Command Decision

by S. E. Smith

  Controlling his breathing, Josh listened carefully. The slight squeak of leather pulled his attention to the right. In the dim light filtering in through the open doors, Josh saw the shadow before the light reflected off the rifle casing. Rising up, he started to fire a quick burst, but the man fell before he could. He turned in the direction that he anticipated the attack had come from and fired two rapid shots before sinking down to the floor again.

  A series of dull thuds resonated through the area a second before the cloth around him exploded. Rolling to the far side of the aisle to escape the intense heat, he stayed close to the ground and crawled along the edge of the table. The sound of a low, menacing hiss sounded above him, drawing his attention to the table that was still burning. Josh rolled again, this time onto his back, and fired upward.

  The figure jumped across to the other table with blurring speed. Josh twisted to follow before he froze when a bright red beam suddenly centered on his chest. He lifted his chin and waited as the figure dressed all in black rose to its feet above him.

  “Drop the weapon and remove the helmet,” the dark form ordered.

  Josh held his hands out and dropped the rifle he was holding. This wasn’t a Legion soldier. Lifting his hands in a slow, careful movement, he pulled the helmet off his head.

  “What now?” Josh replied with an arrogant grin.

  “You are not like they described,” the man stated.

  Josh stared intently at the beam still pointed at him. He gripped the helmet and calculated his chances of striking the man before he ended up with a hole in his chest. The odds weren’t good. A lot depended on how much the man wanted him alive.

  “No, I guess not,” Josh responded with a stiff shrug.

  “Where are you from and where is the other male?” The man demanded, stepping down off of the table.

  Josh warily sat up before rising to his feet when the male motioned for him to stand. He held the helmet firmly in his left hand. His gaze flickered past the man when he saw another shadow. The man must have sensed the movement as well because he started to turn. The moment he did, Josh threw the helmet at him, catching him in the jaw.

  The move caught the man off-balance. Josh rushed the creature, catching him around the middle. They toppled against one of the tables, each struggling to get a better grip on the other. A blow to his side sent a wave of pain through Josh, but he pushed it away and swung upward, catching the male under the chin.

  Josh jerked away when the male fell back far enough to reveal a deadly blade in his hand. Reaching down, Josh gripped the Knight of the Gallant Order staff and extended it. The two of them moved around each other where the row opened up in the long, main aisle. Josh’s gaze warily followed the man’s movement. This guy knew what he was doing.

  “Why didn’t you kill me?” Josh asked, circling to the right.

  “You are worth more alive, than dead, but now that I know there are more than one of you, I don’t think that will be an issue,” the male snarled. “Where did you get a Gallant weapon?”

  Josh stepped into the man, striking at him. The staff flashed at the end, sending out a powerful burst that threw the man back across the floor several feet. Twirling the staff over his head, he watched the man struggle to rise to his feet.

  He immediately adjusted the staff to a shield when he saw the pistol in the man’s hand. Brilliant flashes of light bursted in front of him. He was about to respond when the pistol aimed at him suddenly dropped from the man’s limp hand. Josh watched as the dark form collapsed face forward.

  The frown disappeared when he saw Hutu step out of the darkness. The dark scowl reappeared and he raised an eyebrow, glancing around for Cassa. Hutu stopped next to the dark figure and glared down at it with distaste.

  “Turbinta trash,” Hutu muttered. “An assassin from the lowest pits of the galaxy.”

  “Did you kill him?” Josh asked.

  Hutu reached down and ripped the half shield helmet off the assassin’s head. “Her,” he muttered. “I will. They don’t stop. There are only two things they care about; credits and making the kill. They’ll even do the kill without the credits if it comes down to honor. Their reputation is based on the fact that they never miss their target.”

  Josh reached out and grabbed Hutu’s hand when he raised his pistol and pointed it down at the unconscious female. There were a lot of things he would do, but killing an unconscious woman was not one of them. His logic fought with the knowledge that Hutu was right, it could be a fatal mistake in the long run, but it was one he was willing to chance.

  “Leave her,” Josh ordered. “We need to get out of here. The sedative I gave the other soldiers will be wearing off and more will come once they fail to report in.

  “We aren’t in your world, Josh,” Hutu warned.

  Josh briefly glanced at the forest green face of the woman and gave Hutu a wry smile. If the female wasn’t enough of a reminder, Hutu’s dark red skin and broad features were. Shaking his head, he turned back toward the staircase.

  “I’m well aware that I’m not back on Earth,” Josh replied in a hard tone. “Where’s Cassa?”

  “Watching for additional troops on the roof,” Hutu replied, glancing at his wrist with a grimace. “Speaking of which, they are coming.”

  Josh closed the staff and returned it to his hip. Picking up speed, he took the stairs leading up to the roof two at a time. They slipped out of the door and crossed to the edge where Cassa was waiting.

  “There are about twenty of them coming down the street,” Cassa informed them in a soft, urgent voice.

  Hutu looked over the side and released a muttered curse. His face was grim when he turned to look at Cassa and Josh. Curious to see what would pull that kind of reaction out of Hutu, he peered over the side. In the center of the group of soldiers another man walked. Josh could tell by the man’s stride and his bearing that he was someone of importance.

