Zak Jahns

by Gregory Anderson

  On Edahni there was a collective sigh of relief, food and confirmation of viable Azurite. The problem with Federated still existed but it did not dampen their spirits and the wine that was included with the timely delivery went down very well. They figured the food Zak brought would last at least four months. What also went well was the data bundle that included personal news from home. The future for the colony looked bright and they would work hard to produce a sizable load of Azurite for next time and have it ready to go. Berdle even considered negotiating with Federated once they had funds available.

  Panther spent the fifteen day trip to Colisus Thirteen doing essential repairs and evaluating the materials need for proper repair of the conduits. They managed to avoid any Federated ships along they way but as they neared the planet long range scans detected a ship. It was decided to wait the Federated ship out, they were in no condition for another encounter, it took four days. The people of the planet were happy to see Panther not only because it meant business but they really enjoyed visiting with the crew. Panther had once delivered an entire hospital in the form of two containers complete with doctors and staff. The planet had been battling some sort of deadly virus that they could not solve, Zak did not charge for delivery. This made them always grateful to Zak Jahns and Panther. As the ship came down they took it slowly and discovered the damage to the spine was more extensive than they thought. A full power approach may have had catastrophic results. The landing was more gentle than any they had in a long while, Junes was in the captains chair. Once landed the ritual was observed before a group from the planets government approached. Colisus Thirteen had a minimal government that was loosely run, for the most part everyone looked out for one another. They also had two food containers to return and ready for pickup destined for Colisus Five. Before much longer a maintenance vehicle pulled up next to Panther to evaluate the damages pulling up to the obvious divot in the spine. Once in position it scissored up on level with the spot in question. Had it been any other ship the damage would have been catastrophic, there were six layers of hull missing. When Cyrillium command had the ship it was used as a test bed so the hull ended up many layers with the outer being shield emitters and cellular composites. The inner layers were a honeycomb of titanium and other metals. Because of this Panther could take quite a few hits and still retain structural integrity. Fortunately the planets store contained enough to do the repairs. This would take some time and as one crew worked on the structural another started replacing the conduit sections that had been damaged. While this went on the entire crew took leave to enjoy the hospitality of the locals. Zak and Junes stayed behind.

  “Zak, this has to be it, we will not be so lucky next time Federated finds us. You just can not put this much risk on the crew, they do not deserve to die because of some personal quest of yours.”

  “But I can't leave that colony to fend for themselves. They are peace loving and defenseless.”

  “They may be defenseless but that is their choice and their consequences, not yours. Maybe it's time for you to go back home for awhile.”

  “You may be right, you have said your piece now go and leave me alone, I need to think.”

  Had it been his old second Pete, he would have knocked him down, no one had ever talked to him that way save his mother and he was beside himself. After a time he decided to go out and see the progress on the outside repairs.

  “We will be done in a couple of more days, why the long look.”

  “It has nothing to do with you chief, it has to with Federated wanting us dead. The damage you are working on is thanks to them and I don't think we will be so lucky next time.”

  “Aye, I do understand so what can we do to help.”

  Zak was silent for awhile.

  “Chief, is there anyway you can reconfigure Panther to be operated by one person on the bridge.”

  The chief laughed and then stopped.

  “Are you serious.”

  “Yes.”

  “Well I just do not know, we need Smitty and your engineer to answer that. In theory it is possible but that would be a lot for one person to operate.”

  Zak commed Uhr and Dihr and asked them to meet on the bridge and say nothing to anyone else. Smitty and the chief joined them.

  “This is a simple question, can Panther be configured to be run by one person.”

  Uhr asked why.

  “Because, as Junes pointed out earlier, sometimes I have put the crew in too much danger and even though no one has ever complained I want to be able to take the ship myself if the risk is too high for the crew.”

  Smitty responded.

  “It can be done but it will be up to your engineers to lead us through these cobbled up systems and we will need Bart to write automation programming for many things.”

  Uhr replied.

  “You are talking about suicide missions or something close to it. We will do it but only under protest.”

  Dihr added.

  “We have been together a long, long time and will always respect your decisions and it makes us sad that things have come to this.”

  “Thank you for that. All I ask is that you keep this from the rest of the crew. Maybe it will never be needed.”

  The chief added.

  “We can make it modular so it can be added quickly but otherwise be out of sight.”

  “Excellent, just one more thing, can you give me an emergency jump control mounted on the side of the captains chair.”

  Zak commed the crew that it would be another two days before departure and to enjoy the time off. Then he went to his quarters and slept for twelve straight hours, something he had not done for quite awhile. When he went up to the bridge he found several new ports on the captains console. He went to find Junes, she had just come back aboard.

