by C. R. Daems
After dinner, I went to the police training area and checked the results of my camcorder.
Mary Lo Acker, Cruiser unit, Pilot one star, 32 years of age…
George Daley, Cruiser unit, ECM one star, 40 years of age…
Fred Tillman, Cruiser unit, Navigator one star, 31 years of age…
Mike Peterson, Records, one star, 46 years of age…
I knew neither Carl nor Doug was liked in the fighter unit; however, their choice of friends did appear coincidently close with careers one would need to gather information and to steal a cruiser. Of course, the fact that I didn't like the evil duet made it easy to conclude they were up to something nefarious. On the other hand, I had overheard them talking and knew they hated Anixia. The question was whether to tell Joseph or not, and that hinged on whether I was being paranoid or whether Doug and Carl were really the evil duet and capable of trying to steal a cruiser. I decided to sleep on it, hoping the answer would miraculously come to me in my dreams.
It didn't, and I woke with the same dilemma. My anxiousness increased in fighter training class when neither Doug nor Carl so much as glanced in my direction and turned away when I looked toward them. I decided the evil duet avoiding eye contact with me went way beyond staying out of trouble. After class, I visited the police training area and found Joseph.
"Joseph, I have one of those If something appears out of the ordinary or different, report it to me, suspicions," I said, hoping I was overreacting to my fear of the evil duet.
"What is that, Kayla?" Joseph asked, waving me to a quiet corner.
"Doug and Carl have been ignoring me for the past two months," I said but was interrupted before I could continue.
"That's good, isn't it?" he asked. "You have a tape which at the very least would put them under heavy scrutiny."
"That's true; however, it's against their nature to avoid eye contact with me unless they have something important to hide." I held up my hand to avoid any comments. "The other day, while on police patrol, I saw Carl exit his room with Doug and four individuals. I used my Sleeve to capture their identity. Their positions were: records and a cruiser pilot, navigator, and ECM operator."
Joseph was quiet for several minutes before speaking. "That is not enough to take any action, but you were right to report that to me. Check your Sleeve's police menu, then watch list."
I clicked on Police, then Menu, and finally Watch List and six names appeared, of which I only recognized Doug and Carl, but saw two of the four I had identified, Fred and Mike. "Like I said, we usually detect the threat by observing many small insignificant events. In their case, the fact that Carl and Doug were observed with two people on our Watch List. Now I will elevate the status of these six to priority watch."
"Is it possible to flag when the four are assigned to a cruiser?" I asked.
"Indirectly," Joseph said. "I can request all Bridge assignments be sent to me…and you, since you identified the potential problem, and I want you to monitor developments."
Chapter 17
Foolish People Are Also Dangerous
"Doug, did you see that bitch watching us in fighter training?" Carl asked as he paced the room. "She saw me walking with our four…new friends."
"So what? We are allowed to have friends," Doug said, dismissing the comment. "Even if she does suspect something, what can she do? Who is she going to tell, and what can she say? I think Doug and Carl are up to something. I saw them with some cruiser Bridge personnel. They will dismiss her as paranoid. The majority of people in this compound are either fighter or cruiser personnel. We have been model troops, which will also weaken an argument about us planning something criminal."
"That in itself is suspicious," Carl said and gave a snort.
"People don't think that way, Carl. Most judge people by what they want to see. In our case, they see two reformed fighter pilots working hard to fit in. Little Miss pain-in-the-ass would be seen as rocking the boat, and nobody likes that as it gets them seasick."
"I think we should kill her to be safe. The stakes are high here on Anixia. On Earth, we would only get a few years in jail, and we could get time off for being model prisoners. Here, we will be banished, and there will be no time off for good behavior."
"Big risks for big rewards," Doug said. "This will be equivalent to stealing the Crown Jewels of England or cleaning out the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Better. In addition to being rich, we will be heroes and famous."
"I still think–" Carl began but was interrupted.
"Killing Kayla would cause an investigation and throw the spotlight on us." Doug shook his head. "Even if they couldn't prove we did it or were responsible, it could compromise our chances of stealing a cruiser. We have a plan and are close to implementing it. Let's not fuck it up."
