldn\u2019t get the buyer, if there was one. He weighed it. Not worth the risk. The longer this thing was out there, the more opportunities something could surprise Cal. He was tired of being surprised.\n\n\u201cUEE Customs Station Charlie, Ferron System. This is Lt. Cal Mason, UEE Navy, SysID#5847DDC. I am tracking a dangerous weapon about to enter your system on a Constellation-class ship, possible designation Phoenix. Please separate and detain all vessels matching this description and forward this message onto Lieutenant Penelope Ayala, UEES Gemini.\u201d He outlined everything he had seen as a separate attachment and sent the message ahead to the relay station.\n\nThat should settle it. He doubted the Phoenix would try and start a fight. Unfortunately, as he continued flying, that \u2018doubt\u2019 turned to \u2018they might\u2019 then \u2018most likely.\u2019 There\u2019s no way they\u2019d let themselves get caught with a doomsday device. Now Cal was convinced he put a lot of Customs agents at risk. He kicked the throttle into full-burn and punched through the jump-point.\n\nOn the other side, it was chaos. Ships tumbled through space without power. The Customs Station was in lockdown. Someone set off an EMP charge. A big one. Ships were taking advantage of the disabled security and racing through the jump-point while the few Customs and Police ships that had power scrambled to maintain order. It was the perfect cover for the Phoenix to slip through.\n\nCal found the Phoenix\u2019s bearing on his radar and went after them. By the time it came within sight, there were only a handful of ships in their flight lane. Cal started priming his weapons. He\u2019d need to hit them hard and fast, knock out as much of their defensive capabilities as possible if he wanted to stand a-\n\nLaser fire flared past the cockpit. Cal veered away instinctively. A Marauder blasted past him and looped around for another pass. On his scans, the Phoenix raised shields. That\u2019s when it hit him.\n\nBack in the lab, when Sasha said, \u201cget to your positions along our route.\u201d She didn\u2019t mean the settlement. She meant in space.\n\n\u201cCal, you stupid son of a-\u201d More incoming fire from the Phoenix. Cal rolled the ship out of the way. Suddenly, he got a comm from Phoenix.\n\n\u201cIdentify yourself.\u201d It was her.\n\n\u201cTake a guess.\u201d Cal said. The marauder fell in behind him and opened fire with its guns. Cal swung his turret and returned fire.\n\n\u201cMason?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou need to stop.\u201d There was a long pause.\n\n\u201cGo home, Mason.\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter seeing what that bomb can do\u2026\u201d Cal said. His system buzzed from a missile lock. He cut direction and dropped countermeasures. \u201cYou know I can\u2019t do that.\u201d\n\n\u201cYour funeral.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re not this person.\u201d Cal blurted out hoping she hadn\u2019t closed the channel. \u201cYou\u2019re carrying something that could wipe out millions, possibly billions. I know you\u2019ve got a bone to pick with the UEE and I get it, I do, but this is too much and I think you know it.\u201d\n\nThe marauder tagged him with an IR marker. A spread of missiles streaked from the rocket pod and acquired. The turret on the Phoenix swung around and hammered some shots too.\n\nThe merc in the marauder was good but not great. It was the two ships fighting in tandem that was the problem. Cal broke off pursuit of the Phoenix and veered away, pulling the line of missiles with him. The marauder pursued. The Phoenix didn\u2019t, its engines flashed and it raced away.\n\nCal kicked the suicide brakes, which cut the engines and flipped the Cutlass completely around without losing his momentum. Cal opened up with his lasers at the incoming missiles. He managed to blast six of the eight before he had to flip back and gun it.\n\nThe marauder unleashed its full arsenal on Cal. He clipped the last two missiles but the Cutlass took a slew of hits as well. Shields managed to hold.\n\nFree of the missiles, Cal was ready to tangle.\n\nThe marauder lasted four minutes.\n\nBased on the Phoenix\u2019s bearing, they were headed for the jump-point into Croshaw. He saw their signal flicker and disappear. They were through.\n\nCal redirected all available power to the engines. The cutlass burst after them.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nDarrow sent off his incident report and awaited orders from his superiors. Penny stared at the ceiling, bored out of her mind. The door slid open. A young ensign poked his head in.\n\n\u201cCommunication for Lt. Ayala,\u201d the nervous ensign glanced at Darrow and paused, \u201cIt\u2019s from Cal, ma\u2019am.\u201d\n\nTen minutes later, Penny was in front of Showalter, replaying Cal\u2019s message about the Phoenix, the bomb, everything. Showalter stared ahead. His eyes narrowed as he listened but his face was otherwise inscrutable, as usual. Darrow was by the door.\n\n\u201cThey\u2019re going for Earth.\u201d Showalter said after a protracted silence.\n\n\u201cYou don\u2019t think they\u2019ll try and sell it.\u201d Penny said.\n\n\u201cTwenty to one that kid\u2019s gonna finish was his nut of a grandpa started.\u201d Showalter buzzed the bridge. \u201cSpin up the engines. We\u2019re changing course.\u201d\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nCroshaw system was quiet. It was an average day on almost all of the planets. People went to work. Kids went to school. There were four active jump-points in the system, one went to the Sol System and Earth, the second went to the Nul System an unclaimed system due to the variable star at its center, the third went to Davien System\u2026\n\nCal exited the fourth jump-point from Ferron. It took his radar a second to reacquire the Phoenix. It was on course for Nul. Cal kept up his pursuit, weaving around the general traffic in the system.\n\nCal caught sight of a Constellation in the distance. He burned to close the distance. It was the Phoenix alright.\n\nHis systems went nuts. A General Emergency Warning was being blasted on all channels. Something about\u2026\n\nOh no. Cal thought. He looked up.\n\nBlack Talon emerged from the Nul jump-point followed by dozens of Vanduul fighters. They immediately started attacking the Customs Agents. A Vanduul flagship and the rest of the clan battleships appeared shortly after. Local cops and pilots suddenly turned to defend the system.\n\nThe Phoenix flew past the waves of Vanduul and disappeared inside the flagship. Suddenly, all the pieces fell into place. The Phoenix didn\u2019t hire the Vanduul to hit the system. The Vanduul hired them to build a weapon. This wasn\u2019t Mahony\u2019s revenge, this was an organized Vanduul strike into the heart of their enemy.\n\nThe flagship opened fire with its weapons. Its fighters clashed with the paltry human resistance. Cal hopped on the general comm to organize the pilots and plunged right into the brawl.\n\nPilots from both sides danced around each other, hunting for that killshot. Lasers burned through the void. Space became littered with debris and wreckage. Frantic chatter filled the channels. It was war. The Vanduul flagship altered its course toward the Sol system, toward Earth.\n\nCal finished off the Vanduul fighter he\u2019d been tangling with then assessed the situation. In short, it wasn\u2019t going well. The Vanduul had more experience, were more ruthless. The police and scattered military personnel were doing some damage but as the Vanduul dispatched more and more civilians. Cal knew the tide would decidedly and lethally shift against them. Even if they managed to destroy the fighters, they were powerless against the larger Vanduul ships.