by Ben Winston
Hawklings remained looking thoughtful while he considered Joe's words. “Major, I trust you and Becka. Until now, I trusted the rest of the Navigators as far as a passing acquaintance will allow. However, this will completely destroy the trust that the Council has for them. So, I need you and Becka back here by Thursday evening for the Friday council session. I'll want you to talk to them and convince them; like you just convinced me, that this is not something we need to fear, but rather prepare for.”
“Uh, sir, I have business I need to take care of on the Citadel...” Joe began, but Hawklings waved him off.
“Major, no one ever thought this far ahead, or been in the position you now find yourself in. I dare say that this information is far more important than the little dictator in the grand scheme of things. If you can take care of him before you need to meet the transport, then do so, but if you can't, he can wait. This is now your first priority; Jared can wait a couple of days. Gather what information you can, any facts that you might be able to dig up to support your thoughts, and be ready for Friday.”
Joe stood and saluted. “Yes sir. Is there someone that can step in and take over the Citadel if Jared suddenly dies?”
“I doubt Jared's second is much better than he is, if Jared picked him. We had planned on you taking over after Jared, which, you might have to do, at least for the short term. I'm sure Becka knows people there that can run the place in your absence. After all, there are not any ships getting ready to depart, and none are due back for at least another month," Hawklings explained. “You should be back to the Citadel by Monday.”
“Sir, is Shana on her way back?” Becka asked.
“Actually, she should have just landed at the spaceport. If I can ask, why do you keep asking for her?” Hawklings asked.
Becka grinned without humor. “I trust Shana, Sir. Most of the shuttle drivers you have on this run are a bit flaky at the best of times. Shana is still stable. We can also trust her to do exactly what we need her to do when she needs to do it.”
“Major?” Hawklings asked, looking at Joe. “How do you feel about her?”
“She's a very sweet girl, slowly being driven insane by the isolation and loneliness of her job. Yes, I trust her. She did, after all, have the presence of mind to react quickly and correctly when I collapsed at the Citadel,” Joe explained.
Hawklings nodded. “For the time being, I'll make sure she's at your disposal for transportation. We do have a new type of multi-purpose transport being built. It's much larger, and will have a crew of four. We are planning on replacing the small single person shuttles for the run between systems. Once we get those operational, the single person ship will be used for ground to orbit, or ship to ground transportation and resupply.”
Joe chuckled. “We're gonna need more people, Admiral. Now, I don't mean to cut this short, since I actually enjoy talking to you, but if you need things done, I best be doing them. We'll give you a call back as soon as we're en-route to Blackwater.”
Hawklings nodded. “You're going to the Citadel first?”
“Yeah, could you arrange for Dr. Symms to take a maintenance crew to the station to begin installation of his new shielding? Shana can take us, and the good Doctor can continue his work after we leave,” Joe suggested.
Hawklings nodded. “It'll be set-up before you arrive at the spaceport. I'll make sure Dr. Symms has your credentials. God speed and good hunting, Major.”
“Thank you, Sir. We should see you in a couple of days,” Joe replied as the hologram winked out.
Joe and Becka hurriedly began breaking camp before the last rays of the setting primary made it darker. As they worked, Becka remembered the conversation she'd had with Dr. Symms about Joe's beliefs.
“Joe, I'm kinda curious about something, but I'm a little hesitant to ask about it.”
“Ask anyway, Beautiful. If it's something I can't answer, I won't. If it's something I don't feel comfortable talking about, well, I can say that too.”
“Well, it's about religion. I was just wondering what your beliefs are. 'Pagan' covers a wide variety of beliefs,” she said.
“Yeah, it does. It's also the only name we have that covers what I believe in. You should hear some of the Christians freak out when I answer this question for them. It's really amazing how intolerant people can be,” Joe replied.
