Star Alliance

Book 3: Ascension Series

by Ken Lozito

Genres: Cyberpunk; Space Exploration; Science Fiction; Alien Contact; Alien Invasion; Colonization; Space Opera

Synopsis

A daring rescue resulted in one of their own being captured. A soldier desperate to prevent the enslavement of humanity.

Held prisoner by a vicious alien whose race is determined to conquer the galaxy, Zack wakes to find that he is cut off from everything. Zack must figure out a way to escape his captors and a prison full of dangerous aliens to get back to his ship. Did his friends even know he was still alive?

Kaylan commands the Athena, Earth’s most advanced spaceship. The crew is far from home and caught in an intergalactic war. The Boxans demand that they leave the star system, Xiiginn warships are hunting them, and the Athena is hopelessly outclassed. Kaylan must choose between leaving Zack to his fate or risk the lives of the crew for the slim chance of rescuing him.

Kladomaor can’t let the Humans fall into the hands of the Xiiginns. The Boxans have been at war with the Xiiginns for years and they were losing. The Humans might be the key to their salvation, but only if he can bring them before the High Council and convince them to protect Earth. Their stealth ship is no match for the Xiiginn warships hunting them and if he can’t get the Humans to leave soon they would all be doomed.

Star Alliance is the third book in an action packed space opera series. The crew of the Athena stands upon a precipice and their next action will affect Earth for generations to come. Will humanity be the next race to be enslaved?

Release date: August 1, 2016

Publisher: Acoustical Books LLC

Print pages: 310

Sample

Chapter 1

IT WAS SIX o’clock in the morning, and Edward Johnson was being escorted to the famous West Wing of the White House. A few hours before, he’d gotten the call that President Halloway wanted to meet with him that morning. He had met Susan Halloway when she’d been a senator and a rising star in politics, but this was his first summons to the White House. 

As he and his escort walked the long corridors, Ed noted that despite the early hour the White House was already abuzz with activity, and he suspected the quiet moments in this historic seat of power were few and far between. His thoughts returned to the meeting ahead as the aide who was escorting him came to a halt and spoke to one of the Secret Service agents posted outside the Oval office. The agent nodded, but Ed knew the Agency had already vetted him long before he had been allowed to enter the White House.

The door opened, and the aide stepped just inside the doorway for a brief moment, then turned back toward him. “The President will see you now.”

Ed nodded his thanks and stepped inside, taking stock of the place he’d only seen in pictures until then. But the pictures weren’t nearly as impressive as standing in the actual office of the president. Ed felt like he was marching through history with each step he took across the plush carpet of the vast room. His eyes slid toward the Resolute desk where ninety years before John F. Kennedy Jr. had played at his father’s feet. Ed closed his mouth and brought his attention back to the present.

“Madam President,” Ed said.

“Mr. Johnson, it’s been a long time,” President Halloway said. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. I believe you know Dr. Philip Gray.”

Ed shook hands with Dr. Gray. He knew of him. Dux Corp had indirectly funded Gray’s research in particle physics, but Gray was more advisor than scientist these days. “Please call me Ed,” he said. 

Susan nodded. “I’d apologize for waking you in the middle of the night to bring you here, but I knew you were already up.”

“Hardly anyone sleeps all that much at Mission Control since we’ve had initial contact with Michael Hunsicker,” Ed said.

The president took her seat behind the desk, while Ed and Dr. Gray sat on the plush chairs facing her. 

“I’ve been expecting your call,” Ed said to the president.

“Really?” Dr. Gray said. “You expected a call from the president?”

Ed glanced sideways at Dr. Gray but kept a majority of his attention on the president. “Yes, and if I hadn’t been called, I would have initiated contact.”

Philip Gray’s mouth hung open in a half bewildered smile.

“Indeed,” President Halloway said, “and it would have been a call I’d have been remiss to ignore, especially when it came from the head of Dux Corporation and a member of its inner circle.”

They shared a moment of acknowledgement, each confirming the other’s powerful positions and influence, but any head of Dux Corp hadn’t reached such levels of influence by being bullheaded.

“Thank you for seeing me, Madam President,” Ed said.