\n\nThen he saw salvation\u2026\n\nThe Gemini. The beautiful Gemini appeared through the Ferron jump-point. Cal guessed they got his message. Seven wings of fighters launched from the deck.\n\n\u201cWe thought you were dead.\u201d Penny said over comms.\n\n\u201cCome on, Penny\u201d Cal replied.\n\n\u201cWell, when Grandpa gets ahold of you, you might wish you were.\u201d\n\n\u201cGreat to see you, Penny.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou too.\u201d Penny said. \u201cShall we?\u201d\n\nThey dove into the fight.\n\nThe Vanduul flagship turned its weapons on the Gemini. Deck cannons exchanged massive beams of destruction across the vacuum. Shields flared up, keeping the shots at bay. Smaller ships were incinerated in the crossfire.\n\nCal and Penny fought side by side like they always did. He saw the Phoenix blast off from the flagship. It weaved its way through the battle, heading back to Ferron.\n\nHis shields flared up. Cal looked up. Black Talon and a bunch of friends were bearing down on them.\n\n\u201cLook who\u2019s back.\u201d Cal said.\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s get him.\u201d Penny replied. Cal and Penny peeled off from their respective battles and moved to intercept Black Talon. They could see local pilots try to engage Black Talon but they were no match for the Vanduul ace.\n\nCal opened fire on Black Talon who danced around the shots. Penny tried to fill in the gaps but Black Talon was too nimble.\n\nThey were suddenly dodging blasts and rockets from dozens of raiders. Cal could barely keep sight of Black Talon as he spiraled through space, his shields taking multiple hits from multiple directions. Penny peeled off and twisted with a couple raiders.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\nAboard the Phoenix, Sasha watched the empty space ahead. Her expression weary. Trunk was in the turret. He watched the desperate battle envelope the entire system with a similar countenance. He climbed down the ladder and joined his half-sister in the cockpit.\n\n\u201cThey\u2019re getting torn up out there.\u201d He said after a long pause.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s not our problem.\u201d Sasha said quietly. It didn\u2019t sound convincing.\n\n\u201cTechnically\u2026\u201d Trunk started to say but paused.\n\n\u201cWhat.\u201d\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t know. We did the job and got paid. So technically, our responsibility to them is done now. We can do what we want.\u201d\n\nThey sat in silence.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m just saying\u2026\u201d Trunk said.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\nBack in the brawl, some of the shields on the Vanduul flagship had failed. Explosions dotted along the side of the ship. The Gemini was taking its fair share of hits. One of the main guns had been blasted clean off causing munitions explosions below deck that punched the hull out like blisters. The other Vanduul battleships were specifically targeting the engines. The massive UEE carrier was starting to slow down.\n\nCal set his sights on the flagship. The bomb must still be there. Would make sense. That\u2019s the most secure place considering and it\u2019s the only thing gunning for the Sol jump-point. He guessed it would be able to jump in a matter of minutes.\n\n\u201cPenny, cover me.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat are you doing now?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou probably don\u2019t want to know.\u201d Cal flipped his ship around Black Talon\u2019s fire and flashed toward the flagship. Black Talon started to come after him but Penny tied him up, giving Cal a headstart.\n\nHe heard Penny curse over comms. He looked back. She was hit. One of her engines was out. Black Talon and the Vanduul fighters circled to finish her off. Cal glanced back to flagship closing on the jump-point.\n\nIt was one or the other.\n\nAs Cal reached for the retro thrusters, something swooped past his ship toward Penny. Laser blasts annihilated the Vanduul Scythes before they could strike. Black Talon broke away to avoid the fire.\n\nIt was the Phoenix.\n\n\u201cGood Luck, Mason.\u201d Was all that came over the comms before the Phoenix fired its engines and took off. Penny got her engine back online and burned away to safety.\n\nCal refocused on the flagship and got his game-face on. He ran through the layout of the ship from when he was on it. He visualized the landing bay. Deep, cavernous but plenty of room to maneuver. The flagship vanished into the jump-point.\n\nLaser blasts streaked past him from behind. Black Talon was back on his tail. Cal hit his afterburners. The Cutlass launched toward the jump-point and disappeared with Black Talon right on his tail.\n\nSpace turned into a smear. The auto-pilot kicked in and started reducing his ship to a safe speed. Cal disabled it and kept the throttle down. He\u2019d been through the Croshaw\/Sol jump-point dozens of times. He only had about five minutes before they came out the other side.\n\nSomething smashed his wing. The flagship slowly passed flickering in and out of view. The Cutlass\u2019 frame groaned as it twisted. Cal pulled ahead of the flagship. On a wing and a prayer, he cut the afterburners and spun the ship. Suddenly he was scooped inside the landing bay. He scanned the flight deck below. Baffled Vanduul fired small arms and yelled at him.\n\nThree minutes.\n\nHe made a complete pass through the flight deck but didn\u2019t-\n\nThere. Mechanics were rigging the bomb onto a Vanduul bomber. Cal swung the Cutlass around. Black Talon suddenly came into view, bearing down. Cal tried to not let it distract him. He focused on his target. He knew he wouldn\u2019t get another shot at this.\n\nTwo minutes.\n\nBlack Talon charged him, weapons blazing. Cal fired.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nIt was quiet in Sol. Reinforcements amassed at the jump-point. The front of the Vanduul flagship pierced the jump-point. All the UEE Naval ships heated up their guns. But they didn\u2019t fire.\n\nOnly the front half of the Vanduul flagship tumbled out of the jump-point, the back half was gone. That\u2019s when Cal\u2019s Cutlass emerged from the landing bay. It had also been hit by the Cassandra gas. He immediately ejected. The momentum flung him toward the line of Navy guns. He twisted around to watch the Vanduul flagship turn to a molecular goo in zero-g. The cutlass too. It was shame. He started to like that ship.\n\nNow that the adrenaline had subsided, he felt a sharp pain in his leg. Felt broken.\n\nHe sighed and waved for the cavalry to pick him up.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nCal stepped back onto the Gemini to thunderous applause. Kerney, the giant pit mechanic, swooped him in a big bear hug. Penny waited with her hands on her hips and a grin. Cal saluted her. She nodded.\n\nThe pilots and crew patted him on the back as he limped across the deck. The crowd parted and he was face to face with Admiral Showalter. Cal stood at attention and saluted.\n\n\u201cSir.\u201d\n\nShowalter glared at him for several moments.\n\n\u201cWe buried you, Mason.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m sorry I screwed that up, sir.\u201d Cal tried not to smile. That was the fourth funeral they\u2019ve apparently had for him. \u201cI\u2019ll try to stay dead next time.\u201d\n\nShowalter shook his head and walked away.