Becka nodded. “That's the truth. My parents tried to pound religion down my throat when I was growing up, but the more they tried, the less interested I became in it. I came to see it as nothing more than a control placed on the population by the church. A pretty effective one too."
“Unfortunately, I tend to agree with you on the control thing. Some pretty horrible things have been done in the name of 'God'. No, I believe that each person, as an individual, should try to find their own path.
“The first thing most Christians ask me is if I believe in God. I can honestly tell them yes I do, but not in the same way they do. That's when the trouble starts. You see, most everyone sees 'God' as a person, usually a man dressed in robes with a beard. I don't.
“I perceive 'God' all around us, all the time. It's part of us, as well as part of the world around us. When I can calm my mind I can feel it. It’s powerful and frightening, gentle and caring, all at the same time. It's really hard to explain, I guess," Joe said, shrugging.
“I think I follow you so far. You feel that god isn't a being, but rather the culmination of the life force of the universe, right?”
Joe nodded. “Very close. I do see it that way, yes, but I do feel it's a living entity. I honestly don't know if it has its own agenda; if it does, I sure haven't seen evidence I could understand.” He chuckled. "I guess I've watched Star Wars too many times, but in reality, that just feels closer to the truth for me."
Becka looked thoughtful. “Do you think it could actually be Hyperspace you feel?”
“Not as the being, no, but I do think I can hear, or feel, Hyperspace through this awareness. Kinda like it gives me a different point of view that the rest of you don't have.”
“The doctor thinks you might be psychic. When he hears what you just told the Admiral, it's going to confirm it for him. That could put us in a lot of danger,” Becka said.
Joe frowned. “I don't think so. That's what the meeting with the council will be for. We're not going to be able to keep our abilities to ourselves forever; one of us will slip-up sooner or later. Besides, I honestly think that there are far more of us than have been located so far.”
While they'd been talking, they got all their gear back into the dart and got ready to leave. Becka took the pilot's seat and Joe sat next to her.
As she started up the engine, she asked. “So the plan is to get the Council prepared for the 'discovery' of our abilities? What else?”
“For now, that's it. I'm still playing this by ear. I do believe getting someone like Sharon up here to run the Citadel is the right thing to do. Especially if Dr. Symms can get the shielding installed. I would also like to see the Citadel relocated to a habitable moon or planet.”
“What's wrong with the station?” Becka asked.
“Nothing, but wouldn't you feel better if you had a planet to call home instead of a station floating between two stars? Besides, as the human race grows and expands, we'll need the room to expand, too,” Joe explained.
Becka grinned. “So you do have plans beyond getting rid of Jared and getting the Council ready for psi abilities in humans!”
They had only been flying for about a half hour when the comm system chirped at them. Becka tapped the control screen to look at the messages. “There is a message from a couple of days ago. Todd, the guy that dispatches these darts, sent a message telling me that there was a woman claiming to be from the Navigator's Guild trying to locate me. He said she came into his office and demanded the transponder code for my dart. He said she was a real bitch, so he put her off but he says that there might be a welcoming party when I land.”
“Jared is looking f
or you. I would bet he has special plans for you, too.” Joe replied.
She paled a little bit. “That's not something I would like to think about. I really don't want to know what that twisted fuck wants to do with me. Besides, I know most of the people on the station that are against him. If he gets me, he could get them.”
“So, we will have to make sure he doesn't get you. Hopefully, this is only a retrieval order and not a terminate one. Don't sweat it, Becka. They think I'm dead, so they won't be prepared for it. Let me call the Admiral to let him know we're on our way and see what he can do about it. Otherwise, I'll deal with it … quietly.”
“He may want you to do that anyway. I get the feeling he's getting tired of all this bullshit,” Becka asked.
Joe chuckled. “I'm sure he is. Hell, I just got here and I'm already sick of it!” He paused and turned in his seat. “We're on the move, Admiral."
“I see that. What's your ETA?” Hawklings said.
