"Are you sure about this, Leon?" Jasyn asked nervously.
"We come in hot and fast," Leon answered. "They drop out of the cargo bay. It's the reason I got you a P387. The wings are designed to deploy in flight. You just have to get through the upper atmosphere. It won't fly in space."
"It's dangerous," Jasyn said.
"Landing is suicide," Leon countered. "Trying to maneuver this ship would be suicide. We discussed this already. You all agreed it was the only way."
"It doesn't mean I have to like it," Jasyn grumbled.
"Jump in five," Ginni announced. She was sitting where Clark usually sat. Twyla was next to her, poised to shift the ship to the right coordinates as soon as they cleared the jump point.
Lowell was in the scanning seat. He had the extra equipment Leon had brought plugged in and ready to go. Leon leaned over his chair, looking as relaxed as he possibly could in a suit whose colors induced nausea in most people.
Jasyn glanced behind her into the lounge. Sikura and Paltronis had Louie. Paltronis gave her an unhappy look. She hated being left behind. They had no choice. The flitter was tiny, barely enough room for Clark and Tayvis. There was a small cargo space behind the seats that should be big enough for Dace. They'd argued who should go for hours on the flight to the unnamed system. Clark had to go. He was the only pilot who could fly the tiny shuttle. He was the best they had. Tayvis flatly refused to be left behind. He didn't care if he died, as long as he saw Dace again. She read it in his eyes. No one argued with him about the choice. Paltronis was still unhappy, even if she agreed.
Darus and Beryn were farther back. Beryn stood watch in the engine room, ready to tweak the engine for more power. Darus was suited up in the cargo hold. They'd rigged atmosphere for long enough so Tayvis and Clark could get the flitter out. Someone had to be back there to open and close the door for them. Darus had volunteered. The atmosphere only had to hold for the flight to the planet.
Jasyn flipped the com on. "Clark?" she asked and winced at the tremor in her voice.
"We're set, Jasyn," he answered.
"Jump," Ginni announced, cool and calm as if it were a normal flight.
"Hang on," Jasyn said over the com.
The ship trembled and shook as it roared through the transition to normal space. They were pushing it fast. Twyla had the sublights up and running almost before they were through.
"Give me a course," Ginni demanded.
Lowell was already running scans. Jasyn did what she could with the nav comp. It wasn't much use. The system wasn't in their databank.
"Vector four four six point two by six seven nine," Lowell answered.
The ship protested as Twyla pushed it onto the new heading. Ginni powered down the hyperdrive, shoving all the power she could into the shields.
"We've got company at the planet," Lowell said. "We aren't close enough yet to see what's on the surface, though. Three in orbit. They just passed to the far side."
"Get the signal fix," Jasyn said. She didn't need to. Lowell was already doing it. She was nervous and tense. "Twenty more minutes, Clark," she said into the com.
"Copy that," Clark answered.
"Does the military jargon ever get to you?" Leon asked, as casually as if they were strolling through a market somewhere, not getting ready to invade a planet populated by drug lords and smuggling kings. "You and I are the only ones here who never had to salute."
"Thanks, Leon," Jasyn said, relaxing into her chair.
"For what?"
"For reminding me we're in good hands."
"I've got a fix," Lowell said. "Southern hemisphere, night side. The timing couldn't be better. I'm sending it to the main screen. If I can figure out how."
Jasyn leaned across the cockpit and pushed the buttons for him. A map of the planet appeared on the bottom third of the front viewscreen. A tiny blip of red marked their target.
"Got it," Twyla said. "Beryn, give me more power in the thrusters."
"Coming up," Beryn answered.
The ship leapt forward. They were going fast before, now they were approaching jump velocity.
"This is going to hurt," Ginni said as the planet began to fill the viewscreen.
Jasyn glanced back into the lounge. Paltronis was cradling Louie. She caught Jasyn's look and took the toddler into the cabin where they could strap in.
"No!" Louie shouted. "No strappies!"
Sikura shut the door on his screaming.
"Hang on, everyone," Ginni said. "Give me everything you can in the forward shields."
The ship hit the atmosphere like a screaming meteor. They bounced off the upper atmosphere, skipping across like a stone.
"Down thrusters," Ginni said to Twyla.
The ship protested as they plunged into the atmosphere. Everything rattled. Sheets of fire covered the ship. Alarms began beeping on the controls until Ginni slapped them off.