\n\nCal spent the next two weeks in Medical with his leg in a cast. He tried looking for any reports of Sasha or the Phoenix. The ship was found abandoned near Terra. She had disappeared.\n\nFour days later, he started to get that itch again, that itch that came from being grounded too long\u2026\n\nTHE END\u2026\nThe Nul System. Scavengers picked through the drifting pieces of a hauling ship. Tags said it belonged to some dreg named Grady Monk. Most of it was scrap but creds were creds. Times were tough. The radar started pulsing from new contact. The scavenger ran a scan but couldn\u2019t get an ID. She looked out the cockpit. A Vanduul Scythe raced past. The scavenger jumped with a yelp. It didn\u2019t turn or attack, it burned back toward Vanduul territory.\n\nBefore it disappeared into the void, she noticed that one of its wings looked like it was dipped in Black.","de_DE":"Im Nul-System verbrachte Grady Monk die Zeit, die auf seinen Kontakt wartete, indem er seinen einzigen Stern beobachtete. Wissenschaftler sagten, es sei ein pulsierender Stern. Sah nicht so aus, als ob es f\u00fcr ihn pulsierend w\u00e4re. Er \u00fcberpr\u00fcfte seine Uhr noch einmal. Er gab diesem Kerl noch zehn Minuten mehr, dann wollte er zum n\u00e4chsten K\u00e4ufer \u00fcbergehen. Grady Monk wartet nicht auf Kunden. Er sah eine Bewegung au\u00dferhalb des Schiffes in seinem Augenwinkel.\n\n\u00dcber die verdammte Zeit, dachte er und drehte sich um. Seine Augen weiteten sich.\n\nGrady Monks Schiff verschwand in der Definition der pulsierenden Explosion.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nAn Bord der Gemini sa\u00df Darrow gegen\u00fcber von Penny. Er hatte endlich die Gelegenheit zu reden.\n\n\"Sie k\u00f6nnten in gro\u00dfen Schwierigkeiten sein, Lieutenant\", sagte er, \"Ihr ziemlich langatmiger Monolog erkl\u00e4rte Ihre Gr\u00fcnde f\u00fcr den illegalen Zugriff auf Archivdateien, aber das \u00e4ndert nichts an der Tatsache, dass Sie illegal auf geheime Daten zugreifen.\"\n\nDie T\u00fcr \u00f6ffnete sich. Admiral Showalter war dort. Er sah nicht am\u00fcsiert aus. Penny und Darrow begr\u00fc\u00dften. Showalter trat in den Raum, er sah Darrow an.\n\n\"M\u00f6chtest du erkl\u00e4ren, warum du meinen Piloten bel\u00e4stigst?\"\n\n\"Sir, Lieutenant Ayala hat auf die....\"\n\n\"Cassandra Projektdateien. Ich wei\u00df. Ich habe mit deinem Vorgesetzten gesprochen, Sohn.\" sagte Showalter, seine Stimme sei ruhig und bewusst. \"Du hast meine Frage nicht beantwortet.\"\n\n\"Vor drei Monaten. Wir fingen an, Versuche zu bemerken, das Archiv nach Labornotizen \u00fcber Cassandra zu durchsuchen und diese bis zum Enkel des ehemaligen Projektleiters, Warden, zur\u00fcckzuverfolgen.\" Darrow hat den Bildschirm angehalten. Direktor Mahony tauchte auf, derselbe Typ aus dem Ph\u00f6nix. \"Die Advocacy hat den Direktor auf die Beobachtungsliste gesetzt. Vor drei Wochen ist er verschwunden. Als Leutnant Ayala auf die Projektdateien \"zugriff\", waren wir besorgt \u00fcber einen Sicherheitsrisiko.\"\n\n\"Nun, sie hat nicht f\u00fcr dieses Kind gearbeitet.\" Showalter sah Penny an. Sie sch\u00fcttelte den Kopf. \"Also ist die Sache erledigt.\"\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nVier Systeme entfernt auf dem Gebiet von Banu war die Angelegenheit noch lange nicht gel\u00f6st. Cal versuchte herauszufinden, wie man die Crew der Phoenix \u00fcberfallen kann, als einige angeheuerte M\u00e4nner auftauchten. Jetzt hatte er anstelle von Sasha, Trunk und Mahony sechs weitere Waffen, mit denen er zu tun hatte.\n\nCal konnte nicht h\u00f6ren, ob sie es verkaufen oder benutzen w\u00fcrden. Trotzdem konnte dieses Ding nicht herauskommen. Jetzt brauchte er nur noch einen Plan, wie man das durchziehen kann. Hier drin eine Feuerwehr zu starten, klang nach einer schlechten Idee. Alles, was man daf\u00fcr braucht, ist ein einziger wilder Schuss, um die Bombe zu kappen, und der Raum, vielleicht die ganze Siedlung, w\u00e4re nichts anderes als ein Pool von Schmalz.\n\nCal hatte die P52-Bake noch mit der Position des Ph\u00f6nix verkabelt, so dass sein bestes Spiel darin bestand, sie ins All zu bringen und zu verdampfen. Er war nicht sehr optimistisch, einen Entermesser gegen die Konstellation zu stellen, aber es ist besser, als zu versuchen, ihn hier unten zu schlagen. Au\u00dferdem war er besser mit Fl\u00fcgeln als mit F\u00e4usten.\n\nSasha sprach leise mit den S\u00f6ldnern und ging dann zu Mahony, der den Rest der Cassandra-Projekt-Kanister in die Bombe lud.\n\n\"Bist du fertig? Wir m\u00fcssen das Ding aufladen.\"\n\n\"Ja, ein paar Minuten.\" Er murmelte, als er die Kanister vorsichtig mit dem Z\u00fcndmechanismus verdrahtete. Sasha wandte sich an die S\u00f6ldner.\n\n\"Sobald wir das hier drau\u00dfen haben, gehen Sie zu Ihren Positionen entlang unserer Route. Du denkst, jemand folgt uns und schenkt uns sogar zu viel Aufmerksamkeit, ich will es sofort wissen.\" Sie wandte sich an Trunk, \"Du bezahlst sie?\"\n\n\"Ja, alles bereit.\"\n\nCal wich langsam zur\u00fcck. Er wollte vor den S\u00f6ldnern da rausgehen und zog seine Schritte zur\u00fcck zum L\u00fcftungsschacht. Als er nach drau\u00dfen kam, luden sie die abgedeckte Bombe auf ein Tablett mit Anti-Gravitationspuffern. Sasha nickte den Schl\u00e4gern zu, die sich in der Menge verteilten. Cal merkte sich ihre Gesichter und duckte sich.\n\nSasha und Trunk hielten sich zur\u00fcck, w\u00e4hrend Mahony die Bombe durch die engen Gassen der Banu-Siedlung schob. Keiner der Fu\u00dfg\u00e4nger schenkte ihnen etwas Beachtung. Cal hielt Schritt und beobachtete aus der Ferne, wobei er darauf achtete, dass keiner der S\u00f6ldner, die zum Aussp\u00fclen von Schw\u00e4nzen eingesetzt wurden, in Kontakt kam. Diese S\u00f6ldner waren gut, denn Cal sah keinen einzigen.\n\nErst als sie die Bombe in den Frachtraum des Ph\u00f6nix luden, brach Cal ab und rannte zur\u00fcck zum Entermesser. Er fiel auf den Pilotenplatz und erw\u00e4rmte die Motoren. Ein schneller Scan und das Bake P52 zeichneten den Phoenix auf seinem Zielfernrohr auf.\n\nCal lie\u00df sie etwas Abstand gewinnen, bevor er ihm folgte. Sie waren auf dem Weg zur\u00fcck zum Sprungpunkt. Cal hatte eine Entscheidung zu treffen. Zweifellos haben sie einen Weg gefunden, die Bombe an den Zollscans vorbeizubekommen, aber Cal konnte sich vorw\u00e4rts bewegen, um sie aufzuhalten und die Bombe zu bekommen.\n\nUnten w\u00fcrde er den K\u00e4ufer nicht bekommen, wenn es einen g\u00e4be. Er wog ihn. Das Risiko ist nicht wert. Je l\u00e4nger dieses Ding da drau\u00dfen war, desto mehr M\u00f6glichkeiten konnte etwas Cal \u00fcberraschen. Er war es leid, \u00fcberrascht zu sein.\n\n\"UEE Zollstation Charlie, Ferron System. Hier ist Lt. Cal Mason, UEE Navy, SysID#5847DDC. Ich verfolge eine gef\u00e4hrliche Waffe, die auf einem Schiff der Konstellationsklasse, m\u00f6glicherweise mit der Bezeichnung Phoenix, in Ihr System eindringen wird. Bitte trennen und halten Sie alle Schiffe, die dieser Beschreibung entsprechen, ab und leiten Sie diese Nachricht an Lieutenant Penelope Ayala, UEES Gemini weiter.\" Er skizzierte alles, was er gesehen hatte, als separaten Anhang und schickte die Nachricht voraus an die Relaisstation.\n\nDas sollte das Problem l\u00f6sen. Er bezweifelte, dass der Ph\u00f6nix versuchen w\u00fcrde, einen Kampf zu beginnen. Leider, als er weiter flog, wandte sich dieser \"Zweifel\" an \"sie k\u00f6nnten\" und dann \"h\u00f6chstwahrscheinlich\". Es gibt keine M\u00f6glichkeit, dass sie sich mit einer Weltuntergangsmaschine erwischen lassen. Jetzt war Cal \u00fcberzeugt, dass er viele Zollagenten gef\u00e4hrdet hat. Er trat den Gashebel in Richtung Vollbrand und schlug durch den Sprungpunkt.