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Yan watched the cruisers approach to the Kali on her remote monitor in the common area with trepidation. The Gataan had split into a definite attacking formation. As was their way, one ship took the point while the other two stayed back, searching for weakness.
“You have no external defensive weapons?” asked Makera of Yan.
“This is not a battleship, Ambassador,” replied Yan with more than a hint of impatience.
“That much is clear,” said the Raelen with open disdain.
“How much time until they attack?” asked Renwick, coming in from the adjacent hallway. He had just returned from setting up an EMP emitter in the safe room. Yan watched as the lead cruiser fired a coil cannon shot at her ship. The Kali rocked from the impact before her inertial dampers stabilized.
“That would be now,” she said. “You’d better deploy your people.”
Renwick set up Captain Aybar, Kish and Mischa Cain to defend the rear of the galley, where the sleeping berths and washrooms were. Zueros was locked in one of the berths for safekeeping.
Renwick handed each of them extra power packs for their coil rifles. “There’s only one way into this room, so keep your rifles poised at the entrance. Only fire if they look like they’re going to attack you. Yan, Makera and I will try and draw them down the hall towards the safe room. If we can get them into close quarters, we can use the stun grenades and then lock them inside,” he said.
“Shouldn’t we be locking ourselves in?” asked Mischa. She looked far too weak and far too tainted by her time in the Auction pits of Skondar to do much fighting.
“If we do then we give them free run of the ship. At least this way we have the possibility of trapping them and engaging the androids and the ship’s internal defenses to lock them out,” said Renwick. At least he hoped that was true.
“We’ll give you our best,” promised Captain Aybar. Renwick had developed a definite respect for the woman as a warrior since he’d had the chance to see her in action at Minara.
“I know you will,” he said. “But remember to stay low and don’t fire until you’ve been seen. Wait until I call you. You’re our only backup.” Aybar nodded and Renwick went back out to the galley common area where Yan had set up the temporary console.
“Time?” he asked. The Kali rocked again, this time the dampers took much longer to compensate and alarm claxons started going off.
“The bastards just rammed us!” said Yan, her anger rising. “I’m calling out the androids.” She reached for the controls but Renwick stopped her.
“You know that’s a mistake,” he said. “We need them to operate the ship after we get out of here. They’re too valuable.” He handed her a rifle, a pistol, and two grenades. “Now lock out that console and let’s take our positions.”
Yan looked down at the board, freed up one hand and typed in a series of commands with lightning speed.
“Done,” she said.
“Then let’s go,” said Renwick.
#
THE THREE OF THEM TOOK up their positions behind the bulkheads leading into the hallway to the galley common area. The galley itself was a stand-alone unit built in to the center of the command deck. It was fortified by bulkheads on three sides, with only one entrance, a long hallway, which they were preparing to defend. The safe room was at the end of the hall, built into the ship’s superstructure. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than nothing.
“Did you set the bait?” asked Makera. Renwick nodded.
“The safe room contains one of the HD drive EMP emitters. I lit it up to look like the ships’ power core. That should be the first place they come if they want control of the ship. Once we get them inside, it’s stun grenades and then we lock as many of them inside as we can,” he said.
“Gataan are bigger than humans, and harder to bring down. Do we know if the stun grenades will work?” asked Yan. Renwick shook his head.
“No, but inside a room coated with uranium alloy just about any force should be magnified enough to have some effect,” he said.
“Imagine their surprise when they discover they’ve essentially captured a hyped up signal flare,” said Makera as she quickly loaded her pistol, rifle, and clipped off the safeties on her grenades.
The ship shook again. The sounds of running boots could be heard approaching from the distance. Renwick set himself against the near bulkhead. From here he had a clean shot through most of the bridge area. Makera set up behind him, her line of fire was set at a slightly more acute angle, but she could still sweep most of the room. The most exposed was Yan, on the other side of the hallway, but then she was a hologram and couldn’t really be killed, at least not in the conventional way.
