Chapter 46. Assassination of King Xiqu
"Captain, the Kablan fleet is approaching us," Ingmar reported from his station. "Although I don't know which pirate captain it is, it's best to trust him now and abandon the agreement with the Kablan people and evacuate immediately," he suggested.
Noah hesitated. He didn't want to risk losing the only ally they now had near the Demon Flame Empire.
"The Kablans sent us a message," Vader reported, pleased to finally receive some more information. "They told us that we should cease contact with the pirates. They have attacked several Kablan ships and massacred their crews in cold blood. We should remain calm and take no other action."
"I don't like this arrangement," Carol said dissatisfied.
"Me neither," Noah agreed. He must make a decision. Act quickly. But he lacked the necessary facts. Without measurements, he is like a blind man. It's time to change that. "Mr. Jeffrey, adjust the sensor to maximum power. As for the Kablan people's explanation, we will figure it out later."
The Vulcan made some quick maneuvers, carried out the order, and then said calmly, "The pirates are right. The escapees are being picked up by the Demon Flame. In addition, three Demon Flame ships are heading towards ours. Location is close.”
"Damn," Noah cursed. "Mr. Ingmar, continue sailing as planned. At the maximum possible speed."
"Yes, sir," Ingmar happily obeyed the order.
Soon, the Republic accelerated. Obviously, Ingemar is ready for everything. Although they had a slight lead, Noah was still unsure if they would succeed. The damage to the Republic was so severe that there was no chance of escape. They didn't have enough time, nor enough spare parts, to get the ship back into good enough condition to escape. Their maximum speed is still quite low, almost comically low.
They slowly passed by one of Kabulan's two moons. Noah could see cracks in the moon's surface. His forehead probably looked like this at the moment. One side of the screen showed the Kablan fleet behind them, and the other side showed the demonic flame ship approaching them.
For safety reasons, they cannot hyperspace jump within a solar system. With just the slightest carelessness, the ship's warp distortion could create warp waves that could destroy nearby celestial bodies. In space, this is no problem for places with just dust particles and small rocks, but if the celestial body is populated by inhabitants, the situation is very different.
Despite the Kablan's betrayal, Noah didn't want to hurt or kill anyone. Most of them were innocent and had no part in the king's decisions. Would never consider harming innocent people. Furthermore, they saved their lives. Even if it's for selfish motives. But without assistance, the Republic was unable to escape from the demonic flames. Whether they will succeed is now completely unknown.
What Noah wanted most was to stand up and speed up the ship with his own hands. But unfortunately, this is not possible.
They slowly moved away from the satellite. It goes too slowly. On other screens, Noah sees strange ships slowly approaching. Especially the capture machine of the Demon Flame Ship. If they caught the Republic, it would be devastating. Against the three demonic flame ships, they had no chance. And six Kablan ships will join them.
Noah struggled internally with the right course of action. There are so many factors to weigh and consider. But he didn't have much time left. "Helmsman, do you dare to make a hyperspace jump within the solar system?" Noah looked at the man. It felt weird not having Hogan sitting there anymore.
However, he only received a suspicious look in response. Full of doubts about his own abilities and Noah's sanity.
"I can do that," Nilf stepped up.
Noah regarded the half-Klingon with an affectionate gaze. Can he trust him? So far, Nilf has done nothing suspicious. But too much has happened recently. There are too many betrayers. No, he couldn't hand over the helm to Nilf. Perhaps he would lead them directly into the hands of the enemy. Maybe he has a pact with Demon Flame, like Charles did long ago.
"Mr. Jeffrey?" He turned to the Martian.
"I can calculate for you the data needed to perform such a maneuver," Jeffrey replied. "But I'm not one to steer a rudder. Nilf, on the other hand, sailed a small ship alone across the universe for several years."
Noah sighed. He was unwilling to hand over the helm to Nilf. There must be another way.
"Captain, the Demon Flame ship will be within ten seconds of their weapons range," Ted reminded Noah. It only takes one hit from their weapons to bring down the Republic. And Starfleet's weapons weren't working.
"Mr. Nilf, take over the control and take us out of here," Noah no longer hesitated.