\n\nAuf der anderen Seite war es das Chaos. Schiffe st\u00fcrzten ohne Strom durch den Raum. Die Zollstation war abgeriegelt. Jemand hat eine EMP-Ladung ausgel\u00f6st. Ein gro\u00dfer. Die Schiffe nutzten die Vorteile der behinderten Sicherheit und rasten durch den Sprungpunkt, w\u00e4hrend die wenigen Zoll- und Polizeischiffe, die Strom hatten, krabbelten, um die Ordnung aufrechtzuerhalten. Es war die perfekte Deckung f\u00fcr den Phoenix, durch die er hindurchschl\u00fcpfen konnte.\n\nCal fand das Lager des Ph\u00f6nix auf seinem Radar und ging ihnen nach. Als es in Sichtweite kam, befanden sich nur noch eine Handvoll Schiffe in ihrer Flugbahn. Cal begann, seine Waffen zu aktivieren. Er m\u00fcsste sie hart und schnell treffen, so viel wie m\u00f6glich von ihren Verteidigungsf\u00e4higkeiten ausschalten, wenn er bereit w\u00e4re, a-\n\nDas Laserfeuer flammte am Cockpit vorbei. Kalifornien verlagerte sich instinktiv. Ein Marodeur sprengte an ihm vorbei und schlenderte f\u00fcr einen weiteren Pass herum. Auf seinen Scans hat der Ph\u00f6nix Schilde aufgestellt. Da traf es ihn.\n\nZur\u00fcck im Labor, als Sasha sagte: \"Geh zu deinen Positionen entlang unserer Route.\" Sie meinte nicht die Abrechnung. Sie meinte im Weltraum.\n\n\"Cal, du dummer Sohn von a-\" Noch mehr Feuer aus dem Phoenix. Cal rollte das Schiff aus dem Weg. Pl\u00f6tzlich bekam er eine Nachricht von Phoenix.\n\n\" Identifizieren Sie sich.\" Sie war es.\n\n\"Rate mal.\" Sagte Cal. Der Pl\u00fcnderer fiel hinter ihm ein und er\u00f6ffnete das Feuer mit seinen Gesch\u00fctzen. Cal schwang seinen Turm und erwiderte das Feuer.\n\n\" Mason?\"\n\n\"Du musst aufh\u00f6ren.\" Es gab eine lange Pause.\n\n\"Geh nach Hause, Mason.\"\n\n\"Nachdem ich gesehen habe, was diese Bombe kann....\" Sagte Cal. Sein System brummte von einer Raketenschleuse. Er schlug die Richtung ein und lie\u00df Gegenma\u00dfnahmen fallen. \"Du wei\u00dft, dass ich das nicht tun kann.\"\n\n\"Deine Beerdigung.\"\n\n\"Du bist nicht diese Person.\" Cal platzte heraus und hoffte, dass sie den Kanal nicht geschlossen hatte. \"Du tr\u00e4gst etwas bei, das Millionen, vielleicht Milliarden ausl\u00f6schen k\u00f6nnte. Ich wei\u00df, dass du einen Knochen mit der UEE zu rupfen hast und ich verstehe es, das tue ich, aber das ist zu viel und ich denke, du wei\u00dft es.\"\n\nDer Pl\u00fcnderer markierte ihn mit einem IR-Marker. Eine Verteilung von Raketen, die von der Raketengondel gestreift und erworben wurden. Der Turm auf dem Phoenix schwang umher und h\u00e4mmerte auch ein paar Sch\u00fcsse.\n\nDer S\u00f6ldner im Pl\u00fcnderer war gut, aber nicht gro\u00dfartig. Es war das Problem, dass die beiden Schiffe im Tandem k\u00e4mpften. Cal brach die Verfolgung des Ph\u00f6nix ab und drehte davon und zog mit ihm die Raketenlinie. Der Pl\u00fcnderer verfolgte sie. Der Ph\u00f6nix nicht, seine Motoren blitzten und er raste davon.\n\nCal trat die Selbstmordbremsen, die die Motoren abschalteten und den Entermesser komplett umdrehten, ohne seinen Schwung zu verlieren. Cal \u00f6ffnete sich mit seinen Lasern an den ankommenden Raketen. Er schaffte es, sechs der acht zu sprengen, bevor er zur\u00fcckschlagen und schie\u00dfen musste.\n\nDer Pl\u00fcnderer entfesselte sein ganzes Arsenal auf Cal. Er hat die letzten beiden Raketen abgefangen, aber auch der Entermesser hat eine Reihe von Treffern erlitten. Die Schilde konnten halten.\n\nFrei von den Raketen war Cal bereit, sich zu verfangen.\n\nDer Pl\u00fcnderer dauerte vier Minuten.\n\nBasierend auf dem Lager des Ph\u00f6nix wurden sie auf den Sprungpunkt nach Croshaw geleitet. Er sah, wie ihr Signal flackerte und verschwand. Sie waren erledigt.\n\nCal leitete die gesamte verf\u00fcgbare Energie auf die Motoren um. Das Entermesser platzt hinter ihnen her.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nDarrow schickte seinen Vorfallsbericht ab und wartete auf Befehle seiner Vorgesetzten. Penny starrte an die Decke, gelangweilt von ihrem Verstand. Die T\u00fcr schob sich auf. Ein junger F\u00e4hnrich steckte seinen Kopf hinein.\n\n\"Kommunikation f\u00fcr Leutnant Ayala\", blickte der nerv\u00f6se F\u00e4hnrich zu Darrow und hielt inne, \"Es ist von Cal, Ma'am.\"\n\nZehn Minuten sp\u00e4ter stand Penny vor dem Showalter und spielte Cals Nachricht \u00fcber den Ph\u00f6nix, die Bombe, alles. Showalter starrte voraus. Seine Augen verengten sich, als er zuh\u00f6rte, aber sein Gesicht war ansonsten unergr\u00fcndlich, wie \u00fcblich. Darrow war an der T\u00fcr.\n\n\"Sie wollen zur Erde.\" sagte Showalter nach einer langwierigen Stille.\n\n\"Du glaubst nicht, dass sie versuchen werden, es zu verkaufen.\" sagte Penny.\n\n\"20 zu 1, dass dieses Kind fertig wird, war sein Verr\u00fcckter von einem Opa, der angefangen hat.\" Showalter brummte auf der Br\u00fccke. \"Drehen Sie die Motoren hoch. Wir \u00e4ndern den Kurs.\"\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nDas Croshaw-System war leise. Es war ein durchschnittlicher Tag auf fast allen Planeten. Die Leute gingen zur Arbeit. Die Kinder gingen zur Schule. Es gab vier aktive Sprungbremsen im System, einer ging zum Sol-System und zur Erde, der zweite zum Nul-System, einem nicht beanspruchten System aufgrund des variablen Sterns in seinem Zentrum, der dritte ging zum Davien-System.....\n\nCal verlie\u00df den vierten Sprungpunkt von Ferron. Es dauerte eine Sekunde, bis sein Radar den Ph\u00f6nix zur\u00fcckeroberte. Es war auf dem Weg zu Nul. Cal setzte seine Verfolgung fort und wobelte sich durch den allgemeinen Verkehr im System.\n\nCal erblickte eine Konstellation in der Ferne. Er brannte, um die Entfernung zu verringern. Es war der Ph\u00f6nix, in Ordnung.\n\nSeine Systeme drehten durch. Eine allgemeine Notfallwarnung wurde auf allen Kan\u00e4len ausgel\u00f6st. Etwas \u00fcber.....\n\nOh nein. dachte Cal. Er sah auf.\n\nBlack Talon kam aus dem Nul-Sprungpunkt, gefolgt von Dutzenden von Vanduul-K\u00e4mpfern. Sie begannen sofort, die Zollagenten anzugreifen. Ein Vanduul-Flaggschiff und der Rest des Clans erschienen kurz darauf. Lokale Polizisten und Piloten wandten sich pl\u00f6tzlich an die Verteidigung des Systems.\n\nDer Ph\u00f6nix flog an den Wellen von Vanduul vorbei und verschwand im Inneren des Flaggschiffs. Pl\u00f6tzlich fielen alle Teile ineinander. Der Phoenix hat die Vanduul nicht angeheuert, um das System zu treffen. Die Vandule heuerten sie an, um eine Waffe zu bauen. Dies war nicht Mahony's Rache, dies war ein organisierter Vanduul-Schlag in das Herz ihres Feindes.\n\nDas Flaggschiff er\u00f6ffnete das Feuer mit seinen Waffen. Seine K\u00e4mpfer stie\u00dfen mit dem armseligen menschlichen Widerstand zusammen. Cal sprang auf die General Comm, um die Piloten zu organisieren und st\u00fcrzte sich direkt in die Schl\u00e4gerei.\n\nPiloten von beiden Seiten tanzten umeinander und suchten nach dem Killshot. Laser brannten durch den Hohlraum. Der Weltraum war \u00fcbers\u00e4t mit Tr\u00fcmmern und Wrackteilen. Frantisches Geschw\u00e4tz f\u00fcllte die Kan\u00e4le. Es war Krieg. Das Flaggschiff der Vanduul \u00e4nderte seinen Kurs in Richtung des Sol-Systems, in Richtung Erde.\n\nCal beendete den Vanduul-K\u00e4mpfer, mit dem er sich verstrickt hatte, und bewertete die Situation. Kurz gesagt, es lief nicht gut. Die Vanduul hatten mehr Erfahrung, waren r\u00fccksichtsloser. Die Polizei und das verstreute Milit\u00e4r f\u00fcgten einigen Schaden zu, aber als die Vanduul mehr und mehr Zivilisten entsandten. Cal wusste, dass sich die Flut entschieden und t\u00f6dlich gegen sie wenden w\u00fcrde. Selbst wenn sie es schafften, die K\u00e4mpfer zu zerst\u00f6ren, waren sie machtlos gegen die gr\u00f6\u00dferen Vanduul-Schiffe.\n\nDann sah er die Erl\u00f6sung.....