by P J Strebor
"Did they give you any trouble?"
"Didn't know what hit them. But captain, there are a few of them still unaccounted for. I've sent a few of my people after them but, well…it's a big ship, right?"
"Call your people back and post your guards. I don't want those bastards getting anywhere near the vital systems. How long to bring the generator on line?"
"We’ve just started, but we will need the best part of half a day to fit the components and more time for fine tuning."
"Very well John, but anything you can do to shave time off that would be good."
"I'll do my best captain."
"I'm sure that you will. Bridge out."
He turned to the crewmembers who had overpowered the guards. "How's Harry?"
Harry Walder Telford had his torn thigh tied up in a tourniquet. "I'm fine, skipper." His drawn, pallid complexion said differently.
"Put him on the couch in the day cabin then get back here. I have a job for you."
As they picked Harry up Lucas turned back to the bridge. "Rebecca, reduce speed to one quarter."
"Yes captain," she replied.
He walked over to the First Officer's station where Mary busied herself by cleaning the blood from Nathan's hands and clothing.
His expression hardened into the sort of unyielding mask that captains were supposed to have. Yet he felt an undeniable pride in his son. "Nathan, we shall need to talk later."
Lucas suppressed the urge to smile when Nathan, eleven going on thirty-one, raised his eyebrows curiously as if to say 'who me?' He had probably saved his sister’s life, but he had disobeyed orders in the process. Again.
"Mary, I would like you to take the attack squad and organize search parties for the missing guards. Use some of our passengers if you have to, but I want those bastards found."
"Certainly captain." She seemed overly pleased with the task of bringing down the last of Manson's bodyguards. "Who do you want manning my station?" Her eyes shifted surreptitiously to Nathan.
Nathan may have disobeyed orders, but he had also showed incredible courage and a mature initiative beyond his years. He had taken the disadvantage of his diminutive size and turned it into a plus. No one else on the bridge could have squeezed into the crawlspace under the Damage Control console.
"Nathan, you have been observing bridge operations for some time now. What do you do if anything out of the ordinary shows up on the external sensor feeds?"
"Report immediately to the captain," he snapped back. "If the captain is unavailable the next senior bridge officer should be informed."
"Do you think you can cover the station while the First Officer and I are away?"
"Yes, captain."
"Carry on."
"Aye-aye, sir."
Lucas turned away before the smile darted from the corner of his mouth. The sight of Manson sitting at the DCS darkened his mood. With enduring pain he recalled the day that Manson had 'retired' Amy Telford.
"Very well people time to get back to work. We aren't out of this yet."
Henry Telford guarded the colonel with an expression that said he would be extremely pleased if the Pruessen tried anything.
"I expect that we will be getting a call from Kania at any time now.” He turned his attention to the colonel. “This is where you keep your side of the bargain."
Lucas felt his gut twist as Manson's foul smile returned.
CHAPTER 3
Safe in the knowledge that the Athenian ship could not escape created a condition of complacency among their captors. Over the years the guard compliment on the ship had shrunk to a token force of less than a platoon of indolent camp guards. Although the garrison guards regularly rotated through duty on Bellinda, they all consider their assignment to the freighter as a great way of catching up on their sleep. Without such a flaccid attitude Bellinda's interned Athenians could never have accomplished so much.
The task of restoring the hyper generator had been accomplished piece by precious piece, at enormous personal peril, right under the noses of the guards. They had either manufactured, stolen or purloined through the underground black market, the parts they needed to rebuild their hyper generator. Each individual component had been fitted into place on the gutted remains of the generator then checked and rechecked with painstaking care. If the part passed the test it was hidden away in one of a myriad of secret alcoves throughout the ship. Nathan and the other children were virtually invisible to the guards so they made the obvious choice. Soon the pressure got to the older children and only Nathan showed the courage and tenacity to stand toe to toe with a guard and keep his nerve. All the time, concealed on his person, a small piece of technology that, if discovered would be fatal for him and many of the crew. The individual pieces of the hyper generator remained like hidden treasure waiting for the day when they would finally be fitted together to restore the generator to full use.
Kulak's close proximity to the southern frontier certainly contributed significantly to their hopeful escape bid. Putting all other matters aside, Kulak contained something unique, something very special and something for which the crew would risk all. It bound the them together with a fervent purpose akin to a holy quest.
"Captain, team six reports that the last of the security guards have been accounted for." Mary Telford took her hand away from the comm. earpiece and sat back in the first officer's chair sporting a satisfied smile. "Our people found the bastards hiding on deck nineteen near the reclamation bins."
"Along with the rest of the shit," David chimed in from the Navigation Station.
A grin cut the captain's face, finding a host of mirrored reactions throughout the bridge. It had taken far too long to track down the missing guards.
Years of abuse under the guard’s unchecked brutality had resulted in a cumulative attitude. When Mary said that the guards had been 'accounted for' everyone recognized the comment as a less than subtle euphemism.
"Excuse me captain?" Mary asked.
