Steg restrained his anger. He wanted information; personal satisfaction could wait. He caught Tessa’s eye and winked. Then he said, “Riddell, I need you here.” He turned back to the skipper. “I don’t approve of your attitude. If you insult Fain, my reaction will be more than you want to know about. Now, again, why did you take my friends prisoner? What were you trying to achieve? Riddell, I need some answers. I don’t mind if the goods are damaged.”
Steg stood back while Riddell grasped the frigate skipper by the throat and squeezed hard. The skipper’s face turned red. Steg signaled, and Riddell released his grip. The skipper’s breathing rattled in his throat.
“I want answers. Were you instructed to take action against us?”
Riddell moved towards the man who stepped back, trying to avoid the promised choking.
“Yes, all right, we were told to find out what we could about Wasp, its mercenaries, and a freighter called Djamu, yeah.”
“Who gave the order—was it Ser Bedwyr?”
The skipper paled. He looked around at his junior officers; however, they had been moved to the back wall and were out of hearing range. “Who told you?” he asked in almost a whisper.
“He’s a major producer and smuggler of Joy, so it was a reasonable guess. Are you an addict?”
The man drew himself up straight. “Me? No, don’t be stupid. I’m an officer in the Eos Navy, yeah.”
“In that case, who’s addicted? Your wife? A family member?”
His shoulders dropped. “Yes. My sister. They are threatening to expose her, and to cut off her supply. She’s a teacher; exposure would end her career.”
“So you kidnapped three Fain and beat up one of them. Riddell, get ready to take these people to Wasp.”
###
“Skipper, a quick update. We’ve detected a brief and exceptionally fast starship transit. It jumped out, had a look around, and immediately returned into s-t.” Jessie was onto her fourth stylus for the day.
“Did you get a profile?” Montrose raised his head from reviewing the log for the previous watch.
“Yes, sir. It was Xesset, almost identical to the starship that Djamu fired at.”
Captain Montrose frowned. “Was it, indeed? Nav, plot a course to take us to a new position, one AU on the opposite side of Eos. Helm, get us there, fast. Tac, raise all shields. In case we need them, drop off two missile pods while we’re underway—work out the best locations—we may need to strike out at some alien warships. Bridge, prepare for enemy action. You’ve less than twenty minutes.”
“Sir?” queried the Tac commander.
“Prediction, Tac. That was a scout, tasked to check local space—who’s here, positions, etc. There’ll be a Xesset task force arriving imminently.”
“Should we inform our friends?”
“Their sensors are good. They probably detected the same details. I expect Wasp will move away from the station and re-position somewhere. She’ll be well hidden once their shields are up. Let’s see who gets underway first.”
Defender beat Wasp into action by forty seconds or so. The destroyer, shielded, was under way in a little over five minutes. It took Wasp six minutes to depart the station.
“Sir, our drone has reported.” Jessie was more relaxed now she had possible enemy action to focus on. “Wasp unloaded a shuttle and then unassed in a hurry and is underway, moving fast. She’s certainly got some acceleration. Aah, she’s raised her shields. We’ve lost her. They’ve crew still on-station.”
“Keep trying to track her, Tac.”
“Yes, sir. I believe de Coeur is still on the way station; that’s why Wasp left the shuttle behind. He’ll be at risk.”
*****
Chapter 36
The comlink buzzed in Steg’s ear. “Steg, this is Dean. We’ve detected a Xesset scout. It stayed long enough to identify all the starships docked or near the station and then jumped out. Gillespie’s undocking. She wants to depart in a hurry. She’s anticipating the Xesset will send an attack force; it could arrive in minutes. She said Wasp can defend herself better, away from the station. She’s not waiting for you. Weapons said it would take you too long to extract and return. In case—well, you never know—we’re leaving a shuttle for you. It’s the big one, s-t capable, if it comes to that. We’ll drop a couple of remote sensors to help you see what’s happening.”
“I agree with her decision. Where’s the Alliance ship?”
