Chapter 17 Unity of Purpose
Everyone was ready and waiting for him when he stepped into the ready room. He’d opted to wear his new makeshift uniform, that he’d adopted for his first encounter with the refuges on the hanger deck, under his ever present cyber cloak. A simple midnight blue two piece, with the tunic buckled over a pale green shirt. Fabricated in a high tensile weave capable of deflecting blades and a certain amount of gunfire. He smiled and nodded as he took his seat at the head of the table, acknowledging everyone in the room. On his left sat Faiz, Viqaas, Logan, Vlade and Horra, on his right Carol, David, Bryn and Anna.
He touched the display in front of him and the screen on the wall opposite came to life. An image of the Scorpion Nebula lit up the wall. He highlighted an area that represented the head of the scorpion, between the claws. Then zoomed in on a particularly turbulent area of space, pinpointing a large mass of rock, in an asteroid field within the nebula.
“According to our intelligence the Raiders have established a base here in an old mining depot.”
Logan nodded. He was a gruff looking character in his late-thirties, lean and muscular, with calloused hands, a swarthy complexion, dark brown eyes and short cropped hair, with a heavy five o’clock shadow. He was casually dressed in white shirt and blue slacks. The top of the shirt was open, revealing a hairy, muscular chest.
“Thought I recognised their blasted holding pens, organised my first strike on that miserable ball of rock years ago, when our men were building it.” his voice was deep and gravely. “Shear forces are a bitch in that part of space. Only one safe route in and out for a ship. They’ll see you coming a mile off.”
Ford smiled. “That’s why we’re not going in, in a ship.” there was an exchange of startled glances as he let the statement sink in.
“I suppose you’re just going to slip on an EVA suit on and walk right in through the nearest airlock.” asked Viqaas incredulously.
“Closer than you think.” said Ford quietly reaching inside his cloak and pulling out a small, circular, metal object, that fitted in the palm of his hand, depositing it on the table in front of them. It was a smooth shiny disc with a magnetic base, the front had a ring of softly pulsating LED’s set into it, in the middle of which was a single glowing button.
“What exactly is that?” asked the Admiral.
“A micro wormhole generator. You attach it to the chest plate of your suit, hit the button in the middle, and jump through hyperspace to the pre-programmed co-ordinates.” said Ford impassively.
Horra snorted in disbelieve. The gill flaps on the smooth pale blue skin of her neck twitching as she spoke. “That’s impossible. No one can traverse through hyperspace without a starship. The buffeting would kill you, you’d be torn to pieces.”
She started intently Ford with the small black bead like eyes that were characteristic of her race. Her flat broad nose was squashed against her face and could easily be sealed by two retractable skin flaps in the nostrils. Enabling her species to transition effortlessly from land based environments to aquatic ones and back again in the blink of an eye. Like all her people she was completely hairless. Intricate tattoos criss-crossing her scalp, indicating rank and status among her people. She wore a plain black dress pulled in at the waist with simple blue belt. She creased her dark blue lips into a polite smile, revealing a neat row of small, sharp, white teeth, and waited patiently for a reply.
Vlade his ears and whiskers twitching was the next to speak in a characteristically deep rasping voice. “The esteemed matriarch has a point Guardian Ford. I have never heard of such a technology, amongst humans or any other race we know of.”
The giant Talmari was much improved since Ford had last spoken to him. Anna and the medical team had treated his wounds, using Gaia’s medical tech aboard the Themis to accelerate the healing process. His recently washed and groomed orange fur, shot through with black flashes, glowing with a fresh warmth and radiance. He’d used the Themis fabricators to fashion a new ceremonial uniform of dark, tanned, studded leather. A single golden badge set in the centre of his chest to indicate his rank as an Alpha and clan leader. Ford noted with approval that both Vlade and Horra had come to the meeting unarmed, a gesture of goodwill and trust.
Ford looked at the Admiral. “Would you like to add anything before I answer?”
The Admiral, immaculately turned out as always in his full dress uniform, clasped his hands together on the table in front of him. Slowly tapping his thumbs together, studying them intently as he did so. Finally he looked up and spoke. “It’s an interesting proposition, but I’d like to know where this tech comes from and how many times it’s been done before.”
Ford smiled picking up the heavy circular disc of metal, twisting it round in his hands, examining every facet of it carefully. “You all pose excellent questions and your right to be sceptical of course, who wouldn’t be? It’s an outrageous idea.” he paused and Carol took over.