  “Who is that?” Josh asked, pulling back from the edge.

  “General Landais,” Hutu growled. “We have got to get out of here now!”

  Josh glanced one more time down at the figure. The group had stopped, almost as if aware that they were being observed. He drew back when the Legion General suddenly looked up at the roof. He knew the man couldn’t see him, but he didn’t know if he had any kind of technology that might detect their presence on the roof.

  “Josh,” Cassa’s soft voice whispered. “This way.”

  Josh nodded, turned and followed her.

  Chapter 20

  Roan Landais knelt down beside the body of the dead soldier. A puzzled frown creased his brow as he assessed the skillful slice along the man’s throat before he rose to his feet. His gaze moved over the interior of the warehouse. Turning, he glanced at his ground field commander.

  “What have you found?” He asked in a cold, calm tone.

  “Six of the men were knocked unconscious, but otherwise unharmed. One was wounded with a blast to the shoulder, but will live. He said that he fired on the rebel when he realized that the male was not one of the other soldiers,” the commander replied. “This is the only one that the rebels killed.”

  Roan didn’t reply. Brushing past the commander, he walked to a large section of burned cloth. Touching it, he frowned. Something wasn’t right. Why knock the other soldiers out, but kill the one? The other soldier he understood. The soldier admitted firing on the rebel first.

  The scant description the informant from the bar had given didn’t match the description of the man that had stolen the clothing. Was it possible the male was from the other capsule they had located on Tesla Terra? Reports of his escape with Hutu Gomerant made it a logical guess. Was he the one responsible for killing the other Legion captain and the troops at the vineyard? Once again, he felt like he had more questions than answers.

  A glimmer of metal caught his attention and he bent to pick up the item partially hidden under one of the tables. Wrapping his fingers around the cold blade, the frown on
his face turned to a dark scowl of anger.

  “Assassin,” he hissed, recognizing the knife as a Turbinta assassin blade.

  Turning, he stared back in the direction of the dead soldier. His lips tightened in aggravation. He would lay his command on the line that the assassin wasn’t working with the rebels. He would have the healer aboard the ship do an autopsy and compare the wound on the dead man with the knife.

  No, someone had sent the assassin after the same target he was searching for. There was only one person he knew that would hire a Turbinta assassin. It would appear now that he was in a race to find the contents of the capsules.

  “Sir, there is a way up to the roof,” the commander informed him, coming to a standstill in front of him.

  “They escaped over the rooftops,” Roan stated. “Close off this section of the city and inspect every building. Do not allow any flights to leave without checking them first.”

  “Yes, sir,” the commander said.

  Roan watched the commander give the orders to his men. He turned toward the back door leading into the building. The bar was across the narrow alley. The only way into the building would have been with a special, coded key. He walked back through the warehouse, scanning it. His thoughts turned to Hutu Gomerant. The Old Knight of the Gallant Order had been a mentor to his father. Roan had known the man and respected him as a leader and a fighter. The man had retired to trade used parts in a small spaceport several years ago. It would appear Hutu Gomerant wasn’t as retired as he portrayed.

  Roan touched the control attached to his ear when he heard it chime. “What is it?” He demanded, pausing in his exploration of the building.

  “Sir, we have picked up one of the men on the list,” the voice responded.

  “Transport him to the Battle Cruiser. I will return shortly,” Roan ordered.

  “Yes, sir,” the voice on the other end responded.

  Roan turned and looked across the area. The seven men that had been knocked out or injured would receive medical attention before they were sent for additional training. From what he had learned, one man had been responsible for the act. That, combined with the knowledge that this man also defeated a Turbinta assassin, was enough to set off his internal alarms. Whoever, or whatever, came in the capsule needed to be treated with extreme caution.

  Roan stood gazing out the door of the warehouse. He slowly turned and looked toward the staircase in the far corner. His expression thoughtful.

  “Who are you and where did you come from?” He murmured before he looked at the commander. “Make sure this does not happen again. If it does, I will hold you personally responsible.”

  The commander paled. “Yes, General,” the commander said with a curt bow.

  Roan continued out of the building. At least one of the rebels had been apprehended. He would get the information he needed from that man.

  *.*.*

  “No!” Cassa cried in anger where she sat at a low table in the back of a merchant’s shop several hours later. She impatiently wiped at the tear that ran down her cheek. “How could he have been caught? He was being careful. He followed Jubotu’s instructions.”

  “A group of Legion soldiers searched the caravan that Pack was traveling with,” Hutu explained with a heavy sigh. “One of the members turned him in. The Director has increased the bounty on all of us. That, combined with the increased number of soldiers sent by General Landais, has made it virtually impossible to enter or leave the city. As it is, I am not sure how we will get out.”

  Josh stepped up to stand behind Cassa. Devona had just contacted them and informed them that Pack had been captured by Legion soldiers. He was to be moved to General Landais’ Battle Cruiser. He rested his hands on her shoulders when she bowed her head and drew deep, calming breaths. He could feel her shoulders stiffen before her head rose up again.

  “I am going after him,” Cassa said with determination. “I will not lose the rest of my family to the Legion.”

