Katyia could hear sounds of a battle raging outside the barge. Two soldiers remained aiming weapons at her head, while two more proceeded to take her laser pistol and restrain her hands. Pulling her along beside them, they hauled her towards the temporary landing they’d created to board the barge.
Through the thin veil of the micro-film they’d used to glue a temporary locking bay in place, Katyia could see other pieces of the convoy stretched out in space. The front half of the group seemed to be continuing to steam away into the distance. “Good for them,” she thought. “Hope they make it back to Earth.”
She couldn’t see the protection detail, but could hear direct hits that seemed to be engaging the cutter they were boarding. The pirates weren’t going to get out of this unscathed, and she doubted that they’d get more than this one barge full of ore.
The rear of the convoy had had a separate tug engine that could also act as a driver. So perhaps the end barges escaped as well. She could hope at least. “Give ‘em hell, Chloe,” she thought as they slammed the door of a small bunk room in her face. The lock clicked resolutely into place. “Damn,” she thought, then sat down to think.
Chapter 18
Faction Action
Boots thumped rhythmically down the corridors of Frontier Station as Razorback Guard and Tiger Guard reported to the loading bay. The Soclaued shipment had been attacked by pirates. Not the Yakuza as they had all expected. Pirates! Honest to gosh, pirates! Things were getting crazy out here.
Pounding up ramps and slinging themselves into the webbing seats, both Guard squads felt determined to do their worst to these guys. Turned out Major Donji’s woman, Lieutenant Rustalov, had been on the barge that had been boarded. Colonel Reinegaard’s fiance had been aboard the cruiser that had sustained heavy damage in the fight.
The convoy had been broken in half, one barge isolated and boarded. In the ensuing battle, Lieutenant Katyia Rustalov had been kidnapped and several tons of ore off-loaded. The cutter that had taken the Lieutenant and the ore, broken from the battle and rabbited away. Leaving the rest of their comrades to fight it out and die at the hands of an infuriated Orbit Guard escort detail.
Razorback Guard was on its way to a secret rendezvous. Tiger Guard was going out to assist the battered convoy. The front and end sections of the convoy had been able to pull away as the battle raged, and make some distance from the action. Most of the load of ore was safe and still on its way to Earth.
Whomever their meet was set up with, Major Donji’s men didn’t envy them. The Major was in the blackest mood they’d ever seen him in. There would be hell to pay, that was the only thing the enemy could bet on. The odds didn’t even matter. They’d be so lopsided, there wouldn’t even be any fun in it.
Haruto Donji left the quiet confines of the uber sophisticated corporate offices of the Yakuza in New York City. He’d transferred here many years ago and enjoyed the variety of the city. That was the last thing on his mind now, as he went over what they’d learned from their intelligence sources.
Privately marked cutters had attacked and robbed the Soclaued ore convoy on its way to Earth. Though mostly repelled by the Orbit Guard squad protecting it, the pirates had gotten a sample of the ore, and unfortunately, his cousin’s woman.
Ishto Tanaka was sending Haruto out to a secret meeting with his Orbit Guard cousin. Yakuza would not tolerate pirating on the ore they hoped to gain contracts on for patenting military grade armor. This was undoubtedly an act of corporate espionage. They would give no quarter on this. The pirates must die and their leaders be severely punished.
Four hours later, Haruto was at the coordinates Hiro had relayed to him. To his surprise, the coordinates were not far from Earth, just out of Earth’s atmosphere over the Southern Hemisphere. A tiny chirp let him know he was being hailed. Password coded in in reply, Haruto proceeded to line his sloop up with the larger troop carrier below him. Slipping through the now engaged hatch, he landed in a crouch at his cousin’s feet.
“Why are we so close to Earth for this meet?” he asked. “What have you discovered?”
“It is good to see you too, Haruto,” Hiro replied grimly with a raised eyebrow at his cousin.
“That goes without saying, cousin,” answered Haruto impatiently.
“Listen to the recording that Katyia transmitted as she was being taken. It answers all your questions,” the Major rasped. Three minutes later, there was a dead silence in the small corridor where they stood.
