The North Star, Episode 9:  
The Interrogation
By Bryan Thomas Schmidt


As General Grat

stepped through the door into the dark interrogation room, a guard aimed on a bright light at Enge’s face.  After eluding the North Star yet again, they’d swung back to Varginha’s moon and picked him up.  Now they were on their way to the military headquarters.  Whether Enge survived the trip depended on what he had to say.

Enge blinked, raising an arm to shield his eyes from the light.  “Is that you General?”

Grat pulled a chair out across the table from him, allowing it to scrape loudly against the floor.  “Yes, Enge.”  He sat down, knowing Enge still couldn’t see him through the bright light.

“Can we do this without the light?”

“We’ll see.”  

“Why am I being held like an enemy?  I am a Korelean officer!”

“Who was interrogated aboard an enemy vessel.  Your loyalty remains to be determined.”

Enge’s face took on a pained look.  “If you question my loyalty, please kill me, General.  I cannot live with such shame.”  

Grat motioned and the light dimmed.  “What did you discover in your reconnaissance of Novo Rio?”

Enge’s eyes sparkled with pride.  “The raid succeeded.  The destruction was devastating.  It will take years to rebuild.”

“The humans are very resilient,” Grat said.  “I have seen them recover surprisingly fast.”

Enge nodded.  “Yes, sir.  There are plenty of resources left in Varginha’s other cities.”

“In time, we will go back and visit them as well,” Grat said.  “What did you learn aboard the North Star?”

“They kept me in a small room,” Enge said.  “I didn’t see much of the ship.  The third level and the landing bay,” Enge said.  “A few shuttles, an elevator and a life pod.”

“And what did you discover of their technology?”

“They have an instrument they call ‘Falar,’ used for torture.  Quite painful to endure.”  

Grat smiled.  “And did you endure?”

Enge lowered his eyes to the floor.  “I resisted for a while, sir.  But they did manage to get coordinates from me.”

Grat’s fists clenched the edge of the table.  “Coordinates?  What have you revealed to sell out your people?!”

“They asked where the ships that raided Novo Rio were going,” Enge said.   “I gave them coordinates to our former base on Regulas.”  Enge smiled.  “If we move quickly, they will find plenty to keep them occupied there.”

Grat hid his pleasure with a frown.  “You have served your people well, Captain.”

Enge smiled, eyes relieved.  “Thank you, sir.”

Grat scooted the chair back from the table and stood.  “You will be well rewarded.”  He turned and walked back toward the door, nodding to a guard.  As he stepped outside and moved up the corridor, he heard the guard step into the room followed by a single laser blast.  This is how we reward traitors!

Moments later, he arrived on the bridge.  “Colonel, get me Commander Kryk on the comm immediately.”

Colonel Borz turned as he vacated the command chair and hurried toward the comm station.  “Of course, General.”  

Grat slid into the command chair still furious about having to abandon his flagship during the North Star’s attack.  But then, his life was at stake, and he had to escape.  His responsibilities and Supreme Commander superseded such concerns.  It would be a matter of weeks before a new flagship could be outfitted.  Then he would go out again to engage the enemy.

He knew the leadership would continue to question his desire to be at the front of the fighting.  They considered it too risky and urged him to stay at home.  But there were very few people Grat could trust, and he felt it important to see things for himself.  He always took precautions.  He’d found it hard to lead effectively from behind a desk.

Commander Kryk appeared on the screen before him.  “Good morning, my General,” he said, standing at attention.  Behind him, his bridge bustled with activity.

“An opportunity has arisen,” Grat said.  “You are to organize a fleet of cruisers and proceed to Regulas.”

“Regulas?  Regulas is abandoned.”

Grat smiled.  “Not for long.  I believe you will find the North Star there.”

Kryk’s face changed.  Grat knew how much his subordinate desired to take revenge against the North Star for his childhood friend’s death.  “The North Star?”

Grat nodded.  “Make sure they don’t escape this time.”

