“You, me, and Kage will be it for now. Suspicions may be too strong a term anyway, let’s just say we’ve been around enough to know when something doesn’t pass the smell test,” Jason said.
“Thanks for including me, Captain,” Kage said from the copilot’s seat.
“I didn’t have much of a choice. You’re sitting right here.”
“Your words hurt sometimes,” Kage said.
Mazer laughed and straightened up to leave. “I’ll let everyone know we’re preparing to depart,” he said before walking back off the flightdeck.
“In all seriousness, Kage,” Jason said once he’d gone, “let’s keep an ear to the ground. Also, let’s not mention any of this around Crusher just yet.”
“Ooo, I love the intrigue,” Kage said, rubbing his two smaller hands together as the other two continued readying the shuttle’s systems. “Now we’re a secret circle within a secret circle.”
“Just keep me up to speed on anything you might pick up,” Jason said wearily. “But keep your killer instincts in check. Let’s not invite trouble by having you slice into any private networks until we’re sure there’s something there to find.”
It only took another fifteen minutes to get the shuttle prepped to roll out. Impressive since it was completely cold when they had first boarded and a testament to how new and modern the ship was. Kage remotely accessed the hangar door control and commanded the massive sliding doors to part while keeping the landing pad lights darkened. Jason brought the repulsors online and lifted the shuttle off its landing skids to an altitude of one meter, then nudged it out of the building with the main drive. Raindrops began to splatter against the steeply raked canopy as the ship emerged fully into the gloomy night and the growing storm.
“We’re cleared to lift at our discretion,” Kage reported as the main drive began to spool to full power. “They seemed fairly uninterested in our flight plan. The only thing they said was to fly south away from Cessell City before we break for orbit.”
“What about once we hit orbit? Do they care where we’re going?” Jason asked, somewhat surprised.
“The flight plan stated we were making a courier run to Restaria,” Kage shrugged. “Again … I don’t think they care. Things on this planet are so boring and routine I’m not sure they have any suspicions even when things are slightly out of the ordinary.”
“I’m just surprised that a ship like this doesn’t raise a few questions,” Jason said. “Here we go.” He smoothly brought the throttle up, letting the gravimetric drive absorb the weight of the ship, and swung them around south in an easy, spiraling climb. Once the main drive was fully engaged, the repulsor system put itself into standby. “Prepare the hull for exoatmospheric flight,” he ordered.
“It’s already done it by itself,” Kage said. “This isn’t your standard shuttle, apparently. A lot of the systems are similar to what we have on the Phoenix.”
“Well, if we can’t have the old girl for an escape run I guess this is the next best thing,” Jason said. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 15
“Fifteen minutes to the landing site,” Kage said as the combat shuttle tore through the upper atmosphere of Restaria. “No issues to report, but there is something odd.”
“And that is?” Jason asked.
“I can’t get a response from the Phoenix’s status beacon,” Kage said, frowning. “We should be close enough, but there isn’t a very well-developed public nexus on this planet. That could be the reason.”
“We stashed her pretty far out from Ker,” Jason said. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Probably not,” Kage agreed. “Anyway, your landing zone is going to be the unused portion of a vehicle maintenance yard to the southwest and on the outskirts of Ker. It’s going to be a tight drop. You’ll have to come to a full stop and drop us in nearly forty meters between the buildings that flank either side.”
“No sweat,” Jason said. “Let’s hope our pick-up is on time.”
He flew a slow, standard pattern down into the city so as not to attract the unwanted attention of flying in too hard and risk someone taking too close of a look at the vessel. The sparse traffic over Ker was a blessing when it came time to bring them to a stop in midair and quickly lower the shuttle into its cramped parking spot.
“Secure from flight ops,” Jason said to Kage, “but after that I have a special little thing I need you to do.”
“What’s that?”
“Here’s what I want…” Jason began, explaining to Kage what he needed done before they disembarked.