\n\nDie Zwillinge. Die sch\u00f6nen Zwillinge erschienen durch den Ferron-Sprungpunkt. Cal vermutete, dass sie seine Nachricht erhalten haben. Sieben Fl\u00fcgel von Kampfflugzeugen starteten vom Deck aus.\n\n\"Wir dachten, du w\u00e4rst tot.\" Penny sagte, \u00fcber Funk.\n\n\"Komm schon, Penny\", antwortete Cal.\n\n\"Nun, wenn Gro\u00dfvater dich in die Finger bekommt, w\u00fcnscht du dir das vielleicht.\"\n\n\"Sch\u00f6n, dich zu sehen, Penny.\"\n\n\" Du auch.\" sagte Penny. \"Sollen wir?\"\n\nSie st\u00fcrzen sich in den Kampf.\n\nDas Flaggschiff der Vanduul richtete seine Waffen gegen die Zwillinge. Deckkanonen tauschten massive Zerst\u00f6rungsstrahlen \u00fcber das Vakuum aus. Die Schilde flackerten auf und hielten die Sch\u00fcsse in Schach. Kleinere Schiffe wurden im Kreuzfeuer verbrannt.\n\nCal und Penny k\u00e4mpften Seite an Seite, wie sie es immer taten. Er sah, wie die Ph\u00f6nix vom Flaggschiff weggeblasen wurde. Er schl\u00e4ngelte sich durch die Schlacht und ging zur\u00fcck nach Ferron.\n\nSeine Schilde flackerten auf. Cal sah auf. Black Talon und ein Haufen Freunde haben sich auf sie gest\u00fcrzt.\n\n\"Sieh mal, wer wieder da ist.\" Sagte Cal.\n\n\"Schnappen wir ihn uns.\" antwortete Penny. Cal und Penny sch\u00e4lten sich von ihren jeweiligen K\u00e4mpfen ab und bewegten sich, um Black Talon abzufangen. Sie konnten sehen, wie lokale Piloten versuchten, Black Talon zu engagieren, aber sie waren kein Gegner f\u00fcr das Vanduul-Ass.\n\nCal er\u00f6ffnete das Feuer auf Black Talon, der um die Sch\u00fcsse herum tanzte. Penny versuchte, die L\u00fccken zu schlie\u00dfen, aber Black Talon war zu wendig.\n\nSie wichen pl\u00f6tzlich Explosionen und Raketen von Dutzenden von Raidern aus. Cal konnte Black Talon kaum aus den Augen verlieren, als er sich durch den Weltraum wand, wobei seine Schilde mehrere Treffer aus verschiedenen Richtungen erhielten. Penny sch\u00e4lte sich ab und verdrehte sich mit ein paar Raidern.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\nAn Bord des Ph\u00f6nix beobachtete Sasha den leeren Raum vor sich. Ihr Gesichtsausdruck ist m\u00fcde. Der Kofferraum war im Turm. Er beobachtete den verzweifelten Kampf, der das gesamte System mit einem \u00e4hnlichen Gesicht umgab. Er kletterte die Leiter hinunter und schloss sich seiner Halbschwester im Cockpit an.\n\n\"Sie werden da drau\u00dfen zerrissen.\" sagte er nach einer langen Pause.\n\n\"Es ist nicht unser Problem.\" sagte Sasha leise. Es klang nicht \u00fcberzeugend.\n\n\"Technisch gesehen...\" Trunk begann zu sagen, hielt aber inne.\n\n\"Was.\"\n\n\"Ich wei\u00df nicht. Wir haben den Job erledigt und wurden bezahlt. Technisch gesehen ist unsere Verantwortung ihnen gegen\u00fcber also jetzt erledigt. Wir k\u00f6nnen tun, was wir wollen.\"\n\nSie sa\u00dfen schweigend da.\n\n\"Ich sage nur....\" sagte Kofferraum.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\nZur\u00fcck in der Schl\u00e4gerei waren einige der Schilde auf dem Vanduul-Flaggschiff versagt. Explosionen an der Seite des Schiffes. Die Zwillinge nahmen ihren gerechten Anteil an den Treffern. Eine der Hauptwaffen war sauber abgesprengt worden, was zu Munitionsexplosionen unter Deck f\u00fchrte, die den Rumpf wie Blasen herausschlugen. Die anderen Vanduul-Schlachtschiffe zielen speziell auf die Motoren. Der massive UEE-Carrier begann sich zu verlangsamen.\n\nCal setzte sein Augenmerk auf das Flaggschiff. Die Bombe muss noch da sein. W\u00fcrde Sinn ergeben. Das ist der sicherste Ort, wenn man bedenkt, und es ist das Einzige, was f\u00fcr den Sol-Sprungpunkt spritzt. Er vermutete, dass es in der Lage sein w\u00fcrde, in wenigen Minuten zu springen.\n\n\"Penny, gib mir Deckung.\"\n\n\"Was machst du jetzt?\"\n\n\"Du willst es wahrscheinlich nicht wissen.\" Cal drehte sein Schiff um Black Talons Feuer und flog auf das Flaggschiff zu. Black Talon begann, ihm nachzustellen, aber Penny fesselte ihn und gab Cal einen Vorsprung.\n\nEr h\u00f6rte Penny fluchen \u00fcber Funk. Er blickte zur\u00fcck. Sie wurde getroffen. Einer ihrer Motoren war ausgefallen. Black Talon und die Vanduul-K\u00e4mpfer kreisten umher, um sie zu erledigen. Cal blickte zur\u00fcck zum Flaggschiff und n\u00e4herte sich dem Startpunkt.\n\nEs war das eine oder andere.\n\nAls Cal nach den Retro-Triebwerken griff, schoss etwas an seinem Schiff vorbei in Richtung Penny. Laserexplosionen vernichteten die Vanduul-Sensen, bevor sie zuschlagen konnten. Der schwarze Kralle hat sich losgerissen, um dem Feuer zu entgehen.\n\nEs war der Ph\u00f6nix.\n\n\"Viel Gl\u00fcck, Mason.\" War alles, was \u00fcber die Kommunikation kam, bevor der Ph\u00f6nix seine Motoren abfeuerte und abhaute. Penny brachte ihren Motor wieder in Gang und brannte in Sicherheit.\n\nCal konzentrierte sich wieder auf das Flaggschiff und bekam sein Spielgesicht auf. Er lief durch den Grundriss des Schiffes, von dem aus er auf ihm war. Er visualisierte die Landebucht. Tief, h\u00f6hlenartig, aber mit viel Spielraum. Das Flaggschiff verschwand im Sprungpunkt.\n\nLaserblitze str\u00f6mten von hinten an ihm vorbei. Der schwarze Kralle war wieder hinter ihm her. Cal hat seine Nachbrenner getroffen. Der Entermesser st\u00fcrzte auf den Sprungpunkt zu und verschwand mit Black Talon direkt am Schwanz.\n\nDer Raum verwandelte sich in einen Abstrich. Der Autopilot trat ein und begann, sein Schiff auf eine sichere Geschwindigkeit zu reduzieren. Cal hat es deaktiviert und den Gashebel gedr\u00fcckt gehalten. Er war dutzende Male durch den Croshaw\/Sol-Sprungpunkt gegangen. Er hatte nur etwa f\u00fcnf Minuten Zeit, bevor sie auf der anderen Seite herauskamen.\n\nEtwas hat seinen Fl\u00fcgel zerst\u00f6rt. Das Flaggschiff passierte langsam und flackernd in und aus der Sicht. Der Rahmen des Entermessers st\u00f6hnte, als er sich verdrehte. Cal zog vor dem Flaggschiff. Auf einem Fl\u00fcgel und einem Gebet schnitt er die Nachbrenner und drehte das Schiff. Pl\u00f6tzlich wurde er in den Landeplatz geholt. Er scannte das Flugdeck darunter. Verbl\u00fcfft feuerte Vanduul Kleinwaffen ab und schrie ihn an.\n\nDrei Minuten.\n\nEr machte einen kompletten Durchgang durch das Flugdeck, tat es aber nicht.\n\nSo. Mechaniker r\u00fcsteten die Bombe an einem Vanduul-Bomber aus. Cal schwang den Entermesser herum. Pl\u00f6tzlich kam die schwarze Kralle in Sichtweite und dr\u00fcckte sich nieder. Cal versuchte, sich nicht davon ablenken zu lassen. Er konzentrierte sich auf sein Ziel. Er wusste, dass er keine Chance mehr bekommen w\u00fcrde.\n\nZwei Minuten.\n\nBlack Talon hat ihn angegriffen, die Waffen flammten. Cal hat gefeuert.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nEs war ruhig in Sol. Verst\u00e4rkungen wurden am Sprungpunkt angebracht. Die Vorderseite des Vanduul-Flaggschiffs durchbohrte den Sprungpunkt. Alle Schiffe der UEE Naval haben ihre Waffen erhitzt. Aber sie haben nicht geschossen.\n\nNur die vordere H\u00e4lfte des Vanduul-Flaggschiffes st\u00fcrzte aus dem Sprungpunkt, die hintere H\u00e4lfte war weg. Da tauchte Cal's Entermesser aus der Landebucht auf. Es war auch vom Gas der Cassandra getroffen worden. Er stie\u00df sofort aus. Der Schwung warf ihn auf die Linie der Marinegesch\u00fctze zu. Er drehte sich um und beobachtete, wie sich das Vanduul-Flaggschiff in ein molekulares Schmiermittel in Null-Gramm verwandelte. Das Entermesser auch. Es war eine Schande. Er fing an, das Schiff zu m\u00f6gen.\n\nNun, da das Adrenalin nachgelassen hatte, sp\u00fcrte er einen starken Schmerz in seinem Bein. Es f\u00fchlte sich gebrochen an.\n\nEr seufzte und winkte der Kavallerie zu, um ihn abzuholen.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nCal trat unter tosendem Applaus auf die Zwillinge zur\u00fcck. Kerney, die Mechanikerin der riesigen Grube, schlug ihn in eine gro\u00dfe B\u00e4renumarmung. Penny wartete mit den H\u00e4nden auf den H\u00fcften und einem Grinsen. Cal hat sie begr\u00fc\u00dft. Sie nickte.