Make or Break the Hero (The Hunter Legacy Book 4)

by Timothy Ellis

  Behind, were two groups of three chairs, as if set up for an Admiral and staff, or for VIP'S to observe.

  "Impressive," said Lacey, and the others agreed.

  I took my place in my new command chair.

  Jane went to the position to the left of the helm, and plugged herself into the data port. Her suit immediately changed into a representation of the Carrier, standing on its engines.

  "What the hell?" said a British accent behind me.

  We all laughed. Jane stayed that way for a full minute, before resuming her Jane shape.

  "Assimilation complete," she announced.

  My HUD came up on the view screen, causing some consternation from all of them. They hadn't seen one show the level of detail mine did.

  "Can I have a copy of your HUD sir?" asked Lacey.

  "Me too," said Annette.

  The rest all nodded agreement.

  "I've not distributed it yet, because it's been under development. When I get some free time, I'll see if there's anything else I want to add to it, and if not, I'll see about getting it on your ships. It uses feeds from the three Guilds, so you need to be members of all of them to get all the data. If you all join the Bounty Hunters Guild, that will make two of the three feeds, and most of the useful data they provide. Umm. How many of you have the big ship captain certification?"

  They all raised hands.

  "Well that’s just as well for those of you flying Corvettes recently. I'd suggest you find out if you can also join the Traders Guild based on having big ship captain. Actually, forget that, apply for membership anyway, on the basis you are contracted to Hunter Security and may be required at times to undertake Trader duties. My Corvettes all have large Cargo Bays, so can be used as a trader if need be. You're all employed to Trader Guild specifications anyway, so they shouldn’t object. Once you've membership, which will have to wait until we get somewhere with functional Guilds, you need to buy each of their standard HUD overlays, which gives you the feeds. When you've the feeds, my HUD overlay will use them. It also keeps track of missions for you. So if you take a bounty mission on someone, the HUD will highlight it for you when you find them. I also get Militia, and local Space Force data, which you won't be able to get as Mercenaries."

  "You wrote this?" asked Annette.

  "Yes. I'm rated Systems Specialist."

  They looked impressed. Very few pilots ever took any specialty levels, concentrating on flying and combat skills.

  "Janet," I said. "Are we free to depart?"

  "Yes my Lord. Everything you requested is on board."

  "Button us up Jane, and let's be moving."

  "Confirmed."

  We watched as the Carrier moved slowly away from the station, stopped, spun on her axis, and headed for the jump point.

  A channel opened from the station.

  "Kick some arse BigMother!" It sounded like the General.

  "We will. Keep the lights on, we'll be back."

  The channel closed, and BigMother jumped into Cobol.

  I turned to the pilots.

  "There's good news and bad news."

  "Good news first," said Lacey.

  "The accommodation is the next deck down. Choose a place to sleep. If you see a kitten or a kitty castle, that’s my place. The next biggest five are reserved for flag officers, and we'll have some coming on board at Cobol. There'll be names on some of the rest already, for my Mercenary Team. Otherwise, take your pick."

  "What's the bad news?" asked Annette.

  "The Centurions, Excalibur, and Unthinkable, are down on the Flight Deck. The Camels are docked to external airlocks down on the Cargo Deck, towards the rear of the ship. I'm afraid you'll need to take a walk, or trolley ride, to retrieve your stuff."

  They collectively groaned. I couldn’t stop myself grinning. I wondered if any of them would think to just ask a butler to do it for them. My grin widened, and I ended up wincing.

  "We're two and a half hours to Cobol. Be back on the Bridge before we get there. Your quarters all have full entertainment systems, so you can view ships systems, and the view screen, from there if you want."

  "Will we be needed there?" asked Annette.

  "I doubt it, but anything's possible. I haven't had an update since I left, but there wasn’t any opposition left at that time. I'm assuming no news is good news. In which case, as soon as we confirm it, we can all get some shuteye."

  They nodded and left.

