“There’s an argument that you actually deserved his ire at the time,” Maker noted, chuckling at the memory.
“Where is he, by the way?”
Maker shrugged. “Probably the observation lounge; he likes it there. But getting back to the subject at hand, I don’t think that Lafayette and his cronies – knowing what they all know now – would willingly hand Erlen over. It would be tantamount to giving the Vacra a nuclear device.”
“So if we’re not giving Erlen up and Skullcap’s no longer asking for him, what’s his angle?”
Maker shook his head. “As I said, I don’t know, but it’s got something to do with him going home, since that’s all he’s asked for.”
Browing pondered this for a moment and then said, “Might be a good idea to ask Planck. He may have some idea since he spent years around the Vacra.”
“It’s on my to-do list for when he comes back.”
“If he comes back,” Browing corrected.
Maker looked at him with a befuddled expression. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Planck’s the only person with firsthand knowledge of all that sub rosa tech,” Browing explained. “That makes him a high-level asset that we can’t afford to lose. With that understanding, he’s expected to go back home on one of the cruisers.”
Maker mentally chewed on Browing’s comment for a second before admitting, “I’m not surprised by that. It’s been clear that they’d rather kill Planck than have him fall into the wrong hands again. That said, he’s given me the impression that he was returning to the Nova and–”
Maker found himself cut off as the ship’s intercom came on and Diviana’s voice sounded from the overhead speakers.
“El-tee, you need to get to the bridge,” she announced. “We’ve got a situation here.”
Chapter 75
Maker went racing to the bridge, followed by Browing. A few seconds later, they were joined by Erlen, and less than a minute later, they arrived at their destination.
“Okay,” Maker said as he took his seat, with Erlen next to him. “What’s happening?”
“There’s a ship out there,” Diviana said. “Still a bit far off, but until about a minute ago they were closing at a fast clip – coming straight at us. Now they’ve stopped.”
The bridge monitor came to life then, showing a vessel with a design that was completely foreign to Maker. That said, it didn’t take any special skill to recognize turrets and cannons, and the new ship had plenty. Still, it didn’t necessarily mean they were facing an aggressor.
“Have they hailed us?” Maker asked.
“Not as of yet,” Diviana answered.
“Maybe they’re just passing through,” suggested Wayne, who was at the flight and navigation controls.
“I’m not interested in finding out,” Maker countered. “Is our navigation system still synced with the cruisers?”
Wayne shook his head. “No. They’re going in a different direction than us, so there’s no need.”
“Great,” Maker remarked, and then turned to Diviana. “Tell Planck that if he’s coming with us, he’s got about a minute to get his butt on a shuttle headed this way. Tell the cruiser captains to go to hyperspace the second Planck is clear of them.”
Diviana nodded and relayed the messages. A few moments later, she turned back to Maker.
“The cruiser captains acknowledge your message,” she stated. “Planck, however, says he needs another five minutes.”
“Tell that idiot we may not have five minutes,” Maker grumbled. A moment later he relented, muttering, “Fine, but tell him in five minutes he’d better be on one ship or the other, or he’s getting stranded here.”
Diviana acknowledged his order with a nod. Maker drummed his fingers for a moment, thinking, while Erlen – staring at the alien vessel on the monitor – let out a low growl.
Turning to Adames, Maker ordered, “Get Skullcap in here.”
***
Adames had the insectoid on the bridge within minutes, at which point Maker explained the situation.
“In short,” Maker stated, “we’ve got an alien ship that’s making us jittery.”
“It’s an Xnjda craft,” Skullcap stated after merely a glance.
“Xnjda?” Maker repeated. “You mean like the one who claimed to own Diviana?”
“Indeed,” the insectoid replied.
“No way that’s a coincidence,” uttered Adames.
“Right,” Maker agreed. “Diviana, tell Planck to shelter in place – he’s stuck over there – and pass the word that we’re scattering to the four winds asap.”
Diviana nodded to show she understood.
“Wayne,” Maker began, “get ready to–”
“Already on it, el-tee,” interrupted the young Marine. “We’ll be jumping to hyperspace before you ca–”
Wayne went silent as a sharp intake of breath from Diviana cut him off.
“What is it?” Maker asked, acutely aware that something was wrong.
“Scanners are picking up four ships that just dropped out of hyperspace in close proximity,” Diviana replied. “No, six ships. Eight.”
Without being told, Diviana manipulated the view on the bridge monitor, dividing it up into quadrants that showed four different exterior views. Each image showed alien vessels similar in design to the Xnjda craft, which collectively formed a circle around their convoy.
They were surrounded.
Chapter 76
“Shields up!” Maker bellowed.
“Activating shields,” Loyola said in reply.
Maker breathed a small sigh of relief. Counting the ship they had initially spotted, there were nine Xnjda craft. More to the point, the eight that had dropped out of hyperspace – which were all oversized battleships – had cannons pointed at either the Nova or one of the two cruisers. Considering the size of their own convoy, Maker didn’t like the odds if things got ugly (and it looked like they were already on that path).
