by Nate Johnson
“I think they are after us,” he said. “They had positioned themselves so that they could intercept us either way. If we went to Voltaire or if he headed for the next wormhole.”
Kaylee’s brow narrowed as she processed what he said. “How could they know?” she asked.
Logan shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not like we have a choice. If we want to go to Taurus, we have to come through here. Maybe they picked us up on Corona. Probably when I transferred my money to pay for the moorage or spare parts. It probably lit off a dozen search engines.”
“But that was only two days ago,” Kaylee said.
“Yeah, but radio signals are faster than we could ever be. They probably called ahead and set something up.”
She continued to frown. “So, what do we do?” she asked.
He shrugged again as he expanded his screen to a full planet system view. “I don’t know, but it’s interesting that there isn’t any Navy presence. No one we can go to for help. Maybe that’s why they waited this long?”
Kaylee grimaced, sending a bolt of fear to his heart. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to this woman.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “We’ll figure out something. In the meantime. A6127, increase speed to all ahead flank speed. Let me know if the other vessel changes either course or speed.”
“Acknowledge,” the AI said.
Logan studied the screen in front of him, wondering if he could spot any changes before the computer notified him.
Kaylee remained quiet, watching him, watching the screen. Occasionally reaching out and caressing his shoulder.
It was distracting. All he wanted to do was take her back to her room and finish what they had started.
But, it’s not to be, he told himself. This isn’t some one night stand in a foreign port. She isn’t some girl he could share a fun moment with and then walk away from.
It would tear her apart and him as well, he realized. And it wasn’t exactly like he could invite her into his life.
Some of the guys were married, but it was rough. They were gone half the time. Their wives, home, alone. Maybe with kids. Living on a spacer’s wages. Not an easy life. Kaylee was from a different world. She was used to servants, embassy parties. Important things to a woman.
He couldn’t ask her to give all that up for him. And it wasn’t as if he could ever be part of hers. He would never belong there. Besides, he still had two years on his enlistment.
He thought of the trouble he had caused in escaping. The entire point might be moot. He could very well end up in the brig, and any chance of them being together would be impossible
Sighing to himself, he tried to put it out of his mind. Not going to happen, Logan, he said to himself. Don’t get your hopes up. Don’t do something you’re going to regret.
The track on the screen suddenly changed. Just a little, but enough.
He smiled to himself as A6127 came online.
“The vessel is no longer on a collision course,” the AI said. “It is maintaining its current speed. Our closest point of approach is now twenty-two minutes. With the Princess passing in front of the vessel.”
Kaylee raised a questioning eyebrow.
“What does that mean?” she asked. “Why didn’t they increase their speed to match ours?”
“I don’t know,” Logan answered. “Maybe they want to get us after the next wormhole. Out of sight. It would give them time to get away. I can’t think it’s because they are slower than us. I doubt there is a slower vessel in known space than this old piece of crap.”
“Hey,” Kaylee said, mockingly slapping his shoulder. “Don’t be mean. The Princess is a wonderful ship. I will always remember it fondly.”
Logan laughed. “I hope you get a chance to think about it in your old age. It doesn’t change the fact that we are slower than a valerian sloth and about as nimble. That ship out there can catch us whenever it wants.”
Kaylee concerned look let him know that she understood the serious situation they were in.
“What about our weapons? You said they worked well. I know they worked well enough to knock out the Voltaire’s engines.”
The flash of memory behind her eyes let him know that she was remembering the five dead men already killed because of her.
Logan nodded. “Yep. But that was against an unarmed passenger vessel. Something tells me the ship chasing us is going to be armed to the teeth. And he will be behind us. The better attacking position.”
Kaylee grimaced and looked at the screen, then turned and looked at him. “I’m sure you will figure something out,” she said with a half-smile.
Logan gulped. Her high expectations were going to be hard to live up to in this situation. Because he was quickly coming to believe they didn’t have a chance in hell of ever making Taurus.
Chapter Sixteen
Kaylee studied Logan out of the corner of her eye. She knew she should be worrying about the vessel behind them. But after seven hours of no change, it was difficult to stay concerned.
Especially when she thought about the kiss she and Logan had shared.
Her lips curled up into a smile as she thought about it. The sweet tenderness and yet hungry demand had shaken her to her very center. Somehow, she had known it would be like that. Intense, electrical, almost ground shaking, and yet so much more.
So much potential, she thought, as she wished desperately, they could go back and finish what they had started.
What would her father think about this man? Would he look down on him because he had not attended the proper schools? Had not worked in the correct jobs? Dismiss him as a mere spacer? Someone to perform tasks but with nothing significant to contribute to the empire?
Would he dismiss him as a fortune hunter? Kaylee laughed. Logan was about as far from that as a man could get. That was one thing she knew for sure. Logan would make his own way in life.
Sighing, she forced herself not to stare at him.
