“Get me Novek,” Marsh told the comms officer. Seconds later the captain’s face was back on Marsh’s screen.
“Commander, are you safe?” Novek asked immediately.
“Yes, Captain. Our defences were adequate.”
“Thank the stars!” Some of the stress left Novek’s face, but not much. “I cannot tell you how sorry I am, Commander. Jensen and his ship joined us three weeks ago. Most of the ships in the convoy have joined us recently. We’ve seen nothing suspicious from the Slower Path, till now, at least.”
“Are you safe? Are the other ships?”
“Yes. We have a strict physical isolation policy, and the data exchanged is limited and carefully scrutinised. Holding this group together just got a damn sight harder though.”
Marsh nodded his understanding. Despite the danger Novek had brought he bore the captain no ill will. That danger was insidious, which was part of what made it so terrifying. Now the ships under Novek’s command would be watching each other for the slightest sign of treachery. Keeping them together would be a major challenge, as would preventing someone getting trigger happy. One shot would be all it took to start the convoy ripping itself apart.
“Commander…” Novek was tentative now. “Despite what happened, we came here for a reason. Thousands of people are depending on us returning with food and supplies. I wouldn’t blame you for sending us away with nothing, but many of those people will die if you do.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll get the food.”
Marsh knew his voice was sharp, but he couldn’t help it. The assault had got too damned close. Maybe they needed to increase the buffer no ships were allowed within. Again.
Realising his own thoughts were too bogged down in changes to the defences, he motioned to Alisha. His deputy could handle the logistics of loading the ships while he focused on trying to keep everyone on Greenseed safe. Or safer at least.
He was under no illusions. One day, possibly soon, an overwhelming force would arrive. It might be pirates looking for food, or it might be another attack like that of the Slower Path. Either way the people of Greenseed would be dead then, or as good as. Until that moment arrived he intended to make damn sure to keep them safe, though, and to get as much food out to the needy as was possible.
Chapter 10
Jess glared at Dash, trying to keep his anger in check.
“How are we supposed to trust you?” he ground out. “First you tell us the base is safe. Now you claim it’s been taken over, that your friend is facing death. How do we know that’s true? It seems awfully convenient as you want to stay on the Wanderer now. Can you prove what you say?”
“Yes. But only by travelling to the base, and that would be a one way trip,” Dash replied.
“I believe him, Jess,” Sal said, stepping between them.
Jess took a deep breath, struggling to control himself. Dash was a liar by his own admission. He was the leader of a pirate organisation. He was older and far cannier than Jess. And he had an aura which made him seem trustworthy.
The more time they spent together the more Dash reminded Jess of Matt. Those wounds were far from healed. Jess was determined not to be caught out in the same way. He couldn’t explain his reasoning, though, not in front of Dash.
“Does it change anything?” Sal asked.
Jess felt anger surge inside at the question. Anger fuelled by his frustration.
“Of course it does!” he snapped back.
“Not in the short term,” she replied sharply, glaring a challenge at him. “Freeing and unloading the prisoners is going to take the best part of a full day. Why not see what happens? Maybe we’ll get the proof we need, unless you’re thinking of sticking chains on Dash.”
Jess was startled for a moment, wondering if she could read his mind. A few moments later he realised she was joking and smiled back, shaking his head. Ali’s eyes narrowed. She’d noticed the hesitation, even if no one else had. Jess knew he’d hear about it later, when they were alone.
“Well, then,” Ali continued, a cold edge to her voice. “Shouldn’t we start things in motion? We have a lot of prisoners to offload.”
Dash smiled slightly, nodding his head. Jess was immediately on edge again. Did Dash consider this a victory? Was it another step in his plan? Jess vowed to keep an even closer eye on Dash until he was safely off the ship. Something Jess was determined to make happen as soon as possible.
* * *
“The plan looks clear and efficient. Just what I’d expect from you,” Dash told Knuckles, forcing a smile.
“Of course. The sooner it’s done, the sooner we can sit down with those beers.”
Dash forced out a chuckle through the tightening in his chest. They both knew it would never happen now. Dash would leave without setting foot on the base, and Knuckles would be killed soon after.
“Sounds good. The first toast will be to fallen comrades, though,” Dash said solemnly.
Knuckles nodded then replied in an equally solemn voice.
“I’ll drink to that. I heard about Dozer. Damn waste. There’s not many of us left now.” His voice brightened. “Still, at least you got me this nice, safe gig. Now get those prisoners offloaded then get your arse over here for a drink.”
“I will, my friend. Dash out.”
Dash stared at the blank screen, heart aching. The conversation had been even more painful than he’d expected. He’d never lost a friend this way before, never known they were as good as dead yet still been able to talk to them, having to pretend everything was normal.
The worst part was being unable to say goodbye properly. Knuckles had known it could be their last conversation, Dash saw it in his friend’s eyes. Whether Dash stayed on the Wanderer or boarded another ship he would need as much of a head start as possible. Those holding the base had to believe Dash still planned to visit.
“Shuttles are on the move now.”
