The Tactics of Revenge thc-4

by T. R. Harris

  “Yes, we handle Class-3’s,” said the female creature. “However, there are security considerations when working on a Juirean.”

  “I realize that,” Kaylor lied. “Do you have the proper clearances?”

  “Yes, but only two of our ships are equipped for such a job, and one is on station already. You did say four days until arrival? If that is the case, then we should have either ship available.”

  “How will they be dispatched?”

  The attendant was surprised by the question. “No particular procedure,” the creature said slowly. “Whichever crew is in rotation, that would be the normal process.”

  “What will be the cost?”

  The attendant eyed the four of them before answering. “You should know that there is no charge for the Juireans. All energy modules come from them in the first place.”

  Sherri stepped forward, placing her hand on Kaylor’s shoulder. “Please forgive my apprentice here,” she said warmly to the other female. “He is new and we were letting him experience an order on his own. Of course we know there is no cost for Juireans. Who doesn’t know that?”

  “Apparently he doesn’t,” the alien said pointedly. “I have had limited experience with Belsonians before, and from the ones I have met, they do not seem to be the smartest beings in the galaxy, are they?”

  “Very far from it,” Sherri agreed, as she shoved Kaylor behind her, seeing the ire building on his face. Riyad completed the action by placing Kaylor behind him and nearly out of sight of the attendant. “In truth, we have not had too many contracts for the Juireans. This ship is traveling alone without its normal compliment of support vessels. What of the other contractors here; do they also have the proper security to work on Juireans?”

  “Only Travess,” said the attendant. And then she leaned across the desk, a little closer to Sherri. “In all truthfulness, since we will not receive a fee for the recharge, you are more than welcome to book the procedure through them.”

  It was all Sherri could do to keep from laughing out loud. She was amazed at how alike most species were when you got right down to it. Each had their own wants, needs and desires, and more often than not, they overlapped among all intelligent creatures, no matter their point of origin.

  “I completely understand,” Sherri said grinning — while keeping her lips together. “Since you know they’re coming, maybe you could tell the Juireans that all your recharge ships are already previously booked. I will certainly convey this to my superiors. That way Travess will naturally be awarded the contract, freeing your crews for actual paying customers.”

  The alien beamed. “You would do that for me? I am in your favor. Without your forewarning, my company would have been obligated to take the contract. But in truth, I can certainly book the security ships on other vessels prior to the arrival of the Juirean, if even for simple maintenance. This is something I would not have done normally. That way I would truly have no ships available for the recharge should my schedule be checked.”

  “I’m so glad I could help. But between us, I do not believe I will approach Travess until just before the arrival. I will make it a surprise for them.”

  After a few more moments of gushy thank you’s between the two females, the foursome eventually left the building and returned to the JU-224

  The Zinnol star had set by the time they arrived, and the moonless night would normally have been pitch-dark except for the countless lights coming from the buildings all around the spaceport. Like most centers catering to interstellar travel, this part of Ragnor Lin never slept. With spaceships arriving and departing at all hours, there was a constant need for service, be it for the travelers or for the natives just getting off their shifts. The various businesses surrounding the spaceport ran around the clock shifts. It was the only part of Ragnor Lin that looked to be even the slightest bit prosperous.

  Back at the Exitors, the two aliens and five Humans felt quite satisfied with the progress made in the short time they’d been on the planet. Their ships would be recharged, they knew which company would get the contract to service the Juireans, and come the next day, they would scout the shuttle port located to the north of the commercial spaceport for the ships that would actually service the Juirean battleship.

  Kaylor, however, was still upset at having been insulted at the dispatch office. How was he supposed to know Juireans weren’t charged for energy? He’d never worked in a recharge station before. Sherri and the rest of the Humans played with his emotions for a while, until they realized Kaylor was taking their ribbing seriously.

  “Kaylor we’re all friends here,” Sherri said finally. “We’re just having a little fun. You did great today, and with your help we have a much better chance now of rescuing Adam.”

  Kaylor seemed to relax a little, even though Sherri could tell he was still upset. “We still have a very dangerous task ahead of us, and the responsibility for its success will fall more directly on you Humans,” Kaylor said in an effort to dampen the good mood in the room — which had been achieved at his expense.

  Yet even in the face of danger and uncertainty, the Humans continued to smile and joke among themselves. Kaylor grew more frustrated, and soon rose from the couch. “I am going to my room now. The recharge crews will be here early in the morning and I need my sleep.”

  The Humans waited until he had left the room before they all let loose with a flood of laughter.

  Jym, who had been seated next to Kaylor on the couch, also got up. “You Humans are a mean and cruel race.”

  “Don’t take things so personally, Jym,” John Tindal said. “We’re just having a little fun. After all, it’s been a long time since we’ve had anything to laugh about.”

  “Still, you have hurt his feelings. I will now go to see if he is all right.”

  To Riyad’s surprise he found himself saying: “Tell him we are sorry. Kaylor is an integral part of our team, as are you. Out of all the aliens I’ve met and associated with, you two are the only two I can truly call friends.”