“Now the question is, Haruto,” murmured Major Donji. “Do you still have the access codes to our parent’s manufacturing company? The only location with enough protection that they would feel safe taking the ore and Katyia, is the plant on the North end of the island.”
“Of course, I still have them,” Haruto replied sternly. “You never know when you may need to hijack a manufacturing plant in order to overcome a corporate espionage scheme.” he said in all seriousness. “What do you have in mind?”
Chapter 19
Rustalov Rush
After a few minutes of beating her for answers, Michael Donji’s security detail had given up and thrown her in a supply closet again. It hadn’t taken Katyia long to get her wind back. Frankly, she’d had to relieve herself in the worst way. Taking hits tended to make one need to vacate their bodily wastes. Right away, she’d wanted out of the small confined space she’d managed to stink up. Even shoving several layers of rubber door mats on top of the bucket she’d used, hadn’t quelled the smell enough.
Now she was cat jumping lightly along the supports of the ceiling grid that hung over the manufacturing floor. Really, these guys were not very professional. They didn’t know how to hit. Only one of her eyes was swollen shut. It could have been worse. They hadn’t searched her well. She still had her long blade hidden in her leg scabbard, and they hadn’t thought a moment about the easily accessed ceiling. She’d been out of the room almost as quickly as she’d gone in.
The cavalry would be coming soon she knew, and she wanted to be ready. Her first priority was to secure the ore. Hiro and Haruto would do the rest. Easing onto the walkway that surrounded the central office for the lab, she could see that each lab was completely sealed off. There would be no accessing them through the ceiling as she had her own holding cell.
Three scientists talked rapidly to each other and gestured a lot towards one of the labs. Two guesses where the ore was, and the first one didn’t count. That was an expression she’d learned from Johanna, her roommate.
Dropping lightly from the ceiling to the floor on the opposite side of the room from the lab, Katyia slid silently across the white tile of the reception area. Engrossed in their conversation over the properties of the ore, she was on them before they could even react. Two died with expert slashes across their throats. The last one, she put the tip of the blade to his eye and gritted out, “Access codes for the doors. Write them down or die.”
He pulled a pen from the pocket protector on his lapel and with shaking hands wrote the codes down. “How were the samples brought in?” she asked, deadly serious. The lab assistant gestured frantically towards two hover lifts. “Do I need you to load them for me?” she asked silkily.
“No, no ma’am,” he whispered back. “The examination decks have mechanized bots that will do it for you.”
“You do it for me, ok, little rabbit,” Katyia crooned.
“Ummm, ok, please don’t hurt me,” the trembling man begged.
“Of course, I won’t hurt you little rabbit. Just be good and load the carts,” she smiled slightly at him, then jabbed the blade tip gently deeper into his throat. “Go now.”
The lab tech ran to the lab door, poked in the code fumbling as he did so. Within five minutes he had the hover carts loaded. “Where is the ship that brought these in?” Katyia questioned him.
“Dock 4, down the hall,” the man babbled. “It’s a train track that will run you out to the air strip. Cutter is on the pad.”
“Any guards?�
�� Katyia asked tightly.
“No, we paid the merc company off. The cutter is ours. Company bought it just for this run,” he offered rapidly, blinking his eyes over and over.
“Hmmm, lying are we pet?” she asked him, watching his eyes.
Loud sobs wracked the man’s frame as he dropped his head into his hands. “Ok, ok, yes. There are four armed guards with the ship. Leave me alone please,” he cried, sniffling.
“Of course, little rabbit,” replied the Lieutenant, promptly whacking him efficiently alongside the head. He slumped unceremoniously to the ground.
Minutes later, Katyia had taken out one of the four armed-guards. Turning to engage the others, she came face-to-face with a sweep team from Tiger Guard. “Other guards are down Lieutenant Rustalov,” Major Bergstrom stated. “You ok? Cause you look like crap, ma’am,” he said apologetically.
“I’m fine, please leave two of your team here with me to load this ore,” she asked questioningly. “Then continue your sweep.”