  “We now have redundant control systems as Panther used to have. We also have new hardened main conduits and, Uhr is happy again. Also, I will be trying real hard to keep the crew out of harms way.”

  Junes responded.

  “On behalf of the crew I thank you. It will pay off in the end but still we are in danger from Federated and somehow we need to resolve that soon.”

  Junes was the voice of reason but she clearly did not know Hallbrook. Maybe, just maybe she had what it takes to get through to that man, Zak never could. They had a nice meal together then he went to his quarters while Junes went back to where the crew was staying. Planetary radar still showed no signs of Federated lurking anywhere near. An enterprising young Federated captain had managed to bribe one of the operators, he knew Panther was there.

  -14-

  Captain Luke's crew were complaining as they sat close behind a moon for seven days, just waiting. Luke was a young and ambitious man who's captain had recently died from unnatural causes. The corvette he commanded had been refitted with almost as much firepower as a frigate.

  “Captain, a ship is approaching that matches the ship you are looking for.”

  Captain Luke replied.

  “Lock and fire everything we have as soon as you can and head right for her. I want that ship destroyed and bonuses when we do.”

  It was tense as they waited till Panther came into weapons range. The young captain failed to realize that Panther had better scanning systems and was already prepared.

  “We have company, a corvette that is well armed.”

  Zak replied.

  “Changing course, stand by for evasive maneuvers.”

  Panther started moving away from the corvette but it would be close.

  “Do not fire unless they fire first.”

  “Captain, they are changing to match our course and coming on at amazing speed. They are firing, our solutions locked in.”

  “Very well fire eight smart missiles and drop countermeasures.”

  “They have fired again, we have twenty incoming.”

  “Can the second batch they fired catch up to us.”

  “Maybe or maybe not if they are typical Federate
d missiles but not likely, hard to say.”

  “Hang on, going up to ten gee over dampers.”

  Captain Luke of Federated was elated.

  “We have it, that ship is ours, there is no escape.”

  “Boss, since when do missiles do evasive.”

  Luke was irritated by his crewman asking such a stupid question and he was getting ready to rebuke him when the first missile hit. While the smart missiles carried a lighter payload their ability to evade and hit the actual target was incredible. The Federated corvette went up in a flash as five more missiles slammed into it, there was nothing left. On Panther everything was fine and only one missile came close but did no damage, the rest of the incoming simply ran out of fuel. After they were clear and slowed down to a tolerable speed they continued on to the next destination. Afterwards Junes raised an eyebrow and asked.

  “Don't you think eight missiles was overkill.”

  Zak replied with a sad face.

  “No, better to finish them completely than to leave them stranded. No one out here would stop to help a Federated ship, they are much hated.”

  Panther was headed for Colisus Five and had no more troubles. When they got close there was only one Federated ship in orbit so getting down undetected was not a problem for a change. After dropping the two empty containers they ended up at Agra Foods. This time they would pick up space rations for the colony at Edahni and Agra generously donated the containers for the cause. This may be the last time they could drop food at the beleaguered planet provided Federated had backed off. The space rations would not be great but would last two years. No one of the crew said anything about the prospect of going back to Edahni but they trusted Zak. Even Junes did not say anything despite what it looked like, going back to Edahni. After spending time on Colisus Five Zak gave the order to head for Colisus Two, Federated's home base. This is when Junes spoke up.

  “Do you really think Federated is going to let us approach the planet without blowing us away.”

  “Yes, Federated is not going to cause troubles because Colisus Two is the system's seat of power. They have been paying protection for a long time and are sick of it. Their government is at the point they are ready to either hire someone to get rid of Federated or maybe call in Cyrillium help. There are four Cyrillium destroyers in the next system and Hallbrook knows it but this is personal. Hallbrook's vendetta is with me and he is smart enough to keep it away from his home. Junes. You have to trust me on this, I have been out here for a long, long time. Besides, MayBell would let me know if he was planning something.”

  “MayBell is in love with you and would do anything for you, am I right.”

  “I just do not know about love but we are close, plus she reports to the Cyrillium high council just as we do. I trust her.”

  In the next five days on their way everybody was quiet and asked no questions about what was coming next.

  Hallbrook was going to finish Panther once and for all. He had quietly directed eight more ships to move towards Edahni and MayBell was kept out of the loop. Word had come from Colisus Five that Panther had picked up two containers of food so it was just a mater of time before he showed at Edahni. He would take no chances this time and had his ships arrayed all the way around the planet including out by the gray nebula. Even if Panther made it down they would have nowhere to run and even though the nebula was relatively close to the planet it was impassable. No one had explored beyond it and even Jings had found no path through it or around it. Probes sent into it disappeared, it was a dead end that would do Panther in if it went that way.