\n\nDie Piloten und die Crew klopften ihm auf den R\u00fccken, als er \u00fcber das Deck humpelte. Die Menge verabschiedete sich und er stand Admiral Showalter pers\u00f6nlich gegen\u00fcber. Cal stand still und begr\u00fc\u00dfte.\n\n\" Sir.\"\n\nShowalter starrte ihn f\u00fcr einige Augenblicke an.\n\n\"Wir haben dich begraben, Mason.\"\n\n\"Es tut mir leid, dass ich das vermasselt habe, Sir.\" Cal versuchte, nicht zu l\u00e4cheln. Das war die vierte Beerdigung, die sie anscheinend f\u00fcr ihn hatten. \"Ich werde versuchen, das n\u00e4chste Mal tot zu bleiben.\"\n\nShowalter sch\u00fcttelte den Kopf und ging weg.\n\nCal verbrachte die n\u00e4chsten zwei Wochen in der Medizin mit seinem Bein in einem Gips. Er versuchte, nach Berichten \u00fcber Sasha oder den Ph\u00f6nix zu suchen. Das Schiff wurde verlassen in der N\u00e4he von Terra gefunden. Sie war verschwunden.\n\nVier Tage sp\u00e4ter fing er an, dieses Jucken wieder zu bekommen, dieses Jucken, das von der zu langen Erdung herr\u00fchrte.....\n\n\n\n\nDAS ENDE.....\n\nDas Nul-System. Aasfresser durchsuchten die treibenden Teile eines Schleppers. Die Tags sagten, es geh\u00f6rte einem Dreg namens Grady Monk. Das meiste davon war Schrott, aber Kreiden waren Kreiden. Die Zeiten waren hart. Das Radar begann durch einen neuen Kontakt zu pulsieren. Der Aasfresser hat einen Scan durchgef\u00fchrt, konnte aber keine ID bekommen. Sie blickte aus dem Cockpit. Eine Vanduul Scythe raste vorbei. Der Aasfresser sprang mit einem Schrei. Es drehte sich nicht um oder griff an, es brannte zur\u00fcck in Richtung Vanduul-Territorium.\n\nBevor er in den Hohlraum verschwand, bemerkte sie, dass einer seiner Fl\u00fcgel aussah, als w\u00e4re er in Schwarz getaucht.","zh_CN":"In the Nul system, Grady Monk passed the time waiting for his contact by watching its only star. Scientists said it was a pulsating star. Didn\u2019t look like it was pulsating to him. He checked his clock again. He was giving this guy ten more minutes then he was gonna move on to the next buyer. Grady Monk doesn\u2019t wait for clients. He saw movement outside the ship in the corner of his eye.\n\nAbout damn time, he thought and turned. His eyes widened.\n\nGrady Monk\u2019s ship disappeared in the definition of pulsating explosion.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nOnboard the Gemini, Darrow sat across from Penny. He was finally getting the opportunity to talk.\n\n\u201cYou could be in a lot of trouble, lieutenant,\u201d he said, \u201cyour rather long-winded monologue explained your reasons for illegally accessing Archive files but it doesn\u2019t change the fact that you illegally accessing classified data.\u201d\n\nThe door opened. Admiral Showalter was there. He did not look amused. Penny and Darrow saluted. Showalter stepped in the room, he looked at Darrow.\n\n\u201cCare to explain why you\u2019re harassing my pilot?\u201d\n\n\u201cSir, Lieutenant Ayala accessed\u2026\u201d\n\n\u201cCassandra Project files. I know. I talked to your superior, son.\u201d Showalter said, his voice calm and deliberate. \u201cYou didn\u2019t answer my question.\u201d\n\n\u201cThree months ago. We started noticing attempts to crack the Archive for lab notes regarding Cassandra and traced them back to the former project leader\u2019s grandson, Warden.\u201d Darrow cued the screen. Warden Mahony popped up, the same guy from the Phoenix. \u201cThe Advocacy placed Warden on a watch list. Three weeks ago he vanished. So when Lt. Ayala \u2018accessed\u2019 the project files, we were concerned of a security compromise.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, she wasn\u2019t working for this kid.\u201d Showalter looked at Penny. She shook her head. \u201cSo the matter\u2019s resolved.\u201d\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nFour systems away in Banu territory, the matter was far from resolved. Cal was trying to figure out how to ambush the crew of the Phoenix when some hired hands showed up. Now instead of Sasha, Trunk, and Mahony, he had six more guns to deal with.\n\nCal couldn\u2019t hear if they were going to sell it or use it. Regardless, this thing could not get out. Now he only needed a plan of how to pull that off. Starting a firefight in here sounded like a bad idea. All it would take is one wild shot to clip the bomb and the room, maybe the whole settlement, would be nothing more than a pool of goo.\n\nCal still had the P52 beacon wired to the Phoenix\u2019s position so his best play was to get it in space and vaporize it. He wasn\u2019t terribly optimistic about pitting a Cutlass against the Constellation but it\u2019s better than trying to slug it out down here. Besides, he was better with wings than fists.\n\nSasha talked quietly to the mercs then walked over to Mahony who was loading the rest of the Cassandra Project canisters into the bomb.\n\n\u201cAre you done? We need to get this thing loaded.\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, couple minutes.\u201d He muttered as he carefully wired the canisters to the firing mechanism. Sasha turned to the mercs.\n\n\u201cOnce we get this outside, get to your positions along our route. You think someone\u2019s following us, even paying too much attention to us, I want to know immediately.\u201d She turned to Trunk, \u201cYou pay them?\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah, all set.\u201d\n\nCal slowly backed away. He wanted to get out there before the mercs did and retraced his steps back to the ventilation shaft. By the time he got outside, they were loading the covered bomb onto a tray of anti-grav buffers. Sasha nodded to the thugs who dispersed into the crowd. Cal memorized their faces and ducked away.\n\nSasha and Trunk kept guarded while Mahony pushed the bomb through the narrow streets of the Banu settlement. None of the pedestrians paid them any mind. Cal kept pace and watched from a distance, making sure to avoid any of the mercs posted to flush out tails. These mercs were good because Cal didn\u2019t see a single one.\n\nOnly when they loaded the bomb into the cargo bay of the Phoenix, did Cal break off and run back to the Cutlass. He dropped into the pilot\u2019s seat and heated up the engines. A quick scan and the P52 beacon plotted the Phoenix on his scope.\n\nCal let them get some distance before he followed. They were heading back to the jump-point. Cal had a decision to make. Undoubtedly, they\u2019ve worked out a way to get the bomb past the Customs scans but Cal could comm ahead to detain them and get the bomb.\n\nDownside, he wouldn\u2019t get the buyer, if there was one. He weighed it. Not worth the risk. The longer this thing was out there, the more opportunities something could surprise Cal. He was tired of being surprised.\n\n\u201cUEE Customs Station Charlie, Ferron System. This is Lt. Cal Mason, UEE Navy, SysID#5847DDC. I am tracking a dangerous weapon about to enter your system on a Constellation-class ship, possible designation Phoenix. Please separate and detain all vessels matching this description and forward this message onto Lieutenant Penelope Ayala, UEES Gemini.\u201d He outlined everything he had seen as a separate attachment and sent the message ahead to the relay station.\n\nThat should settle it. He doubted the Phoenix would try and start a fight. Unfortunately, as he continued flying, that \u2018doubt\u2019 turned to \u2018they might\u2019 then \u2018most likely.\u2019 There\u2019s no way they\u2019d let themselves get caught with a doomsday device. Now Cal was convinced he put a lot of Customs agents at risk. He kicked the throttle into full-burn and punched through the jump-point.