He was once again bent over his screen, working out numbers. His nimble fingers dancing across the screen as he tried to find a solution.
She wasn’t worried, she realized. Because Logan was here, he would think of something. Instead, she caught a brief look at his wide shoulders. His soft brown hair that might have grown a little beyond Navy regulations. The creases in his brow as he concentrated made her fingers ache with the need to caresses them away.
What would her father think?
Don’t be silly, she told herself. You are getting way ahead of the situation. It was only a kiss. One thing she was sure of. Logan had kissed a lot of women in his life. A man like him, his handsome face, those wide shoulders, the sparkle in his eyes when he laughed. Women would have melted at his feet for most of his life, she realized, as she thought of that Laura woman in the bar on Montlake.
A jealous surge flashed through her, surprising her. She realized that for the first time in her life she was actually jealous of another woman. In the past, she had never actually ever cared enough about a person to be that jealous. The feeling shocked her, but she didn’t put it away. Instead, she smiled to herself as she remembered. Laura was there, behind that tavern’s bar, alone. While she was here, next to this man.
True, they were being chased by people bent on destroying them. But there was nowhere else in the galaxy she would rather be than here, with Logan.
.o0o.
“Crap,” Logan said as he jumped out of his chair to peer at the screen.” His stomach had just dropped to his knees.
“You say that a lot, you know?” Kaylee said as she bent forward to try and see what Logan was seeing. But, as usual, the lines, and star charts and flashing numbers meant nothing to her.
“Yeah, well, lately, there has been more than enough reasons.” He said as he pulled up another screen.
“The ships has increased their speed,” he added. “I think they are getting ready to make their move. Like I thought. They waited until we had gone through the next wormhole and were out of immediate sight
of Valeria.”
“Won’t the beacon report what happens?” she asked.
“Only if someone queries it. But, that’s a good idea.” He said as his hands flew across the screen. A second later, he turned to her and smiled.
“I told the beacon that if they don’t hear anything from us, they are to broadcast the last day’s video feed to Valeria for relay to your father. At least someone will know what happened.”
Her eyes grew as big as a supernova. “Do you really think we might not make it?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. We might, but I think it is important that someone know.”
She nodded reluctantly. He could tell she wasn’t too happy about the idea of her father watching her get blown out of space. But what choice did he have in the matter? No one else in the galaxy gave a damn.
“Listen, Logan, I need you to do me a favor.”
He pulled his scrutiny away from the screen to look at her. She was worried, he realized. Obviously. The way her pretty white teeth pulled at the corner of her lips was a dead giveaway. But there was something more.
“I have something,” she said as she stared down at her hands. “Something I didn’t tell you about.”
“Okay,” he said slowly while his pulse rate jumped.
“I hid it in my room, under my clothes. Top drawer on the right. A data disk.”
“Okay,” he said again, just as slowly.
She smiled weakly and said, “It is a report. The report I used to convince my father that someone was trying to impact the Empires decision about the two planets Montlake and Pyre.”
Logan narrowed his eyes as he tried to understand. What was this all about and why tell him now? But he kept his mouth shut and waited.
“If anything happens to me,” Kaylee said, “make sure the report gets to the Empire. The foreign office.”
“Nothing is going to happen to you Kaylee,” Logan said, trying to reassure her. “Besides, if it did, I will already be dead.”
“Don’t say that,” she gasped. “And you don’t know. I just didn’t want there to be any more secrets between us. Please promise me, you will get the report to the Empire.”
He studied her for a long moment then nodded his head. “Yes, all right, if it will make you feel better. I will do what you want.”
She sighed heavily as her shoulders slumped with relief.
“It’s more than just trying to kidnap me,” she said. “I think there might be evidence in the report of a possible coup against the Emperor himself. My father didn’t agree. But, I think I might be right. They need to get that information as soon as possible.”
Again Logan slowly nodded his head. But it really didn’t matter. As he had said earlier. He would die before he let anything happen to this woman. There really was no other option.
The two of them sat there in silence for quite a while as they watched the distance to the trailing ship get smaller and smaller.
There wasn’t a thing he could do about it. The Princess was maxed out. In fact, they were probably pushing things a little more than they should.
Suddenly, the speaker crackled as the AI came online.
“A change in target,” it said as if it was announcing the arrival of the morning train. “The vessel has divided. It is now two vessels, not one.”
“What?” Kaylee said as she leaned forward.
“Damn,” Logan muttered as he shook his head. “They must have been in tight and lined up exactly right to deceive us.”
“What does that mean?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “We will see, it doesn’t really change things that much. One ship probably would have been enough. It just means they get to double their odds.”
The look of pure worry and fear on her face tore at his heart.
The A6127 came on line again. “Be advised, as per normal operating procedures, I am slowing this vessel as we make preparations to enter the next wormhole.”
Logan’s gut fell away. He should have realized.
Kaylee shot him a look of disbelief as she obviously waited for him to countermand the procedure.
