by John Walker
“Yes, standard jumps with plenty of plot time are no problem,” Maury said. “The engines get a steady and measured flow of energy that way.”
“Perfect.” Gray turned to Lieutenant Colonel Marshall Dupont. “The majority of this op falls on your marines.”
“We have plenty of men ready for such an exercise,” Marshall replied. “Those men who went on the ground op don’t have to be involved though Hoffner will likely insist. It sounds like we’re going to need two contingents, providing you can get us on the other ship.”
“That’s definitely on us,” Gray said. “Anyone else have any concerns about this before we go?”
Group Commander Estaban Revente spoke up, “the briefing suggests that the pirates make heavy use of drones. I looked at the schematics and they don’t seem too bad. Fairly maneuverable but still reliant on someone to control them. However, what concerns me are their pilots.”
Gray nodded. “Explain.”
“Reports suggest these pirates have little regard for their own safety,” Estaban said. “This makes them unpredictable and frankly, more dangerous. Are they going to pull some insane maneuver that puts them in as much jeopardy as the ship they’re battling? We won’t know until we’re out there.”
“Can your pilots handle them?” Adam asked.
Estaban smirked. “Of course…but we can’t ignore the threat. Suicidal pilots in space are a concern.”
“Noted.” Gray turned to the rest of the team. “Anyone else?”
“How’re we going to get on the ship without damaging it?” Lieutenant Commander Stephanie Redding asked. She was the pilot. “If they have their shields up, a shuttle isn’t going to hop through.”
“I believe I may have a solution,” Clea replied. “When we get back to Earth, I’ll update my tablet’s database with the latest information from the Alliance ship registry. Our computer systems have backdoors which I may be able to utilize in order to shut it down and give you the opportunity to land.”
“There wasn’t much certainty in what you said,” Marshall said. “How’re you not sure?”
“Because if they were clever enough to take one of our ships, they might’ve been smart enough to mess with the computers.” Clea shrugged. “I’ll work with Lieutenant Darnell and familiarize him with our programming languages. Together, we should be able to get something done.”
“The station looks pretty big,” Commander Adam Everly said, leaning over the tactical map. “And those pirates could be anywhere. It looks like a nightmare to me.”
“Not as bad as you think,” Maury answered. “They’ve got a huge contingency of hostages to watch. Even if they locked them up, they need to keep them under guard. Plus their men are divided between the ship and the station. A battleship can’t be managed by a skeleton crew, not effectively.”
Gray added, “and if it is, then we’ll have a distinct advantage.”
“We also have the insider,” Clea added. “If you didn’t notice, we received the update from a security guard who was away from the main part of the station when the attack happened. He’s held up somewhere in the maintenance corridors and promised to provide additional intel as he can.”
“Do we know who he is?” Marshall asked.
“He identified himself as Ander Yin’Dran. I checked against our database. He’s a former soldier with a solid record.” Clea looked up from her tablet. “I’d trust whatever he has to say about the situation. Chances are good he’ll have solid tactical data to share, the kind which might save some lives.”
“We should link up with him on board then,” Marshall replied. “If he knows the layout, he can help us get around, find advantages on the targets so we can take them out easier. Sounds like an ace in the hole for us.”
“Good,” Gray said. “We’ll try to find a covert way to make contact upon arrival. Any other thoughts?”
“Let’s go over all the exit points again,” Marshall said. “When I take this to the marines, I want to give them a solid idea of where everything is. Maintenance, reactor, living quarters, control center, everything.”
Clea participated in the briefing but mostly allowed them to work through their boarding plans. Her mind was occupied on how they might take back the Alliance ship. Considering the complexity of the vessel, she had no idea how anyone but a trained professional might be flying it, let alone keeping it in maintenance.
She prepared a set of instructions for Oliver Darnell, something to give him a firm understanding of what to expect. When they sat down together to hack into the ship, they would need to be able to think on the fly, to work together rapidly or they would tip themselves off. Any mistake might lead to an open conflict, one they could not necessarily afford.
Chapter 3
The Behemoth returned home and immediately went about resupplying and rearming. Clea visited Mei’Gora to procure the updated database. She also received her promotion to Su-Anthar as promised. The honor was bittersweet as she turned over the prisoner and all the people they saved from the planet and damaged ships.
Later, she and Darnell worked through the programming protocols but he proved to already know what she planned to teach. “During the construction of the Behemoth, I worked with you then and later, I studied your Universal Code, remember?”
“You’re a remarkable young officer.” Clea clapped him on the shoulder. “Start thinking about how we’re going to get through their defenses. Their shields will block any attempt to remotely connect to their computers so I believe we need to get them to drop them.”
“Maybe.” Olly shrugged. “I’m reading the technical specs on Alliance ship defenses now. There might be a way around that.”
“If you find one, let me know…we’ll have to close the loop.”
Olly grinned. “Absolutely, ma’am.”
Many of the crew took advantage of the several hours off to get some rest or even drop down to Earth to visit friends and loved ones. They had a sixteen hour gap between arrival and departure. Those who had to work did so feverishly with the promise of being able to get some sleep on the way out to a safe trajectory for a jump.