Dash jumped slightly as Jess spoke. He’d forgotten the others. They’d waited patiently until Jess broke the silence. The young captain’s voice was confrontational. He was steadily becoming more hostile to Dash, something Dash didn’t fully understand and wasn’t sure how to counter.
“The Wanderer will be unloaded first,” Jess continued. “Our passengers are already free of their control collars. Our robots will work their way through the other three ships, removing collars and getting the prisoners ready to be transported. The Wanderer should be empty in a few hours. I need to know which ship you want to go to. It’ll be better if we send several shuttle loads there at least, so it’s harder for anyone to know where you go.”
“Jess, you know he wants to stay,” Sal snapped at Jess. “He wants to come with us.”
“And what if we don’t want him to?” Jess shouted back, anger blazing. “I don’t trust him. I don’t want him here with us. What if he’s just waiting his chance to try to take control of the ship again?”
“He didn’t the first time!” Sal was shouting back now. “You know he tried to stop it. He risked his life to stand by me.”
“So he says! How do we know anything he’s told us is true?”
Dash winced. This was bad. He did want to stay, but a showdown between Sal and Jess was unlikely to achieve that.
“You can’t just decide that! Ali and I haven’t had a say. Or are you pulling rank as captain again? Ali, what do you say?”
The younger woman pulled a face. Her eyes found Dash’s face, but quickly slid away. That was another bad sign.
“I’m sorry, Sal. I agree with Jess,” Ali said quietly. “I just don’t know whether we can trust Dash. We have to put our safety first.”
Sal turned to Dash, tears in her eyes. “Tell them, Roberto. Make them understand that they can trust you.”
Dash stared into her face, then took her hands gently in his. He shook his head slightly.
“I can’t. All I can do is ask them to trust me, to trust me as you have. I can’t blame them for refusing.” He turned his head tow
ards Jess. “You’re making a mistake, though, Jess.”
“Really? Why's that?” Jess responded, eyes narrowed.
“You should unload the other ships first. You know as well as I do that within those ships are people who won’t survive unless they are freed now. Those on the Wanderer have food, water and medical help already. If you are determined to get me off the ship then fine, but don’t make those prisoners suffer for it. Free them first, then offload me.”
Jess looked like he’d swallowed something bitter. He didn’t answer for several seconds, then gained control of himself.
“Fine. You’re right,” Jess said with bad grace. “Just don’t get comfortable. You’re not staying.”
“I can’t believe…” Sal stopped speaking. Shaking her head angrily she stalked out of the room.
Jess stared after her. Dash saw determination and concern flicker across the young captain’s face. He realised Sal would be the key to his staying on the Wanderer. She already wanted him to stay. The problem was getting Jess or Ali to see things the same way. Dash wasn’t sure it was a problem he could solve.
* * *
Jess made a point of ignoring Dash as he coordinated sending the shuttles out. He soon felt a familiar presence as Ali linked herself to the Wanderer.
I’ll take some of the shuttles, she sent.
Thanks, Jess replied.
He could manage easily on his own but understood that Ali felt the need to be involved, the need to watch for any issues. He could feel the extent of her worry through the link.
Soon Jess had forgotten all about Dash. He was absorbed in his work, his heart pounding every time they opened a new prisoner transport, wondering what they would find.
Sometimes everyone within was reasonably healthy, though confused at the sight of the Wanderer’s robot. Confusion changed to disbelief as their control collars were removed and their situation was explained. Then the prisoners were quickly escorted to a shuttle and sent on their way. None of them caused any problems. They were still too stunned by events, or too suspicious of a trick, to begin throwing their weight around.
Sometimes only corpses waited within a transport. One transport had suffered a catastrophic breach. The air had escaped quickly, leading to a horrific death for those inside. Another had suffered a slow leak. Jess wasn’t sure if those inside had suffered more or less than those who had died quickly.
Ice covered the corpses in the rest of the containers filled with the dead. The heaters had failed, taking with them any hope of surviving the trip. The chill of space had wormed its way into the container. To Jess they seemed to have died a peaceful death. Certainly more peaceful than those in the transports which had lost their atmosphere.
Jess found other containers the most difficult to deal with, though. The ones where some had survived but others were dead. Jess knew his choices had led to many of those deaths. If he’d found a way to free them sooner at least some of those who had died would still be alive.
In fact if he hadn’t interfered, if he’d allowed the ships to continue to their original target, then many of those who had died would have survived the trip. Not for long, of course. The slaves had been destined for a deadly task, but they would have lived longer, and their deaths wouldn’t be on Jess’s hands.
As they opened container after container the weight of the dead settled onto Jess’s shoulders. Seeing the faces of the survivors helped, watching them smiling as the fact they were free sank in, but it couldn’t erase the faces of those who died.
Would it always be this way? Would there always be those he couldn’t save? And if so, could he keep going as the weight of the dead became a heavier and heavier burden? He didn’t know.
Chapter 11
Greenseed Station
“Incoming ships!”
