Condition Evolution 4 by Kevin Sinclair (parable of the sower read online .txt) 📗

hand, having done what he could with the survivors. If it was trouble, then it would at least meet me first and not a bunch of my half-dead friends. I heard another bang, this time coming from down the corridor away from the bridge. I moved towards the sounds, when I felt the air pressure increase noticeably. More noise and the sound of distant footsteps approached. Moving onward, I hefted Havok up ready for anything. That was until I had a vague sense of Acclo’s presence. I continued toward the sounds more quickly, letting Havok fall when Acclo appeared running along the corridor, followed by yet more friendly faces.

“Thank fuck it’s you lot! There are people in bad shape. We lost too many,” I said desperately. “How did the fight outside go? We’ve been completely blind.”

“We’re safe. The Haven is substantially overpowered compared to the Empire ships and the Guegumar Stars surrounding you,” Acclo said.

“Did they all get away?”

“We got five of them, but one escaped.”

“Damn, do you know if you got the ship that was attached to us?”

“No, they were the first to flee. The other ships remained behind to cover their escape. Why?”

I groaned. “Shit! That ship had Zarime on it. An immensely powerful Fystr, second only to their Emperor.”

“Oh, it would have been a massive boost to have killed him, then,” Acclo replied sympathetically.

“Yeah, it really would. What’s happening now then?”

“We are already making our way back to the Apochros Fleet.”

“Good, we need to get away from here. This did not go anything like we planned.”

“It never does,” Ember added, appearing by my side.

“Come on, let's get you to Ialos,” I said to Ember.

“Me? You daft shite, I just got kicked by a mule. You got stabbed through the fucking heart. I think you need a check over yourself.”

“Maybe. Okay then, meeting in the medical… place. Uhm, where is the medical place?”

“The only current active Medical Hub is in Quadrant One. Come, I will take you,” Acclo insisted.

And so, the sorry remnants of our party were led or carried down to the Medical Hub.

Chapter 28

The Great Leveler

In the Medical Hub Ialos checked my main wound over. It was all good; fully healed with not even a scar left to document the ordeal. After I was given the all clear, I made my way to the bridge. Under the pretense of needing to be there, but the truth was that I couldn't bear to be surrounded by my injured friends. Their faces caused me to recount each face that didn’t make it off the Uprising with us. They were all medicated now and not in any pain, the physical kind at least. The burdens they now carried on their souls were etched in each of their eyes. I had no doubt they each blamed themselves for not doing enough… not being enough. Just as I did.

By the time I made it to the bridge,we had already jumped to our allocated coordinates within Apochros space. The area around the fleet was just too busy to make the jump straight there. We were now just making our way towards the patiently waiting fleet. I tried to visualize the mass of Apochros Alliance ships by our side smashing the oncoming Fystr fleet into a pulp. It helped with the other thoughts that I didn’t want to have, just not enough.

I greeted everyone with nods. I had no smiles left in me today. Then I took my seat, to stare blankly at the star-studded screen in something like a trance. A little while later, Wulek got my attention. “Captain, we have a communication coming through from Jezai’s ship, The Dominance II.”

“Hail Haven. Please, make your way to the center, following the course I have sent over for you.”

“We will do, Jezai. May I ask why? What is going on?”

“We are laying mines. We couldn’t be sure that you would follow the exact path we laid out before you left, so we refrained from placing the last of them until you returned.”

“I hope they’re particularly big and nasty mines. That’s all the shit-stains deserve.”

“I doubt they have experienced much like this before. I heard about your encounter with the Fystr. I am terribly sorry for the people that you have lost, Shaun. We will make them regret the harm they have done.”

“What about the Galactic Empire presence out there?”

“I hope they do not get involved, but if they do, I am confident we will be able to beat them too. Once you’ve seen what an Apochros Alliance fleet can achieve when defending its home, you too will share that confidence.”

“I bloody hope so,” I said as we ended the communication and moved onward toward the fleet.

The fully formed Apochros Alliance Fleet was a sight to behold: thousands of immense, dangerous ships numbering far greater than the fleet we had first met upon entering this place.

Before we had made it to our spot in the line, Ember appeared on the bridge. “Hey Shaun, how’re you holding up?” she asked with concern as she took her seat next to me.

Meeting her eyes, I offered a grim smile. “I keep thinking I see him out the corner of my eye, or hear his bloody voice across the bridge. And as bad as I feel about losing Calegg, I then feel even worse because I’m not thinking about the others who died, hardly at all. Just that fucker. I can’t believe we’ve lost him, Ember. It makes me feel like someone’s got their hands in my guts and they’re twisting them.”

“I get it,” she said, resting her hand on my arm. “It was Calegg. He was special. I didn’t know many of William’s crew that well, but I’d become close with Amnarr and Roger on the station. I’m hoping hurting these bastards badly now might help ease the pain.”

I nodded grimly, and we fell into a contemplative silence.

The next day passed in a haze for me, steeped in misery as I was. I’d spoken intermittently