President Halloway smiled, and tiny crow’s feet formed along the edges of her brown eyes. She was a handsome woman—not overwhelmingly beautiful but certainly pleasant to look at—and only a fool would underestimate her. Beneath the pleasant exterior was a shrewd and powerful leader.

“Over the next few days, world leaders will be receiving similar briefings of what I’m about to share with you and your staff after this meeting,” Ed began. 

“Is this regarding the Shroud Network?” Dr. Gray asked.

“In part. NASA and the other space agencies around the world have been working through the Athena’s final data burst,” Ed said.

“The one from that hacker, Zack Quick?” Dr. Gray said in a tone that bordered on accusatory.

“I won’t argue Zack’s presence on the Athena Mission. His contribution to the mission has proven invaluable time and time again. The only reason we’re aware of the Shroud Network is because of his work,” Ed said.

“What is Commander Hunsicker’s status?” President Halloway asked.

“He’s assured us that he has plenty of provisions, but I assume you’d really like to know about the alien he’s taken residence with on Pluto,” Ed said.

“That’s a big part of it,” President Halloway said. “The events of the past few months have made the spaceship Endurance a high-priority item so a rescue mission could get underway. The leak about the alien structure on Pluto and the alien message before that have made many of those on Capitol Hill want to haul Dux Corp leaders and all its subsidiaries before a congressional hearing.”

“Understood, Madam President,” Ed said.

The president’s lips curved upward. “You’re very good, Ed. Your reputation is well deserved.”

“Bruce Matherson’s goal was always for the betterment of mankind. His granddaughter is on the Athena Mission,” Ed said.

“So you believe they’re still alive?” President Halloway asked.

“Yes, I do,” Ed answered. “The events leading to the disappearance of the Athena were confirmed by Chazen.”

“The alien,” Dr. Gray said.

“They call themselves Boxans. We have no reason not to believe him,” Ed said.

President Halloway leveled her gaze at Ed. “Except for the fact that they’ve been observing us in secret for over a hundred years. And the presence of the Star Shroud doesn’t inspire a lot of trust. There is a lot that doesn’t add up for me or my military advisors. I would like to open formal communications with the Boxan.”

“He won’t speak to us in any formal capacity,” Ed said.

“Why not?” Dr. Gray asked.

“He said he’s not authorized to negotiate for his species. He’s some type of research scientist, and the reason he’s communicating at all is because of Michael Hunsicker’s presence,” Ed said.

“I would like to speak with him,” President Halloway said in a tone that left little room for negotiation.

Ed nodded. “It’s possible, now that we’ve finished building the device.”

“We saw that in your report,” Dr. Gray said, and quickly scanned his tablet computer. “A communications device that allows for real-time communication with the alien outpost on Pluto.”

“To put it in layman’s terms,” Ed said, “we can receive calls but cannot initiate a call of our own. The device is basically a receiver. Quite ingenious actually. It has a lot of people in Houston excited. We’ve shared the design specs with the other space agencies.”

President Halloway rose from her seat and walked over to the massive window, gazing out at the meticulous landscape that made up the White House grounds. After a moment’s contemplation, she turned back toward them. “What would you suggest we do?”

“I would suggest we offer Chazen our aid without any strings attached. My impression from Michael Hunsicker is that the Boxan is keenly observant. We shouldn’t try any ploys or anything,” Ed said and paused. “The official offer of aid should come from the global community and not just this nation.”

President Halloway raised an eyebrow. “It’s the global community that concerns me. We want to put our best foot forward, but we’re far from becoming a unified species.”

“There is also the issue of the warning,” Dr. Gray said.

“Yes, the warning about the Xiiginn. They are another alien species. We don’t know much about them other than that the Boxans were shielding us from their presence,” Ed said.

“We need more information, and since this—being—is the only one who can enlighten us, we need to start with him. This is a slippery slope we’re on, and there are a number of avenues that could pull us into an interstellar war,” President Halloway said.

Ed nodded. “I’m prepared to share all we know with you and your staff. The problems we face will affect us all.”

“For all our sakes, I hope it’s enough,” President Halloway said.

A Secret Service agent stuck his head into the Oval Office and announced that the meeting room was ready for them. They filed out of the office, and while Ed knew that the next few hours would shape the world to come, he couldn’t help but feel the weight of all that had transpired in this office since the White House had been built. Mistakes had been made and victories won. In the end, he hoped wisdom and perseverance would rule this day.