*****
“Master Fordix,” Fostel greeted them as they came down the ramp, “welcome home.”
“Thank you, Praetore,” Fordix said with a bow of his head. “While I will be forever grateful for the Order getting me out of that pit, I am disappointed that you risked the life of Lord Felex on such a mission.”
“He insisted on going,” Zetarix spoke up. “He said his team was more suited for this sort of mission.”
“And you agreed?”
“I do not tell the Guardian Archon what he may, or may not, do,” Zetarix said stiffly.
“The decision was mine,” Crusher said, ending the argument. “This was a tactical decision, my friend. You have information we need and we were the best suited to get you out.”
“We should continue this discussion in a more discreet place,” Mutabor, the third Praetore, said. “While the escape was a success, it would be a shame to be caught now as we loiter near the ramp of the escape vehicle.”
“Indeed,” Crusher said. “Kage, lock the ship up and we’ll get moving.” Kage gave him a mocking salute and went over to the external access panel and set the locking protocols on the shuttle before running to climb into yet another ground vehicle with no windows that would whisk them away to some undisclosed location.
“Have you been able to raise the ship yet?” Jason whispered to Kage as they drove through the heart of Ker.
“No,” Kage said, “and Twingo isn’t answering his com unit either.”
“As soon as we get to where we’re going, let’s get this sorted out and make preps to get out of here,” Jason whispered back. “Now that Fordix is out I don’t think we’ll be needed.”
“Will he be coming with us?” Kage asked, nodding towards Crusher.
“I hope,” Jason said, frowning, “but the choice is his, just like it is for all of us.” He hadn’t really considered that Crusher might stay behind on Restaria and try to reclaim some of his old life, but as he watched his friend become more integrated with the Order, he had to admit that he had his doubts. He didn’t want to think about what might happen to Omega Force without Crusher there.
When they finally arrived at the next hidden location belonging to the Order and climbed out of the airtruck, Jason went to where the Praetores had congregated.
“Excuse me,” he said. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but if there is no longer anything pressing for us, I’d like to collect the rest of my crew and check in on my ship.”
“Your crew members returned to your ship shortly after you left,” Mutabor told him. “They said they would be more comfortable there and less of a risk of being spotted on Restaria. They were transported out there by one of our members days ago.”
“We have been unable to raise the ship, or them,” Jason said. “All the more reason to check in on them if you can spare a vehicle.”
“It would be unwise for you to move through Ker on your own,” Fostel said with a frown.
“I’ll take them,” Mazer volunteered. He’d been hovering around Jason, seeming interested in what was being said. “There’s nothing for me to contribute that Morakar doesn’t also know.”
“Very well,” Fostel said after a moment. “But please be quick about it. If their ship is discovered it will raise some uncomfortable questions.”
“I will be careful, Praetore,” Mazer said with a bow. “Captain?”
“Let me tell
Crusher what’s going on and then we’ll be on our way,” Jason said. He was beginning to become anxious over the situation … there was no logical reason why Kage shouldn’t be able to at least ping the Phoenix and get a status update at this range.
*****
“I could have sworn this is where I parked,” Jason said with a humor he wasn’t feeling. The four of them were standing in a large, empty field that used to have a DL7 heavy gunship parked in the middle of it.
“This is the right place, isn’t it?” Kage asked.
“It is,” Jason confirmed, “I can still see the indentations from the landing gear.”
“Judging from the way the grass has popped back up in those indentations, I would estimate that the ship has been gone for some days,” Mazer said, kneeling down where the nose gear had been sitting.
“Captain,” Lucky called from near where the right wing would have been. He held up a customized scanner with a cracked display for Jason to see.
“That’s Twingo’s,” Jason confirmed.
“That would indicate there was some sort of struggle,” Mazer said, walking up beside Jason.
“The screen has always been cracked,” Jason said, “but he would never just leave his gear lying around outside.”
“Maybe they were spotted and had to lift off in a hurry,” Kage suggested.
