by M. D. Cooper
A second later, everyone on the lift was laughing, the sound of their mirth echoing up and down the shaft.
The ride to the top took five minutes, and a few waves of soft chuckles were still making the rounds as the platforms stopped and the mechs began to walk off.
Chase glanced at Rika as they stepped onto the solid platform that ringed the Shaft. “Can you believe that we had to stop having sex for that shit?”
* * * * *
An hour later, after everyone had taken a meal and made certain that Oda wasn’t planning to attack them, the battalion command reconvened in the same conference room where Rika had first met with Oda.
“OK, people. Now that we’ve discerned that we’re not getting any help from the pusillanimous people down below—present company excluded—” she paused to nod to Gary, who gave a wan smile in response, “let’s talk about a real plan.”
“Two-pronged,” Barne declared. “We time the assassination and the assault on the Capeton Shipyards to coincide. We have the ISF on standby, and when the shit hits the fan, we call in the cavalry. The Niets all boost like mad to meet us, and boom. It’ll be just like those five times I won Terra Assault.”
“Till my team crushed you.” Chase gave the sergeant major a feral grin.
“Still easy,” Barne said with a languid shrug.
“That easy?” Silva asked, cocking an eyebrow at Barne. “Niets go boom?”
“Sure.” He shrugged. “It’s what they do best. Obviously, there are a lot of details to iron out, but in a nutshell, that’s what I think we should do. We don’t need some fancy, complex operation.”
“Except that this is complex,” Colonel Borden said. “Namely, we have to solve the problem that scared our friends below so much. We have to get the control NSAI into the ships, which means we have to breach the shipyard’s main datastore.”
“Right,” Rika said with a nod. “That’ll be me, since Niki is going to be a key part of that.”
“Agreed,” Borden replied. “And nothing can really happen until that’s in place and the updates filter out to all the Nietzschean ships.”
“And when it does, we have to strike fast,” Silva added. “The longer we wait, the more chance there is that the sabotage will be detected.”
“What do you think that the success rate of this engine sabotage is?” Tremon asked, his tone much more serious than the rest of the Marauders’. “I know from experience that some of the ships won’t suffer catastrophic damage.”
“Do you have a number?” Barne asked. “Like, fifty-fifty?”
“OK,” Rika surveyed the people around her, noting that their expressions were much more serious. “So we’re talking about somewhere between five and ten thousand enemy ships surviving. They’re also more likely to be craft with veteran crews.”
“Nothing to sneeze at,” Scarcliff shook his head.
“And we need to have a contingency plan for what happens if Carson’s ships don’t show,” Borden added.
“You know something we don’t?” Barne asked.
The ISF colonel shrugged. “Gate failures have happened before. I just want to be sure we have a fallback.”
“He’s right.” Rika activated the table’s holodisplay, bringing up a view of the Genevia System. “We need to cover all the bases. Now, let’s start laying out all the scenarios.”
A minute later, Kelly appeared at the door. “I found something in the halls. Should I throw it down the shaft?”
Rika sighed and shook her head. “No, send him in.”
“OK, let me know if you need a cleanup crew.”
She stepped aside, and Wieck entered, the expression on his face one of calm forbearance.
“If you’ve come in an attempt to convince us to stand down—” Rika began, but Wieck lifted a hand and shook his head.
“Oda is wrong,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone. “He’s been hiding down here for ages. He has no idea what the real world’s like anymore. For all intents and purposes, I’ve been running all of the operations in the Genevia System for the past few years.”
Rika glanced at Gary, who shrugged. “I’d agree with that. Wieck and his people are really the only ones who leave Faneuil anymore.”
“OK,” Rika said, gesturing to an empty seat. “What do you have to offer?”
Wieck inclined his head, giving a thin-lipped smile. “Well, how about idents for your ships and codes to get you onto both the Pinnacle and Capeton Command, where the central datastore resides?”
Rika placed a hand on the table and looked over those assembled. “OK, let’s lay this out.”
HIT AND RUN
STELLAR DATE: 05.07.8950 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: MSS Asora, approaching Deep Helm
REGION: Genevia System, Old Genevia, Nietzschean Empire
One week later…
“Just get back with the fleet, and now here we are, out on our own again,” Chief Glen said from where he sat at the engineering console on the Asora’s bridge.
Ashley stretched her four arms above her head, rotating her neck while replying. “Well, half the ships in the fleet are out around the system’s fringe like we are. We’re unified in our dispersion.”
“Uh…yeah. You know, you look kinda like those dancing spiders when you do that, Ash.”
The chief petty officer turned to look at Glen. “There are dancing spiders? I’m not sure if I’m intrigued or horrified.”
“What?” Glen’s brow rose in surprise. “How is it possible that you’ve lived this long and not seen vids of dancing spiders? I mean…they’re almost as popular as cat vids in some places.”