The half-Martian was already waiting at the console and sat down immediately. His fingers danced rapidly over the console, typing in commands. The captain kept this in mind. Neil has great ideas. Now he bought the crew a precious second or two.
Noah's eyes were glued to the screen. He was alone and immersed in his thoughts, hoping to delay the approach of the demonic flames for a few more seconds.
Suddenly, the space in front of the demonic flames began to flicker, and a Klingon birdwing appeared (the Black Ghost). Its wings took on an attacking form. The scene reminded Noah of a bird of prey swooping down on its prey. And this bird wing also behaves in the same way. Its wings fired at the Demon Flame ship at the front. Then, Noah could hardly believe his eyes. This Klingon ship wields magic fire weapons. The first blow caused the demon flame ship at the front to explode into a fireball. The Klingon ship passed through the fireball and disappeared. Of course Noah knew, they were invisible again. Now they owed these pirates a favor because they gave them more time.
The Republic accelerated and immediately entered hyperspace. Neither Moyan nor Kasapa expected this. They lost track of Starfleet within sensing range.
Xiqu felt the tip of the knife pierce into his body and cut open his internal organs. It was a sharp pain at first, but then it subsided. Time seemed to stand still. He looked down indifferently and saw the knife stuck in his abdomen. What happened to cause the situation to take such a turn? Everything went so smoothly.
He slowly fell to his knees. A little blood flowed from the wound. Just a little bit. The knife was still inserted into his body, sealing the wound. But he knew he couldn't pull it out again. Mo Yan's knives have barbs, making it impossible for the victim to remove the knives, otherwise further serious injuries will be caused. He never thought he would become a victim.
Memories came flooding back to me. The last few weeks replayed in his mind. The pirate ship contacted him and offered him a deal. Is this already his first mistake? Can he still correct it? Trading seems so simple. Trade the Republic in exchange for a Demon Flame weapon. This is a perfect deal. There is almost no risk. And he would never hand over that weapon.
Then came the trap set by Charles. A perfect bait. The Republic was an easy target. But the number of crew members was wrong. The pirate lied.
He had to kill him, he remembered again. He must ensure this.
Then he returned with his slaves. But his leaders did not celebrate his triumphant return. They said the gods had never given such a mission. A loyal demonic flame will never act without divine instructions. Then the slave was sent into the mines, and he remained an ordinary king. Then the gods gave a directive to help humans escape and destroy them. This is supposed to make it seem like a Federation ship was destroyed in an accident in space. There shouldn't be any clues about the demonic flames. Just like the Republic, the pirate ship should also be destroyed. Sometimes divine instructions feel strange.
Why do gods always think pirates are in cahoots with humans? Just because pirate captains are human themselves? He still hasn't found the answer. But it turned out that the gods' instructions were always correct, because the operation was a success. At least that's almost the case. The pirates came to the aid of humanity, although he had absolutely no understanding of the relationship between pirates and Starfleet officials. What's the connection between them?
So he also has to deal with that.
But in the end everyone escaped. And the pirates also stole a weapon. It's unimaginable what would happen if they gave this weapon to the Federation. They might send a fleet to attack the Demon Flame.
He had to warn the gods.
Fortunately, Kasapa has taken care of the matter. The slave fell into the hands of the demon flame again. They will regret for the rest of their miserable lives that they ever considered running away. But the crew of the Republic escaped. And it was caused by the traitor Earrat. This is a huge shame. But one day, he will catch them and kill them. He will then return to his people as a hero.
But first, he has to get rid of the knife. After all, it prevents him from moving freely.
The darkness grew before his eyes. He may be tired. Maybe he should take a break and get some sleep before embarking on the task ahead. Just lie down and get some rest. Just a little sleep.
His thoughts grew sluggish. Like being under the influence of drugs. He had to regain his senses first. He needs a break. Need a little sleep.
Slowly, as if in slow motion, he fell forward. Then he died.
In the conference room, one floor below the bridge, there was silence. Reports of the damage were laid out on the table, one for each deceased person. Noah, Carol, and Ted sat at the table, staring at the data pads in their hands.