“I agree. Extraction in twelve minutes,” affirmed the Major.
“Take the train to the cutter on the tarmac to the south. We can use that ship to exit the atmosphere,” Katyia explained. “Let’s get this loaded up!” she barked.
Ten minutes later they had the ore loaded into the cargo bay of the cutter, fired up the engines, and accessed the comms. “Orbit Guard leader, this is Lieutenant Rustalov. Please respond,” she stated breathlessly into the mouthpiece.
“Lieutenant Rustalov, this is Major Donji,” a rough voice exhaled in her ear. “Glad to hear your voice. Status report, please.”
“I’m in the cutter on the landing strip, one-half mile from the corporate headquarters. We’ve retrieved the ore, and I am awaiting the landing party. As soon as they’re aboard, we are ready to launch upon your command, Sir,” the Lieutenant snapped out, more to hide her emotion that for protocol’s sake.
Just then boots pounded up the gangway. “Guards aboard, Lieutenant,” stated Major Bergstrom. “You know how to pilot this thing, Lieutenant?” asked the Major, raising one massive shoulder uncertainly.
“Not really, Ensign. I’ve got engineering assistant, Van Heusen, on a comm channel. She’s walking me through it,” the Lieutenant stated calmly. Thumbing to a different channel on her comm, she stated, “We’re loaded! Guard aboard, sir!”
“Launch now for these coordinates. See you in a few, Lieutenant,” the Major said. Katyia could hear the relief in his voice.
“Roger that, Sir. Launching,” she replied.
Chapter 20
The Coupe
Michael Donji paced back and forth nervously in his office overlooking the Sea of Oktosk, in the far north of the island nation. He was waiting for the lab to get back to him with the results of the tests they were compiling on the Soclaued ore. The future of his dominance in the Donji manufacturing empire weighed on the results of these tests. He’d spent the last of his resources to get this sample, and if it proved as valuable as his snitch predicted, the board of directors would back his plan to gain control of one of the most isolated Soclaued colonies. They would then have access their own supply of slave-labored ore.
He’d had his men try to get more information out of the stubborn Russian medic, but beating her did nothing. She simply either remained stoic or laughed in their faces outright. So far, she had been a waste of energy, and he’d ordered her placed into one of the storage rooms on the lower level of the building. Granted, with time, he might obtain some information from her, but he’d have to hire a professional for the interrogation. His men were security guards, not interrogators, and had little stomach for the more violent arts of retrieving information.
Information from the rest of the mercenary crew he’d hired to attack the barge convoy had been unfortunate. The ships all appeared to have been destroyed by Orbit Guard. There were plenty of other mercenary groups to be hired, he reassured himself. And, if they were all destroyed, that might be good, in that no information on who had hired them could be linked back to him.
He smiled to himself. He would demonstrate his superiority over the golden one, Haruto, who had spit in the face of family tradition and entered the Yakuza. Haruto had been the one that was to be the heir. Fortunately, for Michael, Haruto had had other plans.
No one knew how the dough dumpling had managed to be allowed into the storied Orbit Guard. He would also ruin that little pudge pot. Everyone bragged on how decorated he was. His reputation would be in shreds once this was over. Donji Manufacturing was Michael’s company now!
Snatching the phone from his pocket when it buzzed, Michael smiled with anticipation. “Hello cousin, having a bad day?” asked a low voice.
For a moment, the smug smile faltered on Michael’s face. “On the contrary, cousin Haruto, my day is going exceptionally well,” he oozed back smugly. “What can I do for you? About to have one of your fingers chopped off for failing your organization, are you?”
“Perhaps you shouldn’t have underestimated Hiro’s woman, cousin. Did you know that she’s known as ‘the Reliever’?” Haruto stated gravely. “They say it’s because she will relieve you of your balls. In this case, I believe she may have just relieved you of your entire load of ore. Perhaps, you may have made a huge mistake in underestimating all of us.”