The boot sounds grew louder. Renwick raised and prepped his rifle. “Remember we want to draw them in,” he said.
“As if two people and a hologram won’t be a tempting enough target,” said Yan. Renwick briefly smiled. Her sense of humor was still intact. Seconds later and there was visible motion in the bridge area.
Renwick took aim. A pair of tall shadow figures reconnoitered the command console, then a half dozen more appeared, weapons raised.
“Now,” said Renwick, and fired off a dozen rounds. His companions did the same before they got any return fire. At first the return was sporadic and confused, but then became more organized. Makera threw a stun grenade into the fray. Sparks flew and bodies fell.
“Careful with those! We don’t have that many!” yelled Renwick. A few more seconds of sporadic firing and it looked like they had the invaders on the run. Then the shooting went quiet and he heard orders being yelled in the Gataan’s guttural language. They were reforming ranks.
A flanking team took up refuge behind the android docks to their left. Another set up to the right, moving out of Renwick’s sight but into Yan’s. The third and largest group, organized behind the main control console, set up straight ahead.
“They’re flanking us,” warned Renwick, crouching down so that Makera could get a clear shot at the center group. “You’ll have to hold the center, Makera. I’ll take the left flank. Yan, you’ll have to cover the right, but be aware that’s where the androids are,” he said.
“Trying to make my job more difficult?” replied Yan.
“Always,” said Renwick. Then he pressed this rifle trigger and opened fire. He managed to suppress his flank for almost thirty seconds, and Yan did the same on hers. But Makera was facing a losing battle. There were too many Gataan in the center group, and they were advancing.
“I’m going to load my rifle with a grenade, but you’ll have to fire it,” Renwick said to Makera, “and you’ll have to cover my flank too.” She did as instructed in her silent but grim Raelen way. “Yan, you’re going to have to help with the center,” he said.
“Got it,” she said, switching her fire between her flank and the center group, slowing them down but allowing her flank to advance. Renwick switched from rifle mode to grenade mode and then loaded one of the stunners onto his sizzling barrel.
“Ready,” he said, and tossed his rifle to Makera while she slid hers across the deck back to him. From her position she had a clear shot at the closing center group. She took the rifle and fired in one motion, with precision, the grenade flying through the air and then bouncing into a large pile of Gataan soldiers. The soft whump of the stun grenade going off made for a satisfying sound. He watched as the center group was scrambled and had to retreat again, then he returned his attention to his advancing left flank. A long barrage of suppressing fire pushed them back behind their defenses. Just then he heard the empty click of Yan’s rifle. She was out of power and needed to swap out a power pack. Instead she dropped the rifle an picked up her pistol.
“I can’t hold this side, Renwick!” she called. “They’re nearly here!” Just then a grenade scattered into the hallway right in front of them.
“Fuck it!” said Yan, dropping her pistol and then jumping to her feet, kicking the grenade back the way it came. “Rifle!” she demanded from him as the grenade went off a good distance away from them. Renwick tossed her his rifle and she took it with both hands, aimed it and started firing.
“Yan!” said Renwick as she started out of the hallway covey into open fire.
“I’m not alive anyway, remember?” she yelled over the din as she charged the right flank. Two seconds later a shot from the center group hit her straight on.
She vanished in an instant, disintegrating as the coil rifle clattered to the floor.
“We have to drop back!” yelled Makera. Renwick looked at the spot where Yan had been vaporized and started firing onto the center group with his pistol. Makera grabbed him by the collar and dragged him several of the ten meters down the hall to the galley doorway. Renwick scrambled to his feet as Makera rushed to Aybar and the second group. He aimed his pistol at the temporary terminal.
“Don’t!” yelled Makera over the fire of the rapidly advancing Gataan troops. “We’ll never get control of the ship back!”
“We’ve already lost the ship!” said Renwick. And Yan too, he thought. A stun grenade going off in the hallway knocked him back and he crawled the last meter to his companions. Makera handed him a new pistol.
“We can’t win this,” she said.