“Doubtful,” Jason said. “The grav-drive was in standby. To lift off in an emergency they’d have had to fire the ventral repulsors and that would have chewed the ground up pretty badly. The only disruption I see is where the wheels and the end of the ramp were sitting.”
“There is something with a power supply near the edge of the clearing over there,” Lucky said, pointing towards the trees to the north. They all walked over and found the remains of what had once been a blaster rifle. It was impossible to determine the origins or manufacturer since it was mangled and charred.
“Whoa! Look at that,” Kage said, pointing back into the woods. When Jason looked closely he could see three exploded tree trunks and some heavy scorch marks along the ground that had been obscured by the foliage from their original vantage point. Jason looked back over his shoulder and tried to get a bearing on how the Phoenix would have been oriented.
“This is from the tail guns,” he said finally. “Something triggered the defensive protocols.” A hard, cold knot was forming in his gut. The Phoenix was gone without a trace, and so were his friends.
Chapter 16
The four inspected the landing site for another two hours, expanding their search outward, before finally walking back to the vehicle they’d arrived in to head back to Ker. Jason had wanted to find some definitive evidence that Doc had been there as he had with Twingo’s scanner. He worked hard to stay focused on the task, but his anxiety about what had become of his friends was making it difficult. So he relied on Lucky and Mazer to approach the problem with a more dispassionate eye, but they turned up nothing past the initial findings of a missing ship and a broken hand tool.
“Kage,” Jason began.
“Already forming a plan, Captain,” Kage said, his eyes a little distant as his brain ran through parallel probability calculations. “I will need access to a slip-space com node, but if the Phoenix is out there and in one piece I should be able to track it down. I can’t guarantee how quickly though.”
“I’ll do my best to leave you alone while you work,” Jason said, knowing he tended to hover when he wasn’t able to do anything useful to help. “I know you’ll crack it faster than anyone else would be able to.”
“Captain,” Lucky said, “I do not think it would be prudent to announce our trouble to the members of the Order when we return.”
“I was about to say the same thing,” Jason said.
“Why not?” Kage disagreed. “We could use their resources.”
“I agree with Lucky’s instincts,” Jason explained. “Something isn’t feeling right. For starters, where did they get that shuttle we flew back on? That’s easily a one hundred million credit ship. I also get an odd vibe from Fordix. No … for now we play this one close to the chest.” The three members of Omega Force turned simultaneously to look at Mazer.
“Hey,” he said, raising his hands, “I’m with you guys. I agree that something doesn’t quite ring true regarding recent events. I had no idea the Order had access to that type of weaponry either.”
“Can you get us a slip-space com node and a secure location for Kage to work from?” Jason asked.
Mazer thought about it for a long moment before nodding his head. “I have the perfect place, actually,” he said. “You’ll be safe there and it should have any equipment you need to begin your search. What are we going to tell the others when we get back?”
“Why do you ask?” Jason said.
“I’m sure it’s occurred to you that there were only a few people who knew the location of your Phoenix,” Mazer said seriously. “I hesitate to even utter this aloud, but it is entirely plausible that someone within the Order orchestrated the capture of your ship.”
“The thought has crossed my mind,” Jason admitted. “But I don’t want to focus on the worst case scenario until we have more evidence.”
“I can understand that,” Lucky said.
Kage looked back and forth for a moment until he couldn’t stand being silent any longer. “Okay,” he said, “why is that the worst case scenario?”
“If the Order captured the Phoenix that means we were likely lured here for reasons other than what we were told,” Lucky said.
“And it means Twingo and Doc are likely already dead,” Jason finished, the lump of ice in his gut becoming heavier.