* * *

Billions of miles away on a dwarf planet, Michael Hunsicker sat in the control room of the Boxan listening station. Chazen had just engaged the Boxan communicator, which was connected to a receiver back on Earth.

“Houston, do you read me?” Hunsicker asked.

“Loud and clear, Michael. This is Gary Hunter.”

A holoscreen switched on and showed Gary’s face. Hunsicker smiled. It had been a few weeks since he’d seen another human being, which was nothing compared to the length of time since Chazen had seen another Boxan. Hunsicker glanced over at the Boxan, who gave him a nod.

“It’s good to see you, Gary.”

“Same here. I was told to extend our thanks to your host,” Gary said.

“You are welcome,” Chazen said. His deep voice spoke slowly and clearly.

“Now that we can communicate, Chazen has agreed to share a translator program so you’ll be able to understand him. Inform the other space agencies to be prepared for a data stream that will contain the necessary elements to implement,” Hunsicker said.

Gary Hunter grinned. “Confirm, universal translator program. I’m sure there will be a lot of linguists out there who would like to study it. The European, Chinese, and Russian space agencies will have their comms devices up soon, but for now we’ve agreed to share a recording of these sessions. The spirit of cooperation.”

Hunsicker suppressed a snort. For as long as he’d been with NASA, he’d known scientists were more amiable to the spirit of cooperation than nations. If anything, his experience here on Pluto had taught him that the confirmation of other intelligent life would put some of the petty differences his fellow humans clung to into perspective.

“That’s good news,” Hunsicker said. “I have another six months of supplies left from what we brought down from the Athena, and Chazen believes he can adapt his supplies for human consumption.”

“That’s good to hear. We’ve been working on a resupply mission, and crews have been working around the clock on the Endurance,” Gary said.

Hunsicker frowned. “I thought the Endurance was two years away from completion.”

“Priorities have shifted. We want to get another manned mission out to you as soon as possible,” Gary said.

Chazen stood up and left the control room. Hunsicker watched him go, and Gary waited him out.

“Is everything all right?” Gary asked.

Hunsicker brought his attention back to the holoscreen and nodded. “Yes. He’s been away from his home for a long time. I wish we could help him get back to his home world.”

“We could, but it would mean he’d have to travel to Earth,” Gary said.

“I’m not sure if he’ll do that, but we can extend the invitation.”

“By the way, we’ve gotten in touch with your family and let them know you’re alive. We’ll bring them here to speak with you soon,” Gary said.

Hunsicker felt his throat thicken. He’d volunteered for the Athena mission after his wife Caroline had died, but he found that he really would like to see his grandkids again. His eyes grew misty, and Hunsicker swallowed down his emotions. “That would be great,” he said.

“We’ll get you home, Michael. You’ve got my word on that. We have a lot of people working on this.”

“The Athena is still out there. We can’t forget about Kaylan and the others,” Hunsicker said.

“We’re not, and the fact that Chazen believes the wormhole took them to another habitable system of planets is very reassuring,” Gary said. “We’d like to schedule a call so the president could speak with Chazen.”

“I’ll let him know,” Hunsicker said. 

Hunsicker spoke with Gary Hunter for the next hour, answering his questions. He knew there was frustration about the Boxan communication device only being able to be activated from Pluto. He suspected Zack could have figured something out about that. The former hacker was absolutely brilliant and could run circles around the best of them. Chazen had insisted that only the receiver designs could be sent back to Earth, and he was violating certain protocols by doing that much. Hunsicker had no doubt there were efforts to reverse engineer the designs, and he suspected Chazen thought the same.

After the call ended, he left the control room and headed toward the power station. Most of the wreckage from Redford’s attempt at restoring power to the Boxan monitoring station had been cleared. The artificial intelligence had been designed to function autonomously and had engaged First Contact Protocols when the Athena crew entered the station and started turning things on. Chazen later explained that the botched startup protocols used in the power station had led to the seismic activity they’d experienced. When the Boxans had built the monitoring station, they had calculated Pluto’s orbit and its effects on the planetary surface. The AI running the station had been attempting to compensate for fifty Earth years’ worth of planetary shifts, which had led to their frightening experience. While the seismic activity hadn’t seemed to worry Chazen all that much, what did have the Boxan concerned was the fact that a wormhole had opened in the first place. 