“I can’t,” he said to her. “I have to let the ship slow down.”
Her brow narrowed in confusion. “Why?”
“Because,” he said. “It’s like threading a needle. It is hard enough at normal speed. We’ve been maxed out for hours. Too fast and course corrections become too little, too late. The chance of us missing increase dramatically. And if we miss, it will take two days to get back into position. All the time, being chased by those other ships.”
She slowly nodded in acceptance, then said, “Won’t they have to slow down also?”
“Yes, but with their power, they can do it in half the time and distance. I’m sorry, but by the time we get to the wormhole, they might be within range for their weapons. It might be just the other side of the wormhole. Or just before we get there. I don’t know yet.”
She frowned. “It is taking so long. I just wish it was over.”
He laughed. “Welcome to deep space,” he said. “Everything takes forever.”
The two of them continued to sit quietly as they approached the wormhole.
“It looks like it will be on the other side,” he said at last.
Kaylee nodded but didn’t say another word.
He had to do something. Something to slow those ships down. They only had two more jumps to make. One more intermittent, then the one into Taurus space. He was pretty confident, the ships wouldn’t follow him into Taurus. There was enough Navy stationed there to turn a full-sized planet into an asteroid field.
So, two jumps, two and a half days according to his readings. And that was at the best possible speed.
They had to do something. He had the ship's weapon systems. The same system that had been used against the Voltaire. A plasma cannon. Great for in close, but not too good at any distance.
Sighing, he racked his brain for an idea. Then, like a light coming on in a darkened room. It came to him. A way that might work.
Jumping from his chair, he rushed from the bridge.
“Stay here,” he said over his shoulder. “If anything changes, let me know. I’ll be right back.”
He didn’t turn to see if she had registered his instructions. If this had any chance of success, he had to hurry.
Starting at the engine room, he gathered every tool, non-critical spare part and anything that looked like it might be dangerous.
Piling the items into the airlock, he made a pass through each cabin until the airlock was crammed with items. This would only work once. There was no need to skimp on items.
Once he had things in place, he walked back to the bridge. His mind frantically trying to work out the best time to execute his plan.
“We are almost at the wormhole,” Kaylee said as her voice echoed down the passageway.
“A6127,” he said as he stepped on the bridge. “On my word ‘Execute,’ adjust our bearing so that the aft starboard quarter is lined up with the wormhole exit, drop the gravity field, then blow the outer door to the airlock.”
Kaylee frowned and started to ask him what he was doing.
“Do you mean open?” the computer asked.
“No,” he answered. “I mean blow. I want it blown off its hinges.”
“Acknowledge,” the computer said.
“Logan?” Kaylee asked, her shocked expression made him smile, but he didn’t have time to answer her. He held up a hand, letting her know to wait just a moment.
Instead, he focused everything he had on the screen and the approaching wormhole. How long between the time he said the word and the event would occur? he wondered.
If he waited too long, it wouldn’t work. Too early and he’d miss.
Holding his breath, he waited. The graphical representation of the wormhole grew larger and larger on the screen.
This had to work, he thought. Or at least slow them down. It might be their only chance.
&nb
sp; Kaylee studied him closely, it was obviously taking every bit of her willpower not to ask him what he was doing.
Logan watched the screen, almost there.
At last, as the nose of the ship entered the circle, the star field around them disappeared, replaced almost instantly with a new star field.
He let out a long breath and said, “Execute.”
The brand new star field twisted on the screen as the ship turned on its axis. As the field became stable, their gravity fell away. Logan’s stomach lurched, and he had to bite down to maintain control of his lunch.
Just as he locked his knees under the seat of his chair, a loud explosion vibrated through the ship.
The entire ship rocked back and forth. Without any gravity field, the ship moved around them. The lights flickered as the gravity generator fought to bring the gravity field back into alignment. At last, the ship stopped shivering, and Logan settled back into his chair.
Slowly, the star field shifted again as the computer brought the ship back onto its original course.
Gripping the armrest of the chair, Logan searched the screen.
At first, there was no sign. Nothing to show whether he had accomplished anything. Then, at last, a couple of blips appeared on the screen behind them. What was important were the hundreds of things that did not appear. Too small to show up on the system readouts. At least this far out.
“Yes,” he said as he pumped his arm back and forth.
“Can you tell me now?” Kaylee asked.
He smiled. “I just left a little present for our friends.”
Her brow narrowed in confusion. “You filled the airlock with things. Then dumped them in the path of those other ships. Won’t they be traveling at the same speed?”
Logan shook his head. “The items I left will be at a constant speed. I dropped them at our slowest speed, and the decompression will have slowed their momentum even more.
“The ships are about thirty minutes behind. When they jump through, they are going to push off at max speed. It gives them thirty minutes to overtake those items. They will be going fast enough that it could cause serious damage. Plus, when you first come through a wormhole, it takes a short while to get oriented and for the ship sensors to come back online.”