At the designated time, Clea came to the bridge, joining Gray at the same time. They both took their seats and he turned to Adam, offering him a nod. The first officer stood and clasped his hands behind his back.
“Okay, Redding. Take us out.”
“Aye, sir.” Redding engaged the thrusters and pulled away from Earth orbit.
“Lieutenant Collins,” Adam turned to the navigator, Timothy. “Set a course for the open space between the moon and Mars. Then plot us a jump. I believe you have the numbers for that?”
“Yes, sir. I’ve been programming them in all morning.” Tim worked his console for a moment before turning to Redding. “It’s all yours. Just follow the pretty blue line.”
“I love it when you make it blue.” Redding grinned. “It’s green way too often.”
“I like green,” Tim replied. “Olly, can you please double check my jump coordinates to ensure they’re optimal?”
“Already done,” Olly said. “They look good. No adjustments recommended.”
“Thank you.”
Redding glanced back at Adam. “Sir, we’re ready to initiate full thrust. ETA to jump point, thirty-five minutes.”
Adam nodded. “Go ahead.”
Clea’s mind drifted as the ship got underway. She thought back to the moment she turned Vora An’Tufal, her sister, over to Mei’Gora as a traitor. Two human soldiers acted as guards and walked behind them with their guns at the ready. Vora changed from the moment she got on board the Behemoth to when Clea came to fetch her prisoner transfer.
“It’s time,” Clea announced but her sister did not look up. She merely stood and offered her hands so they could be bound. “Anthar Mei’Gora is here. He’ll be arranging transport back home where you’ll stand trial.”
“After a lengthy interrogation no doubt,” Vora replied.
Clea nodded. “Undoubt
edly.”
As they walked down the hall together, Clea tried to think of something to say, something which might bring closure to the situation but nothing came to mind. Ultimately, she chose to remain silent as they boarded a shuttle and flew for the Alliance ship. Clea knew that once Vora left her custody, her sister would be gone forever. They’d very likely execute her for treason.
Bitterness filled her heart but it battled sadness. Why had her own blood betrayed them? The answers weren’t satisfactory and probably never would be. Moments before they docked, she turned to her sibling and grabbed her arm tightly, scowling at her. It drew the other woman’s attention who scowled but did not reply.
“I loved you,” Clea said. “Even though you treated me so poorly so often, I still loved you. Right now, on the verge of turning you over to the military for trial, I continue to feel…for you. It won’t go away, no matter how I try to smother it or make it vanish.”
Vora’s expression lightened for the first time since Clea found her on the research facility. A sad smile touched her lips. “Listen to me, Clea…forget me. That’s your best bet and my best offer. If you do not, if you cling to some past we shared, what happens next will only be harder. I’ll accept my fate for what I’ve done. You don’t have to go through it with me.”
“Family is supposed to stick together.”
“And I abandoned you all,” Vora spoke sternly. “Regardless of belief or ideology, right or wrong, I stood for myself. Not my people, not mother and father…not you. I was selfish and now I’ll pay for it. But please…you have to let me go.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Eventually, then. You’ll figure it out.” Vora turned and looked out the view port. “You won’t have a choice, little sister.”
They didn’t speak again, not even when Mei’Gora met them in the hangar with four armed guards who roughly escorted Vora away. The Anthar watched them go then turned his attention to Clea, giving her a cool assessment as his eyes raked over her. For a brief moment, she privately hated him. How could he remain so cool under the circumstances?
It’s not his family member…
“Excellent work, Vinthari An’Tufal. Thank you for bringing this prisoner to us personally.”
“It seemed appropriate,” Clea replied. “Given the circumstances.”
“Of course.” Mei’Gora patted her shoulder. “I’m sure this must be difficult for you but believe me that this was the right thing to do. Vora An’Tufal betrayed us all and nearly ruined everything.”
“I know…”
“We’ll have a ceremony later.” Mei’Gora reached into his pocket and revealed a small box. “But for now, it’s official. You are Su-Anthar An’Tufal. Congratulations.” He removed her old rank from her collar and replaced it with the new one. She took the extras for her other uniform from him with numb fingers.
“Thank you, sir.” A promotion right on the heels of turning in her sister felt…wrong. Still, she did what she had to do. Accepting it with grace and humility kept her from crying. Focusing on duty and tradition helped her get over the hurdle of her sister’s betrayal. “I appreciate the gesture.”
“You earned it. I believe you have a new assignment.”
“Our mining facility…and a ship.” Clea’s brows furrowed. “Why are you sending the Earth ship instead of our own? I would’ve imagined we’d rather take care of our own mess.”
“Another test,” Mei’Gora said. “One I believe they’ll pass with flying colors.”
“I can tell you, they should no longer be tested, sir. They have proven to be creative thinkers…we’re the only ship to have escaped the research facility alive.”