“Which is why you should have surrendered,” came a brittle voice from behind them. Renwick turned just in time to see Zueros drop a stun grenade in their midst. He tried to kick it out of the area but only moved it a short distance. It spun like a top and he watched it in what seemed like slow motion until a blinding flash filled his eyes.
Then everything went black.
#
RENWICK AWOKE IN THE safe room, unarmed and unguarded. He got to his feet, despite his body’s protestations, and went to the enormous metal door, finding that they were locked in.
“I’ve already tried that,” said Makera from behind him. Despite her recent behavior he was glad she was still alive. Renwick sat back down, rubbing his head before taking stock of the situation. Captain Aybar was holding Mischa Cain, who seemed to be sleeping. Kish sat staring at the opposite wall.
“How long was I out?” asked Renwick.
“About two hours,” said Makera.
“Has there been any contact?”
“No.” Renwick sighed.
“I wonder what progress they’re making on getting the ship running,” he said. “It’s obvious that was Zueros’ plan all along, to get the Kali here to Tarchus so they could take the ship. And I fell for it.”
“We all did,” said Makera, “if that’s any consolation.”
Renwick shook his head. “Sorry,” he said. He looked up to Captain Aybar. “And sorry for getting you involved in this.”
“Nonsense, Senator,” she said. “You saved my life, all of our lives, and besides, I’m an officer in the Unity Navy. I’ve only been doing my duty. And you came back to rescue us. I couldn’t ask for more than that from my best military officers, let alone a civilian. We’re right where we’re supposed to be, thanks to you. And we’re still alive, the three of us, and that means something, so quit kicking yourself.”
Renwick nodded. It was hard to accept praise when he felt he had so recently failed them. One of them the most.
“I couldn’t save Yan,” he said aloud, hanging his head.
“I’m sorry. I know you were fond of her persona,” said Makera. Renwick looked up at her.
“Her,” he corrected, with a just touch of venom in his voice. “I was fond of her.” Then he went silent again.
“I wonder how long they’ll keep us in here,” said Kish. Renwick was surprised. He’d hardly heard the man say ten words since he’d been rescued. As the nominal leader of the mission now, he felt obligated to give him an answer.
“Probably until they figure out they’re locked out of the operating systems,” Renwick said. And with that things went quiet between them. The knock on the safe room door ten minutes later came as a surprise.
Two large Gataan guards with their olive skin and dark hair opened the door and motioned Renwick and Makera to come out. Mischa Cain stirred and tried to move further away from the door. Renwick looked to Aybar.
“Keep everyone calm until we get back,” he said to the captain of the Phaeton. She nodded, protecting Mischa with her body.
They were led out of the safe room and down the hallway to the bridge, where Zueros stood over the command console. Amanda stood at Zueros’ side, her android face devoid of expression. Gataan soldiers patrolled the command deck, weapons at the ready.
“Why am I not surprised to find you leading this pirate gang, Mr. Zueros?” said Renwick. “Or whatever your real name is.” Zueros didn’t look up from the console.
“My real name is unimportant,” he said. “I’ll need the command override codes to unlock the Kali,” he said.
“I don’t have them,” Renwick replied honestly.
“Ambassador?” asked Zueros.
“Sorry,” she replied.
“You see I have a predicament,” started Zueros in a conversational tone. “If I can’t get this ship moving then I can’t cut a path from here to Zed Vadela Three. If I can’t do that, then I can’t meet our invasion fleet. If I fail at that task, the fleet will be on their own against the Raelen Empire. Undoubtedly we would still win such a confrontation, but it would be much harder if the base at Vadela is not taken out first. Element of surprise and all that. So I have a problem, and you have to solve it, Mr. Renwick.”
“So your plan all along was to use us to take the Kali and open a path to our space,” said Makera. “You’re a bastard. I should have killed you when I had the chance.”
“No. I am a loyalist to my own people. I’m sorry about the deception, and your empire, Ambassador. But they are merely casualties in our cause,” he turned from the console and looked directly at Renwick. “The code, please, Senator.”