Kryk stood at attention, his face full of pride.  “Yes, my General.”

“They are on their way from Varginha.  You must act quickly.”

Kryk smiled.  “We are only a system away, sir.  We will be waiting for them.”  He saluted then the screen went blank.

“Orders, sir?”  Borz asked.

Grat motioned ahead.  “Take us home, Colonel.”

“Yes, sir,” Borz smiled and turned toward the helm.  “Increase speed to seven on this heading.”  

The pressure forced Grat back in his chair as the engines surged and the ship shot forward.

~~~~~

If he’d been alone in his quarters, Kryk would have uttered a war cry, but on the bridge, he knew he had to maintain his composure for the crew.  This time, I will have you, Captain!  This time I will avenge Rohg.  

“Comm, prepare messages to all Team Blue commanders.  We are to rendezvous at Regulas immediately.”

“Regulas, sir?”  the comm tech asked, looking puzzled.

“Yes, Regulas.  Send the message immediately.”

The comm tech nodded.  “Yes, Commander.”

Regulas.  It almost made him feel like going home.  He’d started his career as a fighter pilot protecting the base.  A remote outpost, Regulas had monitored the border with the Co-alition systems, but the leadership had closed it the year before in anticipation of the present conflict.  They’d decided it was too far out to be protected in the event of a full fledged war, so all personnel and equipment had been transferred and all records moved or destroyed and the infrastructure bombed into ruins.

Kryk had not been there since, but he knew it would be a sad sight and was glad the current mission didn’t require them to visit the surface.  The only equipment remaining in place were shield systems on the two moons which could be activated remotely from Korelean bridges.  When activated, they created a stealth screen the Korelean ships could conceal themselves behind while waiting to ambush the enemy.  Sensors alerted nearby ships when the enemy drew near.  If they were lucky, other ships would come to help after the North Star triggered the sensors.

He wondered how many Coalition ships would accompany North Star.  They would be expecting multiple Korelean targets, but he didn’t imagine they’d anticipate the numbers he intended to throw at them.  He chuckled.  Too bad I cannot be aboard to see your surprise.

“Scan station, monitor long range sensors and let me know the moment enemy vessels are detected.”

“Yes, sir,” the scan tech replied.

Kryk played over the scenario in his mind, something he loved to do when planning strategies.  The six ships would hide behind the stealth shield while a lone ship orbited the planet, drawing the Coalition ships’ attention.  Their confidence would surge when they found only one ship awaiting them.  

Kryk ordered his commanders to wait until the North Star took action against that ship to lower the shield and launch an attack.  Of course, the plan would require adjustments depending on how many other Coalition ships accompanied the North Star.

“We have word coming in from the Black Star, sir,” the comm tech reported.  “They’ve arrived at Regulas and await instructions.”

“Tell them to activate the stealth shield and wait there for our arrival,” Kryk said.

“Expected arrival in forty-five minutes, sir,” the helmsman reported.

Kryk smiled.  “Very good.  Lyx, senior officers meeting in five minutes, command conference bay.  I want the schematics of the North Star General Grat provided.”

His second-in-command nodded and hurried to the comm station.  “We await your orders, Commander.”

Kryk had been over the schematics dozens of times since the spies had provided them.  The Destroyer had many weak-nesses the Koreleans could exploit.  He supposed there might be hidden safeguards the schematics didn’t reveal.  Korelean schematics were always left incomplete to prevent their enemies from finding similar weaknesses.  But destroying the enemy ships wasn’t enough.  He wanted their crews to suffer, to know who had defeated them.  

I want to look in your eyes, Janaai Resnick, to see your fear, hear your voice tremble.  I want my face to be the last memory you have.  

He laughed, turning to find Lyx watching him.  “The of-ficers are ready, sir.”

Kryk nodded.  “Come, Lyx.  Let us prepare for our greatest triumph!”  He strolled ahead into the corridor with Lyx close on his heels.

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