Jump Point: Kestrel Class Saga Book 2

by Toby Neighbors

Ben saw Lieutenant Liachov and Sergeant Ike waiting by the door to the crew lounge.

  “Let’s figure things out,” Ben said. “Then I’ll rest. I promise.”

  They walked with him into the lounge. There was a small table, and Magnum was already eating. A plate of food sat waiting for Ben. He lowered himself down onto the plastic chair and took a long draught from the cup of ale. It tasted delicious, the way beverages only did to someone desperately thirsty. Ben hadn’t even realized how thirsty he was until the ale flowed through his parched mouth and down his withering throat.

  “You should be resting, Ben,” Liachov said. “There’s no need for heroics.”

  “I agree,” Ben said. “I’ll rest soon. First, I want to know how long the next hyperspace jump will be.”

  “Nineteen hours straight to the Briggs system,” Nance said.

  “Okay, and did you run a diagnostic on the engine?”

  “Yes,” she said. “But without a power supply, it wasn’t very effective. There could be major internal damage.”

  “That we won’t know about until we power the engine up,” Ben said.

  “So we fix it and test it,” Kim said. “What’s the problem?”

  “The problem, as far as I’m concerned,” Ben said, “is that we’ve wasted too much time. We owe it to the lieutenant and her squad to get them home. We’ve got at least eight hours of work just to get the new power supply ready. I’m proposing that we do that on the way to the Briggs system.”

  “You mean in hyperspace?” Kim said. “You can’t fix it in hyperspace.”

  “I can’t fix anything until we get a new power supply wired up,” Ben said. “Once that’s done, we can go back out, reattach it to the engine, and it should be fine.”

  “That would get us home the quickest,” Liachov said.

  “So you’re proposing that once we’re in an Imperium-controlled system, one that is probably filled with enemy battle cruisers, that you go back out to work on the ship?” Kim asked. “Are you out of your mind?”

  “No, I get it,” Ben said. “But the truth is, I am hurt. My arm is killing me and I’m exhausted. I need to rest, you’ve all said it. I can’t work on the ship right now. So why not get to hyperspace and make some time while we can.”

  “Because it’s dangerous,” Nance said.

  “It’s stupid,” Kim said. “They’ve waited this long, they can wait another day.”

  Ben saw Rena look at Ike. Neither wanted to insist on starting for their home world, but both were desperate to get back.

  “Look, doing these side jobs was my idea,” Ben said. “We needed to do them. And without their help, we would have lost the ship and probably our lives too.”

  “That doesn’t mean we should make another bad decision,” Kim said. “You can’t test that engine once we’re in the Briggs system without alerting the Imperium.”

  “True,” Ben said. “But we can run computer diagnostics.”

  “You would trust a computer to tell you if your ship is okay?” Kim asked.

  “It worked on Torrent Four,” Ben said. “We ran simulations on all the systems. When they showed problems, we fixed them. When they said we were ready to fly, the ship flew.”

  “Ah, for Pete’s sake, what are we even talking about this for?” Kim complained.

  “Normally, I would insist that Ben gets the rest he needs and that we take no unnecessary chances,” Rena Liachov said. “But we’ve already been here four hours.”

  “Going into your home system at half power is suicide,” Kim said. “Without that engine, we’re sure to get slagged. It’s only a matter of time. And that won’t do your little rebellion any good.”

  “She’s right,” Ike said. “Better safe than sorry.”

  “So let’s vote!” Kim said. “All for waiting until the engine is repaired, raise your hand.”

  Kim, Ike, and Magnum raised their hands. Kim looked at Nance incredulously.

  “Are you serious?” Kim demanded.

  “Even with the power supply repaired, the engine might have more damage,” Nance said. “It could take a complete overhaul to repair it. We might even need parts that we don’t currently possess.”

  “All the more reason not to fly off to the Briggs system until it’s fixed,” Kim said.

  “Only, it could take a long time,” Nance said. “Time they don’t have.”

  “This is insane,” Kim said.