Hunsicker entered the power station and found Chazen working at one of the interfaces.

“The president of my country would like to speak with you,” Hunsicker said.

Chazen glanced down at him. “As I’ve said before, I will speak with your world leaders, but I’m not authorized to speak on behalf of my species.”

“I don’t think it’s anything that formal. Many of my people are eager to learn about you. They know you are stranded here and are working on a way to get us safely back to Earth. Perhaps from there we can help you make contact with your home world,” Hunsicker said.

Chazen closed the console he’d been working on and turned away. “The last communication from my home world was clear. No further contact should be attempted. All Star Shroud networks are to go on permanent standby until reactivation is authorized from Sethion High Command.”

“Those orders left you stranded here. Don’t you want to try and get home?” Hunsicker asked.

Chazen turned back toward Hunsicker. “The only reason for that last communication was because of the Xiiginn attack.”

“Right, and the shutting down of the Star Shroud networks prevented the Xiiginn from gaining access to worlds with intelligent species to exploit,” Hunsicker said.

Chazen remained quiet.

“I think it’s important that you at least consider coming to Earth,” Hunsicker continued, “to help quantify the threat of the Xiiginn. I’m here with you, and I’m not sure I fully understand the threat they represent.”

“The AI correctly surmised that the Mardoxian potential exists in humans,” Chazen said.

“Because Kaylan was able to use the chamber.”

“Yes,” Chazen said. “This will bring the Xiiginn here.”

Hunsicker swallowed. He wasn’t sure how much he should push Chazen. The Boxan had gone silent for long periods of time before while they repaired the station. “Look, Kaylan is exceptional. She’s the only person I’ve ever known who could do what she can do. We’re not a planet full of people who have this Mardoxian potential.”

“That won’t matter to the Xiiginn,” Chazen said.

“All the more reason for us to work together and perhaps return to Earth. They just want to speak with you,” Hunsicker said.

Chazen sucked in a deep breath and remained silent.

“What would you do if you were in our position?” Hunsicker asked.

Chazen glanced over at the reactor chamber, his eyes growing distant for a few moments. “I will speak with your president,” Chazen said, and walked away.

Sensing that the Boxan wanted to be alone, Hunsicker didn’t follow. The Boxans adhered to well-defined protocols to deal with a number of situations, but Hunsicker guessed that being stranded in an alien star system wasn’t among them. He needed Chazen if he was going to survive, and Chazen needed Humans if he was going to survive. And survival meant not spending an eternity on this lifeless planet.

Chapter 2

KAYLAN STOOD ON the bridge of the Boxan stealth ship. She’d much rather have been working from the Athena’s bridge, but the Boxan scanners were way better than anything they had. They’d spent much of the last few days looking through the wreckage of the Xiiginn cruiser. Initially she’d hoped they would detect Zack’s suit computer, but they hadn’t found a trace. The cruiser wreckage had spewed out into space, with large chunks being drawn into the gas giant Selebus orbited. The ship hadn’t been vaporized in the explosion but had blown apart into pieces. Some of those pieces were as big as the Athena. The escape pods that jettisoned from the cruiser had gathered at a safe distance and were later picked up by Nershal ships from their home world. Those ships had entered into orbit around Selebus, and salvage vessels had arrived to collect the remaining wreckage. Kladomaor wanted to leave, but Kaylan wouldn’t leave without Zack. She couldn’t leave him behind. 

“I don’t think there is anything more we can learn by scanning the wreckage,” Gaarokk said. “They must have taken Zack somewhere else.”

Kladomaor was hunched over, looking over the shoulder of another Boxan. He turned in Gaarokk’s direction and stood up straight. Boxans were eight-to-ten feet tall on average, but their battle armor made them taller still.

“If he’s still alive,” Kladomaor said.

Kaylan met the Boxan’s challenging gaze. “He is still alive.”

The Boxan’s flaxen-colored eyes softened as he drew in a patient breath. “You haven’t been able to detect his location since the cruiser was destroyed.”

“I need to have some idea where he is in order to be able to find him. You have us so far from anything it’s no wonder I can’t find him,” Kaylan said. She hated the desperation in her voice, but her frustration had been mounting. She hardly ate and only slept a few hours at a time.