"How do we know we will be part of the next Tullizor raid?" Carl asked.
"We don't have to be," Doug laughed. "I rather we weren't. We just need our gang to be on one of the cruisers sent to meet the Tullizor. Once they are in control, we can join them."
"That's not much of a plan." Carl shook his head and looked skeptical.
"The plan is solid," Doug said, sounding confident. "We just have to wait for the right set of circumstances. We may not even need the Tullizor. In fact, I hope we don't. Trying to escape in a war could put us in danger from both the Anixia and the Tullizor. The plan requires patience and for us to be model troops, but the prize is worth it."
Chapter 18
To Do Or Die
Carl and Doug had me trapped in the tunnel leading to the fighter pilot's quarters. One in front and one behind me, and the sound of active stun batons filled the air like angry bees. My mind reeled with conflicting thoughts, how did they get police stun batons, how did they know I would be in this tunnel, how did they get in front and behind me. I froze, unable to think. As I did, both men moved simultaneously. Doug, who was in front of me, swung at my head. I blocked it with my left arm. At the same time, Carl struck my exposed ribs. The combined one hundred thousand volts of electricity caused my body to spasm, my eyes went blind, and I screamed as I jerked up to find myself in bed and my Sleeve vibrating with an emergency message."
"What's wrong?" Hanna and Hyun said in unison.
"Sorry, I had a bad dream." I took a couple of breaths to calm myself before looking at the message on my Sleeve.
EMERGENCY, report to the fighter bay immediately.
"Trouble in paradise," I said as I quickly dressed. "Sounds like the Tullizor might be back for a rematch. Wish me luck." I exited the room at a run and found the tunnel alive with running men.
"Kayla, what do you think?" Todd's voice came from a few steps behind me.
"Sounds like a party with the Tullizor," I gasped out.
"This may be it, Carl." Another voice said, which sounded like Doug, but I couldn't be positive as he too was panting with exertion.
"The Tullizor are back with two cruisers," Bradley said when it appeared everyone was present. "The Anixians are sending out two cruisers, The Crowned Eagle and the Haast. We are going to join the Kestrel House as we both took losses in our last encounter, and the Merlin House will be on the Haast. The Gyrfalcon is still recovering from their last encounter, where they lost over sixty percent of their fighters. Mount up. We will be leaving as soon as I get word from Jorden, the Kestrel wing leader."
When I looked around, Doug and Carl were talking, and I would have sworn both men looked happy. I concluded I was in shock from my nightmare. They had been working hard the last few months, but it's hard to weave a silk scarf using wool. Those two would never be more than barely functional, so I couldn't understand their apparent mood. I could understand Todd smiling. He loved to fly and the excitement of the fight, and like me, thought the Tullizor slow-witted and easily outmaneuvered.
"All right, mount up," Bradley said, breaking into my musing. "The Kestrel are forming up to board the Crowned Eagle."
I got in the Pitohui, with a good luck kiss
. Several minutes later, I was slung out of the cave. I found Calum and formed up with the other five, and we rose to meet our ride to the party. Due to our previous losses, we had only three lines of six, as did the Kestrel.
Inside the cruiser, we were told they estimated a four-hour ride to the drop off point. Again, I noted Carl and Doug with their heads together. I wasn't sure what they could possibly be discussing. Bradley and Jorden would dictate the strategy, and we would implement it. He was the king, and we the pawns.
"What do you think, Kayla?" Todd said as he approached me.
"I think we kill the Tullizor and go home before the mess hall closes," I said and smiled.
"There are two Tullizor cruisers this time," Todd said while holding up two fingers.
"Just gives us more to kill. I'm planning on covering the entire Pitohui's surface with little kill patches."
Todd laughed. "I wonder if we get a patch for killing a Tullizor cruiser?"
"Let's kill one and see," I said, grinning.
