Ayan watched Jake look over the crowd, clenching and unclenching his jaw for several seconds. As the sound of someone speaking just began to break the silence he interrupted them; "Chief Vega! Two lines! Deserters to port," Jake barked, pointing to the port side of the Samson. "Loyal crew to starboard!" He finished, pointing to the starboard side.
As the orders were carried out Ayan looked back to Minh, who was taking a seat in front of Slick in his Uriel fighter. "Good luck Minh, be safe."
“We should be back in a few hours. Slick has an extra pair of generators loaded, should be a nice, quick trip."
"Just don’t let one of those beam weapons get a bead on you."
"Don’t worry, I know exactly where to hide."
Lightning flashed, lighting the darkening landscape for an instant. "Don’t get cocky out there you two,” Jake commented.
"If you’re that worried, why don’t you go check on him yourself in the Clever Dream? "
"We need it here for her medical bay and the materializer. It's best if we risk as little as possible on intelligence gathering," Jake replied calmly. “That, and the cloaking systems probably wouldn’t work properly in a nebula that dense.”
“Excuses, excuses. You two just want to stay behind and snog in the Captain’s quarters,” Minh teased, closing his connection to the channel reserved for former First Light crew.
The Uriel fighter's thrusters rotated and fired, pushing it swiftly off the ground and high up into the air. "I'll make sure he doesn't do anything you'll regret," Slick said on the general command channel.
She watched the fighter rise swiftly and take off over the horizon. Ayan couldn't shake a sinking feeling that threatened to overwhelm her.
"He'll be fine," Jake reassured quietly.
"There's no way anyone can know that. He's going to do something desperate and we’re backing him."
Jake took her by the shoulders and turned her towards him. He retracted his headpiece, the horizontal armoured slats folded into each other and settled onto his chest and back. "If he were alone I'd agree with you, but he's not. Slick is with him and he'll keep things sane."
Ayan looked up at him quietly. He was steady, reassuring, and confident. It didn't stop a lump from rising in her throat, or tears from brimming. She deactivated her communications and the face plate to her vacsuit hood to hide the tears she knew she couldn't stop. "Things have to get better, I hate having the feeling that we’ll never see Oz, Jason, or anyone from the Triton again."
"I know, I hate not being able to do anything about this myself," Jake said quietly.
"I just wish I felt better about Minh and Slick’s chances of getting in and out of there," Ayan managed.
Jake put his arm around her waist and deactivated his proximity radio so no one could overhear what he had to say. "Minh is good at what he does, so is Slick. They're too slippery to catch. Where’d all the positivity go?"
"I think it’s just hitting me now that we’ve landed and things have quieted down a bit. I should have more faith, I know." she watched as the line of deserters, as Jake had called them, was slowly led past the crate of credits. Chief Vega's people handed each of them a rectangular silver coin that glinted purple when it caught the light. The line of deserters had grown to hundreds while she wasn't looking, other deserters had joined them from the other ships.
"Things are bad now, but I'll bet the best are staying with us,"
"I know. I'm actually looking forward to visiting Greydock, it's just…" Ayan sighed deeply and looked up to Jake. "It's like all the good, all the bad, whatever it is, it all happens at once. It's hard to control things when they just seem to happen to us. I want to turn things around, start making the terms, come around to being proactive. " She paused a moment as someone ran from the back of the deserter line to the much shorter loyal line. "As ludicrous as that sounds considering our predicament," she chortled.
"I'm on the same page. I think we can start by getting everything we can here. You ever negotiate a contract before?"
“Not since mock scenarios in advanced officer training.”
“Considering how you took control of the crowd and raised spirits here, I’d say your officer training stuck. We’ll be all right,” he replied with a slight smile. "Feeling better?"
"Much." Ayan stepped away and shook her head. "God, I was never this emotional before. It's like I had some kind of hardener the first time 'round." Ayan's eye was drawn to the quickly growing pile of command and control units and other equipment of every shape and size on the Samson's cargo ramp. If they could wipe the memories, they would have something to sell on the open market, if that sort of thing was permitted in Greydock.
"I like it," Jake said quietly as he watched the slow progression in front of them. The ground was slowly turning to thick mud under the increasing weight of the rain.
Ayan could see the stone faced facade that Jake wore so well was settling back into place, but took great comfort in the new assurance that she could call the man she wanted to know back when she wanted him, when she needed him.
Things got worse as the crowd of equipment stripped deserters grew. They stood waiting for transport to arrive, with the few things they could take with them from the Triton, a survival package with contained three days worth of meal replacement bars, water, an ultra-thin cot, a basic communicator and a dual purpose cutting tool plus fire starter. Ayan and Jake moved so they could stand within ten meters of the space they were handing out the coins and she found herself looking for Leland March and Edward Sherman, the worst of the trouble makers.