*****
The drive back to Ker was silent and tense. Mazer, despite his helpfulness, had the demeanor of someone who felt guilty for something he didn’t actually do. Jason’s mind was racing as he tried to think of who on Restaria would have a motive to take the ship. Not only that, but how? It was obvious the Phoenix tried to defend itself at least once, but there wasn’t near the amount of carnage he would expect from someone forcibly boarding the gunship. There was also the fact that without the proper code clearances, a forced boarding would result in incremental amounts of damage to the main systems. The harder they tried to get it running, the worse it would damage itself, just short of full destruction.
He also had to consider the possibility that Twingo had been captured in order to gain entry to the ship, but the engineer didn’t have the command authorization to unlock the primary flight systems. Not only that, but Doc would be useless to them if their mission was just to steal the ship, so his body should have been lying in the grass when they arrived.
All of his various conclusions were sunk, however, when he remembered the shiny new combat shuttle parked in a nondescript staging yard in the city that was now on the horizon. With access to that sort of firepower, why bother going through the enormous trouble, and danger, of stealing a single gunship? He forced himself to slow his breathing and heart rate. Flying off in a million different directions wouldn’t help him find his friends if they were still alive. Since he hadn’t heard from them, he had to assume they were counting on him to put the pieces together and come get them.
“This is it,” Mazer said. “It was one of our first safe houses. It’s been long abandoned since it is quite small, but it should fulfill your needs. There is a food prep area, sleeping quarters, and a full slip-space com suite.”
“Lucky, I want you to stay here with Kage,” Jason said. “I’ll go back with Mazer and tell them you guys decided to stay on the Phoenix. Either that will explain your absence or I will get some sort of reaction out of them.”
“I’ll be fine here by myself, Captain,” Kage insisted. “I’ve had to sneak around in a lot more dangerous places than this and I’ll keep my com unit close by. My absence is easy to explain, but Lucky not returning might arouse suspicion.” Jason stared at his diminutive friend for a moment, considering the request.
“Very
well,” he said finally. He pulled a small blaster out of the holster at the small of his back and handed it to Kage. “Be careful and keep me updated on what you’re finding. Make sure you encrypt the signal.”
“Will do, Captain,” Kage said, accepting a code card from Mazer that would gain him access to the safe house. “Don’t worry … this is what I do. If they can be found, I’ll find them.”
Jason nodded once to him. “Go,” he said. “Find them and report back to me.”
“Is he really that good?” Mazer asked as Kage disappeared quickly up the stairwell that would lead to the upper floor of the three-story building.
“You have no idea,” Jason snorted. “He’s not bragging when he says he’s the best. He’s so good that when I found him he was locked up in a stasis cell to be sold to the highest bidder.”
“Were you all captured to be sold? Is that how your group came to be?” Mazer asked, pulling the vehicle back into the sparse traffic.
“Not all of us,” Jason said absently. “Twingo, Doc, and I were never in stasis pods.”
“So Lord Felex had been captured and put into one of those things?” Mazer asked incredulously.
“Don’t read too much into it,” Jason said. “Crusher’s … Felex’s mistake was that he assumed everyone in the galaxy operated under the same honor code he had since he’d been born. It was a tough lesson, but one he’s learned well. It doesn’t matter how powerful a warrior you are when a drink laced with a powerful sedative is served to you.”
The younger warrior remained silent for a while as they drove through the heart of the city. “I never considered the hidden dangers out beyond our world,” he said finally. “We’re so safe here in our isolation and with the legions surrounding us. I have to wonder how well I would do out there on my own.”
“You’re smart enough to realize that you don’t know everything,” Jason said. “You’d do fine.”
*****
Jason wasn’t quite prepared for the changes that had taken place in the few hours they were gone. When he and Lucky were led into the room where everyone had been meeting, Crusher looked to have undergone a complete transformation. He was in some sort of ceremonial armor that was comprised of a sculpted cuirass, black enameled pauldrons, and heavy forearm guards. There were also a pair of armored gauntlets on the table in front of him and Crusher was standing at the head of the table with the obvious air of command about him.
Omega Force 5: Return of the Archon Page 14