"Attention," Bradley's voice sounded about the chatter. "Wing Leader Jorden and I have decided to try a variation on what we did last time. Tebos and Calum will be in the first two lines, then two lines of Kestrel. Then Simon and the third line of Kestrel. On my signal, the first four lines will race over the Tullizor fighters at max speed toward their cruiser. If the Tullizor turn to chase them, Simon and the third Kestrel line will pursue them." He paused to look around the bay. "It's an all or nothing gambit. Maybe if we can teach them we are not helpless prey and we bite, they will stay away." That was received with silence, but you could almost hear the silent, or they will come back with a fleet and destroy the planet.
I personally agreed with the strategy. Thugs like the Tullizor preyed on the weak. The weaker they thought you, the more they would assault you. I didn't think they respected strength, but they didn't like getting draws or losing and would tread carefully around an equally strong opponent. My thoughts were interrupted as the Pitohui was shot out of the bay. I formed up on Calum and awaited orders.
"Squadron," Calum barked. "Proceed at one thousand kilometers per hour until I give the signal to jump, then accelerate to ten thousand. At two hundred kilometers from the target, you are free to break formation and choose your attack approach to the cruiser. Good hunting." Ten minutes later, I detected the Tullizor formation approaching. They were still at five hundred kilometers distance but approaching fast. Five minutes later, I heard, "Jump."
I pushed the power, and the Pitohui pushed me into my seat as it accelerated. A minute later, our formation streaked over the Tullizor fighters. Their cruisers looked to be about ten minutes ahead at our current speed. At eight minutes, I could see the incoming missiles and could have fired my Vultures, but that would be a waste of missiles because the cruiser's defense system would have enough time to destroy most if not all the missiles. I decided to press on, watching for incoming missiles and attempting to jog or roll only a second or two before it hit to lose its lock on me. The Tullizor cruiser was exploding some of their missiles in front of us, and several times, the Pitotui was sprayed with shrapnel and buffeted from the energy being released. I was concentrating so hard on the missiles, I found myself heading for a collision and pulled up just in time. Knowing missiles would be chasing me after I flew past, I cut the Pitohui's power and watched three missiles streak by less than a hundred meters on either side. Then the idea struck me. I continued on for another minute, performed a K-loop, pulling out when I was level with the cruiser, cut the engine, closed my eyes, and began counting, one, two, three…six. At seven, I opened my eyes, hit the power button, released all four Vulture missiles, pulled up hard, and cut the engine again as I passed over the cruiser. I watched and saw multiple explosions, and like piranha detecting wounded prey, multiple fighters raced toward the cruiser, disgorging their missiles. I smiled and laughed until I saw the Crowned bay open and two fighters. There would certainly be wounded and killed pilots by now, but not in the bay. I tapped several times on my Sleeve to gain police access and saw it:
Notice: Acker, Daley, Tillman, and Peterson assigned positions on the Crowned Eagle.
Then I understood why Doug and Carl were huddled together and why they looked pleased. Those were their fighters in the bay. Not only had they deserted during a war, but they were planning to steal the Crowned Eagle and strand the survivors. Although the bay was open, I wasn't being pulled in, so I cut my power to hover and nudged it forward, and killed the power as soon as I was fully inside. Fortunately, the protective seats took most of the impact from the five-meter drop to the floor. Even so, it took a few minutes for me to recover from the shock. I exited in my pilot's protective suit since there was no vacuum in the bay, and I thought the gear would provide some protection in a shootout with the evil duet as it was designed to impede shrapnel and laser fire that penetrated the pilot's cabin. Looking around, I saw several dead bodies and switched on my police camcorder so there would be a record of my actions. I exited through an airlock. In the hallway, I debated which way to go. The bay I had entered was about one-third toward the end of the cruiser, closer to the engines than the Bridge. I decided on the engine room and made my way towards the rear. Eventually, I found the door into the power compartment. Several men and a woman were standing around talking. I found it remarkably quiet, considering the power it would take to move the megaton craft, which was the size of an aircraft carrier.
"Can you shut down the engines?" I asked.
"Why?" one of the older men asked.
"Because this cruiser is in the process of being hijacked, and I want it stopped," I said, although feeling the urgency to chase the evil duet.
"We are in space," the same man said, which I thought rather obvious. "It will continue at its current speed with or without power. No friction."