"Holding steady," Twyla said loudly over the rumble of the engines and the whine of the shields.
"We're almost there," Jasyn spoke into the com. "Be careful, Clark."
"You, too," he answered. "I love you."
The fire died. The screaming of the air dimmed to a whisper of air.
"We're at the right altitude," Twyla said. "Open the doors, Darus."
"Good luck," Jasyn said into the com.
Clark didn't answer. He'd already switched it off. They wouldn't hear from him for at least an hour. They had to keep out of range until then. If everything went according to the plan, Tayvis and Clark would grab Dace and meet them at the rendezvous point several hundred miles south. If it was clear, they would head to the point now and land. And wait. If it wasn't clear, they had to find a way to ditch anyone following them. Easy in and out, or so Leon said. She knew in her heart it wouldn't be that easy.
"They're out," Darus said over the ship com. "I'm coming back in."
"We've got something coming fast and low from the east," Lowell said.
"Get us out of here," Jasyn said.
"And give them a distraction to track," Ginni said. "I know."
The ship lurched as Twyla pulled it into a steep climb.
"They'll be fine," Leon said. But his hand squeezing her shoulder told her he shared her concern.
"We lost them," Lowell said.
"Keep going up," Jasyn told Twyla. "Let's clear atmosphere before we find the landing spot."
It would use a lot less fuel than trying to steer through the thick atmosphere of the planet. It would also keep them out of contact range of the flitter, but that couldn't be helped. Any signal now would give them away.
"We're clear," Ginni said, once they reached space again. "Give me coordinates, Lowell." There wasn't an answer. "Lowell?" she asked, turning to look at him.
"I'll be deep fried and served with mustard," Leon said. "What is that thing?"
Lowell shook his head. The object coming into range on his equipment had to be huge. "I have no idea what that is," he answered.
"It's calling us," Jasyn announced. "I can't get a reading for a beacon."
The object was suddenly surrounded by dozens of tiny glowing dots. The dots moved away, grouping quickly into formations. One broke off and headed for their position.
"You want me to try to lose them?" Ginni asked Jasyn.
"We have to keep them away from Clark and Tayvis," she said. "Do whatever you can."
"Right," Ginni said. She turned back forward. The ship swerved and spun on a new course.
Twyla took over, sending them on a course out past the planet's tiny moon and into the reddish glare of the star. Ginni kept the power levels balanced.
The com light on her board kept blinking. Jasyn stared at it, wondering if she dared answer.
"The others are still headed for the planet," Lowell said.
"We have to buy them time," Jasyn said. She connected the line. "What do you want?" she barked into the com.
"Phoenix Rising, you will turn about," a man's voice informed them. "This is blue leader. We have orders to take your ship into custody. You will turn about on course heading nine seven one. Repeat, course heading nine seven one."
"Eat my exhaust," Jasyn answered.
Twyla sent the ship rolling through the middle of the formation of ships.
"Small fighters," Lowell said. "Short range but they're mostly gun and engine."
"Phoenix, we have orders," the man told them again, his voice echoing out of the com. "We will shoot to disable your engines and tow you in if you do not cooperate. This is your only warning."
"We can't jump," Ginni said.
"I know," Jasyn said. "I won't leave them down there alone. Not for the days it would take to get back. Run back to the planet if you can. If we can land, do it."
Lowell gave them a heading back to the planet. Twyla and Ginni did their best to follow it. The pursuing ships surrounded them, herding them as much as they could. One stayed directly behind them, following them through the crazy looping path Twyla took them on.
"They're shooting," Lowell said.
The first shot missed, barely touching the port shields. The explosion knocked them to one side.
"We just lost that stabilizer again," Twyla said. The ship slid to starboard.
"Brace yourselves," Lowell said.
The next shot hit the engine exhaust ports. The ship slammed to the side. All the lights went out. Alarms shrieked. Smoke filled the air. The controls went completely dead. All except the com.
"Jasyn?" Beryn's voice came thinly through the speaker. "We just lost the whole engine."
"Are you all right?" she asked, resigning herself to whatever fate had waiting for them now.
"A bit banged up, not bad," Beryn said.
"Darus?" she asked, and held her breath until he answered.
"Good thing there isn't any cargo left in here," Darus said. "The doors aren't going to hold anything in. I can hold out in here for at least another three hours."