Lucas straightened in his chair. "I said it's about bloody time." He realized that he had begun slurring his words. During the past eight hours he had divided his time between organizing search parties, assisting with the reconstruction of the generator, and arranging to have the Kulak slaves removed from the now foul smelling holds and redistributed throughout the ship. There had been no time for sleep. A condition shared by all of Bellinda's crewmembers.
The comm. panel beeped once at his elbow. "Captain."
"Skipper, we have all the components fitted and have run the initial tests."
"Well done, John."
"Thank you, captain, but now we need to go fully active if we are to align the harmonics."
"And when you do that Kania will detect it."
"That could prove to be a bit of a problem."
Lucas snorted. "I'll see what I can do about it. Captain out."
He swung around to face Jackson Telford at the communications alcove. Predicting his captain’s next order he pulled a sour face. "I don't want to hear it Jack,” he said shaking his head. “Just get the colonel up here.”
"Captain we are thirty minutes from insertion into orbit of Kulak four."
"Very well," Lucas said.
They had run out of time. Once within the orbit of Kulak IV any chance of escape would be gone.
Lucas tapped the comm. stud. "Janine, how are things going down there?"
The ship’s cargo officer sounded exhausted. "The charges are set, the jettison thrusters are in place and the magnetic constrictors are at full capacity."
"Very well. Let's hope that your services are not required."
"I will have both fingers and toes crossed."
Lucas heard the bridge hatch rumble aside and signed off. He drew in a slow breath to calm his rising ire then stood and turned to face the newcomer.
Manson had recovered most of his confidence since the early encounter and stood between the two Athenian guards
as he would if they were members of his personal guard. The smugness of the creature made his blood boil. Something caught the colonel's attention off to Lucas' right and shortly thereafter the smirk ran from his face.
Nathan sat in the jump chair next to his mother with his knife in hand. He brushed it across his palm back and forth while retaining venomous eye contact with the colonel.
Lucas suppressed a smile. "Colonel Manson."
The swine jerked his gaze away from Nathan and turned to Lucas, "How may I be of assistance to you, captain?"
"One performance only is required then you can spend the rest of the voyage in your quarters."
"And when we reach Athenian space, you will honor your pledge?"
Lucas swallowed bile. "I said I would, didn't I."
Manson nodded and pointed to the Damage Control console.
Lucas nodded curtly. So much depended on the one man aboard ship who Lucas most wanted dead. But he could not overlook the fact that he had given his pledge to this creature.
Now the game began.
CHAPTER 4
Time: 22nd February, 309 ASC.
Position: Kulak system. Pruessen Empire. The Tunguska Fault.
Status: Pruessen Naval attack boat Kania, on escort duty.
With everything in order Captain Janzen left the bridge, walked into his ready room and fell onto the couch. He rubbed his face vigorously. Intersystem escorts were such a doddle. Half a day out, half a day back. The same routine, infinitum. After two years of the constant monotony he was more than ready for a change.
As a full grade lieutenant in the Imperial Navy, he had jumped at the opportunity for his own command. Kania might not represent much of a ship but in the larger scheme of things, the prestige of any command position on his record could only be good for his long-term career prospects. He also had to admit that the title of captain felt pretty damn good. However, nothing ever happened in this back end of imperial space.
Janzen sometimes wondered why the Empire bothered to have a naval presence in Kulak. No League ship would ever violate their quarantine protocols by coming north of the frontier and the once feared slave uprising had been squashed over twenty years ago. Twenty-two years under the HRS whip had cowered and beaten what remained of the population. Not just beaten physically and mentally, but to the point where their very spirit had been thrashed from them.
“Captain,” his XO reported, “the slave ship has slowed again. We are matching speed with her.”
“Very well.” With the colonel aboard Bellinda, Janzen was loathed to contact him on a matter he probably had under control. He sniffed. Besides, the guy was a fucking nut job.
Janzen wondered about his future. Perhaps if he put in for a transfer he could cash in on his experience in Kulak. More through boredom than fatigue he drifted into a light sleep. He jumped as the alert condition alarm sounded.
“Captain to the bridge, captain to the bridge.”
Janzen wiped sleep from his eyes and sprinted onto the bridge.
“XO, what’s happening?”
“Bellinda reports a massive reactor power surge. They say they are in danger of a catastrophic core breach.”
"Are we still docked with her?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Helm, undock and give me some distance from Bellinda,” Janzen said. “Comm, put me through to her."
"Aye captain."
On the visual display the captain of the slave ship appeared. Sweat dripped from his face. Through a thin smoky haze Janzen could just make out a crewman slumped over his console, blood running from his face. Telford coughed.
“Captain Telford,” Janzen said, “report your condition.”
The slave captain appeared disorientated and panicky. He coughed again.
“Sir, we have a major reactor overload. Conduits rupturing all over the ship. Reactor approaching critical. What are your orders sir?”
His XO whispered, “If she blows this close to the orbital space dock …”
Janzen nodded. It will damage the OSD, perhaps too badly to be repaired. And it will destroy Kania.
“Captain Telford, you will immediately come about. Take your ship out of the shipping lanes at full speed.”