\n\nOn the other side, it was chaos. Ships tumbled through space without power. The Customs Station was in lockdown. Someone set off an EMP charge. A big one. Ships were taking advantage of the disabled security and racing through the jump-point while the few Customs and Police ships that had power scrambled to maintain order. It was the perfect cover for the Phoenix to slip through.\n\nCal found the Phoenix\u2019s bearing on his radar and went after them. By the time it came within sight, there were only a handful of ships in their flight lane. Cal started priming his weapons. He\u2019d need to hit them hard and fast, knock out as much of their defensive capabilities as possible if he wanted to stand a-\n\nLaser fire flared past the cockpit. Cal veered away instinctively. A Marauder blasted past him and looped around for another pass. On his scans, the Phoenix raised shields. That\u2019s when it hit him.\n\nBack in the lab, when Sasha said, \u201cget to your positions along our route.\u201d She didn\u2019t mean the settlement. She meant in space.\n\n\u201cCal, you stupid son of a-\u201d More incoming fire from the Phoenix. Cal rolled the ship out of the way. Suddenly, he got a comm from Phoenix.\n\n\u201cIdentify yourself.\u201d It was her.\n\n\u201cTake a guess.\u201d Cal said. The marauder fell in behind him and opened fire with its guns. Cal swung his turret and returned fire.\n\n\u201cMason?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou need to stop.\u201d There was a long pause.\n\n\u201cGo home, Mason.\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter seeing what that bomb can do\u2026\u201d Cal said. His system buzzed from a missile lock. He cut direction and dropped countermeasures. \u201cYou know I can\u2019t do that.\u201d\n\n\u201cYour funeral.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re not this person.\u201d Cal blurted out hoping she hadn\u2019t closed the channel. \u201cYou\u2019re carrying something that could wipe out millions, possibly billions. I know you\u2019ve got a bone to pick with the UEE and I get it, I do, but this is too much and I think you know it.\u201d\n\nThe marauder tagged him with an IR marker. A spread of missiles streaked from the rocket pod and acquired. The turret on the Phoenix swung around and hammered some shots too.\n\nThe merc in the marauder was good but not great. It was the two ships fighting in tandem that was the problem. Cal broke off pursuit of the Phoenix and veered away, pulling the line of missiles with him. The marauder pursued. The Phoenix didn\u2019t, its engines flashed and it raced away.\n\nCal kicked the suicide brakes, which cut the engines and flipped the Cutlass completely around without losing his momentum. Cal opened up with his lasers at the incoming missiles. He managed to blast six of the eight before he had to flip back and gun it.\n\nThe marauder unleashed its full arsenal on Cal. He clipped the last two missiles but the Cutlass took a slew of hits as well. Shields managed to hold.\n\nFree of the missiles, Cal was ready to tangle.\n\nThe marauder lasted four minutes.\n\nBased on the Phoenix\u2019s bearing, they were headed for the jump-point into Croshaw. He saw their signal flicker and disappear. They were through.\n\nCal redirected all available power to the engines. The cutlass burst after them.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nDarrow sent off his incident report and awaited orders from his superiors. Penny stared at the ceiling, bored out of her mind. The door slid open. A young ensign poked his head in.\n\n\u201cCommunication for Lt. Ayala,\u201d the nervous ensign glanced at Darrow and paused, \u201cIt\u2019s from Cal, ma\u2019am.\u201d\n\nTen minutes later, Penny was in front of Showalter, replaying Cal\u2019s message about the Phoenix, the bomb, everything. Showalter stared ahead. His eyes narrowed as he listened but his face was otherwise inscrutable, as usual. Darrow was by the door.\n\n\u201cThey\u2019re going for Earth.\u201d Showalter said after a protracted silence.\n\n\u201cYou don\u2019t think they\u2019ll try and sell it.\u201d Penny said.\n\n\u201cTwenty to one that kid\u2019s gonna finish was his nut of a grandpa started.\u201d Showalter buzzed the bridge. \u201cSpin up the engines. We\u2019re changing course.\u201d\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nCroshaw system was quiet. It was an average day on almost all of the planets. People went to work. Kids went to school. There were four active jump-points in the system, one went to the Sol System and Earth, the second went to the Nul System an unclaimed system due to the variable star at its center, the third went to Davien System\u2026\n\nCal exited the fourth jump-point from Ferron. It took his radar a second to reacquire the Phoenix. It was on course for Nul. Cal kept up his pursuit, weaving around the general traffic in the system.\n\nCal caught sight of a Constellation in the distance. He burned to close the distance. It was the Phoenix alright.\n\nHis systems went nuts. A General Emergency Warning was being blasted on all channels. Something about\u2026\n\nOh no. Cal thought. He looked up.\n\nBlack Talon emerged from the Nul jump-point followed by dozens of Vanduul fighters. They immediately started attacking the Customs Agents. A Vanduul flagship and the rest of the clan battleships appeared shortly after. Local cops and pilots suddenly turned to defend the system.\n\nThe Phoenix flew past the waves of Vanduul and disappeared inside the flagship. Suddenly, all the pieces fell into place. The Phoenix didn\u2019t hire the Vanduul to hit the system. The Vanduul hired them to build a weapon. This wasn\u2019t Mahony\u2019s revenge, this was an organized Vanduul strike into the heart of their enemy.\n\nThe flagship opened fire with its weapons. Its fighters clashed with the paltry human resistance. Cal hopped on the general comm to organize the pilots and plunged right into the brawl.\n\nPilots from both sides danced around each other, hunting for that killshot. Lasers burned through the void. Space became littered with debris and wreckage. Frantic chatter filled the channels. It was war. The Vanduul flagship altered its course toward the Sol system, toward Earth.\n\nCal finished off the Vanduul fighter he\u2019d been tangling with then assessed the situation. In short, it wasn\u2019t going well. The Vanduul had more experience, were more ruthless. The police and scattered military personnel were doing some damage but as the Vanduul dispatched more and more civilians. Cal knew the tide would decidedly and lethally shift against them. Even if they managed to destroy the fighters, they were powerless against the larger Vanduul ships.\n\nThen he saw salvation\u2026\n\nThe Gemini. The beautiful Gemini appeared through the Ferron jump-point. Cal guessed they got his message. Seven wings of fighters launched from the deck.\n\n\u201cWe thought you were dead.\u201d Penny said over comms.\n\n\u201cCome on, Penny\u201d Cal replied.\n\n\u201cWell, when Grandpa gets ahold of you, you might wish you were.\u201d\n\n\u201cGreat to see you, Penny.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou too.\u201d Penny said. \u201cShall we?\u201d\n\nThey dove into the fight.\n\nThe Vanduul flagship turned its weapons on the Gemini. Deck cannons exchanged massive beams of destruction across the vacuum. Shields flared up, keeping the shots at bay. Smaller ships were incinerated in the crossfire.\n\nCal and Penny fought side by side like they always did. He saw the Phoenix blast off from the flagship. It weaved its way through the battle, heading back to Ferron.