It had been several hours since they set out. The most important systems are back up and running. While the ship is still as much of a fire hazard as hot oil, at least they're moving forward. Their target is Earth. The ship needs to be completely refitted. Another ship is needed to transport the Kuafu IV scientists. The Republic was no longer up to the job. The three have been working on the report since setting off. The report must be submitted to the file, and relatives must be notified to let them know about the death of their loved one.
Noah put a report aside and rubbed his tired eyes. He was exhausted, not only from the task but also from his torture in prison. His face was pale. He looked more serious than usual, which may also be related to the strangeness and solemnity he felt after shaving off his long hair. His hair was irretrievably long due to the unsanitary conditions in the mines. Current work also has implications. He agreed with himself that this was the worst part of his job. This is what all Starfleet captains think. There is nothing more cruel than preparing reports for loved ones, because each report represents a life destroyed, opening wounds in the family that can never be filled.
Carol and Ted also leaned back in their chairs tiredly.
"There are so many dead here," Noah said sadly. "And all for what? We couldn't even save those slaves." He felt tired and frustrated, disappointed with his performance. They gave it their all, even beyond their limits, but ended up with nothing. They and their fellow escapees were destined to suffer a cruel fate until they died, of that he was sure. They had no hope of escape. It seems like there won't be another chance like this.
The door slid open slightly and Nilf walked in. "Captain, I have something for you. Jeffrey found it in the database. He thought you would be interested."
The captain nodded and took the tablet. Above are Gram's numbers. His biographical information is stored in a federal database. Date and place of birth, schools attended, Starfleet Academy training, grades, ship he was stationed on. But this is just data and facts, and it does not reveal anything about this person, who he is, what his life is like, and what his dreams are. It's just a fairly impersonal mix of data. "He is indeed on board the Mandela."
Noah thought in his mind. "According to his data, he is indeed so strong, both mentally and physically, that he can survive the hell of the mine for a long time." He slowly raised his head and stared at Nilf. His feral Klingon appearance contrasts with his completely calm demeanor. "I don't want to believe him. I don't believe him. I hope he can forgive me." Noah said softly.
"I think he'll forgive you," Nilf replied simply, revealing some emotion. He was obviously relieved by this.
Suddenly, Vader's voice broke the silence in the room. "Captain, there is a message."
"Redirect it here." Noah slowly turned to the screen behind him. The eared rat's face appears on the screen. He was leaning over a table, busy working on some equipment. It looked like he was sending a message without anyone aboard his ship noticing.
"Eared Mouse," Noah was visibly pleased. He had thought that the eared rat had once again fallen into the hands of the demonic flames and was executed.
"Captain, we don't have much call time," the ear-mouse said softly. "You saved my life, so I feel you have a right to know the truth. I had an early connection with Razer's pirate band, even when I was a guard at the mine. It's dangerous, But that was my only chance to escape. Do you remember when I told you that some demons are smarter than others? As you can probably guess, I was one of them. So, I wanted to get out of there. I didn't Become a mindless servant of the gods. I just needed a chance to get off that planet, and you were that chance. You helped me. But my goal was always the pirates. I never intended to join your federation because there I would only I would become a prisoner of the enemy. And I never intended to betray my race, I just wanted to live freely. And the pirate group gave me this opportunity. They picked me up from the imprisoned star in time before the demonic flames came to hunt back the slaves. Go. Therefore, you have no reason to suspect that I would put you in danger."
Noah's joy at seeing the Eared Mouse again was gradually replaced by a calm realization that he was just being used. Anger welled up inside him again. So many things have gone wrong in the past few days. He had lost so much control that he didn't even notice it part of the time. Too many people manipulated and took advantage of him. "How do we know you are telling the truth and not being forced into making this statement?"
"This is the truth. Please accept this fact. But I have another piece of news to tell you. The pirates have successfully captured one of Demon Flame's weapons. They have installed it on the ship. There is one more thing. Captain Reese said: You value it.”
Then communication broke down. Noah stared at the dark screen. Then he angrily smashed the tablet he was still holding against the screen.