“OK, let’s be serious,” Vargo said, looking from Ashley to Glen. “Nothing even comes close to cat vids.”
“Bam!” Ashley exclaimed. “Take that, stupid dancing spiders.”
Vargo chuckled, turning his attention from Ashley and Glen’s banter to the station they were approaching. Thanks to a database of Nietzschean idents that the resistance had stolen—and that Wieck had so generously turned over—the comm and refueling depot the Asora was approaching would see them as a destroyer named the Unyielding Liger, a ship that patrolled the area.
“They’re hailing us,” Ashley said a minute later, interrupting her discussion with Glen about what sort of ship’s cat would fare best on the Asora.
“Let’s start with audio only,” Vargo said.
“You’re on,” Ashley replied, and a second later, a voice came over the bridge’s audio systems. “Greetings, Liger, Deep Helm STC. You’re a bit early this time around.”
“Well, we changed our name from Liger to Leopard,” Vargo replied. “Makes us go a lot faster.”
“Uhhh, sure, that makes perfect sense.”
“I’m serious,” Vargo replied. “We just varroooom through space now. Hit lightspeed chasing this celestial unicorn a few days ago.”
“Uhh…who am I speaking to? Are you OK over there?”
Vargo put a hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh at the consternation in the STC controller’s voice. Once he had control over himself, he replied.
“Oh yeah, we’re fine. Well…mostly fine. We had a problem with a leak in one of the envir
onmental systems, and things…say, do you like cats?”
“Environmental? What do you mean? I can’t gain remote access to your ship. Did you suffer some sort of damage?”
“How about cheeseburgers?” Vargo asked. “Cat cheeseburgers? I’ve always wanted to try one of those.”
A new voice came over the speakers a second later. “Unyielding Liger, this is Major Yori. Who am I speaking to? I need your rank, name, and ident code.”
“Major Yori! Yes, sir!” Vargo replied enthusiastically. “My name is Captain Kitty Cat, ident number,” at that point, he drew a deep breath and did his best impression of a purr. “Say, you got any catnip, Deep Helm?”
“Shit, they’re really messed up over there,” the first voice said a moment later. “Should we send over a team?”
“A tug first, get them on the right course. You hear that, Liger? We’re sending a tug to bring you on close approach. I need you to cease burn and stay on your current vector.”
“That’s Leopard to you, Major Yo-yo. But OK, I guess this kitty needs a rest anyway. We’ll follow your tug like it’s a ball of yarn. Bouncy Leopard out.”
Vargo closed the connection, and Ashley burst into laughter, followed a second later by Glen.
“Stars, sir,” she said once she’d regained the power of speech. “I just about lost it when you started purring. Give a girl a warning before you do something like that.”
“Whatever possessed you to do that, sir?” Glen asked as he wiped tears off his cheeks.
Vargo shrugged. “I guess it was that stupid name ‘Unyielding Liger’ and your conversation about cats. Just pushed me over the edge.”
“Well, they must really think we’ve gone over the edge. They’re sending both of the depot’s tugs,” Ashley said. “You gonna kill burn like they asked?”
“Oh, shoot,” Vargo said, and he cut the engine’s thrust, leaving the ship to drift through space. “Looks like we’re thirty minutes from the tugs latching on. Enough time to get a saucer of milk.”
Over the next half hour, Deep Helm’s STC attempted to contact the ship several times, but each time, Vargo just made purring noises. Eventually he recorded a loop and just set it to broadcast continuously.
“You’re going to win some sort of battalion award for this,” Glen said. “When I played it back for Jakari and Lexi, they just about died.”
“One for the books, that’s for sure,” Ashley agreed. “OK, the tugs have made their grapple, they’re pulling us in.”
“Everything loaded and ready?” Vargo asked.
“You bet,” Ashley nodded, grinning ear to ear. “Soon as we’re within a thousand klicks, I’ll take out their defensive systems on this side of the station. Musel, Bitty, and Smitty are already aboard the assault shuttle, ready to kick the door in.”
Vargo steepled his fingers as the station grew larger in the forward view. “Excellent. These Niets are never gonna know what hit them.”
CAPETON COMMAND
STELLAR DATE: 05.07.8950 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Marauder shuttle, Capeton Command, Capeton
REGION: Genevia System, Old Genevia, Nietzschean Empire
“We’re going to give Shoshin a complex, always leaving him behind,” Kelly said as she checked over Rika’s armor.
Keli laughed and winked at Rika and Kelly. “Any time he wants to get an SMI’s body, he can come along—or an RR’s, at least. AM’s just have no stealth.”
“That’s a bit harsh,” Rika said, trying not to chuckle as she imagined Shoshin’s head on an SMI’s body. Of course, he still hadn’t gotten a face, so it wasn’t as odd as the next thought that came to her mind—which was Crunch’s head on an SMI’s body.
“Yeah, he’s actually a pretty sneaky bastard,” Keli admitted. “I do actually miss him when he’s not around.”