  “If it takes several days to repair, a lot of people could die,” Liachov said.

  “Could die,” Kim said angrily. “I’m telling you, if that engine doesn’t work, we will die in the Briggs system. We can float in undetected, but once we’re in atmo, we have to use the engines. We got by in the Knoxx system with just one because we weren’t in gravity, but just landing safely is going to be hard without the port engine. If we have to fly for our lives, we’ll die—guaranteed.”

  “It’s a risk,” Ben said. “But I think it’s the right one.”

  “You’re nuts,” Kim said.

  “We’ve been gone far too long,” Liachov insisted. “Please, Kim, do what you do best. Take us home.”

  “No,” Kim said. “I won’t do it. No way.”

  “I can fix the engine, Kim, you know I can,” Ben said. “Trust me. This is the right thing to do.”

  “What if I repair the power supply,” Magnum suggested.

  “What do you know about soldering?” Ben asked. “I have a power supply, but to operate the engine, we have to solder all new connections.”

  “I’ve never done it before,” Magnum admitted.

  “But he can. The man repairs guns. He’s got a knack for fixing things just like you, Ben,” Kim said.

  “I agree,” Ben said. “Which is why I’ll walk him through it. But right now, I’m seeing double. I need some rest.”

  “So rest. I told you to rest,” Kim said.

  “It’s fine,” Liachov said. “A few more hours...what could it hurt?”

  There was no changing Kim’s mind. And after Ben ate a few bites of his dinner, he struggled to keep his eyes open. She helped him to bed, and he slept for ten straight hours. When he woke up, the pain in his arm was almost unbearable. He got to his feet and climbed the stairs to the galley.

  “You don’t look so good,” Liachov said. “Bad night?”

  “Bad morning,” Ben said. “This thing is killing me.”

  “You need some medication,” she said. “Anti-inflammatory and pain relievers.”

  “Never had any,” Ben said.

  “You what?”

  “I’ve never had medicine,” Ben said. “The only medication on Torrent Four was made by criminals and was just as likely to kill you as cure you.”

  “That’s terrible,” Liachov said.

  “That’s home,” Ben said, trying to pour himself something to drink.

  “Let me help with that,” Liachov said, mixing up protein powder in water. “Will you be able to work?”

  “Have to,” Ben said. “It shouldn’t be too bad.”

  “Ha! Famous last words,” Rena said. “Don’t you know that when it comes to rebellion, things are always worse than you hope?”

  Chapter 19

  Acrid smoke filled the engineering bay and left Ben feeling queasy. He was used to the smell of soldering, but being an observer was more difficult than he had imagined. Magnum had steady hands and a quick mind, but he was accustomed to dealing with explosives like gun powder or explosive gases that required a slow, methodical approach. Ben worried that the job was taking too long, and he felt his body calling for more rest long before the power supply was ready to be attached to the engine.

  “Hello, gents,” Kim said as she came into the engineering bay. “It smells like a crematorium down here.”

  “Slow and steady,” Ben replied. “What’s up?”

  “Just checking on you.”

  “You slept a long time,” Ben said.

  “Oh, shut up. I watched you sleep for six hours before
I let myself go to bed.”

  “Why didn’t you just get in bed with me?” Ben said, giving her a wink and hoping the pain that was like a barring siren in his brain didn’t show on his face.

  “Two people sleeping on the narrow bunks in this ship would have to pretty desperate. Besides, I didn’t want to bump your arm. How’s it feeling?”

  “A bit like an overfilled water bladder,” Ben said. “And it hurts.”

  “I’ll bet. We need to get you to a doctor.”

  “They’ll have medics on Brigton,” Ben said.

  “Perhaps, but they probably have real doctors on Brimex Station. That’s where we should be going,” Kim said. “You have to admit, especially after that snafu in the Knoxx system.”

  “You’re not serious,” Ben said.

  “Of course I am,” Kim said. “You’re hurt, we were almost all killed. That was some of my best flying, but we can’t go head to head with Imperium fighters.”