  I limped down the staircase, and found my quarters were mere steps away. I went in and found Angel asleep on the top of her kitty castle.

  I had a quick look around. Everything was bigger than Custer, and I'd felt a bit like I was rattling around in my suite there. My civvies had followed me again. I wondered when I’d get to wear them again.

  I wasn’t at all sure the team would adapt to the suites they would each get, since they were accustomed to living communally. They almost had the same space each now, as they'd previously had all together.

  "Jeeves, can you bring me another pain shot please."

  "On my way, my Lord," came from the ship coms.

  I sat down in a very comfortable lounge chair. Angel woke, stretched, and raced down her kitty castle, across the floor, and up the ramp next to the chair, ending up on my lap. I patted her, and asked her if she liked her new home. She purred.

  Jeeves came in and administered the shot, making me feel a lot better.

  Thirty Two

  An email came in from Miriam, and I threw it to the wall.

  "Safe? You call that antique safe? I wouldn’t trust the coffee pot on that old heap. Are you nuts?"

  Maybe I was. I couldn’t help chuckling.

  "And what's with the red color? That is seriously ugly. Who in their right mind colors a ship that bright a red? Oh, I forgot, I'm talking to you. Jon Hunter and right mind, shouldn’t be used in the same sentence. Sometimes I wonder about you. Then I think of your cute butt, and forget what I was wondering about." She laughed. "Damn Jon. You've enough firepower now to start your own empire. I don’t know if I should congratulate you, or fear you. Some will fear you now, make no mistake about that. You've shown yourself to be a serious threat to anyone doing the wrong thing. That doesn’t go unnoticed. So watch your back. Or better still, let me watch your butt." She giggled. "Can't wait to see you again." She blew a kiss, and the vid ended.

  I rose, shifted the puss, changed my fatigues to a belt, yanked down my briefs, and zoomed a cam in on my butt. I let a vid record it for a full minute before I pulled my briefs back up, snapped the belt back into fatigues and zoomed out. I turned to the cam.

  "Ask and you shall receive." I grinned and winced all at the same time. "This is my living room." I panned the cam around so she could see it all. "I assure you it's one hundred percent modern, as is most of the rest of the ship that counts. The hull might be old, but it's sound and solid."

  I paused the vid. Angel was shredding her scratch pole now. I asked her if she wanted to come to the Bridge. She stopped, considered, ran over and shinned up onto my left shoulder. It twinged, so I shifted her to my right. I could use my left arm to some degree, below shoulder height, but the shoulder was still a major pain source.

  "Jeeves?"

  "Yes my Lord?" He appeared as if by magic.

  "Can you monitor where Angel is at all times?"

  "Yes my Lord."

  "She has full access to my suite, the Rec Room and Dining Room, but nothing else on this level. She can access the Bridge, my Ready Room, and the Conference room on the Bridge level, and the mess when I'm there, but not the kitchen. Is it worth having a maid droid available to open and close doors for her?"

  "If you wish my Lord."

  "I assume you can do it, but it would impact your ability to do other things."

  "Yes my Lord. There will however be another butler droid here shortly, who can also perform that task here on this deck. With your permission, Jason will attend to Deck Two and Jenkins to the Marine Mess. But
there's another alternative."

  "What?"

  He told me.

  "Fine, I'll leave it for you to organize."

  "As you wish my Lord."

  I limped out to the stairwell, and stood there looking at the stairs going up. I looked at Angel.

  "Are you game to try something new?"

  She looked at me expectantly.

  I stepped into the access shaft, bent my knees a little, and straightened. We floated upwards slowly. At the top, I reached out for a rail, and swung us lightly onto the deck. I still stumbled a bit under the gravity, and Angel, caught unprepared, dug her claws into my epaulettes to stay in place.

  Weow!

  "Does that mean don’t do that again, or let's do that again?"

  Mew.

  Serves me right for asking two questions at once.

  I limped onto the Bridge, and walked over to the main console. Jane was still where I’d last seen her. I picked Angel up, and placed her down on the cat mat, now sitting there waiting for her. She sniffed at it, and settled, watching us move through space.