  Hutu nodded. “We will go after him. The question is how to get aboard General Landais’ ship without being seen,” he muttered.

  Josh frowned, staring at Hutu with a thoughtful expression. His mind played back to an old movie he had seen as a boy. What if….

  “What if we didn’t try not to be seen? What if we just walked on board as if…,” his voice faded when Hutu snorted.

  “You want us to just walk aboard General Landais’ Battle Crusier? It is impossible!” Hutu exclaimed.

  “Why? It would be the last thing that he or the Legion would expect,” Josh replied with a determined grin. “We just need a way to get on the ship.”

  Hutu raised an eyebrow. “We’d need a couple of Legion uniforms,” he murmured in a thoughtful tone.

  “Can you get them?” Cassa asked with wide, hopeful eyes.

  “Possibly,” Hutu muttered in a thoughtful tone. “Devona can help.”

  “Does the Legion have any maintenance ships here?” Josh asked.

  “Yes, there were several here to work on the gunships,” Hutu replied.

  “We’ll need a way off the ship once we get on,” Josh explained. “Those would be less conspicuous and we can use it to escape.”

  “Yes, but there is no way that it can outrun one of the Legion’s fighters,” Hutu replied with a frown.

  “Hopefully, we’ll be off the Battle Cruiser long before they are aware of what is happening,” Josh said with a grin. “Personally, I don’t plan on getting caught.”

  Hutu stared at Josh with a thoughtful look for several long seconds before he placed his hands on the small table and leaned forward. Josh could see the other man’s mind furiously working through the different scenarios. Finally, Hutu nodded.

  “We will need my ship,” he stated.

  “I have an idea,” Cassa said, looking back and forth between the two men. “It is crazy, but this just might work.”

  *.*.*

  The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon when the small trio arrived on the outskirts of where they had started two days before. Devona had appropriated the needed uniforms that they would need. Josh glanced at Hutu as he hurried toward them.

  “Are you ready for this?” He asked.

  “Yes, there is a maintenance shuttle off to the side,” Hutu said.

  “Yes, but it has a crew,” Cassa replied in a quiet voice. “I have been watching those arriving and departing from the shuttle at the end of the line. It was there only two days ago. It was in for repairs and was just returned to the line.”

  “How can you tell?” Hutu asked with a frown.

  Cassa looked up and gave the old Knight a serene smile. “I hacked into their programming,” she replied, holding up her tablet. “Both father and mother believed that it was best to know our enemies. While I was not in favor of fighting against the Legion forces, I was not opposed to learning their programming systems.”

  “How did you get access to the Legion’s programming?” Hutu asked in surprise.

  Cassa’s gaze flickered to Josh and she gave a bittersweet shrug. “I… One of my former friends was recruited by the Legion. While he has not been happy about it, the recruitment gave him opportunities to expand his skills. We attended the same classes and we kept in touch after mother died. It gave me something to do. While my brothers were better at the mechanical aspects of running the harvest bots back home, I was better at programming them.”

  “It is a good thing that you had Jesup to care for, otherwise the Legion would have pressed you into service whether you wished to go or not. Their history of recruiting through force is well-known throughout the galaxy,” Hutu stated.

  A hard look came into Cassa’s eyes and she turned her face away to stare at the rows of Legion ships, but not before Josh caught the look of intense grief in her eyes. He saw her lips tighten and she glanced down at the tablet in her hands. He stepped closer and touched her shoulder when she drew in a deep breath and turned back to look at Hutu.

  “They still forc
ed me when they killed my father and Jesup. Only… this time I will do everything in my power to stop them,” she replied in a quiet voice that held a hint of steely determination. “I’ve assigned the maintenance shuttle to three fictitious workers and have the new access code. We need to leave now. The code changes in a couple of hours and I’m not sure if I can get it in time to reprogram the computer.”

  *.*.*

  Josh adjusted his helmet and pulled on his gloves. With a curt nod to the others, he stepped out from behind the containers where they had taken refuge. Walking at a steady pace, he knew that Cassa would come out next, followed by Hutu. He bent and grabbed a silver container and carried it toward the maintenance shuttle that Cassa had pointed out. A satisfied smirk curled his lips when the back platform door opened as he approached.

  He glanced over his shoulder when he was halfway up the platform and saw Cassa walking toward the shuttle. Her long, self-assured stride didn’t break when almost a dozen Legion soldiers marched by. He continued up the ramp and set the container down inside. Turning, he waited for Cassa to walk up the platform. Within minutes, Hutu was at the controls with Josh in the co-pilot seat.

  “Why don’t you take us up?” Hutu asked, glancing at Josh. “I will show you what you need to know about this ship.”

  Josh nodded, taking control. Hutu had worked with him while he was on the other ship. It didn’t take him long to get familiar with the controls. In many ways, it was easier than the jets he had flown back home.

  “I hope this works,” Hutu muttered almost an hour later when they navigated through the thin ring surrounding the planet and caught their first up-close view of the new Legion Battle Cruiser. “If not, we are going to need a faster ship.”

  “It will work,” Cassa replied in a soft voice behind them. “It has to.”