At least the shields will give us some level of protection, he thought, operating on the assumption that the cruisers were following suit. Any relief he felt in that regard, however, was short-lived.
“Problem, Lieutenant,” Loyola said. “Shields aren’t activating.”
“What?” he almost yelled in surprise. “Why not?”
“The defense system is experiencing some type of disruption,” answered Loyola. “It’s keeping the shields from coming online.”
Maker could barely believe what he was hearing. “Can you pinpoint the source of the disruption?”
Loyola was silent for a moment as she stared at information flowing on a screen in front of her, and then she nodded. “It’s coming from the shuttle bay.”
Maker frowned, but before he could comment, Adames spoke up.
“I’ll check it out,” the NCO declared.
Adames began jogging towards the bridge exit, but stopped as Skullcap began to speak.
“If I might be so bold,” the Vacran said, “I would advise that you focus on the exterior of the shuttle.”
Adames just stared at him for a moment, then muttered, “Uh, thanks.” A moment later, the NCO was gone.
Maker stared fixedly at Skullcap. “That was a pretty specific statement. Do you know something?”
“Not in particular,” the insectoid replied. “However, when we were planet-side retrieving the tracker, the shuttle was the area with the greatest ability to be compromised.”
Maker could have kicked himself. Skullcap was right. He, Maker, had failed to leave someone in position to guard the shuttle, which was a gross and embarrassing oversight on his part.
“We’re being hailed,” Diviana announced, cutting into Maker’s thoughts.
“Which ship?” he asked.
“The first one,” Diviana replied, “which is now moving in closer.”
Maker looked at Wayne. “How long before we can jump?”
The young Marine gave Maker a confused look. “Honestly, I ca
n’t say, el-tee. The nav system is having an issue with coordinates again.”
“What do you mean it’s having issues?!” Maker demanded. “We’re not synced with the other ships anymore!”
“I know,” Wayne admitted, “but the system is still acting confused for some reason.”
Maker let out a groan of frustration, then said, “Diviana, find out why those cruisers are still hanging around here.”
Diviana nodded to show she understood. While she began reaching out to the other ships, Maker got a ping from Adames on his p-comp. It was an auditory communiqué, and the device automatically switched to voice mode as Maker answered.
“Our Vacran friend is right,” Adames reported, sounding out of breath. (He had obviously run to the shuttle bay.) “There’s some kind of device attached to the bottom of the shuttle. I didn’t know what would happen if I touched it, so I left it alone.”
“Shouldn’t the shuttle’s sensors have picked that up?” Maker asked rhetorically. “They’re supposed to warn of foreign articles attached to the hull.”
“I’m guessing it was cloaked in some way,” said Adames. “Headed back your way.” He then broke the connection.
Maker’s brow creased as he reflected on the implications of everything he’d recently heard: they couldn’t shield the ship, they couldn’t jump to hyperspace… The situation was getting worse by the second. However, before he could devote more thought to the subject, Diviana began speaking.
“I’ve received word from the cruisers,” she stated. “Their shields are down as well.”
Mentally, Maker groaned. If the shields on the cruisers were being affected, it meant that one (or perhaps all) of the alien ships was acting as an amplifier or extender, broadening the effects of the device attached to the shuttle.
“In addition,” Diviana continued, “both cruisers got hailed by a couple of those battleships. Basically, the alien vessels are going to fire if they detect any of our hyperspace drives coming online.”
Maker smacked a fist on the arm of his chair in exasperation.
“Also, we’re still being hailed by the first ship,” Diviana added.
Maker put a hand up to his forehead, using his thumb and middle finger to massage his temples. In a mere matter of minutes, they had somehow managed to go from successfully completing a major part of the mission to having the rug snatched out from under them.
Actually, it’s more like having the rug snatched out from under you and then finding out you’re standing over a black hole, Maker thought.
“If I may offer a suggestion?” Skullcap chimed in, getting Maker’s attention.
“I’m all ears,” Maker said.
Skullcap seemed taken aback by the idiom for a moment (although he may also have been distracted by Adames returning to the bridge), but quickly recovered. “Let me speak with them – the Xnjda. Whatever the issue is, I may be able to help foster a resolution.”
Maker glanced at Adames, openly soliciting his input. The NCO, plainly out of breath, simply shrugged.
“Okay, do it,” Maker said.
A moment later, the bridge monitor shifted to a different image. Unsurprisingly, it showed Kpntel, who was easily recognizable by his missing limbs.
“Geez,” Maker whispered to Skullcap. “Shouldn’t he be in a hospital?”
“The Xnjda have a natural ability to deaden nerves at the site of an injury,” Skullcap explained in a soft tone. “He won’t get feeling again at those points until the limbs regrow.”
Maker merely nodded, understanding now why the grizzly-pede wasn’t in shock or screaming in pain back on that planet where they had initially encountered him.
“Honorable K’nsl,” the grizzly-pede began, “I am surprised to see you. I had assumed you left with the Vacra warship.”
“As I stated during our previous encounter, I travel with my companions,” Skullcap stated, gesturing to include those on the bridge. “Although it is a pleasure to see you again, your statement suggests you have been watching us. Bearing that in mind, I take it you have arrived at a sum that will compensate you for your losses and have approached us to collect.”