“I don’t know it, and even if I did-“ with just the slightest of nods from Zueros two soldiers grabbed Makera and dragged her against a near bulkhead. The pinned her wrists against the wall with metal restraining clips and then backed off ten paces, their rifles raised at her.
“What’s this!” demanded Renwick. “She doesn’t have the code!”
“I know. But she’ll die anyway if you can’t produce it,” said Zueros.
“Damn it man, I told you, I don’t have it! Yan was the only one! And your men vaporized her!” said Renwick, panicked and angry.
“The Yan persona has been terminated,” said Zueros. “She had to have left it with one of you. The code please Mr. Renwick. You have ten seconds.”
“I told you, I don’t have it!” Renwick started towards Zueros, but soldiers restrained him. Zueros stood impassive, staring at Makera. The Ambassador said nothing, merely staring at Zueros with hate in her eyes.
“Five seconds,” Zueros said.
“Goddamn you! If I had it don’t you think I’d give it to you to save my friend?”
“Two seconds,” Zueros raised his hand and the guards raised their rifles, aimed at Makera.
“One.”
“I have the code.”
The voice came from behind Zueros.
Amanda.
Zueros turned to the android and slowly dropped his hand to his side. “How fortunate for you, Mr. Renwick,” he said.
“Amanda, Captain Yan ordered you not to cooperate!” said Renwick, still upset but glad that Makera would live, at least for now. Amanda looked at him blankly.
“The captain programmed me for maximum self-preservation. That also includes you and your companions. I can’t allow you to die, therefore I must give up the code,” she said.
“Very good,” said Zueros “Now if you please...” he motioned to the command console with a grand wave of the arm. Amanda came up and punched in a series of commands with android speed. Immediately the command deck returned to normal lighting, all systems open and active again. The other androids disconnected from their docks and immediately resumed their normal duties. This startled the Gataan soldiers and they quickly raised their weapons.
Zueros said something in Gataan and then waved off the guards. They approached Makera, removing her bindings and letting her go.
“Now if you don’t mind, Senator, Ambassador, I have an invasion to plan,” said Zueros. Then he turned back to the command console, and the soldiers hustled them back to the safe room.
#
ONCE THEY WERE BACK inside the safe room the door was locked and sealed from the outside. The control console inside the room had been smashed. Renwick, Makera, and Aybar huddled near the door, talking strategy in hushed tones.
“I don’t think we’re going to be getting out of here anytime soon,” said Renwick. “What’s our supply situation?” he asked Captain Aybar, expecting the top military officer present to have an account of their situation. He wasn’t disappointed.
“We have food supplies for three days, access to water, a sanitary toilet, and no way out,” she said. “So unless they let us out, we’re in here for the duration.”
“The duration of what is the question,” said Renwick.
“If you’d let me kill him when we had the chance-” started Makera. Renwick cut her off.
“We’d still have had to deal with those cruisers, Ambassador,” he snapped at her. Then he stepped away from her and looked around the room.
There were two sleeping pallets, double bunked. Mischa Cain was laying quietly in the bottom one, her back turned to them and the door. It looked for all the world like she was emotionally withdrawing. Kish sat on the only other seat, a bench that looked extruded from the wall.
“How’s Mischa holding up?” Renwick asked, turning back to the captain. Aybar looked to the young woman, concern for the junior officer etched across her face.
“She’s been through a lot in a very short time,” said Aybar. “But I think she’ll be okay soon.”
“Let’s hope so. We can use every hand,” he said, then looked around the room one more time. “We may as well get some rest. I don’t think we’ll be getting out of here until after they’ve taken the base.”
“That will be too late. There are forty thousand colonists on Zed Vadela Three,” said Makera. “We have to do something before this ship gets there.”
Renwick held out his hands.
“Unfortunately, Ambassador, there’s nothing I can think of to do about that right now,” he said. And with that he took a seat on the floor, hung his head, and closed his eyes.