“But sir,” he pleaded, “what about my crew?”
I don’t give a shit about a bunch of slaves.
“Telford, do as you’ve been ordered,” Janzen shouted. The slave’s face took on an expression of shock and fear. Janzen softened his tone. “Telford, it’s possible if you bleed off energy to your engines it will balance your reactor.”
The slave’s face showed a glimmer of hope. “Yes sir, my chief engineer thinks so too. He says we will need to maintain a full power acceleration for four hours to stand any chance of closing down the reactor.”
A slight spark of concern ran down Janzen’s spine. He ignored it.
“Cutting in here, captain.”
“Of course, Colonel Manson.” A shiver ran down Jansen’s back.
“My guards and I will keep things on track over here. And we will take as long as we need to take to solve this problem. I’m not going to waste any more of my time on this rust bucket than I have to. We’ll be back when we’re back. Acknowledge, Captain Jansen.”
Although flustered Jansen managed to choke out, “Aye, colonel.”
Janzen straightened his back as the screen blinked off.
“She’s turning about and accelerating to full power,” Behrens said.
Captain Janzen slumped into his chair beside his XO. Well, you wanted a little excitement didn’t you?
“Captain,” Behrens said, “permission to speak, ah … candidly.
Janzen nodded.
“Sir, I agree that getting the slave ship away from orbit, and us, is sound. But sir I have concerns.”
“Lieutenant you’ve been posted here for… how long now?”
“Two months sir.”
“Yes, two months. I’ve been here two years and I know the minds of these people well enough to tell you that there is no problem. Slaves are broken and the Athenians aboard Bellinda are no different from any other slaves I’ve seen. And consider this.” He held his hand and ticked off his points on his fingers. “When she was captured we removed all of her weapons, her long range communications and navigation.” He tapped his second finger. “We have thirty of the colonel’s personal guard stationed aboard her should the need arise. It never has.” Third finger. “Finally, we have components from her hyper generator onboard. She’s not going anywhere.”
“I guess you’re right sir,” Behrens said. “It’s just that I, well, sir, I …”
“Spit it out man,” Janzen snapped.
“Well sir, it just doesn’t feel right.”
Janzen laughed and slapped the youngster on the shoulder. “Relax lieutenant. If she’s not back in,” he paused remembering Manson’s words, “a reasonable time we’ll go and get her.”
“Aye, sir.”
CHAPTER 5
Time: 22nd February, 309 ASC.
Position: Kulak system. Pruessen Empire.
Status: Freighter Bellinda, heading out of system.
Lucas Telford examined Bellinda’s disheveled bridge. Smoke lay thick in the air, the sharp tang making his nose twitch. Time, it’s all a matter of time.
“Captain,” Mary said, “we’ve cleared Kania’s sensor envelope.”
Lucas glanced at the first officer’s station. Mary and Nathan stared back. Lucas smiled with more confidence than he felt. Nathan nodded, his mouth stretched into a determined line. Spending his formative years in slavery has aged my boy. An eleven year old shouldn’t have a man’s blood on his hands.
“Very well Mary, bring the extractors back up.” Like any good first officer his wife had anticipated his order. As he looked to the communications alcove the smoke began to thin. The body remained slumped over the console, blood drying where if fell.
“Okay Jack, t
ime to come back to life.”
Jack Telford raised his head. “Hey, what about my performance?”
“You play an excellent corpse.”
"May I return to my quarters now?" Manson's outstanding arrogance came from playing God for so long. Yet he had met his part of the bargain. Now Lucas would meet his obligations to the four family and crewmembers who had died at this sadist’s hand. Including his mother.
"Certainly colonel. However I’ve assigned you new quarters."
"New quarters?" Manson stiffened, sensing danger. "You gave me your word Telford."
"And I keep my word." Lucas’ smile creased into an ugly sneer. "No member of this crew will harm you." He glanced at Manson’s guards. "Escort the colonel to his new quarters … on deck fifteen."
All decks below sixteen were full of Kulak slaves. Manson knew it.
"No, no, you can't do this. You promised, damn you Telford you promised." His voice rose high and scratchy.
"You’re right you sick freak, I did give you my word, and I honor it now. Guards, make certain that neither of you harm the colonel en route."
Manson struggled against the two large Athenians to no avail. "Telford you promised, you promised!" Manson's screams died away as the bridge hatch snapped shut.
Lucas fell into the captain’s chair and took a deep breath.
“Jack, put me through to engineering.”
“Channel open, skipper.”
“John, what’s happening down there?”
“Same as the last time you called me, Lucas,” his uncle growled. “We’re fitting the components as quickly as possible but you’re asking me to do ten hours work in four so don’t push it.”
Lucas opened his mouth to reply.
“And before you ask,” John continued, “we’ll get them fitted in time. Then we have to calibrate the harmonics for ingression to hyperspace. And when we do that …”
“Yeah, I know. Let’s hope Kania isn’t in range at the time. That would make things … difficult.”
John snorted. “Lucas, I’ve made no guarantees to you. This jury rigged contraption might not even work.”