  Sherri was equally shocked by the admission from Riyad. He had always been the most cold-hearted creature she’d ever met, be it Human or alien.

  The compliment was not lost on Jym, either. “I am grateful for your comments and will convey them to Kaylor. He will find them to be soothing, I am sure.”

  After Jym had also left the room, Riyad looked around at the others, all staring back at him with stunned looks of their own. Finally Riyad smiled and simply said, “What a putz!”

  Sherri just locked her eyes on Riyad. There may be hope for him after all.

  Chapter 32

  Early the next day the two recharge crews showed up right on time. There were five members of each team — for surface recharging. Since neither Kaylor nor Jym had ever been aboard a ship large enough to require an orbital recharge, they had no idea how many would be on those crews. That was something they would have find out.

  The most striking feature about the crew that showed up was their uniforms. Even though the ten workers consisted of beings from three different species, they all wore the same bright green outfits, custom-fit to their body style. They covered nearly every square inch of their bodies, leaving only their eyes to peer out through special goggles. The only two creatures not to wear the full-body uniforms were the two supervisors.

  With the hazardous nature of the work, the uniforms made sense. They would also provide the perfect cover for the Humans in the assault team. Kaylor could go in dressed normally — as a supervisor — and help with the cover story the team would project.

  The recharge crews also came with chests full of the necessary tools required to run exhaust tubes, insulted power lines and to help install the new power modules. These chests would allow the team to take ample firepower aboard the Juirean ship with them.

  Chief Rutledge had trained Sherri and Riyad in the use of the Heckler amp; Koch MP7A1 submachines they had onboard. These weapons were part of the initial cache the SEALs had bro
ught with them from Earth, when they escaped just as the Juirean bombardment was taking place. The MP7 was a Close Quarter Battle — or CQB — submachine gun, ideal for operations within houses, buildings, aboard seafaring ships — and even starships. It was lightweight and compact, with ample firepower to rip through any alien flesh or battle armor, yet not powerful enough to risk puncturing the hull. It also came with a 40-round magazine, which could come in handy against a force of over ninety aliens.

  As the Chief had explained to Sherri and Riyad — the other three SEALs didn’t need instruction — the numerical superiority of the aliens could be overcome by locking down access points with sustained coverage. One well-placed and amply-stocked gunman could hold off an entire army if the attackers could only travel two abreast down a narrow corridor. And even a pile of dead bodies could serve as an effective barricade against an attacking force.

  As it turned out, most of Riyad’s early training had consisted almost entirely of CQB techniques. Most terrorist firefights were planned for inside buildings, ships or airplanes. But as had often happened during previous missions with the SEALs, Riyad was in complete awe of their weapons, training and abilities. He had often thought that if Middle Eastern terrorists-in-training were to ever spend even a week observing the SEALs in action, the radical mullahs and sheiks would have had a much harder time finding gullible recruits for their jihads.

  While the recharge was underway, Jym spent time in the Library researching the energy company known as Travess. Once the contract workers had departed, Jym called everyone to the landing bay of the JU-224 for a briefing. He brought slides.

  “I have discovered information that even Kaylor and I did not know about power distribution within the Expansion,” the feisty little alien began. “It is true that the Juireans control all of it. Apparently they maintain three planets just outside the Alliance Cluster where they produce the fissionable material that goes into the power modules. The process is very complicated and expensive, as well as restricted by the Juireans to only themselves and their designated contractors. In times past, apparently there were literally a thousand such worlds where energy production was practiced. But as the Expansion took over, the Juireans strongly enforced the current embargo. Now only a few underground operations are in existence, and they are constantly sought out and expunged by the Juireans.”

  Jym turned to the large monitor he’d set up earlier and pressed a remote control in his hand. The picture of large building appeared, consisting of a long sloping roof and one tall side rising up perpendicular to the ground. It looked like a large pyramid laid on its side. “This is the Travess headquarters building on Sagus Un, on the Wanneus side of the galaxy.”

  “Hold up there a minute,” Lieutenant Tobias called out. “I appreciate all the work you’ve put into this, Jym, but we don’t need a history lesson to mount this op. And what the hell is a Wanneus side of the galaxy?”

  Jym regarded the much larger being for a moment, a look of defiance on his hairy face. When he continued speaking, his voice was lower and more cadenced. “Forgive me Andy Tobias, but I am just being thorough. Once you understand a brief summary of how energy is distributed through the Expansion, you might be better able to do your job.”

  Tobias bristled and locked his jaw, but remained seated. “Then by all means, please continue,” he said, his own voice an octave lower.

  “And the Wanneus side of the galaxy is the side where Juir is located. We are currently on the Orumo side. I do not know why they are called such, but would be happy to research it for you.”

  Tobias shook his head quickly. “No, that won’t be necessary. I’ll take your word for it.”

  “As I was saying, the Travess operation is headquartered on the Wanneus side of the galaxy about a hundred light years from Juir. They are one of a hundred and twenty individual contractors the Juireans have chosen to distribute the recharged modules throughout the Expansion. They are quite a large company, and are one of nine such operations here on Zinnol. But being one of the oldest and biggest, they are also one of only fifteen which can recharge Juirean vessels throughout the Expansion. They even supply most of the support energy ships for the Juirean fleet.”