“We think she’s underway—she’s raised shields—we’ve lost track of her. We’ll up shields, once we’re safely undocked. How’re the Fain?”
“We’ve recovered them. Stacia suffered a beating; the frigate captain was trying to get information. We know who ordered it.”
“Good. We’ll make contact when the Xesset leave.”
“Tell Gillespie we expect to see Wasp back here. However, if it all goes pear-shaped, we’ll head off in the shuttle and meet up with Djamu.”
“You could always take over one of those Eos frigates.”
“I think the shuttle is better.” The shuttle was the size of a large inter-system yacht and had accommodation for forty or more.
“Gillespie wants me. I need to go.”
“All right. Report when you can. We’ll head to the shuttle.”
Steg signaled Riddell. “We’ve an emergency. Let’s get out of here. Finch, is Stacia okay to walk?”
Finch was worried. “Captain, she’s still dizzy; she can’t stand properly. It’s concussion. If two of our marines can assist?”
“Riddell, take care of it. Mohave, gag this lot. Make sure they can’t call for help and can’t get out of here. The captain—gag him, too—he comes with us—drag him, if need be. Come on, we gotta move.”
Riddell opened the wardroom door and checked with his men in the outside corridor. He said to Steg, “We’re okay, sir. No one’s around.”
On the way back to where Wasp had been docked, Steg explained their circumstances to the sergeant and his squad. He included the armored Fain in the comlink; Finch would pass on details to her companions. “Wasp has undocked. A Xesset starship jumped in, had a look around, and jumped out. Gillespie thinks it was a scout and it will return with a larger force. She decided Wasp is safer away from the station. They left a shuttle for us, the big one; it has shields and plenty of power, although nothing much in the way of weapons. The Alliance destroyer has shielded and moved away. They may stay for a while, if only to see what happens.”
“Sir, do you expect the Xesset to attack the station?” Riddell asked. There were other comments in the background, which Steg ignored.
“Unknown.” Steg was setting a rapid pace along the walkway towards the shuttle. The usual transport was inoperative for some unknown reason. Steg wondered if the virus was starting to impact the way station. Two men, under Finch’s guidance, assisted Stacia; Sara and Tessa were able to walk and keep pace. The frigate captain was in front of Mohave, and the mercenary kept prodding him with the barrel of his weapon. Then, without warning, all the lights on the way station blacked out.
“What the hell?” It was Riddell.
The frigate captain stumbled, bumping into the sergeant, and Mohave pushed him back onto his feet. The exo-armor worn by the mercenaries provided them with visual augmentation, and two of the marines now guided Tessa and Sara, who were without armor, along the walkway. After five minutes or so, a handful of emergency lights switched on, throwing a palid illumination onto their path at knee height.
“I suspect the virus Howe and Beagle warned us about has attacked the station’s computers,” Steg observed to Riddell. “The station could even lose atmospheric control. Keep an eye on our Fain; without armor, they’ll be at risk. Mohave, protect your new friend if the station vents its atmosphere. The shuttle’s not far, now, anyway.” He increased his pace.
“Sir, we’re exposed to more than atmosphere loss,” reminded Riddell. “The station’s got no defenses, no weapons. The Xesset might want to capture it.”
> “When we reach the shuttle, we’ll be able to plan. Step out.”
###
Steg settled the mercenaries with the four Fain and the prisoner in the shuttle’s general mess. There was room for thirty to sit and eat at any one time, although Steg only wanted to confer with his team and plan their next steps. To his surprise, Howe and Beagle were on board the shuttle. Apparently they had been tasked to protect the small starship from unauthorized boarders and from their virus, mutated or otherwise.
Steg looked at Beagle and said, “Later. Finch, take Stacia to the medical bay.”
Finch nodded her head. “Yes, sir. It’s on the mid deck. I’ll also check Tessa and Sara once we have Stacia settled.”
“Good. Let me know if there is anything major or if you need assistance.” He watched as Tessa and Sara, guided by Finch, assisted Stacia.