“But our intelligence suggests it’s the best option. We have a contact on the inside who has given us the exact location of the base and we have a fighter out on advanced recon, just outside their sensor range, waiting to relay any further updates. We can program these with pinpoint accuracy and be on them before they know what happens.”
Logan gave a slow hand clap. “That’s all very well and good, but you haven’t answered the Admirals or anyone else’s questions.”
“Fair point mister Logan.” said Ford. “To be blunt the source of this tech is classified and to my knowledge it has never been tried with humans, or any of the species sat round this table, before. There are also a number of limitations. Therefore it will be a strictly volunteer mission for all parties agreeable to it.”
“And if no one volunteers?” asked Viqaas.
“Then we need a plan B and quickly, because our intelligence also leads us to believe that Jasper and the Fury are on route to the raider base.” added Carol.
“Right now we need to know the ‘limitations’ before we start asking for volunteers.” the Admiral cut in.
Ford nodded. “Everyone who takes part will be wearing hermetically sealed body armour and carrying additional oxygen tanks. The disc magnetically locks onto the armours breastplate, is pre-programmed for a single destination and activated by hitting the button in the centre. It will generate a shield around the user to protect them, their oxygen tanks and other equipment from the worst effects of transiting through hyperspace, but it’s going to be one hell of a ride”
Anna the ships grey-haired doctor, dressed as always in the universally recognised white suit with red markings of the medical services, cut-in. “That’s why we’ve developed a special medical package for everyone making the jump. It includes anti-nausea drugs and neural stabilisers, amongst others, to minimise the physiological and psychological effects. It can be tailored to the specific needs of each species sat around this table. Once you emerge from the exit wormhole in the Nebula the medical package will flush the drugs from your system, returning you to an optimal combat condition in a matter of seconds.”
Logan sighed and looked at the table in despair. “This isn’t a mission it’s a junkie’s suicide.”
Ignoring him Ford continued. “As soon as we complete the transit from hyperspace we use the microjets, attached to our oxygen tanks, to hone in on the raider base and the assault teams hit their designated targets.”
“Which are?” asked Vlade his whiskers twitching.
David stared intently across the table, his blue eyes burning into their guests, as he took over from Ford. He used the screen in front of him to highlight targets on the schematic of the Raider base displayed on the far wall. “Here, here and here. One team will secure the prisoners, another will secure the docking bay holding the Phoenix, the SS Amastra and any other ships we can use to evacuate the base. The third team will neutralise their defences so we can safely evacuate the base.”
“If enough personnel volunteer, a fourth team will go af
ter their command and control nexus and attempt to take out their leader.” added Ford
The Admiral pressed the palms of his hands together as if in prayer and lifted them up to his face, resting his thumbs under his chin and fingers on his nose. He took a deep breath before moving his hands away again and speaking. “What’s our exit strategy if the attack goes wrong? Can we jump back out? What's to stop them from spotting all those micro wormholes forming around them?”
Ford shook his head. “Negative. It's strictly a one way trip. These gadgets are good for one jump and one jump only. There’ll be enough juice in left in them to cloak our arrival and that’s about it. Other than overloading what’s left of their power supply, to use them as a limpet mine, to blow our way in through the airlocks or other obstructions.”
“It’s too risky Admiral, we can’t risk our people on such a mission, with no fallback plan.” Viqaas cut in.
The Admiral sighed and nodded. “My XO is correct of course a good tactician always has a backup plan, but fortune also favours the bold. So if you’re amendable I’m going to suggest ferrying all our civilian passengers over to the Themis and having the Sultan stand ready to jump in and perform an emergency evac if that becomes necessary.”
Ford smiled. “It a very generous offer and one I hope we don’t have to take up. I’m led to believe the Raiders have quite a bit of firepower protecting that rock.”
“Well the Sultan has quite a bit of armour and some firepower of its own. We also have a fleet of shuttles complete with a fighter escort we can use to pull you out fast in an emergency. What do you say?”
“I take it means you’re in and willing to commit to the plan? In which case I’m happy to modify it to accommodate your suggestion.” said Ford.
The Admiral turned to Viqaas. “I believe my XO knows a couple of marines who would be willing to lead their men on such a mission.”
Viqaas sighed and nodded reluctantly. “Mendez and Reynolds, they're crazy enough to try anything once. I’ll brief them as soon as we get back and tell them to get their teams together.”
