Jess held off firing a little longer, then unleashed all the Wanderers standard weaponry at the slightly closer corvette. Its shields buckled within seconds. The weapons quickly chewed through the body of the ship before striking the engines. Jess consoled himself with the fact that the end would have been quick for almost everyone on board.
Escape pods started to flare out from the second corvette even as Jess had the Wanderer open fire. It was a desperate attempt to get away, and one that was doomed to failure. The corvette died as quickly as the first two. The escape pods were still far too close when the engines exploded. The blast vaporised every single one of the tiny vessels.
Jess stared at the screen for a long time, fighting a chill inside. What if the escape pods had launched sooner? Would he have destroyed them? Could he really have killed people floating helpless in tiny shells of metal? No. He realised he couldn’t have.
That didn’t make him feel any better. He was torn inside. Part of him was relieved that the escape pods hadn’t made it free, while another part was sickened by that reaction.
“Sorry,” Jess finally whispered, too softly for anyone else to hear, before swinging the Wanderer back towards where the Shadow Beam was still locked onto the Steady Light.
*****
Sovon stared at the screen in disbelief as the third corvette was destroyed by the Wanderer. He’d never seen anything like that before, and he was starting to realise just how bad the situation had become.
He dragged his attention back to his own ship. If they didn’t repel the boarding action then he wouldn’t need to worry about the Wanderer. It seemed pretty likely that he was the target of the attack.
Tia had joined Dax and he on the bridge, all three were armed. Sovon’s other five agents held a strategic point in the bridge access corridor, sheltering behind barricades designed for exactly this purpose. Seven normal members of crew waited with them, the other eight had taken up positions at a choke point near the airlock. It was designed to draw any attackers into a deadly crossfire that would drive them back.
Sovon had several camera views of the choke area still on screens, all showing the massacre that had taken place. Not of the attackers though. They’d swept through the area in seconds, using what looked to Sovon like advanced boarding tactics and armour. In fact both tactics and armour looked suspiciously close to those employed by imperial marines. Sovon had seen them in action enough times to recognise the patterns, though not enough to be any use in defending the ship. The weapons though were the trusty fall back of nearly every organisation, including the empire. Gunpowder based weaponry in the form of shotguns, machine guns and pistols.
Now the attackers neared his agents and the other crew. The defenders started laying down fire and launching grenades down the corridor. The freighter was tough but nowhere near tough enough to withstand such explosions. Sovon didn’t care. They were deep enough in that decompression wasn’t a risk and this was an all or nothing defence.
Slowly he realised that something was wrong. The attackers weren’t returning fire. They were there, somewhere, though hidden by a swirling cloud of smoke they’d deployed. Just what were they planning?
The answer came in the form of a whooshing rush of air and a shape moving at rapid speed down the corridor. It fell to the floor and unfurled into a vicious looking offensive robot. It had landed squarely in the middle of the defenders. While Sovon’s agents were all still safe behind barricades, the robot had landed behind many of the other defenders.
The robot wasted no time in opening fire, killing first one then another of the defenders. With the attack coming from behind the barriers stopped offering protection and became traps. Several defenders dived over the top of their barriers, or rushed to the other side… only to be cut down by weapons fire from the attackers who had finally launched their offensive.
“Kill that robot,” Sovon shouted over the radio. Several of his agents were already targeting the machine, the rest joined in. The rest of the defenders still safely in cover opened fire on the robot too, as did those trapped between it and the attackers.
It was tough. It picked off three more exposed defenders before showing signs of being damaged, and another two before it finally gave up the ghost.
Movement caught Sovon’s eye and he realised the mistake he’d made. Concentrating all defensive fire on the robot had allowed the attackers to almost reach the defenders, negating the defensive benefits of the ship's design.
With almost clear lines of sight now the attackers threw grenades towards the defenders. Sovon stared in surprise as the attackers continued their charge, almost catching up with the grenades. Several were clearly struck by weapons fire but their armour shrugged off the damage.
Then the grenades exploded, and Sovon understood. They weren’t explosive grenades, they were stun grenades. Blinding flashes were accompanied by deafening claps of thunder that even made Sovon flinch where he sat on the bridge. All the attackers wore helmets and showed no ill effects. The defenders though… they were scattered across the floor, dazed and immobile.
Not for long. The attackers moved amongst the surviving defenders, coldly executing every one. Hardened as he had been by years as an agent Sovon only felt admiration for the thorough job.
Beside him Tia was showing the same reaction, another hardened professional. Dax though… despite his role as an agent he’d clearly not seen half the things Sovon had. He sat shaking his head at what he was seeing. Or maybe at seeing his colleagues, supposedly fierce agents, beaten so quickly and easily.
Sovon realised he had a decision to make. There was no doubt the attackers would reach them soon, as soon as the final defenders were killed. He couldn’t risk capture, unlikely as it seemed that the attackers wanted anyone alive. He had to end his life while he still could.
He reached for his gun… then froze as something metallic landed near his feet. A stun grenade! Looking up he saw that one attacker had slipped away from the others. Sovon, Tia and Dax had been focused on the killing, but that had been just another distraction.