He turned his attention to Beagle and Howe. “Beagle, go ahead.”
“Yes, sir. Both Captain Dean and the commander were adamant, sir. They said we had to remain on the shuttle and wait for you. We have to compensate for our carelessness. One of the engineers, Jeremiah Azr, and Aadan, Wasp’s Helm, volunteered to stay on board, to assist us to get under way. Aadan said she’d enjoy helping you fly the shuttle.”
Steg suspected the presence of key personnel from Wasp was Gillespie’s way of informing him she was not planning to desert the small group of mercenaries. He linked to the shuttle’s bridge. “Aadan, we’re all on board. Prepare for departure. I’ll join you in two minutes.” He turned to Riddell and said, “We need to get out of here as quickly as possible. Send two of your marines to release docking links. Aadan is prepping for departure.”
“Yes, sir.” Riddell signaled to two of the team. “You heard the captain. Get us detached as quickly as you can.” Two marines headed for the door at a run.
Steg turned back to the two computer hackers and asked, “What’s the status of the virus?” He ignored the bewildered expression on the prisoner’s face while he questioned the two men.
“It’s devastating,” Howe said. “Everything on Eos has ground to a halt. Most of the data centers have shut down; they’ve been completely overwhelmed by the virus process.”
“There’s a high probability the banks might lose all their records if they were computerized. The Joy producers could be out of action, at least for months,” Beagle conjectured.
“The virus has started to hit starships on station, too, sir,” added Howe. “We’re blocking messages and comlinks from everyone except Wasp and the Alliance destroyer. We disconnected all electronic links from the station while we waited for you.”
“Can you receive news broadcasts without risking the systems on the shuttle?” Steg asked.
“If we use a standalone receiver, yes, sir.” Howe replied.
“Do it. Set it up on the bridge and relay it here and to engineering. I want to know what’s happening on the planet, progress of the virus on the station, and any news of the Xesset. Both of you, go.”
“Yes, sir,” the two replied in unison. They headed off to carry out Steg’s instructions.
The frigate captain struggled against his restraints, apparently trying to catch Steg’s attention.
Mohave said, “Do you want me to smack him one, sir?”
“No, Mohave. Remove his gag. Let’s hear what he has to say.”
The captain spat the gag out as Mohave loosened the ties. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? You’re kidnapping me; that’s illegal, yeah. And what’s this Xesset stuff? What virus?”
Steg was unimpressed. “Once we undock from the station, you’re welcome to walk back. Vacuum is difficult to breath, though. The Xesset are aliens; they want to take over your planet. They sent a scout ship a while ago, and we expect a larger force will turn up shortly. The virus—I understand the planet’s computer systems have been overwhelmed by a virus and it’s starting to have an impact on the station. Some of the docked ships may also be at risk.”
“My frigate—I need to get back—”
“You’re going nowhere. You’re under arrest for kidnap and assault. Sit over there, out of the way. Mohave, you have my permission to gag him again if he tries to interfere.” Steg watched as Mohave pushed the prisoner to a chair along the far wall of the mess.
“Riddell, everyone should remain armored until we know we’re safe. Have Tessa and Sara get into their armor, too. Who do we have with bridge experience? Anyone who can back up Aadan on the helm? Someone to help with engineering? I want everyone with experience—any level—to assist with bridge or engineering duties. Howe and Beagle can cover coms and sensor stations. I’ll set up a course to jump us to the system’s limits. We have to get away from the station so we can shield. If we’re caught here, we’re dead.”
He looked around at the small group. “There’ll be tasks for all of you. Riddell, sort them out. Two with engineering experience to help Azr. Two or three to help on the bridge. Set up an emergency response team, just in case. Arrange for catering, here in the mess; we’ll need to eat. Fresh coffee would be good. Join me on the bridge when you’re organized. We’ll get under way as soon as we’re disconnected from the station.”
*****
Chapter 37
Steg did not ask way station control for permission to undock. Once he received confirmation that the shuttle was untethered, he signaled Aadan. She nudged the power up a fraction and gently reversed away from the docking arm.