Vlade was the next to speak, his deep voice rasping across the table. “It’s a crazy plan, you’re crazy Ford, you're all crazy, but right now it seems the entire universe is going crazy. So why should I be any different? Chole and I will each lead a team into battle.”
Logan shook his head and looked down at the table. “It’s a suicide mission, your plan won’t work, those schematics are wrong.”
Carol frowned in disbelieve. “How so? We hooked into the local data net and acquired the actual plans, plus any recorded modifications.”
Logan laughed. “You don’t really believe anything get's built to code do you? Trust me I know where they cut corners. I’ve got a pretty good idea of what got left out and added in off the record. I can show you a few unrecorded back-doors, instead of the non-existent airlocks and vents you’re going to be looking for, based on this schematic.”
“Does that mean you’re in?” asked Ford.
“Against my better judgement, yes. I’ll see if I can pull together a team from some of my old union comrades, who were also in on the build.”
Ford turned to Horra and looked across the table at her waiting for her response. Her small black, bead like eyes, gave nothing away. Finally she spoke.
“According to my government you're a criminal. A wanted man. It is my duty to do everything I can to frustrate your plans and bring you to justice. Anything else would make me guilty of treason.” she paused and took a deep breath, her gill flaps moving softly, as if being washed over by a gentle breeze, as she did so. “However we appear to have been abandon by our government and saved by you. So if my sisters wish to support this reckless mission of yours, I will not stand in their way.”
Ford laughed. “I guess that’s as near to a yes as I’m going to get from you.” Horra smiled and bowed her head politely without saying a word. “In that case I suggest we assemble our teams and meet on the secondary hangar deck in ninety minutes.”
He waited for their guests to leave, subtly gesturing to his crew to stay behind, as their guests were escorted back to their ships and quarters respectively.
He turned to Carol. “We’ll take a team each, David, Bryn, Anna, I want you to stay here and secure the Themis.”
A frown crossed David’s face. “I’m a weapons officer I should be in the fight, not sitting here nurse-maiding a ship full of refugees.”
“I’m hoping Carol will be able to jack into their systems when we get there, cause a few problems and get some useful data in the process. Besides I need someone to ensure we still have a ship to come back to, in case any of the refugees get any ideas while we’re gone.”
“You think someone’s going to try something?” asked Carol. “Are you holding out on your intelligence officer?”
Ford gave a non-committal shrug. “Just taking sensible precautions, given how lightly crewed we are, and recognising that not everyone on this ship wants to be here right now. Talking of which Bryn, I want you to work with Alaster to continue reconfiguring the crew quarters on decks five through eight, for those refugees who’ve volunteered to join the ship. The sooner we start integrating them into the crew the better.”
Bryn turned to Anna. “As soon as you’ve completed their psychological profiles I’ll start running the practical evaluations, basic simulations and the like, so we can start allocating assignments, as well as quarters.”
Anna acknowledged Bryn, tapping the screen of her suits inbuilt computer on her right forearm. “I’ll instruct my medical team to start the psychological profiling immediately and forward them on to you for testing, as soon as they have a clean bill of health. I’m also recommending reconfiguring the crew roster. So they have a standing crew member as a mentor, wherever possible, on a four shift pattern, training, rest, active duty, rest.”
“Or keep an eye on them.” added David sulkily.
Ford gave a heavy sigh, his shoulders rising and falling as he inhaled, then exhaled. “No. Whatever reservations, you, I, or anyone else might have, this won’t work if we think of it as them and us. There can only be us, one ship, one crew, one purpose, one common identity. One uniform we all wear and one flag we all serve under. Starting when this mission is over.”
Carol exchanged glances with Anna, Bryn and David. “Don’t we get a say in all this?”
“Like I said we can all sit down and discuss it after the mission, when we’re back together again. Talking of which, do you think they bought your story about Lucy’s unauthorised departure?”
Carol laughed. “There’s no reason to doubt it, besides she is feeding intelligence back to us.”
“What’s the latest?” cut in David.
“She’s drifting, dead in space, on the edge of their sensors to avoid detection. No further transmission from Jay. No unusual com traffic or activity and no sign of Jasper, yet.”
Ford stood up signalling the conversation was over. “Well the sooner we all do our jobs and complete this mission, the sooner we can bring her back home before she becomes another search and rescue statistic.”
“Or a search and recovery.” Bryn whispered under his breath.
“That isn’t going to happen.” Carol snapped back at him.
“I suggest you save that aggression for the Raiders, now let’s go.” said Ford.
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