"We can try to rig an airlock for you," Jasyn began.
"Don't bother," Darus answered. "I think I broke my leg. I couldn't crawl inside if I wanted to."
She flipped the com to the outside line. "Blue leader, what the blazes do you mean, shooting up my ship?"
"Sorry, but I have my orders. Stand by for a grappling line."
She gave up, sitting helplessly in her seat, her head in her hands. Ginni and Twyla shut down everything but life support. Lowell sat in front of his dead equipment, frowning at it.
"There was something about that ship," he said, mostly to himself.
Leon picked himself up off the floor. "I'm only bruised," he said loudly. "I'm going to check on the others, if that's all right with you."
"Louie," Jasyn said, suddenly panicked. She jumped out of her chair and pushed past Leon, sending him stumbling into the storage lockers behind the cockpit. She hit the controls for the cabin door and swore when it wouldn't open. She slammed open a locker and pawed through it for something to pry the door open.
She barely paused to glance up when the sound of a grappling line scraping over the hull interrupted the screeching alarms.
"We're moving," Ginni said as she came out of the cockpit.
Half of the alarms cut off abruptly. The others came from the engine room. Ginni headed down the stairs. Leon stayed out of the way, twisting his hands, unable to offer help.
The rest of the alarms cut off abruptly. The sudden silence was unnerving in the dim glow of the emergency lights.
Jasyn wrenched open another locker, still looking for a tool to use on the door.
"You want help with that?" Leon offered.
The door to the cabin screeched as it was forced open from the inside. Paltronis was in the doorway, shoving the doors apart with her bare hands.
Jasyn slammed the locker shut. "Are you all right?" she asked.
"No!" Louie shrieked. "Want momma!"
"He's fine," Paltronis said. "He's got very healthy lungs. What happened?"
Jasyn didn't answer. She pushed past into the cabin where she could grab her son from Sikura. She held him tight. He hung onto her, sucking his thumb.
Paltronis looked at Leon for an answer.
"We were shot and disabled," Leon answered.
"By whom?" Paltronis asked.
"Beats me," Leon said. He shrugged his suit back into place on his shoulders and brushed imaginary dust from the eye blinding stripes on his sleeves.
"We should find out soon enough," Lowell said. "They're towing us somewhere."
"Probably to that monster ship," Twyla said.
"Phoenix," the com crackled to life. "This is blue leader. Do you have any maneuvering capabilities left?"
"You took care of that," Twyla snapped into the com. "Everything's down except life support and it isn't going to last long."
"Sorry about that," blue leader answered. He sounded like he actually meant it. "But we couldn't let you fly into that mess, not in an unarmored merchant ship with no weapons. The whole planet is a war zone."
"Who are you?" Twyla asked.
"Welcome to the capital of the Federation," blue leader said. "Our autodocking is programmed for fighters, not freighters. This may be a bit bumpy."
The grappling hooks released. The ship floated free for only a few seconds before it was grabbed in a repulsor field. The ship jerked and shuddered as it was pulled blindly into the docking port of the huge ship. They all grabbed the nearest chair and hung on. Jasyn sat at the galley table with Leon and Sikura, Louie dozing in her lap. Paltronis was in the cockpit with Lowell and Twyla.
Beryn came up the stairs from the engine room. Ginni trailed behind him. They had streaks of soot on their faces. The ship lurched. They both grabbed handholds and hung on.
"The fire's out," Beryn said. "Everything is shot down there. We took a hit directly in the tubes. Whoever shot us is good. A little to either side or a bit more power and we'd be dust."
"Thanks for telling me," Jasyn said. She looked defeated. She slumped at the table as the ship was pulled into the unknown. They had no way of knowing if they were really headed into the docking bay of the giant ship or not. They had nothing but the mysterious blue leader's word.
The ship lurched to a stop. They could hear hoses attaching to the various outer ports on the ship. Jasyn only looked up after the airlock was attached and engaged.
"You want me to get the guns out?" Paltronis asked. "We put all the firing pins back in. They should work fine now."
Jasyn shook her head. "Whoever they are, they probably outnumber us two million to one. We don't stand a chance."
"There's always a chance," Lowell said.
"Until you're dead," Paltronis added.
Beryn reached his hand across the table to her. Paltronis took it and held on.
The airlock began to cycle. They waited in silence for their fate.