Sovon smiled slightly, acknowledging how well the attackers had outmanoeuvred him and his men at every stage. The world exploded around him, blinding light and agonising sound flaying his mind and soul.
As he lay cradled on the floor, animal instinct driving him to curl into a ball, Sovon managed to hope that it would end soon… and wondered just what it would feel like to be shot in the head. Would he feel it at all? Would he have time to experience pain?
Something incredibly heavy smashed into the back of his head and everything went black.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Captain, we have control of the Steady Light,” Hackett said. “We have three survivors incapacitated from the bridge, including Sovon. The rest of the crew died during the attack. No casualties on our side other than the combat robot. That’s badly damaged.”
Dash frowned slightly at the news. Boarding actions where the crew resisted were often brutal, ugly affairs in which many of the defenders died or were badly wounded. Dash knew that.
It was the lack of wounded that worried at his mind. The nature of such fights meant speed was of the essence. As long as a defender was clearly out of the fight no one spent time making sure they were dead.
“No other wounded?” Dash asked.
“No sir. They put up one hell of a fight. Not enough to trouble us, but enough that we had to put a lot of lead into each of them.”
Dash shook off the worry. What Hackett said made sense. They’d discussed the possibility of Sovon having other agents on board, and Dash knew imperial agents were always tough as hell when cornered.
“Well done. Especially getting us through without any losses. The robot can be fixed or replaced, that’s what it’s there for.
We can’t bring everyone back on board so we should go in. Jasper, signal the Wanderer with the good news. Tell them we have three prisoners and that myself and ten men will be waiting with the prisoners fo
r the Wanderer’s shuttle.”
“Aye sir,” Jasper replied.
Hackett followed Dash through the airlock and into the Steady Light.
“Are you sure ten will be enough?” he asked, as they made their way through the carnage that marked the first contested area.
“Nine men in full boarding armour, you and I?” Dash responded. “Any more and they’d be suspicious. This way we have three men per prisoner, and the two of us. And if that isn’t enough force then I doubt anything short of a full platoon will be.
You saw what the Wanderer did to those corvettes. Either we make certain we can take the Wanderer or we don’t try. If we fail then we’ve got nowhere to fall back to, even assuming we could get out on the shuttle again. The Shadow Beam wouldn’t last ten seconds.”
Hackett didn’t answer. They continued to the bridge in silence. Once there Dash stared down at the unconscious form of Sovon. So much of his time recently had been devoted to determining whether this man was an imperial agent, whether he could be trusted, and now all that effort was complete. Dash didn’t feel pleased. He didn’t really feel anything, other than slightly numb.
Not for the first time he wondered just how he had come to be where he was, to have the power he did… and the responsibilities that went with it. And, as always, he quickly squashed that line of thought as the answer was littered with friends from the old days who had died along the way.
“Captain,” Jasper called over the radio. “The Wanderer has acknowledged your message. A shuttle is on its way now.”
“Thanks Jasper,” Dash sent back. “All right people, get organised. Let’s get our three prisoners down to the airlock, then you nine are coming with us. The rest of you get back on board the Shadow Beam and have Jasper make way for the shuttle. Let’s move!”
*****
Dash wasn’t sure what he’d expected to see when the airlock to the Wanderer’s shuttle opened. It certainly wasn’t a seven-foot tall, sleek looking robot that, despite having no obvious weaponry, sent chills down his spine.
“Captain Dash.” Jess’s voice emerged from the robot. “The shuttle is ready to bring you and the three prisoners over to the Wanderer. The robot will be staying.”
“Why?” asked Dash, feeling completely wrong footed.
“To secure any remaining crew, to patch up the thrusters and to fly the ship.”
“Fly the ship? Why?” Dash felt as if he was repeating himself, but couldn’t avoid it.
“This ship is still full of prisoners,” Jess said coldly. “Prisoners that we can’t free yet, but we sure as hell aren’t going to leave to drift in space till they die or imperial ships capture them again. Now, please stand aside.”
The robot moved forward. Dash and the others quickly stepped out of the way. The robot even moved differently from those he’d seen before. Its walk was more fluid, more balanced.
“How many of those things have you got?” he asked, quietly he’d thought.
Apparently not quietly enough. “Only three,” Jess’s voice came back to him from the departing robot. “We generally find that’s enough.”
“I’ll bet you do,” Dash muttered. Then he signalled to Hackett and the others. “Come on lets not keep our friends waiting. Get the prisoners on board. I for one want to start questioning captain Sovon as soon as possible.”
As the men obeyed his orders Hackett caught Dash’s eye. Dash just nodded slightly. He knew what Hackett was thinking — the robots were a definite worry. They couldn’t discuss it though. Dash was certain the shuttle would be wired to pass anything they said straight back to the Wanderer.
It didn’t make any difference to their immediate plans anyway. Board the shuttle, reach the Wanderer, judge whether an attempt to take control of the ship was reasonable… and take the chance if it was. The robots changed the odds somewhat, but not the plan.