  Panther was getting close to Colisus Two and Zak had given orders to be called to the bridge just before they reached scanning range. When he stepped onto the bridge the pesky door stuck, they had totally forgotten about fixing it. So he smacked the bulkhead and it closed, a regular thing now.

  “Bring us to a full stop and station keeping.”

  Uhr had come to the bridge a few minutes later and just shrugged at the stuck door. Junes and Hart were confused as Uhr rarely came to the bridge unless there was something critical to repair and Panther's systems were working fine. Uhr gestured for Junes to get out of the captains chair as he went to a cabinet and pulled out a monitor and control panel.

  “Just what are you doing Uhr.”

  “Setting up the slave systems, didn't Zak tell you.”

  Everyone looked to Zak.

  “Open comm shipwide please. Due to the risk of delivering to Edahni I will be making the final drop off myself. All crew members will go to the shuttles and make for Colisus Two and stay there till I return. All expenses are paid so enjoy yourselves. That is all Zak, out”

  Junes shook her head no.

  “You can't do that, it's suicide, I will not let you. Besides it takes more than one to run this ship.”

  Just then Uhr said.

  “All tests are complete so you are ready. I wish you would not do this but, you are the captain so I wish you well.”

  “Thank you Uhr. And as he said I am captain so off you go now and I will see you in a few days depending how many ships I have to dodge around. Think about it, with you all on Colisus Two Hallbrook will be confused and his ships around Edahni will not be alert thinking Panther is on Colisus Two. No one will dream that Panther or any ship is running with a crew of one.”

  Junes looked mad and sad at the same time. She came over to stand close to Zak and looked at him up close. Then she grabbed his head with both hands and landed a kiss full on the lips. Then she walked off the bridge but turned at the last minute and said.

  “Be careful and come back to us.”

  The kiss stunned him for a moment and then he was alone on the bridge and sat down. Panther would be a lot to handle and it would take some time to get the hang of it. Both the shuttles were crowded when Junes stepped into the executive situated in the fore landing bay. As she went to sit she found a tablet with these words on the screen 'for Junes eyes only, do not open till on planet'. Zak waited patiently till the shuttles were clear and on their way then set up a path to Edahni. He figured just over twenty two hours to Edahni if he did not run into any obstacles. With superior scanning capabilities Panther was set up to give alert if a ship got close that way Zak could get some sleep, he was interrupted five times. The first alert came in just about the time the crew was checking into a lodging facility on Colisus Two. Zak was able to easily avoid the Federated corvette and it did not see Panther at all. Avoiding the Federated ship delayed his arrival considerably, he slept fitfully in between. What scans showed around the planet were four ships and who knew haw many were nearby. This was way more than Zak anticipated but he was determined to complete this mission. He knew he would have to shoot his way in and out. Uhr had programmed the missiles and lasers to make the task as easy as possible. Once he determined the best way in and out he went to full thrust and was soon pushing at ten gee over dampers. Even before the Federated ships saw Panther he started firing missile volleys, three before he plowed into atmosphere. When Federated responded they did it with everything they had and two more ships appeared even firing down into atmosphere. Zak had dropped decoys before dropping in but was still rocked by several hits.. A quick look showed no major damage. He would sweep half the planet on his way to the drop site by the mine. He banked on Federated to not firing close to the mine and he was right so Panther was able to drop the containers successfully. Then he made the decision to boost out the direction of the gray nebula figuring that Federated would not expect this. He was so very, very wrong. As he boosted out of atmosphere he was confronted by several missiles and immediately dropped countermeasures and going evasive. Zak had succeeded and now had to find a way out. Blockading the planet was wrong and there was no reason for innocent people to starve. As he was busy putting on speed and firing he exclaimed.

  “Oh, lord it just can't get any worse.”

  Despite having the four huge ion thrusters there were just too many to run away from. Then things
went from bad to worse. One of Panther's thrusters went off line and the overrides did not seem to be working. The bulkhead doors had not closed and there was no way to avoid all the missiles coming at him. One was headed straight for the bridge.

  “I am so dead.”

  Zak checked his evac suit and closed the helmet.

  “Not yet, not yet.”

  He screamed as he hit the aft thrusters putting Panther into a slow cartwheel. The missile hit just behind the bridge and punched a hole clean through the weakened plating, no shields were left. On the bridge the vacuum pulled a large monitor clean off the wall and headed straight for Zak on it's way out the open bridge. Panther was still heading straight into the gray nebula and Zak somehow knew that Panther should never fall into the hands of Federated regardless of condition. Zak ducked and at the same time as the monitor hit his left shoulder he reached down and pushed the button for an emergency jump taking Panther into the unexplored void of the gray nebula. But this he did not knowing as the monitor had knocked him out.

  THE END

  Or maybe not?

  Thank you for reading!

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