Michael chuckled gleefully. “Oh, I don’t think so!” he crowed. “The little Russian bitch is locked safely away. And will soon be dead. I’ve stolen your ore out from under fat cousin Hiro, and will beat your own organization to the patent. No, I’ve planned well. You and dumpling boy will pay for having looked down on me. I will rub your faces in my success. There is nothing you can do now!” he shouted, practically spitting at the phone.
“No cousin, I’m at your doorstep. Literally. Look out your office window, low and to the right. You know, where your seaward docks are. Oh, then perhaps you should go look out the landward window, and see also, that your space cutter is long gone. Not your best plan, cousin Michael. Is there a contingency?” asked Haruto grimly, and clicked the comm shut.
Rushing to the window, Michael pressed his face to the cool glass. Below him, along-side the docks, he could see several black, low-slung cigarette boats. They swayed easily on the waves, riding lightly, and completely empty. Several small sprawled dots decorated the positions of his guards. “No, no, no,” he yelped, rushing towards the opposite windows. A half-mile away he could see the tiny speck of his space cutter zooming off towards the atmosphere.
“No, no, no,” he shrieked. Where were his mercenaries? Where were his security staff, Michael wondered? Where are the bastards, he fumed? Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he frantically pushed the call button for security.
Chapter 21
Simultaneous
At the same time that Lieutenant Rustalov was launching the cutter into space, with the aid of verbal feedback from one excited roommate of an engineering assistant, Haruto Donji was engaging the building security and staff of his parent’s and uncle’s corporate headquarters. Tiger Squad from cousin Hiro’s beloved Orbit Guard had evacuated employees below, as Haruto and his Yakuza team, silently sliced and diced their way through the corporate offices at the top of the building. One look at the terrified countenance of his cousin Michael, was all he needed to finish the job.
It would not do to leave alive witnesses. All the computers and tech were being wiped as he drove the blade through his greedy cousin’s neck. Haruto suspected that there would probably be some sort of ‘cleanup’ from space as well. Best to leave nothing to chance though.
Thumbing the comm on his collar, he whispered, “Seven minutes and we will be clear of the building. Building is secured. Information wipe in progress. Perpetrator is beheaded.”
Major Donji knew that his cousin wasn’t kidding. He’d chopped Michael’s head off. He wondered why he didn’t feel even a twinge of remorse. Most likely because Michael had always hated him, kidnapped Katyia, and tried to steal Orbit Guard’s convoy. Yeah, ok
, he didn’t need to feel bad for the guy. He got what he deserved.
“Lieutenant Rustalov is aboard, Sir!” the navigator stated. “She’s safely in landing Bay 2.”
“What does the countdown clock say, Navigator?” queried Major Donji.
“Thirty seconds until the building is completely clear,” replied the com officer.
“Ready torpedo tubes 1 through 4 with incendiary ordnance,” barked the Major.
“Locked and loaded, Sir,” came back the crisp reply.
“Haruto, all clear?” the Major asked into his comm channel to his cousin.
“All clear, cousin. It’s all yours,” replied Haruto with amusement in his voice.
“Fire all tubes!” commanded the Major.
“Target engaged and destroyed, Sir! Direct hit! Maximum entropy achieved,” stated the ordinance station resolutely.
“Well done, crew. Well done,” said Major Donji quietly. “The comm is yours, Gunnery Sergeant Blandin,” he said to his first. “I’ll be in Bay Two, should anything arise.” He departed at a sprint down the hall.
Chapter 22
Baby Coat
Hiro pulled Katyia roughly to him. “Oh, thank Buddha, you’re safe,” he muttered. “I was so worried.”
“I was a little worried too, Hiro,” she sniffled against his throat. “But I was also angry and that made me strong! So strong,” she whispered, raising her eyes to his. “I wanted you to be able to be proud of me, and it helped drive me on. Even when I was tired, I was not, when I thought of you,” she smiled at him radiantly. “You are a strength to me.”
Hiro gazed at her with loving longing. “Will you stay at my side?” he asked, shyly. “I want to know you’re always with me. Always attached to me, even if not by the Orbit Guard.”
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