“You might need to accept that he’s gone,” Kladomaor said.

Kaylan clutched her arms in front of her chest. “I won’t leave here without him,” she said, and left the bridge.

Kladomaor shook his head, and after a few moments, Gaarokk cleared his throat. Kladomaor looked up and waited for the scientist to speak.

“Nicely done,” Gaarokk said.

“Someone needed to say it,” Kladomaor said. “If Zack isn’t dead, you and I both know he’s being used by the Xiiginns, which is a fate much worse.”

“We don’t even know if the Xiiginns can affect them the way they do us,” Gaarokk said.

“There are other ways to make someone do what you want. We may not practice it, but the Xiiginns have no issues with torture and genetic experimentation,” Kladomaor said.

“All the more reason to try and find him,” Gaarokk said.

“We have been. I’ve been in contact with Udonzari, but with the growing Nershal unrest, the Xiiginns have been on high alert. He doesn’t even know where the survivors have been taken. He has his agents scouting all the known facilities on Selebus, and so far—nothing,” Kladomaor said.

“If they moved the survivors, wouldn’t it make more sense for us to start searching the Nershal home world?” Gaarokk asked.

Kladomaor blew out a breath. “Where would you suggest we start? We’re one ship restricted to stealth, which means we can only use passive scans to avoid detection.”

“The Humans won’t leave here until they find out what happened to Zack,” Gaarokk warned.

“Don’t you mean Kaylan won’t? Hicks has the bearing of a soldier and is someone I think won’t shy away from making the tough decisions,” Kladomaor said.

Gaarokk pressed his lips together, his eyes drifting downward in thought. “They are an interesting species. There is a strong bond between them. It’s almost instinctual that they shove aside differences when one of them is in danger. While some of the others don’t quite have Kaylan’s conviction and aren’t so vocal about it, they are working feverishly hard to try and figure out a way to find him.”

“Agreed, their camaraderie is admirable, but they don’t realize what’s at stake. The Humans are out of their depth. We need to get them out of here and return to the High Council. Only then can we get the support we need to help the Humans safeguard against the Xiiginns,” Kladomaor said.

“You would sacrifice one of them, leaving him to his own fate at the hands of the Xiiginns?” Gaarokk asked.

“If it means saving more of them in the long run, then yes, I would,” Kladomaor said.

“They won’t see it that way—” Gaarokk began.

The door to the bridge opened and Ma’jasalax walked in. The Mardoxian priestess had slowly been recovering from her time spent as a prisoner of the Xiiginns. Her loose-fitting robes covered the wounds from where she’d been connected to the machine on board the Xiiginn cruiser. There hadn’t been time to figure out exactly what the machine had been doing, but Gaarokk believed the tubes were feeding biological compounds into Ma’jasalax. The question remained as to whether there were any long-term effects and whether any of them would be affected by whatever Ma’jasalax had been exposed to. 

Kladomaor gave her a slight nod in greeting.

Ma’jasalax leveled a knowing gaze at Kladomaor. “Gaarokk is right.”

“About what?” Kladomaor asked.

“If we force the Humans to leave the Nershal star system, they won’t see it as the benevolent act you believe it to be.”

“Then they are shortsighted and have much to learn,” Kladomaor said, and looked away to examine one of the consoles nearest him.

Ma’jasalax didn’t answer right away, and for some reason that grated on his nerves more than he would like to admit. Kladomaor returned his gaze to Ma’jasalax.

“Perhaps,” Ma’jasalax said. “Or it could be quite the opposite. We’re being too farsighted. So much of our time is spent accounting for the longevity of our actions that we fail to see the things that are right in front of us.”

“Fine. What do you think I’m missing?” Kladomaor asked.

“You’ve lost soldiers in this war, friends who are gone now and whom you carry within you. The pain of their loss has served you well when facing the Xiiginns; however, that same strength is becoming a hindrance when giving aid to the Humans,” Ma’jasalax said.

“I’ve been trying to help them,” Kladomaor said.

“You think because they haven’t had your experience with the Xiiginns, you know what’s best. It was our arrogance that blinded us to the threat of the Xiiginns in the first place, and now it’s our fear of them that will lead us to alienating an intelligent species that needs our help,” Ma’jasalax said.