  My figurines of Kali and Ganesha had also moved onto the console. They'd been a gift, and to date, I had no idea why I was continually moving them around with me. One day I’d get to talk to the person who gave them to me, and find out why they felt so necessary.

  I sat in my chair, and started the vid going again.

  "This is the Bridge." I panned the cam around, and used several others so she could see the whole room. "As you can see, state of the art, no expense spared. I guess it's kind of a bit much for one person, but the team should be on board soon. Miss you." I blew her a kiss, and ended the vid. I used our encryption for the email, and sent it off.

  I did miss her. I was surprised to discover this. She was older than me, but not significantly. I figured her to be about twenty four. At home, folks would be freaking out about a six year difference, but to me we were both pilots doing what we loved. Where did age come into it? The same applied to the twins and Alison. The twins I thought were early twenties, and Alison was later twenties. I had no idea why Alison was attracted to me. Technically, Alison had broken 'the code' by sleeping with me the night before the first Avon battle. I'd slept with the twins as well, back before team complications had set in. I wondered where the twins were with sorting that out, and if they'd spoken to Alison about it all. They had to be aware something had gone on. Didn't they?

  I sighed. My understanding of women wouldn’t fill in a shot glass.

  I sat there, watching the distance to Cobol wind down. Custer was still in orbit, and no other ships were on the scanner.

  "Did freight scanners get installed on BigMother Jane?"

  "No. But we've some we can install, left over from making them for the station. Where do you want them?"

  "All around the ship the same as the station. So we have a kilometer coverage in all directions out from the hull."

  "Will do."

  "Thanks."

  "Your welcome."

  "I know I am."

  "I know you are too."

  "Good."

  "Good."

  I let her have the last word. Apparently my understanding of AI's wouldn’t add to the shot glass either.

  I sat there just watching the view, until Annette walked in and took a seat on the other side of the main console from Jane. She looked flushed. I gave her 'the look', the one you use when you want to know, but don’t want to ask.

  "Those access shafts are serious fun," she said with a giggle.

  I shook my head a little.

  Pilots!

  A few minutes later, the 266 squadron guys started arriving. By the time we were in orbit, and to a position not far from Custer, they were all sitting there.

  I opened a channel to Custer.

  "BigMother to Custer, anyone home?"

  "What?" It was Alison. "Who is this?"

  We all laughed.

  "It's me, Jon. I'm back. Jane, show her the ship on her nearest monitor."

  "Confirmed."

  "Holy shit!"

  "No, BigMother. Holyshit was already taken."

  "What the hell is that, thing?"

  "Escort Carrier. Now my mobile base. Care to come on board?"

  "Sure, I was getting lonely up here on my own."

  "Strap in somewhere, Jane will dock the two ships. Once docked, come aboard through the main airlock in the Cargo Bay."

  "Okay. See you soon."

  I closed the channel.

  "Jane, nose to nose please."

  "Confirmed."

  "Jeeves?"

  "Yes my Lord?"

  "Once we're docked, can you transfer everyone's belongings to their suite here please?"

  "Yes my Lord."

  There was groan from behind me which seemed to indicate someone hadn't thought of that. I grinned.

  "Annette, you want to go meet Alison? Jane will operate the trolley by remote, unless you want to figure it out yourself."

  "Sure. That might be fun too. Anyone want to come?"

  They all left.

  Pilots! I shook my head. Anything to do with speed, and you couldn’t keep them away from it.

  Maybe I needed to get Jane to rig a bungee in one of the access shafts for them. On the other hand, that could be seriously dangerous in low gees. But on the gripping hand, a pilot would probably love that. I sighed.

  I sat there, and watched while Custer docked with BigMother. Two large ships kissing, I thought. I cracked up, and instantly regretted it.

  "Jane, when Jeeves has all personal belongings off Custer, button her up, and have the building and repair droids make the changes I wanted for her. Can you shift her so they don’t need to evacuate the air, but do the hull work through the cargo airlock?"