  “I thought you did fine,” Ben said.

  “Ha! You and nobody else,” Kim replied. “We blew an engine, lost our shields, and were a split second away from being slagged.”

  “But we made it,” Ben said.

  “So why go back and face the Imperium again? Why not just take the fighters back to Brimex, tell them we appreciate what they’re doing, but we’re no longer interested in taking them home.”

  “You know we can’t do that,” Ben said.

  “Oh, yes we can. We don’t owe them anything.”

  “They saved our lives.”

  “And we saved theirs,” Kim said emphatically.

  “The Confederacy paid us,” Ben said.

  “So we give a tank back. Brimex owes us one, plus four hundred real credits. That should be enough to satisfy the Confederacy.”

  “You know it won’t be,” Ben said.

  “So screw them,” she said dropping down onto the bench beside Ben. He was watching Magnum work and didn’t look at her, even when she leaned close and whispered in his ear. “We can get along just fine without the Confederacy.”

  “Our reputation will be ruined,” Ben said, still not looking over at her.

  “But we’ll be alive. Of those two choices, that’s the one I want.”

  “I’ve never heard of you running from a fight,” Ben said.

  “It’s not our fight,” Magnum said, speaking up for the first time in hours.

  “See, I’m not the only sane person on this ship,” Kim said. “Why are we doing this?”

  “Because we said we would,” Ben replied. “And after what they did for us on KX21, I’d say they’ve earned that much.”

  “I might refuse,” Kim said.

  “Then I’ll have to fly the ship.”

  “The hell you will,” Kim said. “Magnum, knock some sense in this blockhead.”

  “Not my fight,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Oh, sure, look who’s chicken now,” Kim said. “You both know I’m right.”

  “You got your way,” Ben said. “We stayed to fix the engine. Can’t you be happy with that?”

  “I’m happy, sure. But let’s be real clear.” She was so close he could feel her breath on his ear. “There’s a real good chance we die if we go to the Briggs system. We didn’t have any options before, but we do now. Don’t force us to do something we’ll regret because you feel like you owe these people something.”

  “I can’t walk away, Kim. It just isn’t in my DNA.”

  “Okay, fine,” she said getting up and walking toward the exit. “But you should know they threw out the bodies of those outlaws. They’re gone, lost forever, and no one knows but us. No one will ever find them. No one who knew them will ever have the closure of knowing how they died and what happened to their bodies. And you know what? We may just join them if we aren’t careful.”

  Ben wanted to say more, to explain why it was so important to carry out the Confederate mission, but he also needed to stay put and help Magnum. Besides, nothing would change Kim’s mind. She was pragmatic, and in that particular instance, she was right. Ben was taking an awful chance because he had given his word, and because he felt he owed it to the Confederacy for the Zexum gas they had paid him. He also felt he owed it to Liachov and her squad of freedom fighters.

  After eight solid hours of straight work with only a few short breaks, they finished soldering new electrical lines to the power supply. They would need at least twice that long to get the unit in place, solder all the wires together, connect the fusion lines to the power supply, and insulate everything. Before they could start, both men needed a break.

  When Ben got upstairs, he found Rena in the galley preparing dinner. He got a drink and sat nearby.

  “You look conflicted,” she said.

  “I am,” Ben replied. “My mind and heart are at odds.”

  “All the more reason to listen to the desires of your flesh,” she replied, raising her eyebrows.

  “That won’t solve my problem,” he said.

  “But it might make you care just a little bit less.”

  He laughed. But the weight of being responsible for the lives of three other people was heavy on his shoulders. His arm was aching terribly, and he couldn’t shake the feeling he had when the outlaws had taken control of the ship.

  “You have to do what you have to do,” she said. “How you feel about it, or what you think of it, is secondary. For me, I have a duty. What drives you? What values shape the decisions you make?”

  Ben thought about it for a long time. What he valued most was getting the Echo in shape so he could get off Torrent Four. But they were off the trash planet, and despite the engine problem, the ship was still in good shape. He could get where he was going with no problems just the way she was, or stay there for a long time without worrying about food, or air, or power.