The silence on the bridge became apparent to Kladomaor as he realized the Boxan crew had stopped what they were doing and turned to listen.

Kladomaor’s brain raced to oblivion in the blink of an eye. He wanted to lash out at the Mardoxian priestess because her words cut deeper than he thought they could, and he wanted to blame her for sending the initial message to the Humans that had brought them here in the first place. 

“I make my decisions based on experience, and my experience tells me the Humans are being irrational and will not listen to reason,” Kladomaor said.

“They listen just fine,” Ma’jasalax said. “They just don’t agree with your reasoning.”

Kladomaor’s shoulders stiffened, and he resisted the urge to step away. “Then they disagree to their own detriment.” Kladomaor glanced around at the Boxans on the bridge, who quickly turned their attention back to the consoles in front of them.

Ma’jasalax stepped closer to him and spoke softly. “If you persist in this line of action, you will drive the Humans away. We need to work with them.”

“They need us in order to get back to their star system,” Kladomaor said.

Ma’jasalax gave him a patient look. “I know you wouldn’t hold that over them.”

“If the Xiiginns reach Earth, it could be Sethion all over again,” Kladomaor said.

“Our home world is still there,” Ma’jasalax said.

“With half the population having gone mad.”

“You are living proof that the effects of the Xiiginn influence can be counteracted,” Ma’jasalax said. “And you discount the Humans because they aren’t as technologically advanced as we are, but perhaps there are other things we can learn from them.”

“If the Xiiginns learn of the Mardoxian potential in Humans, they will be hunted down. We’ve managed to prevent any of our own with the Mardoxian traits from falling into the Xiiginns’ hands, but if they were to figure out how the trait works and perfect it into their own genetically altered species, the galaxy would be even more under their shadow than it is right now. I would do anything to prevent that from happening,” Kladomaor said.

“I would never question your conviction when it comes to the Xiiginns, but if we’re to form an alliance with the Humans, we need to help them even if we don’t approve of the wisdom of their actions. As long as those actions don’t violate any of our own core values, I don’t see why we shouldn’t help them, and neither should you,” Ma’jasalax said.

Kladomaor was silent while he gathered his thoughts. His instincts told him the Humans were being foolish. The sacrifice of one of their own to help ensure the survival of their species wasn’t too steep a price to pay. He understood the loyalty the crew of the Athena had for one another. He respected it, but he also knew their loyalty was something the Xiiginns would use against them. The Xiiginns wouldn’t hesitate to use any advantage that would swing the odds of winning an engagement in their favor. He couldn’t make himself agree to stay in the Nershal star system any longer. 

Kladomaor rubbed the bottom of his chin and glanced back at Ma’jasalax.

“Let me put it this way,” Ma’jasalax said. “If we don’t help them now, using all the means at our disposal, then why would any of the Humans—or any other species for that matter—have cause to listen to our counsel when the stakes are higher? The current state of the Confederation should have taught us that. We are not all-knowing and—” 

“And the other species will not simply listen to us because we think we know what’s best for them. Believe me, you’ve made your point quite clear,” Kladomaor said.

“I’m not sure I have,” Ma’jasalax said.

“Why is that?”

“Because you still don’t believe it. What would you do if, after all this, the Nershals remain allied with the Xiiginns?” Ma’jasalax asked.

“Then I would keep exposing the wrongdoings of the Xiiginns,” Kladomaor said.

“I’m sure you would, but consider for a moment that no matter what you did the Nershals remained in their alliance with the Xiiginns. Or better yet, what if the Humans entered into an alliance with the Xiiginns?” Ma’jasalax asked.

Kladomaor’s brows pushed forward, and his gaze hardened. “Then we would leave them to their fate.”

“Ah, you see, there it is finally,” Ma’jasalax said, “an acknowledgement that we cannot control the galaxy, and that sometimes, despite all our best intentions, it may not be enough to impart our wisdom to other species.”

“Well then, let’s hope both the Nershals and the Humans are smarter than that, or we may find ourselves in a war with them as well,” Kladomaor said.

“Indeed, let’s hope so, for all our sakes. Now let’s try and think of a way we can help the crew of the Athena find their missing crew member,” Ma’jasalax said.