“Not exactly. But before we converse, I need to stress that none of your ships try to jump to hyperspace. We will open fire if we detect any such attempt.”
“We’re aware of that stricture,” Skullcap assured him. “We also know you’ve disrupted our shields.”
“Excellent,” Kpntel commented. “Now, as to your prior statement, you may recall me mentioning that I traffic in rare breeds. Ergo, when you mentioned that there was a ship full of these creatures… Well, I suppose I felt the need to take advantage of an opportunity. And now – discovering that there are actually three ships full of them – it’s as though I found a Sl’velta mine.”
A shocked look settled on Maker’s face (and pretty much everyone else on the bridge). Skullcap, however, continued talking without missing a beat.
“So,” the insectoid continued, “it is your intent to seize everyone on these vessels and sell them as pets.”
The grizzly-pede made a gurgling sound that Maker interpreted as laughter.
“Oh goodness, no,” Kpntel said after regaining his composure. “This many specimens would wreck the market. It would be an oversupply that would drive prices into the ground. No, I would select only the fittest for sale in that regard – after all, I have a reputation to maintain.”
“And what of the remainder?” Skullcap asked.
Something akin to a sly grin settled on the grizzly-pede’s face. “Let’s just say that there are certain races – such as those with expansive mining interests – that have a need for free and permanent labor. They don’t ask many questions.”
“I see,” Skullcap muttered.
“It goes without saying, of course, that you yourself would be exempt from these actions,” Kpntel stressed. “We have no wish to offend the Vacra and would allow you, personally, to continue on your way.”
“That’s kind of you,” Skullcap noted, although Maker couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic.
“Of course, I’ll need your word that you will not speak of this to anyone,” Kpntel said.
“Is that all that you will require?” the insectoid asked, at which point Maker fought the urge to shoot him in the head.
“Of course,” Kpntel answered. “Everyone knows that the word of the Vacra, once given, is never broken.”
Skullcap seemed to ruminate for a few seconds, then said, “We will need time to discuss your…offer.”
“Certainly,” the grizzly-pede conceded. “You can have until the time my ship is close enough to begin ferrying my property on board. Also, I would advise you not to tamper with the shield disruptor, as the explosives within it are temperamental. And finally, if you want my advice, life – of any sort – is preferable to being blasted to atoms, which is what will happen if we meet resistance.”
He then disconnected and the monitor went dark.
Chapter 77
There was stunned silence on the bridge as everyone contemplated what they had just heard. To Maker, it seemed absolutely surreal. As a soldier, the notion of dying on the battlefield was something he’d made his peace with, but ending up as some alien’s pet? It was more than he could fathom.
“Please know that I have no intention of deserting you,” Skullcap remarked, cutting in on his thoughts. “I will share your fate, whatever it may be.”
“Thanks,” Maker blurted out in an acerbic tone. “That’ll be a great comfort to me when I’m slaving away in an asteroid mine with a control collar around my neck.”
Before the insectoid could reply, Maker looked at Diviana. “How long will it take the approaching ship to reach us?”
Diviana checked a monitor at the comm station. “Based on the distance established by the long-range scanners and the craft’s current speed, we’ve got about twenty minutes.”
Frowning, Maker turned his attention to Loyola, who was still at the weap
on controls. “What are the odds that we can fight our way out of this?”
“Unlikely,” Loyola replied. “They got the drop on us, coming out of hyperspace with guns at the ready. We could get off a couple shots from each ship in the convoy, but probably not enough to do any real damage. Moreover, without any shields, we’d just be target practice for them.”
As Maker reflected on this, Diviana said, “I’m getting messages from the cruiser captains. They want to know what they should do.”
“Tell them to stand down for now,” he replied. “We’re not in a position of strength, and we simply don’t have the weapons or firepower to…”
He trailed off as a new thought suddenly blossomed in his brain.
“Get Planck on the comm,” he ordered Diviana. “Now.”
“Yes, sir,” Diviana stated in acknowledgment.
Less than two minutes later, an image of Planck was on the bridge monitor. Maker immediately began asking questions in relation to his idea.
“Planck,” he began, “what do you have over there that can help us?”
“Huh?” the scientist muttered, confused.
“You’re on a ship full of illegal weapons, banned technology, and outlawed devices,” Maker explained. “There’s got to be something we can use to fight these guys off.”
Planck suddenly looked nervous. “Uh…maybe. I’m not sure that… I mean, there might be something. But it’s been so long that I’m not sure what would be best.”
“We don’t need the best,” Maker clarified. “We just need something – anything – that will make these clowns back off.”
“All right,” Planck said with a nod. “I’ll look around, see what’s here, and try to come up with something. How much time do I have?”
“You’ve got about five minutes – max,” Maker stressed. “And I suggest you do more than try, unless you want to spend the rest of your life as the main attraction in an alien menagerie.”
Chapter 78
Planck actually used the full five minutes allotted, but ultimately found something that he thought would work. Being pressed for time, however, he didn’t provide Maker with much of an explanation.
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