  Still, despite all that, he felt a tinge of guilt. How could he turn his back on the job? He didn’t know? But he couldn’t risk the lives of his three best friends just because of some qualm of consciousness. He had known as much when he pushed to make the hyperspace jump to the Briggs system. If they were suddenly there, he would carry out the mission simply because they were so close it didn’t make sense not to. But they weren’t in the Briggs system, and forcing his friends to do something they didn’t want to do was wrong.

  “You’re getting there,” Liachov said. “I can see it in your eyes.”

  “What if you don’t like where I’m going,” he said.

  She stopped mixing the flavor powder with the protein bricks she had crumbled up. Then she shrugged her shoulders and forced a smile onto her face.

  “Things will work out,” she said. “They always do.”

  Chapter 20

  Magnum knew what was coming. It was inevitable. Perhaps if Kim weren’t pushing so hard, things might be different—but the outcome wouldn’t be, just the circumstances.

  He found Nance on the bridge at her beloved computer console. It thrilled him to see her so happy, so engrossed in doing what she loved. He knew she had trouble in social situations. There were times when she felt paralyzed by fear at the very thought of leaving the ship. And, if he were honest with himself, he would have liked to spend time with her outside the Echo. Compared to life on Torrent Four, the ship was paradise. But after visiting the Confederate space station in the Bannyan system, the Genovisi Shipyards, and the Brimex Station, he knew there was so much more to see and experience.

  He had done his best to share it all with her. He took pictures and brought her gifts. Whenever he ate something he liked, he made sure to get enough for Nance. But showing her things secondhand wasn’t the same as experiencing them together. He hoped that in time he would have the chance to help her explore the world outside of their little slice of heaven.

  “May I speak to you?” Magnum asked.

  “You don’t have to ask, you know,” Nance said, without looking up for her computer screen.

  “No, I mean, can we go somewhere and talk? J
ust the two of us.”

  “We usually don’t talk much when it’s just the two of us,” she said, looking up and smiling at him. But the expression on his face made her stop. “Oh, yeah, just a second.”

  She tapped her com-link.

  “Kim, can you come keep an eye on the bridge for a few minutes?”

  “Why? You and the friendly giant have a make-out session on the books?”

  “Very funny,” Nance said.

  “Sure, I’m on my way.”

  “Thank you,” Magnum said.

  It was Nance’s turn to nod, which she did. Fear starting to well up inside her. It took all her fortitude not to turn back to her computer and send him away. Whatever bad news he had to share, she wanted to part of it.

  “Alright, I’ve got this,” Kim said. “You know, just in case a rogue meteor heads this way suddenly. Like that’s ever going to happen.”

  Nance couldn’t speak, and Magnum gently took her arm and led her to her cabin. He knew she would struggle with the news he was about to give her, but that wouldn’t change things. It was going to happen, so the best thing they could do was not fight it. Still, being in her own private space where she was comfortable might help her stay calm.

  “What is wrong?” Nance asked as soon as the door closed.

  “The rebels are going to take control of the ship,” Magnum said.

  “What?” Nancy was aghast.

  “Look, you know that eventually Ben will decide that going to the Briggs system is too dangerous. He may have done it already. It’s the right thing for us, and he’s a good man.”

  “Yes,” Nance said, agreeing with the sentiment about Ben, her oldest friend.

  “So, the rebels will feel they have no choice. They will seize control, probably while Ben and I are out repairing the engine.”

  “No,” Nance said. “I can’t...I can’t lose you.”

  “Odds are good they won’t kill us,” Magnum said. “But they’ll take control of the bridge and force you and Kim to take them to their home system. Hopefully, they’ll wait for us to come back inside.”

  “Shouldn’t we do something?” Nance said.

  “No, my love. There is nothing we can do. If I fight back, I will kill good people and get hurt or killed in the process. It won’t change the outcome.”