"What can we do to slow it down?" I asked in a normal tone when I really wanted to scream.
"The pilot can activate the breaking engines," he said and shrugged.
"What do the breaking engines activate?" I asked rather calmly, considering my whole body felt like it would explode.
"Those two engines on either side of the power plant."
"Well, activate them," I shouted.
"Only the pilot can do that," he said, and a small smile touched his lips.
"Well, then I guess I can kill you four as you are not necessary or helpful." I removed my laser from my leg holster and raised it toward the old man."
"I didn't say we couldn't do it, just that we are not authorized to do it." He grinned as he walked over to a panel of gauges, dials, and switches. Fiddled for a minute, and suddenly I was almost thrown off my feet as the momentum changed.
"Thank you," I said. "However, if I feel the cruiser going forward again, I'm coming back here and shooting all four of you. You are collectively responsible. Clear?"
All four heads were nodding as I left. I wasn't sure it was a good idea to leave a cruiser without power in the middle of a war, but it was better than letting it leave. If the Tullizor destroyed it, they would only be killing traitors…and me and the innocent crew. I shrugged and began an awkward run with the additional twenty plus kilograms, almost one-third my weight, I was carrying. I checked the doors as I went. Nothing appeared amiss. Everyone I saw was hard at work obviously unaware or didn't care if the ship was being hijacked. I wondered why I cared. I could return home cured, be with my family, and share in the rewards, I pondered as I reached stairs that would take me to the Bridge. The Anixia had given me a new life. I had agreed to the terms, even if ambiguous at the time, and surprisingly, I was enjoying the life. As an additional bonus, I could actually be saving Earth by stopping the Tullizor. I laughed. It did not matter. I was committed to the Anixian for better or worse.
At the top of the stairs, the officer's quarters were to the left and the Bridge to the right. Just then, the door opened, and I heard Doug shouting. "Get those damn engines going again and kill whoever forced them to shut them down
and anyone that refuses. We are fucking sitting ducks in the middle of a God damn war."
I aimed at Carl's chest since they had stripped off their fighter's protective gear, and his chest was easier to hit than this head, and fired twice. The first shot hit him a couple of centimeters to the left of the center. The second shot missed as he jerked with the pain. I shot a third time as he scrambled to enter the cabin and missed him but hit Doug in the arm as he had been in my line of sight, standing several meters behind Carl. Someone shut the door as I looked for cover. I eventually opened the door to an office and moved inside, so only my arm and head were exposed. We appeared to have a standoff. I couldn't enter, and they couldn't leave. I guess they could call for help from the crew, but I doubted they had access to the weapons' locker. I could only hope Carl's wound was serious. I doubted Doug's was more than a flesh wound. If Carl's was serious, he would demand medical help and maybe desperate enough to cause problems. I could do nothing but wait.
"Attention, crew." Blared through the ship's speakers. "I'm Doug Limback. Me and my friends on the Bridge have hijacked the Crowned Eagle and plan to take it back to Earth. That means you will be free of the Anixian, cured, and back home. However, we have a fucking hero among us who is keeping us from leaving. I am enlisting your help in getting rid of him. When we get back, you will be heroes, famous, and rich."
The only thing I could do was wait. I knew there were many who would be happy to go back to Earth and willing to do anything to go. The fame and riches were the icing on the double chocolate cake. Sure enough, two minutes later, I saw two heads peeking around the corner.
"What the mental midget on the Bridge didn't tell you was that if this cruiser isn't peacefully surrendered, the Saker, Kestrel, and Merlin pilots are going to be stranded and left to die. In that case, those pilots are going to chase and destroy this cruiser," I shouted. Of course, that was a lame counter as they would be out of missiles, and they had the Haast to return to Anixia. "Besides that, our mental midget is running in the same direction as the Tullizor. They will destroy the Crowned Eagle the minute they see it. That's one reason I'm trying to stop this idiot. I would like to see Earth again, but this fool will never get you or him there. Who but a moron steals a cruiser in the middle of a war? Our best chance now is to save our lives by stopping the two nut cases on the Bridge."