  "Confirmed. But we won't be able to go anywhere until the work is complete."

  "How long will that be?"

  "Four or five hours."

  "Fine. I don’t really want to start the next offensive until tomorrow anyway."

  A channel opened from the planet.

  "Smith to unknown ship. That better be you Hunter."

  Jane looked at me with a look of pure glee on her face, and raised eyebrows. I gave her the thumbs up. Her suit changed to a strange black armour with tubes going in weird directions. She focused an obviously mechanical eye on the nearest cam, and turned the vid on. General Smith appeared on the screen, with Alsop and a few others in the background.

  "This is BigMother of Borg," Jane said in a multitude of simultaneous voices. "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."

  "What the fuck?" blurted Alsop, a look of panic on his face.

  I could hear Eric in the background having total hysterics, and I couldn’t help but join him. The pain was worth it.

  Jane changed her suit back to normal. The cam focused on me instead. I made a huge effort, and got a grip.

  "Sorry General, we couldn’t resist that. Yes, BigMother is mine."

  "BigMother?"

  "It’s a funny story for another time."

  "If you say so. Can you come down here please? The locals would like a word."

  "Sure. Now? Its late evening up here. I was hoping for some sleep."

  "It's midafternoon here, and none of us have had any. Sleep will have to wait. Land on the shuttle pad on top of Government House."

  "Can I bring a date?"

  The channel closed. I chuckled again. In theory, I could refuse to go as I outranked her, but in practice, Vonda outranked me, so that card could be trumped. And truth to tell, I was curious what the locals wanted.

  "Jane, ask Annette and the others if they want a trip down to the planet. Prep the Gig, and direct them to it, if they wish to go."

  "Confirmed."

  I told Angel I was going out for a few hours. She should go to sleep without me. She didn’t look happy, but curled up on her pad.

  "Jane, where's my guns?"

  "Ready Room."

  I went in, and found my
three guns hanging on the wall, in what looked like custom charging slots. I took down the Long gun, and one of my gatling stunners. I holstered both, with the Long gun on my right thigh.

  I limped out, followed by Jane. At the access shaft, I dropped in, and let myself float gently down to the Cargo Deck. Jane followed. A two person trolley took us to one of the side access shafts, and we went down again.

  Thirty Three

  At the Launch Deck level, we swung out of the access shaft, and Jane directed me to another two person trolley, which took us to where the Captain's Gig was waiting. It was a shuttle, but specially fitted out for a captain's private use. In other words, it was luxurious. It had been on one of the ships I'd salvaged along the way. I found the others on board waiting for me.

  Alison gave me a careful hug, before taking a seat. Annette gave us a probing look for a moment, but didn’t say anything.

  A cargo droid attached its sled to the Gig, and pulled us onto a lift. It disconnected, and left the lift, which started rising. It passed through a series of levels designed to contain the air in the deck below, as we transitioned to the airless Flight Deck above. Once there, Jane flew us out the back of the ship, since the front was mainly blocked by Custer. The Gig angled down towards the planet below.

  We landed on the roof of an imposing building. General Smith was on hand to greet us, along with an SFSF Lieutenant. Annabelle and Annette hugged, before the Lieutenant led the way into the building. Annabelle did look tired, which accounted for her tone and word choice earlier.

  I had déjà vu walking into the conference room. Except for the room itself, it was the same conference I'd spent a lot of time in on my way to Avon. I really hoped this meeting wouldn’t be running as long as the last one. I really did need sleep. The rest of the team were around the walls, all looking like they were running on empty.

  The pilots with me, joined the team along the walls, while I took my seat at the door end of the conference table. At the other end, General Chandra looked like he'd lost a great deal of weight, and was not at all well. To his left, was General Wellington.

  He started clapping as I finished seating myself. Everyone around the table joined in. I looked directly at General Chandra, and gave him a slight shake of the head. He stopped clapping immediately, and the room fell silent.