Wasp had messaged the Xesset scout’s entry-exit locations, and he assumed any Xesset force would arrive in approximately the same region. Of course, he could be wrong. Xesset, he had found, were not predictable; they had a far different set of decision values. He checked the shuttle’s distance from the station, and when he thought they were at a safe distance—he didn’t want any ships reversing into the stealthed shuttle—he diverted a large fraction of their power to the shields. The shuttle now would be invisible to most sensor systems.
Aadan swapped the shuttle’s nose to tail position and dropped the shuttle towards the planet, heading away from the way station. Their plan was to shelter temporarily below the station and gradually increase the separation distance between it and the shuttle. The maneuver was gradual. The shuttle looked small, and although it had few weapons, Monty had re-designed both its structure and its propulsion units. The result was a tough and fast starship. The only reason Attwood hadn’t taken this shuttle when he fled Wasp was simply because it had been too well guarded. It was responsive to Aadan’s gentle touches as Helm, although Steg was finding it difficult to hide his impatience; he wanted to open up the engines and accelerate away from the planet. He planned to make an s-t jump out to the far edge of the Eos system as soon as possible. He could then monitor from a distance and return to the way station when and if it seemed safe.
“Howe, Beagle. Your assessments?”
The two Intel team members were monitoring the news feeds from the station.
“Sir, there is little sensible data coming from the planet. I’ve some short flics to show you from the station, if you like,” Beagle said.
“Play away.”
“This first one is from the way station’s official news channel.” The bridge team watched the video viewscreen as Beagle played the flic file.
A newsreader looked down at his prepared notes. “Station management advise there is no need to be concerned about reports of what some are describing as a major computer systems disaster on Eos. Steps have been taken to protect station systems while we check with Eos authorities to determine the truth of reports. In the meantime, station crews are directed to continue their normal duties.”
“This next one is a snippet captured from an unofficial broadcast.” Beagle played the second file. The person speaking was shown in an unidentifiable silhouette. “Mercenary starship Wasp recently departed for points unknown. Could those mercs be responsible for the system crashes on-planet? Have they destroyed the Joy infrastructure or the entire Eos infras
tructure? If the latter, Vox thinks that’s a bit extreme. Officials planet-side are in total disarray, if not in sheer panic. The station has been impacted, resulting in our earlier unexpected lights out. What’s the fix? Vox of Eos wants to know. If your comlinks are working, send me your comments—you know the address.”
“Sir, we tapped into an official station comlink for this one,” Howe said. “It seems to be an exchange between a senior station person, possibly the top manager, and the station’s computer manager.” He played the file.
“I don’t want to hear you say you can’t disconnect from Eos.”
“Sir, it’s not only that I don’t have authority. I don’t have access to the commands. That’s all done from the planet.”
“Then tell them to do it; it’s imperative.”
“We’ve lost communication with our central control. I can’t raise anyone there.”
“Well, get in a bloody spacesuit and get out there and disconnect the antennae—do something, damn it. We’ll lose control of the station if that virus, or whatever it is, infects our systems.”
“Sir, I think it’s already too late.”
“We’ve got more,” Howe said. “However, the pattern is the same. The station has been infected. We don’t know if the virus has reached a starship.”
Steg was intrigued. “If a starship infected with the virus departs this system, can it pass on the virus to another station or starship? Have you started a plague?”
His questions were met with complete silence.
###
“What do you think, Tac?” Richard Montrose frowned into the inner darkness of his thoughts.
His Tac commander said, “Sir, Wasp is likely to be still in-system, watching. She dropped off some passive sensors as well as leaving the shuttle at the way station. Their shields are extremely effective, as you know.”
“You mean you can’t find them?”
“Hmm. I have to admit, you’re correct, sir. Wasp’s maintaining silence. I’m surprised—she’s giving off no electronic leaks, at all.”
Fracture Lines (The Glass Complex Book 2) Page 24