  Jym changed images on the screen, this time showing a boxy shuttlecraft with two large external chemical lifters attached to each side. In the forward section of the ship was a long tube extending out about twenty meters. The craft was painted in a bright orange with two green stripes running diagonally from the top of the fuselage and down around the side lifter units.

  “This is a Travess recharging shuttle. It is a vessel like this that they use to shuttle energy modules to orbit. Their fleet service ships are much larger, yet they are all painted with this same distinctive color and pattern.”

  “Great job, Jym,” Tobias said, trying to smooth any ruffled feathers between him and the tiny alien. “They should be easy to spot in the shuttle port.”

  “This is true, however, you must be instructed on how to approach a Juirean warship in orbit so as to not get blown to atoms by appearing to be a threat.”

  “Of course. Please continue.”

  The tiny bear-like creature was enjoying his moment in the spotlight before all the much bigger and stronger aliens. Using his controller, he sent out a thin red laser beam that pinpointed the long tube projecting from the front of the shuttle.

  “This is the module transfer tube. Kaylor, I’m assuming you will be piloting the shuttle, which the Humans will have secured for you.” It was a statement more than a question, so he didn’t wait for an answer before continuing. He pressed the controller again and a diagram of a Juirean Class-3 battleship appeared on the monitor. With the pointer he highlighted a section of the starboard side of the starship, near the aft. “There is an access port located here which the module transfer tube connects to. If you spend any time trying to locate the port, the Juireans may suspect you are not a real recharging crew. There will also be a very defined course to approach the Juirean ship, which hopefully is programmed into the shuttle’s nav computer. Otherwise Kaylor will have to use his best judgment on the approach and hope it works.”

  Everyone took a moment to look at Kaylor, who began to squirm in his seat. Sherri, who was seated next to him, reached over and patted his arm. “I have confidence in you, Kaylor. You’re the best pilot I’ve ever seen.”

  Even though her words seemed to make Kaylor feel better, she knew she wasn’t telling the full truth. Although Kaylor could pilot just about any spacecraft ever made, she had no doubt that Riyad, Adam and Chief Rutledge were probably better pilots than Kaylor, based upon their natural coordination and reaction times. But for what he was expected to do, Kaylor was — well, adequate.

  Jym continued. “Once you are docked, a two-being crew moves along the tube, transporting the modules. In the meantime, another access umbilical is extended from the top of the shuttle and the other members of the recharge crew enter the interior of the ship from a portal above, right here.” He pinpointed the location with his beam.

  “Once onboard you will be in the main generator room. The fuel modules are placed in the reactors, of which there are a total of nine aboard a Class-3. You must take caution that the drained modules are removed first and placed in secure containers-”

  Riyad raised his hand to get Jym’s attention. “You do realize we are not going aboard to actually recharge the Juirean ship, don’t you? All of this is just an excuse to get onboard.”

  Jym stared out at the faces looking back at him. He looked so disappointed. Sherri was sure he had an entire presentation prepared on exactly how to recharge a Class-3 starship, from start to finish. He looked back at his monitor and then back to the silent audience.

  “Of course, Riyad Tarazi, you are right.”

  “So where do you think Adam would be kept onboard the Juirean ship. Do they have a brig — a jail,” Tobias said, allowing Jym an out.

  “They do not have a jail. However, Adam Cain may be in the m
edical center, as a result of his injuries. However, that was over fifty days ago, and I have witnessed how fast Humans heal from injury. He should be fully functional by now.”

  “So you have no idea where he could be?” Chief Rutledge asked.

  “Impossible to tell, but there are two quarantine cells in case a crewmember is exposed to radiation or a foreign virus of some sort, although this is very rare within the Expansion.”

  “Where are they located?”

  Jym used his pointer to highlight an area to the port side of the medical center. “These rooms would be secure, and with locking devices.”

  Lt. Tobias stood up and moved to the monitor. The medical center was located about a third of the way up the ship from the generator rooms and two levels higher. That was a lot of territory to cover aboard a hostile ship. “Where is the main crew berthing areas, Jym?”

  Jym seemed delighted that the Humans were now turning to him for expert advice. He stepped up to the monitor and pointed with his hairy hand. “Here and here, toward the rear of the vessel, on the same level as the main generator access. The generator rooms are four levels high, yet access is from the lowest levels.”

  Tobias studied the diagram for several moments. The rescue team would have to navigate one of two long corridors, moving right past the main berthing compartments, and then access the medical center level by moving up two flights of stairways — and that was even assuming Adam was in one of the quarantine cells. The team would have to move fully one-third of the length of the starship, and then return the same way. He had hoped for a clandestine operation, spiriting Adam away before being noticed. But that wasn’t going to happen now.

  Lt. Tobias turned to the others seated in the landing bay. “Our mission is not only to rescue Mr. Cain, but to also escape without gettin’ ourselves killed in the process. The only way to accomplish both objectives will be to take over control of the whole fucking ship.”