“I’m aware of that,” Mei’Gora replied. “But any feather in the cap of humanity is one they can cash in for their seat on our council…and I can tell you they want it badly. Some of them are resistant, still living in some strange past where isolationism is an option but they’ll come around. All of them will…and it’ll be easier when they have all the currency in the world to trade for a say in galactic politics.”
“I at least have faith that many of them are up to the responsibility,” Clea said. “The people I work with are not like those…those isolationists. They work for everyone, risking their lives for people they never met, for another race entirely. I think when they have their say, we won’t be sorry.”
“We have our own naysayers, of course, but their voices are far quieter due to the fact that we’ve allowed so many to join us.” Mei’Gora smiled. “The alliance may have found many setbacks but we’re learning to get around them and eventually, we’ll win this war. People like you and those you serve with are our ambassadors.”
“As you say.” Clea bowed her head. “Thank you again. I should return to the Behemoth.”
“Help them anyway you can, Clea.” Mei’Gora waved. “They’ll need it.”
As the ship prepared to jump, she shook her head at the reverie. Gray and the crew probably did not need her for much. Sure, she had some insights that they found useful but for the most part, they handled themselves just fine. Her contributions were minor, mostly having to do with alliance technology.
Clea didn’t feel like the most qualified person for that job even. But then, her confidence was shaken by the events on the research facility. Not too badly, perhaps rattled was a better term. The violence itself didn’t bother her but the needless waste…even the enemy sacrificing their own ships made her sick to her stomach.
How could they throw people away so casually? Destroy so many lives without a second thought? Just for a quick victory! Gray and Kale even used it against them, allowing them to destroy a vessel for no reason. She found herself pitying the enemy far more than hating them. The rank and file soldier must’ve been terribly brainwashed.
Olly broke her thoughts, “when we jump into their space, they’re obviously going to know right away. Do you want me to start jamming right when we have control?”
“Yes,” Gray replied. “Marines are already boarded into drop ships. You start the jamming and they’ll launch, getting as far from the ship as they can without being detected. We’ll open negotiations in an attempt to get them access to both the station and the starship. If all goes well, we should have both back in a few hours.”
Adam shook his head. “How often do things go according to plan around here?”
“On the better side of never,” Gray said. “But I like to be optimistic. Keeps me young.”
“At least something does,” Adam replied. “Because it sure isn’t our luck.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Gray leaned back in his chair. “It hasn’t been bad so far. We’re still alive, aren’t we? And look at all we’ve accomplished. I think we’re fine and this mission is as straight forward as we’re likely to get for a long time. Go ahead and initiate the jump, Redding. I’d like to have a chat with these pirates.”
Clea considered Ander and wondered what exactly was going on for him. He’d been in a dangerous situation for well over a day already and no other messages left the station. Was he okay? Did he survive? Or had he been captured? Part of her wanted to believe he was still on the loose, harassing the pirates and keeping them from completing their objectives.
The rational side of her felt like he might not be alive. Such heroes rarely got away with guerrilla activities for long, especially in confined spaces. Yes, the station was big but ultimately, it was contained. Escape required a ship or escape pod and either of those would be quickly detected. No, if he was on board he likely had to lay low or be caught.
Either way, they’d know soon. If the pirates found out he sent the warning, they’d definitely be looking for him. And if they didn’t, then he could indeed be the ace Marshall talked about at the briefing. One way or another, Ander might play a major part in their reclamation of the station.
Even if he was no longer alive.
***
Ander needed supplies. The nourishment in the lower levels was emergency
only and when he found it, the ration packs had expired almost a year back. He had no idea how long he’d been down there before help came. Sending the message was only stage one in what he needed to accomplish.
Now, he needed to maintain his strength so he could gather information on the pirates for whoever arrived.
When the station surrendered to the pirates, the criminals still needed to board the place and lock it down. Minimal space safety required them to do it properly. Somewhere, they docked a larger craft, not the battleship but something else. It took hours for them to get it right and when they did, they had to board the place.
Security folded in minutes. Ander watched in horror on one of the vid screens as the pirates just came in and disarmed his peers. I could’ve been one of them. Once security was pacified, the civilian population didn’t put up a fight. At first, they were held in the promenade but Ander figured they’d get moved eventually.
Next, the pirates conducted a sweep of the entire station, essentially looking for people like Ander. They found several, miners working early and maintenance crews who didn’t hear the call to surrender. Only a few of them put up resistance but they were rewarded with a beating that kept other people in line.
It took them the better part of a day and a half before they truly held the station. Ander wasn’t surprised. His home supported countless families. That’s what bothered him the most. Children were up there, subjected to these criminal scum there to steal. This wasn’t political or ideologically motivated. It came down to money.
Sickening.
A pessimistic part of him worried that no one got his message. Fear gripped his heart that no reinforcements might arrive. If that turned out to be true, then he might be the only person who could stop the pirates from killing everyone. He believed wholeheartedly that no one on the station was meant to survive.
Even if the criminals got what they wanted, killing everyone aboard made more sense than letting them live. Witnesses might tell the Alliance about the ship or their numbers, their weapons…anything to get them caught when they surfaced with their stolen goods. Ander would not let that happen, regardless of what it took.