\n\nHis shields flared up. Cal looked up. Black Talon and a bunch of friends were bearing down on them.\n\n\u201cLook who\u2019s back.\u201d Cal said.\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s get him.\u201d Penny replied. Cal and Penny peeled off from their respective battles and moved to intercept Black Talon. They could see local pilots try to engage Black Talon but they were no match for the Vanduul ace.\n\nCal opened fire on Black Talon who danced around the shots. Penny tried to fill in the gaps but Black Talon was too nimble.\n\nThey were suddenly dodging blasts and rockets from dozens of raiders. Cal could barely keep sight of Black Talon as he spiraled through space, his shields taking multiple hits from multiple directions. Penny peeled off and twisted with a couple raiders.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\nAboard the Phoenix, Sasha watched the empty space ahead. Her expression weary. Trunk was in the turret. He watched the desperate battle envelope the entire system with a similar countenance. He climbed down the ladder and joined his half-sister in the cockpit.\n\n\u201cThey\u2019re getting torn up out there.\u201d He said after a long pause.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s not our problem.\u201d Sasha said quietly. It didn\u2019t sound convincing.\n\n\u201cTechnically\u2026\u201d Trunk started to say but paused.\n\n\u201cWhat.\u201d\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t know. We did the job and got paid. So technically, our responsibility to them is done now. We can do what we want.\u201d\n\nThey sat in silence.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m just saying\u2026\u201d Trunk said.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\nBack in the brawl, some of the shields on the Vanduul flagship had failed. Explosions dotted along the side of the ship. The Gemini was taking its fair share of hits. One of the main guns had been blasted clean off causing munitions explosions below deck that punched the hull out like blisters. The other Vanduul battleships were specifically targeting the engines. The massive UEE carrier was starting to slow down.\n\nCal set his sights on the flagship. The bomb must still be there. Would make sense. That\u2019s the most secure place considering and it\u2019s the only thing gunning for the Sol jump-point. He guessed it would be able to jump in a matter of minutes.\n\n\u201cPenny, cover me.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat are you doing now?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou probably don\u2019t want to know.\u201d Cal flipped his ship around Black Talon\u2019s fire and flashed toward the flagship. Black Talon started to come after him but Penny tied him up, giving Cal a headstart.\n\nHe heard Penny curse over comms. He looked back. She was hit. One of her engines was out. Black Talon and the Vanduul fighters circled to finish her off. Cal glanced back to flagship closing on the jump-point.\n\nIt was one or the other.\n\nAs Cal reached for the retro thrusters, something swooped past his ship toward Penny. Laser blasts annihilated the Vanduul Scythes before they could strike. Black Talon broke away to avoid the fire.\n\nIt was the Phoenix.\n\n\u201cGood Luck, Mason.\u201d Was all that came over the comms before the Phoenix fired its engines and took off. Penny got her engine back online and burned away to safety.\n\nCal refocused on the flagship and got his game-face on. He ran through the layout of the ship from when he was on it. He visualized the landing bay. Deep, cavernous but plenty of room to maneuver. The flagship vanished into the jump-point.\n\nLaser blasts streaked past him from behind. Black Talon was back on his tail. Cal hit his afterburners. The Cutlass launched toward the jump-point and disappeared with Black Talon right on his tail.\n\nSpace turned into a smear. The auto-pilot kicked in and started reducing his ship to a safe speed. Cal disabled it and kept the throttle down. He\u2019d been through the Croshaw\/Sol jump-point dozens of times. He only had about five minutes before they came out the other side.\n\nSomething smashed his wing. The flagship slowly passed flickering in and out of view. The Cutlass\u2019 frame groaned as it twisted. Cal pulled ahead of the flagship. On a wing and a prayer, he cut the afterburners and spun the ship. Suddenly he was scooped inside the landing bay. He scanned the flight deck below. Baffled Vanduul fired small arms and yelled at him.\n\nThree minutes.\n\nHe made a complete pass through the flight deck but didn\u2019t-\n\nThere. Mechanics were rigging the bomb onto a Vanduul bomber. Cal swung the Cutlass around. Black Talon suddenly came into view, bearing down. Cal tried to not let it distract him. He focused on his target. He knew he wouldn\u2019t get another shot at this.\n\nTwo minutes.\n\nBlack Talon charged him, weapons blazing. Cal fired.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nIt was quiet in Sol. Reinforcements amassed at the jump-point. The front of the Vanduul flagship pierced the jump-point. All the UEE Naval ships heated up their guns. But they didn\u2019t fire.\n\nOnly the front half of the Vanduul flagship tumbled out of the jump-point, the back half was gone. That\u2019s when Cal\u2019s Cutlass emerged from the landing bay. It had also been hit by the Cassandra gas. He immediately ejected. The momentum flung him toward the line of Navy guns. He twisted around to watch the Vanduul flagship turn to a molecular goo in zero-g. The cutlass too. It was shame. He started to like that ship.\n\nNow that the adrenaline had subsided, he felt a sharp pain in his leg. Felt broken.\n\nHe sighed and waved for the cavalry to pick him up.\n\n\n* * * * *\n\n\nCal stepped back onto the Gemini to thunderous applause. Kerney, the giant pit mechanic, swooped him in a big bear hug. Penny waited with her hands on her hips and a grin. Cal saluted her. She nodded.\n\nThe pilots and crew patted him on the back as he limped across the deck. The crowd parted and he was face to face with Admiral Showalter. Cal stood at attention and saluted.\n\n\u201cSir.\u201d\n\nShowalter glared at him for several moments.\n\n\u201cWe buried you, Mason.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m sorry I screwed that up, sir.\u201d Cal tried not to smile. That was the fourth funeral they\u2019ve apparently had for him. \u201cI\u2019ll try to stay dead next time.\u201d\n\nShowalter shook his head and walked away.\n\nCal spent the next two weeks in Medical with his leg in a cast. He tried looking for any reports of Sasha or the Phoenix. The ship was found abandoned near Terra. She had disappeared.\n\nFour days later, he started to get that itch again, that itch that came from being grounded too long\u2026\n\nTHE END\u2026\nThe Nul System. Scavengers picked through the drifting pieces of a hauling ship. Tags said it belonged to some dreg named Grady Monk. Most of it was scrap but creds were creds. Times were tough. The radar started pulsing from new contact. The scavenger ran a scan but couldn\u2019t get an ID. She looked out the cockpit. A Vanduul Scythe raced past. The scavenger jumped with a yelp. It didn\u2019t turn or attack, it burned back toward Vanduul territory.\n\nBefore it disappeared into the void, she noticed that one of its wings looked like it was dipped in Black."},"links_count":0,"comment_count":100,"created_at":"2012-12-21T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"13 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-14 08:34:55","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":12843,"next_id":12845}}