She was still scanning the line when Laura surprised her from behind with a fervent hug. They had been friends for years, and seeing her intact, in person was an incredible comfort. "God, you wouldn't believe the mess that ship is in. I'm sure its being held together with sealant tape and hull filler. Scratch that, we ran out of hull filler and started using deck sheeting," Laura told her with a chuckle.
Ayan squeezed her playfully. "It's so good to see you, I'm sorry if it seemed I had reservations about Minh checking after the Triton. I didn't mean to come off like-"
"Don't worry, I know you want to see Jason and Oz back here as much as I do, but you don’t want to lose someone else. I live with an intelligence agent, remember? If anyone understands the necessity for economical personnel use, it's the wife of a spook."
"You know, I never thought that would rub off on you," Ayan smiled.
"This'll come back on you, Captain," spat someone as they passed by as they flashed their hundred gram coin. The hate etched on his face was intense as he regarded Jake, obviously the person the dissenter thought was responsible for all his problems. Ayan faintly recalled that he was one of the crew members they'd rescued from Pandem and had to stop herself from shaking her head. "Would you rather we left you behind Verain?" Ayan asked.
"White doesn't suit you, you should all be wearing red. Blood red," he told her, his cold green eyes looking straight into hers.
"If you want to stay for better days, we'll give you your comm unit and put you in the other line. Otherwise, get ready for pickup," Jake snapped as he whirled on the older man.
"How many do you think are left?" asked Laura as the older fellow moved on.
"Crewcast says there are still six hundred thirty connected to the network." Ayan replied. “I’m pretty sure Chief Vega disconnected everyone who stepped into the deserter line.”
"I did," Stephanie confirmed curtly.
"Good thinking, Chief," Ayan said with a slight smile.
The only acknowledgement was a solemn nod as she watched one of her people hand the next person in line a coin from the emptying ammunition crate.
"I hope that's not all Jake has," Laura said quietly.
"It's one of four cases."
"That's not much for eight hundred people."
"I know. Hopefully we can pick up a privateering licence and do some easy privateering. I'll be visiting the governor's office as soon as I can."
"When?"
"I was thinking Jake could call in another transport for me and a security team when he calls for their ship. So in about forty minutes."
"That quick?" Laura asked, surprised.
"There's no point in waiting. The sooner we get-" Ayan’s eye caught Leland March and Edward Sherman then and she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"What?" Laura asked as Ayan regarded her with astonishment.
"Those two, Leland and Edward, they started this whole scene."
Laura turned to face the pair, who where chatting quietly, but enthusiastically. "And now they're in the loyal line."
"I'd bet what's left of the Samson that Leland was the one who showed the passengers where my emergency funds are kept," Jake added in over the private comm.
“This might not be the time to bring this up, but those two were part of a group that started a fire in a Botanical Gallery apartment before we abandoned ship.”
“Now is the perfect time to bring it up,” Jacob said, not letting the outrage he must have been feeling creep into his stony expression. “But if I haul them off the line and strap them to the nose of the Samson right now, it won’t help anything. They’ll get what’s coming to them.”
Ayan wasn’t aware he was listening in, but wasn't surprised considering how quickly things were happening. "What do you want to do?"
"I'll put Leland to work, same with his new friend. If I get the time I'll make sure to have a conversation with them one on one."
"Don't do anything you'll regret, Jacob," Ayan whispered so only Laura could overhear.
"With people like March there's no need. He'll crap himself the instant he realizes I've got him alone. As for the other one, I'll get Stephanie to talk to him. If I take the time to do it personally he'll just feel that he's even more important."
"Why don't you get Alaka to do it? If you're going further down the chain, you may as well use the anchor."
Jake chuckled ruefully. "What I'd give to be a fly on the wall. Good idea. It's not like Steph isn't busy as it is."
Ayan's tactical alarm went off. Every officer’s command and control unit notified them that there were several armed ships coming in from the northwest. "Lewis, can you scan them?"
"They are Carthan customs vessels, five in total. I'm reading over five hundred small arms and it looks like they're made for quick boarding or deployment action. They should break cloud cover shortly."
"Thank you Lewis. Do you think we should get everyone back on the ships Jake?"
"No, we're going to continue as we are. They are probably coming to inspect us and have a word."
"Have you ever dealt with anything like this?" asked Laura.
"The Samson has been inspected by customs more times than I can count. The big problem we have here are all the people looking for refugee status. We'll have to keep them calm and make sure the customs officials can get their terms to everyone, otherwise this could get bad fast. Ayan, you'll have to do the talking. The Carthans may not want us, but I'd still rather not let on that there are Samson crew here unless we absolutely have to."
"All right, everyone who was on the Samson crew, cover up," Stephanie ordered. Everyone who served on the Samson activated their armoured vacsuit hood and made their faceplates opaque. After a moment she added; "Too conspicuous. Okay, everyone in security and wearing armour, cover up."
"Good thinking, Chief," Jake said. "March! Cover up!"
Ayan looked to where Leland was still having a lively discussion with Edward and saw that his comm unit was blinking, but he was paying no attention.