“About five and a half hours, Sir. Even at these speeds it's still going to take some time, we were pretty far out,” Becka replied.
“That should put you there in the middle of the night cycle. I've already gotten your paperwork set up with Symms and told the young Captain Shana that she and her ship have been reassigned. Symms said to let you know he should have everything else ready to go by noon tomorrow,” Hawklings explained.
Joe nodded. “One thing; Becka received a message from the young man that dispatches these darts. A very rude woman with two thugs in tow came into his office and demanded to know which dart and where Becka had flown to. He said she claimed to be from the Guild. It sounds like Jared is searching for her.”
Hawklings looked thoughtful. “Which means they'll be watching for her arrival. We don't have the time or the facilities to question prisoners, and your existence needs to remain a secret, Major. So, even if she is a Navigator, you're going to have to deal with her and anyone with her that can identify you.”
"With everything going on at the Citadel, I think I might need a little help I can trust. Admiral, do you think you could get me those two ex-Marines that picked me up?" Joe asked.
"Sure I can, but why do you need them?" Hawklings asked.
"From what Becka has been telling me, there are two separate factions on the Citadel. Those that are loyal to us and the mission we were recruited for and the other is composed of Jared and his minions.
"Before I take out Jared, we're going to have to make sure he doesn't have anyone in position to cause trouble or something else drastic. I'll have Smith and Jones help me round up the minions in the most important areas before I hit Jared. It's the only way to insure the safety of the loyal people. After that, I would like them to handle station security while I get busy with my real mission there; being a Navigator," Joe explained.
"Are two going to be enough?" Hawklings asked. "I can get you a few more if you think you'll need them."
Joe was thoughtful for a moment. "I just don't know, Admiral. I'm usually a solo act. It's going to be difficult enough having two with me and I know I can trust them to do what I tell them. There is a strong possibility that Jared will have sanctioned many more. I can't see how he could get away with everything he's been getting away with, if he was acting on his own."
Hawklings nodded. "I see you're point. Those two are actually already over there and preparing for an exploration mission. I'll get two others sent out to replace them and have them reassigned to you."
Joe nodded. "Okay, I'll call ahead and work out the details with Shana and Doctor Symms. That way she can be ready to lift once we get there. With any luck, we'll be able to simply land next to the shuttle, get aboard and leave before Jared even knows what's going on."
Hawklings nodded solemnly. "Do what you need to do, Major. I'll see you when you get here. Good hunting Major."
"Thank you Sir, with any luck, this'll be over quickly," Joe said grinning.
"Survey zero-one-one-niner, you are cleared for landing on pad Gamma nineteen-west," the tower controller at New Hedron Starport said over the speakers in the cabin.
"Roger Control, Gamma-one-niner-west. ETA is five minutes. Thanks for the quick landing," Becka replied.
"It's the middle of the fuckin' night, there's no one to wait for! Welcome back," Control replied.
Joe checked his Glock and chambered a round. He'd attached the silencer a bit earlier.
Becka landed the agile little craft next to the larger shuttle. Through the windows, Joe could see Shana standing beside her ship next to the open airlock. A rather large man was standing next to her and she was not smiling.
"Joe..." Becka began.
"Yeah, I see it. Just follow my lead. If someone asks you who I am, tell them I'm an assistant Dr. Symms sent out with you to test his shielding," Joe replied. "If we play this right, maybe we can break this little trap and get some information at the same time."
Becka nodded. "Okay, I trust you."
"Just be ready to get out of the way. I'll go first with the toy box. You hang back and do pilot things," Joe said winking at her.
Her worried expression softened a little and she almost smiled at him.
Joe opened the cargo doors as soon as Becka powered down the drive. He could be clearly seen un-strapping the big case holding his weapons. Becka was busying herself in the cockpit with pilot duties.
Joe lifted the case up on its casters and pulled the heavy case out of the dart and headed for the shuttle. Shana looked at him strangely for a moment, but a minuscule shake of Joe's head stopped her from asking a question.