“Fuck,” Shoshin muttered as he appeared at the entrance to the shuttle’s rear cabin. “You two are cruel. I’m backup, not dead.”
Kelly’s head whipped around. “Sho! There you are! Where’ve you been?”
The AM-4 groaned and folded his arms. “Oh, you know, checking out where all the best brothels are around here.”
“Oh?” Kelly wiggled her hips. “Find any good ones?”
“Yeah. I’m going to burn them down before you spot them.”
“Spoilsport.”
Kelly slapped Rika’s shoulder, and she turned to check her friend’s armor over while Keli waved for Shoshin to check hers.
“I wonder if we really could make an SMI out of you, Sho,” Keli said. “There’s no rule that says SMIs have to be girls. I bet Carson could build you out like one. You’d be badass.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment,” Shoshin said as he pulled Keli’s reserve ammo canister off her back and inspected it before slotting it back into place. “I’d rock being an SMI…granted, I rock pretty much everything I do, so this isn’t a big surprise.”
“You should do it,” Kelly said, winking at Rika as she spoke. “Then, you can be a part of the Queen’s Guard. It’s limited to just SMIs, you know.”
Rika coughed, whipping her head around to stare at Kelly. “Private! What the hell are you talking about?”
Keli whistled. “Oh, you know she’s mad. She only used your rank.”
“I thought I told Jenisa not to mention that to anyone!”
Kelly shrugged innocently. “You told her not to say the ‘P’ word to anyone. ‘Queen’ was Jenisa’s idea, you didn’t forbid her to share it.”
“Not that Jenisa can keep a secret anyway,” Shoshin muttered. “Kelly either, for that matter.”
“I resent that!” the SMI-4 turned to the AM-4 and wagged her finger at him. “I’ve not told anyone about the thing you shared with me. Should I spill it? Since apparently I can’t keep secrets.”
“Uhhhh…” Shoshin’s voice wavered. “So, Colonel Rika, should I stay on the ship, or take up a position somewhere else on the station?”
Rika was as glad for a change of topic as Shoshin. “Stay aboard. I want to make sure our egress is clear, and if we have to get off station elsewhere, you can fly around for pickup.”
“OK.” The AM-4 nodded. “Don’t forget that this shuttle doesn’t have much in the way of shields.”
“Ferris won’t go far,” Rika said. “We only need to get from Capeton Command to the Undaunted.”
Shoshin nodded but didn’t respond otherwise. Rika didn’t need him to; she knew that with the hundreds of Nietzschean ships around, even a short flight could spell disaster.
The three SMI-4s finished their armor check and walked to the back of the shuttle, where Chief Lara, the Undaunted’s engineering head, waited.
Rika could see that the woman looked uncomfortable, though she didn’t think it was from the Nietzschean uniform she wore.
“Don’t worry, Chief,” Rika said in a soothing voice. “We have all our clearances, we’re just here to offload some cargo and then fuel up. You’ll only have to talk to a dockhand or two. That’s it.”
“And if things go sideways?” Lara asked.
“That’s what I’m here for,” Shoshin said from behind Rika.
Rika clasped a hand on Lara’s shoulder and nodded to the woman before activating her stealth systems and disappearing.
“OK,” Kelly said as she faded from view. “Let’s kick some Nietzschean ass.”
Keli snorted. “Uh…this is a stealth mission. Ideally, no asses will be kicked.”
“I’ll kick your ass, Keli.”
The SMIs waited until the engineer reached the bottom and struck up a conversation with a dockhand before they carefully exited the shuttle and quietly walked down the ramp.
br />
Kelly snorted.
* * * * *
Leslie followed behind Jeremy and Annie, her stealth activated, watching with amusement how careful Jeremy was never to touch Annie, though his fingers seemed to periodically stray toward her hand, stopping a few centimeters away as the pair walked down the passageway.
He clearly had feelings for her, and she for him, but for some reason, neither were acting on them. Leslie was certain that the other night, Annie had worn the short dress that was ‘prone to ride up’ in order to tempt Jeremy.
It was a bit classless in Leslie’s opinion, but given Annie’s cover, she couldn’t blame the woman for resorting to raw sexuality to get the man’s attention.
Either that, or Annie really was that forgetful.
No…not the sort of thing that a spy like her would do.
Even as Leslie referred to Annie as a spy, she had to remind herself that the woman had no formal training as such. She really was just a drive technician who had joined with the resistance and was doing the best she could to slow down the Nietzschean war machine.
The pair of technicians met with a few other members of their crew at the maglev terminal, all praising Jeremy for his solution to the thrust balancing on the Pinnacle, sharing their excitement to finally see the ship do a live burn.
She could tell that he was proud of his work while also ashamed that he’d done it for the Nietzscheans. She understood the sentiment, having done some jobs as a mercenary that she wasn’t exactly happy about at the time, even if the ultimate outcome was good.