Marsh jerked awake at the watch officer’s cry. It felt like he’d only just closed his eyes. A glance at the time showed that wasn’t far from the truth. He’d been asleep for just over an hour. With everything that had happened he’d expected to find sleep difficult, but once Novek and his ships left Marsh had found himself unable to keep his eyes open. The strain of the day’s events had left him exhausted. And now there was another convoy to deal with.
“For star’s sake,” Marsh muttered. “Hasn’t enough happened already today?”
“Word’s getting around,” Alisha replied, sounding tired herself. “And things are getting worse out there.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” he replied quietly. “This is going to become a problem. The strain is already showing.”
“It doesn’t help that the commander insists on being in command twenty-four by seven,” she replied pointedly. “That sets a bad example. Even when people are ordered to rest they hang around in case they’re needed.”
“Fair point,” he conceded.
Not that he was going to stop. He glanced over at the watch officer. The youngster was back.
“What sort of ships?” Marsh called out.
“I… I’m not sure,” the young officer replied.
“That isn’t a lot of use,” Marsh barked, unable to contain his frustration.
“No, Sir… but I can’t tell yet. They aren’t transmitting any identification and they’re at extreme range for the sensors. There seems to be a large force, though, and some of the ships are big. Maybe frigate sized.”
Marsh swallowed hard. This was it.
“Focus on the large ships,” he said, more gently. “They should be easier to pick out. How many of that size?”
“At least three, I think. Probably five or six, but I can’t be sure yet.”
Marsh sank back in his chair. Three frigate sized ships would probably be more than the station could hold off. Five or six and they wouldn’t stand a chance, and that was without taking the smaller ships into account. The station’s weaponry could hurt a single frigate badly, but the station would probably still come off worse in that fight. With several ships of that class any attackers could destroy the station’s defences and take it over. Or they could just blow it out of space.
Marsh met Alisha’s eyes. She’d clearly reached the same conclusion.
“Can we get anyone off?” she asked quietly.
“No point,” Marsh replied, shaking his head. “Where would they go? And they wouldn’t be able to outrun the interceptors a force that size will have.”
“So we just give up? Just let them walk in here, bringing the stars knows what with them? After everything we’ve gone through to keep the station safe?”
“What else can we do? Fight to a glorious death? Go down in flames?”
“That might be better,” Alisha said darkly.
“Maybe, but we aren’t sure they’re Tainted. From what we know there’s a good chance they aren’t.”
“Does it matter? Our people will be in danger as soon as anyone new steps foot on the station. Sooner or later someone Tainted will arrive.”
“Sir… it’s seven. There are seven frigate sized ships. There are a lot of smaller ships supporting them, too. I can’t get accurate numbers yet, but there’s at least twenty to thirty corvettes and many smaller ships.”
“Good work,” Marsh said. He meant it too. Picking out those details at extreme range was tough. The lad might just have the makings of a decent watch officer after all, if he survived. If any of them survived. He addressed the room, forcing confidence into his voice.
“Arm all weapons. We don’t know who or what we’re dealing with. They might seem to have overwhelming force, but appearances can be deceiving.”
His words got a mixed reception. Everyone did as he had ordered, but while some seemed confident others were clearly scared. Marsh didn’t blame them. He was fighting paralysing fear himself.
The incoming fleet wasn’t in any hurry. It approached slowly, allowing its size and firepower to fully dawn on everyone watching. Several minutes passed in silence, with no chatter in the room and no communications from the approaching fleet.
&n
bsp; Finally, a signal came in. Marsh sat up straighter as an image appeared. He had to fight not to laugh. The image that confronted him couldn’t have shouted pirate leader any more unless the man had a parrot sitting on his shoulder. He had everything from the heavily scarred face to the piercings. He had the garish clothes and even a black pirate’s hat perched on his head.
A quick glance at the tactical display killed the urge to laugh dead. The man might look ridiculous, but he was in command of a massive amount of firepower. Silence stretched out as the man said nothing. Marsh considered seeing how long that particular game could last, then decided against it. Each passing moment brought the fleet closer to Greenseed. He needed to resolve the problem now. Somehow.
“Greetings,” Marsh said in as pleasant a voice as he could manage. “How can we help you?”
“Food!” The man’s voice was gravelly, but to Marsh it sounded forced. Another affectation.
“Food?” Marsh asked, wondering if he’d heard clearly.
“Yes, food. You have it, we need it. You’re going to give it to us.”
Marsh was caught out. He’d expected the man to follow up with threats, with references to the immense force at his disposal, with warnings of what refusal would lead to. Instead the captain had left it all unspoken. Marsh quickly changed his opinion of the man. He was far more dangerous than his appearance suggested. Maybe dressing that way was a deliberate move to make people underestimate him.
“How much?” Marsh asked finally.
The reply was short and to the point. It was a lot, roughly thirty times as much as Novek and his fleet had left with, but Greenseed could supply it easily.
“And what do we get in return?” Marsh asked.
“Commander, I think we both know the answer to that.” The captain smiled gently, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “You won’t accept any payment from those who are taking the food for noble reasons, or claim to at least. Would you really accept anything from me?”
Wanderer's Odyssey - Books 1 to 3: The Epic Space Opera Series Begins Page 56