*****
Sal sat on the sofa, staring at nothing. Inside she was a knot of tension. The shuttle was on its way back, carrying the man called Sovon with it. Soon she would find out the truth, whether Sovon really was the man she’d known as Markus. The man she’d loved. The man she still loved.
Part of her wanted to run, to hide away, to avoid risking tarnishing those memories. Another part of her knew the memories were already tarnished by the doubt that had been cast over them. The only way to resolve that doubt was to confront Sovon.
Part of the turmoil inside came because, deep down, she was convinced Roberto’s suspicions would be proven correct. She hoped not, of course. But she couldn’t shake the feeling.
“The shuttle is docking,” Jess said quietly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Are you ready?”
Sal gritted her teeth and nodded, standing up. Jess gave her a quick smile then turned towards the airlock doors. Elizabeth and Ali were also waiting nearby.
“I still say this is dangerous,” Elizabeth said. “We can’t trust them.”
“I know,” Jess replied. “But it’s the only way to get hold of Sovon. If they do try anything then the Wanderer will give them a few nasty surprises.” He paused for a moment. “Here we go…”
Sal struggled to breath as the airlock doors started to open. First she saw Roberto. Then she saw Markus… Sovon… behind, completely unconscious and supported by two of Roberto’s men. She rushed forward, running till she reached Sovon then nearly collapsed as her legs gave way.
One of Roberto’s men managed to catch her before she hit the floor. Something sharp in his hand caught her in the back. She hardly noticed. She only had eyes for the man who might be her lost love.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Dash sat deep in thought as their shuttle approached the Wanderer. Something had been worrying at him the whole way, something deeply important, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it.
Was it something about the plan? Was there some flaw? No, that wasn’t it. So what was? He let his mind play back over recent events and, finally, realised what it was.
Jess had spoken passionately about saving the slaves on the damaged Steady Light. He and Sal had already chosen to free every slave on their own ship. They were doing something right, something important. They were fighting against the darkness. They were doing what Dash had started out doing, long before, when he had fled from imperial service.
Dash knew that he’d changed down the years. He knew the sacrifices he’d made in the name of surviving, or winning, or to be able to right other wrongs. And he still stuck to some of the codes of behaviour he’d set himself… when circumstances allowed.
He knew all that, but what Jess and Sal had achieved shone a powerful light upon his own life. Made him realise just how far he had fallen from his idealistic self. Dash felt as if that earlier self had suddenly awakened, looked around and then recoiled in horror at what it found. He felt ashamed.
And here he was planning to take the Wanderer from Jess and Sal, to take the ship that must play a large part in their ability to achieve so much. This was no passive choice, no acceptance of harsh realities. What he planned would be a kick in the face to everything his younger self had believed in. A deliberate act that would prevent the Wanderer going on to save others.
His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle bump, followed by Jess’s voice.
“Welcome aboard the Wanderer. The bay you landed in has been pressurised and we are waiting beyond the airlock.”
“Come on Captain,” Hackett said, clapping Dash on the shoulder. “Let’s not keep our hosts waiting.”
Hackett signalled to the men. Three pairs lifted the unconscious prisoners between them. The other three followed close behind. Dash and Hackett followed them off the shuttle then walked past towards the airlock. Dash used a coded signal to Hackett, reinforcing that no action should be taken unless he gave the order. Hackett nodded slightly.
Then the airlock doors were sliding open, and Dash saw Jess in person for the first time. Dash was shocked by just how young Jess was, much younger than he’d
seemed during their discussions.
The shock quickly faded as he studied Jess though. There was something about the young captain, something in the way he held himself, that spoke of experience beyond his apparent age. Dash thought back to Jess’s recent actions, his destruction of three corvettes and the smaller ships, and the attitude made sense.
Then Dash saw Sal. His heart skipped a beat and he found himself smiling slightly. Sal only had eyes for their prisoner though, for the man who was Sovon the captain and might well be Markus the slave.
She rushed forwards until she stood before Sovon, then crashed towards the floor. Only Hackett’s fast reactions saved her from being badly hurt.
“Well done,” he said to Hackett.
“Thank you sir,” Hackett replied, smiling widely. “The wasp is deployed.”
Dash felt ice run down his veins. No! Not Sal! He realised in that moment that he would never have ordered the attack. Seeing Jess in the flesh, and seeing Sal again, had crystallised his doubts. He wouldn’t interfere with the path the Wanderer had taken.
But now Hackett had launched the attack. He’d seen an opportunity and taken it, apparently certain that it was what Dash would order. How dare he do that when Dash had explicitly told him to wait for an order. Dash felt boiling anger replace the chill in his veins.
“Stand down!” he ordered Hackett. “Stand down now and disarm the wasp.”
Hackett’s face showed his confusion.
“We have the advantage Captain. This was the plan, and it’s worked. We have a hostage, we have our men on board wearing assault armour and there’s nothing they can do to stop us.”
Sal started to struggle in Hackett’s arms. As she began to wriggle free Dash heard the rising electronic whistle of a wasp preparing to detonate.
Wanderer - Echoes of the Past Page 21