The five eighty meter long ships broke through the crowd cover behind him, they were less than a kilometre away and slowing their quick descent. The heavy rain ran off the edges of their green and grey armoured hulls as they drifted downward in a precise formation. They would come down all around them.
"Bloody idiot," Stephanie muttered, heard by everyone on the command and security channels. Ayan watched her stride purposefully towards Leland, who didn't notice until she was within two meters. As soon as he did, he flinched visibly, momentarily trying to put several people between himself and the Security Chief. "Seal up your suit and black out your faceplate you git! Look! Custom's ships are coming!" She pointed exaggeratedly.
It was as though he was the last to notice, and he may as well have been, since the low rumbling sound of their antigravity emitters were just kicking in and the air was stirred by a slight vibration. The high pitched hiss of the rain around the ships being pressed at speed by the nearest vessel's antigravity systems filled the air. It was unlike anything Ayan had ever heard, and she was thankful that it lessened as their ship landed.
Stephanie shook her head as March simply gawked at the nearest ship, not bothering to close his faceplate. She irritably activated it for him using her command unit and went back to stand with a small group of similarly clad guards so she could mix in with the crowd.
"Removing rankings, normalizing colours," Jake said quietly. All rank insignia disappeared from their vacsuits. The deserter line's suits turned light yellow while everyone else's were turned black with the exception of Ayan and Laura's suits. They were singled out in white.
"So you know, all I have to lean on here is the diplomacy and encounter training that I had in the Academy. You might want to pick a few assistants for me, Jake," Ayan said worriedly.
"Relax, you'll be fine. Give these stiffs whatever they want except for command access to the Clever Dream and the Samson."
Ayan watched as the ships slowly touched down. As soon as the broad landing feet grazed the ground broad ramps extended and troop doors opened. In seconds there was a hovering skiff pad bearing a woman in a long, green hooded cloak and several heavily armed soldiers around her. Beneath the cloak she wore a dark brown uniform, the breast of the suit jacket was held together with several glimmering silver chains and Ayan could see that the woman wore a silken garment that had many small folds underneath. The uniform was stately, almost ornate. The woman who wore it looked as though she was chiselled from stone, her features were sharp, she was tall and her long blonde hair was pulled back into a tight single braid.
Soldiers baring long rifles and wearing heavy, plated armour topped by darkened, angular helmets stepped onto smaller skiffs and began deploying around the fighters. They look as intimidating as the Triton security teams must to outsiders. This isn't going to be easy. Ayan thought to herself as she fought down rising nervousness.
"I understand why you're singled out, but what am I doing in white?" Laura asked in a low whisper as she watched a squad of fourteen Triton soldiers rush to stand in formation behind them. In the hazardous environment armour, covered in thin, horizontal metal slats, they looked as imposing, if not a little more strange than the Carthan soldiers.
"I think you're here for support," Ayan muttered back, watching the lead official draw closer by the second. She didn't seem bothered by the rain in the least, even though much of it was spattering against her uniform jacket. "I'm guessing this isn't a typical reception Jake?"
"No, it isn't, but they’re probably pretty wary these days, considering the way the last couple months have being going."
"I know, I'll do my best."
"Just remember what we need. Transportation for the deserters, somewhere we can make repairs, bargain for parts, supplies and a privateering contract would be nice. Stay focused.
Ayan didn't acknowledge that she'd taken his instructions in, the skiff carrying the Customs official stopped within two meters of her.
The Customs Officer's cold grey eyes regarded Ayan passively. "I am Carthan Colonel Miriam Davies. Before we discuss anything I must inform you that if any more of your fighters attempt to traverse our air or orbital space without clearance before powering up, they will be destroyed. You are also not permitted to use any of these ships for general transportation until we've completed our inspection."
"I am Commander Ayan, we-"
; "Do you understand my instructions?" interrupted the Colonel.
"Aye, you were perfectly clear," Ayan let her British accent slip more when she was irritated, and the woman hovering in front of her was instantly frustrating to speak with. She'd dealt with commanding officers exactly like her, and consciously decided to keep her temper in check. "We'll be sure to get clearance for any departures."
"To be clear, your pilot acquired clearance; he just waited until he broke the hundred meter ceiling before requesting it. In my book, that’s backwards thinking, and people who operate like that don’t go far where I come from. Now what is your business here?" The Colonel said as she coolly ran her gaze across the myriad of ships behind Ayan.
"Our first priority here is to provide these refugees an opportunity to visit a civilized port where they can try and get home, or contact relations."
"These people don't look like refugees, they're too well dressed, too well taken care of."
"We took care of them and in return they worked with our staff."
"There isn't enough room in these ships for these people. Is there another ship we're not seeing? Something outside the solar system or in another port?"
"What you see is all we have left. Most of these people are refugees, we had to make do until we could make it to the nearest civilized system. That led us-"
"Where are your refugees from?"
"We have refugees from Enreega, Pandem and a slaver ship."
Fragments sf-6 Page 15