"Good Morning, Captain. Is Dr. Symms onboard yet?" Joe asked in a friendly tone of voice.
"No, I haven't seen him yet, sorry." Shana replied.
Joe winked at her, and spoke in French. "You don't know me, just act like I'm an anonymous tech assistant. Just play along for now, I'll explain later. If they ask, tell them I'm from Quebec, too."
"Oui Messuier," Shana replied in the same language.
"That's kinda rude, I don't speak French," the brute beside her said.
"He asked if he could store his equipment and said he was from Quebec as well," Shana replied to him.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, could you give me a hand with this? It's kinda heavy and if I don't get it stowed before the doctor gets here, he'll get really mad at me," Joe asked with a French accent.
The man motioned his head toward the airlock. "Go on, there's someone in there to help you."
"Thanks," Joe said in a less than friendly voice the big man ignored. He almost made it to the door when another huge man came out and picked up the case.
"Careful! there's a lot of expensive and delicate equipment in there!" Joe said in mock fear for the imaginary equipment.
"Chill out tech-head. I won't bust any of yer test tubes," the man said. "Come on."
Joe followed the big man into the empty cargo hold for the shuttle. Joe made sure the door closed behind them as the big man sat the case down. He stood and started to turn. "Do you ha... Gahh!"
Joe struck quickly, hitting him in the throat so he couldn't call for help, then proceeded to knock the big gorilla unconscious. He pulled the heavy man over to one of the walls where he secured him with several cargo straps.
Opening his weapons case, Joe took out a roll of military duct tape, and covered the man's mouth. Thus secured, Joe quickly moved back to the door and cracked it open. He was just in time to hear the other man talking to Becka.
"There you are you stupid bitch! You know you should have just came in when the Prime ordered it. He wants to see you in his office; now," the big man said.
"I've been busy doing what we're supposed to be doing, or has he forgotten that?" Becka said insolently.
"I'll let you tell him that. Get aboard," the man ordered. "You, pilot, get ready to lift."
"What about Dr. Symms?" Shana asked. "He's the reason I'm going to the Citadel in the first place."
"Fuck 'em!" the brute said, "He ain
't here and we're ready to go. He can find another ride. Move."
Doing as she was told, Shanna followed Becka into the ship, while the big man followed and closed the airlock.
Once everyone was passed the door, Joe heard a woman's voice in the main cabin. "You are a hard little bitch to find, now maybe the Prime will get off my ass about finding you. He has a few questions for you. Pilot! Get your skinny ass up there and take us to the Citadel. Ayers, go see what's keeping Hewes and that tech."
"What do you want to do with the tech? You know he's gonna bitch when he finds out Symms ain't here," the man said.
"Tell him to go file a complaint with the Citadel. This is official business," the woman replied.
Joe saw the big man start to turn, so he moved back and pulled out the Glock. The door opened and the man saw Joe standing there with the gun pointed at his head, and a finger to his mouth indicating silence.
Joe motioned the big man over beside his friend, where he too was quickly secured.
"You're that fucker the Prime was afraid of aren't ya?" the man called Ayers asked.
Joe smiled at him evilly and covered his mouth with the tape.
Joe didn't say anything to him. Instead, he turned around, fastened the tie-downs for his case to the floor, and walked over to the door. Looking back, he could see the other man had regained consciousness. They were both watching him in amusement. Joe grinned at them and left the hold.
"Why hasn't that stupid bitch taken off yet?" the woman asked.
"She isn't a stupid bitch, her name is Shana and she's my friend," Becka replied. "You know she might be having trouble getting clearance on this short notice."
The woman snorted. "My, haven't you gotten brave. That won't last long." The woman's sneer deepened. "I'm certain the Prime has something special planned for you. By the time he gets done with you, you'll be begging to tell him who all the troublemakers are at the Citadel."